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Review: Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception
Posted by Mike Yawney on November 4th, 2011 View Comments
Who would have thought back in 2007 the Uncharted franchise would turn into the monster it is today. At the time many thought it was a Tomb Raider clone, featuring a male lead character. Fast forward four years and we can now say Uncharted is without a doubt going in a direction the Tomb Raider franchise only dreamed of. Fast paced action, riveting story, Uncharted 3: Drakes’s Deception has a lot going for it. But can it possibly lead to the hype built-up by Sony and Naughty Dog?
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Review: Kinect Sports Season 2
Posted by Mike Yawney on October 27th, 2011 View Comments
Almost one year ago Microsoft released a title which was expected to usher in a new era of gameplay; one without controllers. Kinect Sports proved you could play a game without relying on the classic controller but some gamers were critical, claiming Kinect Sports was nothing more than a collection of mini games. Despite the mixed reviews Microsoft teamed up with Rare once again to bring another round of sporting goodness to the Xbox 360 and Kinect. Does Kinect Sports Season 2 fair any better than the first. Once again it depends on who you ask.
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Review: Batman Arkham City
Posted by Mike Yawney on October 23rd, 2011 View Comments
Make no mistake about it, we are in the midst of the holiday rush. Review copies of games continue to pile up in the office screaming out to be played. Yet I find myself playing one title over and over again. I know, I should be playing other titles but every time I open a new game up I find myself putting batman Arkham City back into my console telling myself “just another hour”. The next thing I know it’s time to call it a night. Yes, Batman Arkham City is that good. It’s not perfect, but damn it’s good!
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Review: Gears of War 3
Posted by Mike Yawney on September 18th, 2011 View Comments
To call Gears of War 3 one of the most anticipated games of the year for the Xbox 360 is a bit of an understatement. Microsoft has been throwing Gears parties for months to create a frenzy and it appears their work is paying off. More than one million copies of the game have already been pre-ordered which is understandable. This is after all the final installment in the franchise, at least for this story arc.
What began as a new startup franchise five years ago in 2006 is about to come to a dramatic end. Gears of War 3 marks the end of the trilogy, the end of a surprisingly emotional story that has captivated fans around the globe. So how do you wrap up such a beloved series? With a bang.
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Review: Driver San Francisco
Posted by Mike Yawney on September 12th, 2011 View Comments
In the crowded videogame market it’s important to distinguish yourself against the competition. Some games come out with unique features, some with bonus content, and others rely on a concept that is so bizarre their game stands out from others in the genre. Driver San Francisco falls into the latter category.
Here’s how it plays out. A cop gets into a near-fatal car accident. As paramedics try and revive him he has an out of body experience and discovers he can shift into other people’s bodies, taking control of them. This sets the scene for one of the most
unique driving games I have ever experienced on a console. On paper it sounds bizarre, yet I was pleasantly surprised to find it’s just crazy enough to work. -
Review: Dead Island
Posted by Mike Yawney on September 7th, 2011 View Comments
Nearly six million people around the globe have seen the trailer for Dead Island. There is no denying it is easily one of the most compelling, dramatic trailers for a video game ever produced. A family vacationing on a island paradise fighting for their lives against a horde of zombies, played in reverse in slow motion set to dramatic music. It’s a marketing masterpiece which got not only gamers talking, but the general public.
There’s always a danger when you produce something so buzz worthy. It’s the same trap movies fall into. Can a title live up to the hype created by the trailer? In the case of Dead Island it certainly comes close, but falls a bit short.
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Review: Resistance 3
Posted by Mike Yawney on September 6th, 2011 View Comments
Nathan Hale is dead. The man who lead the war against the Chimera has now fallen victim to the virus he fought so valiantly against. Now a new man must pick up the fight.
It’s an interesting way to kick off the third installment to a widely popular video game franchise; kill off the main character which people have grown to know and start fresh with someone new. Yet Insomniac has chosen to do just that in Resistance 3.
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Review: Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Posted by Mike Yawney on August 23rd, 2011 View Comments
With summer comes the annual gaming drought. Developers typically hold off until the holiday season before releasing their big titles to ensure they don’t miss the Christmas sales blitz. But as summer draws to an end, we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The games are slowly starting to arrive.
Eidos Montreal, a fledgling studio, has just released its first project to the gaming world. Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a prequel in the fan favourite Deus Ex series. The franchise has a devote following; after all the series brought about many firsts. Deus Ex was one of the first titles to mix the first person shooter genre with RPG elements, allow players to explore multiple paths and introduce the idea of choice equals consequence.
Fans are ravenous for a look at what has happened to their beloved franchise since the last installment hit stores some eight years ago. Eidos Montreal certainly has some high expectations to meet. So does it deliver with Deus Ex: Human Revolution? Oh boy does it ever!
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Review: Toy Soldiers: Cold War
Posted by Mike Yawney on August 15th, 2011 View Comments
My heart is racing. I can hear the cries as they approach my position. My finger rests on the trigger, anticipating what is about to come over the ridge. Just how many there are is anyone’s guess. That’s when I see it, the first red flag appears in the distance. That’s when I open fire. One by one they begin to fall. I love the smell of plastic in the morning.
Toy Soldiers: Cold War is the follow-up to Signal Studios 2010 Xbox Live hit. The game asks the question what would have happened if the tension between the US and Russia escalated far beyond what it did in the 1980′s. A full out war? Perhaps, but this war is taking place in the safety of your home…with plastic toys.
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Review: Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension
Posted by Mike Yawney on August 12th, 2011 View Comments
Whenever a game arrives in the office that is based on a movie a hush falls across the room. Video game reviewers know all to well the consequences of reviewing such a game. They’re typically rushed to market in an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of a known franchise. Developers often complain they didn’t have a lot of time to polish the game mechanics and as a result the entire experience falls flat. The person stuck reviewing the title must spend five or six hours slogging through a game that is more tedious than enjoyable.
It just so happens a new Phineas and Ferb movie has just landed on Nickelodeon and the Disney Channel, and right along with it a new game. Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension plays out just like the movie, but does it fall into the same trap other movie tie-in games do? That depends.
