Xbox 360 Reviews F-L

Despite an agonizing first stage that never seems to end, Rise of the Silver Surfer ultimately proves itself to be a well-constructed superhero title. A few stages take place in boring caves, but the battles in New York City and an old Russia Space station (infested by apes no less) are far more compelling. Playing Fantastic 4 is mainly about beating up gang after gang of aliens or apes, and the action would be awfully repetitive if not for the amazing number of attack options, including potent "team up" moves. The Invisible Woman and Human Torch can create bombs together, and the Thing can whip Mr. Fantastic around to clear out nearly enemies. The puzzles provide a nice break from the mayhem, and these are usually solved using the special ability of one particular hero. Fantastic 4's control scheme is tailor-made for the Xbox 360 controller. The face buttons are used for basic functions, but holding the right trigger toggles them into special moves, and the left trigger enables your team moves. Icons on the screen mirror the button configuration and indicate exactly what powers are available. I enjoyed playing the game solo, but the multiplayer fun was offset by a problematic camera that made it tough to keep the heroes in view. Fantastic 4's graphics are about average, and the sound effects suffer from uneven volume. This Xbox 360 edition is almost identical to its Playstation 3 cousin, except you don't have the motion control during the flight stages, but you do rumble feedback. In the scheme of things, Rise of the Silver Surfer is a good, all-around superhero game, if you're into that type of thing. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

Last summer I had a lot of fun playing Far Cry Instincts on my Xbox, and I was expecting more great first-person jungle-shooting with this new 360 edition. Billed as "two games in one", Predator includes an "enhanced" Far Cry Instincts and a brand new story called Evolution. Naturally I was ready to dive right into Evolution, until I discovered this mode is locked until you beat Instincts! What kind of BS is that? Having paid full price for the game, the idea of having the "new" content locked from the outset is insane! That should be worth at least a letter grade. I dug up a cheat code ("GiveMeItAll") to unlock Evolution, but my troubles were just beginning. The graphics are obviously sharper than the Xbox game, but not noticeably more detailed. The cut-scenes are certainly not up to 360 standards, and the women look like transvestites. Yes the islands are gorgeous tropical paradises, but they were on the Xbox too! As I began playing the game I noticed that something didn't seem quite right, and soon realized that I couldn't freakin' aim with any precision! Thinking my controller might be low on batteries, I tried another, but the results were the same. The crosshair movement is erratic, and once the action heats up, the jerky controls degrade even more! Attempting to aim from a moving a jeep or a jet ski is an absolute joke. Ubisoft obviously didn't do a very good job porting this game. Evolution offers a few new minor elements like the ability to detonate pipe bombs or consume special plants to power up your adrenaline gauge, but it still feels like the same game. The overall structure is less linear, but the added freedom makes it harder to locate objectives. There are frequent framerate hiccups, and once I even found myself stuck in the scenery! The only thing that saves Predator is the four-player split-screen mode, which is far more respectable than the story modes. I like how the numerous maps are rated by "number of players" so you don't need to worry about selecting a location that's too big or too small. Far Cry Instincts Predator is clearly a case of a developer "mailing it in", and fans of the Xbox game will not be amused. It's too bad, because the tropical locales and bongo music make this ideal for summer gaming. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

If a single game embodies the raw power of the new generation of consoles, it's Fight Night 3. At first glance, this could be mistaken for an actual televised event. The sweaty fighters look incredibly realistic (especially up close) and their movements appear smooth and natural. Wait until you see the close-up, slow-motion replays of a boxer's face becoming grotesquely contorted as he's "crunched" with a devastating right hook. Heck, it hurts just to watch it (is that a blood worm that just flew out of his mouth?). Fight Night Round 3 maintains an unprecedented level of realism without sacrificing the raw energy and fun of the sport. You can throw jabs, hooks, uppercuts, and even specialty punches. Most are initiated with intuitive sweeping motions of the right thumbstick, and the ensuing lag time depends on how tired your fighter is. Being proficient at this game will require employing proper boxing techniques. Punches must be varied and strategically mixed with blocks and dodges to keep you opponent off-balance. Simply whaling away with reckless abandon will leave you tired and wide open for counters. As the fight progresses, sweat flies, bruises form, and blood runs down faces. Initially I was perplexed by the lack of screen indicators (like a clock), but my buddy Scott pointed out that this just adds to the realism. EA got so many things right with Fight Night 3. You get a whole slew of recognizable fighters from all weight classes, including Mohammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, Roberto Duran, and Sugar Ray Leonard. The load times are substantial, but the hip-hop background music is outstanding - some of the best I've heard. Each round is introduced by a shapely bikini-clad babe, but as my friend Jonathan noted, these girls could really use a sandwich (too skinny). The announcers sound professional enough, but at times their commentary is so far off base that you'll wonder if they're watching the same match. In the addictive Career mode, you can create your own boxer and gradually work him through the ranks. It's amazing how you can customize every minute detail of your fighter, right down to the contours of his face. Some of the more tedious aspects of the game have also been addressed with the handy auto-training and auto-healing options. Playing solo is fun, but there's nothing better than slugging it out with a buddy in the versus mode. Fight Night Round 3 is perfect for applying a profanity-laden beat-down to a close friend, so let the trash talking commence. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

Full Auto combines the power sliding of Project Gotham, the breakneck speed of Burnout, and the brutal weaponry of Twisted Metal to unleash an unprecedented degree of destruction and mayhem. You have to wonder why nobody thought of this before. What could be more satisfying than blowing up the leader of the pack just before he can reach the finish line? I love Full Auto's bright, arcade-style graphics, which exude a certain Crazy Taxi flavor. The detailed city streets are lined with phone booths, trees, outdoor cafes, and other obstacles you can plow right through without even slowing down. Practically everything is destructible, including storefronts, fences, telephone poles, dumpsters, and monuments. Massive explosions and excessive flying debris make it all the more satisfying. The first time any of my friends play this, they can't help but laugh out loud at all of the gratuitous destruction. The wrecks are awesome, and occasionally your car will hit a ramp and go soaring through the air. Each vehicle is equipped with a pair of weapons - one mounted on front and the other in the back. These include machine guns, missile launchers, mines, smoke screens, and grenade launchers. A rearview mirror makes it easy to keep an eye on opponents, and you can even aim at cars on the side by targeting with the right thumbstick and pushing it in to fire. But what really pushes Full Auto over the top is its novel "unwreck" feature. By holding in the upper right shoulder button, you can "rewind" the last few seconds of the game, effectively allowing you to turn back time and correct any ill-advised maneuvers on your part (like running into a wall). Once you get spoiled by this feature, you'll wish it were in every racer. As in Burnout, vehicles are also equipped with a exhilarating turbo boost, and green arrows are used to guide you around town. The scenery is fairly spectacular, especially close to the water's edge. But while the downtown areas shine, the mountainous tracks look very fake. The two-player split screen mode does a respectable job of maintaining the frame-rate and providing a clear view of the road ahead. It even includes CPU-controlled opponents! Despite its winning formula however, Full Auto does take a while to get up to speed. The tutorial takes forever to complete, and you have to invest a heck of a lot of time in the career mode to unlock the weapons. The computer AI seems cheap at times, with CPU racers that tend to bunch up and take advantage of hidden shortcuts. You'll also need to contend with a heck of a lot of load screens. The more I played Full Auto, however, the more I liked it. Its brand of nonstop action and mindless destruction is hard to quit. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

