Duke Webem Archives: Reviews
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11 November 2008
Mirror’s Edge
There’s something broken thematically, deep within Mirror’s Edge: it tells you a rambling story about freedom even as it confines you to the tight squares of its own personal hopscotch court, and for many that will be one wrong-footing too many. But for those who can shrug off the contradictions and the limitations, ignore the [...]
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7 November 2008
Gears of War 2
Like the original, on one level, Gears 2 is a brilliant advertisement for Unreal Engine 3, glorying in soft-body physics, glinting textures, and massive explosions. Even after a year of non-stop eye candy, Epic’s series provides some of the most fiercely pretty visuals you’ll get the chance to look at, even if its world is [...]
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28 October 2008
C&C: Red Alert 3
Overall, between the inconsistent campaigns and the botched co-op feature, there’s enough here to nibble away at what is an otherwise enjoyable RTS game, and you can add the finer points of control to that list of grumbles as well if you’re an impatient sort. These issues notwithstanding, however, Red Alert 3 still represents an [...]
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28 October 2008
Fallout 3
Fallout 3 has been by some margin the most enjoyable game I’ve played since BioShock – a game with which it shares a similar artistic vision and ambience. Despite so many worries, Fallout 3 almost effortlessly succeeds in its central aim of reviving a much-loved brand to appeal to the vast majority of players. It’s [...]
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21 October 2008
Fable II
Fable II’s generous and forgiving template isn’t one that many games choose to follow, but it proves convincingly that if you’re clever enough, you can create a consistent challenge without resorting to mindless punishment, and you can craft a sharply told story that still has room for the player to express themselves within. Inclusive and [...]
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14 October 2008
Dead Space
None of these criticisms will detract from your enjoyment, provided all you want from a game is the opportunity to repeatedly turn evil monsters into red mush in gorgeous HD detail. Dead Space easily delivers on that promise, but fails to turn its polished production values into something truly memorable over the long haul.
(Eurogamer, 7/10)
Call [...]
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16 September 2008
The Force Unleashed
But this is a Star Wars game and, in narrative terms, the most significant ever released. The stunning quality of the cinematics is everything you’d expect from a developer that shares office space with LucasFilm and Industrial Light & Magic, and the story is told with compelling vigour and convincing flair. The denouement is also [...]
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14 September 2008
Rock Band 2
What’s most impressive about Rock Band 2, though, is that it doesn’t have to trade on the novelty of new instruments this time. More or less every concern and complaint we had about the original game has been addressed, the new tracklist is very much to our taste (with 20 more free songs to come, [...]
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8 July 2008
Civilization Revolution
Unfortunately, I’d be lying, as the many punches Civ Rev pulls means its exhilaration is so often followed by slight dissatisfaction. An 8 may not be enough to convince cynical minds to suck it and see, which is a terrible shame. This slick new Civilization may be more reduction than Revolution, but it’s easily one [...]
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3 June 2008
The Bourne Conspiracy
There are still times when you’ll enjoy yourself, but they’re few and far between, and ultimately prove to be poor compensation for the loss of the intrigue, subtlety and intelligence that characterised the films and books whose bullet-riddled back the game is straddling. Whether it’s possible to make a good Bourne game is debatable anyway, [...]