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Review: L.A. Noire flawed but essential

Like last year’s crime thriller “Heavy Rain,” its rich plot is well served by simple gameplay that prioritizes players’ ability to “read” faces, analyze clues and discern motives over an accurate and itchy trigger finger. By simplifying gameplay so that everyone can participate, Team Bondi has created a classic that gamers will be talking about for years.

By | May 27th, 2011|1 Comment

What I’ve been playing, mega catch-up edition

Here's a look at what I've been playing over the past month or so, along with quick thoughts on each title.

By | September 26th, 2010|0 Comments

Mafia II’s soundtrack takes a backseat

For a game with such a well-curated soundtrack, "Mafia II" makes it tough to find out what you're listening to.

By | September 24th, 2010|2 Comments

Mafia II review: Is that it?

At first blush, "Mafia II" looks like an open-world period piece on par with "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City's" enthusiastic embrace of the mid-1980s. It's not. Outside of the core story missions, there's simply not much to do in Empire Bay.

By | September 22nd, 2010|0 Comments

Mafia II, extended hands-on impressions

I recently spent several hours playing 2K Games' open-world mobster game "Mafia II." My hands-on lasted several hours and included both early- and late-game portions.

By | July 22nd, 2010|1 Comment

What I played last week (July 11-17)

A couple of old-school shoot-'em ups dominated my week. Plus, I prepare for the next season of my "Culdcept Saga" league and close the book on the first "Puzzle Quest."

By | July 18th, 2010|0 Comments

E3 Wednesday: 2,144 words about 14 games

If you felt cheated and robbed my quick-and-dirty recap of Tuesday at E3, go pee, wash your hands and make yourself a snack. Here's an exhaustive accounting of nearly everything I saw and did on Wednesday at the video game industry's annual confab in L.A. I'll be posting more detailed stuff on a lot of these games in the days and weeks to come, but I wanted to get this out there while it's still fresh in my mind.

By | June 17th, 2010|1 Comment

E3: What I’m up to Wednesday

"Civilization V," "X-Com," "Call of Duty: Black Ops" and "Rock Band 3" are just a few of the titles I plan to check out on Wednesday at E3.

By | June 16th, 2010|0 Comments

This horse comes with GPS

Is "Red Dead Redemption's" use of GPS a sign of progress in the quest for user-friendly game design, or a bizarre anachronism?

By | June 2nd, 2010|5 Comments

Mafia II on PC: Pretty shattering glass! 3D! Billowing clothes!

I recently got a chance to preview the PC build of 2K Games' "Mafia II." The game will sport some nifty new technology governing the behavior of clothing and destructible scenery, and be playable in 3D. Here are my impressions.

By | May 25th, 2010|1 Comment