Hyped for well over a year, this kick-ass combat game really does live up to its lofty expectations. Gears of War is a brilliant combination of first-person and third-person shooting action, making optimal use of each point of view. The game's use of "taking cover" is ingenious. The third person viewpoint not only lets you easily duck behind protective barriers, but also lets you move quickly and effortlessly between different sources of cover. While taking cover, you can hold in the left trigger to aim you weapon without fully exposing yourself to enemy fire. In this position you have a first-person view, allowing you to aim with utmost precision. The well-designed campaigns let one or two players guide war-hardened soldiers through beast-infested, war-torn urban environments. The majestic ruins are stunning, and the battlefields are strewn with barriers to take cover behind. Gears of War is probably the best-looking game ever made, and even my PC-gaming friends can't argue with that. The visuals are rendered with gritty gray textures and the lighting effects are outstanding. The restrained use of color not only adds to the realism, but makes the spattering crimson blood all the more dramatic. All of the weapons pack substantial firepower, and that's good because the bad guys can absorb a lot of bullets. The splattering of blood makes it easy to tell when you've hit your mark, and some guns conveniently double as chainsaws (for when you want to get up close and personal). Before tossing a grenade, handy wire-frame graphics show its path, making it easy to adjust and play the angles. And wait until you witness the "hammer of dawn" - a gun that lets you direct a devastating particle beam from a satellite! Gears is similar to Halo in how it lets you recover health by laying low for a while. But even should you lose consciousness, your partner can resuscitate you, adding to the sense of teamwork. Gears of War is totally engrossing, and my friends often mention how "they could play this thing all night". The only aspect that really bothered me about the game is its dumb save system (the worst since Dead Rising) which only lets you to save one campaign per user profile. Since I'm playing through the game with multiple friends, I've had to create several user profiles as a work-around, and they're a pain to keep straight. A lesser gripe is that since everything's rendered in shades of gray, it can be tough to tell friend from foe in the heat of battle. Also, there's really no tutorial, so you need to pick up things on your own. Otherwise I love Gears of War. It raises the high water mark for combat games with its exceptional polish and innovative gameplay. It's kind of hard to imagine how Microsoft could even improve on this thing. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

The first Gears of War lived up to some tremendous hype, and Gears of War 2 is a logical continuation. The core gunplay has only been tweaked slightly, but the scope has been expanded to feature a wider range of environments and challenges. You'll navigate icy lakes, jettison into deep underground caves, blast your way out of a giant worm, and take a wild ride on an open-air transport vehicle. No two chapters feel the same. As with the first Gears, the degree of detail in the graphics is astounding. When I feast my eyes on the ornate architecture, sophisticated machinery, rugged landscapes, and twisted beasts, I feel sad, knowing I'll never be able to absorb it all. Hell, even my character's backpack boasts more detail that I could ever appreciate! The control scheme is intuitive and comfortable, allowing you to perform tactical moves like taking cover and tossing grenades with ease. As in the first game, the "active reload" lets you expedite the reload process with a well-timed press of the right bumper. When your health is depleted, you sometimes have the option to crawl to safety. You'll see enemies doing this too, but you can stomp on them to put them out of their misery. The shooting action is nicely paced as you gun down grunts on motorbikes, scurrying landmines, giant spiders, and flying squid monsters. The splattering blood is satisfying, and the jarring explosions are enhanced with some excellent vibration effects. The epic soundtrack blends into the action nicely, and the interesting cut-scenes never overstay their welcome. As with the first Gears, a terrific split-screen co-op story mode is included. This is fun because many stages are cooperative by nature, especially those that involve disabling traps or driving (one player steers while the other fires). Each player can select his own skill level, so a casual player can team up with a hardcore gamer without ruining the experience for either one. One surprising new addition I almost overlooked is the thrilling new Horde mode. This arcade-style romp (which also supports split-screen) challenges you to wipe out wave after wave of enemies invading a confined area. It's utterly relentless, insanely hard, and addictive as all hell>. The hours simply fly by once you get caught up in the madness ("Dude, it's almost 12 o'clock!"). No matter what mode I played however, I encountered glaring bugs ranging from getting completely stuck in an open area to temporarily losing control of my character. Gears 2 could have been an A+ game, but these glitches take the sheen off an otherwise first-rate shooting experience. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

Gears has always been one of my favorite shooting franchises, and Gears 3 has it all: bloated monster blimps, meat shields, chickens, and weapons with names like "mulcher". Blood flows like water, and limbs rain like... well... rain. This game has all the trademark elements Gears is known for including taking cover behind barriers and reviving down members of your squad. You'll forge through a post-apocalyptic world with memorable locations like a football stadium and a bridge that gets pulled down by a leviathan. One notable new weapon is the "digger" gun that burrows underground before exploding on contact with an enemy. You can man catapults, and you get an awesome view of the flaming rock as it approaches its target. The graphics have a realistic, gritty look, but there's not much eye candy. The dialogue isn't exactly Shakespeare but it definitely gets an "A" for sarcasm. The controls are intuitive but I hate how the camera shakes when you run. It makes me ill! The campaign mode (which can be played cooperatively) is linear but the difficulty is fair and there's never a dull moment. Still, the game gets repetitive at times. I don't know if it's the "Beyond Thunderdome" scenery or familiar bosses like a giant spider, but the developers seem to be running short on ideas. The horde mode is always a crowd pleaser, and you can now fortify yourself with between waves by buying barriers like barbed wire and weapons like turrets. It's addictive, but the insanely difficult boss stages can bring your progress (and fun) to a screeching halt. Gears of Wars 3 gives fans more of what they want, but I think the formula is starting to wear thin. © Copyright 2012 The Video Game Critic.

At a time when bashing Sega seems the fashionable thing to do, I suspect most critics dismissed Golden Axe: Beast Rider without really giving it a chance. That's too bad, because this is one heck of a game! True to the Golden Axe franchise, Beast Rider offers medieval hack-n-slash mayhem with some simple spell casting thrown in. If you're looking for a dramatic storyline, tedious platform jumping, or mind-bending puzzles, you're in the wrong place! Golden Axe has a nice arcade feel, and in an era of overblown epics, I find that refreshing. The game does borrow heavily from Heavenly Sword's (PS3, 2007) block/perry mechanism, where you press the left or right bumper depending on the "color" of the attack. A successful dodge lets you administer a devastating counter resulting in splattering blood, flying limbs, and emphatic screams. If you're lucky, you might even get some blood on the camera lens. You'll battle your way through armored knights and barbarians donning animal skulls. I love how the brutes scream a bunch of gibberish before they attack, and it's cool how knights lose armor as you wear them down. The fighting action is fun, but it's the beast-riding aspect that sets the game apart. These lumbering beasts have a real sense of mass, and their attacks deal substantial damage to multiple enemies at a time. Between battles midget thieves emerge and scamper around, and it's fun to hack away at them to reveal goodies. Please kids - don't try this at home! As much as I dig Beast Rider, the critic inside of me can't overlook its flaws. There are some outrageously cheap traps, including giant bear traps that spring out of the ground without warning. Expect occasional camera difficulties, especially when you paint yourself into a corner. During one boss encounter the collision detection seemed to stop working for a few minutes. Certain locations like the rainy Highland Fortress wear out their welcome and make the game feel padded. Your progress is saved automatically between chapters, which run about 15 minutes each. The game features an excellent musical score that incorporates primitive beats and otherworldly voices, and the combination is effective. The cut-scenes are also a treat, featuring amazing, hulking beasts that call to mind the old Ray Harryhausen films. One thing Golden Axe fans will surely miss is a two-player coop mode - something that's obviously a lot harder to pull off in 3D than 2D. Beast Rider may be rough around the edges, but if you're looking for some down-and-dirty hack-n-slash action, this is your game. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

