Pads & Panels

#5 Portal 2 (PS3, 360, PC, Mac)

Publisher/Developer: Valve

Portal 2 trades the surprise of the first title for anticipation the second time around, but it manages to live up to the hype. While the plot may not be quite as a shocking, it is still funny as hell, with fantastic voice work driving things from start to finish. Portal 2 falters a little in the variety and quality of its single-player puzzles but adds a few new elements to keep things interesting. The real selling point for Portal 2, though, is its new co-op mode. Valve gives us the opportunity to prove that two minds are better than one in a series of much more complex puzzles that involve four portals, rather than two, and seek to drive apart our friendships in the process. (more…)

Title: Shadows of the Damned

Platform: 360, PS3

ESRB: M

Publisher: EA

Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture

Review By: Eric Stuckart

Rating:

It’s pretty standard fare by now to know that when going into Grasshopper Manufacture games, the player is likely to find a satirical, oftentimes unique gaming experience with humor and personality to spare, but it isn’t going to be the most polished experience out there. However, I have yet to be disappointed so far with this expectation, and Shadows of the Damned is no different.

In fact, the main thing that I think really pulls people into Grasshopper mastermind Suda51’s games is his way of always spinning a great, albeit weird, story. Well, that and how it factors into his games’ typically quirky “anything goes” approach. The X factor that might draw some otherwise curious gamers into this outing, however, is the involvement of Shinji Mikami, known for creating the Resident Evil series, as well as composer and sound designer Akira Yamaoka, known for his work on the music for the Silent Hill games. (more…)

2010 Holiday Gift Guide – For the DS Fan…

By P&P Staff

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Professor Layton and the Unwound Future

For those that like their puzzle games served up with a healthy amount of narrative, the Professor Layton series has been a definite favorite. The newest title in the series, Professor Layton and the Unwound Future, finds the professor and his apprentice Luke in a tale of time-travel and mystery after receiving a dire warning from the future. Combine that with over 165 puzzles to solve, and you’ll lose some time yourself in solving this mystery. (more…)

Title: “Lost In Nightmares” DLC for Resident Evil 5

Platform: 360 (Also PS3)

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom

Review By: Eric Stuckart

Lost in Nightmares is the first part of two new downloadable episodes to add to Resident Evil 5’s main storyline. To those familiar with RE5, the episode centers around the ill-fated mission to capture Ozwell E. Spencer that ended with Chris Redfield losing his then-partner to Jill Valentine. Taking place at the Spencer Mansion from the original Resident Evil, the game is high on tension, something that the main story tended to skimp out on. Fans of the older games in the series should be happy to know that this episode relies more on the survival aspect of the earlier games rather than the shoot-em-up style as of late, and it even contains a few puzzles to keep gamers busy. This short mission was more fun and interesting than most of the chapters in the main game, and at a mere $5, one really can’t go wrong. Lost in Nightmares also includes a rehash of the Mercenaries mini-game, entitled “Mercenaries Reunion,” with different levels and the opportunity to play as Barry Burton, from the original Resident Evil, and Excella Gionne. (more…)

Title: Killing Floor

Platform: PC

ESRB Rating: M

Publisher: Tripwire Interactive

Developer: Tripwire Interactive

Rating:

Review by: Kevin Haverty

The crowded zombie-infested survival horror genre gets a little more crowded with the Unreal Tournament 2004 mod turned stand alone release, Killing Floor.

England becomes filled with the animated corpses of a failed military cloning experiment. The military is dropped in to clean up the mess within five stages. (more…)