We’ve all heard about peanut butter and chocolate, right? We’ve all faked enthusiasm over the mixing of two things that we think won’t quite work but, in fact, does! We’ve all heard routines and diatribes about those wacky pitchmen in Hollywood who try to glom fame off of two famous things by squishing them together into some misrepresented and terrible idea. We’ve all cursed at the creative banality of merely just apply the broad strokes of two genres to get a pisspoor and not grand mess that isn’t appealing to either side.

Okay, Bookworm Adventures 2 isn’t that bad; it’s delightful in its own way, extending upon the good fortune granted in its first iteration by expanding in the usual ways, with more stuff, subtle tweaks to the system, and further adventures through the annuls of literature with that ridiculous grinning earthworm. It’s just unfortunate that the game is based on a concept that starts ringing hollow around the second chapter.

Read more after the jump

Wallace & Gromit's Grand Adventures, the new episodic series based on the human and dog duo, has a big pair of shoes to fill. Not only is it arriving on the heels of two successful seasons of Sam & Max as well as Strong Bad's Cool Game 4 Attractive People, but it also has a substantial franchise legacy to own up to. When you're dealing with a twenty year old franchise, fans tend to be highly critical of even the smallest little nuance and detail, and when you're dealing with a twenty year old franchise that's won awards, critical acclaim, and the laughter of millions, people tend to be critical.

At least, that's what I've been told. Until two weeks ago, I'd avoided the Wallace & Gromit series altogether. The movies, the cartoon shorts, even the short films seemed a bit out of my comfort zone, humor wise. But when the review copy of Fright of the Bumblebees showed up on our doorstep, I threw caution to the wind and fired up my PC. Having loved all of Telltale Games' offerings in the past, I figured that at the very least, Fright of the Bumblebees would prove to be a solid adventure game. Even if every single reference to the long running franchise went over my head, I could at least take some solace in having a game that ran well, and that did the adventure genre justice.

The surprises in Fright of the Bumblebees came on a few fronts. The game actually does a few cool things to help improve the Point & Click adventure genre as a whole. It's remarkably fun, although that part isn't TOO surprising, since this is a Telltale game. And most importantly (or most terribly, however you want to view it), Fright of the Bumblebees has instilled within me a deep desire to go out and absorb all things Wallace & Gromit, practically chastizing me for having never invested in the franchise.

How in the world have I missed this series all this time? And how's the game? You'll get the answer to one of these questions after the jump.

Space: The Final Sellout. It’s the first - and usually last - place to go when you’re looking to expand a franchise, at least if you’re a 1970’s Saturday morning cartoon show. The same rule seem to apply to casual games, as Puzzle Quest extends its basic gameplay to another format and takes you a galaxy populated by the usual ridiculous-looking aliens and all-consuming threat. The spinoff game creates a match-3 puzzle that’s more strategic and interesting, but also makes the general playing experience a little less than great.

Blast off after the jump

Considering that Sacred 2 is an action RPG, it performs exceptionally well in both of these areas, though whether or not you agree that the game is a strong RPG will depend entirely on your definition of the genre. While literally a role playing game (as defined by Dictionary.com) is, "a game in which participants adopt the roles of imaginary characters in an adventure," an RPG in video game terms is more often demarcated by loot, levels, statistics and skills. Sacred 2 leans very heavily toward this latter definition.

The game features gorgeous graphics, an intricate combat system and fresh humor, but still this isn't enough to draw in anyone that can't stand the idea of loot drops, no matter how interesting the world is to explore. You can expect to find a few bugs that still need to be worked out, and the character development is sparse at best. As a matter of fact, if it weren't for the innately limited appeal of the ARPG, the only real thing keeping this game from greatness would be the fact that quests are rarely more complicated than, say...

Hit the jump for more. Reward: 75 gold.

The Witcher is an Action RPG based on the fantasy world created by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, and is developed by CD Projekt. Nothing? Ok. The Witcher is an Action RPG published by Atari, running on the Aurora Engine (what BioWare used for Neverwinter Nights). Sounds a bit more enticing, no? And well it should.

Originally released one year ago, The Witcher received no less than four “RPG of the Year” awards. Unlike the mighty Squaresoft, which has fallen from grace over the last few years, the mere mention of “BioWare” in connection with “Role Playing Game,” no matter how tenuous the link, should be enough to send any RPG fan into a Pavlovian salivating frenzy.

Atari isn’t about to risk breaking our conditioned responses, so as you might expect, whether you caught  the game the first time around or not, the re-release of The Witcher is good. Very good. Not content to leave well enough alone, in the new Enhanced Edition CD Projekt has added nearly two hundred new animations, re-recorded much of the spoken dialogue, addressed several bugs, reduced overall load times and added two new adventures: Side Effects and The Price of Neutrality.