At its core, Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA4) mimics the gameplay of its predecessors, but its richer graphics and sophisticated storyline add a whole new dimension to the gangster action. You play Niko, an Eastern European immigrant visiting his cousin Roman in Liberty City (modeled after New York). Roman has become involved with a lot of disreputable characters, and Niko soon finds himself plunged into the criminal underworld, dealing with one unstable crime lord after the next. The Scorsese-esque narrative is nicely conveyed via dramatic cut scenes and colorful dialogue. GTA4 incorporates a lot of modern technology, but it's not just a gimmick. The GPS tracking is an invaluable tool for quickly reaching your next destination, and the cell phone keeps you in touch with all of your low-life acquaintances. The graphics are outstanding. The city looks so real you can almost smell the urine in the alleyways, and there are no load times as you drive from one end of town to the other - quite a technical achievement. Driving like a madman or going on a shooting spree is outrageously fun, and there's no substantial penalty for going buck-wild and causing wanton destruction. Within a minute of picking up the controller, my friend Chris was laughing his ass off and shouting "A+! A+!" GTA4 is like a real-world version of Crazy Taxi (Dreamcast, 2000). The impact of collisions is sensational, and I love how Niko shrieks as he's catapulted through his car's windshield. Yes, there is damage modeling. Liberty City is crawling with police cars, but they ignore most infractions, and it's easy to escape their "circle of detection". Exploring the massive environment is fascinating, and you can even swim in the water! Sniper missions and vertigo-inducing helicopter rides really emphasize the game's spectacular sense of scale. The people move with fluid motion and convey realistic facial emotions, but the hookers look pretty rough. GTA4's missions vary in terms of fun and excitement, but they tend to be somewhat forgiving. Unfortunately, failing a mission sends you back to your apartment, and driving back to the mission location can be a hassle. The radio stations offer some standout musical tracks like the Smashing Pumpkins, M.C. Lyte, and Bob Marley, but like real radio, there's too much idiotic talk. The satirical radio and television programs attempt to incorporate social commentary but come across as obnoxious and unfunny. Rockstar should hire some writing talent instead of relying on the guy down the hall. Even so, this game is a technical marvel that's consistently intriguing and often amazing. It's hard not to be entertained (or at least offended) by Grand Theft Auto IV. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

Some gamers are loyal to Rock Band, and others like Guitar Hero. Take it from me - there's not much difference. Both are rock-solid musical games that allow four players to jam together on guitar, bass, drums, and microphone. The primary difference is the song selection. Guitar Hero 5 (GH5) offers a fresh set of 85 tunes that run the gamut from classic rock (David Bowie, "Fame"), to heavy metal (Motley Crue, "Looks That Kill"), to 90's alternative (Nirvana, "Smells like Teen Spirit"), to modern contemporary (Gorillaz, "Feel Good Inc."). There are a few oddballs like "Ring of Fire" (Johnny Cash) and "Bring the Noise 20XX" (Public Enemy with Zakk Wylde). My personal highlight was "Only Happy When It Rains" (Garbage), made all the better when I unlocked Shirley Manson as a playable character. "Sympathy For the Devil" (Rolling Stones) was not a good choice for that band because the bulk of that song's notes come from a keyboard. Whatever your tastes, rest assured you'll find plenty of tunes that you like - and hate! GH5's familiar gameplay involves hitting the proper notes in rhythm as they roll down the screen, racking up bonuses for consecutive notes. GH5 tries to spice things up with extraneous controls and bonus challenges, but there's nothing groundbreaking. A career mode lets you unlock new songs and venues, and it's fun to play through. But what really sets Guitar Hero 5 apart is its accessibility. Instead of having to painstakingly unlock every song, all the tracks are readily available in "quick play" mode. While this is handy when you're having a party, it makes the career mode a lot less satisfying. I also noticed that this game seems more forgiving than previous editions, registering notes even if they are a split second off. Music fans will enjoy Guitar Hero 5, even if it's just an old car with a new coat of paint. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

This Wild West adventure can be accurately described as "Grand Theft Auto on horses", with all the sex and language of GTA and brutal violence worthy of Mortal Kombat. Set in 1880, you play a cowboy named Colt who embarks on a series of missions in order to find his father. Gun was originally released on the Xbox, and its modest origins are evident in the angular scenery and graphical flaws like dead bodies that occasionally become suspended in mid-air. Even so, this game does a terrific job of immersing the player in a lawless world of rocky canyons, open prairies, and dusty boomtowns. The early stages are mainly tutorials to get you acquainted with the controls, which includes riding a horse. The control scheme could be more intuitive (double-tap left bumper to roll?), but you'll learn to love the "quick draw" feature, which gives you slow-motion and auto-aim for short periods of time. Gun's excellent production values are evident in its quality voice acting, heroic orchestrated score, and thoughtfully conceived missions. The horse animations obviously utilize motion-capture technology, and you have to respect that attention to detail. To be honest, Westerns aren't really my thing, so Gun had an uphill battle to win over this critic. But the game succeeded by focusing on the action, keeping the objectives clear, and using short cut-scenes only when necessary. You'll engage in shootouts not only in saloons, but on bridges, steamboats, and trains. The missions have a lot of variety, so you'll engage in stealthy jailbreaks, high-speed chases, and explosive train ambushes. I'm not usually big on "escort" missions, but the one where you ride on top of a stagecoach while picking off attacking Indians is absolutely thrilling! Gun is linear in nature, but there are side missions to help you pad your "stats". There's an easy difficulty available for those who just want to enjoy the ride, and you can save at any time. The game features a lot of hot, dusty locations, making this ideal for your summer gaming pleasure. Gun is not the most addicting game in the world, but if you play a few missions here and there, you'll find it well worth your time. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

Halo 3 is exactly what I expected it to be - nothing more, nothing less. The Halo series has always offered top-quality first-person shooting action, and this third edition continues that tradition. Although certainly up to snuff graphics-wise, it doesn't rock the boat much with regard to gameplay. Playing Halo 3 is a lot like playing Halo 2, but there's more of everything. The exciting campaign mode (played solo or cooperative) is briskly paced with frequent checkpoints and dramatic cut-scenes that typically run for several minutes. Some feature a hideous alien named Truth who has testicles hanging from his earlobes! That is not a good look for him! When playing the split-screen co-op mode, the second player assumes the role of the Arbiter, who unfortunately looks like every other freakin' alien in the game! I must have fired my rocket launcher directly into my friend Scott's face from point blank range about five times before realizing he was my partner! My bad! The campaign has a surprising amount of backtracking, but at least the environments are more diverse than previous Halos, from lush jungles to bright beaches to snowy wastelands. Halo 3's controls are right on the money, providing precision aiming and excellent maneuverability. One new feature is your ability to deploy "equipment" such as bubble shields, cloaking devices, and trip mines. Personally, I'm not convinced these things were worth complicating the user interface for. The weapons are well balanced, with the possible exception of the amazing new "war hammer", which makes the energy sword look like a Wiffle Ball bat by comparison. Some enemies now wear armor that can be blasted off. Halo 3 conveys an amazing sense of scale, especially when it comes to confrontations with the immense, spider-like "Scarabs". One minute you'll be firing at one of these mechanical beasts from high in the sky, and the next minute you're on the ground trying to infiltrate its outer shell. Halo 3's fantastic musical score melds seamlessly with the action, although my friend Scott did mention that one bit of music sounded like the intro to Kim Wilde's "Keep Me Hangin' On". After that, five minutes couldn't go by without one of us belting out some cheesy lyrics ("why don't cha be a man about it...). Halo 3 is as polished as they come, and its endlessly configurable multiplayer modes provide unlimited replay value. The franchise has always been known for its superior on-line play, but the split-screen action is also terrific - especially on a high-definition television. If I had to complain, I might mention the seriously long load screens and the confusing "semi-automatic" save system which is never sufficiently explained. There's nothing revolutionary about this game, but when you have a proven winner on your hands, you don't want to mess around with the basic formula too much. The first time I showed Halo 3 to my friend Steve and asked what he thought about it, all he could say was, "I think I need to get a [expletive] 360." © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

