All-Pro Football 2K8		Grade: D+
	Publisher: 2K Sports (2007) Reviewed: 2007/8/7 Rating: Everyone

When Electronic Arts secured the exclusive license to the NFL a few years back, it effectively killed off the highly acclaimed (and competitively priced) NFL 2K series. By introducing All-Pro Football 2K8, 2K Sports seems to be trying to make the best of a bad situation. The teams, stadiums, and rosters are completely fictitious except for 240 Hall of Fame players, including Johnny Unitas, Jerry Rice, Barry Sanders, Joe Montana, and Dick Butkus. All-Pro is saddled with a nightmare of a user interface, making it a confusing mess to simply open menus, select items, and even exit menus! Note to 2K Sports: Moving a thumbstick to open or close a menu is not intuitive! The "Quick Start" mode is anything but, since you need to create teams before they become available! The colorful team names include the Sailors, Sharks, Cobras, Rollers, and Werewolves. What is this, the NFL Europe?? You can't change your name or logo, but you can try to match the color scheme of your favorite NFL team (with much difficulty as my friend Steve discovered). Each team has a personalized stadium with large theatrical props, and it's actually fun to see what surprises each one has in store. On the field, the action is uneven. There's a whole new kicking control scheme, and it sucks (good luck trying to perform an on-side kick). Running the ball is fun, but why does it look like the runningback is dropping cocaine all over the field?! The passing icons are awfully tiny, and players seem unable to grasp the tipped passes that fall into their hands every other play. All-Pro's controls are complex, and unfortunately spread out over ten pages of the manual! Players don't automatically pick up loose balls anymore - now you have to hit the triangle button! The more you play the more glitches you discover, including one instance when I was awarded a touchdown despite the fact I was clearly stuffed on the four yard line! All-Pro Football does deserve credit for refs that actually throw flags (attention Madden). Players react with emotion, perform end-zone celebrations, and even apply late hits. The graphics are just as good as Madden, and the animation is probably better. Up close however the guys look psychotic with their wide, bulging eyes. The fictional player names are cheesy, prompting my friend Eric to wisecrack, "Wow, how did 2K get the rights to Korey Mustard?" All-Pro's two-man commentary is remarkably good, providing both insight and humor. They tend to get cut off however, and sometimes sound disjointed ("Fourth [pause] down and goal to go"). All-Pro's half time and post-game shows are pretty amazing, replaying the highlights of each half with excellent commentary. In terms of music, I hope you like "Tom Sawyer" by Rush, because it's the only song they bothered to license. I was hoping 2K Sports would come back hard after the long lay-off, but this is no substitute for Madden. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 7 players

Bigs, The		Grade: A-
	Publisher: 2K Sports (2007) Reviewed: 2007/7/17 Rating: Everyone

Do yourself a favor. Take all of the baseball games you've bought over the last ten years and throw them in the [expletive] trashcan. You'll never miss them once you've experienced The Bigs. For years publishers have focused on realism in baseball games, boring us all to tears in the process. But thankfully, the Bigs is everything Major League Baseball is not, with non-stop action, brisk pacing, razzle-dazzle plays, and short, five-inning games. And all without the boring fluff and delays associated with real baseball. The controls are simple. Do you know how to swing? You hit the mother-[expletive] X button - that's how. Pitching is equally simple, utilizing a single-press meter. Running the bases is automatic, and while it's possible to intervene, the CPU does an excellent job. Each team has a turbo meter, so you can just tap R1 to put some mustard on a swing, pitch, or throw. It's just as fun to play defense as offense, and that's saying something. I actually found myself cheering while playing this game - even when I was alone! Unlike other "extreme" sports titles, 2K Sports knows where to draw the line, so the Bigs never sinks into the realm of stupidity or bad taste. The players and teams are real, the stadiums look terrific, and the announcer plays it straight (thank goodness). If there's a flaw, it lies in the "power blast" swing power-up, which predictably results in a long homerun off the scoreboard or foul pole. The "Rookie Challenge" offers an addictive season mode, but don't forget to try the "Baseball Pinball" mode as well. It's a trip - letting you knock out lighted billboards in the middle of Times Square! Had this mini-game been developed a bit more, it could almost stand on its own! The Bigs is so good that it makes me want to lower the grades for all of my other baseball games. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 4 players

Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII		Grade: C+
	Publisher: Ubisoft (2006) Reviewed: 2007/1/31 Rating: Teen (mild language, violence)

I enjoy a good dogfighting game as much as the next guy, and Blazing Angels has an appealing arcade style. Piloting your plane is easy enough, and there are no complicated gauges to clutter up the screen. Angels gets off to a slow start with a monotonous training stage that almost put me to sleep. The actual missions however are quite exciting, recreating WWII battles over London, Pearl Harbor, and the deserts of North Africa. Each is introduced by a nifty animated sequence using "aged" black and white footage. Once you're thrust into the action, you'll shoot down waves of Nazi/Japanese planes, strafe tanks on the ground, carry out reconnaissance missions (take pictures), and even land on aircraft carriers. Blazing Angels' gameplay is forgiving, with clear objectives and handy arrows that direct you to your next target. Even after you go down in flames, frequent checkpoints allow you to pick up near where you left off. The directional pad lets you call on other members of your squadron to repair your plane (in mid-air no less!) or divert the attention of enemies. It's important to "shake off" a pursuer when you're taking damage, but you'd be surprised how long your plane can remain airborne while on fire (often long enough to complete your mission). One thing that bogs down the action is the verbose dialogue of your colleagues, displayed as text between missions. Those boring blabbermouths need to just shut the hell up! The graphics in Blazing Angels are okay I guess, but there were times when I wondered if this could have been a PS2 game. The endless rows of buildings in London look pretty impressive - until you take a closer look. Still, the sheer amount of chaos in the Pearl Harbor stages is certainly worthy of the "next generation", and I love the huge columns of smoke that emanate from destroyed ships. Most critics wrote off the motion-sensitive controls as a gimmick, but I found them to be a pleasant surprise. It might not make things easier, but it makes the game more immersive, so I adopted it as my default scheme. In addition to the addictive single-player campaign, a number of entertaining two-player split-screen modes are available, both cooperative and competitive. Blazing Angels does have a few technical flaws, including frequent audio glitches and unsightly "waves" that appear on the screen when things get too crazy. It won't blow you away, but based on its playability and unique controls, I'd say this was a worthwhile title. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 or 2 players

College Hoops 2K8		Grade: C
	Publisher: 2K Sports (2007) Reviewed: 2008/1/20 Rating: Everyone

Following up on 2K's excellent NBA game (NBA 2K8), College Hoops offers realistic, fluid basketball action with plenty of razzle-dazzle. The players move with uncanny grace, and their floorwork is just like the real thing. You really need to employ good ball movement to obtain an open shot. Forcing a shot, driving through a crowd, or carelessly passing usually puts the ball in the opposition's hands. I like how you shoot foul-shots by tilting the controller - it's fun and effortless. Executing in-bound passes are more difficult however, and often terribly frustrating. Unlike EA's disappointing March Madness 08, Hoops makes a genuine effort to convey the spirit and pageantry of the college game. There are coaches roaming the sidelines, mascots goofing off, and cute cheerleaders jumping about. The arenas look beautiful with their bright logos and shiny wood floors. The new "sixth man" meter lets the crowd play a role by affecting the team's confidence and hustle. At the conclusion of each game, Greg Gumbal provides a professional wrap-up at the sports desk. Unfortunately, a few of College Hoop's bells and whistles are more detracting than appealing. When Tracy Wolfson gives her sideline report, an oversized graphic bearing her name not only obstructs the action on the screen, but remains on the screen for the duration of her report! Also, that PA announcer really goes overboard with his "Two minutes! Twwwoooooo minutes!" Hey dumb ass, they only announce one minute in college games, so shut the hell up! Although generally polished, College Hoops did lock up on me on one occasion, and the user interface (menu navigation) is absolutely horrible. You wouldn't believe how difficult it was for my friend Steve and I to set up a two-player cooperative tournament. For those who opt for the 360 edition of College Hoops 2K8, you should know that the animation is slightly smoother but the audio has issues. Specifically, it's hard to hear the commentators, and you can't turn down that annoying PA guy. But no matter what system you own, College Hoops 2K8 is probably the best choice for b-ball fans this season. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 7 players