First, lets cover the basics. The Witcher is you, Geralt of Rivia, an otherwise normal person apart from some genetic mutations which give you greater strength, faster reflexes, the ability to see fairly well in the dark, sterility and a very pasty complexion. After being chased through the woods by a mysterious force in the opening sequences, you find yourself awake and among friends in a weathered old castle, completely unable to remember who you are. Soon the castle comes under siege, things are stolen, and someone close to you dies. Here ends the prologue and begins your lengthy 80+ hour quest to find out who you are, who the Salamandra are and why they attacked you.

Hit the jump and begin your own 80+ hour quest to read the rest of this review. (Just kidding. Or am I…?)

Here in America, we tend to be a little bit, say, forgetful about our past. It was a dirty, rude, egotistical period, and we tend to not want to be reminded of it, because it such an unbearable time that we still aren't sober enough to accept it. So, when a video game comes out that reminds the collective us about the atrocities of the time, and when it plays about as loose and difficult as its predecessor, you end up with an all together notorious experience. Civilization still ends up as a passable game, with a little charm, but you've got quite a bit of chaff to sort through.

Return to a less kind time after the jump.

After the so-so experience I had with Moai Better Blues, I sat in my office chair, pondering the perils of success.  You see, after the incredible premiere episode of Ice Station Santa, I was wondering whether or not they'd ever be able to surpass its awesomeness.  Moai Better Blues was a bad sign, an omen of foreboding danger, that perhaps the creative team at Telltale Games might have blown their creative wad early in the season.

Because of this, I approached Sam & Max - Night of the Raving Dead with more than my fair share of trepidation.  I love Sam & Max as a parent loves their favorite child, but that love means I hold the pair to a high standard.   And after the trip to Easter Island took the wind out of my sails, I was reluctant to jump into Sam & Max again so soon.  My heart was bruised, and I didn't want to face that pain again.

And here I am, with the game's experience behind me.  Once again, I'm sad.  Not because the game is bad.  No, Night of the Raving Dead is good.  In fact, it's a little too good.  Night of the Raving Dead has it all.  Horror movie references, humor that ranges from subtly sublime to supremely slapstick, dialog that's worth listening to several times, solid puzzle design, vampires with nipple rings...  Raving Dead takes what was wrong in the last episode and does away with it, streamlining the adventure experience.  In the process, it delivers an enjoyable experience that will leave anyone laughing, whether or not they're a fan of Sam & Max.   Can the rest of the season possibly match this new benchmark?

Hit the jump.  The dead have returned, and they've gone emo!

T'was the day after saving Christmas, and wouldn't you know it, Sam & Max are back for another adventure. 

After spending their premeire episode for the second season in the cold environs of the North Pole, it's time for a tropical getaway.  This time, Sam & Max are headed to Easter Island for an unwilling vacation, courtesy of the Bermuda Triangle.

It's just a shame that after the Grand Slam of Ice Station Santa, Moai Better Blues is just so-so.  Sure, the comedy is here, and the writing is top notch.  But the puzzles leave something to be desired, the interaction with characters just isn't that great, and by the time it's all said and done, you don't quite get the warm fuzzies. 

Hit the jump, we've got a full review of Moai Better Blues for you.

In 2007, a dog and a hyperkinetic rabbit thing were sent to the White House, the center of the Internet, and the Moon to stop a series of hypnotic crimes. This duo promptly escaped from a lifetime of outer space imprisonment to a small, unassuming office space in a brick building. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as Freelance Police. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you don't mind senseless bloodshed for the sake of comedy, maybe you can hire .. Sam & Max.

It's Season Two for the beloved Freelance Police, and this time around, there's trouble brewing up North. Santa's Workshop has been taken over by an encroaching Corporate Entity, the everpresent threat of outsourced Elf labor in the face of increasing manufacturing costs, and a mysterious purple crate. It also doesn't help that Santa has turned into a gun-toting maniac that's threatening to blow up the North Pole. But tricky, quirky cases are what Sam & Max do best.

And so begins Ice Station Santa, the first episode of the second season of the Sam & Max adventure games. After an amazing first season, Ice Station Santa starts off with a bang, literally. But does it improve over the first six games? Has Telltale evolved? And at $9 per game, is Sam & Max still worth the money? Hit the jump to find out more.

If you know the story of Flagship Studios, you’ll understand why their new title, Hellgate: London, shares so many similarities to Diablo, and why it’s necessary to make comparisons to Diablo as part of an analysis of Hellgate.

Flagship was formed by some of the original developers and executives that helped make Diablo (and by extension, Blizzard) a household name for PC gamers. They helped create and shape the franchise, and their roots are firmly planted in some of the most basic concepts of the game. So it should come as no surprise that Hellgate: London plays very much like Diablo. It has the same addictive blend of hack-and-slash combat and cinematic storytelling that made Diablo so wonderful.

But in remaining true to the spirit of Diablo, Hellgate: London also finds itself stuck in the same mire as its inspiration title. The pace of the game can crawl at times, the dungeon crawling gets repetitive, and the game is still a bit too buggy despite having been released a month and a half ago. A questionable multiplayer subscription model leaves you wondering about the future of this game, too.

Is Hellgate good? Yes, with a few caveats. Is it the new Diablo? Well... let's jump and find out.