February 2008 Archives

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords is a remarkable game. As developer Infinite Interactive said in a talk at the Game Developers Conference, it was difficult to find a publisher for Puzzle Quest's clever cross between a traditional "match-three" casual puzzle game and the extensive quest structure and character development of a role-playing game. Fortunately, D3Publisher of America stepped up, and we got to enjoy an incredible game. Now, Infinite Interactive is hard at work on another game in the Puzzle Quest universe: Puzzle Quest: Galactrix.

Logitech makes damn fine gaming peripherals. Whether you are looking for a PC keyboard, a mouse or console controllers, Logitech has the goods. The Logitech Driving Force GT Racing Wheel will not disappoint. Based on the prototype that Logitech showed off at the Game Developers Conference, the Driving Force GT Racing Wheel promises to be Logitech's best wheel yet.

Bangai-O is an arcade-style shooter that anyone with a Dreamcast remembers fondly. Within the next few months, DS gamers will get to relive that classic shooting experience in a new version of the game, from the same developer (Treasure), that is best thought of as a re-imagining of the classic shooter than a sequel.

Platform: PC
Reviewed on PC

Windows System Requirements: Pentium III 500 MHz, 128 MB RAM, 32 MB video card, 4x CD-ROM, 600 MB HD space, internet connection for online multiplayer, Windows 2000 or more recent operating system

The Sun is dying, and with it, the solar system. Our planet has wasted away, with the human Federacy battling over the planet's few remaining scraps with the Raak-Zun, a society of mutant outcasts. The balance changes when a gateway is created that gives humanity access to a living world, rich in resources, that also brings the mysterious, technological wonders called the Sentinel into the battle.

Platform: PlayStation 3
Reviewed on PlayStation 3

The woods are under attack! Tiny villages of peaceful (and helpless) forest-folk are threatened by wave upon wave of horrible monsters that scuttle, flutter and trudge through forest paths to devour the innocent inhabitants of this island's shady glades. Only a brave defender of the forest, wearing a totem mask and grass skirt, can save the villages from certain fate at the hands of many monsters' digestive fluids.

Able Planet's LoSt-CaUzE Gaming Headphones are a set of comfortable, padded, noise-cancelling headphones aimed at gamers, which provide a great audio experience both for gamers on the move and those ensconced at their keyboards.

Platform: Xbox 360
Reviewed on Xbox 360

Long ago, the goddess Culdra made the Book of Creation – the Culdcept – a book that can create worlds and control the universe. The Culdcept was so powerful that it became the object of a struggle between the gods. To save the universe from this struggle, Culdra shattered the Culdcept.

Fragments of the Culdcept became stone, card-shaped tablets that were scattered around the world. Over time, "Cepters" emerged who could harness the power of these cards, using them to invoke monsters or even change the fabric of reality. This has led to a horrible cycle in which the Cepters come into conflict until one controls the cards, ultimately uses the cards to create a new world and then shatters the Culdcept once more, starting the process anew.

This time, players take on the role of a young boy who discovers that he is a natural Cepter, shortly after being sold into slavery. Once he fights for his freedom for the amusement of the populace, he joins forces with a princess on a quest to save the world through his mastery of the cards.

The ezGear Boxing Gloves are designed to provide a more realistic and entertaining boxing experience for Wii gamers using the Wii's motion sensitive remote and nunchuk to indulge in casual scuffles or prime-time prizefighting.

Platform: PC
Reviewed on PC

Windows System Requirements: 800 MHz Processor, 256 MB RAM, 32 MB video card, Windows XP or more recent operating system

After a recent jaunt to Easter Island, the Freelance Police have returned home to find their headquarters overrun by zombies. Well... perhaps not overrun, but there is a single zombie indulging in a little petty theft. And a few more in the streets.

Alright... it seems to be business as usual in Sam and Max's neighborhood, but there are a few zombies, shambling around, sloughing body parts as they go. Those body parts mark a trail that leads Sam and Max straight to their next globetrotting destination: Stuttgart.

Platform: DS
Reviewed on DS

"You wake up alone, in the dark, only to find yourself in a mysterious, derelict hospital that appears to be frozen in time. You have only vague memories of who you are and no memory of the events that have brought you to this eerie place.

As you move through the dark halls and encounter horrible creatures, you will uncover clues that recall your scattered memories and uncover a truth that is more horrifying than even the gruesome Redmoor Hospital."

Platform: Xbox 360
Reviewed on Xbox 360

It sounds Hulk-ish: "Poker Smash!" It's also the new puzzle game from Void Star Creations that's arrived on the Xbox 360. Make poker hands to clear the screen and collect chips that can be used to further customize the game.

Platforms: Xbox 360, Wii, PC, PlayStation 2, DS, PSP
Reviewed on PlayStation 2

A young adventurer from the kingdom of Bartonia is destined to lead the battle against the evil that increasingly plagues the world of Etheria. Starting as a mere novice, players build citadels, conquer nations, battle mythical beasts and dominate all opposition – all by playing symbol-matching puzzle games!

Platform: PC
Reviewed on PC

Windows System Requirements: Pentium IV 2.5 GHz or equivalent, 512 MB RAM, DVD ROM, ATI Radeon 9600 or nVidia GeForce FX 5700 with 128 MB VRAM, DirectX 9.0c, 5 GB HD space, broadband internet connection, Windows XP or more recent operating system

Thousands of years ago, the Eloh had settled worlds across the galaxy. As peaceful as they were powerful, the Eloh devoted themselves to the pursuit of knowledge – both of the universe and themselves. Their galactic settlements were possible thanks to the power of Logos, a science that seems mystical to us, that harnesses the power to control matter and energy through word and thought.

When the Eloh encountered "primitive" races, such as humanity, the Eloh left clues to help those races peacefully discover the universe on their own. When the Eloh met more developed races, the Eloh shared their knowledge and developed partnerships that benefitted both races. When the Eloh encountered the Thrax, their way of life ended.

The Thrax pretended to be peaceful partners, learning all they could before crippling the Eloh with a devastating surprise attack. The Eloh survived, but Eloh society split. One faction chose to pursue the Eloh's peaceful past. The other faction allied itself with the Thrax, forming a vicious coalition of alien races called the Bane.

When humanity began our rapid technological growth in the 20th Century, launching spacecraft and broadcasting electromagnetic signals into space, the Bane invaded. They rapidly overran the planet, exterminating or subjugating the populace. But a handful of humans, with the help of those seeds of knowledge planted by the early Eloh, escaped to other worlds. We met up with the survivors of other alien races, forming the Army of the Allied Free Sentients. As a recruit in the AFS, now is the time for you to fight for the future of humanity. And that of every other peace-loving race.

Platform: Xbox 360 Reviewed on Xbox 360

When Sega released Rez in 2001 for the Dreamcast, many weren't sure what to make of it. A limited run released the following year proved that the game's absolute critical success didn't always mean commercial success (around 40,000 copies were released in North America on the PS2). However, Rez turned out to be one of those diamonds in the rough and for some time, copies of Rez for the PS2 were going for well over $100. Once people tried it, they were hooked. Now available on Xbox Live Arcade for 800 points, Rez HD may finally get the audience it has always deserved, and it's never looked or sounded better.