Reviews
Anime Review: Guyver The Bioboosted Armor
My path into anime and manga fandom was a very twisty one. But if there was one that I had to say was my major push into it, it’d be Yoshiki Takaya’s comic Kyoshoku Soko Guyver or Bio-booter Armor Guyver. This long running comic series (started in 1985 and still ongoing) was a love letter to classic Japanese live action transforming heroes like Kamen Rider and Kikaider, capturing all t...[Read More]
Review: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (PS3)
Hype is a dangerous thing. Setting the bar too high assures that success is impossible. When Curt Schilling, a man that was never known for a lack of confidence, set out to make an RPG, he treated it like an All-Star Game. He brought the most high profile talent he could grab. Fantasy powerhouse R.A. Salvatore, comic visionary Todd McFarlane, and Elder Scrolls luminary Ken Rolston make the design ...[Read More]
Review: Shank 2 (XBLA)
Shank shank shank. Shank shank shank. Shank your Xbox. Shank your Xbox! As a disclaimer, I hold absolutely no responsibility or liability for you actually shanking your Xbox. I don’t recommend it in any way whatsoever. What I do recommend, however, is Shank 2, Klei Entertainment’s sequel to its well received side scrolling gorefest, Shank. I love that word, and I warn you that I may en...[Read More]
Review: Quarrel (XBLA)
Growing up, I loved playing time-intensive board games. Monopoly? I’m down. Clue? You know it. Risk? At the drop of a hat. I also loved playing word games. Boggle? Oh yeah. Upwords? Of course. Scrabble? I’m a Scrabble fiend… Half a year ago, Quarrel, a beautiful combination of Risk and Scrabble, was released on iOS, and I was instantly enamoured. Now, the original XBLA concept be...[Read More]
Review: NeverDead (360)
The best advice I can give you if you’re planning on playing NeverDead is not to take it too seriously. Sure, the subject matter may have some heavier elements to it…the burden of immortality, loss, demons, love…but in much the same way that you wouldn’t take Army of Darkness or Plan 9 from Outer Space seriously, I reiterate: NeverDead is not a game to take seriously, becau...[Read More]
Book Review: Ico: Castle in the Mist
It seems like a cliche these days. Say the name of the game Ico and everyone expects praise. And by this point, everyone knows the idea of the minimalist game with beautiful design and a story that can be interpreted a myriad of ways. But what we’re talking about is one interpretation that was interesting enough to get published.
Review: Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3)
Since its humble beginnings on the NES, Final Fantasy has left an indelible mark in gaming, and that legacy has held strong for generations. Recently, the mantle of Final Fantasy has suffered from fan disappointment and a development strategy that can’t seem to decide between tradition and innovation. Although I was a tremendous fan of Final Fantasy XIII, the criticisms over linearity and overwrou...[Read More]
Review: The Simpsons Arcade (XBLA)
I was a child of the arcades. I would spend my time and money gladly and without hesitation at any one of a number of arcades on any one of a number of cabinets. X-Men, Gauntlet, Time Crisis, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and more have all played their part in draining me of the limited funds I had in my childhood. One of the games most responsible for my lack of cold hard coinage in my youth was ...[Read More]
Review: World of Warcraft: Cataclysm (PC)
I know what you’re thinking: “This game came out over a year ago. Why is it just getting reviewed now?” I can answer that for you in two parts. First, with the release of patch 4.3, all of the intended Cataclysm content and most of the gameplay balance adjustments have been made and the final version is now in the hands of the players. Second, like any MMO, the game that initially ship...[Read More]
Review: FullMetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos
It’s always hard to do a review of an anime movie that’s based on a TV series. These kinds of film tend to work as continuations of the shows they’re based on, and make it difficult to judge it on its own merit for people who may not know what’s going on. FullMetal Alchemist: The Sacred Star of Milos (released by Funimation and animated by Studio Bones) doesn’t try to...[Read More]
Review: Tropico 4 (360)
I was primarily a PC gamer growing up. I had consoles, but my first choice of game and game type was generally on PC. From the memory match games I’d play against my father on our Tandy 1000 to the wide variety of games on my grandfather’s Commodore 64, and from the multiple 5-1/4″ floppy games like Blue Max to hard drive installed games like Rise of the Triad and Sim City, IR...[Read More]
Review: Choplifter HD (XBLA)
If I had to define myself by one console, it would be the SEGA Genesis. I remember with no small fondness the time I spent with that controller in my hand. Whether it was Road Rash II, ToeJam & Earl, Sonic the Hedgehog, Marble Madness, Desert Strike, or any of the many other wonderful titles that console provided, it was a golden age for me. Clever segue, witty banter, oh hey, Desert Strike. I...[Read More]