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Defiance Review

Developer: Trion Worlds | Publisher: Trion Worlds
Players: 1+ Player Game | Release Date: 04/02/13 | Genre: MMO

To tie in with the release of the new Syfy television show, Defiance, Trion has released a game of the same name that will tie into elements of the show as each episode is released. So when something happens in the show, it will change the world of the game and vice-versa for events in the game changing the show. Sounds impressive, on paper. But how does this work in a real, live, game and TV show?

By Davis Wiitala - 05/20/13
ESRB Details: This is a massively-multiplayer online (MMO)/third-person shooter in which players assume the role of a mercenary salvager in a post-apocalyptic world. Players use laser pistols, machine guns, sniper rifles, and rocket launchers to kill various alien creatures, robots, and human characters. The frenetic combat is accompanied by realistic gunfire/explosions, screams of pain, and blood-splatter effects. Some attacks include sniper-scope depictions of headshots; bloodstains often remain in the environment for long periods of time. During the course of the game, characters sometimes engage in suggestive/sexual dialogue (e.g., “They were rapin' our pows and eatin' our women,” “Meet them and we risk seeing our men executed, our women raped, and our children indoctrinated,” “He'll get up close and personal with the tramp and feel things out.”). The game also includes a handful of drug references (e.g., “Just heard the Collins girl died of a drug overdose,” “These guys are higher than the Ark Belt,” and “some kind of Votan plant that can produce enough morphine to keep the whole Bay in a morphine dream”). The words “f**k,” “sh*t,” and “a*shole” are heard in dialogue.       
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Bioshock Infinite Spoiler Free Review

Developer: Irrational Games | Publisher: 2K Games
Players: 1 Player Game | Release Date: 03/26/13 | Genre: FPS
The word Art is defined as the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination. For many, Art and videogames don’t go together. Videogames are seen as a game that requires pressing buttons and little or no thought. This argument could have been made many years ago but not so much anymore. With titles like The Walking Dead, Journey, and now Bioshock Infinite showing that games can be art.
By Kaleb Rutherford - 04/02/13
ESRB Details: Rated for: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language, Mild Sexual Themes, and Use of Alcohol and Tobacco.

Rating Summary: This is a first-person shooter, set in a fictional city-in-the sky (Columbia), in which players assume the role of a private investigator searching for a mysterious woman. As players explore the city, they encounter a variety of armed guards, thugs, and mechanical creations that attack the central character. Players use pistols, shotguns, rifles, and machine guns to kill these enemies. A three-pronged hook can be used to dismember and decapitate several enemies. Players can also use an assortment of special powers to defeat enemies (e.g., setting characters on fire, electrocuting them). Large blood-splatter effects occur when characters are injured. Enemies are also depicted beating themselves with a bat or shooting themselves in the head when they are possessed; during one sequence, a character intentionally sets herself on fire. During the course of the game, characters sometimes engage in suggestive/sexual dialogue (e.g., “Obscenity and fornication everywhere!” “Could use a good roll in the hay after this,” “I think yeh gave me the clap, ya dirty boy…”). The game allows players' character to obtain 'health' by consuming beer and whiskey; the screen turns fuzzy and distorted if the player consumes too many drinks. The social/political backdrop of the fictional city (set in the year 1912) includes the use of derogatory ethnic/racial terms (e.g., the words 'gook,' 'chink,' 'negroes,' 'injuns,' 'crackers'); language such as 'sh*t' can also be heard in dialogue.
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StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm Review

Developer: Blizzard Entertainment | Publisher: Blizzard Entertainment
Players: 1 to 8 Player Game | Release Date: 03/12/13 | Genre: RTS

The first thing I have to say about StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, is: Congratulations, Blizzard! In recent memory, I have never be disappointed with the stories you tell in your titles. “Back in the day,” I played Brood War and got pretty dang good at it. In the days of my youth, I had time to devote myself and could beat even some of the better Korean players. Things are a bit different in the present day. Players have improved their skills, strategies have changed, and there is a lot to re-learn.

By Davis Wiitala - 03/30/13
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I Am Alive Review

Developer: Ubisoft | Publisher: Ubisoft
Players: 1 Player Game | Release Date: 03/07/12 | Genre: Survival Horror

As a long-time fan of the Survival Horror genre, I began a quest to find a new title to play through and review. The opportunity to cover I Am Alive presented itself to me and I just couldn't pass it up. For a game that has seen numerous sales on Steam in the past several months, I walked away pleasantly surprised. I Am Alive possessed a storyline that grabbed my attention, presented a challenge, and even made me a bit emotional--something that rarely happens in videogames. And it is even presented completely in greyscale!

