Max Payne 3 Rated Highly
Max Payne 3 is a video game published by Rockstar Games and it is the third title in the Max Payne franchise and was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in May 2012.
Max has been double-crossed in this new city and he is searching for the truth and a way out. The game is set in São Paulo, Brazil, where Payne is working in the private security sector for a wealthy local family, set eight years after the events of the second game. Max Payne now works in executive protection for the wealthy Rodrigo Branco in the hopes of escaping the memories of his troubled past. When a street gang kidnaps Rodrigo’s wife, Max is pulled into a conspiracy of shadowy, warring factions threading every aspect of São Paulo society in a deadly web that threatens to engulf everyone and everything around him.
Playstation Universe (95/100): There’s not much more I can say about Max Payne 3 without spoiling the experience for you. Emotionally exhausted and still buzzing with excitement after playing Max Payne 3′s story mode throughout the weekend, I woke up this morning bursting to tell everyone that, quite simply put: Max Payne 3 is the best character-driven shooter that I’ve ever played.
Game Informer (93/100): As much as Max Payne 3 is a fascinating portrait of a man, it tells a great, action-packed story that runs in-stride with Max’s inner turmoil.
GameSpot (80/100): With savage gunplay and an absorbing personal story, Max Payne 3 is an exhilarating shooter that grabs hold of you and doesn’t let go.
IGN (90/100): The gameplay is simple yet satisfying, but it’s entirely in the service of a strongly-authored narrative. Players aren’t at the liberty to roam, to explore, or to shake things up. Some might find this too controlling, but in return for your freedom, you’re rewarded with a mature genre piece which is also a finely-realised character study.
Buy Max Payne 3 from PlayAsia for $54.90 (PS3)
Buy Max Payne 3 from PlayAsia for $49.90 (XBox 360)
Zelda: Skyward Sword Rated Highly
Zelda: Skyward Sword is the sixteenth entry in the Legend of Zelda series. A young Link is a trainee Sky Knight on a mystical island floating above the clouds. He has two soulmates: Zelda and a gigantic bird called a Loftwing that swoops to gather him whenever he takes a running jump off the edge of his airborne world. Very much like in Avatar.
The game makes use of the Wii MotionPlus peripheral for sword-fighting, with a revised Wii Remote pointing system used for targeting.
The game was released in Europe on November 18, 2011, in North America on November 20, 2011, in Japan on November 23, 2011, and on November 24, 2011 in Australia.
Game Revolution (100/100): The game is also huge. There isn’t a staggering amount of terrain compared to other titles in the series, but Skyward Sword gets every last ounce of mileage out of each area. It takes a few hours just to complete each sub-section before reaching a new dungeon, followed by a few more for the dungeon itself. There’s a strong 30–40 hour adventure here before even considering the multitude of sidequests you can take on.
Eurogamer (100/100): It is the most formally inventive Zelda in a long time (admittedly, that’s not saying a great deal). But it’s the game’s carefree attitude, quick tempo and warm heart that do the most to make it feel new…Skyward Sword will surely be the greatest adventure money can buy.
Wired (100/100): The most important change is that most everything feels new. The fights against giant boss creatures at the end of each dungeon don’t rely on old ideas. The classic characters are replaced, for the most part, with novel ones. If you already know what’s going to happen, is that really capturing the spirit of the original Legend of Zelda, in which we all went in blind? Skyward Sword shows that “a real Zelda game” is about more than certain items or certain gameplay rituals, which in the end is more meaningful than adding better sword controls.
IGN (100/100): Remarkably, this Zelda game manages to reshape its control scheme, design sensibility and pacing all at once while still telling a brilliantly powerful story featuring some very memorable characters. Increasingly Nintendo refuses to compromise cinematic storytelling for gameplay, finding a balance that seems effortless.
Buy Zelda Skyward Sword from PlayAsia for $54 (Wii)
Zelda: Skyward Sword
Zelda: Skyward Sword is the sixteenth entry in the Legend of Zelda series. A young Link is a trainee Sky Knight on a mystical island floating above the clouds. He has two soulmates: Zelda and a gigantic bird called a Loftwing that swoops to gather him whenever he takes a running jump off the edge of his airborne world. Very much like in Avatar.