I love Halo more than anything else in the whole wide world (except for Ray Lewis of course), but I still couldn't get into ODST. This is basically a Halo 3 expansion pack designed to keep the cash flowing until the next "real" Halo was released. ODST stands for Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, and its campaign is a series of side quests played through the eyes of several of these soldiers (instead of Master Chief). A few things stand out about ODST. First, instead of a conventional health meter, the screen becomes red from the outer edges as you incur damage. As with all Halo games, if you remain out of harm's way for a few seconds this clears up. Pressing X places you in "VISR mode" which surrounds objects in colorful outlines, allowing you to find your way around in the dark. In addition, it also highlights enemies in bright red, making it very hard for them to hide. There's really no advantage to turning the VISR mode off, except you can't really enjoy the scenery. The first few stages are set in futuristic urban settings that remind me of those in Blade Runner - only a lot more boring! The musical score is surprisingly mellow. ODST's gameplay is straight-up urban warfare as you shoot and duck behind the ubiquitous barriers. Although later levels open things up a bit, the monotonous early levels leave a bad impression. The combat is very much by the numbers, and it's not always apparent where to go or what to do. One new element is the ability to detach cannons and drag them around, but that's just borrowed from Gears of War. I didn't care much for the campaign mode, but the game redeems itself a bit with the new "fire fight" mode. Like the "horde" mode in Gears of War, you cooperate against never-ending waves of increasingly mean foes. A scoring system gives the action an old-school flair, and I like how you can compete against your partner or go for the highest combined score. Naturually there are a slew of other multiplayer modes and the complete set of Halo 3 maps is included. ODST might give Halo fans something extra to chew on, but I found this half-hearted effort to be a bit of a turn-off. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

It's hardly a radical departure for the series, but Reach effectively ups the ante by honing the familiar Halo sights, controls, and audio to blood-splattering perfection. So what's it all about? Well, Reach is the Spartan headquarters which has fallen under attack by the largest Covenant fleet ever witnessed. Whatever! When it comes to Halo, the story is inconsequential, and if anything the dialogue-heavy cut-scenes slow the game's momentum. Unlike the disappointing ODST which had heavily constrained environments, Reach offers an expansive, diverse shooting experience. The mountainous landscapes provide plenty of options for tactical maneuvering, and you'll witness beautiful panoramic views like a flaming space freighter embedded in the side of a mountain. There's even some sporadic wildlife (are those ostriches?). The controls feel extra crisp, and new "armor abilities" offer a slew of new swappable gadgets to toy around with. The "drop shield" is a throwback to Halo 3, but there are a half-dozen other items that allow you to do things like initiate active camouflage or send a decoy out ahead. There's even a freakin' jet pack, and if you think the idea of soaring over a battlefield is exciting, well, you're right! New weapons include a "target locator" that rains destruction from above - much like the "Hammer of Dawn" in Gears of War. There's also a new "gravity hammer" that makes the energy sword look wimpy by comparison. There are even spaceship shooting stages similar to Rogue Squadron on the N64. The health meter has been revamped so it now has several levels instead of a single rechargeable bar. The enemy AI has been upgraded but I'm not so sure that's a good thing! It's a lot harder to target enemies as they are constantly scrambling and ducking for cover. The game's diverse musical score is absolutely sensational. Edgy guitar sections with pounding drums really get your adrenaline flowing while the lush orchestrated sections elevate the game to epic proportions. The only time Reach let me down was when I struggled to control the vehicles. To be honest, my difficulties with those date all the way back to the original Halo! The excellent campaign mode has a nice "save and quit" option, which is a welcome upgrade from the ambiguous save systems of past Halos. The mode and customization options are vast, and I loved the split-screen modes with their gorgeous maps and competitive action. Halo Reach is a spectacular first-person shooter, and there's little doubt in my mind that this is the best one I've ever played. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

My friends and I always held Hydro Thunder (Dreamcast, 1999) in high esteem, so there was no resisting this sequel, despite the fact that it's only available via download. This stylish boat racer is pure arcade fun. The undulating waves, colorful boats, and spectacular tracks will absolutely bombard your senses. There's a nice sense of speed and I love the sensation of going over giant waterfalls. Explosions jolt your boat and collapsing cliffs create surging tidal waves. I love how the water sprays your windshield - you can almost feel the mist! The stormy Norwegian track features a giant Thor who looms over the action and attacks with his hammer. Your boat glides smoothly through the water and touching canisters fills your turbo meter. Turbo not only allows you to surge ahead, but also jump to reach hidden shortcuts and power-ups. It's easy to unlock new tracks and modes, and this will provide enough incentive to keep you playing for hours on end. In addition to on-line competition you can play your friends via four-player split-screen (sweet). Extra modes include "rings" slalom courses and a gauntlet mode where you need to avoid explosive barrels. The rings mode is a little tedious but I like how it reveals many of the hidden shortcuts. Getting to know the tracks is crucial, especially since many feature narrow canals and sharp turns. You don't see many pick-up-and-play games like Hydro Thunder Hurricane anymore, and that's a shame. It's also too bad it was delegated to download status, because I would cherish a copy of this on disk. With its eye-popping graphics and non-stop action, Hydro Thunder Hurricane has earned the title of "new summer classic." © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

I try to maintain a positive attitude going into each review, but Iron Man 2 is a mess. The storyline is convoluted, the controls are confusing, and the graphics are substandard. Since Ironman can fly, most stages take place in expansive outdoor areas, but the industrial facilities and mountain ranges offer little to see. While indoors it's easy to become disoriented as you become caught up on scenery and stuck in dark corners. Typically the camera is positioned over your shoulder, but it's prone to swinging every which way. Blowing up advancing helicopters, cannons, and robots is moderately fun, especially since you can fire two separate weapons by squeezing both triggers. The targeting system is quirky however and some weapons take too long to reload. In addition to locking on and firing missiles like a madman, you can go fisticuffs with flying robots. Unfortunately, crazy camera angles make it really hard to tell what the [expletive] is going on during these battles. In fact, when Iron Man is wearing a gray suit, it's pretty much impossible to tell him from the bad guys! The missions are action-packed but monotonous, and bosses repeat early and often. In one mission I had to escort a hulking mechanical creature and the damn thing kept stepping on me! Some objectives are nebulous at best. Get the data spine core? Locate the Tesla reactor? Huh?? The graphics exhibit frequent glitches like objects that magically appear in a person's hand, and even the cut-scenes are unimpressive. Robert Downy Jr. looks like he's Chinese for Pete's sake! Between levels you'll return to your "headquarters", which is a complex myriad of configuration screens that let you "invent" new items and customize your outfit. It's confusing as hell, and sometimes you'll go through a lot of trouble only to be told, "the next mission uses a preconfigured suit". Wonderful. At least the soundtrack kicks ass, with a relentless, driving score that seems to have been lifted from the film itself. It's one of the few highlights of an exceptionally mediocre action title. Games like Iron Man 2 could give movie tie-ins a bad name. Oh wait... © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

