DeVuego ES_COR

Having had the opportunity to put a lot of football game through their paces, I've got to say I've been thoroughly impressed by PM99's footballing credentials. There's all manner of improvements and refinements behind the scenes, but for me it's the marriage of the 3D match engine and the finesse of the tactical system which makes it such compulsive viewing and allows it to set a new standard for graphical management games on the PC.

As the first 2D Metroid game in over a decade, Samus Returns faces unfairly high expectations. Mercury Steam's involvement, a team known to play fast and loose with classic game traditions, was also a potential red flag for some. In hindsight, there was never anything to worry about, and a lot to look forward to. Samus Returns is both a return to form and a look to the potential future for 2D Metroid games, where combat plays a bigger role and exploration involves clever thinking rather than persistent guessing. Fans get more than they bargained (and hoped) for, and everyone else gets an excellent 2D action game with one of the most captivating and capable video game heroes around.

From the game's opening piano chords, The Red String Club's futuristic exploration of themes regarding human emotion, strong writing, and exciting situations create an experience that is deeply gratifying. The cast of relatable, three-dimensional characters elevate the stakes of every bullet fired, secret divulged and cocktail poured. They are flawed and dangerous, but also convey admirable human characteristics that feel inspirational. The Red Strings Club is a tense adventure about a cast of characters that endanger themselves for goals that aren't necessarily guaranteed, a rewarding journey into the human soul, and a game that pushes the limits of what a point-and-click adventure can do.

Gris understands intrinsically how magical video games can be and continually pushes your imagination until you’re almost bursting with joy. The ways in which it reinvents itself as you gain powers and dive ever deeper into this world is truly special, and just as it knows exactly when to pull back the camera or introduce a new song, it’s keenly aware of when it's time to say goodbye. Like a comet streaking across the sky, Gris is full of wonder and beauty and leaves you with a warm glow in your heart.

Even with these issues, Blasphemous 2 is an excellent sequel that improves upon its predecessor in almost all of the ways it fell short. The addition of three new weapons--and the litany of ways you can augment your build--ensure that combat is engaging throughout, while traversal has also been expanded upon in positive ways, removing much of the previous frustration by focusing on satisfying challenges and a tangible sense of progression. Combine this with another fascinating setting and deluge of haunting imagery, and this is a pilgrimage worth embarking on.

Like its predecessor, Commandos 2 is a distinctive game with a great design and a lot of impressive features. Yet Commandos 2 is even better than the first--its design is much more focused, the missions are more involved, and the expanded options for your commandos are all excellent. As a result, the game will certainly appeal to most anyone who likes a challenge for both the mind and the reflexes. And what a challenge--you'll feel a real sense of reward and relief after finishing each of the epic missions in Commandos 2.

Commandos contains a single linear campaign composed of 20 big missions. The linearity isn't problematic; while there exists a best way to win each scenario, you always get plenty of room to be especially creative or just a little reckless. And because they're well designed and open-ended, you'll want to play most of them more than once. Any of these missions can be attempted cooperatively with up to five other players, each responsible for at least a single troop. However, the true pleasure in this game is coordinating the entire squad single-handedly, anticipating how a situation will transpire and watching it go according to plan or successfully improvising when things don't go your way. And what a pleasure - after you navigate your team through or past some 50-odd nonchalant German guards, destroy a vital enemy installation, and hijack a means of escape, you may well find Commandos sneaking its way to the top of your list.

Praetorians would have been an even better game were it not for flaws like its limited camera options and its poor handling of multiplayer matchmaking, but thanks to its intelligent use of terrain and the strategic depth provided by its units' special abilities, Praetorians is an excellent choice for real-time strategy fans looking for a stiff and satisfying challenge. Resource management in the game is as minimal as it gets, so you can stay focused on combat. The challenging and lengthy single-player campaign and the tough AI will keep you busy for a long time, while custom skirmish modes and multiplayer capability add to the game's value.

At its best, though, in both the original survival mode, across the bulk of the campaign and in the one-off challenge of the week maps, They Are Billions remains a tight and compelling strategy game. The knowledge that you're always just one misstep away from disaster creates a gripping, tense atmosphere that's unusual for the genre. And the cycle from defense to offense and back again as you progress from one wave to the next offers both well-paced urgency and the ability to set clear short-term goals. It's a smartly designed game at its core, despite the distractions. Just like a lone zombie can bring about your demise, sometimes one strong idea is enough.

