Are you alone and without plans this weekend? The Reviews Spotlight has you covered!
Wrought with the smells and sounds of Poland and the American frontier, this week's Spotlight will keep your eyebrows raised, your mouths agape, and your nostrils flared.
Alpha Protocol Review — As a Date
By Isaiah Taylor
Dating is one of modern man's strangest rituals. From the double date to the blind variety, these trysts tend to be mired in awkward silences and unfulfilled expectations. Here's where Isaiah comes in.
Instead of merely reviewing Alpha Protocol, this Bitmobber is intent on explaining his experience with the game. How exactly does he do that? By translating his time with Alpha Protocol into the story of a date gone horribly wrong.
Next time a date turns sour, compare the evening to a night with Alpha Protocol. Chances are, the person sitting across the table will suddenly seem more appealing.
Games You Missed: The Witcher
By Devon N. Campbell
With its sequel in development, The Witcher currently enjoys the attention of newcomers and old fans looking to revisit the franchise. Are you thinking of joining the bandwagon? Before you make up your mind, allow Devon to introduce you to The Witcher's rarefied, Gothic charm.
Do you smell that? That's the smell of dense, esoteric Polish fantasy. Go ahead and take a whiff.
Red Dead Alone
By Adam Roy
Are you feeling depressed, self-conscious, or insecure? Ask your doctor about Rockstar games. Better yet, ask Adam Roy.
Adam is knee-deep in the blues. Having recently lost his job and his girlfriend, this Bitmobber was in search of a shoulder to cry on. Instead, he found Red Dead Redemption. Did Rockstar's Wild West odyssey manage to soothe Adam's ruffled feathers?
Remember to join the pity party in the comments!
Late Bird Review: Heavy Rain
By Ariel Feist
Often misunderstood as a psychological thriller, Heavy Rain is actually more of an interactive storybook — or so Ariel Feist argues. I've spent the last six months hemming and hawing over the decision to buy this so-called storybook. Ariel's review, however, managed to nudge me to one side of the fence.
Curious about what my eventual decision was? Then be sure to check out Ariel's review.
Mission Accomplished: Alan Wake's 'The Signal'
By Patrick Bonk
Penny Arcade once described Alan Wake's story as revolving around "a writer, writing about another writer, who is writing about himself and another f***ing writer." Hardly the ringing endorsement Relic Entertainment was hoping for.
Yet it's true: Alan Wake was unintentionally pompous in its storytelling. Does the game's newest downloadable content, The Signal, ratchet down the grandiloquence, or does it fabricate an even more outrageous fiction? Patrick has the answers you seek.
Re-View: BioShock 2
By Patrick Bonk
BioShock 2 is a tough game to review. Beyond the artistic blend of genre mechanics, it takes a sturdy familiarity of political philosophy to dissect. So after some prepurchase hesitation, Patrick braced for the cold impact of 2K Boston's underwater adventure.
Does the boggled in-game lore ruin the entire package? Well, Sofia Lamb might be able to answer that. Unfortunately, she's a fictitious character — you ought to read Patrick's review instead.
Dragon Warrior 7: Why It's Great, But Not For Everyone
By Carlos Castro Reyes
The year 2000 seems so far away. Elian Gonzalez was in Cuba, the Dot-com bubble burst, and something happened with Enron. Carlos, however, has a wholly foreign memory of that faraway time — a memory that includes Dragon Warrior 7.
For those not in the know, Dragon Warrior 7 remains the black sheep of the franchise. Without uttering the words "Dragon Ball," Carlos skillfully defends the quality of this disappointing entry in the series.