Aliens Vs. Predator Review: Commence Intergalactic War

Taking two classic science fiction action movies and mashing them together into one co-existing world is a daunting task, no matter what source material you’re dealing with. But, it’s particularly challenging when the overall concept is something that has been happening, at least in the imaginations of fans, for the last twenty or so years, and that’s exactly has been happening with the Alien and Predator franchises. Sure, they’ve had a few movies made about them together, but Sega’s “Aliens vs Predator” is the first time the two warring factions have ever made it into the hands of console gamers. That alone should raise a few eyebrows, but when you add into the mix the fact that the game offers players the ability to play as all three species; Xenomoprh, Predator, and Human, it should do a little more than just raise eyebrows. [Continue Reading]

Dante’s Inferno Review: To Hell And Back

Hell is a place that many different mediums have explored; movies, television, and comic books frequently venture to Catholicism’s home of eternal damnation. However, it’s a rich setting that hasn’t really been fully explored in video games, until now. Based on the classic poem by Dante Alighieri, “Dante’s Inferno” (the game) from EA, gives gamers the opportunity to step into the role of Dante as he journeys to the deepest sanctum of Lucifer to save his beloved. To steal a line from the marketing material, gamers can finally go to Hell. [Continue Reading]

Darksiders Review: It’s The End Of The World

“A War Dem Want, A War Dem A Go Get” – Bounty Killer.

When it comes to THQ’s “Darksiders,” more fitting words have never been spoken. When I first heard about this game that would bring about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, I couldn’t help but jump with joy that video games had finally begun to really embrace the biblical themes of heaven and hell. Ever since the beginning of video games there was always a “good guy, bad guy” dynamic but never really touching on “mature” themes like gasp… H –E- double hockey sticks and the Apocalypse.

The story starts off with you in control of a hulking beast of a being walking down what looks like a ravaged Times Square. All types of things are blowing up around you and you are marching forward following a truly impressive golem thingy. Before long you are attacked by flying “angels” that you proceed to rip apart with wanton aggression. Soon you find out that you are War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, meant to ride out and ensure that what was once living was no longer living.

Now that’s my kind of game. [Continue Reading]

BioShock 2 Review: I Want To Be Under The Sea

2007 was a big year for video games; that’s an undeniable fact. So many great games came out that year that it’s hard to nail down one in particular as the best game of that year. However, there’s one game almost always comes out near the top of the heap; “BioShock.” Ken Levine and 2K Boston’s underwater masterpiece is something that gamers will always look back on as a true classic. “BioShock” was both a critical and commercial success, so a sequel was inevitable. However, “BioShock 2″ wasn’t handled by the same development team, with 2K Boston passing off the reins to 2K Marin, and it didn’t even feature the same characters. However, “BioShock 2″ somehow managed to be one of the most enjoyable and compelling games to come along in a while. [Continue Reading]

Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter Review: Heeeee’s Baaaaack

Releasing a remake of a game is always a tricky situation for a developer. What may seem like a simple concept of offering an updated versions of someone’s favorite game really boils down to how can you sell virtually the same product to someone twice. Such is the case for Majesco Game’s latest XBLA release, “Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter.” Based on the 2001 release “Serious Sam: The First Encounter,” this new release updates a handful of features, as well as adds a shiny new coat of paint to the original. But is that enough to get you to pick up this “classic”? [Continue Reading]

Bayonetta Review: Which Witch Is Which?

The first time I saw “Bayonetta” was at last year’s E3, and, in all honesty, I wasn’t really impressed. I’ve never been a fan of the “Devil May Cry” games, and a game that played like those, starring a witch with magical hair just didn’t seem very appealing. After a short demo of the game behind closed doors, I walked away from Sega’s booth more interested in “Aliens vs. Predator” than some game from a bunch of guys that made that other game. But something happened over the last few months, as the hype began to build around the game, I started to realize that “Bayonetta” might actually be something I could enjoy, and, as the release date came closer, I was actually really looking forward to it. Low and behold, after a run through of the final product, it turns out that first impressions aren’t always right. [Continue Reading]

MX vs. ATV Reflex Review: Hitting The Dirt

For over a decade, Rainbow Studios have been pumping off road racing games such as “Motocross Madness” for the PC almost annually, and the popularity of the franchise became so big that spin-offs were made such as “Monster Truck Madness” series. Fast forward to today and Rainbow Studios is still around with their latest entry into their current offroad series “MX vs. ATV,” which is a somewhat misleading title, as you also drive trucks and sports buggys in the games. “MX vs. ATV Reflex” is the third in the series, but does it break new ground for the off road genre or is it more of the same? [Continue Reading]

Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen! Review: Actually, I Haven’t Seen That One

The “Scene It?” series of games has become a bit of an interesting gaming anomaly. While it is a perfect fit for console gaming, it’s appearance on a console originated with Microsoft attempting to go after the casual market. While it was a fairly transparent attempt, that was okay because the first two games, while not claiming to be anything more than an advanced attempt at a movie trivia game, are enjoyable gaming experiences. Now in it’s third iteration, “Scene It?” is finally going multiplatform with “Scene It? Bright Lights! Big Screen!,” courtesy of Warner Bros. Interactive, and if you like movie trivia, there’s no better console game for you this holiday season… unless you already have the first two games. [Continue Reading]

DJ Hero Review: This DJ is hard as hell!

What more can I say? (No that Jay-Z track is not in the game… yet) The track list for the first iteration of “DJ Hero” (c’mon you know this is a franchise) is jam packed with 93 mixes of different songs that will definitely get your head bumping. However, of those 93 unique mixes, a few of the tracks have repeat songs heard in other mixes. Tracks such as The Aranbee Pop Orchestra – “Bittersweet Symphony” gets duo love when mixed with 2Pac’s “All Eyez on Me” and LL Cool J’s “Rock The Bells.” Now I’ll leave it up to you to say which one was best, but I’m rolling with DJ Jazzy Jeff’s “Bells”.

[Continue Reading]

Mini Ninjas Review: Ninjas… Just Smaller

The release of the “Lego Star Wars” games a few years ago somehow managed to usher in a new hybrid genre of games; cute, but complex. It may have almost been almost inevitable in today’s gaming market, since the original “gamers” are now well grown up, and starting to have families, if they haven’t already for years, and there’s only so much graphic violence you can introduce into a home with youngins. Which brings us to “Mini Ninjas,” a tale of the last ninja, on a quest to save his friends, and his village from an evil master. Sure, it could have been hyper violent, like some ninja games tend to be, but developer IO Interactive went a different way with the game, making it more cute and cuddly than bloody and gory. Fortunately, the game’s overall look and feel don’t detract from the quality of the game, so it isn’t so adorable that you can’t play it without hating yourself for enjoying it. [Continue Reading]

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