It has a loyal base of fans, but I found Kameo to be about average in terms of action-adventures. The first stage is a "trial by fire" of sorts, as you're tossed into burning castle against an army of trolls. Kameo is a hottie elf decked out in a green mini-skirt, but by fiddling with the controls you can switch between her various "elemental forms", each of which offers its own set of powers. You can transform into a Venus Flytrap with a killer uppercut, a rolling boulder, a climbing yeti, or a fire-breathing dragon, just to name a few. That's the whole gimmick behind Kameo, and it's not a bad one. The main (A/B/X/Y) buttons are used to toggle your form, and the trigger buttons let you perform attacks and special moves. Kameo's graphics are surprisingly good - far better than the "demo stage" I tried out at the local Best Buy. At the center of the game is an enchanted kingdom that's so amazing to behold all I could do was stare in awe. The rolling green meadows, transparent waterfalls, and ornately crafted purple bridges look like something out of a dream. The forest, caves, and towns that make up most of the stages aren't nearly as detailed, but the scenery is always clean and well defined. Likewise, the various elemental forms you assume come to life with character and imagination. The dragon "Ash" looks especially impressive, and the way the light reflects off of his scales is amazing. Kameo also features a superb orchestrated musical score that makes the game feel more epic than it is. The gameplay involves fighting monsters and solving puzzles using combinations of your elemental abilities. You'll use the plant to burrow under gates, the boulder to roll over ramps, and the dragon to light torches. Sometimes you need to employ the talents of multiple elementals in rapid succession, and this can be problematic because the game doesn't always let you to switch quickly. Another issue is the trigger controls. Using one or the other is no problem, but it's sometimes hard to execute moves that require pulling both triggers at once - especially in the heat of battle. When trying to execute Kameo's jump-kick, I often inadvertently caused her to jump (right trigger) or hover (left trigger) instead, which was frustrating. The camerawork is decent overall, but I found it to be absolutely abysmal during the "shadow demon" battles, where the "negative exposure" visuals make it tough to tell what's going on in the first place. In general however, Kameo is pretty easy to play, and you can always consult a "Wotnot" talking book for advice by pressing the Start button. A two-player split-screen mode is also available. Kameo has nice production values and is well constructed, but I found its gameplay to be very predictable and not particularly memorable. As a bargain-priced title however, you might just find Kameo worth your while. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

Some call it a glorified tech demo (okay everybody does), but Kinect Adventures has its moments. It's five games in one, and each does a pretty good job of showing off the Kinect motion-capture capabilities. The first game, Rallyball, is one I recall seeing on Jimmy Fallon's late night show. It's a Breakout game where your body is the paddle. You'll scuttle from side-to-side while using your arms, legs, body, and head to deflect bouncing balls against blocks and targets. It's like nothing you've played before, and probably nothing you'll ever want to play again! The next game is 20,000 Leaks, and this one puts you into a virtual submerged glass box surrounded by deep blue water and colorful coral. Fish begin to poke holes in the glass and you'll have to reach out and step over to cover multiple leaks at a time. I have to admit it's pretty satisfying to magically plug them while contorting your body. In Space Pop you float around a space station, which sounds a lot more fun than it actually is. Your goal is to pop bubbles pushed out of the walls and floor, and it gets old in a hurry. In Reflex Ridge you stand on a train car moving over elevated tracks while side-stepping, ducking under, and jumping over padded obstacles. It's original, fast-paced, and physically demanding. It feels like you're on old wooden rollercoaster in the woods, and I love the sound of rumbling wheels over rickety wood emanating from my rear surround speakers. Last but not least is River Rush, which is like a white-water rafting ride where you grab coins along the way. Stepping side-to-side guides your raft, and jumping causes it to go airborne. The lush jungle scenery, pirate ships, and amazing water effects are fantastic and ideal for summer fun. I love how the splashing water washes over the lens of the camera. The only fishy thing about this game is how you can initiate jumps in mid-air. It doesn't feel natural and it really waters down the challenge. And don't bother with the two-player coop because coordinating your movements is more trouble than it's worth. Kinect Adventures lets you play events individually or in an increasingly difficult adventure mode. Navigating the menu screens using your hands is fun, but the load times are a little extreme. The games tend to be easy and forgiving, which compensates for the slight lag in the controls. After each event you're shown snapshots of yourself playing and encouraged to "share" these photographs. Who in their right mind would want to share these embarrassing pictures? Is there a destroy option?! The fun is fleeting but as a quality pack-in title, Kinect Adventures serves its purpose. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

Kinect Sports contains more than six exciting events that are bound to get your heart racing. At the very least, it's one of the few Kinect titles that encourages head-to-head competition. The soccer game seems a bit contrived (you can't control the movement of your players), but I enjoyed passing the ball around and blocking goal kicks nonetheless. Bowling looks terrific but I have little faith in the controls. A lot of times I seem to apply a reverse-spin, something I could never do in real life. Track and Field is the most grueling sport, offering a series of five events: sprint, javelin, long jump, discus, and hurdles. Thank goodness the running events are short, because otherwise older gamers would be keeling over from heart attacks! Despite the ever-present specter of death however, it's hard to beat these for side-to-side competitive fun. Boxing has a leg-up on the Wii boxing because you don't have those pesky cords getting in the way. Ditto for Table Tennis. Volleyball is clearly the visual highlight with its amazing futuristic stadium. Unfortunately it's too easy, and my friend Steve and I were able to ascend the ranks against the CPU with relative ease. All of these games are very forgiving, and there were times when I returned the volleyball despite the fact that I clearly missed the thing. I wouldn't call any of the events great, but they are consistently good. High scores are saved for each player, and it's always fun to go for the world record. In addition to the normal events, a nice party mode throws together a series of short, random contests. The main problem with Kinect Sports is its unwieldy user interface. Selecting an event forces you to wade through what seems like a dozen menu and confirmation screens. My friends were like, "Didn't I just select this?! Do we ever actually get to play?" Silly cut-scenes and boring replays further delay the action, and the load screens are pretty long as well. It's fun when you're moving, but the cumbersome interface prevents Kinect Sports from fully hitting its stride. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

