Posted on Apr 3, 2012 Ridge Racer Unboundeded The Good (Ridge Racer Unbounded) Well designed tracks that reward destruction Satisfying takedown system Jumping your car out of exploding buildings Community-led online modes that reward creativity. The Bad (Ridge Racer Unbounded) Unintuitive track creator Cinematic replays come at expense of gameplay. Ridge Racer Unbounded is, as...

Posted on Apr 2, 2012 FIFA Street. Football is an interesting sport. To outsiders, it’s nothing more than tireless passing and fake injuries, but in reality, it’s true craftsmanship with a perfect amount of showing off. FIFA Street, the epitome of nostalgia, cashes in on this concept with excellent gameplay from its older brother, FIFA 12. EA Sports has hit the nail on the head once...

Posted on Mar 28, 2012 Sine Mora. Seeing as how we won’t be getting another good “bullet hell” shooter for the next few months (Rising Star Games will release Cave’s Akai Katanaover the summer), fans of the not-so-traditional shooter line are searching for anything to bide their time with.  Fortunately, the lunatics over at Grasshopper Manufacture (and I say that with a positive spin) have...

Posted on Mar 24, 2012 Ninja Gaiden 3. Not everyone is going to be accepting of the fact that Ninja Gaiden 3exists without the assistance of former Team Ninja leader Tomonobu Itagaki.  For the longest time, this producer defined what the hardcore ninja experience is supposed to be, and since his hasty departure from Tecmo Koei’s camp, many were wondering how the legendary Ryu Hayabusa would fare...

Posted on Mar 4, 2012 Nexuiz It’s been a while since we’ve seen a good quality arena shooter, hasn’t it?  In fact, the last one we can recall was Quake Arena Arcade for Xbox Live Arcade, a game that was poorly marketed but still looked pretty damn good for a years-old game rebuffed for the high-definition era.  Well, good news for those of you who were looking for new territory to cover.  THQ...

Posted on Feb 27, 2012 Syndicate. Taking a classic strategy game from the ’90s and turning it into a modern first-person shooter is not an easy task by any means.  But it’s one that Starbreeze Studios and EA tasked themselves with when deciding to convert tactical shooter/strategy game Syndicate into an FPS.  From a technical shooter standpoint, they’ve succeeded.  It’s...

Posted on Feb 25, 2012 BlazBlue: Continuum Shift Extend. The PlayStation Vita doesn’t have much to pick from in terms of fighting games, but thankfully, rather than needing to root through useless glut, it does have two quality titles to choose from.  Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is obviously the more popular title to choose from, with its recognizable characters and over-the-top fighting antics. ...

Posted on Feb 18, 2012 Twisted Metal has been delighting action fans in one form or another over the last 16 years, so why would David Jaffe, the original producer, change the status quo?  Sure, some folks may complain about how the general formula of “drive around and shoot everything that moves” doesn’t change, but those are the fundamentals that the series is based on in the first place. ...

Posted on Feb 17, 2012 UFC Undisputed 3. The Good (UFC Undisputed 3) New submission system rewards skill rather than speedy stick rotation Comprehensive tutorials make MMA accessible to all Career mode now focuses on fights and fight preparation It’s fun to rewrite history in Ultimate Fights mode Option to share highlights online is a great addition. The Bad (UFC Undisputed...

Posted on Feb 16, 2012 Shank 2. When we first met Shank, Klei Entertainment’s devastatingly powerful mercenary, he carved up bad guys left and right in a superb downloadable game for PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade.  However, the adventure left us a bit unfulfilled, with little to do once we cut the final boss to ribbons.  Luckily, the developers were listening, and Shank 2 delivers not...

Posted on Feb 15, 2012 Dungeon Defenders. I have to admit that I rarely revisit games I have to review. It’s not that I don’t enjoy them (unless they’re truly abysmal), but once I plow through them, it makes them kind of hard to pick up again. Enter Dungeon Defenders, a game that blends two genres together so well that it has literally become my addiction. It’s a simple game...

Posted on Feb 14, 2012 The Darkness II.  Good(The Darkness II) Demonic arms + solid gunplay = fun times Unusual, creepy story that’s more than just cheap shocks Skill tree gives the action some diversity Excellent voice acting and sound effects. The Bad(The Darkness II) Incredibly short campaign Linear levels and second-rate AI make for predictable encounters Run-of-the-mill...