• Eurogamer (90/100): "I still don't really know what Blood Dragon is, or how it relates to Far Cry 3, but more to the point: I don't care. If only more blockbusters had this much fun with their legacy."
• Game Informer (85/100): "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon has the potential to alienate people with its crass sense of humor and repetitive one-liners. But if you long for an era when smart-mouthed badasses were more concerned with making things go boom than catering to social sensitivities, Rex Power Colt is your man, and Blood Dragon is your game."
• GameSpot (85/100): "You don't have to love the decade of Rubik's Cubes and Pac-Man Fever to get a kick out of Blood Dragon. But if you do, then all the better: this action-packed shooter will strike all the right synth-pop power chords."
• Edge (70/100): "This isn't Far Cry 3 at its best mechanically, but it's definitely the game at its most charismatic. Because as a bunch of well-worn VHS tapes at Ubisoft Montreal undoubtedly prove, the '80s knew how to do personality."
• Destructoid (70/100): "I'd rather have Blood Dragon exist as it does than not exist at all. A game this delightfully stupid can only make the world a better place, and I sincerely hope this isn't the last we see of Rex Colt."

Metareview: Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Game Informer (80/100): "Riptide's flaws are many, but they couldn't hold me back from having a blast. Few games nail the visceral feel of melee combat and co-op fun like Dead Island. At its worst, an annoying hiccup breaks the immersion of the grizzly trek through a zombie-infested paradise. At its best, Riptide hits the same high notes as the original."
• IGN (72/100): "Technically, it's done nothing to build itself into a great game. Rather than fix the graphics and the performance problems that plagued the original two years ago, Techland slightly modified the setting and delivered a new character and more content. It's a fun time, but there are no surprises or killer new features to make it an impressive package."
• Eurogamer (60/100): "What makes that so sad is that this feels like a series only a few great decisions away from being really good. A better script with a sense of humor, a bit more imagination in quest design, more coherent inventory management and character development... These things shouldn't be unattainable goals for a developer that must be flush from the unexpected success of the first game."
• VideoGamer (50/100): "On the whole however Riptide is yet another missed opportunity, and just too painfully average, wonky and padded out with filler to truly recommend."
• Gamespot (40/100): "Riptide is dumb, and mind-numbingly slow, and somehow manages to make the art of zombie-slaying feel like utter tedium. And if slaying zombies isn't fun in a game that's all about slaying zombies, why bother? "

Metareview: Dead Island: Riptide originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Apr 2013 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Eurogamer (100/100): "BioShock Infinite doesn't blur the lines between your reality and the game's to quite the same extent as its predecessor, but it's a more complete and polished story, and that's the thing you'll remember. "
• Game Informer (100/100): "Infinite is more than a new setting, story, and characters; those elements are seamlessly integrated with complex themes, a mysterious plot, and entertaining combat to create an amazing experience from beginning to end."
• PC Gamer (91/100): "Elizabeth herself is nice. I liked her. If you were hoping for something more - perhaps even the fabled Strong Female Character[TM] - you might be disappointed. When you're together, she's relegated to the role of caddy, limited to passing you a new weapon when you run out of ammo, and only ever using her own abilities when you command her to."
• Edge (90/100): "Sadly, as the combat opens up, the story begins to slowly unravel. There's no golf club moment, no singular twist around which the tale turns. Instead, Infinite provides a series of revelations that have you replaying earlier sections with a more enlightened, inquisitive eye."
• VideoGamer (80/100): "It is fascinating, and also boring. It is important, yet forgettable. Its world is enticing and unappealing. It attempts to move things forward, yet is in places stuck in the past. For a game that has the potential to open the franchise up to a multitude of different ideas and interpretations, BioShock Infinite can feel curiously limited."

Metareview: BioShock Infinite originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• GameTrailers (80/100): "Aside from some issues with its online requirements, bugs, and restrictions on city size, it's still a satisfying and addicting simulator that will grant dozens of hours of entertainment with one well-designed city alone."
• GiantBomb (60/100): "And while I expect many will fall head-over-heels in love with this SimCity's cooperative design, at its best, the game feels more like a really thoughtfully designed multiplayer mode for a larger, single-player capable game that, sadly, doesn't exist."
• Gamespot (50/100): "The bugs will probably be fixed, the wrinkles smoothed, and the online problems sorted out. What hurts most, though, is that it didn't have to be this way. SimCity's makers looked to MMOGs for ideas on how to bring players together, but didn't absorb the lessons MMOG developers learned long ago on how to implement practical online play."
• Eurogamer (40/100): "There was a time, perhaps eight or nine hours in, when I wondered why SimCity was so easy. Nobody ever complained about the air pollution, while using my depot to sell my recycling netted me endless profits. I kept playing because, back then, I kept having fun, I kept trying new things and I kept convincing myself that I was a good Mayor. Now I know that it was never really down to me."
• Destructoid (40/100): "I wanted to like this game, I really did. At first I started to enjoy it, but soon all I found was frustration. I can't recommend this game to anyone, and I don't want to play it anymore myself because I am afraid of seeing all my efforts lost due to server issues."

Metareview: SimCity originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Destructoid (90/100): "OverRun alone is worthy of praise, but there's just so much stuff going on in this package, there's something for all followers of the series. A few of Judgment's experiments may not be as fondly received as others, but overall it's hard to complain about a game that tries so much, and succeeds in almost all its endeavors...This is Gears of War back, unquestionably, on the winning path."
• EGM (80/100): "While the emphasis on fast-paced replayability and a more intimate, nuanced narrative do wonders for Judgment's single-player campaign, the game is ultimately held back by its surprisingly meager multiplayer offering."
• Eurogamer (80/100): "Even with the pall of over-familiarity lingering over it, Gears of War: Judgment is a timely reminder that ruthless focus on gameplay, generosity towards players and good old-fashioned design craft can still pay dividends at a time when big-budget action games are at risk of fragmenting into splinters of mindless busywork. Sometimes, being a bloody good shooter is all that's required."
• Giant Bomb (60/100): "There's just enough exposition there to keep things moving and just enough of a gameplay tweak to make you wish they had made these changes two games ago. It's a fun but feature-light shooter for people who already enjoy the basic style of Gears of War. Nothing more, nothing less."

Metareview: Gears of War - Judgment originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Touch Arcade (100/100): "Ridiculous Fishing is such a complete package that it's an effortless recommendation. It totally captures that gameplay niche of a game you can load up and play for a few minutes while providing a feel of progression that also makes the title suitable for substantially longer play sessions."
• Edge (90/100): "This is, ultimately, a simple little smartphone title, modest in its ambitions. That isn't to say it's a minor release, merely that it's a much smaller game than the story surrounding it."
• IGN (80/100): "Ridiculous Fishing could have probably been made even more ridiculous. The four fishing spots don't really feel distinct from one another. The geometric, almost cubist design is absolutely gorgeous, but it contributes to the feeling that you're seeing the same sights repeatedly. Lure and gun upgrades spice up the gameplay somewhat, but they don't really change the fact that this is a simple arcade experience with beautiful audiovisual design."
• Eurogamer (80/100): "And the moral of the story? A great game design can always be ripped off, sadly, but talent will out in the end. You can't cut-and-paste the artistry and attitude that Vlambeer has brought to this extravagant bit of disposable nonsense. You can't copy a true original - even before it's out."

