While it's not quite Halloween, the Reviews Spotlight prepares for the upcoming festivities with a company of misshapen robots, traumatized veterans, and Rush, the band that changed my life as a 15-year-old kid.
Seriously though, start listening to Rush.
Machinarium: A Robot Love Story
By Wes Fenlon
WALL-E taught us that humans aren't the only ones capable of love and tenderness. Well, according to Wes, Machinarium takes that robo-love to an entirely new, considerably cuter level.
Machinarium is a point-and-click adventure title with the markings of a Telltale Games product. Oddly enough, this puzzler was developed by Amanita Design in the Czech Republic and chronicles the life of Josef, a scrap yard robot, in the eponymous city, Machinarium.
If Pixar couldn't make you cry, Josef and his ironclad girlfriend just might.
Medal of Honor > Modern Warfare…and Why
By Stojan Jovic
Considering the bad press and complaints made by military veterans, Medal of Honor is a decidedly difficult game to review. To make matters worse, both the single-player and multiplayer elements had different developers and objectives. The former hoped to create a stirring, photorealistic retelling of Tier 1 operations in Afghanistan, while the latter attempted to build upon Battlefield: Bad Company 2's success with even more brilliant explosions and squad-based carnage.
For having the courage to approach this mess, Stojan has my respect. Now give him yours, in the form of a comment!
For What it's Worth: Brutal Legend
Ryan Conway
With a larger budget, more exposure, and a relatively calm holiday season, the newest creation of the legendary Tim Schafer was poised become one of last year's best sellers. Heck, the dozens of licensed heavy metal songs almost assured the success of Brutal Legend. With bands like Rush behind this title, how could it fail?
Unfortunately, Brutal Legend didn't meet the expectations set by critics. The previous game developed by Double Fine Productions, Psychonauts, led everyone to believe that the studio had the touch of King Midas. Alas, they didn't.
But now that the price of the game has fallen, is Brutal Legend worth a purchase?
No one does progressive metal like Rush
Medal of Honor: Single Player Review
By Corey Williams
Picking up during the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, developer Danger Close puts players into the worn-out boots of soldiers fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan. Take note that Medal of Honor doesn't rely on a single, unquestionably evil antagonist to propel the plot (*ahem* Zakhaev). Instead, the game tells an honest, unflinching tale of regular men trying to do what's best. The moral ambiguity is intentional and leaves the experience feeling more like a documentary than a recruitment ad.
Whereas I spent my time with Medal of Honor's multiplayer segment, Corey chose to focus on the game's campaign mode. Were his missions more fulfilling and realistic than mine? Check out both articles for the full picture.
Vindictus: Open Beta Impressions
By William Cain
Since I can't claim to be an expert in the field of Korean hack-and-slash MMORPGs, I'm not embarrassed to admit that this is the first time I've heard of Vindictus. Luckily, Bitmob has a true virtuoso in this field: William Cain.
After germinating in the South Korean market for several months, Vindictus is primed to release its destructible environments and "crazy good visuals" on a North American audience. But don't open that wallet! Vindictus follows developer Nexon's traditional free-to-play model, meaning the download won't cost you anything, but some virtual items might.
Extending Valve's Source engine into the new decade, Vindictus looks promising. To take part in the open beta, head over to the official website. But first, check out William's impressions.