Reviews written by Chris Stone
| 6 results - showing 1 - 6 | Results per page: |
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
| Overall rating: | 8.4 | |
| Gameplay: | 8.0 | |
| Presentation: | 8.0 | |
| Value : | 8.0 | |
| Fun Factor: | 9.0 | |
| Tilt: | 9.0 |
No More Heroes 2 has some minor shortcomings and a few unnecessary quirks in the gameplay, but to its credit, it is not a button masher and it is not a waggle fest. The interesting and well-developed boss characters at least attempt to force you to make a lot of in-the-heat-of-moment adjustments to your game plan. The game feels fresh throughout; just when things start to feel like they might be starting to get stale, a new playable character is introduced or a new weapon becomes available. The Wii controls aren’t overbearing and never feel gimmicky. The totally demented storyline and atmosphere will satisfy even the darkest sense of humor.
Videogames
| Gameplay | Plenty of combat options, enough variety to keep you interested, and incredibly intense boss battles make this one a must buy for any action fan. Despite the fact the entire game is essentially rooms full of bad guys to kill, the pure joy of killing them hides a rather repetitive design. |
| Presentation | Sleek, comic book style graphics. The style perfectly fits the attitude of the game. Cheesy, yet appropriate voice acting fit all the characters well. The music is rather repetitive at times, but generally sets a good pace. |
| Value | Plenty of addictive minigames. The combat is the true star here, and it is perfect for action junkies. A single play through the game won’t be enough. |
| Fun Factor | Ridiculously absurd. Dreadfully fast-paced. Delightfully demented. |
Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires
| Overall rating: | 5.0 | |
| Gameplay: | 5.0 | |
| Presentation: | 6.0 | |
| Value : | 3.0 | |
| Fun Factor: | 6.0 | |
| Tilt: | 5.0 |
Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires comes off as a poor effort. There's not much else to really say about it. If you're a huge fan of the series, you may find redemption. But as a fan myself, I found very little to justify a purchase of this installment of the series. Somewhere on a cloud above China, Cao Cao strokes his beard and hangs his head.
Videogames
| Gameplay | Rehashed, backwards mechanics. Clumsy menus. This version doesn’t do anything to improve the gameplay system, and the strategy system in Empire Mode feels like a waste of time. |
| Presentation | The first version of Dynasty Warriors 6 was ported from the PS3 to the PS2. Enough said. This is not what they meant by backwards compatibility. Serious overhaul is needed in both the textures and animation. The stages are about as bland as you can get. It’s not ugly, it’s just lacking in nearly every way possible. |
| Value | If you have the first version, there’s no need to pick this one up. Serious fans who may have missed the last release may want to pick this one up, but don’t expect to be impressed or even mildly entertained, especially if you want to jump right into the action. There’s a create-a-warrior mode that may tickle your fancy for a limited time. |
| Fun Factor | To begin as a vagabond soldier, join an army, work your way up the ranks, and eventually conquer all of China sounds quite intriguing. Don’t be fooled, the Three Kingdoms were united by cunning and wit, not pointless menus, magic tigers, and endless peasant juggling. If you enjoy some or all of the above, you may get some enjoyment out of this one. |
| Overall rating: | 7.8 | |
| Gameplay: | 7.0 | |
| Presentation: | 8.0 | |
| Value : | 7.0 | |
| Fun Factor: | 9.0 | |
| Tilt: | 8.0 |
Fans of the series won't be completely satisfied, but also won't be let down. Newcomers will feel welcome from the beginning. There's very little challenge in the game, but the storyline and the various optional quests and activities will keep you playing until the very end.
