Blog Archives
BioShock Infinite: A Story That’s Crushed Beneath Its Own Ambition
May I play the devil’s advocate without being torn a new one? BioShock Infinite is a good game. With an almost unbelievably beautiful setting, stellar music and voice acting, and solid gameplay similar to its predecessors, 2K Games’ success was a foregone conclusion. Is it a truly great game? Not in my opinion.
If it seems weird that I’m writing a critical of a game that, in the end, I heartily enjoyed, take a trip over to Metacritic. BioShock Infinite currently stands as one of the most highly rated games of the generation. And — superficially — it deserves all those accolades. Let me discuss first what I loved about it. Read the rest of this entry
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon Coming To XBLA, PSN, PC as a Standalone Game
Fans of Far Cry 3 rejoice! According to IGN and an Xbox.com listing, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is indeed coming to XBLA, PSN, and PC as a standalone game. That means you don’t need to own a copy of Far Cry 3 to play Blood Dragon.
Now, I loved the origninal Far Cry 3 (check out our review) for it’s open-world, satisfying combat, excellent story, and memorable characters. It looks like Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon will be going with what worked with the original; but instead of a brutally realistic story that dealt with the darkest corners of human psyche, Blood Dragon will instead take a page from the 80′s school of action.
Hit the jump for more on Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon including screenshots after the break.
Tomb Raider Review: Rust, Dust, and a lot of Fuss
Written By: Justin Koop
In Crystal Dynamics’ 2013 reboot of the fledgling Tomb Raider series, you take control of Lara Croft, a 21-year-old archaeologist who becomes stranded on the mystical island of Yamatai. Right from the outset the game establishes itself as completely separate from its predecessors. Crystal Dynamics pulled the franchise’s decaying body from a vat filled with 1990’s action movies and Barbie boob-physics, and plunged it deep into the grey-brown filtered “next-gen” bucket; this Tomb Raider is rust, dust, and a lot of fuss.
Read our full Tomb Raider review after the break. Read the rest of this entry
Forgotten Treasures – Peter Jackson’s King Kong The Video Game
Back in 2005, there was no doubt that Peter Jackson’s King Kong was a box-office success. The film grossed over $50.1 million during it’s opening weekend, and over $100 million when it released on DVD. To be honest though, I was quite torn on the film; I thought it was a technical masterpiece for it’s time, but found the movie too long, too slow, and too over-simplified (aka popcorn-ized) for the audience. Whatever happened to the original’s invitation for audience interpretation?
On the other hand, I absolutely loved Peter Jackson’s King Kong The Video Game. Released for the PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, and PC, King Kong was a fun interactive tie-in to the 2005 blockbuster film of the same name. King Kong’s fantastic production values ensured that players felt like they were Jack Driscoll (voiced by Adrien Brody) as he fought for survival on Skull Island whilst searching for Ann Darrow. Conversely, it also allowed players to take control of the mighty King Kong as he protected Ann from the most dangerous hunters on the island. Read the rest of this entry
Top 5 Most Anticipated Xbox 360 Games of 2013
The Xbox 360 had another awesome year in 2012. Not only did the system sport excellent third-party releases like Dishonored, Borderlands 2, Mass Effect 3, and Spec Ops: The Line in it’s arsenal, it also blew people away with a plethora of exclusive AAA titles that showcased the Xbox 360′s horsepower. Games like The Witcher 2, Forza Horizon, and HALO 4 looked absolutely amazing on HDTV’s. Oh and let’s not forget that Xbox Live Arcade showcased a great number of quality downloadable titles that included the million-selling Minecraft, Alan Wake: American Nightmare, and the incredibly addictive Trials Evolution.
And even though 2013 looks to be the final year before Microsoft announces/releases the oft-rumoured Xbox 720, Xbox fans can still look forward to another year full of amazing games. And with that, let us get into our top 5 most anticipated Xbox 360 games of 2013. Read the rest of this entry
GottaCon Announces Videogame Tournaments for GC 2013
Great news for local gamers, GottaCon recently announced their videogame tournament lineup for GottaCon 2013.
Our hometown’s own gaming convention, GottaCon is set to arrive February 1 – 3 at Pearkes arena in Victoria BC (3100 Tillicum Road). GottaCon will be running two types of videogame tournaments; Premium and Secondary tournaments. Premium tourneys require the GC BYOC weekend pass (or videogame add-on package).
If you’ve ever been to GottaCon, premium events are the ‘Con’s most competitive contests and have higher prize payouts including prize packages from Kingston Hyper X, Logitech, Mad Catz, and more.
Check out the list of Premium Tournaments after the break. Read the rest of this entry
Win A Copy Of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night On Xbox 360
*This Competition Is Now Closed.*
This week’s winner for the Castlevania: SotN XBLA code is Alw6ys!
Hey JTM Nation, if you’ve never played Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, then you should know that you’re missing out on one of the best adventure games ever made. It’s so good that people still rave about it 14 years after its original release.
Seriously, you need to own this game.
Lucky for you, however, we’ve got a copy to giveaway on Xbox 360 to one lucky winner!
Find out how to enter the competition after the break. Read the rest of this entry
Forgotten Treasures – Deadly Premonition
The Original Japanese title was Red Seeds Profile. Which one do you prefer?
I’ll say it right now, this week’s Forgotten Treasures - Deadly Premonition - is a game that you’ll either love or hate. Originally an Xbox 360 exclusive in North America, Deadly Premonition divided both critic and consumer opinions. While some absolutely hated the game because of it’s outdated graphics and horrible voice acting, many more loved and swear by it even today. It’s also been affectionately called by many as the “Twin Peaks of gaming” and even holds the Guinness World Record for “Most Critically Polarizing Survival Horror Game.”
Learn more about Deadly Premonition after the break. Read the rest of this entry
Future Shop Announces HALO 4 Midnight Opening Events
The long-awaited HALO 4 is set to release next month, November 5th and Future Shop has announced its plans for midnight openings and special events for the release of one of the Xbox 360′s most popular shooting franchise.
Find out more about the Future Shop HALO 4 midnight openings, events, and tournaments, as well as the exclusive limited edition Steelbook that Future Shop first purchasers will receive after the break. Read the rest of this entry
State of Decay Preview – How Will You Survive The Zombie Apocalypse?
What would you do if the undead suddenly populated the streets and the world suddenly stopped? Would you sacrifice other lives in order to protect your own? How will you survive the zombie apocalypse?
These are questions asked of the player by Undead Labs, the team behind State of Decay, an upcoming ambitious zombie-survival open world simulation currently under development for the Xbox 360 and PC. One of the independent games on display at PAX, State of Decay impressed me so much that going back and playing Dead Rising and Dead Rising 2 just doesn’t do it for me any more. It’s a game that allows players to try and survive the zombie apocalypse as they see fit; making it a great sandbox that allows for multiple play styles.
Oh and it’s a game that has a dynamic world that continuously develops in real-time, dynamically generating content based on your actions, the choices you make, the people that you interact with, and resources that you use.
Check out our full preview of State of Decay after the break.
