One-Paragraph Reviews

I told myself that I would review every game I beat.

Too bad that never panned out.

I have a list of games that I've beaten and they demand to be reviewed, but I really don't have the time. So rather than write out multi-page critiques, I'm just going to go with my one-paragraph reviews.

Killzone 3: The visuals are amazing but the gameplay is middling. Aside from a few cool set pieces, it's superficially exciting and fundamentally dull.

Dead Space 2: What made the first game great was the pacing. There were moments of calm and moments of intensity. It was finely tuned to give players necessary breaks between enemy confrontations. The sequel throws this methodical approach out the window and presses its foot on the gas pedal full throttle. The adventure is frenetic, claustrophobic, and never gives you room to breathe, which is Dead Space 2's ultimate failing. Too much action and not enough calm.

Vanquish: A mash between combo-based action gaming and cover-based third-person shooting. A truly unique bullet ballet of explosions, slo-mo, and rocket sliding.

Ratchet and Clank: A Crack in Time: An incredible adventure with clever puzzles, enjoyable platforming, and solid action.

LA Noire: An interesting piece of narrative that really puts you in the shoes of a detective. Major flaws hold the game back from being great .

Resistance 3: With a varied arsenal of weapons and impeccable enemy encounter design, this is the best in the trilogy.

Shadows of the Damned: A well-crafted and unexpectedly funny journey through the depths of hell. Shades of RE4 and Suda's madness warrant a look from any gamer with a taste for the odd.

Battlefield 3: An average campaign with too many rails, but them graphics! Besides, the only reason you're playing this is for the multiplayer.

Modern Warfare 3: It's an exciting, action-packed, and nonsensical roller coaster ride from start to finish.

Bulletstorm: The most underrated game of the year. A unique blend of combo-based action gaming with first-person shooting (where have I heard this before?).

Gears of War 3: It has everything it needs except for a soul. A solid romp but nothing else, unless you're in it for the multiplayer.

Halo Anniversary: A remake of the best Halo game? Yes, please. The same fantastic core is intact, and with the new graphics, it makes this the best Halo game yet.

Halo Reach

Halo Reach is the latest installment of Bungie's popular long-running sci-fi series. The game takes place before the first Halo, putting you in the middle of a war between the humans and the Covenant. You play as part of a Spartan squad of super-soldiers and complete various objectives critical to winning the war.

The story isn't anything special since it is virtually the same as any other prototypical military shooter that takes place within a large-scale conflict, but at least in this game, you get to go into space! There just aren't many chances for plot or character development when you spend the majority of your time shooting aliens.

The graphics suffer from a curious case of ghosting that's apparent from the very first scene. Although the game has some stellar skies, the entire graphical package is not impressive. Environments look simple, textures are average, special effects are okay, but at least the framerate's solid. The sound does it job with good voice-acting and the weapons pack the appropriate amount of punch. The music is great as always and the overall presentation is polished.

Although it seems like all I have is bad things to say about Halo Reach, I will say this: Halo Reach is one of, if not, the best single-player first-person shooter campaign on consoles. The joy of combat is simply unmatched in any other game. The enemy types, the weapons, and the AI all complement each other creating a unique battlefield that is both dynamic and exciting to navigate. It's been a long time since I've played against enemies that actually move and react to my actions. Enemies run away after you slaughter their comrades. They don't stay in one place, waiting for you to pop them in the head. They actually run for cover, try to flank you, and flush you out with grenades.

The levels are designed with great variation in elevations, structures, and different terrain types to make each encounter exciting. Throw in a mix of vehicle combat (including spaceship dog fighting) and turret sections and you have yourself a campaign that is varied, excellently-paced, and fun.

Bungie always throws everything and the kitchen sink when it comes to options and Reach is no exception. Multiplayer is chock-full of choices from the Forge to its 4-player co-op component.

Halo is Halo. If you're looking for a dynamic single-player campaign and an impressive suite of multiplayer options, just reach for the nearest copy of Halo Reach.