The PS2 port certainly lacks the metamorphic quality of original PC version, but its reach and scope are far greater than many of the current titles available to the console crowd.

I know this is a little late, as reviews go, but when I saw what a god-awful train wreck "Goldeneye: Rogue Agent" was, I felt it was necessary to remind gamers that there's a far, far better Bond-themed game available just a few feet down on the game store shelf, at a far more reasonable price.

Disc Room is addicting, precise, and a blast to explore and enjoy. Not every player will enjoy a tough-as-nails title like this one, but there’s a lot to enjoy here for those that do.

Hitman still has plenty of potential and I look forward to seeing if the new direction comes closer to fulfilling it in the future, but for the moment it's hard to tell if the formula has changed too much or too little and if Blood Money represents a brave re-birth for the series or the beginning of the end.

Alan Wake puts up a front of being cerebral and deep, but it simply doesn't do the legwork to back it up. I had significant difficulty becoming invested in the events and found it very hard to care about anything that happened from start to finish.

I’ve seen articles mentioning that Gorogoa was created by a single man over a number of years, and it’s clearly a monumental labor of love. I want to respect that and I appreciate the amount of work that must’ve gone into this title… I honestly can’t even imagine. That said, as someone coming to this project knowing nothing about it beforehand, I found the Swiss-watch mechanics and detailed illustrations to be impressive, but the experience fell short in all other aspects. I’d love to view an edited Let’s Play of all the sequences being solved in order, but I have a tough time recommending it as something to play.

I wish All Possible Futures luck in their future ventures, but here, in today’s hyper-crowded indie scene, there are dozens and dozens of games that deserve to be plucked up ahead of this Squire.

Broforce is a conceptual triumph that could be successfully sold as a jokey bit of nostalgia, but what's truly amazing is how well it works on a moment-to-moment basis.

I was more than glad to revisit Knights of the Old Republic, despite the no-frills port. It’s a great way to experience (or re-experience) what remains one one of BioWare’s best RPGs, and one of the strongest narratives in the world of Star Wars.

Pig Eat Ball is vaguely similar to might be seen as an interstellar version of Hungry Hungry Hippos. Players compete to do various things (including making a sandwich!) but if players bite another’s tail, they vomit up their balls and other players have a chance to grab them. It’s not a mode I’ll do on a regular basis, but I can’t deny it was a good time. As a genuine fan of Nathan’s for many years, I’m glad to see that the guy is still making games, and for those out there who have yet to sample his work, now is the perfect time to try.

If we assume that videogames are partly about realizing control-fantasies, Nintendogs is about the absolute opposite. Coping with the stubborn and playfully anarchic mindset of a puppy can teach gamers an important lesson: learn to let go.

Yoku’s Island Express is a cheery, bright, frictionless experience that adds much-needed twists to an established formula and despite my hesitance for pinball, it sold me on a kind of gameplay that I never knew I wanted.

The formula of play still holds much appeal, and there's a lot of game on tap for the now-lower-than-average price of 800 Microsoft points. Ms. 'Splosion Man may not be a perfect sequel, but it has little trouble justifying a return trip to the lab that spawned 'sploding in the first place. R

It’s still kind of incredible to think that a single developer working alone made something like Iconoclasts, but after playing, it’s easy to see why it took as long as it did. Rough patches might remain, but Iconoclasts is a singular effort that, had it lived in the time of its inspirations, might have stood tall alongside them to inspire future generations of creators. In present day, it’s a sharply contemporary work that incorporates those lessons to result in a brilliant, unique experience.

With gameplay limited to simple taps and swipes, I realize that only a niche group of people would enjoy the time spent here, and honestly, I don't feel as though Curtain Call is a complete game—I prefer to think of it as an interactive music player.

It exposes what a chronically under-explored medium portable gaming really is, and demonstrates the potential that exists when a creator is given some space to indulge his vision. Sure, it's unbalanced and at times inconvenient, but I'll take Boktai and games like it over Super Nintendo Entertainment System ports any day.

Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey is a perfect example of why pacing matters, and it also demonstrates that massive, sprawling worlds don’t make an excellent adventure through size alone. When all was said and done, Odyssey offers 40 hours of great material wrapped up in another 40 hours of busywork that made this Greek journey a slog to get through. heads up, developers — just because there’s a ton to do doesn’t mean that it’s worth doing.

Put simply—the concept stays a little too comfortably within the basics of run, jump and slash. After seeing the credits roll, I was left with the feeling that Maximo vs Army of Zin is like a raw gemstone—precious and valued, but only a rough approximation of the full potential waiting within.

This slowdown often results in accidental death and having to start over, but not before sitting through the game’s load screen, which consists of the now-seared-into-my-brain image of the words “now loading” slowly revolving around an open book.

It's easy to learn, it's got a sexy design, and it's entertaining alone and with friends. Without a doubt, this has been one of the best iPhone games I've come across so far.

I may not be ready to write an in-depth technical analysis on every inch of the Walking Dead board, but it strikes me as a well-designed table that knows its subject inside and out, and it gives fans of Lee, Clementine, and the rest a whole new context within which to play.

With its cheerful gore and wholehearted embrace of adorable violence, Slayaway Camp toes a line that has tripped up many developers before them. (Anyone remember the tonal disaster that was Naughty Bear?) This is both an ingeniously-built puzzle game and a horror extravaganza rolled into one, and it’s a combination that must be seen to be believed. Horror fans will enjoy great comedy writing about a subject they love, puzzle fans will have their brains expertly teased, and fans of both will find the game of their dreams.

It’s one of the most enjoyable recent entries in a medium that it takes perverse glee in tearing apart.

I appreciate F1 2021 for its experimentation with new modes and options, proving that this franchise is much more than the average annual drivers’ update. Not only does driving feel more realistic than ever, 2021’s story mode is a pleasant surprise that I hope attracts further development for the series’ next iteration. For now, though, it remains a great F1 simulator that will generate the same excitement happening in the real world’s F1 competition right now.

While the collection of games on offer here can be a bit underwhelming, for people who care about the history of this artform, Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story is an absolute must-buy. It was truly wonderful seeing Jeff’s story fleshed out to this degree, and his reputation as a fascinating, cool-ass dude is well earned. With that said, I can’t help but feel that leaving out more than half of his career is a bit like telling the story of The Beatles and stopping at Rubber Soul. There’s a lot more to Jeff’s career after Tempest 2000, and it’s profoundly disappointing to see this exemplary piece of gaming history stop there.

For players intrigued by SOMA but hesitant to jump in due to the sneaking and hiding, there’s never been a better time to try it. While much of the challenge from the original mode is gone, the story, sound design and slow-burn exploration are more far more meaningful than its handful of monsters. SOMA hosts one of the best stories I’ve experienced in a videogame, and now the lowered barrier for entry will allow more people to experience it — if that’s not the mark of a successful addition, then I don’t know what is.

I have a love/hate relationship with Death Howl. If I have a few bad combats, I’ll curse the game out and shut it off. When I come back a day later and have a better run, it’s easier to appreciate what the developers are doing. While I don’t exactly care for the progression and penalties tied to the cards, the symbolism and use of grief here is strong, and the sharp tactical combat is notable.

The Book of Unwritten Tales isn’t bad—it just feels like the developers weren't sure if they would rather homage LucasArts or ridicule Blizzard, so they tried to do both. Sadly, they succeeded only in making both aspects tepid and bland. That said, I would honestly recommend it to people who love adventure titles because beneath the fetch-questing is a solid game with quirky characters, decent puzzles, and some amusing self-aware humor.