open-world


Game of the Year

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (360, PS3, PC)

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks – Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

The fifth game in the now well-established Elder Scrolls series, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a game that simply must be experienced. No other game released this year shares such a massive scope or breadth of gameplay. After an impressive initial sequence, players are drawn into a world that has a life all its own and in which the threat of savage dragon attacks looms against a backdrop of a bloody civil war.

Although players will find numerous quests available to them, it is oftentimes the random encounters in the game that are most memorable. Each is full of unique moments that will make for interesting discussions among fellow gamers, and this is truly one of Skyrim’s biggest strengths. The game succeeds in telling a compelling story but also gives the player just enough freedom to make each individual’s journey his or her own. Previous rough areas in the series, such as inventory management, have been given elegant solutions, while side quests are seamlessly interwoven in the main story. There are seemingly hundreds of places to explore. It all amounts in one of the best gaming experiences to be had. (more…)

open-world


Title: L.A. Noire

Platform: PS3 (360, PC)

ESRB Rating: M

Publisher: Rockstar Games

Developer: Team Bondi, Rockstar Leeds

Rating: ★★★★½

Review by: Bill Jones

Rockstar Games, as a developer and publisher, has been no stranger to pushing the boundaries of the gaming industry. Whether it’s pushing the envelope of what type of content is acceptable in games, breaking open the 3D open-world genre or reinventing the Western, Rockstar has often found itself ahead of the curve, boldly trying new ideas. So it’s no wonder the publisher’s collaboration with Team Bondi is such a riveting success and arguably reinvents what video games can be once again.

L.A. Noire is part open-world, part 1940s Los Angeles recreation, part noir revival, part third-person shooter and part detective simulator. And not only does it excel at all of these things individually, but, more impressively, it excels at bringing them all together in a fantastic manner that feels like something truly fresh for the world of gaming. (more…)

open-world


Game of the Year 2010 – Red Dead Redemption (360/PS3)

Publisher: Rockstar – Developer: Rockstar San Diego

Our Review

I didn’t want to buy into the hype for Red Dead Redemption. Its precursor, Red Dead Revolver, was a decent rental, but forgettable – a go-to title when trying to think of games that time forgot. To associate Red Dead Redemption with it should be a sin. Rockstar could have easily slapped a cowboy-themed skin on Liberty City and called it Grand Theft Horsey, but Rockstar San Deigo did so much more. The studio made a Wild West that was fun to explore on horseback – a desert that was desolate, yet not deserted. (more…)

open-world


Title: Mafia II

Platform: 360 (PS3, PC)

ESRB: M

Publisher: 2K Games

Developer: 2K Czech

Rating: ★★★½☆

Review by: Bill Jones

More than three years after the first trailer was released, Mafia II is finally on store shelves. And while Mafia II gets a lot of things right – mostly on the storytelling side – it’s going to leave a lot of people wondering what 2K Czech spent all that development time doing on the sequel to Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven. But despite that, Mafia II still has a few fun tricks up its designer sleeves. (more…)

open-world


Love Borderlands, but feel it’s just not long enough to satisfy your open-world, first-person shooter role-playing multiplayer urges? What’s wrong with you? That game is so long! Anyways, Gearbox Software and 2K Games apparently agree with you, because they’ve release three add-ons for the game so far. The first two are now available together on a single disc. We received a copy for review, but also made the mistake of buying a second copy. That’s to your benefit, as we’ve decide to give it away. We’re giving away one copy of the Borderlands Double Game Add-On Pack for Xbox 360, which includes the add-on content “The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned” and “Mad Moxxi’s Underdome Riot.” All it takes for a chance to win is commenting on some stories this week. (more…)

open-world


Title: Prototype

Platform: PS3 (Also on 360, PC)

ESRB Rating: M

Publisher: Activision

Developer: Radical Entertainment

Rating: ★★★½☆

Review by: John Gustafson

Prototype takes a chance with its story – so much so that when completed the story will most likely not be revealed in whole to the player. That could be a problem. (more…)

open-world


Title: Far Cry 2

Platform: PS3 (Also on 360, PC)

ESRB Rating: M

Publisher: Ubisoft

Developer: Ubisoft Montreal

Rating: ★★★★☆

Review by: John Gustafson

Far Cry 2 offers gamers one of the most ambitious first-person shooter experiences in recent memory, but naturally not without a few drawbacks. (more…)