Blame video games — that’s the watch phrase these days when something tragic happens. The non-gaming media seem to enjoy zeroing in on video games that are highlighted in horrifying crimes, invoking the rhetorical question: Do …
Game Time
Why It’s Time to Leave the Mass Effect 3 Ending Alone
I wasn’t going to write anything about Mass Effect 3 and the Not-So-Great Ending backlash. I really wasn’t. You’re probably as sick of reading about it as I am. What’s more, I’ve been less-than-enthralled with the Mass Effect …
‘Xenoblade Chronicles’: Up Through the Belly of the Beast
My biggest complaint about Xenoblade Chronicles for the Nintendo Wii around the 15-hour mark is its menu system. It should have been trigger-based. The way it works now, you tap a face button, then cursor around with the d-pad. …
‘Xenoblade Chronicles’: Winning Friends, Shooting Hoops and Ducking Robots
There’s a long-awaited Wii roleplaying game out this Friday that you’ll want to start thinking about now, assuming you didn’t import the English-translation version when it hit Europe and Australia last fall. It’s called …
What if Sony’s So-Called ‘PlayStation Orbis’ Really Does Kill Used Games?
Here we go again: There’s a new next-PlayStation rumor out, and like most early-days scuttlebutt, it’s full of stuff no one cares about (or ought to, anyway), like the system’s name. “Orbis.” There you go, look it up if you must. …
The 10 Best-Looking HD ‘Retina’ iPad Games
Does that iPad game you’re thinking about downloading support the latest model’s 2048-by-1536 pixel high-definition display? Here’s a list of 10 that do.
‘Assassin’s Creed III’: On Slavery, Native Americans and Death-Dealing Gameplay
Assassin’s Creed sits at or very near the top of my favorites list as enthusiast-grade video games go. (I apologize for calling it “enthusiast,” but I don’t have a better word, and I want to distinguish it from stuff like …
25 Best iPad Games for Your New ‘Resolutionary’ Tablet
So you managed to snag one of Apple’s newfangled even-higher-definition iPads. What are you going to play on it? Check out our top 25 picks list, with something for every type of gamer.
7 Reasons Apple’s New iPad Could Replace Your Games Console
I’m betting that a lot of you picking up Apple’s new iPad this Friday already count yourself console gamers. That is, you have a PlayStation 3 or an Xbox 360 or a Wii and actually use it. Maybe you have a Nintendo DS, or a 3DS, …
5 New XCOM: Enemy Unknown Screens Explained
I recently spoke with XCOM: Enemy Unknown developer Firaxis about their upcoming hybrid turn-based, real-time strategy game’s tactical options, how to thwart at least one new alien bad guy and the ramifications of ticking off …
The 20 Best Skyrim Mods (So Far)
Frustrated with Skyrim’s PC user interface? Bored with its one-dimensional artificial intelligence routines? Looking for dragons that actually put up a fight, or maybe the option to summon one yourself? These best-in-show mods …
Good News: Oklahoma ‘Violent’ Video Games Bill Tossed
I called it “clueless” and “inconsistent” because it was, and now a bill proposed by an Oklahoma lawmaker to tax violent video games has been thrown out by a subcommittee. The bad news: It nearly passed, losing by a narrow margin …