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Archive for the ‘Reviews’ Category
Revisited: Starcraft 2
Review by Jason Dobry
Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty
Developer Blizzard
Publisher Activision/Blizzard
Released June 27, 2010
Available for PC (version played), Macintosh
Time Played Finished (single player) – about 30 hours
Verdict: 
3/5 Middlin’
“In the end, I liked the game, but I doubt I will ever play it again or buy the expansions or mini-sequels or whatever the hell they’re doing with it. In a way, it makes me sad, like in the way one tunes into an old favorite show from childhood, only to find it’s an abomination. I returned to Starcraft and found some of those abominations, but their creative approach to mission design kept me playing all the way to the final insipid line of dialogue.”
Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty
Review by Steerpike
Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty
Developer Blizzard
Publisher Activision/Blizzard
Released June 27, 2010
Available for PC (version played), Macintosh
Time Played Finished (single player) – about 20 hours
Verdict: 3/5 Middlin’
“Perhaps the most important question: will I buy the next game? I will not. And neither, I suspect, will the vast and quiet majority of gamers out there who have no interest whatsoever in Starcraft 2′s multiplayer. The single player game… it is what it is. A study in mediocrity, and a shameful display from a company once revered for its storytelling.”
Alien Breed: Impact & Alien Swarm
A few weeks ago I finally decided to buy the Alien Breed: Impact double pack for myself and a friend. For those of you who aren’t aware, Alien Breed: Impact is the PC version of Alien Breed: Evolution which in turn is a reboot of a classic franchise by Team17 originating on the Commodore Amiga in 1991. The main reason I purchased Impact was simply because of one thing: Alien Swarm. Actually make that two things: Alien Swarm and a Steam mid-week madness half-price sale. Up until the release of Valve’s new bug hunt I’d not given Alien Breed: Impact a second thought due in no small part to its lukewarm reception on release. Alien Swarm, however, had piqued my interest in Team17’s underdog.
Revisited: Warhammer Online
It’s been eleven months since I last set foot into Warhammer Online. As one of the first to play the game throughout its closed BETA period and launch, I had certainly burnt myself out by late October last year. Playing one class exclusively, and encountering many of the game’s trials and tribulations, a break was certainly much needed…
Revisited: Dead Space
Review by Xtal
Dead Space
Developer: EA Redwood Shores
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Released: 14 October 2008
Available for: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 [reviewed]
Time Played: Completed twice (approximately 25 hours)
Verdict: 
3/5 Middlin’
“[Dead Space] had no need to cater to an expected “mainstream shooter” audience. It had enough unique tricks that could have made it a wholly altered experience. Unfortunately it comes out bland and carbon-copied”
Limbo
Review by Mat C
Limbo
Developer PlayDead Studios
Publisher Microsoft Game Studios
Released 21 July 2010
Available for Xbox 360 Live Arcade
Time Played Finished
Verdict: 
5/5 Gold Star
“Limbo is, however, more than the sum of its parts. To wrap it up and put it in a neat and cliched package entitled “puzzle platformer” or the like would be to miss the wider point. This is a rich and engaging story where isolation, death and self-discovery are the main themes, underpinned by an eerie and haunting atmosphere that will keep you emotionally invested in this silhouetted, bright eyed little boy from start to finish”
Alan Wake
Review by Mat C
Alan Wake
Developer Remedy Entertainment
Publisher Microsoft Game Studios
Released 14 May 2010 (EU), 18 May 2010 (US)
Available for Xbox 360
Time Played Finished
Verdict: 5/5 Gold Star
“That said however, Alan Wake is still an incredibly well put together package. From a technical stand point the game is perhaps a year or two outdated and it’s hard to see where more than five years of development time really went to, but as an overall experience Alan Wake transcends the importance of such issues. The story is amongst the most compelling I’ve ever played and the game is a shining example of how linearity can work when driven by a strong narrative. For that particular decision at least, Remedy can be justly proud.”
