http://news.softpedia.com Softpedia News - Game reviews Softpedia News en-us 2001 - 2012 Softpedia. All rights reserved. Tue, 29 May 2012 00:54:56 GMT Tue, 29 May 2012 00:54:56 GMT News http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 10 http://news.softpedia.com/base_img/softpedia_logo.gif http://news.softpedia.com http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/playstation3/Max-Payne-3-Review-271042.shtml I initially thought that it would be impossible to mix Max Payne, with his sour expression, his cynicism and dark one-liners and his tendency to get a lot of blood on all his good clothes, with Brazil, the land of beautiful women of European heritage, sandy beaches, gleaming high-rises and warm, Latin blood.

But the development team at Rockstar has proven that th... (read more)]]> Tue, 22 May 2012 13:31:00 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/playstation3/Max-Payne-3-Review-271042.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/playstation3/Max-Payne-3-Review-271042.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dumitrescu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Diablo-3-Review-270389.shtml It's been 16 years since the original Diablo was launched, it's been 12 years since Diablo II was released and it's been 11 since the Lord of Destruction expansion came out. Since then, RPG fans have been left hungering for a new experience in the isometric, dungeon crawling universe created by Blizzard.

Now, after many years and a few delays, Diablo III is finally ... (read more)]]> Fri, 18 May 2012 12:01:02 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Diablo-3-Review-270389.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Diablo-3-Review-270389.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dobra) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Warlock-Master-of-the-Arcane-Review-269912.shtml The most important things I learned while playing Warlock – Master of the Arcane are: never forget to fire spells, as long as you have the mana to spare; lava lands tend to mean tougher enemies are around; never try and use a world portal without having a solid power base to rely on.

Warlock – Master of the Arcane is a turn-based strate... (read more)]]> Wed, 16 May 2012 13:31:00 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Warlock-Master-of-the-Arcane-Review-269912.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Warlock-Master-of-the-Arcane-Review-269912.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dumitrescu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/The-Walking-Dead-Review-269021.shtml What would you do if someday, while doing your job or while sitting around with friends, you saw that some of the people around you are turning into zombies? Would you run, scared, trying to get somewhere safe and protected? Would you try to band with others to fight back? Would you simply become one of the victims, because you are not fast, strong or smart enough?
... (read more)]]> Fri, 11 May 2012 13:11:00 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/The-Walking-Dead-Review-269021.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/The-Walking-Dead-Review-269021.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dumitrescu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Binary-Domain-Review-267751.shtml The third-person shooter genre is becoming one of the most crowded in the videogame industry and, despite this seemingly saturated segment, Sega decided to release Binary Domain not just on consoles, earlier this year, but also on the PC, last week.

With the promise of combining age-old cover-based shooting mechanics with a novel story filled with all sorts of ... (read more)]]> Fri, 4 May 2012 13:01:01 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Binary-Domain-Review-267751.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Binary-Domain-Review-267751.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dobra) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Naval-War-Arctic-Circle-Review-267573.shtml I wonder how it might be to actually serve on a ship that is ready to go to war, filled with men, tools of destruction and ammunition, complete with a number of high-tech weapon systems and the knowledge that the other side has quite a few plans to choose from when it comes to killing everyone on board and sinking the warship.

Naval War: Arctic Circle ... (read more)]]> Thu, 3 May 2012 14:11:00 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Naval-War-Arctic-Circle-Review-267573.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Naval-War-Arctic-Circle-Review-267573.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dumitrescu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/xbox360/Trials-Evolution-Review-266569.shtml The Trials series may have started off as a simple browser-based Flash game many years ago but the RedLynx studio has turned it into a phenomenon thanks to 2009's Trials HD.

