Reviewing RPGs can take some time, but luckily Fable 2 is a rather excellent game.
"Graphically, Albion looks stunning and the visual effects and changes in your main character add an extra dimension to the world. It would have been nice to see some more variety in the environment, especially in the indoor areas, but the day/night cycle originally promised in the original game has finally been realised to beautiful effect, and the lush woodlands and bustling cities really stand out. The game does suffer some very occasional pop-up and frame-rate issues during heavy combat, but in general it's smooth sailing. The rather unique voice acting has also returned, with Zoe Wanamaker doing just as much, if not more, for immersion and character than Patrick Stewart did in Oblivion."
You can read the review in full at Gamestyle.
Read more..
Thursday, 6 November 2008
Sunday, 26 October 2008
Gamestyle: Golden Axe: Beast Rider (360)
My first review in a while and the start of what will probably turn out to be quite a long stint of 360 reviews. This game was a real let down, which isn't exactly suprising from modern sega."Wreaking havoc on the beasts was the main point of the entire game, and it could have saved it from oblivion as just another boring hack and slash starring a big breasted female lead with a ridiculous sword. Even more criminal is the lack of any co-op or multiplayer play, the whole reason Golden Axe was created for in the first place. If you need a Golden Axe fix you can get the original game with co-op on XBLA for 400 points, and we guarantee it’ll be a more enjoyable experience than Beast Rider, which has only served to put another nail in the coffin of one of Sega’s biggest hits."
You can read the full review over at Gamestyle.
Read more..
Sunday, 12 October 2008
Freelance Work - October 2008
Resonance Gaming
Set up by myself and Daniel Clarke of mse360.com, I was responsible for most of the content on the site during its run from January - June 2008, when it was sold. Since selling the site there have been some major database issues, so you can find my work replicated in full on this blog. When the site is stable again, these pieces will be removed in favour of linking back to the site.
Galactic Civilisation 2 Twilight of Arnor
Turtix Rescue Adventure
Elements of Destruction
Frontlines: Fuel of War
Democracy
Escape From Paradise City
Sims Carnival
Conflict Denied Ops
Sunage
Universe at War
Spaceforce Captains
Sins of a Solar Empire
Imperium Romanum
Five Hours of Anarchy [article]
Urban Legends [article]
Top 10 Most Underrated PC Games [article]
Elite [retro article]
Jones in the Fast Lane [retro article]
Alter Ego [retro article]
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Acegamez
Acegamez are a very long running UK review site that run many competitions and cover all formats, although I did most of my work for them in PC reviews.
Fantasy Wars
Crash Time
Buzz! Junior - Dino Den
Golden Horde
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Gamezine
Gamezine are a reasonably new and upcoming multiformat site based in the UK. Their design doesn't lend itself well for looking at old content, so it's hard to find my work without direct links, unfortunately.
Stalker: Clear Sky [preview]
Leaning Back: The problem with PC sports games [article]
1942: Joint Strike
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Strategy Informer
I've so far only done one XBLA review for these guys, b
Sealife Safari Read more..
Set up by myself and Daniel Clarke of mse360.com, I was responsible for most of the content on the site during its run from January - June 2008, when it was sold. Since selling the site there have been some major database issues, so you can find my work replicated in full on this blog. When the site is stable again, these pieces will be removed in favour of linking back to the site.
Galactic Civilisation 2 Twilight of Arnor
Turtix Rescue Adventure
Elements of Destruction
Frontlines: Fuel of War
Democracy
Escape From Paradise City
Sims Carnival
Conflict Denied Ops
Sunage
Universe at War
Spaceforce Captains
Sins of a Solar Empire
Imperium Romanum
Five Hours of Anarchy [article]
Urban Legends [article]
Top 10 Most Underrated PC Games [article]
Elite [retro article]
Jones in the Fast Lane [retro article]
Alter Ego [retro article]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acegamez
Acegamez are a very long running UK review site that run many competitions and cover all formats, although I did most of my work for them in PC reviews.
Fantasy Wars
Crash Time
Buzz! Junior - Dino Den
Golden Horde
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gamezine
Gamezine are a reasonably new and upcoming multiformat site based in the UK. Their design doesn't lend itself well for looking at old content, so it's hard to find my work without direct links, unfortunately.