By Davis Wiitala - 03/30/13
ESRB Details: This is an action game in which players assume the role of a man who must find his family in a post-apocalyptic world. From a third-person perspective, players traverse through city ruins and use a machete to kill human enemies in melee-style combat. Battles are accompanied by realistic gunfire, slashing sounds, and cries of pain; characters emit brief splashes of blood when hit. Players have the ability to kill or knock unconscious wounded/vulnerable enemies via finishing moves (e.g., throat slashing, impaling, pistol-whipping); these scenes are highlighted by close-up camera angles and increased player control (e.g., on-screen prompts with button-press sequences). During the course of the game, players encounter women who can be saved from nearby enemies; sexual mistreatment is sometimes implied in the dialogue (e.g., “These guys kept me as their pet, or mascot, or something.”). One sequence depicts the background silhouette of a man fondling and threatening a captured female survivor; the exchange includes phrases such as “Do you hear me? Don't touch me!” and “Don't be like that. You know I can make your life a lot easier if you would just cooperate.” The words “p*ssy,” “f**k,” and “sh*t” can be heard in the dialogue.
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Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 Review

Developer: City Interactive | Publisher: City Interactive
Players: 1+ Player Game | Release Date: 03/12/13 | Genre: FPS

The CryEngine 3, in my opinion, has been the source of many great games lately. So when I heard that Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 was going to be using it, I thought: “Awesome! An FPS with an emphasis on stealth tactics, and sniping! I've gotta try it!” I had seen, and heard, of the first game, and wanted to play it but sadly never got around to it. I was not going to let Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 slip by my “gaming radar.” I have always loved tactical stealth games like the Metal Gear Solid franchise.

By Davis Wiitala - 03/30/13
ESRB Details: This is a first-person shooter in which players assume the role of a professional sniper (Cole Anderson) engaged in covert military operations. Players primarily use a long-range sniper rifle to complete mission objectives, but nearby enemies can also be killed with explosives and stealth attacks (e.g., stabbing or slitting their throats from behind). Combat sequences are highlighted by realistic gunfire, screams of pain, explosions, and large splashes of blood; performing accurate headshots triggers slow-motion effects that follow the bullet to its intended target. Some sequences depict blood-splattered corpses and/or civilians getting shot; one scene depicts soldiers pushing lifeless bodies into a mass grave. The dialogue occasionally references drugs and/or sexual material (e.g., “How interesting is four kilos of coke,” “Gambling, drugs, hookers,” “He offered me an hour with his wife if I let him keep it,” “Sure, man, we're doing this for world peace. And some . . . .p**sy. Mostly the p**sy.”). The words “f**k,” “sh*t,” and “a*shole” can also be heard in dialogue.
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Poker Night at the Inventory

Developer: Online | Publisher: Online
Players: 1+ Player Game | Release Date: 05/22/13 | Genre: Undefined

Poker titles on the PC can be a real crapshoot, pun intended. For every game like Stacked that you get, you get a half dozen games like "Reel Deal Poker." When I first heard about Poker Night at the Inventory and the fact that it only offered one form of poker play, I figured that this was going to be another in a long line of poker related flops, again pun intended.

By Ash Williams - 03/19/12
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Star Wars the Old Republic

Developer: Bioware | Publisher: Electronic Arts
Players: 1+ Player Game | Release Date: 12/19/11 | Genre: MMO

Growing up as a boy in America I have always had a dream of living out my fantasy has a Star Wars character. With the dawn of dial-up Internet and games like EverQuest and Ultima Online, the idea of playing a character online with a bunch of others became a reality. Even as faster Internet became available through broadband services and new releases like World of WarCraft, nothing quite fulfilled me the way that a Star Wars experience would. 14 years almost exactly to the day, after the launch of Ultima Online, Star Wars the Old Republic has finally launched.

