Review: Darkest of Days

Posted on September 8, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Xbox 360

Developer: 8monkey Labs

Publisher: Valcon Games

# of Players: 1

Rating: M (Mature)

Score: B

If you can overlook its technical issues, there’s a lot of fun to be had in Phantom EFX’s shooter, Darkest of Days. For their first major console and PC release, developer 8monkey Labs has cooked up a supremely cool entry in the extremely crowded FPS genre that focuses on a solid single player story-driven experience rather than hanging its reputation on the usual multiplayer shenanigans many gamers come to expect. The shooting action using a combination of historical and tricked out futuristic guns is indeed thrilling during the massive battles you’re dropped into during the game. Granted, some hardcore FPS fans will pick the game apart for its flaws and fail to enjoy the experience for its good points. For the rest of us, following the compelling story as it plays out turns out to be the really surprising thing, even outstripping the action at some points.

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Review: Hurry Up Hedgehog!

Posted on August 27, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS/DSi

Developer: Ivolgamus

Publisher: O-Games

# of Players: 1 – 6 (Wi-Fi/Hot Seat)

Official Site

Score: B-

Having grown up playing plenty of board games as a kid before moving onto electronic entertainment, my interest in them has never really left as I’ve gotten older. It’s been pretty interesting over the years to see how different game developers translate classic table games into virtual form. Some conversions succeed better than others, but it’s certainly an odd balancing act at times. Go too far from the spirit of the original version and it’s sacrilege to the hardcore fans of the old game. On the other hand, too dry a digital translation, and modern gamers will ignore the product for something shinier with more moving parts. O-Games’ Hurry Up Hedgehog! definitely leans more into the latter category, but there’s a fair amount of depth under the simplistic presentation. If you’re a fan of classic board games with up to five like-minded friends, the game offers up quite a decent (if rather plain-looking) gameplay experience.

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Review: Cursed Mountain

Posted on August 23, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Developer: Deep Silver Vienna/Sproing

Publisher: Deep Silver

# of Players: 1

Official Site

Score: A (95%)

sub·jec·tive (suhb-jěk’tĭv) adj.
1. a. Proceeding from or taking place in a person’s mind rather than the external world: a subjective decision.
b. Particular to a given person; personal: subjective experience.
2. Moodily introspective.
3. Existing only in the mind; illusory.
4. Psychology: Existing only within an individual’s mind.

Most horror-themed video games are extremely subjective in that each person who plays them will generally have a different overall experience. Those that frighten easily will baby-step through their play sessions, saving frequently, checking maps and trying their very best not to to die horribly. The more fearless, bolder gamers accustomed to faster-paced play will blaze forward, taking on all comers in a quest for kill counts while often blissfully unaware of the developer’s intentions in attempting to set a particular mood. This type of player generally never flinches unless the game adds in “jump” scares like those found in hundreds of horror movies or live haunted house experiences in some amusement parks. A third type of gamer takes the middle road, going into every game “cold” in order to fully appreciate every nuance as they let themselves become completely immersed in the game world.

Welcome, dear reader to Deep Silver’s incredible Wii exclusive, Cursed Mountain…

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Review: Sudoku Ball Detective (DS)

Posted on August 18, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS/DSi (also on Wii/PC)

Developer: Whitebear

Publisher: Playlogic

# of Players: 1

Rating: E 10+ (Everyone 10+)

Official Site

Score: C+

Remember when the sudoku craze was the big deal about four or five years ago? While I’m sure Japanese gamers were pointing and laughing at us because we were more than a little late to the logic party, there were actually some decent video games based on the classic number puzzle. Of course, these days you have to wonder just how many gamers remember Dr. Sudoku, Platinum Sudoku or even the goofy Toondoku which replaced numbers with cartoon characters in an effort to convince the less-informed who still thought sudoku was math related that it wasn’t (it isn’t, by the way).

As far as the audience for these games, it may be smaller now (especially since Sudoku can be played for free online), but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any original gems left to discover. Playlogic’s Sudoku Ball Detective is a bizarre mix of story-driven murder mystery with a unique take on sudoku that makes it a curiosity piece worth tracking down for those looking for something unique. While the main game is a bit brief and there’s no puzzle edit function or multiplayer modes, it’s one of those offbeat titles that will find its niche and roll around comfortably in it. Continue reading →

Review: Aliens in the Attic (DS)

