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'GoldenEye' is one of the classics of console FPS games. Is this game really so fun that it deserves yet another version in this short span of time? Cynical though I may seem, 'GoldenEye' is still a great game
'Voltron: Defender of the Universe'
Well, before Hollywood gets its claws on it and does the unthinkable, we might as well enjoy 'Voltron: Defender of the Universe' for what it is now
'Final Fantasy' may be the best known and most beloved Japanese RPG series out there. 'Type-0' is part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis subseries, which also includes 'Final Fantasy XIII' and 'Final Fantasy Versus XIII'
I love the 'Apples to Apples' board game. So, of course, I was curious to see what THQ was doing with the game, translating it to a digital format on Xbox Live Arcade. Here's how the game works, in case you've never played it
I've never owned a Sony handheld, but 'WipeOut 2048' makes me want to join the club
When it comes to 3-D gaming, Sony is making a big push to be the leader in delivering a quality 3-D experience to PS3 owners all over the world. First thing first, you have to take a look at what's being offered
'Fusion: Genesis' (Xbox Live Arcade)
A lot of Xbox Live Arcade games are overlooked each year. Some are merely overshadowed by bigger releases - or retro titles with smaller price tags. Others are unfortunately released at a time when bigger and better retail games hit the market, as everyone is busy playing them. Among these overlooked games is 'Fusion: Genesis'
'Tom Clancy's Rainbow 6 Patriots'
Ubisoft has done extremely well when it comes to the Tom Clancy video game franchise over the years. The 'Rainbow 6' games are known for depicting high-tech counterterrorist operations set within Tom Clancy's game world
Fourth 'FIFA Street' Game Breaks from Its Past
Part of what makes 'FIFA Street' exude promise is the believability of it all
I'm all for an aggressive NASCAR game. So it made me happy to play 'NASCAR Unleashed' on the 360, with its simplistic arcade nature and its numerous options
'Dezaemon Kids!' (PlayStation Network)
'Dezaemon Kids!' can't compare to other, more serious games of the genre, but it's well worth $5.99 price. Here's Why
'Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary'
'Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary' is a remake that works appropriately well
'Zombie Apocalypse: Never Die Alone'
When Konami released 'Zombie Apocalypse' for download a couple of years ago, it brought forth an interesting arena shooting game in which the goal was to stay alive while battling hordes of the undead. The sequel, 'Never Die Alone,' expands on that with bigger areas and some personality-laden characters, benefiting as a result
'Sid Meier's Pirates' was remade in 2004 and it not only received amazing reviews from critics and gamers alike, but went down in gaming history as being one of the best pirate video games of all time. Even seven years later, it's still difficult to find a game that can outperform it. However, there is a new challenger to the pirate game throne in 'Pirates of Black Cove'
In this installment, we talk to John Laird, a computer science professor at the University of Michigan who specializes in artificial intelligence research. He is also noted for developing HAUNT, one of the first text adventure games. Laird discusses the future impact of AI in the tech world
High School Teachers Make Video Gaming Academic
Parent groups have long advocated limiting the amount of time children spend playing video games to make sure the activities don't get in the way of their social life and school work. So what happens when the video games are the school work?
Imagine a future where you play a first-person shooter with nothing more than a twitch of your finger. How about an exercise app that calculates precise muscle movement via magnetized bracelets? That future is coming -- faster than you think
My initial opinion of 'F.E.A.R. 3' was that it was an astoundingly generic, cover based first-person shooter, but as time passed and I progressed further into the game, I came to realize that 'F.E.A.R. 3' was actually ...
'From Dust' is an amazing game and a wonderful testament to creativity in game design. It's simple, complex and utterly beautiful.
Gears of War 3 Achievement Challenge
Gamerscores have been a staple of an Xbox player's personal identity, serving as a quick gauge for how much a gamer plays. 360Voice's Achievement Challenge has taken that metric and has debuted a unique meta-game around Gamerscores in Gears of War 3
Top 11 Video Games for Fitness
Don't like going to the gym? Then don't. Instead, get in shape by playing video games in the comfort of your own home. That's right. Video games
Dust 514 Brings MMO EVE OnlineM Into the FPS Market
The upcoming game Dust 514, an exclusive PlayStation 3 first-person shooter, will dramatically interact with the world of the MMORPG Eve. Tom Farrer discusses PlayStation 3 exclusivity and some of the technical challenges of integrating a PS3 game into the PC game experience
We had the opportunity to talk to End of Nations' executive producer David Luehmann about the game's development and his hopes for the future
In this installment, we talk to Greg Kasavin, former executive editor at GameSpot.com and now creative director at Supergiant Games, where he served as the writer for their auspicious first release, Bastion. Kasavin talks about the shape of the industry, digital distribution and the future of the video game as art
'Zenonia 3: The Midgard Story'
If you want to sit down with a nice, long RPG, Gamevil's 'Zenonia 3: The Midgard Story' has you covered on your iPhone or Android phone
Due to the Steam Summer Camp sale a few weeks back, I was able to pick up the 'Longest Journey' bundle. I had played the original some years back but most of that had faded from memory and the sequel would be brand new material
'Puzzle Dimension' is a beautiful, 3-D puzzle game with platforming elements mixed in. At first glance, gamers might be reminded of aesthetically similar puzzle games such as 'Super Monkey Ball'
Legendary developer John Carmack talks about id Software's new post-apocalyptic first-person shooter, Rage, developing at 60 frames per second, and what it's like to be working on what might be the best-looking shooter ever produced
MMO EVE Online Expands Into the FPS Market
DIG talks to producer Tom Farrer at CCP about Dust 514 and the synthesis between that forthcoming first-person shooter and the MMORPG EVE Online
Fallen Enchantress Is Set to Rise: Part 2
Stardock released a flawed gem in 2010's Elemental: War of Magic. It then hired Derek Paxton, lead designer and lead producer of Fallen Enchantress, to get the franchise back on track. DIG spoke to Paxton about how to successfully develop a game and stop things from getting out of hand
Take a look at the most popular development kits used inside some of the top game-development educational programs
Future for Slates, Tablets and iPads
Matt Ployhar takes a look at the future of the slate form factor and its potential impact on everything from console gaming to Windows 8
'Terraria' and 'Universe Sandbox'
Some games just aren't long enough for their own reviews, but are still important enough to deserve some attention. With that in mind we present the first of our Indy Shorts reviews. Here, I turn my attention to two recently released titles on Steam: 'Terraria' and 'Universe Sandbox'
Way back in the early days of 2007, there was a PlayStation 3 game with great promise, showing effectively what the system was built for and what the future held in store. That game was 'MotorStorm,' an arcade racer. Now in the series's third ride around on the PS3, 'MotorStorm: Apocalypse' makes some notable shifts from earlier entries
Cakewalk Case Studies: Sean Murray and Tim Wynn
When Cakewalk released its SONAR X1 digital audio workstation (DAW), they weren't just giving composers a world-class set of audio tools; they were giving them a solution to their production challenges. Here, DIG takes a look at how two game composers have integrated the suite
In this installment, we sat down with Bonnie Nardi, a cultural anthropologist teaching at the University of California, Irvine, and author of My Life as a Night Elf Priest. Nardi talks about the impact of MMOs on social dynamics and the distribution of technology
Chatting With John Martin of Reallusion
Arti Gupta had the chance to talk to John Martin, vice president of marketing for Reallusion
'Galaga' is a game that gives a smile to anyone who grew up visiting arcades -- but, unfortunately, 'Galaga 30th Collection' for the iPhone isn't diverse enough in gameplay from game to game to warrant the cost, especially with the sometimes frustrating control scheme
The Way of the Samurai: Chatting With James Russell of The Creative Assembly
Arti Gupta talked to James Russell, lead designer of the Total War series. They chat about Shogun 2, fluid development and the process of refining an engine instead of rewriting it
Audio for Games Reimagined: SONAR X1
SONAR X1 gives game audio professionals a streamlined, next-generation workspace with dockable, floatable and collapsible views; customizable window configurations; easy-to-access media assets; and simplified context-driven control over vital features
What does it take for a game to stick in a player's memory? For RPGs, it could be the writing of story and characters. For an action game, it might be the flexibility of movement and fluidity of combat. For a shooter, the graphics could be the centerpiece. For "Hunted: The Demon's Forge," it's none of the above.