More than anything else, Metroid Dread feels like going back to a place of comfort after a long time away. Though the gameplay is refined and new features have been added to the mix, Dread sticks closely to the formula of its predecessors. In the end, for longtime fans like myself, that's probably for the best. There's nothing to dread here. We're home again.

If any game offers the chance to understand just how impossible the heroic events of war movies would be to accomplish, Commandos 3 is it. Achieving objectives against all odds takes planning, timing, lots of luck, and saved games. For all that it can be rough going and unevenly paced, Commandos 3 offers some truly memorable moments, and each mission stands on its own as a unique challenge. Commandos 2 fans should find plenty of satisfying material, though this isn't the game that's going to get newcomers into the series.

Scrapland is a game that's exceptionally tough to dislike, despite the fact that many of the things it tries to do just don't quite work. The underlying game design is flawed in several key areas, and the story isn't quite as satisfying as you'd hope. However, Scrapland has just enough going for it to make it enjoyable to play through while you experience the whimsy and inherent goofiness of its quirky and unique world. It's the intangibles that ultimately save Scrapland from the junk heap, and, thankfully, there are enough of them to make it a recommendable play.

Scrapland is a game that's exceptionally tough to dislike, despite the fact that many of the things it tries to do just don't quite work. The underlying game design is flawed in several key areas, and the story isn't quite as satisfying as you'd hope. However, Scrapland has just enough going for it to make it enjoyable to play through while you experience the whimsy and inherent goofiness of its quirky and unique world. It's the intangibles that ultimately save Scrapland from the junk heap, and, thankfully, there are enough of them to make it a recommendable play.

Entertaining highs and frustrating lows punctuate a Castlevania game that--in an effort to redefine the series--loses its identity.

Commandos 2 is a distinctive game with a great design and a lot of impressive features. Yet even though the designers did as good a job as could be expected of porting the excellent PC version to the PlayStation 2, Commandos 2 just doesn't feel at home on a console. The fine detail in the graphics is lost, the cooperative multiplayer mode is gone, and the controls, which were difficult to get used to in the PC version, are less precise but no less difficult to master. If all that's not enough, the PC version retails for about $20 less these days. Commandos 2 definitely deserves a large audience. But it's only worth playing on the PlayStation 2 if there's simply no way for you to play it in its original form.

Nevertheless, if you've been searching for an adventure game worth your while, Runaway: A Road Adventure is for you. It has pretty much everything you'd want out of a solid adventure experience, like diverse settings, a good storyline, wacky characters, and lots of complex puzzles. Even if some of its elements aren't up to the standard set by the greatest adventure games ever released, Runaway is still a good game that's recommendable to fans of the genre, as well as those who maybe haven't tried this style of gaming before.

Because of its visceral, action-packed combat sequences, Blade of Darkness should appeal to fans of similar games or those who like gritty high-fantasy battles. The control scheme takes getting used to and never really becomes second nature, and the game's mostly good graphics do have some noticeable shortcomings. Likewise, the combat can get somewhat repetitive, and you'll find that the four playable characters actually aren't as different as they first appear. Even so, Blade of Darkness makes good on its main promises: It's a bloody action game that lets you use a wide variety of weapons to make mincemeat of a wide variety of foes. In the end, if that sounds appealing to you, then you'll certainly appreciate the game.

You'll likely be satisfied with what you play of the mobile version of King Kong, since this is a well-presented action game that throws a good amount of variety at you, especially with its two playable characters. However, since you'll be finished with the game in less time than it would take you to sit through the feature film, and since there's little obvious reason to revisit the relatively easy levels, there's not much lasting value to this experience. But it's still worth checking out for fans of the movie or really for anyone looking for a solid but brief action game for their handset.