Metareview: Ridiculous Fishing originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 15 Mar 2013 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Destructoid (90/100): "God of War has never looked or played better than this. Kratos has never been as deep or interesting as this. They've set the bar so high that I have no idea how they'll be able to follow this one up. Sony Santa Monica should be proud. Series fans should be proud."
• Gamespot (80/100): "The single-player is where you should spend your time. No, it doesn't quite reach the audacious and rage-filled moments of God of War: Ascension's predecessors, nor does it move the series forward in any way, but it's skilfully put together, and wonderfully satisfying to play."
• GamesRadar (70/100): "Also somewhat disappointing are the newly added multiplayer features, which are held up by clever level design and strong game modes, but smacked down by uninteresting gameplay. It sounds great in theory, but in practice it turns out there's nothing less fun than being beat up by someone as powerful as Kratos."
• VideoGamer (70/100): "The multiplayer component is as fresh as the single-player is familiar. Ask yourself what you're after from a God of War game: if you desire only to step into the boots of gaming's most brutish, then you may find Ascension wanting. If, however, you're open to the idea of taking on the mantle of another Spartan hero, you'll find it a limb-lopping, head-popping delight. Just don't tell Kratos, eh?"
• Edge (70/100): "Consider our expectations defied: this is the star of the show. While this series' singleplayer template is showing its age, there's plenty in Ascension's multiplayer that deserves to survive the transition to PS4."

Metareview: God of War: Ascension originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Mar 2013 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Digital Spy (100/100): "With a well written cast of characters, mightily impressive production techniques, sumptuous visuals, tight platforming and surprisingly enjoyable combat, Tomb Raider is most definitely a release to be treasured."
• GamesRadar (90/100): "Its expert sense of pacing, captivating setting, and dark tone create a truly memorable experience that's further enhanced by an immense level of detail. Lara Croft, the old Lara Croft, is dead. In place of a dolled-up gunslinger is a do-what-it-takes survivor - and we hope she hasn't had her fill of adventuring just yet."
• Polygon (90/100): "It's easy to point out the many ways that Tomb Raider borrows bits and pieces from other popular games of the last five years, but Crystal Dynamics has blended these disparate strengths into something remarkable. It's cinematic yet open, intense yet laid-back, fresh yet polished."
• GameSpot (85/100): "The single-player campaign here is the main attraction, and it is excellent. It doesn't try to rewrite the book on third-person action adventure games. But with its excellent controls, engaging heroine, thrilling combat, and fascinating setting, it doesn't need to."
• Edge (80/100): "Whether she's huddled up against the cold or sending five men to their doom with an explosive arrow, this is still Lara Croft, one of gaming's most distinctive heroes - and now she has a personality that extends far beyond the bounds of her bra straps. If the purpose of a reboot is to redefine a character and set them up for the future, then this is a job well done."

Metareview: Tomb Raider originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 04 Mar 2013 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Game Informer (85/100): "This impressive graphical fidelity takes a serious hit in the transition to multiplayer. Though Crysis 3 has some of the better-designed maps in the series, the muddied textures are a far cry from the jaw-dropping visuals of the single-player campaign, especially on consoles."
• IGN (85/100): "It's not quite a next generation experience come early, but it's a superbly controlled, tightly paced and tactically flexible shooter with a satisfyingly focused story, and an excellent way to tie up the Crysis series... for now."
• Destructoid (75/100): "Crysis 3 attempts to strike a balance between Crysis and Crysis 2, but in doing so manages to lose a little bit of what made each game appealing. The result is a title that doesn't truly match the open-ended excitement of the first game nor the revelatory empowerment of the second, yet manages to provide enough of both to at least tantalize, even if it doesn't completely satisfy."
• GamesRadar (70/100): "A gratifying shooter experience. Even though the campaign is on the shorter side, there are a few visual hiccups, and some of the enemy AI is unbalanced, those small gripes get overshadowed by Crysis 3's tactical gameplay, beautiful environments, and superb online multiplayer. While not treading new ground for the FPS genre, Crysis 3 is a solid shooter."
• VideoGamer (60/100): "By the end of the game I was bored silly, and considering the scope of what was going on that shouldn't have been the case. Sadly, bar a few exceptions - a Jurassic Park-style hunting section in long grass, an open-ended assault on Ceph AA emplacements - I'd rinsed and repeated the same thing so much that I couldn't care less."

Metareview: Crysis 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Feb 2013 19:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Polygon (90/100): "Platinum Games has done something incredibly rare: honoring a beloved series while successfully broadening its reach into a whole new genre."
• Eurogamer (90/100): "If Revengeance didn't have camera issues this would be the easiest 10 I've ever given. As things stand it's still brilliant, staking out new territory in the genre and adapting certain Metal Gear characteristics so well that it makes the competition look outrageously bad. This is simply the ultimate one-man show, worth its ticket price many times over, an experience that improves exponentially as it gets faster and as you get better."
• Giant Bomb (80/100): "A thrilling and engaging experience. The swordplay is fun, and it's really fascinating to see the different spots where either Kojima's or Platinum's signature styles shine through. It also has a wild final confrontation that shows elements of both."
• Game Informer (78/100): "If you have any hopes for this story building on Metal Gear lore or giving you a chance to reconnect with characters you care about, you will be disappointed. The new characters are uninteresting and poorly developed, and the old characters are practically non-existent."
• OPM: (70/100): "Sadly, the combat doesn't have enough depth to trouble the genre's best (it certainly can't touch Ninja Theory's DmC reboot), and there's a disappointing disposability about the whole experience. This is a project that has been rightfully and respectably salvaged, but one that can't quite cut it at the top.

Metareview: Metal Gear Rising - Revengeance originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Metareview: Dead Space 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 05 Feb 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• IGN (94/100): "I wanted it to keep going. That's because Ni No Kuni is just that special, and every RPG fan owes it to him or herself to pick it up and see why."
• Gamespot (90/100): "Ni no Kuni proudly joins that elite group of games providing such an enticing world that you can't imagine never having visited it. The only problem, of course, is that you may never want to leave."
• Eurogamer (90/100): "Ni no Kuni is rich yet breezy, classic yet modern, exquisitely made and completely sure of itself. Best of all, Level-5 and Ghibli's artists have worked together to create a gorgeous adventure that feels like it belongs to both of them."
• Game Informer (70/100): "Despite the adrenaline-pumping intensity, the battle system has its frustrations. Sometimes the window to defend passes far too quickly. Not only must you select defend for your character, you must also order the sub-par AI companions to protect themselves as well."
• Polygon (65/100): "I was charmed, but always by stuff surrounding the gameplay - never by the gameplay itself. Level-5 hasn't created a bad game but an inconsistent one that doesn't seem to understand its own strengths and weaknesses. The flashy look and cheerful tone will pull some people through, but at its core, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is missing a chunk of its heart that's hard to ignore. "