Modern Conflict HD
Review by Mat C
Modern Conflict HD
Publisher ClickGamer
Released 09 July 2010
Available for iPad
Time Played Finished
Verdict: 
3/5 Middlin
“Modern Conflict HD certainly isn’t the RTS experience that many will see as the perfect fit for the iPad’s gorgeous 9.7″ multi-touch display. The simplistic gameplay and lack of true tactical depth will leave enthusiasts of the genre disappointed, while the omission of a multiplayer component does seem like something of a missed opportunity”
Metro 2033
Developer: 4A Games
Publisher: THQ
Released: March 16, 2010
Available for: PC (played), XBOX 360
Time Played: Finished twice (20-24 hours total)
Verdict: 
4/5 Thumbs Up
“The good parts are as good as it gets in an FPS, but the overall experience is tarnished by a handful of missteps “
Gothic II: Night of the Raven
Developer: Piranha Bytes
Publisher: JoWooD Productions Software AG
Released: August 21, 2003
Available for: Windows
Time Played: Finished
Verdict: 5/5 Gold Star
“Imagination is one of the main reasons we play games. As the saying goes, our imagination can contain worlds, but it’s also nice when it can frolic in a place already made whole by other, perhaps better imaginations. It’s a two-way street this imaginative back and forth and the people who create these games know that, or the better ones do.”
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Football Manager Handheld 2010
Developer: Sports Interactive
Publisher: SEGA
Released: 13 April 2010
Available for: iPhone
Time Played: 3 Seasons
Verdict: 4/5 Thumbs Up
“Although some key features have been lost in translation between the PC and iPhone versions of Football Manager, inevitably so given the vast difference in resources available to the two formats, Football Manager Handheld is an exceptional – if not perfect – first step into development on Apple’s handheld from Sports Interactive.”
Review: Hamlet
Review by Lewis B
Hamlet
Developer: Alawar Entertainment
Publisher: Alawar Entertainment
Released: April 2010
Available for: PC
Time Played: Finished
Verdict: 
2/5 Rotten Egg
“With some good puzzles and graphics that appeal, Alawar Entertainment could have made something special. Sadly, Alawar’s Hamlet is tragically slim in its design and falls far short of titles it is vying against.”
Review: Battlefield Bad Company 2
Review by Lewis B
Battlefield Bad Company 2
Developer: EA Digital Illusions CE (DICE)
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Released: March 2nd 2010
Available for: PC, PS3, Xbox360
Time Played: 48 hours, 36 minutes
Verdict: 
4/5 Thumbs Up
“Far greater than Modern Warfare’s multiplayer, and as much fun as any of the previous Battlefield series, no online enthusiast should be without a copy. Without doubt DICE have continued to refine the sub-genre and have created the best team based, squad based shooter money can buy.”
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
Review by Steerpike
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
Developer GSC Game World
Publisher BitComposer (U.S.); Cenega (Europe)
Released Feb 3, 2010 (U.S.); Oct 2, 2009 (CIS)
Available for Windows
Time Played Finished
Verdict: 
5/5 Gold Star
“Call of Pripyat isn’t perfect either; but as a third-generation evolution of an idea so blindingly ambitious, it sure as hell doesn’t disappoint.“
Review: Near Orbital Vanguard Alliance (N.O.V.A)
Review by Mat C
Near Orbital Vanguard Alliance (N.O.V.A)
Developer: Gameloft
Publisher: Gameloft/Apple
Released: 17th December 2009
Available for: iPhone & iPod Touch
Time Played: Finished (Single player only)
Verdict: 
2/5 Rotten Egg
One of my favorite things about digital distribution is that it’s possible to log onto store fronts such as Steam and iTunes and access a vast range of content at any time, regardless of a game’s release date, quality or sales figures. Released on December 17th 2009, Near Orbital Vanguard Alliance (N.O.V.A) is hardly the freshest or hottest game currently adorning the iTunes archives, but has nevertheless retained a reputation since release for offering some of the best gameplay available for iPhone and iPod Touch, receiving strong reviews and overwhelmingly positive feedback on iTunes.
Having recently downloaded N.O.V.A myself, I’m curious as to whether I actually downloaded the same game or not.
First Impressions: Metro 2033
Nikopol: Secrets of the Immortals
The Nature of the Challenge
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