Stalker: Clear Sky [preview]
Leaning Back: The problem with PC sports games [article]
1942: Joint Strike
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strategy Informer
I've so far only done one XBLA review for these guys, b
Sealife Safari Read more..
Gamezine: 1942 Joint Strike Review
Another XBLA title in the form of an updated version of a classic Capcom arcade game.
It’s worth noting that Joint Strike is set in an ‘alternative’ World War 2. This seems to be an excuse to keep the game’s 1942 title, while adding in all sorts of lasers and weird science fiction elements. It’s a bit of a cheap shot, as the game ends up looking more like World War 3 towards the end levels, and purists might feel let down by this. Multiplayer co-op mode is a welcome addition to any game, and Joint Strike offers it both locally and over the internet, with planes able to combine powers to launch devastating attacks, as per the games title.
You can read the full review at Gamezine. Read more..
It’s worth noting that Joint Strike is set in an ‘alternative’ World War 2. This seems to be an excuse to keep the game’s 1942 title, while adding in all sorts of lasers and weird science fiction elements. It’s a bit of a cheap shot, as the game ends up looking more like World War 3 towards the end levels, and purists might feel let down by this. Multiplayer co-op mode is a welcome addition to any game, and Joint Strike offers it both locally and over the internet, with planes able to combine powers to launch devastating attacks, as per the games title.
You can read the full review at Gamezine. Read more..
Gamezine: Stalker - Clear Sky Preview
One of my first previews for the expansion to Stalker, taking a look at the new environments and how the game will work the 'prequel' aspect.
If Clear Sky can show us clear and impressive evidence that our choice of faction affects the overall zone, it has the potential to be a very impressive part of the game. Unfortunately, two big requests from fans – vehicles and a co-op mode – will not appear in Clear Sky’s main game, although the inclusion of vehicles in multiplayer is currently being considered by GSC. Stalker is released worldwide on August 29th, 2008. We hope.
You can read the full preview at Gamezine. Read more..
If Clear Sky can show us clear and impressive evidence that our choice of faction affects the overall zone, it has the potential to be a very impressive part of the game. Unfortunately, two big requests from fans – vehicles and a co-op mode – will not appear in Clear Sky’s main game, although the inclusion of vehicles in multiplayer is currently being considered by GSC. Stalker is released worldwide on August 29th, 2008. We hope.
You can read the full preview at Gamezine. Read more..
Gamezine: Leaning Back - The problem with PC sports games
This was more of an editorial piece than an article or news story, based around news that the head of EA sports has mentioned the market for PC sports game was in decline.
I don’t want to be sitting back on my sofa while trying to play the latest RTS game with a controller when I have a perfectly good desk and mouse that allows me to control armies at whatever speed I choose. I don’t want to play in a massive online world filled with thousands of real people if my only method of communicating is a keyboard half the size of my hand. I want to be able to talk to people quickly and get my point across without having to hear ten years old swearing at me through a headset.
You can read the full article at Gamezine. Read more..
I don’t want to be sitting back on my sofa while trying to play the latest RTS game with a controller when I have a perfectly good desk and mouse that allows me to control armies at whatever speed I choose. I don’t want to play in a massive online world filled with thousands of real people if my only method of communicating is a keyboard half the size of my hand. I want to be able to talk to people quickly and get my point across without having to hear ten years old swearing at me through a headset.
You can read the full article at Gamezine. Read more..
Strategy Informer: Sealife Safari Review
My first XBLA review which was a one off for the popular site Strategy Informer.
Ultimately, Sea Life captures the feel of the ocean and combines it with a very casual, softcore gaming experience that’s more “Free Willy” than “Jaws”. Arcade is in desperate need of variety and originality, and Sea Life satisfies both criteria providing a detailed and peaceful experience that stands out amongst a marketplace full of generic shooters and ports, but the relative length of the game makes it hard to justify the price of 800 points, and the lack of any real challenge or competition will turn off most gamers.
You can read the full review at Strategy Informer. Read more..
Ultimately, Sea Life captures the feel of the ocean and combines it with a very casual, softcore gaming experience that’s more “Free Willy” than “Jaws”. Arcade is in desperate need of variety and originality, and Sea Life satisfies both criteria providing a detailed and peaceful experience that stands out amongst a marketplace full of generic shooters and ports, but the relative length of the game makes it hard to justify the price of 800 points, and the lack of any real challenge or competition will turn off most gamers.