Metareview: Ni no Kuni originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Giant Bomb (5/5): "Everything in this new game exists in service of making it a great game in its own right, not in stoking your nostalgia for the games you played over the last decade. As a character action game, it hits all the notes - fast, robust action, marvelous visual style, and a tremendous sense of attitude - you could want in this type of game."
• Game Informer (90/100): "I'm impressed by the sheer variety of Dante's moveset. Three guns, two angelic weapons, two demonic weapons, and one sword have unique abilities that you purchase. Because some moves are more useful than others (I still love the Stinger/Trillion Stabs combo), you can refund any spent points at no cost, encouraging you to experiment with the possibilities."
• IGN (89/100): "Long-time Devil May Cry fans unsure of Ninja Theory's treatment can abandon their fears. DmC hurls Dante into a newer, better world, complete with a glorious combat system and enough style to make old Dante proud. This is digital action at its finest, steeped in the blood of angels, spiced with gunpowder, and garnished with a middle finger."
• Edge (80/100): "DmC has a greater emphasis on story than the games that preceded it, then, which is just what you'd expect from the maker of the narrative-heavy Enslaved and Heavenly Sword. But its focus is absolutely where it should be: at the tip of Dante's sword. Playing true to its forebears' considerable strengths, DmC is still a game about crowd management and of making best use of its myriad systems to keep a combo going and maximise your style rating."
• GameSpot (80/100): "DmC succeeds both in its story and in its brilliant combat, and it looks the business too, despite a few minor glitches and the more color-soaked levels looking like they've spent a little too much time in an Instagram filter. Sure, you may baulk at Dante's trendy new haircut, or maybe even miss a little of that B-movie Devil May Cry insanity, but the heart of what makes the series so enticing and so much fun to play holds true here."

Metareview: DMC: Devil May Cry originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Eurogamer (100/100): "Far Cry 3 is all the best things about open-world gaming. It's a glorious anecdote factory, where you manufacture brilliant new memories every time you wake up in a safehouse and head out into the jungle. ... And it always lets you play, but it also controls the tempo - sometimes a little heavy-handedly, but always with good intentions."
• Gamespot (90/100): "Stretches of unpredictable exploration and free-form hunting alternate with challenging pirate confrontations, sometimes culminating with a rocket blast to the helicopter hounding you from above. This is an ambitious and finely tuned adventure that gets better and better as you play."
• Game Informer (90/100): "After two remarkable but uneven offerings, Far Cry finally pulls everything together in the third installment. The diverse open-world action, compelling story, and an alluring environment that begs exploration are all high water marks for the series. This is an island adventure all shooter fans should experience. "
• IGN (90/100): "Far Cry 3 is important for the same reason as Far Cry 2. It's a shooter that considers shooters thoughtfully, both in the way they're designed and the way we play them, and then asks us to do the same. Should massacring hundreds be a great way to entertain ourselves? Maybe not. But it is. "
• Destructoid (80/100): "While riddled with minor gripes, there is no one overwhelming, glaring fault that threatens to drag the whole experience down. With the third installment in the Far Cry series, Ubisoft has managed to deliver a game that provides not one, not two, but three well-crafted experiences that may vary in terms of longevity but all manage to be of uniform quality."

Metareview: Far Cry 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 04 Dec 2012 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• IGN (90/100): "Like Dishonored before it, it's actually a true pleasure to play a game that lets you tackle it from multiple angles. After several years of increasingly totalitarian games where you're very much following a pre-determined path, it's nice to have a game that doesn't just encourage improvisation; it requires it."
• Polygon (85/100): "Hitman: Absolution is a faster, more streamlined game than its predecessors, but that only makes it different, not bad. The dark humor has been toned down, but still peeks through. The same anti-hero menace and professional purpose remains. And more importantly, the core purpose and gameplay that's always driven the Hitman series is still there. It's not as cerebral as Hitman: Blood Money."
• Eurogamer (70/100): "Reloading some of its best levels, turning off the hints and watching and waiting, it's much easier to remember what it is that makes Agent 47 so special. Hitman is a series to treasure for those moments, even if Absolution isn't its finest hour. Hopefully it won't be another six years before IO Interactive gets another shot at showing us why."
• Edge (70/100): "Contracts redeems Absolution, but it doesn't absolve it. The game has taken a unique formula and diluted it, allowing the fashionable trappings of other stealth titles to intrude upon a series that has always confidently eschewed convention."
• Videogamer (50/100): "Occasionally you'll witness flashes of brilliance, glimpses that suggest IO could yet salvage something from this wreckage for its next Hitman game. And then you finish a stage with a tedious quick-time event, snapping the neck of a morbidly obese Danny Trejo-alike in a wrestling match watched by hundreds - astonishingly earning yourself a Silent Assassin rating in the process - and you shake your head sadly and wonder how it all went so badly wrong."

Metareview: Hitman: Absolution originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• IGN (93/100): "Combined with the host of subtle and overt improvements to the array of other systems, the additions to make it more appealing to Esports, and the more fleshed out Zombies mode, this is not just a fantastic Call of Duty game, but one of the best shooters of the last decade."
• G4 (90/100): "A ton of work has gone into this game from top to bottom, and it stands as a real testament to the developers who didn't want to just coattail this one into the books. Nearly every system and aspect of the game has been tweaked or overhauled, and it certainly shows in the final product."
• EGM (90/100): "The first Black Ops put Treyarch on par with Infinity Ward; with Black Ops 2, they surpass them. This is the most impressed I've been with Call of Duty since the first Modern Warfare; aside from some problems with the Strike Force missions, this is a shining moment for the franchise."
• Game Informer (85/100): "For shooter fans that don't require as deep of a dive, Black Ops 2's multiplayer may feel like more of the same. No significant new match types are present, and the Pick 10 system doesn't drastically change the gameplay experience. Most of the changes to the Call of Duty formula come in campaign mode, and they are executed with mixed results. Despite some frustrations, Black Ops 2 is yet another massive, polished, finely tuned entry in a series that shows no signs of slowing down."
• GameSpot (80/100): "The campaign hits the same satisfying rhythms, the multiplayer captures the same frenetic intensity, and the cooperative zombies mode delivers the same stale undead-massacring action. Caught between striving for the future and remaining rooted in the past, Black Ops 2 finds solid footing, providing another great ride on the Call of Duty rollercoaster."

