Rockstar, a studio known for its groundbreaking work in sandbox games, has done it again – this time with an entirely different genre. LA Noire is a mystery thriller with an old-movie feel; you’ll solve crimes, put degenerate lowlifes behind bars and drive through eight miles of beautifully recreated 1940’s Hollywood.  This is not Grand Theft Auto. It’s sort of like a playable Dick Tracy, only without ridiculous characters and with a potentially memorable story. For those of you...

When a developer throws out a term like ‘pre-alpha’, it is usually a subtle way of saying, ‘be gentle, and don’t judge what you are about to see too harshly.’ But when I was able to spend some time with gaming’s most unexpected FPS sequel at this year's PAX East (though it seems that the recently announced Prey 2 might have claim to this award), The Darkness II set a new standard for early-development titles. The Darkness II begins with an ominous figure nailing protoganist...

Ever since its E3 2010 debut, Child of Eden instantly became one of my most anticipated titles of 2011.  As a devout worshipper of Rez, I have long awaited for a successor to the wonderfully imaginative Dreamcast title.  And after 10 years, that wait is finally coming to an end.  On hand at PAX East 2011, Child of Eden took center stage at Ubisoft’s booth with a sensation of rhythmic beats and dazzling graphical effects.  Running on the Xbox 360 and utilizing the Kinect, Child of Eden...

In an era where gamers are willing to spend $15 for mere downloadable content, the thought of purchasing a fully realized, high-quality game for the same price is beyond outrageous; it simply doesn’t happen. This however, isn’t stopping developer TimeGate Studios from doing just that with its upcoming FPS title, Section 8: Prejudice. Follow-up title to the futuristic (and highly underrated), sci-fi shooter Section 8, Prejudice is an exclusively downloadable title that not only refines and...

What was immediately noticeable to players about the last Top Spin title, Top Spin 3, was its steep learning curve. From the controls to the game modes, Top Spin 3 was very much geared towards serious tennis fans. While the gameplay was richer than the more casual-friendly Virtual Tennis games, it also alienated players new to the series. Top Spin 4 attempts to refine the player controls, while still offering gameplay elements that make mastering the system worthwhile for fans of the series....

Maybe it's the celebrated line-up of characters. Maybe it's the dazzling special attacks and super moves. Or maybe it's satisfaction one gets when pulling off a complicated and impressive looking combo. Whatever the reason, no one can deny that the Marvel vs. Capcom franchise is a fighting game powerhouse that has spawned an entire generation of fans since it made its arcade debut in January of 1998. Now, after 10 long years of silence and amidst a myriad of rumors and fan...