Back when Rebellion made the first Aliens vs Predator, my friend and I were instantly hooked. I remember it looking pretty good, I remember the brutal savagery of the difficulty (particularly the Directors Cut levels), I remember the paralysing choices that were inflicted by the limited-use save system, but most of all I remember the tense atmosphere generated by the sound of an impending instant game-over, otherwise known as the scuttling noise of a facehugger. It’s been over a decade since that release, and time may not have been especially kind, but it still gave me a happy feeling when I heard the reins were back in Rebellions hands for this title.
Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
Aliens vs Predator Review (Xbox 360)
Friday, March 12th, 2010God of War 3 Review
Thursday, March 11th, 2010
The trilogy of God of War now spans the two latest PlayStation consoles, the first being a smash success and the second having people declaring that there was still plenty of life left in the PS2. Episode three comes to us in full HD with the grunt of a few cell processors behind the technology in the black box. You’d be among good company if you already had high expectations for God of War 3, most people that seem to be drawn to this particular action hack and slash game like flies to the proverbial. So the scene is set for a rather monumental release, expectations to be dashed or dreams to be fulfilled?
Battlefield Bad Company 2 Review
Tuesday, March 9th, 2010
Getting delayed can often times mean a death sentence for a game, the hype dies down, people look else where for their fix. Battlefield’s move back to releasing this week was either due to the developer needing more time or EA deciding that they might prefer to avoid going head to head against MW2. Either way, the time is here, so what is the final result?
MAG Review
Friday, March 5th, 2010
Shooting people is one of my favourite gaming pass times, in the face, groin or rather often the knee. I’m usually not to bothered by where as long as some damage is inflicted and I feel like I am at least getting my kicks in before the other guy (who is overly proficient at online shooters) gets some lead through my head. So you would think that a game dedicated only to the online shooting, with massive teams and large battle fields, would be right up my barrel. MAG, it seems, might not have been my cup of tea right from the start.
Smackdown vs. RAW 2010 Review
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
Wrestling is a silly “sport”. Let’s be honest it is completely ridiculous, and it is this ridiculous nature that makes it entertaining. Unfortunately the madness that is wrestling is very challenging to capture in a video game. In the somewhat limited amount of wrestling I have watched, it has always seemed that the crazy stage shows and smack talk sections encompass a significant amount of the content as well as providing most of the entertainment (for me at least). Unfortunately most wrestling games treat the subject as if this stuff was real. Are they afraid that little Timmy will be heartbroken when he finds out that this is just a stage show? On the other hand I guess it would be challenging to represent wrestling for what it really is and to keep it fun at the same time. Sadly Smackdown vs. RAW 2010 still takes most of it pretty seriously. However, they have added a pretty substantial story editor that lets you be as crazy as you want (very).
Bioshock 2 Review (Xbox 360)
Monday, March 1st, 2010
I had pretty mixed feelings when I’d heard about Bioshock 2. On the one hand, it’s not like they’re making Hitman 2, or a PS3 version of Vampire Rain (an idea that would leave the average consumer of either product cold). I liked Bioshock, surely more Bioshock would be something I’d like. On the other hand though, Bioshock was such a special, and above all, complete experience from the narrative perspective that it felt like it needed to be kept separate in order to maintain its integrity, as if revisiting Rapture would cheapen the memory of it. So it was with some grim curiosity that I played through Bioshock 2 critically assessing its merit as a successor to the game that gave us creepy little girls escorted by deep sea divers. Please follow me past the break for my thoughts, you’ll find that I’ve also prepared a list!
The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom Review (XBLA)
Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
If you’ve been craving a game that involves old films, pies, time travel and clones, then you’re in luck. The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom is here to whet your unique, and slightly disturbing appetite. It’s just another shining example of the kinds of great games you can find on the olde Xbox Live Arcade.
Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment Review (XBLA)
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010
After a excellent period of Western RPG’s in the form of Dragon Age: Origins, Mass Effect 2 and to a lesser extent Bioshock 2, I was looking forward to delving back into the world of Japanese RPG’s. What with their angst ridden emo teenagers as lead characters coupled with, typically, bad English voice over’s there is something endearing to us hardcore RPG fans. Love ‘em or hate ‘em the JRPG’s are big money spinners with some big hitting franchises still trucking on. So how does one translate a typically epic game genre into a XBLA title?
Reverse Maze Review (iPhone)
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010Made by NZ developer Ironshod, ultimately Reverse Maze is a frustrating but overall creative and quite fun kiwi-made game.
As with an old favourite, Trials HD, world leaderboards and even personal highscores give plenty of replay opportunity and even though you’re cursing and yelling on every death, you can’t help but play it over and over again…
Heavy Rain Review (PS3)
Sunday, February 14th, 2010
With a long legacy of high quality titles named [blank] Rain such as Vampire Rain, Chocolate Rain, and Blood, er, Rayne, Heavy Rain has some pretty big shoes to fill. Joking aside, Heavy Rain is the first game in a while (not including Fahrenheit, a long while,) to covet the notion of an interactive movie. It almost feels like the ‘interactive movie’ idea has become a dirty word in the current climate; I guess angels fear to tread where one such as Rob Schneider has failed…