Baseball Simulation in MLB 2K11: Part 2
In part one of our look at the simulation of an American pastime in MLB 2K11, we examined the broad strokes of creating a baseball simulation -- specifically the players and the stats. Now we turn our attention to the fine details that make the MLB 2K11 world come alive
Video Game Thought Leaders: Matt Ployhar
We're tracking down video gaming industry thought leaders to give you a sneak peek of the digital arts future through their eyes. In this installment, we sit down with Matt Ployhar, president of the PC Gaming Alliance. Ployhar talks to us about a future built on more efficient hardware, cloud technology and ubiquitous gaming
Daggerdale - Talking With Tim Ernst of Bedlam Studios
Arti Gupta talked with Tim Ernst, production director at Bedlam Studios, on the floor of GDC 2011
Fallen Enchantress Is Set to Rise
When Stardock's Elemental: War of Magic turned into a disaster, they called in Derek Paxton to set things right with a standalone expansion, Fallen Enchantress. DIG chats with him about taking the reins as both lead producer and lead designer -- and about getting the Elemental franchise back on track
'Mortal Kombat' and the First Amendment
Intellectually, I understand the Supreme Court's 7-2 decision that the First Amendment protects the most violent of video games. Experientially, I don't. It's fine for the majority to say parents have ultimate control over what their children see, but how many members of the Supreme Court have experienced 'real' life?
One month after the events of the first game, 'Infamous 2' puts you back in Cole's shoes as he seeks to become stronger, leaving you to decide whether he saves the world or destroys it
All in all, 'Fable III' is not an RPG. It is barely a feasible action game and can function in a pinch as a fantasy doll dress-up and interior design simulator. It doesn't have any clue what it wants to be and thus, I'm not even sure what standard of judgment to apply. Thus I fall back on the old tried and true, 'Is it fun?'
E3 2011 Showcases a Big Year for PC Gaming
There will be hundreds of games on display at E3 this year, but we've selected five titles that stand out from the crowd. For attendees at the show, these are some of the big games that people will be talking about long after the glitz and glamour of the convention is over
Happiness Is a Warm Gun: Chatting With Emotional Robots
At GDC 2011, Arti Gupta chatted with executive producer Zach Lehman and game designer Joe Cleary of Emotional Robots about Warm Gun and the Unreal Engine
The sequel to 'BBC Climate Challenge,' 'Fate of the World is essentially a global climate change simulator
'The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings'
'The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings' is a PC game (the Xbox 360 version is set to launch around the end of this year) that follows the adventures of Geralt of Rivia, a magically enhanced monster hunter, or witcher (a name that I imagine sounds a lot cooler in Polish). The 'Witcher' games are based on the novels of Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski
L.A. Noire plays like a TV crime drama. Think 'Law & Order' meets the tone and pace of 'Heavy Rain' with the GTA engine with 'Mad Men'-esque style -- but even that's an imperfect comparison. 'L.A. Noire' has more of a point-and-click adventure mentality where objects are examinable but not every object is important
PlayStation Network: After the Fall
The prolonged PSN downtime was a result of hackers, and consequently Sony announced that everyone's PSN screen name, real name, address, email, birth date and password had been compromised.
Value Proposition - PC or Console Games?
There is so much talk about games these days. With the advent of tablets and smartphones, the platforms available to play games on are ever increasing. The thought crossed my mind: I wonder what this means to the different gaming platforms? Is there a compelling proposition for PC or non-console game developers?
Since 'Civilization V' was released last year, there has been a torrent of negativity spewed at it from the veteran 'Civ' community. And yet, when I hear this, something just does not jibe
I'll assume everyone reading this is aware of the 'Dragon Age,' series so I won't linger on the greater context. Where 'Dragon Age II' differs from its predecessor in terms of tone is that it is a much more personal story
Creating the Baseball Simulation in MLB 2K11
There were over 2,000 games in the 2010 major league baseball season, and the creators of MLB 2K11 looked at video from almost every one of them while preparing the 2011 version of the baseball simulation game, according to game designer Sean Bailey
Hear That Knocking Sound? It's PC Gaming!
Do you know what the opportunities are in PC gaming? They're probably better than you think. The PC gaming market is much bigger than consoles, both in installed base and in money made
'Portal 2' is the sequel to Valve's 2007 hit 'Portal' included as part of The Orange Box bundle -- which I'm fairly sure most people initially purchased for either 'Team Fortress 2' or 'Half-Life 2: Episode 2'
Saving the Universe One LEGO Brick at a Time
LEGO Universe is a massively multiplayer online game that takes place in an alternate universe populated by LEGO mini figures. Players must protect the final existing vestiges of pure imagination from extinction -- clearly a worthwhile quest and, very probably, a useful skill in life outside the MMO gaming environment
Synchronization Between Threads in the Infernal Engine
Thread synchronization is a complicated problem and rarely discussed in practice. We came to our own conclusions via experimentation and what worked well for us during the production of Ghostbusters
In this installment, we sat down with Eleanor Wynn, an anthropologist of computing who recently retired from Intel. Wynn gave us her thoughts on how gaming and working with information technology are related, and she told us what she thinks is on the horizon for gaming
The way of the samurai, with its violence and pageantry, is one of the most romanticized martial traditions in the world -- and no video game has done it quite the justice that Total War: Shogun 2 has
Solid-state Drives Revolutionize Gaming
For gamers, the leap in storage performance also delivers a visibly better gaming experience. For game developers, SSDs accelerate iterations, improving operational efficiency and increasing ROI. Developers can also dramatically increase streaming requirements and utilize high-resolution assets more frequently, resulting in more immersive game play
War Production: Chatting With Frank Pearce of Blizzard
Arti Gupta chatted with Blizzard Entertainment's Frank Pearce about the latest World of Warcraft expansion, Cataclysm, as well as integrating mobile phone applications to support the experience of their core games and developing for fans new and old alike
'Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime'
'Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime' is the kind of game that if bundled free with the purchase of a better game, you'd still never have the urge to install it and try it out. Here's why
Darkspore Creatures Come to Life
Spore, a popular game that pioneered innovative creature-editing technology, inspired Darkspore, a battle-oriented online RPG where life forms pit strengths against each other and exploit each other's weaknesses. From the onset, the Maxis development team wanted a game that could deliver satisfying gameplay on systems featuring integrated graphics
Finding the Next Challenge in Visual Computing
As evidenced by console manufacturers developing new input controls to extend the life of this generation of consoles, the industry is looking for the next challenge. With the release of DirectX 11, the increasing capabilities of processor graphics, and a new surge of mobile devices, there certainly is plenty to explore
'The Sims Medieval' takes the 'Sims 3' engine and puts it to use in a quasi-RPG gameplay mechanic. Unlike other 'Sims' games, the point is not a family/social simulator but rather, a kingdom simulator
The Future of PC Gaming? A Personal Viewpoint
Recently, I was featured in a prominent publication in an article about PC gaming. What I'm reminded of is how easy it is to be taken out of context -- for right or wrong. The article was well-written and I stand by most of what I'm quoted as saying. A few things, however, were lost in translation
Explosion of Creativity: Power of Online Communities
What defines a community is more than its geographic boundaries; it's the element of people gathering together for a common cause, supporting each other's well-being and interests, and advancing goals that strengthen both the community and its members
Countless nights have been drained, where my friends and I talk potential disaster scenarios. Deciding on an M14 or silenced M9 for zombies, where to hide in case of robots, how to seduce aliens when they invade (it's really all you can do), and where to run in case of a supervolcano eruption
Game Optimization for Modern Hardware
As processors have gotten faster, memory latency has gotten longer over time. This means that understanding how the architecture you are working on accesses memory is critical to the execution speed of your program, and for the first time, may be even more important than the algorithms themselves
'PixelJunk Shooter 2: The Belly of the Beast'
