Review

I Am Alive was developed by Ubisoft Shanghai and produced by Ubisoft. It was released on March 7, 2012 for 1200 MSP. 

It’s two hours before any act of kindness befalls Adam, I Am Alive’s gravelly protagonist. Two strangers sheltering from the callous outdoors offer him some meat. It’s cooked, Adam’s nursing wounds, and his is a world in which food is hard come by. The men huddle around a fire in full blaze and in a city ravaged by earthquakes and shrouded by a plume of killer-dust, the scene in the gloomy subway is about the most heartening yet. Adam scoffs the meat down and sets off again. Perhaps there is good still in this most ruthless of worlds. And then you stumble upon the cage; a 4×3 foot coop home to a human skeleton and some leftover slabs of meat. Damnit.

Like so much of I Am Alive, it’s a scene anchored in Cormac McCarthy’s comfortless classic The Road, but Ubisoft could hardly have chosen a more worthy inspiration for its bleak survival horror.

Read More

Pinball FX 2: Epic Quest was developed by Zen Studios and published by Microsoft Studios. It was released February 15, 2012 for 240 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

Werewolves, vampires and goblins, oh my! These are just a few of the monsters you’ll encounter in Pinball FX 2‘s new table, Epic Quest. In this new table we take a knight on his journey against evil to rescue his kidnapped princess. What separates this new installment from other tables is the addition of RPG-like elements. The adventure carries on from game to game, giving you the ability to level up your character, pick armor and even your weapon. It this enough to make pinball feel fresh and revitalized, or will this be another one of those things that should have never been?

Read More

NFL Blitz was developed by EA Tiburon and published by EA Sports. It was released on January 4, 2011 for 1200 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

One of the most beloved video game franchises of all-time is back. Although EA now has the right to the license, it means it’s being developed by a studio that knows how to make football games. EA Tiburon has tried to make a full-featured product, packed with several online game modes. This does not mean the newest NFL Blitz in the series is perfect. While it’s not riddled with bugs or glitches, it seems like a much more laid back NFL Blitz experience. Which is unlike the crazy atmosphere that usually surrounded past games in the franchise.

Read More

BurgerTime World Tour was developed by MonkeyPaw Games and produced by Konami Digital Entertainment. It was released November 2, 2011 for 800 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

BurgerTime World Tour is a remake of the classic 80’s platformer starring the lovable chef Peter Pepper. The simple concept of making a burger while platforming was intriguing and something no one had honestly really even thought of. In this remake all the classic features that made the original are back: building burgers, evil sausages, killer eggs, jumping pickles and more. As Peter Pepper (or your Xbox Live avatar) you must travel through several large 3D environments across several cities. Also included are boss battles and both local and online multiplayer.

Read More

The downloadable content It Came from Outer Space for A World of Keflings was developed by NinjaBee Games and published by Microsoft Studios. It was released on October 26, 2011 for 320 MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

A World of Keflings released last December as part of the Games for the Holidays promotion, and was an instant success, building off the original A Kingdom for Keflings. The extraterrestrial DLC, It Came from Outer Space is now available to download. Featuring new characters, blueprints, building materials, and dozens of sci-fi references, the DLC looks to further plant the Keflings’ games as some of the best out there on Xbox Live Arcade.

Here’s what we liked:

New story/characters – Aliens have crashed their ship….stop me if you’ve heard this one before. It may sound like a plain alien movie, but that’s the story of the DLC. Some very weird looking people have crashed their ship, and it’s your job to help them fix it and get them back to their planet. New characters also appear in this new DLC. The characters have always been loved in the Keflings universe, and in the new DLC that continues. With names such as Captain Warfbart, Dr. Snippetoff, and Senator Hadookin, it’s hard not to just laugh and appreciate them. All the characters mentioned play a big part in the DLC, their spaceship crashed and you just happen to be there to help them. They assist you, giving you the newest blueprints, so you can help fix their spaceship. The characters throw around some crazy sci-fi references that almost everyone will get a kick out of. The new story fits right into the outrageous world NinjaBee has made with the Keflings, and even though this one might be the craziest, it’s also the best.