Lords of Shadow 2 should have been a much shorter game. Still, though the game's stealth sections and drab modern settings represent the worst elements of the three-part saga, the tail end of the game contains the best of every aspect that the series is currently known for. It's the stuff you expect Castlevania to be made of, and after contending with forced stealth gameplay and a weak narrative at the start, it feels good to be home. Even better, the final act wraps up the Lords of Shadow trilogy with authority, and the game's final moments leave you both gasping for air and sighing in relief. It may not strike newcomers to the Lords of Shadow tale with such force, but it's nonetheless a surprising and fulfilling conclusion to Lords of Shadow 2's distinct plot. Regardless of your experience with the saga, if you have the patience to get through the rough start, you'll discover a much better game waiting for you on the other side.

It's clearly aimed at younger players, but Planet 51 is attractive and fun enough for even parents or older siblings to enjoy. If you're looking for a good game for some gaming kids in your life, chances are they'll enjoy a visit to the inviting world of Planet 51.

A few annoyances interfered with my adventure; I got stuck in place twice when trying to make leaps I hoped might have clever results, and finding an orb in the grass when night has fallen can be a frustration. These are small irritations, but in a game this focused, such irritations can linger. Fortunately, the delights linger as well--the stunning landscapes, the grand sense of scale that pervades a few of the later levels, the artful manner in which the final scenario reimagines the archetypical video game boss. Even if you don't fall in love with Path to Thalamus, I suspect you won't be fully immune to its gravity.

Despite being a rehash, Turok 3 is a well-balanced, varied platform gaming experience. The vehicular and top-down levels give the game an activity-oriented feel, while the side-scrolling missions deliver the tried and true formula of bloodshed and mayhem the series' fans crave. If you're bored of Turok titles, Shadows of Oblivion is only a refinement on the theme. However, if the last few titles left you wanting more or you're new to the series, Turok 3 would be a fairly decent acquisition.

All told, Mirror of Fate is a fun and occasionally challenging action game with successful elements and an unfortunate, but small, selection of poor design choices. By taking liberties with the series' lore, it opens the door for an exciting conclusion to the Lords of Shadow timeline. Had some of the inconsistencies in gameplay been ironed out, the experience would have felt much more cohesive, but as it stands, Mirror of Fate is a good, but not great, addition to the historic Castlevania series.

Thus far, only the first two chapters of The Last Door are available, and it remains to be seen just where Devitt's attempts to uncover the past and excavate his own buried memories will lead. But this web-based adventure game is off to a promisingly frightening start. The Last Door is all the more engrossing for the ways in which its visuals encourage your own imagination to play a part in creating its horrors.

Although Blues and Bullets isn’t without its flaws, this first episode sets a distinctive comic-book, crime-noir attitude compelling enough to keep you playing and looking forward to what the series will offer in future installments. Anyone who enjoys classic noir fiction or the decidedly modern, bloody take on it offered up on the grim streets of Sin City will find a lot to like here.

Attitude and attractiveness are the two biggest characteristics of Murder in the Abbey. Although the pilfered plot won't win any points for creativity, the sensible puzzles and the cheerful charm of the presentation are enough to win you over.

Ziggurat can be completed in just over an hour, but it's unlikely you will stop there. The game is challenging, engaging, and a whole lot of fun, despite its problems. There is an abundance of perks to discover and up to 11 characters to unlock, all of whom have a unique set of strengths and weaknesses. If you believe you have the mystical skills to conquer the mighty Ziggurat, now is your chance to prove your worth.

Though it can be frustrating that its core gameplay never evolves past the often one-note rhythm of hacking and jumping across different levels, keeping it from reaching greater heights, I still came away impressed with how much Blasphemous stuck close to its haunting, dark storyline. To that end, playing through this send-up to metroidvania games was a satisfying trial to overcome in its own right.

In some ways, the same could be said of the keeping the shop running at peak efficiency, but there's enough interplay with managing your limited baggage space and just enough anchored in supply-and-demand systems that it comes together nicely. It's a shame, then that Moonlighter's also a bit on the short end, as some of these ideas would do well with simply more--but then the combat would like thin out even more. Still, what's here is refreshing, and the balance struck between crawling through dungeons and working with the economics of the town are a good combo while it lasts.

The surreal world design of After Us' dystopian world carries the game, encouraging you to keep going even when the momentum-driven platforming and creative puzzles give way to tedious combat. Gaia isn't all that compelling a protagonist, but the stories she uncovers--whether they're of the Earth's final animals or the Devourers who killed them--make up for it, inviting you to delve deeper into the dark of After Us' dying world and uncover exactly how it all fell apart.