Videogames
| Gameplay | Nothing new or groundbreaking. Simple turn based battles with very little customization or challenge. It manages to keep a good pace and moves the story alone nicely. Packed with sidequests that keep things from getting too linear. |
| Presentation | The classic-feeling soundtrack meshes with the pre-rendered backgrounds. The in-game character artwork looks great, and seems to bring the characters to life even more so than the 3D models. The character designs work well when hand-drawn, but don’t translate well to the 3D models. At times, the character models look lifeless and uninspired. |
| Value | An excellent buy for any Suikoden fan. Newcomers to the series may even find a treat, and could be inspired to go back and try some of the earlier entries in the series. Plenty of gameplay and sidequests to keep yourself occupied, but once you’ve seen it all there’s not much of a reason to play again. Online play is a nice addition, but doesn't add much to the overall package. |
| Fun Factor | It starts off slow, but once all the pieces are in place, Suikoden Tierkreis can be tough to put down. |
| Overall rating: | 3.6 | |
| Gameplay: | 3.0 | |
| Presentation: | 6.0 | |
| Value : | 4.0 | |
| Fun Factor: | 3.0 | |
| Tilt: | 2.0 |
Bleach: Shattered Blade is a total train wreck. The clunky motion-sensitive controls are a complete embarrassment to the Wii; the system is capable of so much more in the realm of gameplay innovation. The combination of the Bleach property and the Nintendo Wii offers limitless possibilities, and it’s very disappointing to see such an excellent opportunity to turn into a complete disaster. Shattered Blade is for die-hard Bleach fans who are seeking to complete a collection of some sort. All others should avoid this one.
Videogames
| Gameplay | The combat is a complete mess. With disjointed waggle controls and a poorly designed battle system, Shattered Blade comes off as an embarrassment to the franchise. The irrelevance of the 3D arenas and the lack of jump don’t help either. |
| Presentation | The cel-shaded characters represent the anime quite well, but the game overall feels very unpolished. The music and sounds are generic yet still serve their purpose. The arenas are bland. |
| Value | Gamers looking for a serious fighter on the Wii should avoid this title at all costs. Bleach fans may be more forgiving but should keep in mind that there isn’t much to do in this game after unlocking all the characters. |
| Fun Factor | Shattered Blade plays so poorly that it’s hard to enjoy anything about it. The harder you try to learn the game’s system, the more painful it becomes. Gameplay is key in the fighting genre and Bleach: Shattered Blade fails miserably. |
| Overall rating: | 8.0 | |
| Gameplay: | 9.0 | |
| Presentation: | 8.0 | |
| Value : | 8.0 | |
| Fun Factor: | 8.0 | |
| Tilt: | 7.0 |
Absolutely nothing in Bleach: The Blade of Fate feels forced – expect a seamless fighting experience. As mentioned before, the battles are fluid and the controls are intuitive; you never feel like you’re simply mashing buttons. Bleach doesn’t reinvent the dying 2D fighting genre, but it delivers some of the best aspects of past fighting games in one package. This is a must buy for both fans of the original anime and fighter fans looking for a solid portable fighting experience. Not since Dragon Ball Z: Tenkaichi Budokai 2 has an anime-based fighter emulated the action of its source material so perfectly. Bleach breaks the mold of the typical sub par anime video game, and while it’s at it, it brings us the best portable fighter to date.
Videogames
| Gameplay | The combos, special moves, and movement stream together flawlessly. The game has the most immersive combat system in an anime fighting game in quite some time. While not overly complex, the controls are easy to get used to and feel very natural. |
| Presentation | The best 2D sprites on the DS to date combined with great animation perfectly captures the style of the anime. The sound effects and the music fit right in, too. |
| Value | With plenty of game modes, unlockables, online play, and deep fighting system, Bleach will keep you occupied for quite some time. |
| Fun Factor | This game is hard to put down. While the AI may frustrate some with repeated beatdowns, it’s always fun to jump right back into the action and try again. Multiplayer battles add another level of intensity. |
| Overall rating: | 9.0 | |
| Gameplay: | 9.0 | |
| Presentation: | 10.0 | |
| Value : | 9.0 | |
| Fun Factor: | 8.0 | |
| Tilt: | 9.0 |
As a true testament of everything that was and still is right with gaming, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix should not be missed. Dollar for dollar, this could be the best buy of the year for any fighting game enthusiast or even someone looking for a brand new experience. You won’t just get a game – you’ll get a celebration.
Videogames
| Gameplay | Everything you’ve come to know about Street Fighter is here. The rebalanced mode may go unnoticed by newcomers, but will be greatly appreciated by veterans. The new, more forgiving input times will reduce frustration of new players. |
| Presentation | The beautiful sprites, beautiful backgrounds, and amazing remixed music are more than we deserve. Visually, this is the best remake in video game history. |
| Value | With such an excellent price, it’s hard to pass the one up. Hardcore players will get more out their investment, but casual players may lose themselves in the madness, too. |
| Fun Factor | Street Fighter II still holds up as the definitive 2D fighting champion, and will continue to please for years to come. |
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