Stephane Petit-Clerc
While it may be quite possible for me to write an entire review based on fighter planes without mentioning Top Gun, I won't even bother. You see, there was a period in my life (right between wanting to be Sonny Crockett and a guitar god), in which I wanted to be Maverick; a cocky hot-shot young F-14 pilot. Read More.
Generally speaking, if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck; it's probably a duck. Well, here's another one for you: If it looks like a Metal Gear game, sounds like a Metal Gear game and feels like a Metal Gear game; it could very well be the biggest departure from an established franchise the gaming world has ever seen. Read More.
Astropop and Mutant Storm were hands down my two favorite games on the Xbox's original Live Arcade. There was something about the progression of gameplay, the constant challenge and the simplicity of each that truly appealed to me. Now, with the arrival of the 360 and it's own Live Arcade, we've seen the re-release of both games. Read More.
Crystal Quest is another Xbox Live Arcade title that features the tried and true mechanic that involves navigating a ship around a playing field while shooting down enemies. Fans of Geometry Wars, Mutant Storm and a few other titles will feel right at home. Crystal Quest also manages to add another little nuance however to distinguish itself; each playing field is a level that must be completed by collecting crystals and escaping through a gateway that is initially stationary at the bottom center of the screen. Read More.
Feeding Frenzy is simply one of those games that is fun while it lasts, but doesn't last very long. If you've played the demo, you've literally experienced exactly what the full game has to offer. Yes, the fish change, the pond you're in gets bigger, but there is hardly any new nuance thrown into later levels to really change things up. Read More.
One of the fun surprises many found while playing Bizarre Creations' Project Gotham 2 was a nifty little arcade game located in the garage called Geometry Wars. Easy to play but hard to master, it was sometimes possible to waste an hour or two simply playing this mini game. Read More.
Few video games, let alone novels, movies or television shows, have managed to shape and define a generation, but the Tomb Raider franchise has. The first time I ever set eyes on Lara was in programming class in early '97 when I should've been learning C coding. Read More.
Few video games, let alone novels, movies or television shows, have managed to shape and define a generation, but the Tomb Raider franchise has. The first time I ever set eyes on Lara was in programming class in early '97 when I should've been learning C coding. Read More.
While it's hard not to get giddy at the prospect of playing a solid turn-based strategy game on the PSP, those who have owned a GBA or DS will soon recognize the trappings of Advance Wars. Yes, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and Field Commander does more than just borrow a few concepts from the amazing Nintendo franchise. Read More.
The name Sega has always been synonymous with arcade racing and rightfully so. But now that most games are judged on home consoles (while sitting on comfy couches) and no longer in sweaty coin-dens, how does the most complete OutRun package ever released fare? With no addition to the simple (and shallow) drift-mechanic, no enormous graphical breakthroughs, the same three ladies to contend with as before, many of the exact same courses we've already seen a few times before and just the Ferrari license to pin its hopes on, can the OutRun series still pack enough fun in a quick-fix arcade romp to get old-school fans salivating? Read More.
While it is quite possible as a reviewer to write paragraphs, if not books, on the merits, improvements and details of Oblivion, it would simply be a disservice to anyone reading it. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is, simply put, the most complete and most amazing experience to be had in videogame form, bar none, and everyone should be playing it rather than reading about it. Read More.
Credit must be given, once again, to Tecmo for taking chances on titles that other publishers would balk at. Over the years, Tecmo has published more niche titles that I've enjoyed than almost every other publisher combined. But now it seems that the Monster Rancher series, after four outings with little change, has decided to spread itself out to the mainstream world. Read More.
What the PSP has been in desperate need of since its release was a deep RPG that could consume gamers-on-the-go for hours on end. While the Untold Legends series did manage to satisfy an action-RPG niche, there was still are large gap to be filled. When the first screens of Kingdom of Paradise (KoP) were released, it seemed to be the RPG that PSP owners had been waiting for. Read More.
Certain people are destined to be sidekicks their whole life. This may seem a simple statement, but it still remains one that Hollywood seems to forget from time to time leading to large monetary debacles. I won't name names, but you know who they are. Well, the video game industry is a little more forgiving, but can we really expect a wise cracking rodent to take center stage, on a handheld system no less, and compete with his own venerable series? Read More.
It's not very often that a developer understands exactly what kind of game it's making; a developer that understands not only the console and its limitations, but also its gamers. Bigbig Studios gets it. And Pursuit Force is the proof that you don't have to add contrivance to a concept just to make it float. Read More.