No other epic adventure blurs the line between video game and cinema like King Kong. The visuals are truly cutting-edge, with zero pixelation, a consistently smooth frame-rate, and incredible animation. From Kong's shiny fur coat to Naomi Watt's smooth skin complexion, the textures are also amazing. As you traverse stormy ocean waters, flame-lit ruins, damp caverns, murky swamps, and vertigo-inducing cliffs, you'll be completely immersed in your ominous surroundings. A first-rate orchestrated music score is complimented by expert voice acting (by the original cast), crisp sounds effects, and Kong's occasional earth-shaking roar. The first-person shooting action is satisfying and forgiving, with sniping playing a major role. Should you deplete your ammo supply (and you will), there's always a spear or sharp bone nearby that can be used to impale attackers. King Kong adds a number of innovations, including the ability to clear brush by setting it on fire, trade weapons with companions, and distract creatures by throwing baited spears. In certain scenes, you yourself must serve as bait for a rampaging "V-Rex" in order to buy time for your friends. But easily the most memorable stage is one where you careen down rapids on a raft with a pair of V-Rexes in hot pursuit on the riverbanks - it's not a scene I'll not soon forget. Dinosaurs dominate the game, and you'll contend with leaping raptors, stampeding Brontosaurus, and fearsome V-Rexes. Swamps are brimming with hideous underwater creatures, and the sound of scurrying giant millipede will make your skin crawl as you slosh through water-filled caves. The action is always intense, and sometimes relentlessly so. When I wasn't having a good time, it was only because I was scared to death! In one scene I found myself taking refuge from a V-Rex in some stone ruins, but just when I thought I could rest, the beast began demolishing it, and I just barely escaped as it came crashing down. While primarily a first-person shooter, the are also several opportunities to wreak havoc as the ape himself. As Kong, you can break through walls, swing from trees, climb cliffs, and wrestle dinosaurs. While these stages feel scripted, the simple controls make for a good time nevertheless. The B button allows Kong to pull off small creatures that latch onto him, and tapping A initiates a finishing move. When these gargantuan creatures lumber around and crash into each other, they convey a true sense of size and mass. The game also succeeds without the use of artificial constructs such as cut scenes, tutorials, screen indicators, maps, and recycled stage designs. Your companions carry on conversations, fight by your side, and keep you on course. The difficulty is perfectly tuned, and seems to adjust dynamically. Objectives are readily apparent, and even after losing a life, you always pick up very close to where you left off. The control scheme is so intuitive that I didn't even look at the manual. Stages are ideal in length, with minimal load times. While King Kong is nearly a perfect game, there is the occasional glitch of a creature becoming stuck in the scenery. Gamers with an aversion to first-person action may want to pass on this game, because the dark, rainy environments and frantic action can make it hard to get your bearings. Finally, after completing this harrowing journey it's unlikely you'll want to replay this game anytime soon, although it is possible to play individual stages for score. King Kong is one of the most immersive and memorable games I've experienced. Brilliant on the 360, I hear it's nearly as impressive on the Xbox, PS2, and Gamecube. © Copyright 2006 The Video Game Critic.

With this 12th edition (!) of the long-running 2D fighting franchise, SNK wisely decided to "reboot" the series. King of Fighters XII retains its classic gameplay and several old characters, yet feels remarkably fresh thanks to a brand-new high definition engine. The beautiful backgrounds look sharp, and the fighters are freakin' huge! The gameplay has been simplified somewhat, shedding many of the extraneous gauges and indicators that have crept into the series over the years (hooray!). The gameplay is easy to grasp and undeniably fun when played head-to-head. The animation is fluid, and subtle scaling effects ensure you get the closest possible view of the action. The eye-pleasing locales include a bright stadium (and a night version), an Egyptian stage, a Chinese marketplace, and a Christmas-themed Moscow. The vibrant colors are appealing, but these vast stages lack the intimate details that gave the old ones so much character. Some stages even feature lighting effects, and while that's certainly novel for a 2D fighter, it can make it hard to see what's going on. I don't mind having fewer fighters to select from, but why only five stages!? C'mon now! The arcade mode is disappointing because instead of competing for points, you try to complete five rounds in the least amount of time. Perhaps this was necessitated by the game's modest number of stages? In addition, the default "normal" CPU difficulty is far too easy for King of Fighters fans. SNK must have focused their efforts on the on-line mode, because the off-line content is positively skimpy. At its core, King of Fighters XII gets the job done, but I was expecting more. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

With so many classic games at Konami's disposal, Konami Classics Volume 1 (KCV1) should have been a slam-dunk winner. Instead, it's a case study in bad design. Unlike most classic compilations which typically offer 20 titles or more, KCV1 clocks in at a paltry three games! The headliner is Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, and it's nothing to sneeze at. Originally released for the Playstation in 1997, this is widely considered to be the best Castlevania title of the entire series. On the strength of this title alone, KCV1 is well worth the price. An option is included to play with "enhanced" (smoothed out) graphics, but in my opinion the pixelated "classic" visuals have far more character. With its fluid animation, gothic scenery, and operatic score, the game plays like a symphony! It's sizeable in scope, and despite its frequent save points, the game is no pushover. The remaining two titles on the disk don't carry nearly as much weight. Super Contra is the arcade version of Super C (NES, 1990), and it provides challenging side-scrolling and overhead shooting action. The control takes a little getting used to, as I often found myself shooting downwards instead of assuming a prone position. The third title, Frogger, is a high-definition remake of the classic cross-the-road game. It pales to the original, suffering from a variety of technical ailments including unresponsive controls, poor collision detection, and even slow-down! It looks like a Flash game, and let's face it - that's a major turn-off. Fortunately, you can switch over to the "original mode", which looks and plays like the original arcade hit. The overall design of this package is poor. The games are treated just like downloaded titles, so you'll need to load them separately and re-sign into your profile each time. And while two of the games feature high score tables, high scores are not saved. I guess my 80 GB hard disk wasn't big enough for that! The navigational controls are confusing, often prompting you to press start when in fact you're required to press A. There seems to be an inordinate amount of loading and disk chugging considering how modest these games are. All game screens are cropped to preserve their original formats, with decorations used to fill out the wide screen. The disk contains no bonus materials at all, which is a shame considering the impressive pedigrees of these titles. Konami Classics Volume 1 is worthwhile on the strength of Symphony, but Konami's handling of these titles is shameful. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

This review is killing me! I love old game compilations, but Konami is throwing these collections together with no regard whatsoever. As with the first volume, Konami Classics Volume 2 (KCV2) offers a mere three games. But unlike the first volume which contained one substantial title (Symphony of the Night), this one contains three oldies that couldn't be more than a few kilobytes each. Granted, the games aren't bad. Contra is the arcade version of the side-scrolling shooter most gamers remember from the NES. Heck, I didn't even know there was an arcade version! The 2D run-and-gun action is undeniably fun, although the 360 digital pad is inferior to the original NES controller. Rush N Attack provides a similar brand of one-man-army action, with tight controls and bright snowy scenery. You'll want to check out the "enhanced" graphic mode to enjoy some gorgeous mountain backdrops and gently falling snow. Rush N Attack seems simplistic at first as you stab everyone in the foot, but the ability to juggle weapons provides some strategy. Track and Field is the button-tapping Olympic game with a variety of events that support up to four players. Its controls are problematic however, because if you hit the wrong button (or touch the thumbstick), your athlete slows to a crawl. Your game ends abruptly if you don't qualify for an event, and it's hard to qualify. If a game ever needed a difficulty setting, it's this one, but it's nowhere to be found. KCV2 has a rather hostile user interface that requires each player to sign in, and then constantly reminds you that your high scores will not be saved. You can still unlock "accomplishments", but c'mon now - that's not how these games were meant to be played!! Upon exiting a game, instead of taking you to a main menu, it kicks you back to the 360 "game library" screen (ugh!). I love the idea of owning "hard copies" of classic games, but this deal is a little hard to swallow. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

