Review by Gregg B Developer Frictional Games Publisher Frictional Games Released February 12, 2008 Available for Windows (version played), Mac OS X, Linux Time Played Completed in 10-11 hours Verdict: 5/5 Gold Star “Penumbra: Black Plague punches well above its weight and while the progression of the story may not be to everybody’s liking, it’s such an unpredictable, frightening and exuberant thrill ride that I’d be hard pressed not to give my heartiest recommendation.”
Review by Steerpike Developer Square-Enix Publisher Square-Enix Released March 9, 2010 Available for PS3 (version played), 360 Time Played 91 hours, 17 minutes, 38 seconds Verdict: 4/5 Thumbs Up “Final Fantasy XIII’s real triumph is its incredibly nuanced, sophisticated battle system. The rest is comparatively standard JRPG fare – not bad, but not to everyone’s taste.”
Review by Jason Dobry Amnesia: The Dark Descent Developer Frictional Games Publisher Frictional Games Released September 8, 2010 Available for PC (version played), Mac, Linux Time Played Finished in about 10 hours Verdict: 4/5 Thumbs Up “Amnesia differs from any horror game I’ve ever played. This isn’t just horror. This is dread, the stuff of nightmares.”
Review by Lewis B Warhammer Online Developer Mythic Entertainment Publisher EA Released July 2009 Available for PC Time Played: over 150 hours. Verdict: 3/5 Middlin’ “Warhammer Online still has promise, but the licence is tragically underused. Mythic has tried to emulate World of Warcraft in so many ways they have lost their identity and reputation in the process. Despite innovation, Warhammer Online falls far short of what could have been something truly special.”
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 …
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… …
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 …
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…
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”
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 …
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 …
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 …
Review by Helmut 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 “
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 …
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.”