Imperial Glory feels very much like Shogun: Total War did when it came out. In other words, it shows a lot of untapped promise and potential, but it also possesses raw edges and missed opportunities. This is still an enjoyable game, though, so long as you're willing to overlook the flaws.

In spite of everything, it's inaccurate to say that Beyond the Call of Duty is far worse than the original. If anything, the two games are difficult to distinguish, so fans of the original will enjoy Beyond the Call of Duty because of its inherent similarity to its predecessor. And to be fair, there are certain subtle new twists to this game that add strategic depth, such as the spy's ability to wear several types of uniforms. But at the same time, most of the subtle changes have adverse effects and make Beyond the Call of Duty feel like more of the same in the worst kind of way.

Wanted is an odd game: In many ways it's geared toward kids, yet it can require the patience or intellect of an adult. It's hurt by many sloppy or ill-conceived gameplay mechanics, some major bugs (save often near the end), and a lame finale, with the two main characters almost randomly babbling on about an irrelevant issue. On the bright side, Wanted sports a lighthearted presentation that offers a welcome change from all the dark, gritty games out there. It also features puzzles that should appeal to both nostalgic old-school adventure fans and genre neophytes. Wanted is subtitled "A Wild Western Adventure," and while it's hardly wild, it does have its share of fun moments.

Unfortunately, there are never many options in Deadlight, and it's usually obvious which one best fits your current scenario. In the three or so hours that it takes to complete the game, you feel less like you are trekking through a dangerous world, and more like you are acting out a script. Deadlight's engrossing visuals make it fun to play the part, but you'll wish you had more lines.

Jericho is both a triumph and a disaster, and not a lot of games manage to be both of these at once. Frustrating, exciting, inconsistent, linear--these words and many more describe the various elements of Clive Barker's Jericho. If you've got a high tolerance for gameplay annoyances and like the feeling of imposing dread and claustrophobia this corridor crawl provides, by all means, give it a shot. If you like tight shooting mechanics and smart level design, you'll want to steer clear.

At its best, Gods Will Be Watching is brimming with challenging puzzles and an emotionally charged story starring memorable characters. The game is hard, but that immense difficulty makes surviving to the next chapter all the more satisfying. It's unfortunate that many of those enjoyable moments are overshadowed by glitches and frustrating randomized levels late in the game. Gods Will Be Watching was close to being a must-have puzzler, but it's doubtful that even the gods would have the patience to see it through to the bitter end.

The Invizimals experience is better when shared with others. You can battle or trade your invizimals via ad hoc or infrastructure multiplayer. The online community isn't very robust at the moment, though, so you'll have better luck coordinating with friends than just hopping online and hoping to find a battle or trade partner. Those who like to live dangerously will appreciate the option to raise the stakes in their invizimal battles with a bet, which grants the victor the option to steal, destroy, or forgive the loser's creature. Trading and battling with others gives this game a bit more longevity, particularly for completionists who want to collect all of the 100-plus invizimals in the game. But other games have handled the creature battling concept with more success. The technology of Invizimals is very impressive at first, but once that wears off, these cute creatures often prove to be more trouble than they're worth.

Unfortunately, this is when Yesterday quickly draws to a close. The grim finale comes hot on the heels of the climactic reveal, giving you the sense that things are wrapping up just when they were starting to get good. The characters you've been trying to get a handle on have finally revealed themselves, but it's too late. This disappointment lingers, but most of the game is spent exploring nice environments, meeting some strange folks, and solving a bunch of enjoyable puzzles. Whatever you wish it might have done better, Yesterday does enough things right to make for an amusing adventure.

It's too bad that a few maddening puzzles and other issues weigh down this beautiful journey to a time that never was. We're in the midst of something of an adventure game renaissance, but while its visuals wouldn't have been possible ten years ago, The Next Big Thing too often recalls the frustrating aspects of so many games from the genre's past. At $30, this is a reasonably priced adventure, and by the time you've reached the end, you'll have grown attached to its lead characters and intrigued by its world. But the experience isn't without its painful moments. The Next Big Thing has plenty of vintage Hollywood style, but it falls well short of being a classic.

