The Five Best New Board Games of 2011
Twentieth-century classics and The Big Bang Theopoly might dominate the shelves at your local store, but if you look deeper you'll find a number of fascinating new board games released every year. Boardgame analyst Gus Mastrapa looks at a few of 2011's best. read more
Batman: Arkham City Review (Multi-platform)
December is a slow month for new games, so over the next few weeks we’ll look back at notable Fall releases that we haven’t reviewed yet. Today Joe Bernardi reviews Batman: Arkham City, the critically acclaimed Bat-sim from October.... read more
Minecraft Review (PC)
December is a slow month for new games, so over the next few weeks we’ll look back at notable Fall releases that we haven’t reviewed yet. Today Richard Clark reviews Minecraft 1.0, which officially released in November after over two years of availability in alpha and beta form.... read more
Tropico 4 Review (PC/360)
December is a slow month for new games, so over the next few weeks we’ll look back at notable Fall releases that we haven’t reviewed yet. Today J.P. Grant reviews the banana republic simulator Tropico 4.... read more
The Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection Review (PS3)
December is usually a slow month for new games, so over the next few weeks we’ll look back at notable Fall releases that we haven’t reviewed yet. Today Steve Haske reviews one of the better reissues of the year, the high-definition remake of Team Ico’s Ico and Shadow of the Colossus.... read more
Super Mario 3D Land Review (3DS)
Not since Philippe Petit crossed a wire suspended between the Twin Towers in 1974 has a man been so content while precariously balanced one single hair away from a grisly demise. No stranger to danger himself, Mario leaps, hops, and frolics through a nebulous series of obstacle courses, often floating high in the skies or skimming the surface of molten lava. Suffice to say it’s not a great place to be, but Mario doesn’t care. His high-pitched whoops and hollers paint the picture of an excited child literally jumping for joy.... read more
Assassin's Creed: Revelations Review (Multi-platform)
The third Assassin’s Creed game in three years wraps up Ezio Auditore’s story while introducing tower defense elements.... read more
Saints Row: The Third Review (Multi-platform)
If the idea of beating a cartoon mascot to death with a giant purple dildo sounds even remotely offensive—Congratulations! You’re a decent human being! If, on the other hand, your tastes lean a little more to the twisted, chances are you and your inner sociopath will enjoy Saints Row: The Third, a game which unapologetically plumbs new depths of depravity while offering up a toilet bowl-sized helping of sex, drugs and ultra-violence.... read more
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Review (Nintendo Wii)
Despite a complex new swordplay system, the new Zelda feels a lot like the last few.... read more
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Review (Multi-platform)
The Modern Warfare series empties adrenal glands like a speed trip. Its formula turns its players into compulsive digital drug addicts, drained from elevated pulses and limitless satisfaction. Infinity Ward has built their series with a procession of rapid, breathtaking climaxes that amount to hours of distilled dramatic tension and sudden gratifying release. They are never slowed by the narrative arcs and artful characters that many games strive to produce, and the result is a delivery of thin but constant euphoria and the desire to be rewarded with even more.... read more
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Review (Multi-platform)
The word "epic" gets thrown around a lot these days. Screw up badly enough and it's an epic fail. Scarf down a couple of cheeseburgers and it's suddenly an epic feast. The word no longer has the punch it once had. Yet, there's really no other adjective that so aptly describes The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, a game that's epic in every sense of the word.... read more
Outsider Videogames: 2012 IGF Pirate Kart
Every month videogame developer Darius Kazemi reviews outsider videogames — games that are created by people outside the mainstream of videogame development.... read more
Mobile Game of the Week: Aquaria (iPad)
Aquaria Platform: iPad Developer: Bit Blot Publisher: Semi Secret Games Price: $4.99 As much as we dislike the idea of starting out our new weekly column with a port, this week we’d like to recommend Aquaria to all you iPad users out there. This 2D underwater adventure title was originally created for the PC back in 2007 by two particularly inspired developers who started the indie game company Bit Blot. While the tiny development team alone makes Aquaria an achievement in its own right, you could have never guessed the company’s size based on how beautiful and refined the game... read more
Battlefield 3 Review (Multi-platform)
Start with this: the typical round of Battlefield 3 will contain enough breathtaking moments to keep your adrenaline pumping for a week. The game promises large-scale multiplayer warfare, and it delivers in spades. You will engage in thunderous tank battles, tense sniper stand-offs, and withering, Black Hawk Down-style shootouts, sometimes within minutes of one another. You’ll kill your enemies using high-tech, long-range weaponry, and the cold steel of your knife. All of it is dynamic and player-directed. Considering the sheer scale and variety of Battlefield’s combat, I can’t say I’ve ever played anything like it.... read more
Fate/Extra Review (PSP)
In the opening of Fate/Extra, you will be mocked for looking and acting like an NPC. You won’t think it’s fair because you can’t help it: That’s what you are. It’s a creepy ghost story by a clever writer that belongs in a better game.... read more
Mage Gauntlet Review (iOS)
Indie games inspired by the early history of video games seem to be a dime-a-dozen these days. However, there are few games out there that have been able to truly recapture the excitement and nostalgia of the 8-bit or 16-bit era without feeling like they’re treading water. Despite a few glaring flaws, Mage Gauntlet, the newest iOS entry from RocketCat Games, might just be the next iOS game to help you relive those old memories again.... read more
Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad Review (PC)
Tripwire Interactive’s realistic shooter focuses on the often overlooked Eastern Front of World War II.... read more
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception Review (PS3)
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Gears of War 3 Review (360)
This war really doesn’t change.... read more
Dance Central 2 Review (Microsoft Xbox Kinect)
Hit the club with Dance Central 2.... read more
