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'Starhawk' Isn't Your Average Shooter
DEVELOPER: Sony
PUBLISHER: Sony
SYSTEM: Sony PlayStation 3
PRICE: $59.99
ESRB RATING: Teen
REVIEW RATING: 4.0 stars (out of 5)
I didn't expect to become addicted to the multiplayer game, "Warhawk," when it was released, but unexpected …Read more.
Create Your Own World in 'Minecraft'
DEVELOPER: 4J Studios/ Mojang AB
PUBLISHER: Microsoft
SYSTEM: Microsoft Xbox 360
PRICE: $20 (XBLA download)
ESRB RATING: E10+
REVIEW RATING: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
"Minecraft" on the PC was an unexpected indie game that turned out to …Read more.
SSX Is More Extreme than Mountain Dew
DEVELOPER: EA Canada
PUBLISHER: Electronic Arts
SYSTEM: Microsoft Xbox 360 (PS3)
PRICE: $59.99
ESRB RATING: Teen
REVIEW RATING: 4.0 stars (out of 5)
Extreme sports games used to be all the rage. Oddly enough, the genre has lost popularity in the …Read more.
Let There Be Light!
Lighting is the element in interior design to which the least attention is paid. Sometimes it is outright ignored by homeowners — and even by well-known interior designers. There are subtleties to lighting, and when done correctly, the right …Read more.
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'Final Fantasy XIII-2' Is a Solid SequelDEVELOPER: Square Enix "Final Fantasy" games are known for presenting iconic Japanese characters that explore vast, surrealistic vistas while making new friends and battling nasty enemies. Unfortunately, "Final Fantasy XIII" drastically changed this formula in an attempt to appeal to casual gamers, but "Final Fantasy XIII-2" strives to present more of a traditional Japanese RPG than its predecessor. After sacrificing herself to save mankind at the end of the last game, Lightning becomes trapped in Valhalla. Despite her godlike power, she still needs her sister to help her escape, so a human named Noel is recruited to find Serah and bring her to Valhalla. Confused? You should be! This convoluted time-hopping tale pales in comparison to the FF games' typical emotion-driven storylines. Thank goodness this game isn't nearly as linear as "FF XIII." For example, the Historia Crux lets players travel to several different areas whenever they choose. In addition, towns make a welcome comeback and are fun to explore. There's also an almost infinite number of side quests available. But there are so many boring fetch quests and "kill 'x' amount of this monster" side quests that sometimes I feel like I'm playing "World of Warcraft." The saving grace of "Final Fantasy XIII-2" is the intricate real-time battle system that starts off very easy but eventually becomes rather complex. Each character has a segmented gauge that is used to initiate combat moves. Depending on the power it exudes, each move takes one to four segments to perform, and several moves can be queued to perform combos. It's also possible for players to recruit monsters into their group and use them during combat. Despite the annoying characters and awful story, "Final Fantasy XIII-2" is still much more enjoyable than "FF XIII." Fast and Furious Fighting in 'Soulcalibur V' DEVELOPER: Project Soul Fans of fighting games have always admired the Soulcalibur series for cutting its own path through the competition like a Ginsu through warm butter! Several other weapons-based fighting games have come and gone over the years, but this series is already on its fifth generation.
While most of the combat has been left intact, Critical Edge moves are now simple to perform and can be unleashed more often. It's much easier to remember one "Street Fighter"-influenced quarter-circle, quarter-circle move for all characters instead of a different move for each one. In addition, they only require half of the soul gauge to be filled, so they can frequently turn the tide of battle or be used for a crushing finale. Defense has also received a slight overhaul, and Guard Impact sees the most benefit. Simultaneously pressing three buttons "charges" the new Guard Impact so that it hits back harder than a normal counter when the player is attacked. Guard Impact, coupled with the new Critical Edge moves, help to speed up combat and make it even more unpredictable than before. "Soulcalibur V" sports more than enough online features to satisfy any fighting fan, but the single-player offerings are far from robust. For starters, separate storylines for each character have been replaced with a poor tale about a misguided holy warrior seeking revenge. In addition, the character customization doesn't seem as robust as what's found in "Soulcalibur IV." Nevertheless, "Soulcalibur V" still provides fast and furious melee combat both online and off. REVIEW SCORING SYSTEM 5 stars = Must-Have RATINGS KEY Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) To find out more about Jeb Haught and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2012 CREATORS.COM  
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