You can read the full review at Strategy Informer. Read more..
Acegamez: Fantasy Wars Review
Here is the beginning of my post.
Fantasy Wars is an involving and satisfying game. Each side feels balanced if not dramatically different, the levelling system for every unit makes the game more addictive than it has any right to be and it hits the difficulty curve perfectly, being very easy to learn and incredibly difficult to master, especially at higher levels. It's only the lack of a good plot to bring all these individual aspects together that stops Fantasy Wars just a little short of being a true classic. If you like your turn-based games to involve diplomacy, management and story, then stick to Heroes of Might & Magic, but if you care more about accessibility and tactical combat without all the fuss then you're in for a solid and thoroughly addictive Orc-bashing experience.
You can read the full review at Acegamez Read more..
Fantasy Wars is an involving and satisfying game. Each side feels balanced if not dramatically different, the levelling system for every unit makes the game more addictive than it has any right to be and it hits the difficulty curve perfectly, being very easy to learn and incredibly difficult to master, especially at higher levels. It's only the lack of a good plot to bring all these individual aspects together that stops Fantasy Wars just a little short of being a true classic. If you like your turn-based games to involve diplomacy, management and story, then stick to Heroes of Might & Magic, but if you care more about accessibility and tactical combat without all the fuss then you're in for a solid and thoroughly addictive Orc-bashing experience.
You can read the full review at Acegamez Read more..
Acegamez: The Golden Horde Review
Another review of a Jowood game with some potential ultimately and quickly squashed by a lack of quality control.
Perhaps the biggest problem with The Golden Horde is far simpler, however. It does have some nice touches; looting weapons from your dead enemies brings a new element to the field and the experience system expands as far as the units who craft your weapons, so it's not just about making sure that you outnumber your enemy. The problem is that for every tentative, stumbling step that Golden Horde makes towards originality, it fails on something crucial. Introducing new gameplay elements is important if you want to stand out, but it's far more important to make sure that you get the basics right. People who are particularly interested in this era of history might find the setting is just enough to see them through to the end, but for the rest of us there are just too many better options out there.
You can read the full review at Acegamez. Read more..
Perhaps the biggest problem with The Golden Horde is far simpler, however. It does have some nice touches; looting weapons from your dead enemies brings a new element to the field and the experience system expands as far as the units who craft your weapons, so it's not just about making sure that you outnumber your enemy. The problem is that for every tentative, stumbling step that Golden Horde makes towards originality, it fails on something crucial. Introducing new gameplay elements is important if you want to stand out, but it's far more important to make sure that you get the basics right. People who are particularly interested in this era of history might find the setting is just enough to see them through to the end, but for the rest of us there are just too many better options out there.
You can read the full review at Acegamez. Read more..
Acegamez: Buzz! Junior Dino Den Review
Buzz! Junior is so far the only game aimed at kids that I've ever reviewed.
Recommending Buzz! Junior: Dino Den is difficult. Ultimately it all depends on the age and tastes of your children. The Wii remains king of the party games and if you're used to having games of Mario Party 8 or Wii Sports with your family then Dino Den might feel a little flat. However, if this isn't an option to you and you're looking for something fun and accessible that you can enjoy playing with your young ones, then Dino Den is good, clean fun and if you've already purchased the buzzers for another Buzz! game then it's good value to boot. However, if you already own one or more of the previous Buzz! Junior titles then (unless your kids are absolutely nuts for dinosaurs) there's not really enough new content to justify a purchase; there's only so much you can do with four colours and a big red buzzer.
You can read the full review at Acegamez. Read more..
Recommending Buzz! Junior: Dino Den is difficult. Ultimately it all depends on the age and tastes of your children. The Wii remains king of the party games and if you're used to having games of Mario Party 8 or Wii Sports with your family then Dino Den might feel a little flat. However, if this isn't an option to you and you're looking for something fun and accessible that you can enjoy playing with your young ones, then Dino Den is good, clean fun and if you've already purchased the buzzers for another Buzz! game then it's good value to boot. However, if you already own one or more of the previous Buzz! Junior titles then (unless your kids are absolutely nuts for dinosaurs) there's not really enough new content to justify a purchase; there's only so much you can do with four colours and a big red buzzer.
You can read the full review at Acegamez. Read more..
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