The boys are back in town. By boys, I mean ravenous, flesh-eating zombies. And by town, I mean Fortune City. Luckily Chuck Greene, motocross superstar, is on the case. In Dead Rising 2, the sequel to the cult hit zombie apocalypse simulator Dead Rising, Greene replaces Frank West as the Average Joe on the run from the starving undead. Yes, there are plenty of zombies, but there’s a cure floating around that can stave off the effects of zombification. It’s called Zombrex, and Katey, Chuck’s tiny daughter, is in dire need of a dose every 24 hours lest she degrade into a shambling monstrosity herself.
All posts in Review
Review: Comic Jumper
On November 5, 2010
In Review, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade
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When I first caught wind of Twisted Pixel’s latest project Comic Jumper, I was mildly excited. It seemed new and interesting enough. The Maw was appropriately adorable and ‘Splosion Man had a good vibe to it, but ultimately was not for me. But because I thought the Twisted Pixel crew had a decent booth set up at PAX East earlier this year, I thought I’d see what all the fuss was about.
Review: Hydrophobia
On October 29, 2010
In Review, Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade
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Hydrophobia seemed as though it would be something new and refreshing for the Xbox Live Arcade selection that has seemed to stagnate over the past few months. Even the game’s title, referring to the irrational fear of water, was puzzling to me. Elements of psychological and survival horror called out to me and sang a chilling tune as I made my way deeper into its world. And as I attempted to infiltrate the massive Queen of the World ship in order to get to the bottom of a bizarre terrorist attack, I slowly began to realize that the combination of mediocre voice acting, iffy controls, and frustrating mechanics were hampering the experience too much to keep it fresh. With a heavy heart, I sat down to pen this review, lamenting the wasted potential of what could have been a much more engaging adventure.
Review: Quantum Theory
Gears of War may not be perfect, but darn if I don’t love it. There’s something undeniably entertaining about intense chainsaw duels and pumping aliens full of lead. I wouldn’t touch its multiplayer with a ten foot pole, but the campaign and its co-op play keep me entranced. With that mindset, I assumed I would absolutely love Tecmo’s Quantum Theory, a me-too third-person shooter with most — if not all — of its gameplay mechanics ripped straight from the Xbox 360 powerhouse. Let’s just say that I was wrong.
Review: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow
On October 29, 2010
In PlayStation 3, Review
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Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I can very easily apply that old chestnut to the likes of Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, the latest outing for the series and a reboot that trades in series tradition for a shiny God of War-like overhaul and the time-tested methods of “hit it, hit it again, and hit it some more.” It’s lush, visually appealing, and a decent play. But as far as “reinventing” the series goes, I have to say that I was expecting an update with a little more “oomph.” Do developers need to resort to turning everything into a brawler to keep it fresh? That’s debatable. Don’t get me wrong. There’s a decent adventure here and one that I’d recommend for players who enjoyed Dante’s Inferno or any of the “me too” slashers released in the past couple of years. The bottom line is I’m not convinced this is really even Castlevania. This is…something else entirely.