If you're looking for a scary game to play around Halloween, this one would be a fine choice. Left 4 Dead is a first-person shooter with a survival horror theme, but its non-stop action and frantic pace takes the genre to a new level of intensity. You'll forge through spooky locations including apartments, woods, subways, and a train station. Four separate scenarios are available, and while each is unique, they often tend to reuse certain areas. Zombies roam everywhere, and your team is composed of four characters who must cooperate for the best chance of survival. Although designed for on-line co-op, a two-player split-screen mode is included, and you can also play solo, with the CPU controlling your teammates. As is the case with many modern zombie flicks, these zombies can run like freakin' Adrian Peterson. Every few minutes all hell breaks loose as a stampeding horde attacks from multiple directions. It's an alarming situation, but it's fun to gun down dozens of creeps at a time. Left 4 Dead has a number of innovative features. The silhouettes of your teammates are visible through walls, making it much easier to keep everybody together. Crouching improves your aim, and painkillers provide temporary health boosts. If you're incapacitated and being revived, you can still aim and shoot - a nice touch! All the weapons are all pretty effective, so you're never stuck with a worthless pea shooter. Between stages you'll take shelter in "safe houses" where you can heal and reload. While stages are loading, stats are displayed that rank players by categories like "least damage taken" and "headhunter". The zombies come in a remarkable variety, and there are a few super-creeps you'll recognize by their distinctive sound effects. A "boomer" is an overweight ghoul that explodes when shot, and a "hunter" can leap from great distances. A "smoker" will reel you in with its extended tongue, and the "tank" is just one big mountain of muscle. But the creature that will strike the most fear into your heart is "the witch". This emaciated female just wants to hide and weep, but if you accidentally stumble upon her, you're in for a serious hurting. You'll hear her weeping sounds accompanied by a haunting refrain when she's in close proximity, and together they will make your blood run cold. Left 4 Dead also features realistic natural sounds like rain and crickets, along with startling creaks and moans. Turn up your surround sound! Does the game have any shortcomings? Well, the environments are not destructible at all. The split-screen mode is hard to set up, and the single-player game offers achievements to unlock, but no scoring. Left 4 Dead does get monotonous after a while, since it's little more than non-stop shooting. It's pretty scary though, and you'll find yourself on edge the entire time. Left 4 Dead is a real treat and a welcome departure from the typical slow, methodical zombie shooters. © Copyright 2009 The Video Game Critic.

Zombie games are traditionally slow and methodical, but Left 4 Dead carved out its niche with a downright frantic brand of shooting action. This second edition offers more of the same with new weapons (an electric guitar), new creeps (the back-riding "Jockey"), and more ways to play ("realism mode"). Teamwork is key as you forge through a post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested world, and if four players aren't available, the CPU will fill out the party. In addition to mowing down droves of sprinting zombies, you'll encounter specialized creatures like the "Spitter" who spews toxic green goo or the "Charger" who just plows into you. These super-monsters can be a real pain in the ass, yet it's always satisfying to rescue one of your teammates from one. The weeping "witches" are back, but instead of hiding they tend to be wandering out in the open. Try not to disturb them, because these chicks will go premenstrual on you! Left 4 Dead 2 is a fast-moving game, and when a horde converges there's gunfire in every direction. It's hard to avoid friendly fire and not uncommon to hear someone exclaim, "Stop shooting each other!" The interspersed voice dialogue adds flavor ("this is some crazy [expletive]") and is often informative ("we have some pipe bombs over here!") It's easy to heal your companions, and it's also critical to maximize your chances of reaching the next safe house. Between stages a series of "ranking" screens are displayed that add a competitive element. Technically, Left 4 Dead 2 has some issues. Whether you play split-screen or on-line, the controls are touchy, the collision detection is inexact, and the frame-rate can get a little rough. The graphics are mediocre, and certainly no better than the previous game. It's easy to lose your bearings and rarely obvious what direction you need to go. New locations include a mall, motel, rainy swamp, and carnival, but these are surprisingly bland. I did enjoy the rain effects however, and the New Orleans stage is quite original. If you're looking for some straight-up shooting action, Left 4 Dead 2 brings the heat. New modes include a versus mode where you play against player-controlled zombies, and a "realism" mode which removes all handholding for maximum difficulty. Does it get tiresome mowing down endless waves of rampaging undead? Yeah, but Left 4 Dead 2 has a nice pick-up-and-play quality that's satisfying in short spurts. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

If you really think about it, Batman offers the perfect theme for a Lego game. Not only does it provide a diverse assortment of villains and environments, but it's ideally suited for Lego's brand of two-player cooperative action. Helping me review this game was my longtime buddy Eric, who actually played a minor role in the most recent Batman film (The Dark Knight). Lego Batman is an eyeful with its dark cityscapes and colorful enemy lairs, which I found more compelling than the deserts of Indiana Jones Lego or the spaceships of Star Wars Lego. On rare occasions the camera pulls back far enough to expose a misty city skyline which looks amazing. The slick visuals are accompanied by a lush musical score lifted from the first Batman film (Batman, 1989). Lego Batman's gameplay features simple combat, platform jumping, and a lot of not-so-obvious puzzles. The Batman and Robin characters can switch outfits during the course of the game, giving them new powers and allowing them to complete each stage in multiple ways. Batman's outfit selection includes suits for heat protection, demolition, and gliding. Robin's include a magnet suit, technology suit (for using robots), and attract suit (for sucking up small Lego pieces). The game's multiple storylines can be played through in parallel, and each has a unique set of villains. Lego Batman certainly delivers in terms of presentation, but the shallow Lego formula is beginning to wear thin. First of all, you get infinite lives, so where's the challenge? Some kind of scoring system or time limit might have made things more interesting. I also dislike the fact that you can hit (and damage) your partner, which is sometimes hard to avoid in the heat of battle. Equally aggravating is how the fixed camera angles make it really hard to judge certain jumps. The driving stages look amazing, but are remarkably devoid of fun. Lego Batman also has its share of bugs, and it even locked up on me at one point. Finally, the game saves your progress not after you complete a stage, but after you select continue, which makes no sense. I like the premise behind Lego Batman, but the lack of tension and cookie-cutter design make it less than satisfying. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

Just when I thought the Lego series had run its course, this game reinvigorates the franchise. It's the most compelling Lego adventure yet, spanning all four of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies! As it turns out, Legos and pirates are a winning combination. Who knew? The game offers colorful characters, exotic locations, and a swashbuckling musical score lifted straight from the films. I was bedazzled by the richness of the scenery, from the sunny tropical islands to the shadowy pubs to the fireworks-lit Singapore village. The water and fire effects are simply amazing, making me glad I went with this high-def 360 version. Each film consists of about five stages, but each is lengthy and thoughtfully constructed. The difficulty is low thanks to constant clues and infinite lives, but the puzzles are still satisfying to solve. Each area is ideal in size so you can explore without getting lost. Collecting Lego "cogs" is satisfying thanks to those "click" sound effects, and there's plenty of wanton destruction to be had as you bash crates and furniture to cause hidden cogs to spring forth. Each stage features several characters, and you'll need to strategically switch between them to leverage their special abilities. There are plenty of surprises too, including a Dead Man's Chest level that plays like Super Monkey Ball. The stages are held together by short cut-scenes which are condensed, G-rated recreations of the film's storylines. The controls are simple but it took me a while to realize I needed to hold B to perform an action - not just tap it. The fixed camera angles can be a minor annoyance, as it's sometimes hard to make out key items or tell where the hint arrows are pointing. I was really surprised by the two-player split-screen mode. Instead of being fixed horizontal or vertical, the screen divide is dynamic based on the location of the characters on the screen. For example, if one player is in the top left and the other is on the bottom right of a level, the split will cut the screen diagonally. When the players are close, the two parts join to form a single view. Although a little disconcerting at first, it's a very cool concept that makes the most of the real estate. It's really obvious that the people who put this game together are seasoned pros. Lego games don't get any better than this. Lego Pirates of the Caribbean is good clean summertime fun that should appeal to gamers of all ages. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