As sequels go, 'PixelJunk Shooter 2' excels, bringing the familiar environment from the first game together with new enemies and elements that tweak the experience for the better, all the while continuing the story of the modern 2-D space shooter
Several modern shooters like the 'Call of Duty' series, the latest 'Medal of Honor,' and now 'Battlefield 3' market themselves as the real hardcore deal, as immersive experiences reminiscent of cordite-choked sands. I spent some time at a firing range with real-life weapons to see how they buck up to their video game counterparts in terms of measurable stats
Sneak Peek at DC Universe Online With Chris Cao
DC Universe Online, which launched in January for the PC and PS3, presented some unique development challenges. MMOs are notoriously difficult to create, but Sony Online Entertainment and Everquest veteran Chris Cao rose to the challenge. DIG caught up with Cao, the game director of DC Universe Online, to talk about the game's launch and what's next
Thought Leaders: Orion Granatir
We sat down with Orion Granatir, a senior software engineer for Intel's Visual Computing Software division. Granatir gave us his thoughts on the state of the industry and told us why he's excited to be working with games today
Combat Duality in 'Dragon Age II'
I'll be the first to admit that I was not a fan of 'Dragon Age: Origins.' The combat was too reminiscent of 'World of Warcraft.' and while I enjoyed the 'WoW' system, I always felt it was necessary to play 'WoW' on a PC, simply because the amount of options required a mouse and keyboard. However, 'Dragon Age II' is different
'Half-Minute Hero' veteran Opus Studios has returned to time-based adventure gaming with 'Jikandia: The Timeless Land,' tasking the player to save a world unfamiliar with time from time itself. The premise builds upon countdown mechanics Opus had previously established in 'Half-Minute Hero,' and as 16-bit games go, 'Jikandia' holds true to an early '90s arcade feel
Homefront, THQ's new near-future first-person shooter, explores a United States that is invaded by North Korea. Kaos Studio's David Votypka talks to DIG about the story and narrative development of the game, plus the powerful multiplayer options only available on PC
GDC 2011: Sneak Peek of Battlefield 3
Buildings collapse, helicopters explode, jets scream overhead and machine-gun fire echoes down dusty alleyways. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder in a San Francisco nightclub on the second night of GDC 2011, a group of us is watching the first substantial gameplay footage of Battlefield 3. The crowd is focused on the screens and eerily quiet -- some people around me appear to be holding their breath
Talking Portal 2 With Valve Software's Erik Wolpaw
When it comes to video games, Valve Software was one of the early game studios to emphasize the importance of interactive narrative in shooters like Half-Life. Storytelling remains an integral part of all of Valve's games. And Erik Wolpaw is one of the top writers at the Seattle game studio. Wolpaw talks about the creation of Valve's much-anticipated Portal 2 in this exclusive interview
Upon first glance, 'Two Worlds II' seems to be a photocopy of every other open world RPG. A tale of good and evil, a hero harnessing sword and spell to traverse unfamiliar terrain. But from start to finish, everything seems a little . . . different
Nathan Camarillo of Crytek Talks Crysis 2 and CryEngine 3
In this exclusive video interview, Crytek's Nathan Camarillo discusses the technical firepower of CryEngine 3, which is under the hood of the newest installment in the Crysis franchise. Camarillo, the executive producer of Crysis 2, runs down the most engaging, high-tech features of this anticipated shooter
'Dungeons' could have been a good game. However it just feels as though the developers weren't willing to put the extra effort into it or were aiming too high
Peter Molyneux Talks Fable III and Commitment to PC Gaming
Legendary British game designer Peter Molyneux, inventor of the 'god game' genre with 1989's Populous, tends to think big. Witness his resume, which includes epic strategy and simulation titles like Dungeon Keeper, Black & White and Theme Park, among the most ambitious of all time. Molyneux talked to DIG about his commitment to grand, all-encompassing experiences -- and home computers
Trip Hawkins -- founder of Electronic Arts -- needs no introduction to serious gamers. But three decades after writing the blueprint for the PC and video game business, his latest creation -- social games start-up Digital Chocolate -- is rewriting the rules again. Hawkins explains why he believes social gaming and virtual goods are the future of interactive entertainment
Talking Tech Tactics With Football Manager 2011
In Football Manager 2011, players manage their favorite team from some 50 global leagues, buy and sell players and interact with the press and plan tactics -- all with the ultimate goal of topping the league and filling the boardroom trophy cabinet at the end of the season
The 'Kingdom Hearts' series has always tackled adult philosophies with themes of light, darkness and friendship featured prominently within its canon. Its multiplatform-spanning half sequels continue with 'Kingdom Hearts Re:coded,' the DS remake of what was originally an episodic Japanese flip phone game
Three years after the first game, 'Dead Space 2' reacquaints you with engineer Isaac Clarke -- who has apparently lost his mind. Waking up from a drug induced slumber, he finds himself being rescued from his cell in the asylum by a character whose name I never cared to learn as he dies faster than an action movie cop who's one week from retirement
2K Sports Announces 'NHL 2K11' for Apple iPad
2K Sports has had success with 'NHL 2K11' on Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch. Now the sports video game maker is bringing the franchise to Apple's popular iPad
Coupled with the recent release of 'Dead Space 2,' EA has put out a mobile game bridging the gap between the first game and the new sequel exclusively on the iPhone and iPad. But this isn't some dumbed-down low-res port of the first game with extras and it's certainly not a lazy publicity effort
Why are Video Games for Girls so Lame?
Like every other technology company out there, Microsoft wants the most users possible for its system. As it targets the users it doesn't have already -- mainly people who don't play video games-- a great majority of the people in these crosshairs (sadly) are women
Rally driving is dominated by one thing: four tires. Every spectacular corner, power slide, or windshield-cracking collision is determined by the complex interactions between those spinning pieces of tread and the unpredictability of an unmade road surface. Small wonder that even after 10 years of the multi-million-selling DiRT games, Codemasters still maintains a laser-like focus
The Reality of Indie Game Development
Interactive entertainment's answer to art-house films is indie game development. Titles like Minecraft , Recettear and World of Goo have captured a legion of forward-thinking fans' and bedroom coders' imaginations alike. But despite consistently raising the bar for innovation and creativity, life left of the keyboard isn't all fun and games
Using Artificial Intelligence in Game Development
Kevin Dill is the latest developer in a series of interviews I've done with the authors of Game Programming Gems, 8th edition. He wrote a chapter on patterned approaches to modular artificial intelligence (AI) games. These are some excerpts from our interview
Top 10 Most Anticipated Video Games of 2011
Here's our list of the top 10 most anticipated video games of 2011
Need for Speed Drives Back to Roots
Veering away from painstaking authenticity and turning back to the white-knuckle arcade races which initially defined it, high-stakes driving game Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit appears to be cruising in the fast lane toward success.
Developing and Optimizing Games for Netbooks
The best way to show you how to optimize your game for netbooks is to describe what we did when creating a demo for Fireflies. It's a great example of the easy optimizations and quick performance gains you can achieve when developing games for this fast-growing market
If you've played games in the past eight years or so, be it on a phone, console or PC, you've probably run across 'Bejeweled' in some form. The series has derived huge success from its beautifully simple and yet super-addicting mechanic of swapping adjacent gems to form sets of three or more. It comes as no surprise, then, that 'Bejeweled 3' continues in this same vein
Rolling Thunder, Analytics and Performance Drive Need for Speed World
Need for Speed World started a little more than two years ago with a simple idea: become the first real racing MMO. Knowing that racing gamers don't need to understand the ins and outs of how a car works in order to enjoy zipping along online city streets or race circuits, EA sought to bring this racing MMO to the masses. The free-to-play online game now has over 3 million players
Who You Gonna Call? Ghostbusters Challenges
Ghostbusters was an unusually long project for us. We started in January 2006 with a prototype. For the first nine months of development, we were working on recreating the ballroom scene where Slim is captured from the first movie, obtaining the movie license and getting the green light to develop the project. At the same time, we knew we had something special with the Infernal Engine.
