Ed Gougeon
SCEA has come out with several "non-numbered" SOCOM games as of late, with the Fireteam Bravo franchise on the PSP, and now Combined Assault on the PS2. That's not to say that they aren't full-fledged products, but is seems almost such that they exist to answer the need for SOCOM titles on other platforms, and provide a few new gameplay features not found in the core iterations of the game. Read More.
I've been an avid fan of the GTA franchise since the days of the original 2D environments. When GTA III introduced us to a living breathing 3D Liberty City, I suddenly became sick with a cold and let my boss know I wouldn't be in for a couple of days. When Vice City came out I found myself in the throws of a terrible flu that just wouldn't let up until I had built Tommy Vercetti's criminal empire. Read More.
I've always loved the SOCOM series' strategic methodical gameplay based on real world events set realistic environments. The original Fireteam Bravo, released last year, was a very solid shooter with several noticeable flaws, primarily in its overly difficult controls and simplistic targeting mechanism. Read More.
I must admit, I have enjoyed earlier Dynasty Warriors installments on the PS2, but I wondered if it would translate well to the PSP. I was skeptical that the PSP would be able handle the sheer amount of characters that appear on screen at any one time, a hallmark of Koei's "Warriors" franchise. Read More.
Gangs of London on the outside looks a lot like something you'd expect from a company like Rockstar, it has all the feels of a free-roaming game like the Grand Theft Auto series, with a few new twists. However, this one isn't nearly as much fun. Developed by SCEE's London Studio, Gangs of London suffers from poor planning, repetitive missions, and mundane gameplay. Read More.
The intro to NBA 07 sets the stage nicely for the series' newest feature appropriately named The Life, which puts players in the $200 kicks of an up and coming NBA star named the kid as he progresses through his life on and off the court. I was initially quite impressed with the general level of polish present in NBA 07. Read More.
NBA 07 is a very solid title that all PSP owners should have whether they're devoted basketball fans or not. It retains all of the core traits of its PS2 cousin, and thankfully omits a few of the "tacked on" features that hound the PS2 edition. Read More.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is Buena Vista's latest attempt to cash in on the highly successful movie franchise in videogame form. Having not seen the movie (yet), I can only assume that the single player campaign in Dead Man's Chest follows the plot line pretty closely. Read More.
First let me qualify myself as a Grand Theft Auto nut. I own all of the 2D topographical games including London 1969, and still enjoy them from time to time. I bought GTA III the day it was released, and then stood in line for both Vice City and San Andreas. Personally, I feel every new entry in this series has been an improvement on preceding titles, until Liberty City Stories that is. Read More.
The people at Insomniac haven't strayed too far from the winning game play formula that has made past Ratchet and Clank games so addictive, and really; why should they? I've always felt that a good measure of a well put together game is in the ease with which novice or veteran players alike can get into the game play without too much of a learning curve. Read More.
Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War is the latest entry into Namco's long-running franchise, and the follow-up to the 2004 release, Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War. The game takes place a decade prior to the previous release, and offers up the brand of gameplay that the franchise is known for. Read More.