Metareview: Call of Duty Black Ops 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Destructoid (100/100): "343 Industries have done a remarkable job at continuing the Halo legacy. They've gone all out, creating a fantastic sequel that brought forth a major focus on storytelling while upping the visual and audio direction to a level that will be tough for anyone to rival with these few remaining years of the current console generation."
• IGN (98/100): "Halo has been rebuilt. It has been redefined. And it has been reinvigorated. The Xbox's original king has returned to his rightful place on the throne."
• Game Informer (93/100): "343 Industries introduces an episodic cooperative experience with enormous potential to change the way post-release content is delivered in games. Spartan Ops brings a new cinematic episode every week, along with five connected missions. The large battles and objectives available in these missions are ideal for a group of friends, and at a little over an hour per episode, it's perfect for a weekly gaming meet-up."
• Gamespot (90/100): "Halo 4 is every bit the massive shooter package that its predecessors were, and it holds the series' standard high. The thrilling and emotional return of Master Chief and Cortana is the highlight, and the campaign breaks new ground in narrative quality for the franchise. The top-notch competitive multiplayer picks up where Halo: Reach left off, infusing the action with some mainstream elements while still remaining undeniably unique. Spartan Ops may stay a mere sideshow or prove its worth in the weeks to come."
• Eurogamer (80/100): "At the end of Halo 4's campaign, after the credits have rolled, 343 Industries posts a short message thanking fans for trusting the company with their beloved universe and asking us to remember that this is just a first step. It's a telling memo that reveals a certain nervousness about the task at hand: a plea that we understand the weight of responsibility these creators have felt in adopting Master Chief."

Metareview: Halo 4 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Nov 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• The Escapist (100/100): "Assassin's Creed 3 lets you jump into an intriguing point in history, and it succeeds on nearly every level with nimble combat, fun diversions and the chance to captain your own ship. Connor might not be an altogether likeable hero, but the New World he's fighting to protect is one you won't forget."
• Game Informer (95/100): "An overwhelming experience in its own right, Assassin's Creed 3 is the crown jewel on an already excellent series, and it sets the mind reeling about the potential for where the story goes from here."
• IGN (85/100): "Not everything about the game gels together convincingly and the missions' unnecessary prescriptiveness sometimes undermines the sense of freedom that the rest of the game works so hard to create. But it achieves so much that you can't help but respect it; no other open-world game has ever given us a setting that's as impressive to observe or as full of things to do as this."
• GameSpot (85/100): "Other games stimulate emotion with manipulative music and teary monologues; Assassin's Creed 3 rouses your mind and your heart by giving you a glimpse into its characters' souls and letting you judge them on their own merits."
• Destructoid (75/100): "Cohesion (or lack thereof) is the main issue with Assassin's Creed 3. There are dozens of secondary elements which make up the content of the game, but they offer little in terms of reward and rarely contribute anything to the Assassin/Templar conflict. While the game is often quite fun, beautiful to look at and empowering to the player, it doesn't offer much challenge beyond the endurance necessary to complete all of the single-player campaign elements."

Metareview: Assassin's Creed 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 31 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Game Informer (50/100): "The uninspired single-player campaign, uneven multiplayer execution, and rampant presence of glitches undermine Medal of Honor: Warfighter's efforts to join the Tier 1 of military shooters. If Danger Close keeps executing this poorly, this once-loved series may be dangerously close to being put in a casket."
• OXM (50/100): "You'll also roll your eyes at cloying cutscenes that never bother to introduce a worthwhile villain, and are instead crammed with insulting caricatures of unhappy military wives. We'll acknowledge it takes a rare breed to succeed in the special forces, but the personifications of dutiful male devotion are too one-dimensional to be human, much less heroic."
• Destructoid (50/100): "Charmless, cynical, and uninspired, Warfighter encapsulates everything wrong with the annual big budget shooter industry. It's really not an awful game, it's just insipid and shallow, a title that exists solely to exist, and squeeze whatever profit remains to be had from serving the same flavorless porridge to the same unadventurous customers. It will make its money, and keep the FPS factories in business for another year."
• Polygon (45/100): "While the multiplayer's obtuse design decisions are preferable to the campaign's lack of artificial intelligence, decent mechanics, or interesting level design, it's still difficult to find much reason to recommend Medal of Honor Warfighter over the shooters it wants so desperately to resemble. In an attempt to build a bridge across Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty, Danger Close has once again fallen into the hole between them."
• DarkStation (40/100): "Here's the aggravating truth: Warfighter is bad. Even given the fact that it's functional and competently designed at its base, the game in no way provides a nutritive and compelling addition to the genre it wants so badly to rule. Its core premise, to provide players an "authentic" special forces warfighter experience, never comes within striking distance due to hazy plot development and abrupt, inorganic pacing."

Metareview: Medal of Honor: Warfighter originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Oct 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• IGN (92/100): "It's a shame that Dishonored's story isn't greater than the sum of its decidedly memorable parts, but its gameplay absolutely is. Each mission is built as an elaborate network of choices for players to explore, and the same can be said for Corvo himself. Each player's selection of powers, perks and other upgrades will inform how they see and interact with this world, and no two play-throughs will be exactly the same. Dishonored is a game you'll talk with your friends about, and that you'll want to play multiple times. In this game there are always other paths to be taken and other challenges to conquer, and that's a refreshing thing indeed."
• Gamespot (90/100): "It's a rare game that feels so compulsively replayable, but Dishonored is such a game. The compelling abilities, the bold artistic design, the colorful characters, and above all, the freedom of choice--these are the things that mark Dishonored as one of the truly remarkable games of this year."
• Game Informer (87/100): "Though I was frustrated by the chaos system and how it steers your actions, the heart of Dishonored is about being inventive, adaptable, and ruthless. The team at Arkane Studios has injected an array of cool possibilities into the simulated city of Dunwall, and discovering them all is a blast. When you come face-to-face with the people who wronged you, your only dilemma is deciding which poetic method of elimination will produce the coolest result."
• Eurogamer (80/100): "This is a muscular and confident game, one with the utmost faith in its own fiction and a dedication to gameplay satisfaction at a microscopic level, paid off in dozens of situations that feel completely random and organic, even when they've clearly been planted there for you to find. Tighter control and a more generous approach to replay value would elevate Dishonored to true classic status, but it stands as one of the year's best all the same."
• Giant Bomb (80/100): "An excellent game, and one worthy of your attention. Dishonored's greatest contribution to the genre games like Deus Ex helped establish will be best appreciated by those who've been with it from the start, but Arkane has made a game rooted in manipulating artificial intelligence that plays just as well to the guy or gal who wants to shoot stuff. That's impressive."

Gallery: Dishonored (10/8/12)

Metareview: Dishonored originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Edge (90/100): "Charting a course through Earth's imminent destruction is as unashamedly difficult as it was in 1994's X-COM. It's possible, through bad planning and bad management, to doom the planet early on, making the game feel unfair. Get it right, however - survive the stresses of management, and the strains of aliens - and you'll feel like world's greatest hero."
• Eurogamer (90/100): "So much craft has gone into its atmosphere, into innumerable small details that together add enormous depth and flavour to the world: the occasional conversations overheard while fiddling around in the base; the mission loading screen, which gives you a view of the troops inside the carrier, fidgeting and tapping their feet in transit; the ridiculously cute touch of soldiers acquiring nicknames like 'Longshot' or 'Odin' after a few missions; the memorial room for fallen warriors, with a cork board of photos on the wall, which records their names - and the fact that visiting it triggers, after a few seconds, the sound of a bagpipe march. "
• Destructoid (90/100): "I was disappointed EU didn't have a great story, at first. But, somewhere along the way, my own story played out through the game's intense missions and grueling decision making back at the base. My story is about an unlikely group of space heroes. After months of waging a seemingly impossible war, my elite squad of XCOM soldiers died."
• Polygon (85/100): "While tactical, squad-based combat has never felt so effortless and rewarding, the strategy component takes just enough away to make the game as a whole feel like two slightly disjointed halves. One of those halves just so happens to be one of the best and most artfully-designed strategy games in recent memory."
• IGN (82/100): "Recently Firaxis has been very willing to try new things with its franchises, and it's great to see both the revival of the XCOM franchise and the extension of strategy games on the consoles. You're still likely to want a bit more depth and surprise in the tactical game, but the campaign is full of tense moments that are sure to keep you coming back for more."

