Green Day Rock Band is a steady mixture of what you love from Harmonix – play style that is both easy to jump into and addictive  – and what you hate about Activision’s Guitar Hero franchise – it feels repetitive and old.  With Rock Band 2 a couple years past and Rock Band 3 on the way, it raises the question of how annual they expect to make the franchise and still get people to pay for it. This title is the spiritual successor to the infinitely popular The Beatles Rock Band released last year.  That release was a great boon and innovation for the folks at Harmonix. Read More...

There were few games I was looking forward to this year more than Alpha Protocol. With every new video and image released I thought the customization, character interaction and apparent polish on the title would really push it to the top of my "gotta play" list. I felt like Obsidian Entertainment wouldn't disappoint, with their history of working on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II and Neverwinter Nights 2. This was their time to make an original IP, and though the game was wrought with delays and false starts, here we are. So, while we're here – what exactly do we have? Read More...

UFC surprised us with a lovely right hook with last year's title UFC Undisputed 2009. A year later THQ gives us the slogan “So you wanna be a Fighter” with this year's release of UFC Undisputed 2010. Yeah the name hasn't changed much, but the game certainly has. If you do not know what UFC is by now then you seriously have been living under a rock - especially with names like Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell, Royce Gracie, Randy Couture, George St. Pierre (GSP for short), Tito Ortiz and Ken Shamrock. Names made famous cause of UFC. Read More...

When you start comparing Lost Planet II to its predecessor it seems like it should escape all of the pitfalls of the first title and really offer up a solid single player experience with a rich multiplayer to boot. Aside from technical issues, some slightly questionable AI and level design, it delivers. However, a word of advice: Don't bother playing the game by yourself. LP2 just doesn't seem designed for it. Read More...

So what do you get when you take a game like Burnout Paradise - adding the whole “Reality T.V.” vibe - and throw in a huge Hollywood influence? You get Split/Second from Disney Interactive and Black Rock Studio. This is probably one of the better games I have played this year. If perhaps you have been living under a rock, then let me give you a quick rundown of the game before I go into more details. Split/Second is a racing game where you, as a driver/contestant, take part in a reality T.V. Read More...

So you've read the comics. You've seen the film, most likely. You hopefully listened to the developer's call. Now you might be wondering if you should go through with playing Iron Man 2 the video game. Well let me tell you my thoughts to hopefully make up your mind on what you should do, or at least make a small impact on which way you sway. Before we get into the nitty gritty, I do want to warn that this game is based on the film. But only based as in it is in the same world as the film's events and also uses two of the cast for voice overs. Read More...

If you follow me at all on here it should be no surprise that I have not seen much of a difference between Alan Wake and Silent Hill. At least that's my opinion from the viewpoint of the screen shots, trailers and the most recent live action Bright Falls series. I mean, they look so very similar. If you don't think so, then you should have your brain examined. Well, I was just recently able to give Alan Wake a good play through. A really good play through so I could contrast and compare between this new IP and the "older" Silent Hill IP. Read More...

Have you ever been excited for a game's release, and somehow found a way to ruin the game experience due to your own mistake? I guess in my case, it's more stupidity than a mistake. What I am about to recount is how I went from being in Heaven to dragging myself through Hell in a matter of 10 days. This is my story on how my attempt to review Record of Agarest War went sour and the lessons I learned. As a gamer that is very keen on the import scene, I had heard of Record of Agarest War when it was first released in Japan in late 2007. I was intrigued by the reported dating aspects, the Soul Breeding the game touted and being able to play through story through multiple generations. Read More...

It was talked about way back in February when Dante's Inferno first launched and has since come to fruition. That being the DLC that adds multiplayer to a game that was originally sold as a single player experience. Also DLC that adds the ability for players to build their own challenge maps for other people who own Dante's Inferno to play. The DLC I am speaking of is The Trials Of Lucida. Is it worth the $10? Read More...

The comic and film of this intellectual property have come and gone. Both spectacular in their own right. If you have yet to read or see either, do both. But what if you have done one or both already? Well did you know there is a video game version of Kick-Ass for the PSN and iPhone? There most certainly is. Why wouldn't there be, as merchandising is a great way to make more money off a great franchise. It is the capitalist way after all. Read More...

Dead to Rights: Retribution is a third person action title following vice cop Jack Slate and his groin-ravaging, canine companion Shadow as they uncover the seedier threats that are rising against an already seedy Grant City. Essentially, it is a re-imagining of the franchise that began with very basic, but very fun run and gun gameplay with a hint of John Woo-style dramatics. The sequel to the original, Dead to Rights II: Hell to Pay, moved the series from all the aforementioned positives into an area of monotony and outright brokenness. It took the ideas of the first game, which were actually pretty fresh amidst most of the titles out at the time, and did absolutely nothing with them. Read More...

Super Street Fighter IV is definitely a great value at $40, especially for people who didn't pick up the original. Aside from everything originally included with IV, Super also includes a handful of new characters, new stages, new music and updated online play. This includes some new modes and features that fans have been wanting for over a year now. A new roster update comprises of a nice selection of characters from various series in the Street Fighter universe, as well as two new ones exclusive to Super. Juri is a welcome addition with a quickness that many other characters are lacking, and Hakan is a grappler covered in oil that brings more depth to his style of character. Read More...

I've never tried to hide the fact that I was not the biggest Splinter Cell fan. The exploits of one Mr. Fisher never struck me as the most engaging, no matter how polished the series might have been. There was nothing about the character that made me want to be a part of the world, so imagine my surprise when I discovered that what made me want to explore the game’s mythology was the dehumanization of Sam Fisher. I think the cover definitely serves as a metaphor for the changing of style and approach with this title. Fisher has lost his daughter and along with her, he’s lost his fragile grip on the world around him. Read More...

A combination of the best of what you love about Geometry Wars, Asteroids and Audiosurf, Beat Hazard is a rocking hand-eye coordination / spatial recognition challenge. Developed and published by Cold Beam Games, the game takes the music already stored on your computer and turns it into a space shooter. Big on gameplay, Beat Hazard makes no pretense regarding the presence of a story. Rather, it absorbs the drama from the song and builds your world from that palette. Read More...

Mega Man 10 (available on XBLA, WiiWare, and PSN for 800 MS Pts/1000 Wii Pts/$10, respectively) is an incredibly fun and enjoyable entry in the classic Mega Man series. A follow-up to 2008's Mega Man 9 in more ways than just a new number, this game takes a lot of the feedback and criticism the latter had to craft one of the best sidescrolling experiences in years. While there isn't a whole lot Capcom and Inti Creates actually changed in the bigger scheme of things, Mega Man 10 features a lot of new tweaks and balance adjustments that make it far less threatening than its predecessor and more entertaining in the long run. While there are some tough areas in the game, overall I wouldn't call it difficult at all, and perhaps it is one of the most fair games in the series. Read More...