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11.01.01 by Doc @ 11:36 am  Overall (not an average): Developer: Capcom Entertainment When word first came out about Devil May Cry, I was pretty excited. A big fan of the Resident Evil series, and just about any other action/adventure game that doesn't rely on little anime-ish tykes with too-big heads, I couldn't wait to see what happened when they took a dose of Blade, a dash of ResEvil, and a little touch of the gunslinging Western movie and made a game out of it. Having played it now, I can only say that it was close, but no cigar. While stylistically the game is definitely tops, the gameplay concepts are nothing new, the mechanics clunky and awkward in places, and the story all-too-familiar. Categorized as: Games and Reviews
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10.14.01 by Doc @ 11:08 am  Overall: Developer: Stormfront Studios The words "pool or radiance" serve as a kind of litmus test for hardcore computer role-playing gamers. Equally powerful is the phrase "gold box game." If you remember when a badass machine had VGA graphics and a 286/16 processor, and are a fan of CRPGs, then you likely know of and probably played at least one of SSI's legendary "gold-box games." A series of games based on the popular Dungeons & Dragons pencil-and-paper game, the gold box games were a serious evolution of what role-playing meant on the PC. Along with the Bard's Tale and early Might & Magic games, they set the standard for decent computer role-playing. Categorized as: Games and Reviews
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03.21.01 by ScottC @ 3:39 pm  Overall: Developer: Croteam First off, don't worry if you haven't played the first Serious Sam. I hadn't and it's not necessary. Second, while it's called Serious Sam, the game is in fact, very silly. The chainsaw-wielding maniacs with jack-o-lantern heads are a big clue. There is a plot, but it's not that important to your gaming experience. You're killing alien invaders in pre-Columbian South America, ancient Babylon, and medieval Europe. And killing lots and lots of alien baddies. Did I mention the killing? On paper, Serious Sam 2 sounds like another Duke Nukem clone. Clearing levels of bad guys, picking up keys, ammo, and power ups, and taking out the boss creature at the end while talking trash. However, within that formula the development team from Croatia (yes, Croatia, really) has worked in a lot of originality and style. The enemies have definite attack strategies that require the player to use the various moves and weapons available. And their design runs the gamut from silly (the above mentioned pumpkin headed maniacs with chainsaws) to the scary (bigass demons that toss massive fireballs at you). From the towering Incan pyramids to the slick floors of the Tower of Babel to the looming castles of Europe, the levels of Serious Sam2 give off the suitable atmosphere. And there's a good balance between cramped interiors and vast exteriors to play in. The weapons are pretty standard (knife, shotgun, minigun, rocket launcher, etc.), but the cannon that shoots lead-coated uranium balls is nice. But some of the weapons do overpower some of the others. I found I was using the flamethrower, minigun, and rocket launcher almost exclusively. But you need all the help you can get. At certain points, the game throws raging hordes of baddies to kill your ass. While this is very cool, it will affect performance on less powerful systems. If these concerns make you hesitate to pick this game up, here's one more selling point. Most new games cost around $49.99 to $59.99. Serious Sam 2 costs $19.99. That's right, $19.99. So run to your game store and pick up Serious Sam: The Second Encounter before the Croatians realize how much more they can charge in the US. System Requirements:
Eye Candy: Categorized as: Games
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