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Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter games review

If there ever was a title that captivated the essence of “milking the cow”, it’s probably the Nintendo SEGA fusion with Mario and Sonic — two of the most iconic game characters of all times. It’s especially bad considering the game itself isn’t original, but based on the “Olympics” brand, this time, Winter Olympics. So in essence, you got the same characters in a known environment. But is the game fun? Hard to say, which is exactly the point of this review.

The original Mario and Sonic at the Summer Olympic Games featured some known characters and a ton of mini games, some of which were quite fun, despite rather retarded controls at times. However, it was still fun and offered decent multiplayer gameplay for some folks in a living room, wiggling their remotes, and, as they’ll be happy to hear, the new game continues down the same path. This time though, it’s the Winter Olympics and it’s set in Vancouver in 2010. The range of mini games is impressive, a dozen of them, from skiing and showboarding, to hockey and bobsled. There’s even a curling game — which is quite a bit more fun that it seems (and definitely more fun that it appears in real life). Read the rest of the review

Assassin’s Creed 2 review

Assassin’s Creed was one of the few original and interesting new IPs that was released two years ago, bringing a new setting not often explored by games, alongside some original combat and acrobatics. The sequel — and of course there’s a sequel — looks to build upon the success of the first game, and offer something new. While the gameplay remains mainly unchanged, the new setting, in Renaissance Italy looks just as great as ancient Jerusalem did in AC1.

The story continues where the previous ended; Desmond, in today’s time, escapes from the complex that kidnapped him and captured his mind. This time he teams up with the good guys, and gets back in the seat in the machine that sends him back a few hundred years to Italy, during Leonardo da Vinci’s time, where he’ll play an assassin, in order to train himself the skills. We won’t go into detail of the story, but rest assured that it’s pretty well told and written, although the cut scenes and dialogue aren’t exactly top notch. Read the rest of our Assassin’s Creed 2 review

Left 4 Dead 2 review

There was understandable outrage when Valve announced a sequel to Left 4 Dead, to be released only a year after the original game, giving a hint that it might be a yearly series, something very untrue to the Valve spirit (which is quite the opposite: quality delays). Is there merit to the criticism and concerns? Has Left 4 Dead 2 too little to offer compared to last year? In short, yes, in long: yes, but it’s still a heck of a lot of fun.

The story in Left 4 Dead 2 (L4D 2) followed the same type of story and gameplay as its predecessor, the main campaign follows four survivors, played via online co-op with three other players, where the point is to escape through a maze and myriad of zombies of all kinds. It’s a style of gameplay where teamwork absolutely counts, in L4D 2, it counts even more. Don’t even think about going solo — you’ll be picked to your bones very quickly. The new campaign follows four new survivors, this time they seem to be more varied with better personality, however the AI is still lacking a bit behind, where they’ll often run in front of you, despite that it’s very clear that you’re shooting a very big gun right next to them. But this, of course, is gone when you play co-op — which you should, that’s the whole point, anyways. Read the rest of our Left 4 Dead 2 review

DJ Hero review

In the midst of all the Modern Warfare 2 madness and onslaught of news, we’d like to bring you something a bit more lighthearted: a review of DJ Hero for Wii. As a sidekick to Activision’s Guitar Hero, DJ Hero focuses on DJs and their world, and contains artists like Black Eyed Peas, 50 Cent, Justice, Marvin Gaye, Beck, Beastie Boys and N.E.R.D., with over 100 songs and over 90 mixes by real DJs.

DJ Hero comes with a DJ mixing board controller, and the gameplay process is very similar to that of other “Hero” games from Activision, you punch the correct keys as best as possible, scoring the best score you can. While listening to the songs, of course. There’s a huge assortment of songs, which span almost every genre, meaning you’ll probably find something you like in there. The songs are mixed by well known DJs, and you won’t find them anywhere else — they’re exclusive to DJ Hero. While you can’t create your own DJ, you can play as some fairly decent ones, and if you’re good, you can unlock superstar DJs like Daft Punk (complete with their outfits). Read the rest of our DJ Hero review

Modern Warfare 2 PC review

Modern Warfare 2, the most anticipated game of the year, is out and has already broken the sales records. And it’s already showered in rave reviews, so let’s be clear from the get go: this is not one of those reviews. In fact, we were quite disappointed by Modern Warfare 2. Even though we were fans of the first game, the sequel feels a lot like going from a great movie to its sequel: nothing new and much of the same.

Modern Warfare 2 is the Transformers 2 of the video games. A huge blockbuster with plenty of thrills and action, but a confused to no plot, and, for the PC version which we’re reviewing, a crippled multiplayer part. It feels like a genuine overhyped piece of entertainment, which will be swallowed up by fans no matter what, still with all the great ingredients of Modern Warfare 1, but with not much new, not chances are taken by the developer, in fact, it’s far too much like its predecessor, in almost every aspect. Read the rest of the Modern Warfare 2 review

Tekken 6 review

The Tekken series has been in a long battle with Street Fighter and Virtua Fighter for many, many years, each time, each series tried to top the other, and now is no different with Tekken 6. The latest installment in the franchise, this time with a deep roster, new gameplay modes and tweaks, this is certainly the best Tekken game to date. But how does it stack up against the rivals? Read on.

