FullReviews Index
Fight Night Round 4 Review (X360)
Here we are, three and a half years after its release, and Fight Night Round 3 is still one of our favorite Xbox 360 games. To say that Fight Night Round 4 has a lot to live up to is a massive understatement. Does Round 4 meet the challenge? Yes and no. It is definitely a step above as far as presentation goes, but there is just something about the gameplay that falls a little short. Find out all of the details in our full review right here.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Review (X360)
Another Harry Potter movie, another Harry Potter game. This is a good thing, of course, because we actually quite liked the last one. Half-Blood Prince isn’t a huge jump over Order of the Phoenix as far as presentation or core gameplay goes, but it does offer a few great minigames and a couple of hilarious set-pieces, and even though we ran all over the castle in the last game already, exploring Hogwarts is still a lot of fun. Fans of the series, especially kids, will love it.
Prototype Review (X360)
Activision and Radical Entertainment’s Prototype is like the ultimate superhero (maybe super villain is more appropriate) sandbox game. Pretty much every super ability we have seen in a sandbox game over the last few years has been crammed into Prototype to ensure that you can literally do anything you want. And that is a good thing because it makes Prototype one of the best pick up and play goof off games we have seen in a while. Find out all of the details right here in our full review.
Guitar Hero: Smash Hits Review (X360)
In theory, a greatest hits edition of Guitar Hero that lets you play classic songs with the gameplay tweaks of World Tour is a great idea. Really, it still is a good idea. But the execution here in Guitar Hero: Smash Hits leaves a lot to be desired. Sound issues, charting issues, and just an overall “slightly off” feeling to the gameplay spoil what should have been a glorious homecoming for longtime GH fans. Find out all of the details right here.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 Review (X360)
A mere 9 months after Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 was released and Tiger 10 is already on store shelves. Usually this quick turn around is a bad thing (and Tiger 10 does have a few more glitches and issues because of it), but since Tiger 09 was such a great game to build off of Tiburon has been able to tweak and tune and generally improve the experience in pretty much every area. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 is simply a great game of golf. Find out all of the details right here.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game Review (X360)
Fear not, Ghostbusters fans. Ghostbusters: The Video Game has been worth the wait. It perfectly recaptures the look, sound, humor, and feel of the movies and it also plays pretty darn well to boot. It is a licensed game created with love and care and passion for the source material (like Riddick) and not a quick cash in tied to a new release (like every other movie game) and it really shows. Find out all of the details right here in our full Ghostbusters: The Video Game review.
FUEL Review (X360)
Codemasters’ latest four letter racing game sets you loose on 5000+ square miles of wilderness and lets you decide how you get from point A to point B. FUEL doesn’t quite match the polish of DiRT or GRID, but it is huge, pretty, and can be a lot of fun for baja/rally-style race fans. Find out all of the details on FUEL right here in our full review.
Red Faction: Guerrilla Review (X360)
The Red Faction series is about 100% pure destruction and Guerrilla is no different. The perspective has switched from first to third-person and the linear levels are gone in favor of an open world, but the visceral thrill of blowing stuff up remains. And, really, that is all you need. Red Faction: Guerrilla is just plain crazy fun, and we recommend it. Find out all of the details in our full review.
UFC 2009: Undisputed Review (X360)
Mixed Martial Arts and the UFC in particular have exploded in popularity over the last four years ever since Stephan Bonnar and Forrest Griffin beat the snot out of each other at the finale of the first season of the Ultimate Fighter reality show. Amazingly enough, instead of rushing a so-so videogame out to market ASAP (like pretty much every other hot license), the UFC and THQ have been very smart and patient and took their time to make the best game possible.
Bionic Commando Review (X360)
It took 20+ years, but Capcom’s beloved Bionic Commando finally has a sequel. The new game, also titled simply Bionic Commando, brings the trademark bionic arm swinging gameplay from the NES classic to a fully 3D world. Did the magic of the original survive the next-gen leap? Find out all of the details right here.
Sacred 2: Fallen Angel Review (X360)
The Diablo-style action-RPG has mostly been a PC genre. While there is an occasional console entry in the genre every now and then, none of them have quite put the whole package together to compete with their PC cousins. At least, not until now. Sacred 2: Fallen Angel takes the hack and slash, loot whoring, and co-op gameplay that PC gamers have enjoyed forever and puts it in a package that console gamers can embrace as well. Find out all of the details on Sacred 2 here in our full review.
Raiden FIghters Aces Review (X360)
Scrolling shoot ‘em ups (or “shmups” from here on out) have mostly died out in the U.S. ever since arcades started their downward turn. It is sad, really, because shmups offer some of the most intense and satisfying high score chasing gameplay around. Thankfully, the genre is making a mini-comeback on Xbox 360 as there are several titles on the XBLA and now Valcon Games has published Raiden Fighters Aces, a retail package of three great shmups for the amazing price of $20.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine Review (X360)
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a brutal, gory, blood soaked brawler that finally takes the “family friendly” filter off of everyone’s favorite mutant and showcases just what adamantium claws can really do. The game is fast paced and satisfying and fun and delivers in just about every way Wolverine fans could want. X-Men Origins: Wolverine is one of the better movie tie-in games we have had in a long time, and is worth checking out.