Dude! Who Killed My First-person Shooter?
Disclaimer: Bear with me, because this post is intentionally aimed at being both whimsical and controversial at the same time. Plus, it points out some huge biases I have when it comes to gaming. Some might even think I'm a purist or ... worse ... a snob! Phooey
Racing to the Finish Line: Chris Southall Talks Total War and Sonic
SEGA's video-game production output for 2010 was winning, to say the least. It included the latest titles in some long-running popular franchises, such as Napoleon: Total War , Sonic Free Riders and Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing . DIG talked to Chris Southall, technical director at SEGA
The Force Remains Strong with LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
Generations of children have grown up playing with the Danish LEGO toy bricks. Over the past decade, while those original toys still flourish, kids and kids-at-heart have transitioned to LEGO videogames from developer Traveller's Tales (TT Games) and the LEGO Company
Unreal Engine 3 Brings Chadam to Life on Web Video
Although the term 'convergence' has been bandied about for years, the advances in video game engines today are finally opening new doors for Hollywood creators. Epic Games' ubiquitous Unreal Engine 3 , which powers everything from Gears of War 2 to BioShock 2, is now making the migration to Hollywood through Chadam
'Pac-Man Championship Edition DX'
If you're a score hunter, have a soft spot for old arcade games, or love to compete on leaderboards then 'Pac-Man Championship Edition DX' may be the ultimate game for you. Here's why
For those of us who are constantly searching for a gorgeously detailed action RPG we can play on our phone, Epic Games and Chair Entertainment (known for 'Shadow Complex' on XBLA) have delivered. 'Infinity Blade' is a fun game with plenty to do and strive for.
'Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood'
With only a year in between 'Assassin's Creed II' and 'Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood,' it's truly amazing just how much Ubisoft Montreal was able to refine this franchise's gameplay. But improvements don't just stop at gameplay. There's more depth in Ezio's world
'Mario Vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem'
If you've ever missed the days when before Bowser, when Donkey Kong was Mario's greatest adversary and you had to move Mario through a series of ladders and platforms to get up to him and save Mario's then-girlfriend, Pauline, 'Mario Vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem' for the DS was made for you
At its core, 'Time Crisis: Razing Storm' is nothing more than a collection of arcade rail-shooters ported over to the PS3 to take advantage of the light gun capabilities of the Playstation Move. The disc contains 'Time Crisis: Razing Storm' (the titular game), 'Time Crisis 4' and 'Deadstorm Pirates' (which has nothing to do with 'Time Crisis')
'Arcania: Gothic 4' attempts to right the wrongs of previous Gothics while trying to attract more of an American audience. Unfortunately, 'Arcania' utterly fails at the former task and Spellbound confuses the word 'American' with 'infantile'. If 'Gothic 3' was the death of my beloved 'Gothic' lineage, 'Arcania: Gothic 4' is the decomposing corpse that got left behind
TRON: Evolution -- Game Developers Go Hollywood
Walt Disney Pictures is bringing TRON: Legacy to the big screen, using the latest computer graphics technology to introduce a new wave of video game battles on the Grid. And Disney Interactive Studios has enlisted Propaganda Games to develop the TRON: Evolution game, which tells the story of what's been going on within the TRON mythology over the past three decades
EA Sports Moves Graphics-rich Gaming Online
EA Sports' new game Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online lets you take your golf game on the road, complete with 3D graphics. Users should encounter the usual great experience on a high-end desktop, but that's to be expected. Looking equally good on all three platform levels is a trick that is completely new to PC gaming and worth diving into a little deeper
Humble Opinions: From The Sims to Indie Games
As head of Electronic Arts' The Sims division -- the best-selling PC franchise of all time -- Executive Vice President Rod Humble of Electronic Arts has reached the pinnacle of gaming success. He gets to call the shots on some of the highest-profile, biggest-revenue projects in the industry
Meet Mr. Industrial: Justin Lassen's Music Machine
Justin Lassen is no stranger to variety: He's produced remixes for artists ranging from Madonna to Blue Man Group to Lenny Kravitz. He's composed game soundtracks, including tracks for the wildly popular Out of Hell mod for Unreal Tournament created by Long Nguyen. But it was his Synaesthesia project that made it apparent Lassen is far more than meets the eye -- or ear
Warren Spector -- the man behind some of the most innovative role-playing adventures in gaming, including 'Deus Ex,' 'System Shock' and 'Thief' -- has been working to bring Mickey Mouse back to gamers after a 17-year hiatus with 'Disney Epic Mickey'
'Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light'
I'm never one for level grinding in RPGs, but despite my aversion and the difficulty spikes I'm very much enjoying 'Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light' on DS because the old school elements included have been modernized and work well today. The focus is the gameplay, with a solid story to back it up
There's something always thrilling about playing a flight combat game. From 'Star Fox' to 'Crimson Skies,' the 'Ace Combat' series holds a special place in the flight action subgenre in its usually consistent approach to flying combat; the joy in playing is found by flying around in fighter jets that we would never get a chance in real life
There's definitely some sort of trippy meta-layer to being a game developer who develops a game about game development, but Kairosoft has pulled it off well with 'Game Dev. Story' for the iPhone and iPod Touch
Epic Games Unveils 'Gears of War 3' Multiplayer Details
Epic Games lifted the veil off the multiplayer options for its much-anticipated 'Gears of War 3' at its newly expanded headquarters here. Jim Brown, lead level designer on 'Gears of War 3' at Epic Games, talks about the new multiplayer in this exclusive interview
'Castlevania: Lords of Shadow'
'Lords of Shadow,' the latest installation to the 'Castlevania' franchise, finally conquers 3-D gaming while adding a double espresso shot of action to a series that had been suffering from stagnation
'Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1'
From the moment the Sega logo sings 'Sayyy-gahhh!' nostalgia will set in, and 'Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1' does a great job of recapturing the feeling of the original 16-bit games (though sometimes too well). With levels named and created very similarly to those of Sonic 1 through 3, there isn't much that's new.
I don't get it. I simply don't get it. Developer Frictional Games' new baby, 'Amnesia: The Dark Descent' is getting positive review after positive review. Critics go wild for its haunting atmosphere and sense of terror. They talk about its rock solid game design and wonderfully executed mechanics. I guess these guys have only played the first hour or so of the game
'Enslaved: Odyssey to the West'
I can't quite figure out why people are raving about 'Enslaved.' Though it's an entertaining adventure game and the characters interact well, I feel like I'm the only one bothered by the fact that the game is a post-apocalyptic 'Uncharted,' with elements from 'Prince of Persia,' 'Resident Evil 4,' 'God of War,' 'Jak & Daxter' and 'Gears of War' thrown in like some sort of 'Will it blend?' video
Giving an underrated game a sequel on different system would normally be a death sentence but Sega has handled the transition from console to portable superbly with 'Valkyria Chronicles II,' proving that bringing the series to a mobile platform was a great choice
Dead Rising 2 celebrates the everyday MacGyver, the person who's stopped and said, 'why can't I attach a Super Soaker to a keg?' Or, 'That coat hanger's a bat'leth crying to happen.' And though you may not be trapped in a pool with an orca, you're facing that other great threat to civilization: Zombies. So, if you're fond of weaponized arts and crafts as well as facing the undead, welcome home
'Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep'
I've waited a very long time for a 'Kingdom Hearts' game that compares to the original. 'Birth by Sleep' comes close. From the start, no matter which character you choose to play as, you are faced with the ethics of light vs. darkness -- physical embodiments of purity of heart, hatred, rage, jealousy, etc.
It's not often that I play a game knowing that I'm going to die. I'm usually the Marine who jumps into a helicopter at the last second, the genetically engineered subject with that last-ditch power, or the cop who can sure take a lot of bullets, the chosen warrior, the fallen god.
