Archive for 2010


WR: Fable III (Xbox 360, PC)

Wednesday, December 1st, 2010

Developer: Lionhead Studios
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: RPG
Players: 1
Console: Xbox 360, PC
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Hours Played: 35
Progress: Finished the campaign

Each iteration of the Fable franchise has been preceded with great promises of innovation that would turn the genre on its head. This has mostly materialized in a pretty standard, real-time combat RPG with some SIMS-type gameplay features sprinkled in. For Fable III, Lionhead Studio’s figurehead, Peter Molyneux, was once again quick to proclaim a new dawn for this successful franchise with creative new updates that would revolutionize the genre. So are these yet more overstated promises or has the prodigal son of video games finally arrived? Read on the find out…

(more…)

Tags: , ,
Posted in , , | No Comments »

WR: Fallout: New Vegas (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

Sunday, November 21st, 2010

Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Genre: 1st-person RPG
Players: 1
Console: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Hours Played: 60
Progress: Finished main campaign and reached level cap (level 30)

Almost exactly 2 years to the day Bethesda  published the follow-up to Fallout 3, one of the best open-world RPGs of this console generation. This time around the developer is not Bethesda Game Studios however, but Obsidian Entertainment, a group not unfamiliar with taking over a “grade A” franchise, see their development of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II for instance. Now observant people might recall that although decent, KOTOR II didn’t outshine its predecessor, so what about Fallout: New Vegas, did Obsidian manage to elevate it to new heights? Read on to find out…

(more…)

Tags: , , ,
Posted in , , | No Comments »

WR: Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 Portable (PSP)

Wednesday, October 27th, 2010

Screenshot of P3Ps combat

Developer: Atlus
Publisher: Atlus
Genre: RPG
Players: 1
Console: PSP
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Hours Played: 150 (no, that’s not a typo)
Progress: Finished the game

The Persona franchise is a popular series by the RPG aficionados at Atlus. What makes it different from many of its counterparts is that it is set in a contemporary Japan instead of Tolkien-esque fantasy worlds or post-apocalyptic futures. The fact that it centers around a group of high school students, though, is not particularly different considering that every other game produced and published by a Japanese software company seems to involve uniform-clad highschoolers. Persona 3 Portable (P3P) offers a hand-held remake of the excellent PS2 title, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, with additional content in the form of a new playable female character and unique story segments.  So how does this franchise fare on Sony’s portable console? Read on to find out….

(more…)

Tags: , , ,
Posted in , | No Comments »

Second Opinion: Halo Reach (Xbox 360)

Tuesday, October 12th, 2010

Developer: Bungie Software
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Players: 1-4 (2-16 online)
Console: Xbox 360
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Hours Played: 20 (around 8-9 in single-player)
Progress: Completed the campaign on Heroic in Co-op, Reached Warrant Officer in Multiplayer

Read our original Halo Reach review here

nwitbraad recently posted a glowing review for Halo Reach.  I had a fairly different experience with the new Halo game and would like to share it with you.  To give context, I am a proponent of Halo in general.  I bought the Legendary editions of both Halo 3 and Halo Reach as well as the controller bundle of Halo 3: ODST.  I have played through all of the Halo games (with the exception of Halo Wars) and enjoyed them all to varying degrees.  I played 199 Halo 3 online matches since the game came out and am therefore well acquainted with the series.  How much less do I think the latest Halo game deserves than the 9.4 it was awarded recently?  Read more to find out…

(more…)

Tags: , ,
Posted in , | 3 Comments »

WR: Halo: Reach (Xbox 360)

Tuesday, October 5th, 2010


Developer: Bungie Software
Publisher: Microsoft
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Players: 1-4 (2-16 online)
Console: Xbox 360
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Hours Played: 25
Progress: Completed the campaign