At the very least, Reverie succeeds as a teaser for future downloadable content, but for $9.99 it's a pity that this DLC missed an opportunity to showcase what Lords of Shadow does best.

Runaway: A Twist of Fate is an adventure for those who just want to enjoy the ride. It's an interesting enough story with likable protagonists and great graphics, even if the dialogue is stretched out beyond all limits of patience at times, but the actual game-playing part of this adventure leaves a lot to be desired. There isn't much challenge, nor is there any innovation over what developers like LucasArts and Sierra were doing well over a decade ago, so what you've got is more of an animated movie than a game.

Wanted: Weapons of Fate isn't just a short game; it's an easy one. Checkpoints are scattered liberally throughout each of the linear levels, but given the prevalence of cover and the predictability of enemies, you'll rarely need to use them. Even the unlikely event of running out of ammo doesn't pose a big problem because, if you can get close enough to an enemy to melee him, just a single button press is enough to kill. There's undoubtedly some fun to be had in Wanted: Weapons of Fate, but there are so many superior shooters giving you more bang for your buck out there that it's tough to recommend.

Rime's artistry is unquestionable. Each world is enchanting in its own way, from the naturalistic peace of the first to the abstract doom of the last. Its soundtrack is similarly beautiful, capable of evoking wonder, tension, and fear in equal measure. But when compared to its influences like Ico, Shadow of the Colossus, and Journey, it doesn't hold up too well. Consistent navigation problems, some frustrating puzzles, fiddly platforming, and severe frame rate dips make Rime feel like a well-dressed tribute act.

Crossing Souls has the building blocks of a rousing '80s adventure. Experiencing the significant, pitch-perfect moments of the story is great, because it's hard not to get energized by a John Williams-esque score, or get a little sentimental as the credits roll over a feelgood synthpop track. But when you emerge from the nostalgia-induced stupor, it's hard to deny that the characters and plot that underpin it all could definitely be more substantial. Crossing Souls has good mechanics, and its facade is a visual treat that is easy to be seduced by, but it fails to achieve a level of holistic enjoyment that raises it past the giant pile of references.

The highlights of Etherborn are undoubtedly its inventive puzzles and its constellation of small, compelling worlds. But with just five chapters, its brief runtime feels lacking, and it left me wanting for more puzzles to solve. Etherborn attempts to compensate for this by unlocking a new game plus mode after you've completed the game, which lets you dive into the same worlds once more. This mode is largely similar to the original one, the only difference being the crystalline orbs, which are located in harder-to-reach places. Apart from the slightly more challenging platforming puzzles, however, the electrifying thrill of discovery has largely subsided--you've already found all the secrets, after all--and there's little incentive to revisit it. By the end, even the allure of these small worlds isn't enough to make you return, with only the yearning for more remaining in its wake.

Evil Dead: The Game is faithful, but sometimes to a fault. If there were more game modes or even more varied objectives in its one attractive game mode, it would feel more like a game for horror fans to play for a long time, maybe even moving competitors like Dead By Daylight or Hunt Showdown off their vaunted pedestals. As it stands at launch, however, Evil Dead only reaches beyond something pretty good when it's played with a close-knit group of Evil Dead fans. General horror or co-op enthusiasts may get some mileage out of it, but Ash and his boomstick are storming into a crowded field of competitors and can't quite overcome the horde of similar games already available.

There is some fun to be had with Turok: Rage Wars. It has plenty of maps, lots of modes, and enough hidden stuff to keep you playing for quite some time, provided you can stay interested in the game for more than three days. But given the game's slow speed and the general lack of intelligent computer opponents, you're really better off sticking with another first-person shooter. GoldenEye 007 comes to mind, of course, as does Quake II. Both are still very good at putting together an enjoyable four-player experience, as well as providing a meaningful single-player mode.

Perhaps the biggest disappointment about Runaway: The Dream of the Turtle, though, is that there is probably a solid adventure buried under all the teen-girl posturing and awful dialogue. Even though the game has a lot of problems, it's got an undeniable spirit about it that at least communicates the developers' love for their work, as well as a great appreciation for classic adventure games from the late '80s and early '90s. That's something to praise, even if the actual game is an also-ran.