Darkness, The		Grade: B-
	Publisher: 2K Games (2007) Reviewed: 2007/7/17 Rating: Mature

The Darkness is a mature-rated title featuring demonic possession, a mob storyline, and even time-travel in a flawed but still compelling first-person shooter. The game's high-octane, cinematic introduction is a semi-interactive, high-speed chase through a New York City tunnel. Not only did it blow me away, but it effectively showcased the excessive profanity, gratuitous gore, and senseless violence that pervade the entire game. You play a 21-year old hit-man on the run when you're suddenly endowed with demonic powers, manifested by two Alien-headed, snake-like creatures protruding from your back. You'll use the subways to move between dark, deserted sections of town, and the buildings and alleys look convincingly aged and weathered. In addition to shooting police and mobsters, your "dark powers" let you to remotely scout new areas and summon little demons to do your bidding. Your "creeping darkness" power lets you guide one of your snakes through vents to access locked rooms and other inaccessible areas. Unfortunately, the abysmal controls and confusing viewing angles make this aspect of the game frustrating. Spawning gun-toting and bomb-strapped gremlins is more satisfying, although directing them towards the enemy can be tricky. The storyline is great, cleverly conveyed with in-game devices like televisions, phone calls, and apparitions. The PS3 edition of The Darkness is almost identical to the Xbox 360 version, except you need to sit through load meters in this one. Also, the lack of controller vibration is glaring. You can only save one game at a time, and I actually lost my latest checkpoint just so I could show my buddy the kick-ass intro. Multi-player modes are included, but only via LAN or on-line. I've grown a bit weary of first-person shooters, but The Darkness was just original and weird enough to win me over. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer		Grade: B-
	Publisher: 2K Games (2007) Reviewed: 2007/7/17 Rating: Teen (fantasy violence)

Fantastic 4 plays how a super hero game should play, with non-stop action, brisk pacing, ample destruction, and emphasis on teamwork. You only control one hero at a time, but can toggle between all four using the directional pad. Unfortunately, the action gets off to a slow start with a painfully long first stage set in an alien headquarters under a volcano. Its purpose is to help you learn the moves, but the never-ending, claustrophobic hallways are just too much. If you can get through that however, the game really picks up steam as you return to New York to battle in the streets and on rooftops. Later our heroes leave the Earth to visit an old Soviet space station that's now infested by apes. Not only does the space station have a convincingly antiquated, cold war appearance, but the manner in which the apes amble around looks pretty creepy! Fantastic 4's control scheme maps perfectly to the PS3 controller. The four face buttons provide basic moves, and these are toggled into special moves using R2 or team moves using L2. It's nice how your attack options are displayed with colorful icons on the screen, making it clear which ones are available. It's great fun to experiment, and once you get the hang of the devastating team attacks, you'll be using them at every opportunity. The game only offers two or three different enemy types per stage, but the variety of attacks keeps things fresh. I especially like how you must utilize a special power of a specific hero to solve each puzzle. For example, the Human Torch can melt walls of ice, and Mr. Fantastic can stretch to reach levers on the ceiling. The camera is controlled with the right thumbstick, and while it's fine with one player, it can be very problematic with multiple players. There are a few Human Torch flying stages that use the motion controls of the PS3 controller, but they're not so hot. Fantastic 4's graphics are about average - nothing spectacular but sharp and clean. The sound effects are crisp but suffer from uneven volume. You'll want to turn down the sound when you hear the loud crumbling rocks, but then you can't hear the dialogue! Likewise there are some minor graphic and control glitches here and there. Fantastic 4 isn't a groundbreaking title, but if you're in the mood for some superhero action, it's more than respectable. © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 to 4 players

Heavenly Sword		Grade: A
	Publisher: Sony (2007) Reviewed: 2008/1/11 Rating: Teen (blood, suggestive themes, language, violence)