Metareview: XCOM: Enemy Unknown originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Game Informer (88/100): "That metamorphosis into insane action is front and center in Resident Evil 6, and bringing a buddy along for the chaos is great fun. The game's minor flaws don't hold back the decadent experience from being an unhinged, flaming rollercoaster ride."
• Eurogamer (60/100): "This game is blind to imagination and focus. Capcom's uncertainty about the series' identity post-Mikami (and post-Uncharted) is hardcoded into its structure: four campaigns offering different, flawed expressions of that potential. And the inevitable price for this wavering is a lack of coherence."
• Edge (60/100): "In always trying to offer something more, Resident Evil 6 fails to refine what it has already given you. And whatever else you might say about the game, it achieves something that its predecessor never did: it steps out of Resident Evil 4's shadow and becomes its own game. Sadly, it's a game that redefines the series as a loose collection of action scenarios with a shared theme of mild sci-fi horror."
• Gamespot (45/100): "The Bad: Loads of bad, overlong quick-time events -Excruciating overemphasis on mediocre set piece events -Ruins the pace by constantly ripping control from you - Poorly executed scripted events lead to unavoidable deaths."
• Destructoid (30/100): "It's not enough to say that Resident Evil 6 is poor as a Resident Evil game. That alone implies there could be a quality experience if fans can get past their preconceptions and feelings of betrayal. No, Resident Evil 6 is poor by the standards of any game, not just the high ones set by its own legacy."

Metareview: Resident Evil 6 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Oct 2012 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The running theme in nearly every Torchlight 2 review is its inescapable comparison to Diablo 3 - heck, even we did it in our glowing evaluation of the game. Given launch proximity and that Runic Games CEO Max Schafer co-founded Blizzard North, creating Diablo and Diablo 2, it's only natural. Even with Torchlight 2's comparison to the behemoth of Diablo 3, with its bottomless budget and army of designers, the $20 title holds its own.

• GameSpy (5/5): "Oh yes, there's LAN play, and yes, it works perfectly. I didn't even sign up for the Runic account you need to play online until after I'd tested out a couple of hours of four-player co-op (it supports up to six) over the gold old-fashioned LAN. Dropping in on a friend with an open game is as easy as popping open the server browser -- and when I had to leave, the other three guys kept playing as though the host dropping were no big deal."
• Ten Ton Hammer (93/100): "Easily the richest, lowest wattage, and most fun dungeon crawler experience launched in recent memory, at a third of the box price (and seemingly without the launch frustrations) of Diablo 3. Or just buy the four-pack for the same price of ~$US 60 and introduce or re-introduce someone to this side of PC gaming."
• IGN (91/100): "Torchlight 2 doesn't do anything radically new, but does everything incredibly well. It fits all the pieces of varied monster behavior, interesting items, excellent skill design and random surprises together into a near-perfect formula, where the action never stops and rewards are never far away."
• GamesBeat (85/100): "Torchlight 2 is undoubtedly worth the $20 price, and it's high on replay value with new classes to discover. The problems it does have are mostly minor, but it's not for gamers looking for an involved story. And in some places, it could use a little more depth."

Gallery: Torchlight 2

Metareview: Torchlight 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Sep 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• GamesRadar (4.5/5): "It's not often that a stalwart franchise like this reinvents itself so significantly, but Madden NFL 13 has pulled this off with aplomb. Brimming with innovation on the field and off, it's the best Madden of the generation."
• EGM (8/10): "All in all, it's clear the team at Tiburon took a hard look at ways to bring the franchise back to its former glory. Some annoying bugs persist here and there, but overall, Madden NFL 13 stands as one of my favorite football experiences of this generation."
• Polygon (8/10): "Madden 13 gives players a ton of options without explaining them in detail, and that's an issue. But Madden NFL 13 represents a giant leap over its predecessors. It's easily the best Madden title of this console cycle, and it's notable for the ways in which it clearly sets the stage for Tiburon to make a graceful transition into the next generation."
• OXM (7.5/10): "The engine shows a great deal of promise, and Connected Careers features a lot of interesting ideas, but there's no question that this is a rebuilding year. The best news is that EA finally seems to be on the right track. Give it another year, and Madden may at last be a true contender."

Gallery: Madden NFL 13 (E3 2012)

Metareview: Madden NFL 13 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 25 Aug 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Darksiders 2 is a patchwork of the best in the third-person beat-em-up action genre and that's what makes it comforting. We said in our review that "you're not required to forgive the game's faults," but it does spend more time on the good side than bad. Here's what others thought about their trip with Death.

• Game Informer (90/100): "One of the most polished aspects of the game is environment traversal. Death can run along walls and leap between pillars much like the Prince of Persia. These platforming-like sequences add an element of verticality to exploration, and are used extensively to unearth hidden areas. The overworld is filled with them (including numerous bonus areas and bosses). A handy fast travel ability makes backtracking painless affair."
• Gamespot (85/100): "Bigger doesn't mean better, of course, but this isn't a "more of the same, just bigger" kind of sequel. The game uses its expansive geography to cultivate a poetic tempo in which your intellectual triumphs are rewarded with the immediate pleasures of fleet-footed platforming and demonic brutality. In Darksiders 2, Death is not an end, but rather, a portal to a memorable saga of snarling brutes and stolen souls. "
• GiantBomb (4/5): "The adventure has its rough spots and the technical issues are disappointing, but these are relatively small issues in the grand scheme of things. Darksiders 2 is an exciting and lengthy adventure with interesting characters and a host of items and features that make its mix of combat and puzzle-solving very attractive. It's better if you also played the original game, but even if you didn't, Darksiders 2 is definitely worth looking at."
• IGN (75/100): "Despite its problems, I was compelled onward in my quest with Death because Darksiders 2 is simply a fun game. The RPG elements and to-the-point action all make for some solid gaming, glitches and all. It's a shame so many glaring issues hold such an ambitious endeavor back from the greatness its developers were clearly aiming for. Still, if you love action adventure games, it's certainly worth checking out - but don't expect it to rival the masterpieces it will inevitably call to mind."

Gallery: Darksiders 2 (8/14/12)

Metareview: Darksiders 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 23 Aug 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Only the majestic tone of the illustrious George Takei could sum up Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor's reviews so far: "Oh my!" In our two-star review we retreated back to the Kinect game classic "It's great, when it works," but at least we seem to have scraped some functionality out of the game. Prepare thyself, for only darkness is found beyond here.

