Name a game other than Dead Rising where you are locked in a mall that is being over run with zombies and anything can be used as a weapon. Just try. I dare you. Can’t do it? Well, that’s why I have a review right here.

Graphics: 8.5/10

Ah…nothing like blood splahed all over a grown man wearing little kids clothes, women’s slippers and a MegaMan helmet and you get what my character looks like. The character models look amazing, that includes the zombies.

Audio: 9/10

I never thought that zombies moaning as a lawnmower runs over them could ever sound so great, but, this game does a great job of making that happen. The voices and other, non-zombie related sounds are great as well.

Controls: 7/10

They just take a few minutes of getting used to and then…they’re still a little awkward. Don’t let this deter you though!

General Gameplay: 8/10

The gameplay is fun. Shooting, impaling, stabbing, smacking and kicking zombies never gets old. Especially in a large environment with other hazards about and plenty of characters to interact with ranging from a survivor (who will be talking about their trip to the mall with therapists for years to come) to a maniacal, chainsaw-weilding clown who won’t let kids get off of a roller coaster that’s easily going 60+ miles per hour. Challenging, yet forgiving, this game will provide hours of fun.

Overall: 8/10

If you ever find yourself looking at a shelf of videogames wondering what to get, this game definitely deserves a second look.

Comments are encouraged.

-Unstable

The prequel to the N64 hit Perfect Dark takes place a few years prior, but you still do everything through the eyes of (a younger) Joanna Dark.

The weapons in this are nothing like they were in the original Perfect Dark, however they’re nothing to spit on. You still have a wide range of options ranging from pistols, like the Falcon and P9P to sniper rifles, like the Jackal. There are some new weapons like the P9P and some old ones make a return including the Falcon and CMP150.

The controls can be a bit much when reading them in the game’s manual but once you get going in the game they feel natural and easy.

This game has excellent graphics and audio. The character models look good and no detail was spared, be it just the shells sticking out of a shotgun or the way the hands move around when you’re running with a gun. The graphics also look pretty realistic with shadows and reflections. The audio also nails even the basic sound effects ranging from shattering glass and footsteps in the snow.

The multiplayer is even good with 6 maps that have several variations in size, so it’s like there are 3 maps for each one, and two main modes. The DeathMatch mode includes “KillCount” and “Team KillCount” which are standard death matches, ”Capture the Flag” which should be self-explanitory and “Territorial Gain” where you gain points by taking over and keeping territories. 

Finally, the other mode is “DarkOps” which is like the “fy_” maps in CounterStrike. The object is to kill all the people on the other team. 

Overall, this game is a must-have for any fan of the original Perfect Dark and people who play first person shooters. Here is how I break it down:

Controls: 8/10

Graphics: 9/10

Audio: 9/10

Multiplayer: 7/10

Overall: 8.25/10

Comments are encouraged.

-Unstable

Oh, it looks like Spiderman is releasing a game along with another one of its movies! Hopefully this one will be different from all the other Spiderman games. The 3rd movie game will be released on May 4th, 2007.

I, personally, wasn’t convinced this game will be different from the other Spiderman games when I read other previews. However, the makers of the game have not released much information about this game, but so far it looks like it will take the same structure as the others.

Like past spidey games, the popular feature of a roaming freely environment is still available in similar concept. But unlike the others, a new feature, almost all the movie cast will be vocally included in this game, which really is amazing.

As well as this game including the minor villains (such as the mysterious dragon boss) it will also include the main villains of the movie (such as Sandman, Venom and the new Green Goblin) .

As i said, not much information on this game has been released, but undoubtedly more info. Will be available as the release date grows closer.

Today, March 27th, Warner Bros. confirmed that long rumored “Lego Batman”. The adventure will of course, be about our favorite caped crusader and his sidekick Robin, in a mission to protect Gotham city.

Given the level of hilarity and addictiveness of Lego Star wars, we can expect awesome co-op battles with Batman and Robin! The game has no release date yet, but is expected for PC and all major platforms sometime in 2008. Enjoy the awesome screenshot above.
- Zenywolf

Konami’s hit game for the PlayStation hits the XBox Live Arcade. The game is Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. For just 800 Microsoft Points you can download the whole thing, in its entirety just like on the PlayStation only with upgraded graphics and what would an XBox 360 game be without achievements?

I downloaded the trial today but I was only able to make it to the first boss fight against Slogra and Gaibon. The trial is only for 15 minutes so if you want to play the game you’ll need to get Microsoft Points.

-Unstable

 

Prey is a good FPS on the XBox 360.

Graphics: 9/10 

The graphics are excellent and realistic. Nice, bloody and detailed, and reflections are shown and everything else.

Audio: 8/10 

Good audio with some real songs. There’s even a juke box in the beginning of the game before the aliens come that you can cycle through. The jukebox even appears on the alien ship.