Empire Bay greets you at the main menu with a lovely cityscape, complete with a faux-Empire State Building. One of the first sights you see in 'Mafia II' is city's majestic skyline. As you play, those structures are always there, in the background
'Scott Pilgrim' vs. Its Video Game References
Like many games, the plot of the comics is a classic save-the-princess type of deal, complete with boss fights and special moves, which again evokes the days of 'Mario.'
'Madden 11,' this year's iteration of the gridiron simulation, has gone to new heights when it comes to overall presentation; helmet reflections, the little pitter patter of raindrops accumulating on the camera, balls that actually wobble in the air instead of being perfect spirals, it all feels right
Recently, Scott Pilgrim, the title character of the video game-savvy series of graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley, received his full big screen treatment. The film debut dovetailed neatly with the release of both the final volume in the series, 'Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour' and 'Scott Pilgrim vs. The World'
If you've never played 'Super Metroid' from the SNES days, I recommend watching the ending on YouTube, as the intro cinematic for 'Metroid: Other M' on Wii is a current generation remake of that fight and its spectacularness is only made greater by knowing the source material
When 'Grand Theft Auto III' debuted on the Play Station 2, apart from establishing a new genre, it sparked the question, 'How fun would this be multiplayer?!' The answer, at least as far as 'APB' was concerned, is: 'Not very'.
Burn Zombie Burn is a simple arcade game reminiscent of classic titles like Zombies Ate My Neighbors. Rather than follow a set plot or classic narrative level design, Burn Zombie Burn is an arena shooter in which players control a character within an enclosed level where they fight respawning hordes of enemies
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game
'Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game' is an incredibly fun single player game, and playing with friends makes it all the more awesome
'Starcraft 2' is an unapologetically direct sequel and evolution of the original game. The core gameplay is exactly the same as it was 12 years ago: mine minerals and vespene gas, build units and structures to support them, and send them off to blow up anything that moves
Move over Teamspeak. Move over Ventrilo. A new, better way to communicate with your friends mid-game is here with the Dolby Axon software.
It's a widely accepted fact that video games are a form of mindless entertainment. Yet, as any gamer worth his component cables can tell you, video games are nothing but challenging systems that dare players to learn. Here's why
I am very much looking forward to 'Valkyria Chronicles II,' and I urge you to support it, too, as the 'Valkyria' series is fun RPG to play with all the challenges and contemplation a strategy game requires
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
It's been a while since I've picked up my PSP. However, after hearing that the new Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker game was being released specifically for my oft-neglected handheld, the PSP was no longer a system to be ignored
Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge
'Monkey Island 2: Special Edition' is LucasArts' remake of the classic -- but now with better graphics, full voice work, updated user interface and a host of fun little extras. Clearly I'm enjoying my time with an old friend, but is it just nostalgia or is this ancient game worth buying again?
I really wanted to love 'Clash of the Titans.' Looking at trailers beforehand, I saw a hack-and-slash title that clearly borrowed ideas from 'God of War,' added more weapons and more enemies from Greek mythology. However, it's generally not a good sign when a movie tie-in game misses the movie's release date
DeathSpank is a Diablo-style adventure slasher built around looting, mashing, and ridiculous dialogue. DeathSpank is a man some call a curse and some call a hero. TDeathSpank, called the 'Dispenser of Justice', a 'Vanquisher of Evil', and a 'Hero to the Downtrodden', was told by a fortuneteller that he would come to possess an ancient and powerful artifact known as, well, The Artifact
When reviewing a game, it can be really tempting to describe it as Other Game 1 plus Other Game 2. But even though it's easy and fun to do reviews this way, most people try to avoid it, as it's generally considered unprofessional. Generally. But every once in a while a game just begs for this kind of comparison. 'Alien Swarm' is one of those games
Halo: Combat Evolved - Failure is an Option
I slammed down the trigger and unleashed a merciless hail of lead from the turret's .50 caliber guns. Even as they swerved wildly for the nearest cover, I knew their light armor never stood a chance; after two hellish seconds I released the trigger, letting the barrels spin to a halt. Another would-be challenger was no more. The game is 'Halo: Combat Evolved.'
Sin and Punishment: Star Successor
'Sin and Punishment: Star Successor' is a perfect example of how to create a unique gameplay experience that is different from other consoles. Using the Wiimote to aim and the joystick to move is the perfect way to enjoy an on-rails shooter like this one. Add on a ruthless multiplier system that increases as you kill and lessens as you get hit, and you have a high score blood-thirst
Recently, I've been able to sit down with the PC version of EA's latest attempt to reclaim the FPS throne, 'Medal of Honor.' Even though the game is still in beta, it's possible to tell EA that has its sights set on bringing down the current FPS king, 'Modern Warfare 2.'
Welcome to 'Singularity,' the I-swear-we-didn't-copy-'Bioshock' sci-fi shooter.
We're on the final lap of arcade racers. 'ModNation Racers' has an aesthetic immediately familiar to me, as it seems heavily based off the 'Mario Kart' series: Cute little avatars shooting powerups at each other on cartoony tracks. It's obvious where the design influence came from. What 'ModNation' does differently, though, is build out a robust online mode
'Minecraft' is the greatest little online game you've never played. Well, unless your one of growing community of gamers (207,294 at last count) that have signed up and begun playing. In which case I won't be telling you anything new, but for everyone else here's a preview.
While '3D Dot Game Heroes' feels, well, just a bit too familiar for gamers who grew up with 8-bit systems, that's where the charm of the game shines. Developer Silicon Studio not only managed to capture the 8-bit-styled gameplay of yesteryear, they also managed to bring back a flood of nostalgic memories
One of the main selling points of Eversion is its 'horror' elements.
In a gaming landscape completely dominated by 'Madden,' any other football game must be absolutely flawless to gain a foothold on the market. 'Backbreaker,' developed by Natural Motion Games, is the newest challenger to the throne. ÒBackbreakerÓ might be the purest football sim out there. Gameplay is completely centered around bringing you to the players perspective.
What do you get when you take the 'Super Metroid' / 'Castlevania' labyrinth dungeons, the 'Ocarina of Time' musically themed action and puzzles, and add in about 200 billion gallons of sea water? You get 'Aquaria.' And, it's impossible not to have fun with 'Aquaria.' It just does so much right.
When 'The Sims 3' launched and I loaded it up for the first time, I experienced a rather unpleasant revelation. I played around with 'The Sims 3' for a little while, and while I liked what I saw, it also seemed like the game contained fewer items than its predecessor
Lost Planet 2 tells the story of the brutal conflict to collect life sustaining Thermal Energy on E.D.N III. Numerous factions fight to control the precious material and are willing to do whatever it takes to survive. While the war is tiring on its own, the denizens of E.D.N. III must also contend with the Akrid, a ferocious insectlike life form that ravages the land in search of prey
Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starsh -- you know what, never mind. I had this whole cute 'captain's log' idea set to go, but after playing this game I just don't have it in me. 'Star Trek Online' is a good -- but not great -- massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG)
The coming of age tale isn't new at all. From Telemachus becoming a man, to Frodo holding the fate of a world, many have set out on the journey, growing up along the way, and it never loses its magic. These are among the most timeless tales. Characters who go out into a harsh world to find and define themselves have provided some of the most empathized-with stories in video games
Putting Down Video Games And Picking Them Back Up Again
When I install a new game, I'd like to be able to say that I sit down, grab hold of the mouse, and play nonstop from the code-key entry prompt all the way through to the final boss's ghastly death rattle. But that's not what happens
Government Should Stop Kids From Buying Violent Video Games
Ultraviolent video games are harmful to children, and children should not be able to purchase them without a parent involved in the sales transaction. Unfortunately, the very industry that profits from selling such adult entertainment products to children has successfully waged legal battles across the country. The industry's arguments are logically and morally bankrupt
Video Games Don't Cause Children to be Violent
The Supreme Court has decided to review a California law that would regulate the sale and rental of video games to minors. We can all agree that parents are the best arbiters of determining what is right for their children. The issue at hand though is how best to support those parents. We believe that parental controls, ratings awareness and retailer support work
Monster Hunter Tri is a heavily Japanese-culture infused game and was not designed for Western audiences. The 'Monster Hunter' series is pretty popular in Japan, but it's never really caught on over here in the states, and with the release of 'Monster Hunter Tri,' it isn't likely to any time soon. Good or bad, 'Monster Hunter Tri' is basically the same game as its predecessors
'Dead to Rights: Retribution' (Xbox 360)
Dead to Rights: Retribution actually made me giddy a few times. It's not the best game in the market; there are several issues in presentation and game play, and it's definitely overshadowed by several shooters, but I acknowledged one of Namco's purposes. This game definitely had the spirit of an old school rough-and-tumble cop in the streets game
Games contain, in their very nature, the ability to move from an authoritarian method of storytelling, to a libertarian one. The author still provides the framework in which the narrative is told, but now the player has the ability to mold the ultimate message. The franchise that comes closest to this new paradigm is the 'Deus Ex' series of games
'Sam & Max Season 3: The Penal Zone'
Just when I think developer Telltale Games has settled into a nice, profitable niche, they decide, 'Aw what the hell, let's throw a wrench in the ol' formula.' Thus begins 'Sam & Max Season 3: The Devil's Playhouse.'