Posted on August 14, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS/DSi

Developer: Engine Software

Publisher: Playlogic

# of Players: 1

Official Site

Rating: B+

When it comes to licensed movie games scaled down to handheld systems (particularly a licensed game based on a summer movie barely screened for critics) my initial pre-review thoughts about Aliens in the Attic were of a too short, too cute and too easy game geared toward younger players and no one else. Fortunately, I was mostly wrong. Engine Software, a workhorse developer with a long history of portable game expertise was chosen for the task at hand. Engine handled the stellar DS conversion of Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords , one of the more addictive games in the DS library. Still, it’s a long road from supremely addictive and original puzzle/RPG hybrid to a licensed movie game, but guess what happened? They nailed it and nailed it good. Continue reading →

Review: Watchmen: The End Is Nigh – The Complete Experience

Posted on August 11, 2009 by geelw

Platform: PlayStation 3

Developer: Deadline Games

Publisher: WBIE

# of Players: 1 – 2

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: B

Other than the 2006 limited edition of Midway’s John Woo Presents: Stranglehold (which came packed with a DVD of Woo’s classic action film, The Killer) the Playstation 3’s Blu-Ray format has been very woefully underused in terms of movie/licensed game combo packs. Warner Bros. Interactive adds another game/Blu-Ray combo to the list with Watchmen: The End is Nigh – The Complete Experience, a 2-disc set featuring the Director’s Cut of the 2008 film and both parts of the arcade-style beat ’em up game, making for a great collectible for hardcore movie and game owners. Provided you waited for this full meal combo version of the game and didn’t buy either part separately over PSN or Xbox Live (or don’t mind that you already bought one or both chapters), this is a great value for the money. Continue reading →

Review: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Posted on August 8, 2009 by geelw

Platform: PlayStation 3

Developer: Double Helix

Publisher: Electronic Arts

# of Players: 1-2

Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: C+

If you go into G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra expecting some sort of Tom Clancy-ish tactical action experience or a Gears of War inspired “big” action game, you’ll be sitting dazed in front of your TV with your jaw on the floor wondering just what the heck happened on your way home from the game store. On the other hand, if you remember pumping quarter after quarter into classic arcade run ‘n guns such as Front Line, Ikari Warriors, MERCS, Midnight Resistance, Gain Ground and yup, Contra, you’ll be sitting in front of your TV with a buddy having a total blast. The game isn’t perfect (nor as memorable as the above titles), but once you realize it works fine as a current gen homage to those hits, you may as well install a coin drop and change machine on your PlayStation 3 and enjoy the ride a few times. Continue reading →

Review: Black Sigil: Blade Of The Exiled

Posted on July 23, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo DS

Developer: Studio Archcraft

Publisher: Graffiti Entertainment

# of Players 1

Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site

Score: B+

If you’re in the mood for some old-school console RPG goodness and have quite a lot of time on your hands, Graffiti Entertainment’s latest Nintendo DS game, Black Sigil: Blade Of The Exiled has your name written all over it. Montreal-based developer Studio Archcraft has cooked up a nicely done homage to the days of 16-bit JRPGs with a game that looks and plays like a Super Nintendo or Sega Genesis classic. Is this a good thing in this day and age of every game being judged “by today’s standards?” The clear answer depends on both your current gaming tastes and how open minded you are when it comes to the game’s idiosyncrasies. Continue reading →

Review: The Conduit

Posted on July 22, 2009 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Developer: High Voltage Software

Publisher: Sega of America

# of Players: 1 (1-12 Online)

Rating: T (Teen)

Official Site

Score: A

Attention Wii owners: your core FPS has finally arrived… and it’s a total blast. The Conduit is a technically impressive first-person shooter with a nifty conspiracy-packed plot, an action-packed single player campaign and innovative multiplayer modes that will keep you playing for months. High Voltage Software has laid down the gauntlet for future Wii developers with this original IP that deserves a home in any genre fan’s collection. While the game isn’t as stellar in spots as a few high profile releases on certain other consoles, what it does well it does often and that’s where it counts. Continue reading →

Review: FUEL

Posted on July 22, 2009 by geelw

Platform: PlayStation 3/Xbox 360

Developer: Asobo Studio

Publisher: Codemasters

# of Players: 1 (2 – 16 Multiplayer)

Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site

Score: A-

With racing games of all types zooming into game shops on every platform on a regular basis, there’s pretty much been nothing new under the sun other than prettier visuals, faster frame rates and the ability to use more and more expensive peripherals. Nevertheless, it’s actually quite hard to find games that not only work as racers, but do double duty as pure driving experiences. Welcome to FUEL, Codemasters’ and Asobo Studio’s groundbreaking arcade-style racer that offers up a whopping 5,000+ miles of outrageously fun racing and pure driving for the hell of driving in a single package. It’s got a few quirks here and there, but if the open road is your thing (even a post-apocalyptic open road), you’ll have a complete blast each time you pick up the controller. Continue reading →