What could be better than Burnout 3: Takedown? For arcade speed fiends, almost nothing - except maybe Burnout Revenge, the easy-to-play, adrenaline-soaked sequel that puts the "car" in "carnage." The Burnout series has always been about two things: speed and risk. Drive against traffic and invite near misses with oncoming cars and you'll be rewarded with boost, which helps you taunt death even faster. The more aggressively you drive, the greater the reward. Slow-motion crash replays make your ...
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22 Jun 2007

50 Cent Bulletproof

Xbox Review

Conventional wisdom says that first you crawl before you walk. 50 Cent Bulletproof shoots this theory in the face, and decides to try to outrun a freight train before doing either. As you can imagine, it ends up falling a little flat. When working to get 50 Cent, his crew, Dre and Em, and 50's music and his videos into the game, the developers forgot one minor detail: the ...
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22 Jun 2007

Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance

Xbox Review

Unlike what the news would have you believe, the only crime stemming from Grand Theft Autos popularity is the theft of its own content. A petty crime at best, but the market is about to be inundated with two-bit clones trying to muscle in on San Andreas turf. ...
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22 Jun 2007

Cold War

Xbox Review

After the better part of a days play, we stopped loathing Cold War, and actually started enjoying ourselves. We began to appreciate the horrific menu-obsessed mechanics, which relegate almost every action into a time-consuming bore. We agreed the animation no longer seemed like a slap in the face to anyone who spent money on their cutting-edge game machines, and instead seemed minimalist, thus freeing more memory to be squandered on character-building design ...
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22 Jun 2007

Burnout 3: Takedown

Xbox Review

When you start up a new racing game, what's the first thing to do? If the answer is crash the cars, then Burnout is the only game you need. With gameplay that encourages dangerous driving, Takedown, the third and best in the series, is the best action racer on any console. It's packed with high-tension contests and spectacular crashes. Michael Bay should be jealous. You'll be ...
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22 Jun 2007

Serious Sam 2

Xbox Review

All these so-called "authentic" war-themed shooters are fine and dandy, but what if your one of those people who thinks the gritty realism of is a bummer? Step forward square-jawed hero, Sam, for a second outing. With a stash of noisy whack-ass weapons and vehicles, a ridiculous plot thats so thin you could stick a miniskirt on it and call it Kate Moss, and little more to do than frag your way through a near endless succession of ludicrously designed but grin-worthy enemies, Sam is the perfect ...
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22 Jun 2007

The Sims 2

Xbox Review

As successful as the Sims 2 juggernaut has been on the PC, the designers of this newly minted console remix probably could've offered a straight port of the same content. After all, if PC players can't avoid an unhealthy obsession with cooking, cleaning, working, dealing with relationships, and decorating the Bed, Bath and Beyond out of their little virtual people's homes, console players would probably develop the same affliction. However, that isn't what happened. While the signature ...
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22 Jun 2007

Dynasty Warriors 5

Xbox Review

Dynasty Warriors must seem so strange to those who haven't played it. There have been about a trillion games in the series, and they never seem to change. The same faces, situations, soundbites... Dynasty Warriors 5 (which isn't actually the fifth in the series, confusion fans) is, to untrained eyes and thumbs, the same as DW4. But, for those who are sick of the series by now - you ardent warriors who've found every weapon, and aced every expansion pack - it's a slight, enjoyable ...
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22 Jun 2007

Harry Potter Goblet of Fire

Xbox Review

For the fourth foray into the Hogwarts school of magic, Electronic Arts has apparently decided enough is enough. No more interesting adventure. Away with compelling spell casting. All that's left is action, loads of dialogue from the film and a healthy dose of ...
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22 Jun 2007

LEGO Star Wars

Xbox Review

You should have seen the new Star Wars films by now, if not to be entertained, then at least for the sense of closure you get from seeing Anakin have that helmet slapped that dried apple head of his. Of course, listening to his woeful cry of “noooooooooo” as he sees what hes become, were suddenly reminded that Lucasfilm should have called it a day right before the Ewok Caravan of ‘Hate and quit while they were ahead. The cutscenes from Lego Star Wars, similarly, give the ...
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