[PS3, X360, PC] Review Roundup - Dragon Age II

[PS3, X360, PC] Review Roundup - Dragon Age II RPG Fan - 88% - "Dragon Age II is streamlined, not simplified. It's a great game within its own rights, but issues with the overall story, repetitive environments, and control scheme keep it from being truly fantastic. Even with those flaws, Dragon Age II is still an above-average RPG that's worth the time of just about anyone who likes Western-styled RPGs. With fantastic characterization, quality voiceover and graphics, and only a few minor issues, there's not a good reason not to play Dragon Age II."

IGN - 8.5/10 - "Every modification to the gameplay and structure of Dragon Age II is a clear improvement over the previous game. The combat is more responsive and bloody, you don’t need to fight the inventory system anymore, and conversations are more engaging thanks to the adapted Mass Effect wheel. There are downsides though; the semi-linear story and repetitive environments have a negative effect on what is otherwise a great role-playing game. Despite these complaints, Dragon Age II is a game I’m eager to replay."

1UP - B+ - "Though I generally enjoyed Dragon Age 2 (enough to go for another playthrough), it's an enjoyment with significant caveats. It really seems like the biggest mistake is calling it "DA2," as it's just different enough from Dragon Age: Origins to not feel like a sequel, but more like a reboot. The different main character, the faster and more streamlined combat, and the overall structure makes it feel like a fine Dragon Age adventure, but not a direct follow-up to DAO. Ultimately, Dragon Age: Origins felt like a modern high-definition callback to the glory days of Infinity Engine RPGs -- it was a decidedly PC-centric game that got a sloppy port to the consoles. Dragon Age 2, by comparison, feels like a new console-focused action-RPG that should have been called something like "Dragon Age: The Hawkening" instead."

Game Informer - 8.25 - "Part of me was disappointed with Dragon Age II. I hoped for an improvement on the original, but it ultimately feels like a step back. The new battle system is fun, but not nearly as satisfying or rewarding as Origins’. Since you don’t even have a main antagonist until the final hours, the story pales in comparison to the original. If you put those complaints aside and remove Dragon Age II from the impressive shadow of its predecessor, you’ll find an engaging action/RPG experience that still retains BioWare’s trademark clever dialogue, cool characters, and detailed lore."

Joystiq - 4/5 - "By the time the last sword was swung in Dragon Age 2, I had enjoyed some great conversations, participated in some thrilling battles and even been at the center of an interesting story. I just never could shake the feeling that it was a story I was telling myself."

View the original article here

[DS] Pokemon White – Review Round-Up

The Escapist – 100
With slick and fast-paced battles, a more adult take on the traditional Pokémon concepts and an entirely new roster of characters, Pokémon Black & White is as close to a “reboot” as the franchise has ever seen, but it doesn’t reinvent what doesn’t need reinventing.

Destructoid – 95
Pokémon Black/White is my favorite Pokémon game. That’s my opinion. It’s also the most robust, fully featured, polished Pokémon game on a technical level. That’s an objective fact. Put those opinons and facts together, and you can only come up with one conclusion — if you like Pokémon, you should go buy Pokémon Black/White. Like, right now.

Official Nintendo Magazine UK – 95
A beautiful refinement of a great series. Game Freak has surpassed itself – the best Pokemon ever. [Mar 2011, p.87]

Digital Chumps – 90
Pokémon Black & White are again the strongest additions to the series to date. Game Freak has succeeded once again in creating an even better Pokémon title than all previous iterations and has created another true Pokémon reboot.

Cubed3 – 90
Game Freak has worked its socks off to ensure that Pokémon Black / White not only live up to the standards set by past entries in the mainline series, but have included a wealth of extra content to entice newcomers to the world of Pocket Monsters.

Nintendo Life – 90
Black and White are certainly up there with the best of the series: unlike HeartGold and SoulSilver they don’t have nostalgia as their main attraction, but they come closest to recreating the sense of discovery felt when embarking on that first journey with Pokémon.

Games Radar (in-house) – 90
It may not break the Pokemon mold, but Black/White offers enough new content coupled with the series’ classic, deep battle mechanics to make it endlessly playable. If you could only play one game for the rest of your life, this would be a wise choice.

IGN – 90
If you have never played Pokemon, get off your ass and get Pokemon Black/White. Aside from a weaker lineup of monsters (largely an aesthetic complaint), this is the best Pokemon has to offer on every level, renewing my waning interest in monster battling. It proves that the Pokemon series is still rock solid after a decade and a half.

Eurogamer – 90
Of course there’s a lot that’s the same. Of course there is. But with a great many small and well-placed innovations, a vivacious, inventive new cast and the biggest cosmetic makeover the series has ever seen, Pokémon Black and White makes it all feel new again. It reminds you what there was to love about Pokémon in the first place – and perhaps we all needed reminding.

Nintendo Power – 90
The Pokemon series’s latest pair of adventures is as addictive as ever. [March 2011, p.82]

Game Informer – 88
Pokemon Black and White do a great job building upon already solid features and taking them to the next level. [March 2011, p.95]
All this publication’s reviews

Game Revolution – 83
It’s highly likely that if you spent any energy at all anticipating Pokémon Black and White, you’re going to be ridiculously pleased with whichever version you choose. For Pokévirgins who are curious as to what it’s all about, this is a fine place to start.

GamePro – 80
It’s a smaller world than HeartGold and SoulSilver’s Kanto and Johto, but it’s a new world that should be explored by any Pokemon fan, young or old.