Now, with Trials Evolution, the developer is trying to improve on the already addictive experience by reworking the physics engine, improving and adding variety to the level design, whil... (read more)]]> Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:21:01 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/xbox360/Trials-Evolution-Review-266569.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/xbox360/Trials-Evolution-Review-266569.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dobra) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ds/Mario-Sonic-at-the-London-2012-Olympic-Games-Review-264069.shtml With only a few months to go until the Olympic flame will be lit up on the Olympic Stadium in London, Sega, in collaboration with Nintendo, has released a new game to celebrate the event. Before the upcoming official Olympics game, which will be available in June, the publisher has already released the 3DS title Mario & Sonic at the London 201... (read more)]]> Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:01:01 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ds/Mario-Sonic-at-the-London-2012-Olympic-Games-Review-264069.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ds/Mario-Sonic-at-the-London-2012-Olympic-Games-Review-264069.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Cosmin Anton) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Legend-of-Grimrock-Review-266374.shtml The modern role-playing game is big, expansive, has great graphics and a large cast of characters offering interesting choices, and by the end of the narrative, the protagonist seems to evolve towards a state where he is the undisputed ruler of the game world.

In Legend of Grimrock, the characters are barely sketched, the choices are limited in nature, the g... (read more)]]> Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:51:00 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Legend-of-Grimrock-Review-266374.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Legend-of-Grimrock-Review-266374.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dumitrescu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Tribes-Ascend-Review-265344.shtml Tribes: Ascend is a free-to-play first-person shooter created by Hi-Rez Studio that delivers a team-based experience in which aiming is hard, movement can be the difference between life and death, and working with your fellow player the key to overall success.

What makes the Tribes concept very appealing is that much of a player’s success is linked not to h... (read more)]]> Thu, 19 Apr 2012 12:51:00 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Tribes-Ascend-Review-265344.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Tribes-Ascend-Review-265344.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dumitrescu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/xbox360/Fez-Review-265114.shtml Few independent games have been as eagerly awaited as Fez, the recently launched puzzle platformer from Polytron, which arrived on the Xbox 360 console, via the Xbox Live Arcade service, only last week.

After spending quite a few years in development, during which it earned lots of awards and praise for its novel premise, the game has finally been released and regular ga... (read more)]]> Wed, 18 Apr 2012 13:41:02 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/xbox360/Fez-Review-265114.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/xbox360/Fez-Review-265114.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dobra) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/playstation3/Yakuza-Dead-Souls-Review-260534.shtml Zombies in a city, especially a crowded one like most of the modern Japanese metropolises, would probably be impossible to stop. Armies would fail to deal with the threat because they would need to restrain from firing on civilians, air strikes are not precise enough and police forces would be soon overwhelmed.

In the Yakuza series, created by developer and ... (read more)]]> Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:41:00 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/playstation3/Yakuza-Dead-Souls-Review-260534.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/playstation3/Yakuza-Dead-Souls-Review-260534.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dumitrescu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Mass-Effect-3-Review-258078.shtml Little did BioWare know back in 2007 that its Mass Effect role playing shooter would spawn one of the most successful and popular sci-fi series in the history of interactive entertainment and even entertainment as a whole.

Now, Mass Effect 3 is finally here, promising to deliver an epic conclusion to the adventures of Commander Shepard.

With the... (read more)]]> Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:51:01 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Mass-Effect-3-Review-258078.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Mass-Effect-3-Review-258078.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dobra) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Crusader-Kings-II-Review-257750.shtml Let me tell you about the time I murdered my brother. I was playing the leader of Bohemia, Duke Vratislav the Second in the excellent Crusader Kings II, enjoying life on the edge of the Holy Roman Empire and in the middle of Europe, scheming about ways to expand my network of vassals while acquiring some more wealth. Then my brother’s wife plotted to kill one of m... (read more)]]> Fri, 9 Mar 2012 14:10:00 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Crusader-Kings-II-Review-257750.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Crusader-Kings-II-Review-257750.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dumitrescu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ps-vita/Everybody-039-s-Golf-Review-255498.shtml Golf can bring out the worst and the best in a man. This sport is a true judge of character and given the high costs associated with playing the game in the real world, the Everybody’s Gold series has since 1997 allowed anyone interested to simply hop into a cartoonish virtual world and reveal their true nature.

