Archive for the ‘Warren Reviews’ Category


WR: Dragon Age 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Mac)

Friday, June 3rd, 2011

 

Developer: BioWare
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Genre: RPG
Players: 1
Console: Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Mac
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Hours Played: 35
Progress: Completed the main quest and all side quests

BioWare surprised at the end of 2009 with what seemed like a 3D version of its venerable dungeon crawling franchise, Baldur’s Gate. In reality it combined the same great storytelling and party-based combat found in its sci-fi epic, Mass Effect but in a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired setting. The highly anticipated sequel to 2009’s Dragon Age: Origins takes a more focussed approach, centering on a family, stranded as refugees from the Blight in a strange city, far away from home. So does this change in approach pay off and does this sequel innovate enough to satisfy? Read on to find out…

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WR: Crysis 2 (Xbox 360, PS3, PC)

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

 

Developer: Crytek
Publisher: EA
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Players: 1, 2-12 (online)
Console: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Hours Played: 16
Progress: Completed campaign on “Veteran”

When posing the question “Does it run Crysis?” to console owners, considering it was a PC-only title, the answer would always be unequivocally, “no”. But now PS3 and Xbox 360 owners need no longer feel left out as the sequel to 2007’s Crysis is finally here and available on consoles. This time around gamers will run through the crumbling city of New York instead of Asian jungles, however the frenetic FPS action along with the power of the “Nanosuit” make a welcome return. Is Crysis 2 relevant enough in this console environment populated with top notch FPS titles? Read on to find out…

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WR: Gran Turismo 5 (PS3)

Thursday, March 24th, 2011

Developer: Polyphony Digital
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Genre: Racing
Players: 1-2, 16 (online)
Console: PS3
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Hours Played: 60
Progress: Completed all A-spec events aside from the endurance races

Gran Turismo 5 has been out for over three months, yet sometimes waiting a while to post your review is a good thing. You see, there have been a number of patches to tweak the game since its initial launch that are very telling about the latest installment of this venerable racing franchise. Having played the game for many hours spread over several weeks has given us great perspective on this important PS3 release and, hey…considering Gran Turismo 5 was first announced in 2006 and has been in development for over four years you’ll have to forgive us for taking a few months in finalizing our opinion on it.

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WR: Killzone 3 (PS3)

Wednesday, March 16th, 2011

Developer: Guerrilla Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Players: 1  (2-24 online)
Console: PS3
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)
Hours Played: 15
Progress: Finished the campaign on hard

The original Killzone (released for PlayStation 2) was a good concept but the franchise really didn’t take its place amongst the upper echelons of FPS games until the sequel arrived on the PS3. With stunning visuals, intense shooter combat and a comprehensive multiplayer mode it became a flagship title for Sony’s console. Two years later lo and behold, the third iteration is finally here! With new environments, 3D-compatible graphics and PlayStation Move support can Killzone 3 best its predecessor? Read on to find out…

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WR: Infinity Blade (iPhone/iTouch)

Saturday, January 15th, 2011

Developer: Chair Entertainment
Publisher: Epic Games
Genre: Action RPG
Players: 1
Price: $5.99
Hours Played: 10
Progress: Defeated the god-king and completed 8 bloodlines

We all love having that game that totally shows off the graphical prowess of your system, the one that epitomizes what next-gen gaming is all about. It is rare however to associate any such games with a platform like the iPhone, but Apple’s ubiquitous phone is no longer a fledgling gaming device and no stronger example exists than Epic Games’ new title Infinity Blade. Read on to find out why…

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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…

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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….

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