The story of Tekken 6 is slim to non existent to laughable — but that’s expected, it’s not a novel, it’s a fighting game, and the story that’s there basically moves your from fight to fight. Nothing special, and it gets the job done. The single player campaign lets you battle all of the available enemies, which means you’ll be fighting a lot of them — the roster is one of the largest in any Tekken game, with all the classic fighters back, including Lei, Paul, Jin and Kazuya. It also includes characters included in Tekken Dark Resurrection, further increasing the roster to a total of 40. However, not many new members have been introduced, not that it makes any difference, since the roster already feels crowded and it’s gonna take you a long time to identify with all of the characters. Read the rest of the Tekken 6 review

Wii Fit Plus review

Wii Fit has been one of the few original and innovative games on the Wii, something new and refreshing in the hail of never ending Mario games. The Wii Fit training game, coupled with the Wii balance Board, has sold in excess of 20 million units worldwide, so it’s no surprise that Nintendo is looking to offer a bit more on that side. Enter Wii Fit Plus, which retails for only $20 if you already own Wii Fit with a Balance Board, but if you don’t, the whole package will cost you $100, which is $10 more than the original Wii Fit.

Wii Fit Plus isn’t really a sequel — it’s sold separately without the Balance Board for those that already own it — it’s actually an expansion pack which includes the original games and workouts, and even transfers your data from the old game. This is pretty slick, meaning that you won’t have to swap the new and old Wii Fit disc. Wii Fit Plus features 15 new work out mini games and six strength training and Yoga workouts, and this time, you can mix and match your workouts as you see fit. Read the rest of the Wii Fit Plus review

GTA 4: The Ballad of Gay Tony review

The second and final episode of Grand Theft Auto 4, The Ballad of Gay Tony, has been released, and with it, Rockstar closes the curtain for GTA 4 with a bang. The episode is being released exclusive on the Xbox 360, either as a standalone download, or as a part of the “Episodes of Liberty City” retail expansion pack, which also includes the previous episode, The Lost and Damned.

In The Ballad Of Gay Tony, you play as Luis Lopez, a nightclub manager and Tony Prince’s — aka. Gay Tony — business partner. Gay Tony, who’s gay in the most extravagant fashion, owns a few nightclubs and the biggest gay club in town, and when a deal goes bad, he sends you to recover some stolen diamonds — the same diamonds that were mentioned in GTA 4 and Lost and Damned — making you progress through mission by mission, GTA 4 style, on a hunt. More »

Scribblenauts review

Scribblenauts for the Nintendo DS is a kind of adventure game that you don’t see often — actually, there hasn’t ever been a game like Scribblenauts; an adventure game where your character progresses through the levels by you typing the name of an object, pretty much any object you can think of, from dinosaurs to cars, to monkey to trees, as long as it isn’t vulgar or trademarked, it’s probably in Scribblenauts. The core concept of the game is highly original and extremely entertaining, and if it wasn’t for a few issues, it would’ve been the ultimate must-have game for any DS owner.

The gameplay is simple and follows the standard 2D side scrolling fashion, but to solve puzzles in Scribblenauts, you need to use an object that might fit and help you move forwards. You “scribble” the object (say, a “meteor”) and poof! it appears on the screen. The goal of each level is to secure a Starlite at the end, and accumulate them. On top of that, you have dedicated puzzle levels, which don’t feature as much action but pack plenty of challenge for your imagination. Once you’ve settled in the gameplay and figured out how advance through the levels (maybe you need a club or a crowbar to break something, maybe you need a walking robot), you’ll be troubled by the rather frustrating controls the game has to offer. You control your hero (named Maxwell) via the stylus, where you point to an area on the screen, and he’ll run to it. But it’s far too easy to point a few pixels too far, and see yourself walk into certain death. More »

Machinarium review

Developer Amanita Design have previously distinguished themselves with artful point-and-click adventures with Samorost and Samorost 2. This time, the point-and-click adventure continues, in another Flash-based game called Samorost, which is easily the most artistically pleasing game of this holiday lineup.

You play as a little robot who has been evicted from his city, and finds himself on the junkyard, and it’s now your job to find his way home, by guiding him through the puzzle adventure. The game is dominated by its art style, which takes Steampunk to a whole new level. The meticulously hand painted levels and backdrops are just gorgeous, and will instantly draw you in (coupled with an amazing soundtrack). The gameplay on the other hand, consisting of a lot of pointing and clicking, meaning the action is very slow. If you’re into fast paced FPS games, you’ll feel the drag, as you have to carefully check everything, solve the puzzles and move on, where one screen can take hours to complete if you’re not paying attention.