Comparisons to God of War are inevitable, but Heavenly Sword holds its ground, dishing out its own creative brand of medieval violence. After a lousy initial impression, the game gradually gains traction, proving itself to be as captivating as it is beautiful. Its swordplay offers surprising depth and originality, and the storyline is loaded with colorful characters. With apologies to Laura Croft, protagonist Nariko has got to be the most gorgeous character ever rendered in a video game. The memorable cast of villains includes the maniacal Flying Fox, the slinky, reptilian Whiptail, and the obese, slow-witted Roach. The developers employed motion-captured faces to animate character expressions, and it pays off handsomely, giving the cut-scenes heightened emotional impact. Some characters are subject to outrageous overacting, but it's all in good fun. Nariko's sidekick Kai looks like Bjork but acts like Golem. If Flying Fox is trying to be irritating with his stilted dialogue, well, it's working! Heavenly Sword's fighting system uses the shoulder buttons to toggle between three styles: fast (the default), range (chains), and power. Combinations of buttons are used to unleash God of War-caliber carnage on converging gangs of barbarians. One boldly original feature is automatic blocking, which allows you to execute devastating counters with good timing. Some battles can be lengthy, but you can shorten them substantially by "finishing off" enemies via the square button. Pivotal moments in the story are played out with "quick response" sequences that prompt you to press buttons while a cut scene is in progress. These can be pretty intense! Target shooting is another major part of the game. Kai is armed with a bow, and using an innovative "after-touch" mechanism, you guide your slow-motion arrow in-flight using the Six-Axis motion control! Although difficult at first, this feature proves supremely satisfying in advanced stages - especially when firing massive cannonballs into invading troops, sending bodies flying in all directions. Heavenly Sword's awesome graphics feature magnificent temples situated over soaring waterfalls, and the art direction is nothing less than spectacular. It's hard to find fault with the game, but the melodramatic acting and long-winded dialogue may test your patience at times. The game is ideal in terms of length (under ten hours), and it held my attention from start to end. For PS3 owners hungry for some intense action, playing Heavenly Sword will be time well spent. © Copyright 2008 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player

Lair		Grade: D
	Publisher: Sony (2007) Reviewed: 2007/10/10 Rating: Teen (blood and gore, violence)

I've always professed an unconditional love for dragons in video games, dating all the way back to Adventure and Dragonfire on the Atari 2600. Lair, however, put that devotion to the test. In terms of graphics, audio, and art direction, Lair is a masterpiece. Cinematic cut-scenes convey a dramatic story about two warring medieval armies. Lair's scenery features majestic towers rising over soaring waterfalls and immense bridges crossing turbulent waters. The dragons look amazing, as do the multitudes of soldiers fighting on the ground below. The game makes you feel like you're in a freakin' Lord of the Rings movie for Pete's sake! The frame rate does take a hit on occasion, but in general amount of activity on the screen at any given time is impressive. A sweeping orchestrated score gives the game an epic flair, and the voice acting is superb. Lair would have made an awesome demo, but Sony had to ruin everything by turning it into a game! It's not very fun, and I was usually relieved when each mission came to an end. You're forced to use the six-axis motion controls, and frankly I'm not a fan. Guiding your dragon with any precision is difficult enough, but having to shake the controller like a [expletive] jackhammer to perform maneuvers like lifting large objects or destroying cannons is as clumsy as it is cheesy. The cheaply constructed PS3 controller felt like it would break in my clutches, and it even flew out of my friend's hand a few times! The control scheme is inordinately complex and counter-intuitive, with a move list that spans several pages of the manual. Targeting is no problem thanks to a handy lock-on mechanism, but the camera is crazy. It's always swinging around to show you the carnage you've unleashed, but that totally throws off your steering! The missions are confusing, and I spent far too much time wondering what was going on or what I was supposed to do. It's difficult to tell the good guys from the bad - especially when the dragons all look the same! Even when the game prompts you with exact buttons to hit, you're often left wondering what just transpired. In one sequence I was told to attack a rhino by shaking the controller up and down. One second it looked like that rhino was having his way with my dragon on the ground, and the next moment I was dropping his rhino ass out of the sky. Did I miss something? Sometimes you'll be flying around with your fire-breathing snout up your butt, only to have the game announce "Mission Completed", without you having any clue why or how. I also hate how you're forced to sit through the endless animations when first starting up the game, including a THX cartoon! On a positive note, the game contains some nice bonus artwork, "making of" documentaries, and trailers. PS3 fans may find Lair worthwhile on the strength of its extraordinary production values, but somebody needs to remind Sony that gameplay is important too! They forgot! © Copyright 2007 The Video Game Critic.

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1 player