As a Very Serious Gamer, I for a long time possessed, like many serious gamers, a hefty distain for 'FarmVille,' that sparkly apex of casual gaming. This is the story of how that distain turned into a distinct sensation of 'like.' When 'FarmVille' came to my attention several months ago, a couple of facts had become clear
'Sleep is Death,' the latest product from Jason Rohrer, is the closest any video game has ever come to sending me back to that state of joyous play and spontaneous invention. 'Sleep is Death' is a two player, turn-based experience
My impressions in a sentence is that 'Blur' is 'Mario Kart' grown up. There's a transition from cute karts to slick cars, bananas and shells to mines and missiles, and from a very basic online mode to one with multiple modes, rankings and car modifications.
'Bad Company 2's' true forte obviously lies in its online multiplayer. It offers some of the highest body-count to playtime ratios in the FPS world, immersing players in gargantuan ground wars frenzied with small arms fire, vehicles, and all manner of munitions-candy-store delights that go ka-boom.
'Assassin's Creed II: Bonfire of the Vanities'
I had my reservations about this DLC pack after having played through 'Forli's' crass sequence. 'Bonfire' definitively outshines the former though. The core game play is solid and much more refined than its predecessor; 'Bonfire' is reminiscent of the original, uncorrupted memory sequences
BioShock 2 takes place about 10 years after the events in BioShock and you play as the first Big Daddy. The big question that everyone had been asking since this game was announced was, Can you make a true sequel to 'BioShock' without designer Ken Levine? Well, turns out the answer is no. What you do get is a pretty damned good mod for BioShock and that's about it.
6 Video Games That Really Should Have Fighting in Them
In the virtual world of videogames, fighting is a very fun thing to do. A scientific survey involving two cats and a phone call to my friend Dave reveals that most people (and cats) would enjoy videogames more if they included fighting. Here are six video games that would greatly benefit from including fighting.
Dungeons & Dragons - Get Your Geek On
There's something to be said for Dungeons & Dragons -- a mainstay of geek culture -- that has survived for 35 years as a paragon of something to do in the basement that you can talk about the next day at school without shame. And looking back, it's clear that culture owes something to the old Dungeon Master, too.
Ultimate Video Game of the Decade Showdown
What I wanted was a definitive Video Games of the Decade list -- a collection of video game choices that represented a wide range of professional, knowledgeable opinions about the last 10 years of games. I figured such a list wouldn't just pop into existence on its own, so I decided to build it myself
Many video gaming hardware makers were showing off their new wares at CES 2010 in Vegas each year. Here are the most noteworthy of the selection shown at the show earlier this month.
10 Videogame Resolutions for 2010
When I sat down to mull over my New Year's resolutions for the New Year, I realized that the majority of my 2010 promises to myself were centered around gaming. Here's a list of video gaming resolutions that I'm personally going to try to abide by
It's finally time to talk about the reason we're all here: the games themselves. Specifically, the best games to come out in 2009. To keep things simple (and to avoid months-long arguments/barroom brawls over which games truly belonged where), we based our game-of-the-year rankings on a secret ballot. Here's our top picks for the year ...
I think 'The Saboteur' would have gotten a warmer reception from me if it had gone into a time machine and come out three or four years ago. As it stands, here at the tail end of what has a been a strong release year, it feels like a game that was made in a biosphere by a group of people who were obviously very talented and very gifted, but who were not receiving news, especially game news, from the outside world.
With games now firmly entrenched in the culture, new opportunities have cropped up. From sites devoted to a generation of parents uncertain of where to go for advice to a blog that tracks the gaming adventures of a senior citizen, there is clearly a market ready to accept that games are nothing to be afraid of. But there are still substantial parts of the population unversed in games.
25 Things I Learned From Videogames
Thankfully, in the year 2009, aside from that pesky 'Brain Age' series, games no longer have didactic aspirations. But games actually do teach us things. Here are 25 more things that videogames taught me in 2009.
A Trivial Tale: 'how u win' at Xbox Live's 1 vs. 100
Despite strong trivia knowledge, I didn't once make it onto the top-10 scorers list. I figured these top scorers must be exploiting a glitch in the game, or using a group of trivia experts and super-fast Google searches to feed them correct answers, or something. There's no way they could do that well without cheating, I thought.
I've fallen off 'Tony Hawk: Ride' 100 times already. This version of the never-ending skateboarding franchise comes packed with a life-size fake skateboard to use as a controller, but it might as well be a bucking bronco.
Unlike many tie-in games, 'James Cameron's Avatar: The Game' doesn't transpose the movie's plot into game form. What it does do is offer up the same core themes with different characters
The mission is an unmitigated success! 'Modern Warfare 2' is probably going to be the biggest game of 2009. The mission is also reprehensible trash, all the more reprehensible for how poorly it serves the narrative, not to mention how implausible it is.
'WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010' - Xbox 360
'SmackDown vs. Raw 2010' really makes you feel like you're taking part in pro wrestling. When a match ends in a serious mode like Road to WrestleMania, it's like the show -- complete with commentary that fits with what is going on, and the logo flashing on the screen. The characters also look more realistic than in years prior
There's something, well, extraordinarily familiar about 'NCAA Basketball 10.' Is it that it's like last year's model? Did they do nothing to change the roundball this year? I blew the dust off 'NCAA Basketball 09.' That wasn't exactly it: There have been upgrades made, subtle ones. Then, I realized what had happened ...
Assassin's Creed II - Xbox 360
There's a certain lack of dramatic tension in 'Assassin's Creed II' when it comes to these battles, and that's OK. This is not a fighting game. This is no 'Devil May Cry,' built to frustrate you and hone your skills. It's no 'Batman: Arkham Asylum,' where you have to carefully judge threat levels and make tactical choices. It's not even an 'Assassin's Creed.'
The last Jonas Brothers song I heard -- well, the first Jonas Brothers song I heard -- was when I loaded 'Disney Jonas' on my DS. While three creepy cartoon teens stared at me from the screen, an able up-tempo pop ditty asked me if I was 'ready to rock and roll.' Apparently I was supposed to 'bust my move' because everyone was 'in the groove.'
Having replayed both games in Sony's repackaged 'God of War' Collection, I sat here in my apartment, jaw-hanging open for hours at a time, as I revisited the first and second games' magnificence.
How to Beat the Hydra in 'God of War' - PS3
Hydras have nine heads. Instead of fighting all nine heads in the opening moments of 2005's God of War (available via the 'God of War' Collection on the PlayStation 3), you fight only about six of the heads. Oh wait; it's only five of the heads. Yes, five. That's it.
