Archive for January, 2009
Review: Need For Speed Undercover
Posted by: | CommentsRacing titles are ever-evolving. With the intoduction of the open world to the genre, it has seemed that subsequent titles especially after Burnout Paradise have followed suit. While Burnout Paradise was a glowing example of the open world mechanic done right, many of the games it has inspired have been less-than-stellar entries to their respective franchises. The latest evidence of this is Need for Speed Underground. While it aspires to be a “thrilling”, open exercise in evading the cops and rising above the ranks, it falls short in a number of ways, making the other racing contenders available right now the better choice, most definitely.
Review: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
Posted by: | CommentsAlmost a decade after the release of Persona 2: Eternal Punishment, gamers outside of Japan were treated with the third installment of the Revelations: Persona series of Shin Megami Tensei. Completely revolutionizing the series and the way gamers saw the Persona side stories, Persona 3 was a groundbreaking exercise in what is truly fun about RPGs. It introduced many innovative new facets of gameplay that were completely refreshing to play through rather than sit through the same old, stale, RPG for the umpteenth time. With such a stellar effort that even prompted the add-on disc to come to America, it was going to be a tough gig to follow. Not surprisingly, however, Atlus has hit another home run with the release of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4.
Review: Gears of War 2
Posted by: | CommentsGears of War – one of the most popular franchises currently going on the Xbox 360. When a sequel was announced, we just knew that the second time would be a charm. And it had to be, because though the original Gears was an excellent third-person shooter, it still had its issues, namely in multiplayer. It was promised that everything we hated would turn into a magical ride on the COLE TRAIN, BABY! Alas, the same problems that plagued the original Gears are still alive in its sequel. Though it’s more of the same, it’s…more of the same. However, don’t fret. That’s definitely not a bad thing, as the original Gears remains one of the best (and one of my favorite) shooters on the 360 to date. Gears of War 2 follows suit, but those changes we were promised? They’re as visible as Fenix’s neck. However, what remains is still a visceral, raw, and chainsawin’ good time. The noticeable updates make your trek all the bloodier, and what’s presented is quite the adventure. Read More→
Review: Naruto Clash of Ninja Revolution 2
Posted by: | CommentsAs my Naruto-obsessed friend has shown me, the Naruto fighting titles have simply been newer renditions of themselves over and over throughout the years. This is even reflected through their titles, as there has already been a “Clash of Ninja”, and then “Clash of Ninja Revolution”. Now, with Clash of Ninja Revolution 2, we’re getting a superpowered dose of, well, more of the same. It’s apparent that in order to sell a Naruto title to fans like hotcakes, changes do not need to be made. However, that does not count of any of the series from being fun and interesting fighters that make competent additions to Naruto fans’ game collections. It just means that the series seems to be stuck in a rut. But hey, if it ain’t broke, why fix it?
Editorial: Mediocrity in 2008
Posted by: | CommentsHalo 3. Call of Duty 4. God of War 2. BioShock. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. Mass Effect. The Orange Box. Super Mario Galaxy. Rock Band. World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade.
It’s safe to assume that the majority of gamers have appreciated at least one of those titles. But what do they all have in common? They were all released in 2007. It’s simple to forget that many of the hallmark titles we now recommend for gamers who haven’t yet experienced the wonders of the current-gen consoles were in fact, released last year.