Video Game Reviews from Creators Syndicate

The Downloadable "Battlefield 1943" Presents More Options for Combat for 07/17/2009

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

"Battlefield 1943"

DEVELOPER: DICE

PUBLISHER: EA

SYSTEM: Xbox 360 and PS3 download

PRICE: $15

ESRB RATING: Teen

REVIEW RATING: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

In 2002, "Battlefield 1942" introduced a subgenre of the first-person shooter where players could engage in intense military combat from the land, sea and air. Everything from figh ...

Updated: Fri Jul 17, 2009

'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince' is Lacking Magic for 07/24/2009

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

DEVELOPER: EA Bright Light

PUBLISHER: EA Games

SYSTEM: Nintendo Wii

PRICE: $49.99

ESRB RATING: Teen

REVIEW RATING: 3 stars (out of 5)

With so many disappointing movies released this summer, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" is quickly rising to the top of the heap. Maybe someone cast "Wingardium Leviosa" on the flick, or maybe ...

Updated: Fri Jul 24, 2009

'Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs' Leaves Older Gamers Cold for 07/31/2009

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

DEVELOPER: Activision

PUBLISHER: Activision

SYSTEM: Sony PlayStation 3 (Xbox 360, Wii)

PRICE: $49.99

ESRB RATING: Everyone

REVIEW RATING: 3 stars (out of 5)

The original "Ice Age" movie was released in 2002 and now we're already on the third installment. At this rate, the franchise is going to last as long as the era it depicts. Nevertheless, ...

Updated: Fri Jul 31, 2009

'Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway' Is a Hard-Charging Hit for 08/07/2009

Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

DEVELOPER: Gearbox Software

PUBLISHER: UbiSoft

SYSTEM: Windows XP/Vista (Xbox 360, PS3)

PRICE: $19.99

ESRB RATING: Mature

REVIEW RATING: 4 stars (out of 5)

Last holiday season, UbiSoft released "Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway," which is the third installment in the series but the first on current consoles. I didn't review it due to the pleth ...

Updated: Fri Aug 07, 2009

Pick the Character Battle in 'Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes' for 08/14/2009

Fri, 14 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

DEVELOPER: Backbone Entertainment

PUBLISHER: Capcom

SYSTEM: Xbox Live Arcade/PlayStation Network download

PRICE: $15.00

ESRB RATING: Teen

REVIEW RATING: 4 stars (out of 5)

Have you ever wondered who would win in a fight between Captain America and Mega Man? How about Venom vs. M. Bison, or Psylocke vs. Chun Li? Pitting fantasy characters from different ...

Updated: Fri Aug 14, 2009

'Shadow Complex' Re-Invents Retro Gaming for 08/21/2009

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

DEVELOPER: Chair Entertainment

PUBLISHER: Microsoft

SYSTEM: Xbox Live Arcade download

PRICE: $15.00

ESRB RATING: Teen

REVIEW RATING: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Modern game developers spend millions of dollars creating complex interactive adventures, but every once in a while, a budget title comes along that outshines them all. Normally I'm not a fan of old-sc ...

Updated: Fri Aug 21, 2009

Playing 'Batman: Arkham Asylum' Is No Joke for 08/28/2009

Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

DEVELOPER: Rocksteady Studios

PUBLISHER: Warner Bros. Interactive/ Eidos Interactive

SYSTEM: Sony PlayStation 3 (Xbox 360, PC)

PRICE: $59.99

ESRB RATING: Teen

REVIEW RATING: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Last year, "The Dark Knight" ruled the box office, and now Batman claims cyberspace as his dominion. While the new superhero title, "Batman: Arkh ...

Updated: Fri Aug 28, 2009

'Wii Sports Resort' Provides An Ideal Virtual Vacation for 09/04/2009

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

DEVELOPER: Nintendo

PUBLISHER: Nintendo

SYSTEM: Nintendo Wii

PRICE: $49.99

ESRB RATING: Everyone

REVIEW RATING: 4 stars (out of 5)

When Nintendo tossed "Wii Sports" in with their Nintendo Wii console, no one realized that this small sampling of simulated outdoor activities would become so wildly popular. Over two and a half years later, the on ...

Updated: Fri Sep 04, 2009

'Spectrobes: Origins' Offers More Than Mere Monster Training for 09/11/2009

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

DEVELOPER: Genki Co., Ltd.

PUBLISHER: Disney Interactive Studios

SYSTEM: Nintendo Wii

PRICE: $49.99

ESRB RATING: E10-plus

REVIEW RATING: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Disney has managed to lure young gamers to their "Spectrobes" franchise by offering a "more mature" version of "Pokemon" with action RPG elements, and now the third in ...

Updated: Fri Sep 11, 2009

'NHL 10' Builds on Last Year's Winning Formula for 09/18/2009

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

DEVELOPER: EA Canada

PUBLISHER: EA

SYSTEM: Sony PlayStation 3 (Xbox 360)

PRICE: $59.99

ESRB RATING: E10-plus

REVIEW RATING: stars 4 (out of 5)

Unless you happen to be talking about soccer, I'm usually not interested in team sports. However, the older I get, the less patience I have, so I'm not entirely against the idea of sanctioned violence. That's whe ...