Sometimes this kind of gameplay tends to get tedious, and even with the beauty of a game like Machinarium, it still might not appeal to everyone, as you spend five minutes hovering your mouse over every object, hoping to get a reaction. At times, this will frustrate the hell out of you — and rightfully so — but the end result, the pay off is very rewarding in return. There is one hint per level, but usually it’s vague, although there is a small 2D shooter game you can play in order to get a full walkthrough, but the mini-game is far too long and almost just as frustrating, which will encourage you to stay away from it, and instead try and solve the puzzle yourself.

Machinarium, while not going head to head against blockbusters like Modern Warfare 2, showcases just what kind of game can be created with some love and a great sense of style by the creators. The soundtrack is equally stunning, a mix of ambient and electronic music that suits the game perfectly. It’s a point-and-click gamer’s dream, and is definitely worth the $20, even if $10 would have been more suitable for a game of this length and features. For everyone else, it’s a good idea to check out the demo, which gives you a sample level.

The Good:
Absolutely gorgeous
Very original
Wonderful soundtrack
Oozes of style
Cutest protagonist ever

The Bad:
A bit overpriced
Can be frustrating

Overall score: 9/10

Brutal Legend review

Legendary game maker Tim Schafer, who’s known for taking some wild chances and coming out on top in terms of game design, brings his latest endeavor, Brutal Legend, and alongside it, a piece of Jack Black as well.

Brutal Legend can best be described as an adventure game with a lot of rock elements with the humor from Jack Black, who’s not only known as an actor, but also a rock enthusiast. The game is a third person adventure game where you control Eddie Riggs, a roadie who’s on a mission to save the heaven of heavy metal from an evil lord who’s holding the whole thing hostage. It even includes a great cameo from one of the best known heavy metal characters, Ozzy Osbourne. The feeling of heavy metal is present in every fiber of this game. And even if you’re not into heavy metal, the great story, the funny dialogue and the gameplay will draw you in. More »

Borderlands review

Borderlands has been a highly anticipated title since it was re-announced earlier this year, with an all new look. And the stylish, sell-shaded look might look like the main attraction for this sci-fi shooter, but there’s a lot more to be had in addition to that; lots of action, aliens, and especially, lots of guns.

The story of Borderlands is somewhat weak, but it’s more than made up for by the slick presentation and the four playable main characters, each with their own style and personality. The game takes place on the planet Pandora, where human have flocked to in order to mine and cash in on large mineral deposits. However, the settlers discover that the planet is actually not that wealthy, and instead of minerals, aliens are the real treat. That’s where you come in… More »

Order Of War review

It’s been a while since we’ve seen a WW2 real time strategy game, so Order Of War is a highly welcomed addition to the RTS base. While most RTS games are either focused on the ancient times (Age of Empires) or the future (Command & Conquer, Supreme Commander), WW2 RTS titles are few and far between. While Order of War brings some decent and fun WW2 action, a few bugs and a lacking multiplayer prevent it from becoming a great game.

Order Of War lets players control either the US Army during the invasion of Normandy (and onwards. towards Berlin), or the German Army during the Russian campaign into Nazi Germany — yep, you can play as the Nazis and defend the “Fatherland” from zhe Russians. The game will instantly immerse you into the action, from the brief and snappy mission descriptions, to the polished action itself. You will control anywhere from a few troops going into a covert battle, to hundreds of soldiers and several divisions, when landing on the beaches of Normandy, for instance. More »

Zombie Apocalypse review

Zombie Games are nothing new — they offer tons of fun usually involving slaying masses of zombies, not known to be the smartest enemies out there. A new downloadable-only title on Xbox 360 and PS3, Zombie Apocalypse, sets out to give players bite sized nuggets of zombie action, while remaining fun. Sad to say, the game fails to meet those goals. But it does a few things well.

Clearly inspired by Left 4 Dead and similar survival horror/zombie games, Zombie Apocalypse is set in a world where a disease has turned pretty much everyone but yourself into a zombie, and it’s your job to clear the mess, slaying thousands of brainless zombies throughout the campaign. It’s a third person/isometric perspective action game where you move with the left analog stick and fire your weapons with the right, and they’re basically the only two controls you’ll need, as you massacre your way through hordes of enemies. You’ll start off with a basic assault rifle, and then find more powerful weapons as you progress throughout the game. More »

Mini Ninjas review

Since Team Fortress 2 popularized the cartoonish look, many games have followed suit, most noticeably Battlefield Heroes and a few indie titles. Another game has joined the club, the not-so-serious Mini Ninjas, which, for a developer like IO Interactive, is certainly new grounds. IO is mostly known for the Hitman franchise, so few might be skeptical in how the developer handles a title meant for a far younger audience. Rest assured, the young audience will probably love Mini Ninjas, while the mature one will find aspects of the game enjoyable as well.

The story of Mini Ninjas is set in ancient Japan, where a Ninja Master sends out his students to investigate an Evil Samurai Overlord, but the students get captured. The Master sends his last two students, Hiro and Futo, who set off after the Evil Samurai Lord, who has used his powers to turn ordinary animals into his henchmen. The story is very similar to classic Samurai and Ninja movies, and especially Samurai Jack, if you ever crossed the cartoon series. More »