• OXM (75/100): "Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor isn't for everyone. In fact, some people may be more turned off by the potential for error in its Kinect controls than by the Xbox version's overbearing, multi-button controller ... War has never been this intense, and you should try to take part."
• Destructoid (30/100): "At its core, it's a basic mech game with a "realistic and gritty" feel to it that you've seen a million times before. Maybe at some point, the Kinect requirement can be patched out of it. Until then, piloting these Vertical Tanks even while sober may result in a loss of brain cells."
• Game Informer (30/100): "The mech-combat genre isn't overflowing with alternatives, but they do exist. Save yourself the aggravation and pick any one of those. You won't do any worse."
• IGN (30/100): "Heavy Armor might be Kinect's most spectacular failure, but it's precisely because it's so ambitious. ... Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor deserves a lot of credit for sticking its neck out in an effort to craft a fresh videogame experience. It's one of the best ideas on Xbox this year, but ultimately it's also one of the system's worst games."
• Polygon (10/100): "I was never able to shake the feeling of watching through a window while someone else played Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor as I shouted suggestions and waved frantically, hoping they'd notice me. So, how is Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor as a game? I honestly have no clue. You'd have to ask the guy in the other room."

Gallery: Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor (4/10/12)

Metareview: Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Jun 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We had some issues with Dragon's Dogma. Ok, we had more than a few issues, calling it "50 or so hours of mundane drudgery" in our review. That doesn't mean our opinion is the only one that matters. There's a whole internet out there with glowing reviews. Maybe not "glowing," but certainly more accepting.

• Game Informer (85/100): "Combat feels like a necessary part of the game's design, rather than something that was begrudgingly added to provide interaction between cutscenes. I left the game feeling that I made my mark on Gransys the way I chose to, instead of being escorted from plot point to plot point. When you're talking about an open-world game, I can't think of higher praise."
• Destructoid (75/100): "Should you play Dragon's Dogma? Yes. The high points are so very worth getting to, and while the main game will be cleared in a number of hours, there are lots of monsters to battle and a dose of end-game content to clear, providing more than enough to rival the Skyrims and Diablos of the world."
• Eurogamer (70/100): "Expectedly, coming as it does from an action game developer, its jewels are to be found in the dynamic combat, stat-tweaking party-building and defining boss battles. In this way, the game echoes the adventurous, dragon-hunting spirit of its (second- and third-hand) literary influences: that sense of unpredictable peril that could be lurking in every cave and thicket. "
• OXM (60/100): "Dragon's Dogma has its merits, but for every great idea there's a design fumble that just leaves you scratching your head. Though it's technically sound, the game lacks the spark to elevate it beyond a "sometimes fun, mostly mediocre" experience. Much like the main character's chest cavity, this RPG ultimately feels hollow, with no real heart."

Gallery: Dragon's Dogma (The Ur-Dragon)

Metareview: Dragon's Dogma originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 May 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Max, dearest of all my friends. So good to have you back. You look a little tired, friend. Is it all that leaping and shooting, or is it something more? Sit down, sip a little vodka and look at what they're saying about you. Joystiq feels you make "people die real good." What about everyone else? Take a look...

• G4 (100/100): "The performances are top notch, the action plays out with unrivaled fluidity, and the multiplayer is deep and rewarding. Silly distractions aside, Max Payne 3 is an action lover's wet dream that also happens to employ some of the slickest direction and transitional trickery this side of a David Fincher box set. Lock and load. It's bullet time...time."
• Game Informer (93/100): "The same great gunplay from the campaign is replicated in the multiplayer modes, and immense depth is tied to the ranking system (with a level cap of 50) and slew of unlockable guns, skins, and items. Rockstar also provides a crew system that tracks world ranks, kill-to-death ratios, and first place finishes for ­each ­crew."
• Giant Bomb (4/5): "Rockstar has taken a lot of risks in the ways it has reshaped the series with Max Payne 3, and there's something to be said for opting out of the easy route. The aesthetic overhaul is certainly the most noticeable, though there's no understating the impact that certain gameplay modernizations have had on the experience. While fans might have a hard time processing the dramatic change in tone, it's approached with a seriousness and conviction that I respect, and frankly, have come to expect from Rockstar."
• Edge (70/100): "Max Payne 3 might solve the problem of how you manage to reload when carrying more than one gun, but detailing alone can't change the fact that this is a surprisingly conservative game from Rockstar. Its absorption of cover mechanics makes Payne feel more familiar than he should, but even then his signature tricks are over a decade old. This is a game about a world-weary killer doing the only thing he knows how to, and for all its spectacular action beats there's something apt about Max's fatigue."

  Gallery: Max Payne 3 (5/14/12)

  

Metareview: Max Payne 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 May 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Eurogamer (100/100): "It's during this stage that you'll seriously tackle the game's many secrets - all handily marked, but not at all spoiled, on the head-spinning 3D map screen. Think Miyamoto, Kojima or Schafer at their most impish: treasure maps, invisible platforms, secret messages delivered in unexpected ways, puns and tricks of the light."
• OXM (95/100): "For an experience that could've drowned in an overreliance on using familiar signposts from what's come before it, Fez succeeds in celebrating the past in a smart, joyous way that has us incredibly excited for gaming's future."
• Edge (90/100): "Draw lines between distant landmarks; forge connections that reveal the logic of a set piece; untangle the story in short, gleeful bursts. The route you pick through Polytron's floating world is nearly impossible to verbalise, while its puzzles resolve themselves in your mind unexpectedly, in clear, wordless chunks. There's really no language to cover many of the things you get up to in Fez. For a videogame in 2012, that may be the ultimate endorsement."
• Gamespot (80/100): "Fez goes far deeper than the simple platformer it initially appears as, and figuring out the solutions to the many puzzles is an experience that harks back to a time when games weren't scared of taking off the leash and letting you run wild. Invest time in Fez's colorful world, and enjoy the wealth of incredible ideas buried within. "

Metareview: Fez originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 15 Apr 2012 03:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Game Informer (60/100): "Ninja Gaiden 3 is not a complete train wreck, but it does suffer from a multitude of problems. The action can be fast-paced and engaging at times, but many design decisions significantly bring down the experience. Dumbed-down A.I., a limited arsenal, the series' notoriously difficult camera, no inventory/currency system, and an incoherent story combine to make this the most disappointing title in the series."
• Gamespot (55/100): "It does all the hard labor so that you don't have to. This forgettable action game may feed your bloodthirst, but the series' sharp edge has been dulled by Team Ninja's attempt to bring the master to the masses."
• Games Radar (30/100): "Ninja Gaiden 3 has completely missed the point of everything that made the series great. Challenging combat, weapon variety, engaging enemies and the series' legendary difficulty have all been cut out in favor of a bland story, flashy finish moves, screen nukes, and button mashing. If you found Ninja Gaiden's difficulty to be a barrier to entry, this game's accessibility won't make it a more attractive option. If anything, it'll leave newcomers wondering what all the fuss was about."
• IGN (30/100): "Ninja Gaiden 3 is a gash on the face of the franchise and one of the worst games the action genre has yet suffered. It has no consideration for its fans' wants or what a new audience may have enjoyed. It's a nightmare that's as easy as it is uninteresting, and it abandons what used to work for awful new ideas that don't work together. Under no circumstance should you ever waste your time on this self-indulgent and abysmal wreck. "