Commandos Strike Force isn't a bad game...it's just similar to but worse than a large number of other World War II shooters. Its main distinguishing features--the ability to control a couple of soldiers through open-ended levels--aren't all that remarkable, and the core action doesn't cut it either. Consider this one a casualty.

A fairly conventional real-time strategy game that covers a lot of ground that we've seen in better World War II-based games.

Overall, Monster 4x4 fails to excite on any level. It offers a decent amount of different tracks and courses, but nothing that you do on any of these courses is the least bit interesting. While the GameCube isn't exactly long on off-road racing games, you can certainly find something better than Masters of Metal.

Although you've got to appreciate McCarthy's peppy attitude, there isn't much in Your Shape that will get you off the couch. The game feels really stripped in comparison to its competition. You can probably firm some things up here, but the exercises are too female-focused for guys and so bland that they give aerobicizing wannabes an excuse to drift back to their couches. That camera idea, however, is a keeper that needs to be fine-tuned for use in future exercise games.

Blacksad: Under the Skin works, it's a solid detective game that serves up a case worth cracking, a charismatic lead whose character you can shape in meaningful ways, and an investigation method that successfully wraps you in a brown trenchcoat. But when it doesn’t work you'll find yourself bogged down in the tedium of traipsing around another uninspired location, searching for that final wayward hotspot, and the atmosphere is sucked out of the room.

What's really disappointing is that Alien Spidy is full of promise that's chiseled away as you spend more time with it. The creative level designs are challenging and frequently fun to play when you're not obsessing over trying for that perfect run. It's the harsh scoring system and the absurdly steep goals you have to hit before unlocking subsequent tiers of levels that really kill the experience. A stiff challenge is good to get the blood pumping, but this level of punishment feels arbitrary and not particularly well-thought-out. With tighter controls and a bit more leniency, Alien Spidy would be a much different and much more enjoyable romp.

Released in 1998, the Spanish film Torrente, El Brazo Tonto de la Ley (Torrente, The Stupid Arm of the Law) was a huge hit in its country of origin. The comedy about a homophobic, racist, sexist ex-cop who, for good measure, drinks too much and abuses his crippled father, reportedly grossed more money than Titanic, at least in Spain. This exotic pedigree gives Torrente the game an air of intrigue that eclipses the final product, which turns out to be a typically rotten movie-licensed budget shooter.

Beach Head 2002 delivers arcade-style shooting in its most basic--and repetitive--form. If the idea of endlessly shooting wave after wave of the same few enemies with the same few guns in the same exact environment appeals to you, you're better off buying Beach Head 2000 from the bargain bin. If you've played and enjoyed the previous game, Beach Head 2002 is more of the same with some minor tweaks, but those few tweaks are not worth the game's $20 retail price.

As we know by now, adventure games are not doomed to be mere fossils. Telltale and many other devs have reimagined the genre in many new and exciting directions that honor the legacy of those that came before but without the design baggage that so plagued them in the first place. Randal's Monday is blind hero worship that ignores decades of design theory and leaves an unpleasant aftertaste thanks to its thoroughly unlikable, homogenous cast.

There are other problems that plague Zack Zero, such as invisible walls and a level-up screen that interrupts whatever is going on onscreen, regardless of the danger you might encounter. There are precious few elements in the game that are not hindered by flaws, which make it more difficult to play and enjoy. Yet even without these problems, Zack Zero lacks the appeal and ingenuity found in many other downloadable platformers. At $12.99, Zack Zero is overpriced, underdeveloped, and outclassed.

The best you can say about Extreme Wintersports is that HeadGames, K2, and Arctic Cat apparently got what they wanted: HeadGames was able to crank out yet another budget title, and K2 and Arctic Cat got either licensing dollars or free advertising, or both. Too bad no one ever thought to include gamers in the equation.

Frankly, it's a mystery this game exists at all. The thing about shooters is that, well, there are a lot of them. And in a genre as saturated as the shooter category, you either have to create something unique or need some deep pockets to create that AAA Hollywood experience. Not only is Scourge: Outbreak neither unique nor slickly produced, but it's fundamentally flawed in all the key areas that a great shooter needs to excel. It somehow even manages to make the Unreal engine look a pop-in-fest full of awful repetitive textures and jaggies worthy of the original PlayStation. There's no place in the world for a lemon of this magnitude.