:: games archives
[Games] Sex, Lies, and Ping Pong
by Nick Judin
September 6, 2006
Sometimes it’s hard to write about video games. When there is good news to report on, it’s likely too cryptic or too little to really write up until it’s no longer news. So, because there are no good facts to show you, I’ll be using the next best thing: hearsay and rumor.
[Games] Crime Really Does Pay
Platform: PS2 | 360 | PC
by Nick Judin
June 28, 2006
"Hitman: Blood Money" is the only game in which the player can kill his enemies with a cake, Viagra, the clever use of a garbage truck and a sausage.…
[Games] Generic Sci-fi Goodness
*Platform: PC*
by Nick Judin
June 7, 2006
Games today get too wrapped up in story line. You watch CG videos, drawn-out cutscenes, and plot exposition until finally the game is over and you realize you hardly actually played anything. “RF Online” does not make this mistake.
[Biztalk] Fragging Your Friends
by Nick Judin
Photo by Nick Judin
May 24, 2006
The first time I went into Game Theory, it was surprisingly quiet. One person sat in the back, playing something I couldn’t see. All around me were widescreen TVs and comfortable couches. Directly ahead of me, the owner was sitting behind a desk, headphones on, focused on something in his hands.
Their Finest Hour
by Nick Judin
May 17, 2006
There is a trend in game series: One successful game is released, and that prompts a sequel. Whether or not the sequel is any good isn’t important. What is important is that as soon as a game and its sequel sell well, the developers instantly take that as an opportunity to release dozens of new installments, each less original than the last. The problem with these new “Franchise-in-a-Box” series is that the more they sell, the less the new products are changed. It happened with “Dynasty Warriors” and with “Pokemon,” and it was happening with “Ace Combat.” Fortunately, “Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War” shows a faint glimmer of fundamental change.
More of a Murky Gray
by Nick Judin
March 22, 2006
Platform: PS2 | Xbox
Now, I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but I pretty much called this one. I’m sorry, but any game that calls the “Guns the main characters” probably isn’t very deep. I was right. “Black” is an interesting experience, coupling the frantic pace of games like “Counter-Strike” with the length and flow of “Medal of Honor.” The setting is modern, and the story is, of course, based around Global Terrorism.
[Games] A ‘Star Wars’ Game? Brilliant!
Xbox | PS2 | PC
by Nick Judin
February 22, 2006
You know, I might be a little biased against “Star Wars” games. It’s not that I don’t like the franchise. I love “Star Wars.” I even have a pair of Boba Fett underw—uh, never mind. But so many games based on the popular series have come out, it’s really hard for one to capture my attention.
[Games] The Art Of Killing
A Review Of "Shadow Of The Colossus"
Platform: PS2
by Nick Judin
January 18, 2006
What is art? A painting by da Vinci? Michelangelo’s David? A guitar solo by Hendrix, maybe. But while Mona Lisa can be seen, David can be felt, and a riff by Jimi can be heard, none of these art forms can be controlled. They are what they were when created. But now video games, no longer confined to being kill simulators and virtual ping-pong, can become controllable art. “Shadow of the Colossus” proves this point.
[Games] How The West Was Won
A Review of "Gun"
Platform: Playstation 2 | XBox | Gamecube
by Nick Judin
December 7, 2005
This is my third review of a Western game, and the last for a while. Scout’s honor. But “Gun” is such a fun game, building on the successes and failures of previous attempts to make an experience out of the Wild West, that I had to go West one more time. Like many games set in the time period, the theme of “Gun” is a mix of revenge, greed and sadness. Starting out in the wilderness, hero Colton White is thrust into a frantic search for a sacred artifact that took the life of his father. With only a couple guns, a horse and a token to a place called the Alhambra, he sets out for Dodge City.
[Games] Crash, Bang, Boom
A Review Of "Burnout Revenge"
Platform: PS2 | Xbox
by Nick Judin
November 2, 2005
After playing “Burnout Revenge,” I have to simply sit back and ask myself something: Why has no one thought of this before? The concept seems simple. What’s more fun than getting into a car you could never afford and racing it around cities that seem made for racing? The answer, according to “Burnout,” is crashing those cars into each other, causing massive explosions, pileups and general disorder. I have to say that I agree. If you can’t see the logic in that, watch kids play with toy trucks or Hotwheels. What does it remind you of: “Gran Turismo 4,” with its slow precise driving, or “Burnout Revenge,” filled with crashes and mayhem?
[Games] Vampire Cowboys And Zombie Indians: A Review of Darkwatch
by Nick Judin
October 5, 2005
Platform: PS2|Xbox
I’m surprised by “Darkwatch.” I don’t think you could blame me for being skeptical about a game that can’t even decide what stereotype it wants to use, but after looking past the cover, I found it to be a genuinely fun game. “Darkwatch” stars a Grade A anti-hero, Jericho Cross.
1 [Games] Supernatural
by Nick Judin
September 7, 2005
A Review of 'Psychonauts'
Platform:
PS2 | Xbox | PC
Razputin, the psychic son of a circus trapeze artist, runs away from home to enter Whispering Rock Summer Camp, a training facility for possible psychic secret agents, the “Psychonauts.” Using powers like clairvoyance, telekinesis, pyrokinesis and levitation, he will uncover a sinister plot involving the stolen brains of his fellow campers.
[Games] Going To Hell In Style
A Review Of Romance Of The Three Kingdoms X
Platform: PS2
by Nick Judin
August 10, 2005
I’m screwed. Really. Maybe it’s because I constantly overwork my entire population of peasants into revolt, or because I flip a coin to decide if I execute the enemy officers, but I just know there’s some list down there with my name on it. But at least I’m going in style. Damning yourself to eternal suffering has never been so enjoyable as it is with “Romance of the Three Kingdoms X.” ROTKX is a strategy game set in ancient China, where the player takes control of a officer in the history of that time period. All the original officers are real people from history, taken from the novel by Luo Guanzhong. But if you’d like, you can create your own, chosen from a wide variety of stats and traits.
[Games] He Is The Night: A Review Of Batman Begins
by Nick Judin
July 6, 2005
After a string of boring, ugly, repetitive games, it’s good to see Batman get an interesting, pretty, repetitive game. “Batman Begins”—the movie—blows the previous films out of the water, and so does the game. But it’s not without its flaws. While sneaking around and destroying scenery to scare your enemies is a fresh idea, it’s just not executed well. Everything seems so scripted. Enemies with guns are too dangerous to fight, but there’s not a single situation that doesn’t let you take them out easily. Mobsters without heat can’t lay a finger on Batman. There are only a few areas in the game where you’re actually in danger of dying.
[Games] Noooooooooo!!!!: A review of “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith”
By Nick Judin
June 1, 2005
You know, sometimes the gaming industry confuses me. I’m really not sure how you can take the concept of “Star Wars”and make a bad game. It’s one of, if not the, biggest movie series in history, and it’s hard to deny how loved it is. But time after time, crappy games are released under the “SW” title. Attention all designers: Slapping a popular franchise name onto your high school science project is not an excuse for a game. So, against my will, I’m going to play the latest “game,” affectionately re-titled by me, “Star Wars Episode III: At Least We Aren’t On Hoth.”
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