MetroPulse Stories: Video Games

A Fan-Based Uprising Brought 'Xenoblade: Chronicles' to America—Was It Worth It?

Wed, 09 May 2012 16:05:00 -0000

I’ve played Xenoblade: Chronicles now, and let me tell you, as far as I’m concerned, Nintendo’s Japanese market can have it back.

'Kid Icarus: Uprising' Shows What the 3DS Can Really Do. Finally.

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:05:00 -0000

I’m stuck in this weird conundrum. I can’t put Kid Icarus: Uprising down long enough to write something about it.

Understanding the Many Flaws of 'Syndicate'

Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:47:00 -0000

Syndicate is a game dreamed up by corporate edict, built under factory conditions, refined by focus groups, and ingested by a public too accustomed to soylent green to know cannibalism when it tastes it. It’s a single-player shooter in the same way that a utensil drawer is a single-person buffet line. The basic tools are there, but no matter how hard you wish otherwise while you lick your fork, there’s no meat there whatsoever.

'Mass Effect 3,' Pt. II: How an Ending Can Wreck a Trilogy

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:52:00 -0000

I just beat Mass Effect 3, and I’m a little pissed.

'Mass Effect 3' Turns Up the Bitterness of War

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:00:00 -0000

Mass Effect 3 is, from the start, a game that tells a story of a war already lost.

'Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning' Sounds a Wake-Up Call to the RPG Genre

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 15:07:00 -0000

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a vast, immersive fantasy epic that has a lot to teach the self-proclaimed visionaries of the industry, having seemingly come out of nowhere to blow many of their best creations out of the water.

'Final Fantasy XIII-2' Atones for Its Predecessor, But Makes Its Own Missteps

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:45:00 -0000

Some people can’t just leave well enough alone. Instead, the world is treated to Final Fantasy XIII-2 as a game that apologizes for the sins of its predecessor—and commits a fresh new set of sins all its own.

Months Later, We're All Still Playing 'Skyrim.' But Why?

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:55:00 -0000

Last night I read a couple of books, cooked a passable meal, did some light housework, and tricked a colossal brass automaton into killing off a dozen or so pesky goblinoids who were ruining the ambience of the latest in a series of newly-discovered dwarven ruins. It was Skyrim. Again. Always Skyrim, never ceasing.

'Saints Row: The Third" Is Finally Absurd Enough to Work

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:15:00 -0000

The Saints Row series has always been more or less Grand Theft Auto’s id left to run rampant without even GTA’s extremely minimal levels of restraint.

Best of 2011: Video Games

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:00:00 -0000

2011 was far from a perfect year for video games, with too many unpolished diamonds in the rough and too few true standouts. Still, a number of games managed to rise above the rest and make the year bearable.

'The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword' Shows What the Wii Can Do—Five Years Too Late

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:38:00 -0000

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is Nintendo’s answer to its fans’ long-ignored prayers, but, like so many prayers, the response from on high is insufficient.

'Super Mario 3D Land' Aims to End Nintendo's Slump

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:09:00 -0000

Super Mario 3D Land is upon us, and with a killer app spurring things on, 3DS sales have nowhere to go but up.

'The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim' Brings the Thunder Back to Tamriel

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 18:24:00 -0000

If you’ll permit me a Seinfeld moment, what is the deal with Bethesda Game Studios’ fixation on prisoners as protagonists in the Elder Scrolls series?

'Batman: Arkham City' Has Insurmountable Competition: Its Predecessor

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 15:46:00 -0000

Arkham City tears the roof off Arkham Asylum and gives it a good shake, presenting from start to finish a world that is fundamentally broken. It’s the perfect environment for zipping around between rooftops on your way to find a nice group of miscreants and get your Dark Knight on all over them.

Dear John: An Open Letter to John Carmack

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 14:13:00 -0000

Dear Mr. Carmack: As a man best known by his works, it’s been a while since we’ve really seen you, hasn’t it? DOOM 3 feels like it was so very long ago.

In 'Space Marine,' Death Becomes Dull

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 14:09:00 -0000

Space Marine is the latest entry in Games Workshop’s long, slow slog moving the Warhammer 40,000 franchise away from tabletop wargames that nobody would be caught dead playing and toward the more lucrative market of video games that merely most people wouldn’t be caught dead playing.

Dead Island Breathes Shambling Life Back Into the Zombie Game

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 13:47:00 -0000

Dead Island is a huge game that comes out swinging and rarely lets up, proving that the zombie genre is not quite dead.

'Deus Ex: Human Revolution' Rebuilds a Once-Proud Franchise

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 14:15:00 -0000

Many people believe that the modern shooter was born in 2001 with the release of Halo: Combat Evolved. Those people are idiots, and Deus Ex is the reason why.

'El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron' Turns Forgotten Texts Into Fever Dreams

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:43:00 -0000

ISRAEL—Archaeologists working in the West Bank region have discovered a prophetic set of texts that may prove to be the first known example of a pop-culture critical review.

'Terraria' Lets Players Spelunk Their Way to Riches

Wed, 17 Aug 2011 15:07:00 -0000

Imagine the offspring of an NES-era Final Fantasy and Dig Dug and you’ve got a very basic idea of what’s going on with Terraria. Put another way, it’s a sidescrolling, action-centric version of first-person retro indie world-builder Minecraft.