Gallery: Ninja Gaiden 3 (1/12/12)

Metareview: Ninja Gaiden 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 26 Mar 2012 08:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Eurogamer (100/100): "Taken as a whole this is arguably the first truly modern blockbuster, a game that transcends the genre boundaries of old and takes what it needs from across the gaming spectrum in order to finish its story in the most compelling, thrilling, heartbreaking way possible. Few gaming sagas come to a definitive close, but this one signs off in breathtaking style."
• OXM (95/100): "From the visceral combat to the excitement of finishing Shepard's 100-hour fight, Mass Effect 3 is a rare, magnetically engaging treat that'll compel you to stay up well past your bedtime to do "just one more quest."
• EGM (90/100): "Some cover and combat issues remain unsolved, though, and the idea of participation in a completely separate multiplayer mode potentially influencing your single-player ending is mind-boggling."
• Giant Bomb (4/5): "The value in this story is from seeing characters you adore dealing with a continuing situation. Even though it doesn't come together quite as successfully as it did in the previous games, those of you with an attachment to the Mass Effect universe should still play it."

Gallery: Mass Effect 3 (Spring Showcase 2012)

Metareview: Mass Effect 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Let's be honest, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning's quality came as the first nice surprise of 2012. Our quibbles with this first installment in what we hope to be a lasting series didn't detract from it being a great fantasy RPG. Although other outlets weren't as smitten as us, the RPG from Big Huge Games, a studio that built its rep on real-time strategy series Rise of Nations, is getting some solid reviews.

• IGN (90/100): "Its random technical hiccups and inconsistent art style certainly holds it back from even higher levels of greatness. But no matter what you're looking for, whether it be amazing gameplay, immersive storytelling or perhaps a riveting new world to explore as you fully customize and re-customize your character at will, Reckoning has it all."
• Escapist (80/100): "Reckoning surprised me with its energetic combat, rich story, and dazzling visual style. The weight of all its parts threatens to pull it down, but the rigid skeleton holds strong. ... Don't pass on Amalur just because it's a new IP from a new company. Fans of RPGs with a focus on action won't be disappointed."
• Giant Bomb (80/100): "But it's hard not to be at least a little disappointed when you start seeing the various spots where the game doesn't live up to the high bar set by its best content. If you finish it fast enough to prevent those doldrums from setting in, you'll have a much better time than the person who digs through every nook and cranny to finish every single side quest."
• Eurogamer (80/100): "It's an unglamorous kind of success story, admittedly. And perhaps it's worrying for 38 Studios that the bland fantasy world it's hanging its future on is the least enticing aspect of its debut game. But it's not all elbow grease - Kingdoms of Amalur adds a splash of color and a lick of polish to the open-world RPG, and they couldn't be more welcome."
• Edge (60/100): "At its heart, Reckoning is an interesting tale about disrupting cyclical fate - ironic, considering the game's largely repetitive nature - and when the story gets to shine, 38 Studios and Big Huge Games' friendlier design presents a welcome change of pace."

Metareview: Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Our Skyrim review was delivered in two flavors: the "pesky words" edition and the "too long, didn't read" version. Overall, the game delivers the most immersive experience yet in the Bethesda RPG formula, offering many dozens of hours -- hundreds of hours once all the inevitable DLC is out -- for those ready to experience being Dragonborn.

• Giant Bomb (5/5): "No other game I know of operates with this many moving parts to create such an immense world filled with this much choice in how you engage its excellent, endless fiction. It's one thing when a game offers dozens of hours of gameplay; it's quite another when that gameplay is good enough you'll want to live in its world for that long."
• Game Informer (95/100): "The biggest problem Skyrim runs into has plagued every Bethesda-developed game I've played: It's buggy. Not to the degree that Oblivion was - Bethesda makes headway in delivering a more stable product, but I ran into numerous bugs that forced me to reload previous saves. The auto-save system charts several recent points, which can be a relief, but losing progress is annoying and can erase significant victories and character development."
• IGN (95/100): "The changes made since Oblivion are many, and result in a more focused and sensible style of play, where the effects of every decision are easily seen."
• Gamespot (90/100): "Yet The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim doesn't rely on sheer scope to earn its stripes. It isn't just that there's a lot to do: it's that most of it is so good. Whether you're slashing a dragon's wings, raising the dead back to life, or experimenting at the alchemy table, Skyrim performs the most spectacular of enchantments: the one that causes huge chunks of time to vanish before you know it."
• Edge (95/100): "You play for the moment a dragon's silhouette fills the sky, backed up against the otherworldly colours of the northern lights. You play for the moment a diary clutched by a desiccated corpse sends you on a country- wide hunt for some ancient, forgotten loot. The illusion frequently falters - and sometimes completely breaks - but when it does you'll want to conspire with the game to pretend you didn't see."

Metareview: Skyrim originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• OXM (95/100): "Sure, we can come up with a list of things we'd love to see from the series - whether it's a revamped campaign approach or a revitalized game engine and aesthetic - but when everything here is this well-executed and offers so many enduring thrills, it's hard to knock it too much. MW3 absolutely delivers."
• Game Trailers (93/100): "As attention spans dissipate, games like this strike the sweet spot of time spent versus reward gained. Yet there's also an extremely deep multiplayer experience where the changes seem minimal but pack a big punch. If you're expecting a huge departure from what's come before you'll be disappointed, but fans will get exactly what they're looking for. World War III shouldn't be this fun."
• Gamespot (85/100): "Whatever diversions or innovations may lie in Modern Warfare 3's future, the competitive multiplayer still offers the same sweet satisfaction you've come to expect from the series. This is some of the best online shooter action around, and with the daunting challenges of Spec Ops and the exciting, globe-trotting campaign, Modern Warfare 3 stands tall as another great descendant of the game that changed a generation. "
• Eurogamer (80/100): "Whatever next year's entry brings, some measure of reinvention will be essential. For now, its exuberant blend of testicular bravado and blockbuster gloss ensures that Call of Duty retains its crown as the shooter genre's biggest, boldest rollercoaster ride for at least one more year."

  Gallery: Modern Warfare 3 (11/8/2011)

  

Metareview: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Giant Bomb (5/5): "Getting another chance to use Batman's considerable combat talents as you engage in one of the best fighting systems going today is a joy. The city looks terrific, like it's one step away from just bursting into flames as criminals crawl across every single surface doing... whatever it is that criminals do when they're locked in a city-shaped prison."
• Game Informer (100/100): "The size of the game is daunting. I still have a ways to go to reach 100 percent, but I wouldn't be surprised if I have invested over 60 hours so far. Throw in the new game plus and a dizzying number of combat challenges for both Batman and his feline friend and this game could be one of the biggest and most enjoyable time sinks of the year."
• IGN (95/100): "Batman: Arkham City isn't perfect, but listing the little things I didn't like gets in the way of all the stuff I adored. The voice acting, the challenges, the amazing opening, the unbelievable ending and the feeling of being the Dark Knight -- these are the things that standout looking back. I've beaten this thing twice and still want to call in sick and chase Riddler Trophies. "
• Eurogamer (90/100): "If it's lacking something, it's surprise. Arkham City has nothing that beats the first game's brilliant unveilings and fourth-wall mind-tricks (although it has a go at an equivalent) and it can't trump the central, crucial realization that somebody had finally made a Batman game that was enriched by its license rather than subtly crippled by it. Instead, though, you get refinement: better bosses, slicker animation, and more to think about on a second-to-second basis."

