Combining RPG elements with frenetic FPS action is usually a game development path that can’t go wrong. In the case of Gearbox’s brand new darling Borderlands, they most certainly hit one out of the park. Splicing together some of the things we love about both genres — as well as explosive multiplayer adventure — was one of the best moves they could have ever made. And it’s become one of the most infamous time sucks of all time. Where to get more loot? How can I level up faster? And why isn’t everyone playing Borderlands on my friends list?
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Archive for December, 2009
Review: Borderlands
Review: Wet
There are a couple things that are absolute game-breakers for me: terrible voice acting and subpar gameplay mechanics. Bethesda’s Wetoffers up a healthy portion of both, and it’s a real shame. It could have been the beginning of something beautiful. Instead, it only manages to stand on its own two feet as an extremely derivative third-person shooter in the vein of, well, too many other games.
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Review: Just Dance
Fitness buffs have long known the benefits of using the Wii as an exercise machine via extensions such as Wii Fit, EA Active Personal Trainer, or even simple games such as WarioWare: Smooth Moves, which asks you to pose accordingly in order to be successful. As of late I’ve taken it upon myself to get in better shape, so I’ve taken advantage of the glut of options available to me in order to facilitate my own fitness program. For a while I had my eye on Ubisoft’s Just Dance, a music/rhythm game that encourages you to get up off your derriere and get into the action by dancing your little heart out. Unfortunately, the game doesn’t work too well as it was intended, but if you simply use the game as a visual guide to shaking what your mama gave you, it does provide an intensive and entertaining workout if you’re willing to throw your inhibitions — and possibly your dignity — out the door.
Review: Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble
On December 3, 2009
In PSP, Review
With Comments Off on Review: Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble
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When being a man isn’t enough, you’ve got to step up your game. Considerably. Good looks, charm, intelligence, and even riches can only take you so far; to really get ahead, you need swagger and strength. You’ve gotta become a bona fide badass: a Bancho. In the tumultuous Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble, another quirky offering from Atlus, your one true goal is to display the most Banchosity. That means smash talking your way into some ridiculous situations, staring down any rivals with electric Menchi beams, and striving to become the toughest on your turf (along with everyone else’s). Those familiar with the pompadoured, tough-talking, gang-affiliated students popularized in Japanese anime and culture should delight in stepping into the shoes of these delinquents who care about nothing more than being bad.
Impressions: Hip Hop All Star
On December 1, 2009
In Impressions, iPhone/iPod Touch
With Comments Off on Impressions: Hip Hop All Star
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The success of DJ Hero has prompted other games to follow in its footsteps. Even on platforms you wouldn’t normally expect to see similar titles, different imitators are sprouting everywhere! One of the latest, and perhaps one of the greatest, has surfaced. Entitled Hip Hop All Star, it provides mobile gamers with a chance to enjoy all of what made DJ Hero great, sans the astronomical price tag and bulky (albeit excellent) peripheral.