Read More

Worms: Ultimate Mayhem was developed by Team 17 and retails for 1200 Microsoft Points. It was released on Septemer 28, 2011. A copy of the game was provided for review.

If you’re reading this review, chances are you’ve heard of the Worms franchise. Debuting back in 1995, Team 17’s flagship franchise has graced over a dozen platforms since it first emerged from its digital hole. Known for its mix of strategy, action and humor, the franchise made its mark and has for the most part stuck to its classic 2D formula. In 2003, the Worms franchise went 3D for the first time with Worms 3D, marking a major departure for the series. In 2005, Team 17 followed the game up with a sequel, Worms: Mayhem. Fast forward to 2011, where Team 17 has compiled the content of both 3D Worms offerings into one package for Xbox Live Arcade aptly titled, Worms: Ultimate Mayhem.

Read More

MLB Bobblehead Battle was developed and published by Konami Digital Entertainment. it was released on August 28, 2011 for 800 MSP. A copy of this game was provided for review purposes.

MLB Bobblehead Battle isn’t your normal baseball game. Though all your favorite teams and players are there, the main focus here is pitching and batting. This time around the folks over at Konami have done away with dealing with controlling extra players, no more catching the pop fly to left field, no more picking off second base with B.J. Upton. Instead, the field is now boxed out into sections marked single, double, triple, home run, etc. Wherever the ball stops, that’s what you get.

To make this a little more difficult yet fun they have added different objects throughout the outfield to force a higher emphasis on ball placement. There are also power-up cards that will either give you an advantage or even put your opponent at a disadvantage for a set number of rounds. MLB Bobblehead Battle has a few different modes to choose from including exhibition, challenge and even a stadium editor for you to build your own “battleground”.

Read More

Red Bull X-Fighters was developed by Xendex and published by Konami Digital Entertainment, it was released on September 14, 2011 for 800 MSP. A copy of the game was provided for review purposes.

Red Bull X-Fighters is the game iteration of an international freestyle Motocross competition. This action packed release comes with high flying action, spread across several major world events. Each stop on the tour is a new location. Pitted against time and score you must pull off jaw dropping stunts in order to stand out and be number one. Immediately reminding you of Trials HD when you first see it, and having a very similar feel, is it enough to set this highly overlooked genre back on the radar?
Read More

T.E.C. 3001 was developed and published by Phoenix Games. It was released on August 24, 2011 and retails for 240 MSP. A copy of the game was provided for review purposes.

T.E.C. (Telsa Energy Collector) 3001 is a fast paced platformer, but unlike most T.E.C. 3001 is not a side-scroller of any sort. It is actually a fast paced, third-person running game where you must traverse different obstacle courses by dodging, sliding, or jumping. With the camera locked in the air behind you as you travel forward into the distance, T.E.C.3001 immediately sets itself up to look and feel different then everything else in its genre. Will this be enough to set it apart and stand out in one of the most crowded genres on any console?

Read More

Toy Soldiers: Cold War was developed by Signal Studios and published by Microsoft. It was released on August 17, 2011 as part of Summer of Arcade for 1200MSP. A copy was provided for review purposes.

About two years ago, Signal Studios released the original Toy Soldiers on Xbox Love Arcade and it has since been one of the top selling XBLA games to date. With that success, a sequel was inevitable. Now, two years later, Toy Soldiers: Cold War sets out to improve on a formula that was pretty damn good to begin with.

Toy Soldiers: Cold War is an action tower defense game where you play as an American army of toy soldiers who are trying to keep the Soviet forces from invading their toy box. Aside from basic tower defense elements, Toy Soldiers: Cold War also contains many user-controlled vehicles, special abilities and the option to manually use each tower/emplacement. These additions make Toy Soldiers: Cold War a hectic, action-packed game that allows gamers to play it however they please. For players of the original Toy Soldiers, this is no surprise. But if you’re a classic tower defense gamer, you better prepare for an incredible change of pace that adds up to countless hours of fun. Read More