Gameplay: 9/10 

Game play is excellent, in a very interactive environment. In the beginning you can even use the juke box and arcade games including poker and a Pac Man knock-off. The gameplay also seems to be an interesting mix between Half Life2 and Doom 3. There is a weird spirit walk thing where you can cross certain obstacles with it and slip switches. Along with killing enemies. Another thing is that the puzzles are pretty good, not hard but still good.

With the price of this game down to $30, maybe you’ll stop by a local retail store and purchase a copy of Prey. It’s worth it.

Overall: 9/10 

-Unstable.

 

The other day I got a game called Saints Row. It’s everything you’d expect…and a little more.

The game has great and detailed graphics. Many details are visible like reflections, but you wouldn’t expect anything less from a console these days. The damage looks more realistic than the game’s counter part, Grand Theft Auto.

The game uses a good soundtrack with lots of radio stations that play different genres including rap, rock and raggae. Also unlike Grand Theft Auto, you also hear the music playing in the car when you’re outside of the car. You just need to be close enough, like in real life. The voice acting is also good with good voice actors for every part that I’ve come across.

The game has excellent game play. The shooting is similar to the game Max Payne where it’s in 3rd person view, but a cross needs to be aimed. In the car you can also use weapons other than an SMG including a pistol and molotov cocktails. That’s just when you’re driving. When you’re not driving and in the passenger’s seat, any ranged weapon is available to you.

Finally, what game would be complete without odd-jobs? They range from simple races to amusing attempts at insurance fraud. There are also drug-trafficing mini-games and you can rob stores and crack the safe.

I highly recommend this game for the XBox 360, especially if you like Grand Theft Auto games.

-Unstable

 

Lara Croft is back and celebrating her 10th anniversary. The game is out on most platforms including PlayStation 2, PC and Playstation Portable.

Many gamers were disappointed with Legend on PS2, complaining because the game looked like a re-vamp of the original game.

Crystal Dynamics reps mentioned they are taking a more thorough approach to the new version. The game will be more simple and include the same storyline as the original. That was, however, quite confusing, so Crystal Dynamics says the new one will explain itself better.

But as Legend’s gameplay was quite bad, many people have been put off of buying this game as it will play like Legend.

Lara can now shimmy along at various speeds. There is no reason to have to stand in the correct place to jump since when she jumps she can latch on to surfaces.

Lara can now also flip and turn gracefully around her enimies.

We are pretty curious to see her in action!

Well, as we have all seen, wonderful 3D and Interactive websites are popping up everywhere. Literally. A recent poll showed that there are over 300 gaming websites to date. Which is great for all of us gamers, because a majority of them are free. So, what ones do you choose? Here is Darren’s Top 3 Ultimate Multiplayer, 3D, And Interactive Games Online:

1) RuneScape*

RuneScape, the mega multiplayer game brought to you by Jagex Ltd., is one of the biggest and best multiplayer games online around. It usually has more than 100,000 players on at a time, and most are nice. Basically, you kill things, get items, and of get course ingame money, and the bigger you get, the more stuff you can kill! Exiting, isn’t it? No, there is more to it than that.

But you will have to find that out by yourself. Just go to the following and click New Account:

http://www.runescape.com/

2) Neopets*

Ahh, the wonderful world of Neopets. Correction, the addicting world of Neopets. Neopets is a virtual Pet Community where you earn NeoPoints, take care of your pets, and sooooo
much more. However that would take more than this page to type out. Basically, go to it now, then figure it out for yourself. Millions already play NeoPets, so chances are you will like it. Click on any of the links below to get to Neopets, and sign up.

Click Here to sign up for Neopets

3) WoW (World Of Warcraft)*
“World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). In World of Warcraft, thousands of players will have the opportunity to adventure together in an enormous, persistent game world, forming friendships, slaying monsters, and engaging in epic quests that can span days or weeks.  That pretty much sums it up. Again, this is one of those things where you have to see it for yourself. It does require a fee, though. My suggestion is to go to the nearest gaming store and pick up the software.

*All websites with a star indicate that it is for users over 13, or if you or under 13, you may have to have a parental guardian send in a form to have access to all features.
I would like more suggestions! Email me at gamesoul_writer_darren@inbox.com !
 

WarioWare Smooth Moves hit the Nintendo Wii in the UK at 12th January 2007.

When I first brought the game, I knew pretty much what was soon to come after owning Warioware on other previous consoles.

This game is ideal for having friends around, but not a game you would want to sit there for hours playing. Although this game is very fun at first, shortly the game gets very boring.

Unlike its previous games, WarioWare Smooth Moves contains only 6 bonus games, all which are fairly easy to unlock.

Graphics: 7.5

This game offers totally retro graphics, which are very cute in some respect.

Sound: 7.0

Smooth Moves, compared to previous games has lost its delightfull sounds.

Overall: 7.5

A great little game, which unfortunately does not reach my expectations. It gets boring and tiring. However you can still enjoy the game time and time again.