By Kaleb Rutherford - 02/17/12
ESRB Details: In this massively multiplayer online (MMO) role-playing game, based on the Star Wars universe, players engage in a fictional conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. Players can choose from classic Star Wars roles (e.g., Jedi Knight, Bounty Hunter, Trooper) and complete quests to determine their path down the light or dark side of the Force. Players use light sabers, laser blasters, and telekinetic powers to battle a variety of human-like enemies and fantastical creatures (e.g., aliens, cyborgs); battles frequently depict characters getting shot with lasers, slashed with light sabers, or shocked with lightning bolts. During the course of the game, players are presented with interactive cutscenes in which their choices play a vital role in the outcome of their story (e.g., using electrical attacks on restrained characters to collect information; killing someone instead of letting him go). Some sequences depict brief instances of blood and gore: to complete one quest, players must dip a skull in a pool of blood; in another mission, players deliver a severed head to a specific location and place it on a pike. Players can freely explore many areas in the game, including clubs that depict scantily clad female dancers with exposed cleavage; some sequences include dialogue with sexual innuendo (e.g., “An hour. I think I'm insulted. We'll need the whole night,” “I'll be sure to make conjugal visits,” and “Come, dear, let's forgo the nuptials and proceed to the honeymoon.”). The words “damn” and “hell” can be heard in dialogue throughout the game.
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Rift Review: From A WoW Player

Developer: Trion Worlds | Publisher: Trion Worlds
Players: 1+ Player Game | Release Date: 03/01/11 | Genre: MMO

By Chris Acton - 06/04/11

ESRB Details: This is a massively multiplayer online (MMO) role-playing game in which players complete quests and explore a fantasy world filled with inter-dimensional 'rifts.' Players can earn rewards, join cooperative parties, and 'level up' their customizable characters as they assume the role of humans, elves, dwarves, or giants. Axes, swords, and magic spells (e.g., fire or energy blasts) are used to battle human-like characters and enemy creatures (e.g., demons, wraiths, skeletons) in hand-to-hand combat. Battles are accompanied by metallic clanging sounds, cries of pain, and large splashes of blood. Players can deviate from one quest to briefly access a game area that depicts mounds of piled corpses. Some collectable items include beer mugs and wine; one sequence requires players to refill tavern patrons' mugs within a given time limit. The words 'bastard,' 'damn,' and 'hell' appear in the dialogue.
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Rift

Developer: Trion Worlds | Publisher: Trion Worlds
Players: 1+ Player Game | Release Date: 03/01/11 | Genre: MMO

Dictionary.com defines addiction as: a noun- the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma. After playing Rift since Beta and now into the first month of release, I am expecting the definition to include "See Rift." Yes, the latest Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMO for short) has been released for the PC platform and it includes all sorts of new "hooks" to ensure players are left always wanting to play more.

By Kaleb Rutherford - 04/06/11
ESRB Details: - Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Violence - This is a massively multiplayer online (MMO) role-playing game in which players complete quests and explore a fantasy world filled with inter-dimensional 'rifts.' Players can earn rewards, join cooperative parties, and 'level up' their customizable characters as they assume the role of humans, elves, dwarves, or giants. Axes, swords, and magic spells (e.g., fire or energy blasts) are used to battle human-like characters and enemy creatures (e.g., demons, wraiths, skeletons) in hand-to-hand combat. Battles are accompanied by metallic clanging sounds, cries of pain, and large splashes of blood. Players can deviate from one quest to briefly access a game area that depicts mounds of piled corpses. Some collectable items include beer mugs and wine; one sequence requires players to refill tavern patrons' mugs within a given time limit. The words 'bastard,' 'damn,' and 'hell' appear in the dialogue.
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Back to the Future: The Game - Part 1

Developer: Telltale Games | Publisher: Telltale Games
Players: 1 Player Game | Release Date: 12/22/10 | Genre: Adventure

One of my favorite movies growing up was Back to the Future. My parents told me that both my sister and myself were in a hotel room, on a family trip--many, many years ago--when we were little--and we watched it on PPV for the first time. The memory of where I saw the movie did not stay with me--only the story of a time traveling car. Years later, when a movie poster showcased "Back to the Future II" is coming soon, I do recall jumping for joy that the adventures of Doc and Marty would continue. Skip forward to E3 2010 and I almost had to be restrained due to the joy in hearing about the new Back to the Future epipisodic adventure from TellTale. After playing through Back to the Future: The Game - Episode 1, I can say that this is the most fun I have had with an adventure game in years.

By Kaleb Rutherford - 01/15/11
ESRB Details: This is an adventure game based on the Back to the Future movie franchise. Players assume the role of Marty McFly, a teenager who must travel through time to rescue his friend. Some cutscenes depict mild acts of violence (e.g., a car getting shot at by realistic weapons, a character getting punched in the face). A handful of cutscenes contain references to alcohol (e.g., 'Stay Sober Society,' '. . . drunken bums'). The words 'sh*t,' 'hell,' and 'b*tch' can be heard in the dialogue.
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