Category Archives: Game Review

Vampires Suck, but Castlevania rocks

Vampires. A hapless group of soul-bound individuals with an unquenchable thirst for blood. Countless tales have been told of their superhuman strength, speed, and agility as well as their horrific acts of terror and unholy rituals. For many years they ruled the nights, shunning the light of day, sucking the life out of helpless victims and binding them to their eternal curse. But amongst the race of vampires there was one foul being whose name stood out amongst the rest. A being, so relentless, so evil, so powerful that all bowed before him and swore their loyalty to him. Count … Continue reading Vampires Suck, but Castlevania rocks

Alpha Centauri is A+ all the way

When I first started college, I was exposed to a game that was unlike any other; a game that took the concept of playing a world leader and enhanced it deeply. It was also a game that was responsible for me spending many sleepless hours just trying to conquer one more city. That game was Sid Meier’s Civilization, considered by many as the greatest game of all time. That was, until Civilization 2 came out in 1995. With an easier to operate interface and a multimedia facelift, Civ 2 resurrected all those factors that I loved about the original Civilization. … Continue reading Alpha Centauri is A+ all the way

Baldur’s Gate

It has been a long time since I’ve journeyed to the Sword Coast via the magic of a Dungeons and Dragons game. Computer RPGs have never really been able to capture the flavor of a pen-and-paper role-playing, with several friends sitting around a table drinking sodas, eating chips, solving problems and slaying dragons. (well, only occasionally slaying a dragon) But that all changed with the release of Baldur’s Gate. Black Isle studios, a development arm of Interplay, has a great deal of experience with computer RPGs, and for the first time, someone has gotten it right. Most computer RPGs, especially … Continue reading Baldur’s Gate

An insiders report from Norrath

I had the opportunity to be a beta tester in the final phase of beta testing for EverQuest, which was released by Sony last week. Being in on the ground floor of this one, I can say that I think it will challenge Origin System’s Ultima Online for the title of the most popular online role-playing game. The first time I logged on, I was thrilled to see all of the options for creating a character. Everything from the usual gender, and class to race and religion was included as a changeable option. As a long time Ultima Online player, … Continue reading An insiders report from Norrath

Wing Commander movie is not for series purists

Before I get started on my perspective on the Wing Commander movie, I want it to be perfectly clear that I am NOT a film critic. To me, film critics are snobby, art-loving individuals who get hot over Victorian-era, tear-jerking, sleep-inducing, adultery-supporting (i.e. Bridges of Madison County) flicks that no real moviegoer of my caliber would ever see. Just watching the Shakespeare movie beat Saving Private Ryan this weekend for best picture is a prime example of the problem. If you want to see a review from a movie critic, check out the gushing reviews for Shakespeare in Love. If … Continue reading Wing Commander movie is not for series purists

Myth II: Soulblighter will conquer strategy gamers

It is rare indeed to see the sequel to anything — movies, television shows or games — actually turn out better than the original. Sequels usually fall into either the category of either a hastily made game that relies too heavily on its predecessor for plot, or a simple add-on pack that is not really a new game at all. I was relieved and pleased to find that this was not the case with Myth II: Soulblighter. The folks at Bungie were smart enough to keep basically the same interface as the original Myth, and pack the game with enough … Continue reading Myth II: Soulblighter will conquer strategy gamers

Half-life aims to kill other first person shooters

Valve Software’s Half-Life has been hyped for the past three years, claiming that it has the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) found on any first person shooter. It was supposed to be the AI that would surpass Half-Life form its competition. Fortunately, I am able to say that as far as the main game goes, that hype is proven to be true, as the final release provides the most challenging, involving single player action there is to offer. Half-Life, published by Sierra, centers on Gordon Freeman, doctor of Nanotechnology and Charlie Sheen look-a-like. What appears to start off as a … Continue reading Half-life aims to kill other first person shooters

Tiny Toon Adventures: Great Beanstalk is animated excellence

Tiny Toon Adventures , developed by NewKidCo in association with TGI Studios, will have you rolling in the floor and dying of laughter as Buster Bunny, Bab’s Bunny, and Plucky Duck lead you on their newest, wackiest, fun-filled adventure yet: "The Great Beanstalk." No matter what age you are, this game has all the right elements to have you cracking your sides for days to come. The object of the game is to guide Buster Bunny and Plucky Duck through nine wacky fairy tale adventures to earn three keys for the Giant’s Castle at the top of the beanstalk. Once … Continue reading Tiny Toon Adventures: Great Beanstalk is animated excellence

Backyard Soccer scores with young gamers

Humongous Entertainment has developed a game that will surely give young soccer enthusiasts a kick. Backyard Soccer takes players into realistic neighborhood soccer competitions with a variety of great features that any sports fanatic (young or old) will enjoy. This game is marketed for kids from ages five to ten years old. This game has a number of clever player-controlled, customized features. The game allows players to choose from a group of thirty neighborhood children to build their teams. The designers of this game made sure to give the neighborhood children a touch of realism by making the children each … Continue reading Backyard Soccer scores with young gamers

Don’t Fear the Reaper

Lucas Arts’ Grim Fandango already earned some lauds from other gaming publications and I hate to be the one to tarnish what may become another Myst. Grim Fandango does contain a captivating atmosphere with a certain film noir meets Antonio Banderas quality. My primary complaint stems not from the remarkable interface or the ambiance or even the general plot. Believe me, the music, a jazz soundtrack, is nearly enough to warrant buying this title. It’s just that someone forgot the basics of an adventure game. You may consider me a purist, but adventure and strategy games contain a kind of … Continue reading Don’t Fear the Reaper