The most recent installment of the se... (read more)]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2012 13:09:00 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ps-vita/Everybody-039-s-Golf-Review-255498.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ps-vita/Everybody-039-s-Golf-Review-255498.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dumitrescu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ps-vita/Uncharted-Golden-Abyss-Review-254193.shtml Sony may boast about the power of its PlayStation Vita handheld console, but if its games don’t really reflect this through great graphics, then it’s all for nothing. The Japanese company realized this so, in order to truly show off the Vita’s strength, its Bend studio was tasked with making an Uncharted game for the mobile console.

A... (read more)]]> Tue, 21 Feb 2012 23:31:00 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ps-vita/Uncharted-Golden-Abyss-Review-254193.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ps-vita/Uncharted-Golden-Abyss-Review-254193.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dobra) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ps-vita/Unit-13-Review-254182.shtml Unit 13 is a straight up third-person shooter with stealth game elements that Sony published for their new PlayStation Vita handheld, with the actual development work done by Zipper Interactive, team best known for their work on the SOCOM series of games on the PlayStation 2 and 3 home consoles and on the original PlayStation Portable.

Their experience is c... (read more)]]> Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:21:00 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ps-vita/Unit-13-Review-254182.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ps-vita/Unit-13-Review-254182.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dumitrescu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ps-vita/Reality-Fighters-Review-254205.shtml Reality Fighters on the PlayStation Vita is a mix between a classic fighting game, an augmented reality experience and a virtual doll management game and only the first part of the experience is solid enough to keep gamers engaged in the long term.

Reality Fighters was created by Novarama, a Spain based studio that is best known for creating titl... (read more)]]> Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:19:00 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ps-vita/Reality-Fighters-Review-254205.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ps-vita/Reality-Fighters-Review-254205.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dumitrescu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ps-vita/Wipeout-2048-Review-254154.shtml Racing games on handheld platforms aren’t really that successful but, with Wipeout 2048, the Sony Liverpool studio wants to showcase both the power of the new PlayStation Vita, and the fact that a racing game on a portable device can look and feel just as great as one for a home console.

With the same great gameplay we saw on platforms like the PSo... (read more)]]> Tue, 21 Feb 2012 14:31:00 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ps-vita/Wipeout-2048-Review-254154.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ps-vita/Wipeout-2048-Review-254154.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dobra) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Victoria-II-A-House-Divided-Review-253508.shtml A House Divided is an expansion for Victoria II created in-house at Paradox Entertainment, with the stated aim of putting the American Civil War at the core of the player experience while also improving pretty much all the aspects of the core release.

“The South shall rise again” is the rallying cry south of the Mason –Dixon line, the div... (read more)]]> Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:46:00 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Victoria-II-A-House-Divided-Review-253508.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Victoria-II-A-House-Divided-Review-253508.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dumitrescu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ds/Crush-3D-Review-253114.shtml From the moment I watched for the first time the official announcement trailer made by Sega, which came out in 2011, I said to myself, “I must give this game a try!” Well, Crush 3D is now available to fans in EU (and has been so since January 13), and will soon make its way to North America (March 6). The opportunity I've been long waiting for has arrived.

read more)]]> Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:31:01 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ds/Crush-3D-Review-253114.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ds/Crush-3D-Review-253114.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Alexandru Niculaita) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Shank-2-Review-253029.shtml The original Shank impressed through its sharp visual style and pretty hectic combat, which saw its protagonist carve his way through legions of enemies in order to get to his wife.

Now, with Shank 2, developer Klei Entertainment and publisher Electronic Arts are trying to continue that story, while bringing quite a lot of improvements to its gameplay, especially the... (read more)]]> Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:31:01 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Shank-2-Review-253029.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Shank-2-Review-253029.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dobra) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Kingdom-of-Amalur-Reckoning-Review-252045.shtml Nowadays, all new triple-A titles are a rare sight, so Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, coming from 38 Studios and Big Huge Games, definitely stands out from the array of sequels or reboots that are arriving on the market. 