The brilliant thing about 'Left 4 Dead 2' is that the story isn't segregated from gameplay by long cut scenes or being tucked into books or audio files or other cheap videogame gimmicks. The plot of 'Left 4 Dead 2' actually happens. And in this game it isn't all just about getting from point 'A' to point 'B'
Dragon Age: Origins - Xbox 360
It's rare that I spend this much time on a game with as many problems as 'Dragon Age: Origins.' It's even more rare that I'm enthralled enough, despite many issues, to want to keep playing for a great deal longer.
Sometimes, to understand a game, you need to know more about the person who inspired it -- especially if that person is an Olympic gold medalist. Sure, in this wide-ranging and candid interview, Shaun White talks about his new 'Shaun White Snowboarding: World Stage,' the follow-up to the 20th-bestselling game in the U.S. last year.
Game On: Are Video Games Harmful
Violent and possibly addictive, video games have become a major part of American childhood. What should parents do?
'DJ Hero' might inspire newcomers to the culture to pick up a turntable or two. But it's really a love letter to those of us who did grow up idolizing the DJ in the booth rather than the musician in the band. In 'DJ Hero' you have a turntable and mixer, not a guitar and drums
The Questionable Ethics of 'Brutal Legend' - Xbox 360
The cancer in the flesh of 'Brutal Legend's' ethics is the cultural phenomenon that game genuflects toward. You got it. The moral conundrum in 'Brutal Legend' is nothing less obvious than metal itself.
Psychonauts tells the story of Raz -- short for Razputin -- a child psychic who wears goggles on his head and a scarf around his neck that make him look like he's dressed as a biplane pilot for Halloween. Raz desperately wants to become a government agent who uses his psychic abilities to defeat evil-doers, aka a psychonaut.
'Machinarium' nearly always works -- rivaling the classic 'Day of the Tentacle' in striking a delicate balance between information and intuition. The game gives you the pieces, people and places; and if you pay attention, you will eventually pick up on what to do with them.
EA Sports' incredibly strong fall lineup continues with the release of FIFA Soccer 10, a game that builds upon the strengths of last year's stellar version just enough to make a new purchase worthwhile.
In terms of copies sold, 'Guitar Hero' may have come out ahead, based on name recognition. But among aficionados, 'Rock Band' is the game of choice. Now 'Guitar Hero 5' changes that, bringing the franchise out of the closet. It might not knock 'Rock Band' out of its place in the living room, but it's earned a place alongside it
The Beatles: Rock Band - Xbox 360
I wasn't sure The Beatles were the best fit for a music game. Would 'The Beatles: Rock Band' sully the name of the most iconic of rock groups? How on earth could Harmonix do it right? Is it sacrilege that the Beatles: Rock Band commercial is everywhere -- that Viacom channels, from MTV to Comedy Central to Country Music Television, are scheduled to show it simultaneously?
Nine Songs We Want as 'The Beatles: Rock Band' DLC and Four We Don't
MTV Games could easily code every single Beatles song for the game, letting players purchase and play through the complete Beatles catalog. If it falls short of that ideal, though, which songs make the cut is going to be a matter of some debate. Here are our humble suggestions for nine songs that we really, really want to see as 'The Beatles: Rock Band' downloads, and four that we could easily do without.
Muramasa: The Demon Blade - Wii
The game stars a pair of ninja named Momohime and Kisuke. At the start, you select your character: Momohime is the woman-girl and Kisuke is the man-boy. Both are clearly descended from a clan of people who all have eyes that are far too large for their onion-sized skulls.
'NHL 10' is almost the perfect hockey game. It's loaded with options and sports great graphics, fabulous player control and realistic gameplay. It has just one ridiculous flaw.
Sure, the game comes with a single-player campaign and an extra disc that gives players access to all of 'Halo 3's' multiplayer content (including all of those map packs). But, truly, 'Halo 3: ODST' is a delivery method for Firefight, a four-player co-op mode that echoes the innovative 'Horde' battles in 'Gears of War 2.'
Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 - Xbox 360
'Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2' does show incremental improvement from the last entry in the series. A larger number of characters, deeper strategies and the ability to switch heroes on the fly in-game all make the experience feel more flexible. This time around, you can allot experience points to teamwork, so that tandem attacks and artificial-intelligence support work better.
Wolfenstein is all execution and no inspiration, played safe and flat and without a hint of creativity. It is as lifeless and plodding as its Nazi zombies, which is saying a lot since it doesn't even really have Nazi zombies. This is a classic example of a big-budget opportunity gone to waste, cranked out with all the care that goes into a mass-produced widget and mechanically stamped from an old mold.
Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim - PC
"Majesty 2: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim's" fidelity to the first game will be more than enough for that aging cohort that fondly remembers the original. Newcomers to the series will experience the same thrill that comes when you have to rely on persuasion instead of orders. But it's not long before continuing seems more a matter of obligation than delight.
I'm a big "Ninja Gaiden" fan. I don't know why, but all the zipping around and hacking up ninja-demons makes me feel great. And I like the fact that the 'Ninja Gaiden' games are notoriously difficult. I think all gamers find one pain-in-the-neck series to call their own, and then proceed to finish all the games on Expert, just to prove that they can do it. It's like that one semester of college that I made the dean's list.
The best thing about this massively multiplayer online game? The character creator. The options are mind-blowing, and make 'City of Heroes' seem shameful for the way it makes you earn things like wings and capes. Most importantly, the character creator allows you to create (or recreate) exactly the kind of hero you want.
Maybe if 'Extraction' had shipped before 'Dead Space'' I'd feel more generous toward it. Mostly all 'Extraction' did was make me want to take another jaunt through 'Dead Space.'
'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra' - Xbox 360
Let's cut to the chase: 'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra' is terrible. It's a typical tie-in that intends to sell copies solely because the name on the box coincides with a recently released movie. The game inside is entirely irrelevant and colossally mediocre. This is that special brand of terrible game that's just competent enough to be forgettable
Eight Toys That Should Never Be Turned Into Videogames
We are full-time gamers, but we're also part-time activists. We want to protect the past from being exploited by the future alcohol quaffers. Thus, here's a list of toys we have declared totally off-limits, and shipped to an undisclosed location in New Jersey so that the world never has to endure their inevitable videogame tie-ins
'Diablo III' is Totally '90s - PC
Let's just get this out of the way. The people worried about the look of 'Diablo III' being too colorful are idiots. They're straight-up wrong. The last thing we need is Blizzard taking these people seriously. Because if there's a problem at all with 'Diablo III' (and I'm not sure that there is), it's that the game isn't straying far enough from the grim geek aesthetics of the '90s
Observing 'Madden' Experts and Living to Tell the Tale
By any measure, the 'Madden NFL' series is a bona fide videogame phenomenon. Since its start on the Apple II way back in 1989, the series has consistently been at or near the top of the year-end videogame sales charts, generating over $2 billion in cumulative sales for publisher EA Sports.
"Batman: Arkham Asylum," the latest attempt to capture Batman in a videogame, comes to us from Rocksteady Studios. This videogame is a wonderfully moody experience that skillfully exploits the most iconic elements of the Dark Knight: near-total stealth, martial prowess, cool gadgets and deductive skills.
Marketing Guru Al Ries Predicts the Next Big Thing in Videogames
I've always thought of marketing expert Al Ries as a sort of Nostradamus of product markets. But unlike that famous 16th-century French seer, Ries doesn't bother with obscure quatrains and references to owls ripping out the guts of hoary beasties. Nope. Ries studies why products succeed and fail, and summarizes his findings in an ongoing series of books as amusing to read as a consumer as they are important for people in the business world to digest.
Heroes and Villains: Alter Egos
There already may be lots of superhero games in the world, but the genre could still broaden its horizons in terms of what is on offer. Keep reading for a list of things I think are missing from the superhero genre, and the characters who could fill those voids.
'Rush, Boom, Turtle': And Now for Something Completely Different
Anytime someone tells you that real-time strategy games are creatively stagnant, you can assume he doesn't know real-time strategy games. As long as I've been playing RTSes, there have been at least one or two exciting innovations every year. 2009 has already seen its share. Crispy Gamer's Tom Chick thinks he's stumbled across this year's Really New Thing: a real-time strategy game called "AI War: Fleet Command.