  Gallery: Batman: Arkham City

  

Metareview: Batman: Arkham City originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• IGN (85/100): "Rage starts to drag toward the second half after most of the mechanics and upgrades are introduced because the fictional world isn't very interesting. Despite the lack of genuinely exciting context, all the content packed into Rage is still a blast to play, including the surprisingly entertaining car combat mode and co-operative challenges. "
• Giant Bomb (80/100): "Even if Rage were the worst game to come out in a long while, it would still arguably be the best-looking one. The sheer complexity of texture and detail packed into every one of the game's environments is nothing short of staggering, especially in the two town hubs that you'll return to again and again between missions."
• 1UP (B): "Rage fits that mold snugly, but it's nothing revolutionary. It comes from a different kind of Id, one that would rather play with existing conventions than reinvent them. Conversely, it's the same Id that puts look and feel on the same high pillar, and it's impossible to call Rage badly-composed. I just don't think it's going to be remembered as anything but a sleeper hit of the fall of 2011. "
• Edge (70/100): "In its later stages, Rage becomes a slog. Enemies get tougher, and the repeated pattern of rooms filling with monsters - which must be killed before, say, a door falls off its hinges - begins to drag. Objectives, meanwhile, rarely move beyond simple fetch quests. There's a fine line between sticking to what you're best at and being stuck in your ways, and id occasionally crosses it."

Metareview: Rage originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Giant Bomb (100/100): "It answers questions. It leaves things in a dramatically different place than they were at the start of the game. If this were to be the final game in the Gears franchise, it'd be a satisfying place to leave things."
• Game Informer (95/100): "Doesn't do anything radical, not that anyone expected it to. Only the staunchest Gears haters will find much fault here, though. This is the best execution yet of an idea that spawned one of the biggest modern franchises in all of gaming. What's not to love?"
• IGN (90/100): "Every third-person, cover-based shooter from here on out will likely be compared to Gears 3, and it provides a fitting and poignant-- if sometimes cheesy -- closing chapter to the trilogy...The noted hitches, design decisions and 'been-there, done-that' feel of much of the content colors the overall experience, but it certainly didn't keep me from having one hell of a good time."
• Eurogamer (80/100): "In its multiplayer, all you could have reasonably asked for; in its visuals, new heights reached, while cracks of old age are papered over; in its story, a fitting conclusion; and in its campaign, though short of the consistent brilliance of its predecessor, a mostly rousing and memorable spectacle.

Gallery: Gears of War 3 (Review)

Metareview: Gears of War 3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• GameTrailers (8.5/10): "Despite the bugs and quirks, Madden NFL 12 still manages to play a convincing game of pigskin. Your tolerance for the gaffes will be directly proportional to how much you have on the line in each game. It doesn't always function realistically, but we like the idea behind dynamic player performance."
• IGN (8.0/10): "If you're worried that EA has fumbled among the rough and tumble of sports politics, relax. Madden NFL 12 is a solid, tighter football game, even though it's a largely similar one."
• Game Informer (7.5/10): "Like a desperate team that has stocked up on high-profile free agents thinking it's on the cusp of a championship, Madden NFL 12 looks good in practice, but where it counts it's a jumbled mess of frustration, unmet expectations, and sloppy play ... Past Maddens either delivered new features or fixed old problems, but this year you get neither. In too many instances Madden 12 takes you down promising paths that only lead to dead ends.

Gallery: Madden NFL 12 (8/25/11)

Metareview: Madden NFL 12 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Eurogamer (90/100): "Deus Ex: Human Revolution is probably not as perfect as I'm making it sound. Some of the rules about what's interactive and not seem quite arbitrary, which is a pretty blatant failing in a game which tries so hard to make you feel like you're not being restricted, and while the level design is clever and varied, the interior design definitely is not, and there's also a lot of repetition in the incidental details."
• IGN (90/100): "It's a visionary, considered piece of work, and while my thoughts drift to the things that could have been and the compromises made due to the possibilities of video games in 2011, they're just as quick to consider playing through it again. Human Revolution is a smart, rewarding piece of transhumanist noir that does justice not just to Deus Ex, but to the fiction that inspired it. "
• GameTrailers (87/100): "Deus Ex offers a good deal of mischief to get into, and it's all backed up by a great stealth system and a solid shooting game. With its variable story, as well as how it encourages you to alter your approach to obstacles, it's also a game that rewards multiple playthroughs. The future is bleak and at times ugly, but we wouldn't have it any other way."
• 1UP (A): "I don't normally replay games, but there are exceptions: I've probably played through Metal Gear Solid 3 a dozen times and Deus Ex about four. I have a feeling that DEHR is going to be one of those games. I'm loving the sheer amount of choice I have because it's up to me to discover it. "

Gallery: Deus Ex: Human Revolution (8/22/11)

Metareview: Deus Ex: Human Revolution originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

• Eurogamer (90/100): "If you want the full-body physical experience - feeling part of the music, sweeping your arms like a conductor in wide arcs that call the timpani section to action at your signal - then Kinect is the way to play Child of Eden. With the lights down low and the right ambiance and mind-set, it's a dance-like experience - but not in the orthodox video game understanding of Simon-says rhythm-action routines. "
• IGN (85/100): "It's rare for me to play a game and feel nothing but happiness, but that's what happened when I stepped in to save Eden. In a way, Child of Eden touched my soul. Yes, that sounds cheesy, but it's true. There's one downside -- even though it costs 50 bucks, Child of Eden can be beaten in only a few hours. While this is a fault, there are lots of unlockables and leaderboards to keep people's interest once the campaign is over. This is a game everyone should experience, especially with Kinect. "
• Gamespot (85/100): "Child of Eden is a bold artistic experiment that's also accessible and fun. It's easy to pick up and play, offers bursts of pure joy, and is even a pleasure to watch others play. It's over quickly, but the amount of unlockable content means it's something you can keep coming back to. "
• Game Informer (80/100): "A few unlockables give Child of Eden replay value, including an additional challenge mode level, art and video galleries, and decorations for Lumi's garden in the main menu screen. However the most valuable prize is new visual effects. Selecting a different cosmetic effect drastically changes the aesthetic of each archive, giving the levels a whole new feel. Though brief, Child of Eden offers one of the most unique Kinect experiences to date. It's unfortunate our time in Eden's gorgeous confines ends too soon."

  Gallery: Child of Eden (9/27/2010)

  

Metareview: Child of Eden originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Jun 2011 23:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.