 Throw in the fact that it’s masterminded by Elder Scrolls designer Ken Rolston, fleshed out by novelist R.A. Sa... (read more)]]> Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:11:00 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Kingdom-of-Amalur-Reckoning-Review-252045.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Kingdom-of-Amalur-Reckoning-Review-252045.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dobra) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/King-Arthur-II-The-Role-playing-Wargame-Review-251513.shtml As men stand shoulder to shoulder, pikes ready, I find myself thinking about how much pain someone can feel when ripped apart by a flying demon-bird. This is the sort of question that King Arthur II – The Role-Playing Wargame brings to the mind of a gamer who knows a little too much about how a weapon can rip through the human body.

read more)]]> Wed, 8 Feb 2012 23:31:00 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/King-Arthur-II-The-Role-playing-Wargame-Review-251513.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/King-Arthur-II-The-Role-playing-Wargame-Review-251513.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dumitrescu) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ds/Shinobi-Review-250116.shtml After eight years of silence, the Shinobi series are resurrected once again, this time for the 3DS scene. Making its debut in 1987, Shinobi is one of the classic Sega characters preceding Sonic and his friends, and one that the fans of the franchise surely remember.

Story

Has the legendary hero come to seek revenge once more? Is the Neo Zeed crime syndi... (read more)]]> Fri, 3 Feb 2012 19:01:02 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ds/Shinobi-Review-250116.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ds/Shinobi-Review-250116.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Cosmin Anton) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Dustforce-Review-248597.shtml Seeing as how we’re faced with another small game drought, as no big developer or publisher wants to release titles this close to the beginning of the year, Hitbox Team has decided to trump the trend and has just deployed Dustforce on the PC.

The game focuses on a team of four janitors that need to navigate all sorts of environments that are filled with di... (read more)]]> Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:31:02 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Dustforce-Review-248597.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Dustforce-Review-248597.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dobra) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Super-Crossfire-Review-247747.shtml Super Crossfire is a title made by Radian Games that was recently a part of the Indie Royale New Year Bundle, alongside other impressive independent games. 

Promising to innovate on the traditional arcade shooter genre by allowing your ship to teleport from the bottom of the screen to the top, and vice-versa, the title does sound pretty appealing and,... (read more)]]> Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:25:00 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Super-Crossfire-Review-247747.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Super-Crossfire-Review-247747.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dobra) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Rochard-Review-246415.shtml In the last half of 2011 we were flooded with an array of high quality download games, ranging from truly stunning ones, like Bastion, to impressive titles like Orcs Must Die. Now, after a bit of a delay, it’s time we took a look at Recoil Games’ Rochard, a sidescrolling platformer with various physics-based puzzles.

While the game looks quite impressi... (read more)]]> Fri, 13 Jan 2012 14:21:02 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Rochard-Review-246415.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Rochard-Review-246415.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dobra) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Grand-Theft-Auto-III-10-Year-Anniversary-Review-244936.shtml While it may be hard to believe for quite a lot of older gamers, over 10 years separate us from the initial release of the iconic Grand Theft Auto III, a title that pretty much changed the way we view open world titles, as well as games in general.

Now, as a testament to how much technology, not just games, has progressed since then, ... (read more)]]> Fri, 6 Jan 2012 14:21:01 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Grand-Theft-Auto-III-10-Year-Anniversary-Review-244936.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/pc/Grand-Theft-Auto-III-10-Year-Anniversary-Review-244936.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Andrei Dobra) http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ds/Sonic-Generations-Review-241992.shtml
Story

As it turns out, a mysterious new creature comes into play and starts creating “time holes,” which take Sonic and with his friend Tails back in time, just as they were celebrating his birthday. Enco... (read more)]]> Sat, 31 Dec 2011 16:01:02 GMT Softpedia News - Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ds/Sonic-Generations-Review-241992.shtml Game reviews http://www.softpedia.com/reviews/games/ds/Sonic-Generations-Review-241992.shtml#review_zone Softpedia News (Cosmin Anton)