Eight Enemies Who Are Just Jerks
There are enemies that are tough to defeat, and enemies that are easy. And then there is a special, separate group of bad guys that are just plain jerks. They're not so hard; they don't have a bunch of hit points. But for whatever reason, they seem to exist solely to annoy the freaking soul out of you. Below are a few of the greatest jerks of all time, but this is far from all of them. Nominate your own classic jerks in the comments.
The Apple Gaming Console: An Idea So Crazy It Just Might Work, Maybe
Take note as the Jobsian Cupertino Cult starts to cast its roving eye toward gaming, videogames, the land of electronic entertainment -- the big one. Rumors range from a new Apple tablet computer's possible support for gaming (obviously) to talks about an EA acquisition (not likely), all the way up to the central speculation that Apple might just launch its own console in the coming years.Take note as the Jobsian Cupertino Cult starts to cast its roving eye toward gaming, videogames, the land of electronic entertainment -- the big one. Rumors range from a new Apple tablet computer's possible support for gaming (obviously) to talks about an EA acquisition (not likely), all the way up to the central speculation that Apple might just launch its own console in the coming years.
Historical strategy games pull on two contradictory impulses. First, they depend on the desire of the audience to relive the past, to put itself in the shoes of Napoleon or Jefferson Davis. Second, they embrace the Time Lord in all of us, challenging players to undo history, to write a past that will never be. Bring Britain to its knees. Win independence for the Confederacy. Take Moscow before winter comes.
Personal Trainer: Walking - DS
In case you missed this oddball trifle from Nintendo, the basic idea is that you walk around with a small digital pedometer in your pocket or clipped to your purse, and every day you sync the little doodad with your Nintendo DS. A creepy Mii then gives you fitness advice, shows you a graph of how many steps you have taken, and describes your walking pattern in terms of an animal.
The Battle for 'Wii Sports Resort'
When I got done writing my 'Wii Sports Resort' review last week, I looked around at some of the other reviews out there to see how my opinion matched up with the consensus. I wasn't that surprised to see other critics give the game generally good but not spectacular reviews. What did surprise me, however, waWorld
Time was, the only place you'd be able to play a Tekken game was on one of Sony's PlayStation platforms. That all changes this fall, as the series makes its debut on the Xbox 360 with 'Tekken 6.'
'Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes'
"Star Wars: The Force Unleashed" reinvigorated those who had their faith shaken by the prequel trilogy, and BioWare's massively-multiplayer "Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes" looks to deliver the kind of vibrant universe 'Star Wars' fans expect. On television, the animated 'The Clone Wars' has kept the Force fires burning, and LucasArts is bringing the wartime series to consoles.
10 Best Songs in 'Rock Band: Country Track Pack'
Music games have the power to turn people on to new music.
And what genre needs more rehabilitation than country music?
More people hate on Nashville's music than live in the entire state of Tennessee. Gus Mastrapa has been playing 'Rock Band: Country Track Pack.'
"At first, I didn't know what to make of "Fat Princess," Evan Narcisse declares. "I'd seen her sizable assets a few times and wondered if she'd know how to work those curves. But after playing around with her a bit, I've decided she"s cheeky."
Five Reasons Why My iPod Is My Favorite Game System
The App Store provides a vibrant, inexpensive and ever-growing library of some of the most inspiring games I have played in years," Ryan Kuo writes. "Actually, I like gaming on my iPod better than my Nintendo DS, my PC and my Xbox 360.
Social Games: The Industry's New Wild West
Social gaming is taking advantage of the Internet's unique ability to accumulate social connections in order to encourage greater investment in what have been, to this point, very casual games.
How to Play PC Games On Your Mac
I use Macs. I've messed around with Windows, but I've never let it into my home. But, in the name of science, dear Crispy Readers, I'm sacrificing the virginity of my month-old 13-inch MacBook Pro to the Crispy How-To Lab. By following a few simple steps, it's possible to run PC games on a Macintosh. Here's what I did...
Planet of the Apps: Apple iPhone's Top 25 Free Games
iPhone owners can download any one of thousands of free games the moment they find themselves with some free gaming time.
The Ethics of Computer Video Games
Videogames are different from other forms of mass media. They require player input and, therefore, some level of player reflection. This interactivity, some argue, makes games a superior form of entertainment. You can give players choice; you can give players immediate feedback about the consequences of their decisions.
But what if we understand ethics and games in a different way?
In his new book 'The Ethics of Computer Games,' philosopher Miguel Sicart argues that player control makes games 'ethical objects' ...
"Fight Night Round 4" is not the leap forward that "Round 3" was for the series, or for the medium of videogames. How could it be? "Round 3" was a ridiculously impressive technical achievement back in 2006.
What you will find in 'Fight Night Round 4' are around 45 licensed boxers to fool with, some tweaked right-stick controls, and the same fetishistic attention to detail — the spray of sweat, the rippling facial muscles
'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'
Tranformers: Revenge of the Fallen isn't an entirely terrible game. The varied abilities of the various Transformers do mix things up in interesting ways and you'll be able to upgrade your whole faction's abilities at the same time.
However, as Crispy Gamer's Evan Narcisse played it, he kept feeling you can get this stuff — driving, combat, large-scale giant robot mayhem — done better elsewhere.
'The Punisher: No Mercy' happens as a first-person shooter, seemingly a natural fit for a Punisher game. Players earn new weapons and abilities as they play.
The frenetic pace of the action resembles that of the Unreal Tournament series, and the emphasis on scrambling across the map and scavenging weapons and mods also feels very Unreal.
'ArmA II' Falls Apart Just as it's Starting To Get Good
Unmade in Manhattan: How 'ArmA II' Falls Apart Just as it's Starting To Get Good 'ArmA II' is a tremendously exciting, ambitious game that you cannot possibly expect to be so bad for all the terrible bugs and glitches and unfinished bits and systems that just simply don't work.
But it is that bad -- and will make sure you know it.
Midseason Videogame All-Stars: Top Picks for 2009
It's a good time to take a look at videogaming's all-star performers for the first half of 2009.
These are the games that brought something new and interesting to the table, the games we keep coming back to when we should be working, the games that we don't want to forget about when it comes time for the year-end lists
'Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood'
Italian and Japanese influences helped revitalize the film Western. Now, as the genre lays fallow on game consoles, Polish development team Techland is trying to bring the Wild West back to life.
Its resuscitation plan is ripped not so much from the Western canon, but from Quentin Tarantino -- as Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood tries to inject a load of adrenaline into the stagnant genre.
'Tales of Monkey Island
Launch of the Screaming Narwhal'
Tales of Monkey Island's puzzles fall squarely in the mind-numbingly easy camp or the mind-numbingly frustrating camp, resulting in a game that's passable but not extraordinary.
Why Most Video Games are Really Boring After Opening Hour
The gist of my video gaming experience: I did some things that were exciting and novel. Then I did some more things that were exciting and novel. And then I kind of did the same thing over and over again for a very, very long time. This is a condition from which approximately 99 percent of all games suffer.
'Electric Jesus' vs. 'Super-Cannibal'
('Infamous' vs. 'Prototype')
First, people joked about not being able to tell them apart. Then there was the fact that their release dates were separated by mere weeks. But even though most were comparing them, there seemed to be a sense that people didn't want to declare one game better than the other. I'll say it outright: I like "Infamous" a lot more than I do "Prototype."
Nine Videogame Characters Never Heard From Again
The video gaming industry tends to celebrate the 'franchise' characters -- the Marios, the Sonics, the Solid Snakes -- who sell video games by virtue of having their faces on the box. These towering icons have plenty of fans, and bully for them. I find more fascination, though, in the misfits who played a plum role in a popular series and then disappeared from the public eye forever.
'New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat'
'New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat' isn't quite the same without the bongos, but it's not exactly worse, either. Any excuse to revisit this classic is a good one, though.
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