Reviews: Video Games Channel
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Review Rebuttal
Editor's Note: Minor spoilers ahead! OK, OK, I'll admit it: I've never beaten the original Zelda. And in this day of phenomenal graphics and utterly immersive storylines, I couldn't. I'd get bored and wander off to play the latest iteration instead. And yet the latest, Skyward Sword, isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's certainly no Twilight Princess or Ocarina of Time as far as the dark depths to which their stories plunge. Granted, those two...
Child of Eden Review
Child of Eden is a difficult game to describe. At some points, it feels like a simple on-rails shooter. At others, it feels like a time-attack shooter, forcing you to gather as many points as possible in the allotted time. Sometimes it doesn't feel like a game at all, but rather an interactive music video/drug trip in which context doesn't matter, but like a music video, the emotional energy takes center stage. Child of Eden is all of these...
Rayman Origins Review
Like a splash of cold water on a hot summer day, Rayman Origins is a blast from the platforming past that arrives with such ferocity and such a high level of quality that it shouts with colorful graphics, crisp animation and ingenious level design: “We're not dead! The platformer still exists, and it's just as fun as you remember!” Origins is a return to form, a throwback for our limbless hero and his friends, giving him 2-D worlds...
Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Review
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is the 8th Zelda console game. It's also one of the most highly rated series. The very first game I ever beat was the original Legend of Zelda. It is the series I anticipate most every time Nintendo releases a new system. (No, I don't count Twilight Princess as a Wii game.) Skyward Sword did not disappoint. Everything from the new controls, the story, and the tweaks to the formula turn this Zelda iteration...
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Review
It's impossible to ignore the FPS juggernaut that is the Call of Duty franchise. From its rabid fanbase to its yearly installments that earn millions, the franchise has -- love it or hate it -- earned a strong presence in the video game community. Modern Warfare 3 is the latest in the military first-person shooter series. This title, a continuation from Modern Warfare 2, is the end of the line that began with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare in...
WWE '12 Review
Not long after the release of the previous WWE game, THQ announced it would be going back to the drawing board for the next one, WWE ’12. THQ promised to build the entire game from the ground up, including brand new graphics and animations. Early builds of the game, such as the one seen at E3, seemed to back away from most of those statements. While the final product is far from perfect, wrestling fans will be pleased to know that this in...
Battlefield 3 Review
If you were even remotely following the video game industry this year, you heard of Battlefield 3. After releasing to an enormous amount of hype following this year's E3 and a marketing campaign that set its sights on its closest competitor, Call of Duty, the game has finally come out, and the dust has finally settled. Gone is the rivalry, the hype, and the massive anticipation, and what we are left with is a look at the game with a clear head...
Dark Souls Review
A fair warning: Everything you've heard about Dark Souls up until this point is entirely true. This game isn't a game you enjoy; rather, it's a game you survive. It is not meant to make you feel powerful, nor is it meant to make you satisfied as you tear through enemy after enemy. There is no strong narrative, no interesting characters, and no motivation to continue -- only the sense of pressing on and surviving one more encounter. Living one...
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Review
It’s impossible to review a game like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim without comparing it to its predecessors. Bethesda has always taken great care to keep the spirit of The Elder Scrolls alive while altering and enhancing gameplay between every title, and Skyrim is no exception. A revamped interface, altered character creation and a brand new graphics engine create an atmosphere both familiar and new. Taking place roughly 200 years after the...
Guardian Heroes Review
I've played many, many beat-'em-ups during my life. All the Final Fights, Streets of Rage and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles I could get my hands on. This was before the days of online co-op, achievements, or DLC. It was pure and simple you versus them. Pummel your enemies all the way until the end. It was mindless, simple entertainment that, while light on strategy, was heavy on fun. Guardian Heroes changed beat-'em-ups forever. It...
Dueling Reviews: Batman: Arkham City, Take 2
If the past is any indication, movies based on video games don't tend to do so well, as well as vice versa. Video games based off of superheroes also tend to suffer from this ailment, but if there’s one superhero who tends to triumph more often than others (and in this case, rather exceptionally), it’s DC Comic's Batman. Batman: Arkham City is the sequel to the game’s previous game, Batman: Arkham Asylum. Aslyum revolutionized...
War of the Worlds Review
One of the things I hate most: playing a game that has stunning quality in nearly every aspect except one. It can take an otherwise excellent experience and turn it into a war of attrition that leads to moments of utter frustration in which the game's brighter moments are overlooked. I hate playing games that I try desperately to like despite the problems because everything else is so stellar. Yet, sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you...
Dueling Reviews: Batman: Arkham City, Take 1
In 2009, Rocksteady delivered a masterpiece known as Batman: Arkham Asylum. It was, at the time, the finest game to hit the market with the Batman license in tow. With the huge, surprise success of Arkham Asylum, would the gaming masses be supplied with a disappointing sequel? That can be answered succinctly by a two-word phrase: F@&k no. Editor's Note: We're running dueling reviews on Batman: Arkham City to get two viewpoints on the game....