Read a Second Opinion review for Halo Reach here

One wonders if Bungie, the developers of the Halo series, ever expected their first incarnation of Halo to become the phenomenon it is today. Regardless, the series has become one of the most important FPS games in the industry and having explored the adventures of the Spartan known as Master Chief, Bungie is ending the series by going back to the origins of the conflict between mankind and the Covenant by taking us to Reach, the birthplace of the Spartan project. A monumental title as Bungie has made it clear they’ll explore new franchises while handing over the reigns to the Halo series to Microsoft. While the last two titles in the series, Halo 3 and Halo ODST respectively, disappointed somewhat, Halo 3 with its multiplayer and ODST in the single player campaign, there is significant pressure on Bungie to go out with a bang and give players everything they liked about the franchise in one last game, read on to see if they succeeded….

(more…)

Tags: , ,
Posted in , | No Comments »

Nintendo 3DS Full Details [update]

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

[Update: Added more 3DS info and screens of the 3DS Menu, the 3DS Mii Auto-Creator, Nintendogs + Cats, Paper Mario 3DS, and Professor Layton and the Miraculous Mask.]

In addition to the short fact list we provided last night on the 3DS, a few more interesting details have come to light.  You can see the full fact list below with recent additions in italics.  Check after the jump for 3 new direct-feed 3DS videos and a pile of screenshots for the games coming out as soon as March next year.

  • Launches in Japan on Feb. 26th, 2011
  • Launches in March in North America/Europe
  • Launch colours: Aqua Blue and Cosmos Black
  • Launch price (in Japan) = ¥25,000 (~$300 US) (original DS launch price: ¥15,000)
  • Comes with a 2GB SD Card
  • Also comes with a charging stand/dock and 6 cards that activate Augmented Reality (AR) games
  • Home button can be used to access the Home Menu and Internet Browser without quitting the active game
  • The 3DS will auto-connect to WiFi when in Sleep Mode to get updates, DLC, and info from friends
  • StreetPass is the official name of this tag mode
  • Games do not have to physically be in the system to send/receive data with StreetPass. Data is stored on the system until the next time the game is played.
  • Supports Wireless-N WiFi
  • Will be able to redownload DSiware purchases on 3DS
  • Virtual Console on the 3DS will include GB, GBC, and GBA games
  • 3DS will come with games pre-installed, including AR games
  • Light on upper-right of system used like Wii glowing slot drive indicating online messages/data
  • Miis will be in full force on the 3DS
  • 3DS Mii channel will feature Mii auto-creation using the 3DS’ cameras
  • Miis for the Mii Parade are also exchanged using StreetPass
  • 3DS has an Activity Log channel that not only tracks how long and what games you play, but also how many steps you took while it was in StreetPass mode
  • Control Nub has been made slightly smaller in circumference, but thicker and always gray regardless of system colour.
  • Stylus is telescopic and has a metallic body

(more…)

Tags: ,
Posted in | No Comments »

3DS Conference News Incoming

Wednesday, September 29th, 2010

Nintendo has completed their 3DS conference and the news and media is just pouring in.  We’ll have a nice Reader’s Digest version for you tomorrow morning.  In the mean time, if you haven’t seen or heard elsewhere, here’s a couple quick points about the 3DS:

  • Launches in Japan on Feb. 26th, 2011
  • Launches in March in North America/Europe
  • Launch colours: Aqua Blue and Cosmos Black
  • Launch price (in Japan) = 25,000 Yen (~$300 US)
  • Comes with a 2GB SD Card
  • Will be able to redownload DSiware purchases on 3DS
  • Virtual Console on the 3DS will include GB, GBC, and GBA games
  • 3DS will come with games pre-installed, including Augmented Reality games
  • Light on upper-right of system used like Wii glowing slot drive indicating online messages/data
  • Miis will be in full force on the 3DS
  • Control Nub has been made slightly smaller in circumference, but thicker and always gray regardless of system colour.
  • Stylus is telescopic and has a metallic body

Media and more updates to follow tomorrow.

Tags: ,
Posted in | No Comments »

Page 1 of 6
1 2 3 … 6