Review by: Josh Horowitz
Published: December 3, 2004

Half-Life is a true PC classic. I remember first playing it way back in 1998 in my college apartment on my Voodoo-accelerated Pentium 3, plowing through an intense single-player experience filled with soldiers, walking zombies, headcrabs, and a trusty crowbar. After finishing the game, I couldn’t wait for more from the creative and twisted minds at Valve. Recognizing both my desire and those of fans around the world, Valve and other developers released a number of Half-Life add-ons over the years, both commercial (Opposing Force, Blue Shift) and downloadable (Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat, They Hunger). Despite the original Half-Life‘s success, however, the One True Sequel seemed to be nowhere in sight. All that changed with an announcement back in 2003 that the five-year-old franchise would finally be getting its modern makeover, taking advantage of the new decade’s advances in graphics, physics, and playability while maintaining the great story elements that made the original so successful. ( read more… )

Review by: Jonathan Hynes
Published: November 29, 2004

If there lingered any doubts as to where Metal Gear mastermind Hideo Kojima draws inspiration for his legendary game franchise, the third installment in the series should put them safely to rest. With a trippy intro video and references to James Bond movies throughout, Snake Eater is an unmistakable tribute to the classic cold war Connery films. Set in 1960′s Russia, and loaded with intricate new hunting, healing and camouflage systems, I, like many others, can only hope that it’s From Russia With Love for Kojima and the gang. ( read more… )

Review by: Jonathan Hynes
Published: November 18, 2004

If there’s one thing that can hurt a game more than bugs, it’s hype. Take Halo 2, Bungie’s follow up to their mildly successful 2001 shooter. With mind numbing visuals, relentless action and a new Xbox Live component, who wouldn’t be excited? The problem is that in this particular instance, the hype machine continued to push forward at full speed until it was revealed that the game could, in fact, cure illness and mend broken bones. Alas, my eyesight is still poor and my knee still aches in the morning, but looking back at it all, was our enthusiasm justified? ( read more… )

Review by: Jim Richmond
Published: October 14, 2004

Medieval: Total War set the high water mark for a lot of strategy enthusiasts, so developer Creative Assembly had their work cut out for them when designing a follow up. In its newest offering, Creative Assembly has shifted focus from Europe’s antiquity to the blood-stained fields of ancient Rome in Rome: Total War. Let’s get our hands dirty and see if this most recent addition of Total War belongs in your library. ( read more… )

Review by: Keith Durocher
Published: October 12, 2004

Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a big television. Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electric tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage payments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisure wear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suite and a wide range of fabrics. Choose D.I.Y. and wondering who you are on Sunday morning. Choose your future, choose your life. Choose The Sims 2, the latest entry to the best-selling EA Games franchise.

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Review by: Jonathan Hynes
Published: October 4, 2004

With so many realistic, simulation style racers flooding the market at the moment, it sure is nice to see the arcade antics of Burnout back on the Xbox. Now in its third incarnation and under the wing of publishing giant Electronic Arts, the venerable license takes its largest leap forward with all new, over-the-top gameplay mechanics as well as a few not-so-minor tweaks. The most significant of these modifications pertains to the once distinctly separate race and crash events. ( read more… )

Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: August 16, 2004

No computer game in recent memory has received more pre-release hype than id Software’s Doom 3. Lovers of first-person shooters from all over the world have been salivating for months to get their hands on this release. Some players have been anticipating the technological breakthroughs; others, the adrenaline-pumping action. Although it’s difficult for a title to live up to such longstanding, sky-high expectations, some observers have gone even further, saddling Doom 3 with the responsibility of single-handedly saving the slumping personal computer gaming industry. So, what’s the final verdict on this landmark offering? ( read more… )

Review by: Jonathan Hynes
Published: July 9, 2004

There’s certainly no shortage of military-themed games available for Xbox these days, and at first glance, it would appear that THQ’s Full Spectrum Warrior is merely another shooter in the already vast pool of action titles. However, upon closer inspection, one discovers that it’s actually a tactical combat simulation, and a most interesting one at that. Based on a program used to train United States Army recruits, we’re guaranteed a game that will, in the least, be faithful to its subject matter. ( read more… )

Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: June 28, 2004

Remember the mid-1980′s Atari game from the video arcades named Marble Madness? It gave players unbelievable fun, controlling the progress of a marble up, down, and around perilous paths. Success required quick reflexes as well as a sense for when to make strategic, but high risk, moves. Since that time, there have been many variants produced on this theme, such as Marble Blast and Hamster Ball on the personal computer, and Super Monkey Ball on the Nintendo GameCube. Now the German company Cyparade has developed a new offering Ballance, which tries to raise the bar in this subgenre. Does it succeed? ( read more… )

Review by: Keith Durocher
Published: June 16, 2004

It all started in June 1938 with issue one of Action Comics. The world was exposed for the first time to the Man of Steel, a brawny survivor from a planet called Krypton. Once the floodgates were opened, there was no stopping the torrent of super-powered beings who exemplified the best humanity had to offer. Good guys were right and just, bad guys were shady and nefarious, and at the end of the day, the ending was always happy. Since few aspects of mainstream popular culture are so deeply ingrained in the collective conscious as comic books, could there be a more fertile ground for a multiplayer game? Cryptic Studios have offered up a possible answer to that question with the online RPG, City of Heroes. If you’ve ever dreamed of fighting for truth, justice and the (insert nationality here) way, this title should be right up your alley. ( read more… )

Review by: Curtis Hart
Published: June 3, 2004

If Capcom is known for anything, it’s dedication to its franchises, and Onimusha is no exception. Previous offerings in the series have been categorized as survival horror with a heavy emphasis on action over suspense and related closely to Resident Evil. The gameplay has been slowly evolving, however, and the newest installment, Onimusha 3: Demon Siege, bears much more resemblance to its younger cousin, Devil May Cry. Whatever its classification, Onimusha 3 is an attempt to further improve on the outstanding graphics, tight combat and mature atmosphere of its predecessors.

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Review by: Jim Richmond
Published: April 2, 2004

First there was Unreal, and it was good. Then there was Unreal Tournament, and it was really good. After a time, Unreal Tournament 2003 came to us, and it was great. Now Epic Games and Atari have delivered Unreal Tournament 2004. Let’s see if the trend continues on the upward bend or gets fragged mid-stride. ( read more… )

Review by: Jonathan Hynes
Published: March 25, 2004

In many ways, the latest installment of the Ninja Gaiden franchise is a tribute to its arcade and NES roots. For this outing, Tecmo and Team Ninja have revived the art of brutally and mercilessly punishing the player with unforgiving puzzles and lethal enemies. However, with the anticipation of the fans at a feverous pitch and the immense shadow of its predecessors looming, it couldn’t possibly meet our expectations, could it? ( read more… )

Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: February 17, 2004

Every now and then a computer game comes along that mixes elements of so many different genres that it is impossible to place it in an unambiguous niche. Some of these hybrid or mongrel titles work well, while others fail miserably. Ubisoft has released such an offering in Beyond Good & Evil, mixing adventure, combat, exploration, photography, puzzle solving, chasing, racing, stealth, and teamwork. This unorthodox release, designed by Rayman creator Michel Ancel, hits you with frenzied action right from the start, and the pace never lets up. What you experience is most reminiscent of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker on the Nintendo GameCube. ( read more… )

Review by: Bob Mandel
Published: February 3, 2004

During the early days of computer gaming, Jordan Mechner’s Prince of Persia series stood out as one of the real bright lights. Prince of Persia 1 and 2, released in 1989 and 1993 respectively, were both critical and commercial successes. Then in the late 1990s, Red Orb published Prince of Persia 3D, converting a two-dimensional platform title into a full 3D adventure, and everyone – both longtime fans of the series and newcomers – was terribly disappointed. Now Ubisoft has developed and published Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time; can this latest installment return the series to its previous glory? ( read more… )