The first Lego Star Wars met with a very warm reception from gamers, and this second edition is just as good if not better. This whimsical platformer has an old-school vibe to it, with simple gameplay, crisp controls, and charming, blocky graphics (intentionally blocky in this case). The game recreates the events of the original trilogy, but a few liberties have been taken. The story has been simplified, additional humor has been incorporated, and Mark Hamill's acting is much improved (sorry, I couldn't resist). Each stage is a nice combination of combat, exploration, and simple puzzles. There are a lot of items to collect, but gathering them up never feels tedious - partially because they gravitate towards you as you approach them. The environments are highly destructible, and the explosion effects are satisfying. It's also fun to unlock dozens of new controllable characters as the story progresses. You're not likely to get stuck in this game (at least not for long), because key items tend to glow, usually making it obvious what you need to do next. Heavy emphasis is placed on teamwork, so you'll often need to switch between characters in order to perform tasks like operating machinery, opening doors, or grappling to higher ledges. The two-player co-op mode is enjoyable, although the camera is sometimes an issue. One great new feature is the ability to construct things out of mounds of loose Legos by simply holding in the B button. The dramatic soundtrack is outstanding, with music taken directly from the films. So what's not to like? Well, the Hoth stages were disappointing with their closed-in snowspeeder stages and squirrelly controls. As you accumulate a group of characters in a stage, switching between them is problematic as they tend to bumble into each other. Finally, Luke's lightsaber isn't nearly as effective as it should be - he should be slicing through these guys like melted butter! Still, if you enjoyed the first game or you're just looking for a light-hearted platformer, Lego Star Wars II is a real treat. NOTE: The original Lego Star Wars game review is available in the Xbox section. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

This downloadable title seduced impressionable critics on the strength of its surreal visuals, but guess what? Limbo is severely overrated. Its innovative graphic style employs hazy, black-and-white landscape that effectively conveys a foreboding atmosphere. With giant spiders, dead bodies, flooding chambers, and startling death traps, it looks like a childhood nightmare. The audio is understated so when music kicks in it heightens the tension. Limbo gets an A+ for style, but gameplay matters too! The action boils down to a linear series of 2D platform puzzles. Most require moving objects into place in a timed sequence, and you'll need to pay close attention for subtle visual clues. The puzzles are imaginative and clever, but solving them can be tedious and frustrating. It's all about trial-and-error, so if do don't execute a sequence of actions perfectly you'll need to start over. Cerebral gamers will be intrigued, but thrill-seekers will be bored. Would Limbo have been so well received had it been rendered with bright, colorful graphics? I suspect it would have been ignored, or worse yet panned by most critics. Limbo is well constructed and held my attention for a while, but it's not as fun as it looks. © Copyright 2011 The Video Game Critic.

Battle For Middle Earth is a real-time strategy (RTS) game characterized by organizing groups of soldiers and directing them against various invading enemies. You run the show from a high overhead vantage point, so the troops appear very tiny and are somewhat hard to discern. You can either play the role of the good guys (elves, dwarves, humans, ents) or bad guys (orcs, goblins, trolls, dragons). The diverse environments including snowy mountain passes, green pastures, and active volcanoes. The graphical detail is excellent, and it's fun to watch structures being systematically built (or destroyed for that matter). The user interface is simpler than most RTS games, and that's a good thing. Still, it can be a little awkward having to drag that cursor around with an analog stick. You select objects with the A button and the right trigger brings up your options. Many missions require you to set up a camp and train soldiers before initiating combat. That may seems a little tedious until you realize you'll often need to replenish your troops during course of a single mission. An ever-present map gives you a good perspective on the world, where you'll typically have to juggle several skirmishes at once. Your goal is to wipe out all enemies, but sometimes you're asked to perform special missions like saving an ally or destroying a key structure. Battle for Middle Earth is not without its flaws. The game never really explains the basic controls, so you'll need to consult the manual for the specifics about selecting troops. At one point I became frustrated when the game insisted that I "select a fortress build plot", and I had no idea what the hell it was talking about. The game also does a lousy job of conveying the concept of "command points", which are necessary to carry out certain actions. There are sporadic frame-rate issues which cause the action to stutter at times. Even so, Battle for Middle Earth is addictive, and I enjoyed sending groups of troops all over the place to do my bidding. The stages are reasonable in length (under an hour), and an easy difficulty option lets you progress with minimal pain. Battle For Middle Earth is a satisfying strategy game and a good choice for novice RTS gamers. © Copyright 2010 The Video Game Critic.

I'm not sure what critics who panned Lost Planet were expecting, but this game delivered exactly what I was looking for: Large scale battles in expansive, snow-covered environments! The premise is familiar: Boy meets girl, girl meets boy, humans colonize bug-infested ice planet, boy is eaten by giant snow-worm. Playing the role of a soldier with only fragments of memory, you'll face off against snow pirates, mech robots, and enormous bugs with glowing orange "thermal cores". The graphics are sensational. The snowy terrain features fantastic city ruins, vast snowy plains, and majestic rivers of ice floes. Less impressive are the generic interior cave locations. Lost Planet is mainly a third-person shooter, with some weapons so large they need to be dragged along the ground! The rampaging bugs are awesome, and each variety exhibits a unique set of attacks. Some will attempt to steam-roll you, and others use their oversized front legs to pound you into oblivion. The glowing thermal cores give away their weak spots, but those spots aren't always easy to hit! Once dead, the bugs freeze solid, so your next shot shatters their carcass into a thousand pieces (sweet). High-jumping mechs also play a role in the action, and you'll man them as often as you'll battle them. I love the vibration effects of these things stomping in the snow. Unfortunately, the controls for these mechanical beasts are less than responsive, which is frustrating when you're getting pounded non-stop by rockets. Much has been made of the game's explosion effects, and they are in fact probably the best I've seen. Still, all that smoke and fire tends to obfuscate your vision, making it difficult to tell what's going on. Lost Planet incorporates a few other interesting elements like grappling hooks that pull you up to high ledges, and data posts that recharge your thermal energy and point you in the right direction. The main problem with the game is its wildly uneven difficulty. Some bosses are so relentlessly hard that you'll want to set the difficult to easy just to avoid the inevitable frustration. It doesn't help that the collision detection is spotty when facing some of these behemoths. And where's the split-screen action? Sorry, but if you want to play multi-player, you'll need to go on-line. Another issue is how you can only save after each mission. Call it frustrating, call it uneven, but you can't deny that Lost Planet is an exciting shooter. The non-stop action and sweeping musical score really got my blood pumping, and I couldn't wait to see what each new mission had in store. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.