Velvet Assassin Review (X360)
Velvet Assassin is a stealth game in the purest terms of the genre. This is an extremely slowly paced game where patience and careful planning is rewarded above all else. One problem, though, it isn’t a very good pure stealth game. Glitches and odd design decisions put up roadblock after roadblock to keep you from really having fun. The WWII setting and brutal reality of it all is definitely interesting, but it just isn’t worth putting up with the gameplay to see any of it.
Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena Review (X360)
If you are a fan of Vin Diesel’s Riddick character, this is a must buy. Even if you aren’t already a fan of the character and movies, the two single-player stories included in this package just might make you change your mind. It is dark and gritty and brutal and really showcases just what makes Richard B. Riddick tick as you try to escape from two of the toughest prisons in the galaxy. Find out all of the details on The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena right here.
Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2 Review (X360)
Dynasty Warriors Gundam is a series that seems to make a lot of sense. Giant robots fighting other giant robots is always a good thing. Plus, Gundam has a long history with tons of great characters and storylines to draw from. Of course, the “Gundam” part is only half of the equation and it is the “Dynasty Warriors” part that ultimately messes everything up. Does Dynasty Warriors Gundam 2 rise above or is it "just another Dynasty Warriors game"? Find out right here.
Ninja Blade Review (X360)
In an effort to fill the gaps in its 2009 Spring lineup with something (anything), Microsoft brings us Ninja Blade. As a calendar gap filler, Ninja Blade does a fine job of filling a slot on a release list and taking up shelf space. As a game you would actually want to pay money for, Ninja Blade is pretty awful. The biggest offense: A crazy, over the top, borderline criminal misuse of the hated Quick-Time-Event. To see our full review, press A, then X, then B, then rapidly press Y.
Wanted: Weapons of Fate Review (X360)
Wanted: Weapons of Fate is a game built around a couple of interesting gameplay mechanics, but outside of those things it is pretty darn mediocre. It is slick and flashy just like the movie, and curving bullets is just about the coolest thing ever, but the graphics are inconsistent, the core gameplay is old hat by the third level, and sniper and turret sequences intended to offer some variety are just plain bad. Find out all of the details here in our full Wanted: Weapons of Fate review.
Guitar Hero: Metallica Review (X360)
Depending on your musical preferences, Guitar Hero: Metallica just might be the best Guitar Hero game ever. If you don’t like heavy metal or Metallica specifically, obviously this game isn’t going to be for you (kind of like how GH: Aerosmith wasn’t really for me). But if you love Metallica, love heavy metal in general, and are looking for a challenging new full band Guitar Hero experience, then this game is for you. Find out all of the details on Guitar Hero: Metallica right here.
Wheelman Review (X360)
Wheelman takes the open world crime simulator genre and puts a twist on it by having you focus on driving while other characters do most of the dirty work. It is a refreshing change to the typical GTA clone formula that brings back fond memories of the first Driver game on PSX. It hits some snags here and there, mostly in some ill-advised on-foot sections, but overall Wheelman is a pretty enjoyable game. Find out all of the details in our full review.
WWE Legends of WrestleMania Review (X360)
THQ’s latest WWE wrestling game takes a look back at classic wrestling and at the granddaddy of them all, the showcase of the immortals, the grandest stage of them all - WrestleMania. Legends of WrestleMania isn’t just SmackDown 09 with a bunch of old guys in it, no sir, it is a completely different game that focuses on the rather different style of wrestling in the late 80’s and early 90’s compared to today. How does this roster of legends and more methodical style hold up today?
Resident Evil 5 Review (X360)
The Resident Evil of 2009 is a rather different beast from the Resident Evil of 1996. The pacing, gameplay, and even the enemies are completely different from the way the series started. These changes, for the most part, have been positive and 2005’s Resident Evil 4 stands as one of the best games of all time thanks to these changes. Resident Evil 5 takes that award winning formula and twists it even more away from the series' roots. Did this change pay off? Find out in our full review.
Tom Clancy's HAWX Review (X360)
Tom Clancy’s HAWX throws realism and physics out the window in favor of accessibility and pure simple fun, and the results are mostly positive. It is a surprisingly intuitive experience that is easy to pick up and a heck of a lot of fun for flight combat vets or novices alike. It isn’t quite as polished or deep as Ace Combat 6, but it is a solid flight combat game overall that is worth a look. Find out all of the details here in our full HAWX review.
Star Ocean: The Last Hope Review (X360)
Can an RPG still be great if the story and characters aren’t stellar? That is the question we’re struggling with concerning Star Ocean: The Last Hope. The graphics and sound are nice and the combat and overall gameplay is excellent, but the story and dialogue will make you want to pull your hair out. It is an interesting love/hate relationship that will definitely challenge you for the first few hours you spend with the game. Find out all about it here in our full review.
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard Review (X360)
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard is essentially the videogame version of parody movies. The difference is that, unlike “Epic Movie” or “Date Movie” or “Meet the Spartans”, Eat Lead is actually funny and clever in its commentary. Unfortunately, the humor (thanks to solid voice acting) can only carry it so far and the rest of the game is pretty thoroughly mediocre. Bland graphics. Bland shooting. You get the idea. Find out if Eat Lead is still worth a look right here in our full review.