Daytona USA Review
The colorful graphics, the incredible sense of speed, the tight course design, and of course, the goofy music. Arcade goers or owners of a Sega Saturn or Dreamcast console will remember the classic racing title Daytona USA. Famous for being a notable early entry in the mid-'90s arcade racer alongside other famous titles such as Ridge Racer, Daytona set itself apart from the competition by putting an emphasis on unique driving mechanics, bright...
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Review
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception has moments that instill awe. Seeing the star treasure hunter and leading character Nathan Drake survive a plane crash in the middle of a vast desert is exciting. Watching him leap from one boat to another during a powerful storm while pirates are attacking is intense. Having (varying degrees of) control over Drake during moments like these is something developer Naughty Dog seeks to provide. But the whole...
Sonic Generations Review
For almost a decade now, one of video games’ biggest icons has seen a steep decline. Sonic the Hedgehog was arguably the most popular video game character in the 1990s, with classic after classic played by millions who owned a SEGA Genesis. But after games went 3-D, and graphics got more sophisticated, Sonic started to lose steam. Now, SEGA is trying to go back to Sonic’s roots -- while propelling him into the future -- with Sonic...
Gears of War 3 Staff Review
The third installment of Microsoft's flagship series that doesn't go by the name of Halo has been released. Gears of War 3 is the latest third-person sci-fi shooter from Epic Games. The game has been out for a few weeks now, but we at OMGN have been playing it frequently since its release. From single player to its brutal multiplayer, there have been some significant changes and updates since its launch. For all of those who decided to wait or...
RAGE Review
The world hasn't seen a shooter come from id Software since Doom 3 came out in August 2004. Seven years is a long time to wait for a new game from one of the video game developers that pretty much defined the first-person shooter genre. Thankfully, RAGE upholds the mantle id has garnered over the years, even if it's a little bit short at times. RAGE's setting seems familiar these days -- post-apocalyptic Earth with tribes of bandits and people...
Bloodrayne: Betrayal Review
You might have heard that Bloodrayne Betrayal is a hard game. So hard that it provides many hair-pulling moments rivaled only by Demon Souls and its spiritual sequel Dark Souls. While Betrayal is indeed a difficult game with some challenging platforming and combat sections, it is nowhere near either of the Souls' difficulty level. For old-school fans of platformers, this will be a love letter to an earlier, simpler time in gaming. For those new...
Crimson Alliance Review
Whenever I tell myself that I have a controlled, strong-willed personality, all I have to do is play a hack-and-slash for a few minutes until I completely break down and forgo all basic needs just for a few more hours of game play. “It's just one more dungeon. All I need is one more armor set, and then I'll go to bed.” Hours later, night has become dawn, I have to be at work in two hours, and my rear has become a permanent part of...
The Binding of Isaac Review
Fans of Super Meat Boy will find it hard not to notice The Binding of Isaac's art style. What fans may not recognize -- and possibly be shocked by -- is the back-story and overall tone of the game. I’m not going to mince words. The Binding of Isaac has and will likely cause controversy over the next few years, and certain players may find this game quite offensive. But it's not all gloom and doom. The game’s plot is similar to the...
Alchemy + You = Time You Will Never See Again
Air, Earth, Water, Fire. Go. Four elements, 380 possibilities ... for now. Alchemy, an Android and iPhone game, presents you with the challenge of creating nearly limitless (I’ll explain.) combinations with these meager building blocks. Currently translated to at least 17 languages, this title delivers addictive qualities in international flavors. Click the image to view game screenshots OK, limitless combinations. I promised. Not...
Deus Ex: Human Revolution Review
When I was younger, my favorite FPS experiences belonged to the N64 era — namely Goldeneye 64 and Perfect Dark. Then one of my friends got an Alienware computer and showed me a game called Deus Ex: Mafia Conspiracy. I was completely enthralled with Deus Ex's campaign compared to other linear shooters. (It was also pretty damn cool playing a video game in which the main character's code name was my initials.) Deus Ex wasn't a standard...
Captain America: Super Solider Review
Sometimes when a game does exactly what it promises, it's not only a good thing, but a refreshing breath of air in a genre riddled with clunkers and misfires. Captain America: Super Soldier is one of those games. It doesn't pretend to be a revolution in third-person action games, nor does it claim to be a better version of existing games in its genre (in this case, Batman: Arkham Asylum). It just wants to be a competent, fun ride -- and it does...
Magicka Review
Magicka is a game that does so much right and, at the same time, seems to miss out on the basics. It's a charming fantasy world filled with tongue-in-cheek references and a neat spell customization system, but moving across the land is a chore. Up to three other friends can join you in exploring the levels and fighting enemies, but the cluttered screen and awkward movement make it nearly impossible to move when assaulted with a slew of enemies....