Updated: Fri Sep 18, 2009

'Champions Online' Rescues Gamers from MMO Boredom for 09/25/2009

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

DEVELOPER: Cryptic Studios

PUBLISHER: Atari

SYSTEM: Windows XP/Vista

PRICE: $49.99 plus monthly fee

ESRB RATING: Teen

REVIEW RATING: 4 stars (out of 5)

Grab a makeshift cape and don your favorite pair of Underoos because it's time to save the world while playing "Champions Online." By eliminating classes and adding elements from action ...

Updated: Fri Sep 25, 2009

Players Create Dynamic Duos in 'Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2: Fusion' for 10/02/2009

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

DEVELOPER: Vicarious Visions

PUBLISHER: Activision

SYSTEM: Microsoft Xbox 360 (PS3, Wii)

PRICE: $59.99

ESRB RATING: Teen

REVIEW RATING: 4 stars (out of 5)

There are plenty of superhero-themed video games as of late, but most of them limit players into taking on the role of only one or two caped crusaders. Not so with Activision's latest title, & ...

Updated: Fri Oct 02, 2009

'CrimeCraft' Offers More than a Shooter, Less than an MMO for 10/09/2009

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

DEVELOPER: Vogster Entertainment

PUBLISHER: THQ

SYSTEM: Windows XP/Vista

PRICE: $29.95 plus optional monthly fee

ESRB RATING: Mature

REVIEW RATING: 3 stars (out of 5)

With the release of the already immensely popular "Call of Duty: Modern Combat 2" around the corner, competitors need to offer something new to draw attention. "Crim ...

Updated: Fri Oct 09, 2009

'Uncharted 2: Among Thieves' Tops Original In Every Way for 10/16/2009

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

DEVELOPER: Naughty Dog

PUBLISHER: Sony

SYSTEM: Sony PlayStation 3

PRICE: $59.99

ESRB RATING: Teen

REVIEW RATING: 5 stars (out of 5)

Naughty Dog's action adventure game, "Uncharted: Drake's Fortune," had the potential to start a great new franchise, but few people expected it to become one of the PS3's best-selling titles. Apparently, e ...

Updated: Fri Oct 16, 2009

In 'Dead Space Extraction,' Everyone Hears You Scream for 10/23/2009

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

DEVELOPER: Visceral Games

PUBLISHER: EA Games

SYSTEM: Nintendo Wii

PRICE: $49.99

ESRB RATING: Mature

REVIEW RATING: 4 stars (out of 5)

Halloween is the one night each year when people aren't questioned about indulging in the macabre, but "Dead Space Extraction" lets gamers do so year- round. This scary "rail shooter" forces players t ...

Updated: Fri Oct 23, 2009

'Halo 3: ODST' Offers More of the Same for 10/30/2009

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

DEVELOPER: Bungie

PUBLISHER: Microsoft

SYSTEM: Microsoft Xbox 360

PRICE: $59.99

ESRB RATING: Mature

REVIEW RATING: 3 stars (out of 5)

Despite the fact that the "Halo" series is one of the most popular gaming franchises of all time, I can't help but think that it's past it's prime. The first title was released over eight years ago ...

Updated: Fri Oct 30, 2009

'Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time' Explodes with Lighthearted Fun for 11/06/2009

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DEVELOPER: Insomniac Games

PUBLISHER: Sony

SYSTEM: Sony PlayStation 3

PRICE: $59.99

ESRB RATING: Everyone

REVIEW RATING: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Modern shooters are too serious. Every story where the protagonist has to save the universe is filled with doom and gloom. That's why "Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time" is so refre ...

Updated: Fri Nov 06, 2009

'Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time' Explodes with Lighthearted Fun for 11/06/2009

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DEVELOPER: Insomniac Games

PUBLISHER: Sony

SYSTEM: Sony PlayStation 3

PRICE: $59.99

ESRB RATING: Everyone

REVIEW RATING: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

'Dragon Age Origins' Provides an Unparalleled Experience for 11/13/2009

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DEVELOPER: Bioware

PUBLISHER: EA

SYSTEM: Windows 7/Vista/XP (Xbox 360, PS3)

PRICE: $39.99 ($49.99 consoles)

ESRB RATING: Mature

REVIEW RATING: 5 stars (out of 5)

Every once in a while, a title comes along that makes players forget about every other game in their collection. One that draws virtual explorers into an extraordinary world ripe with g ...

Updated: Fri Nov 13, 2009

Strike from the Shadows in 'Assassin's Creed 2' for 11/20/2009

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

DEVELOPER: UbiSoft

PUBLISHER: UbiSoft

SYSTEM: Microsoft Xbox 360 (PS3)

PRICE: $59.99

ESRB RATING: Mature

REVIEW RATING: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Stealth-based titles aren't nearly as popular as they used to be, but most gamers will play them if they're made well. "Assassin's Creed" introduced the idea of an open-ended stealth game, but con ...

Updated: Fri Nov 20, 2009