Wired – 80
Pokémon is a series that never reinvents the wheel, but instead continues to polish the basic design until it sparkles.

Joystiq – 80
Ultimately, though, these are the new trappings of an old, old game — one you may have already played three or four times before.

games(TM) – 80
While die-hards might still prefer the more expert-friendly features of HeartGold and SoulSilver, the fresh approach and fiercely impressive visuals, draped over a tried and true frame of addictive, highly nuanced battle and customization, make Pokémon Black/White the defacto catch-all solution to monster collecting on the venerable DS.

GameSpot – 75
What it lacks in originality, Pokemon Black more than makes up for with a vast world to explore and an absorbing battle system that’s heaps of fun.

Tweet

Related Articles:

Pokemon Black White – New Screens (not scans)

This Week: What You Missed

Pokemon Black & White Walkthrough Part 3: Catching Pokemon & New Towns

Pokemon Black & White Walkthrough Part 2: Arrival Of Aragagi HD

Pokemon Black and White versions announced!

View the original article here

[DS] Review Roundup - Pokémon Black and White

[DS] Review Roundup - Pokémon Black and White IGN - 9/10 - "Every time a new Pokemon game comes out people ask me, "Is this a good one to start with?" And while my answer is always yes, this time it's an emphatic one. Because this is the first time I don't add that they can start with any of them. If you have never played Pokemon, get off your ass and get Pokemon Black/White. Aside from a weaker lineup of monsters (largely an aesthetic complaint), this is the best Pokemon has to offer on every level, renewing my waning interest in monster battling. It proves that the Pokemon series is still rock solid after a decade and a half."

The Telegraph - 9/10 - "Pokémon Black is far from a series overhaul, then, and given how Pokémania has never really died out, it's perhaps understandable that it isn't. It is, however, a considerable improvement on the existing template, to the point where it's hard to see how the series can avoid a fairly notable change in approach. This could – and perhaps should – be the swansong to the Pokémon formula we're accustomed to, but if it is then it'll go out at the very peak of its existence: teetering on the edge of feeling too familiar, sustaining an incredible feat of balance, but nonetheless still standing tall at the very top of its game."

Eurogamer - 9/10 - "Of course there's a lot that's the same. Of course there is. But with a great many small and well-placed innovations, a vivacious, inventive new cast and the biggest cosmetic makeover the series has ever seen, Pokémon Black and White makes it all feel new again. It reminds you what there was to love about Pokémon in the first place – and perhaps we all needed reminding."

Joystiq - 4/5 - "Pokémon Black and White represent the very best that the franchise has to offer: An endearing cast of monsters and trainers, addictive collection mechanics, a 40-plus hour single-player campaign and a bevy of bolstered multiplayer functions. Ultimately, though, these are the new trappings of an old, old game -- one you may have already played three or four times before. And while that realization ultimately doesn't ruin what turned out to be a delightful and compelling handheld RPG, it does beg a necessary question: Why are Nintendo and Game Freak so terrified of letting this franchise evolve?"

GamesTM - 8/10 - "At the end of the day, Game Freak artfully treads a tightrope between several very different, very savvy audiences with Pokémon Black and White, and there’s more than enough here to please everybody. While die-hards might still prefer the more expert-friendly features of HeartGold and SoulSilver, the fresh approach and fiercely impressive visuals, draped over a tried and true frame of addictive, highly nuanced battle and customisation, make Pokémon Black/White the defacto catch-all solution to monster collecting on the venerable DS."

View the original article here

Mario Sports Mix – Review Round-Up

The BitBlock – 80

Nintendo Life – 80
While Mario Sports Mix may lack the depth of Mario Tennis and Golf, it’s a great example of a more casual Mario title that multiple players can enjoy. Not all the disciplines on offer will be to everyone’s taste, but there’s enough good stuff here to last you a fair while and Square Enix have given it oodles of imagination.

Vandal Online – 73
Overall this is a good game for playing with friends, with lots of comic situations and a potential for high competitiveness between the players. However, its gameplay can become too simple and repetitive for some players.

Official Nintendo Magazine – 72
The unlockables are also a bit underwhelming. There are six hidden characters from Square Enix games, but while some are pleasant additions (we’d never turn down another appearance from a Slime), others are a bit pointless. Replacing them with other Mario characters would be much better.

The four mini-games included – one for each of the sports featured in the game – are a nice addition. The volleyball game, for example, throws some rhythm action into the mix and has players trying to hit colored volleyballs at the right time in order to create the percussion for one of three Mario or Final Fantasy themes. Like the rest of the game, this is more enjoyable with four people.

If you’re a fan of Mario sports games and are in the mood for some local or online multiplayer, then Mario Sports Mix should keep you busy for a while, as long as you can stand taking a few hours to play some incredibly easy tournaments to unlock all the characters and arenas on offer.

Gameblog.fr – 40
Mario Sports Mix has a nice Wiimote gameplay, and both Volleyball and Dodgeball mini-games will grant you a nice and funny afternoon. But beyond that… with but four sports and repetitive game mechanics, the title seems to be a little stingy compared to Wii Sports Resort or the Mario & Sonic series. On the Wii, Mario Sports Mix comes only as the third wheel.

$49.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

Availability: Not yet released
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com

3 new or used available from $49.92

Tweet

Related Articles:

(E3 2010) Mario Sports Mix – Hands-On First Impressions

WiiNintendo’s guide to Mario Kart Wii

This Week: What You Missed

The top 10 games ever sold are from Nintendo

Review: Wii Sports

View the original article here