The game makes use of the Wii MotionPlus peripheral for sword-fighting, with a revised Wii Remote pointing system used for targeting.
The game was released in Europe on November 18, 2011, in North America on November 20, 2011, in Japan on November 23, 2011, and on November 24, 2011 in Australia.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Reviewed
Treyarch is developing the next installment in the Call of Duty franchise, rumored to be set during the Cold War.
Here are some early reviews of the game.
1Up (91/100): Despite the removal of campaign co-op or a mode comparable to MW2′s Spec Ops mode, the sheer amount of content is almost staggering.
GameInformer (90/100): It’s tough to hate on something as skillfully executed as Black Ops. Call of Duty remains the smoothest, most approachable first-person shooter out there, and I had a blast playing it. On the other hand, it’s disappointing that Treyarch’s much-hyped huge-budget entry in the franchise feels like Modern Warfare 2.5.
IGN (85/100): My biggest issue with the multiplayer is that the new Wager Matches, while fun in their own right, don’t compare favorably to the high-quality and addictive leveling system and game modes from Modern Warfare 1 and 2. Single-player is as exhaustingly fast-paced as ever with large set pieces that try to take the attention off of the lackluster AI of both friends and enemies. Thankfully, the story is the best I’ve ever seen from a Call of Duty game.
Buy Call of Duty: Black Ops from PlayAsia for $65 (PS3)
GoldenEye 007 For Wii
Nintendo will be releasing Wii exclusive GoldenEye. This is not a remake of the Nintendo 64 game. The game will be based on the GoldenEye movie without Brosnan but with Daniel Craig. The game will include 8 player online multiplayer.
Check out the trailer.
Super Mario Galaxy 2 Reviewed Highly
Super Mario Galaxy 2, the sequel to the galaxy-hopping original game, includes the gravity-defying, physics-based exploration from the first game, but is loaded with entirely new galaxies and features to challenge players. On some stages, Mario can pair up with his dinosaur buddy Yoshi and use his tongue to grab items and spit them back at enemies. Players can also have fun with new items such as a drill that lets our hero tunnel through solid rock.
Here are some early reviews of the game. More later.
1Up (100/100): Takes everything its predecessor did and maintains that urgent sense of wonder and discovery, creating a world that copies its past self, yet keeps the freshness that made it so exciting when the first game debuted two years ago.
IGN (100/100): Consider me “wowed.” Again. Yes, Super Mario Galaxy 2 is more of what made the original so amazingly good: brilliant gravity platfoming. Incredibly tight and responsive controls. Fantastic musical score. But it’s not a “me too” experience — a significant majority of this sequel is brand new.
GameSpot (100/100): Super Mario Galaxy 2 is simply an outstanding game. It never rests on its laurels for a second, constantly presenting new objectives and mechanics to push you to never before seen places. Even the two-player mode offers new abilities and delights, making it even more fun to play with a friend by your side.
GameTrailers (97/100): There is more creativity in some single stages in this game than in entire other games. It’s a bit familiar, but all the fat has been cut away to expose a pure gaming core. There’s something for just about everyone and games that we can truly recommend to almost everyone are rare.
Buy Super Mario Galaxy 2 from PlayAsia for $54.90 (Wii)
Nintendo Releasing Wii Metroid: Other M On June 27
The Team Ninja and Nintendo will be releasing Metroid: Other M for the Wii on June 27. The action title featuring bounty hunter Samus Aran. Check out the trailer.
Wii Super Mario Galaxy 2 Release On May 23
The release date for the sequel to Super Mario Galaxy for the Nintendo Wii is now confirmed to be on May 23. Check out the new trailer.
Prince Of Persia: Forgotten Sands For Wii
Ubisoft has announced that Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands, their movie tie-in, will be out on May 18. The game for Wii will be different from the version for PS3, XBox 360 and PC.
The game will feature 15 hours of original storyline with alternative paths. The Wii version will see the Prince drawn into a mysterious realm while the big console versions will see him exploring his brother’s kingdom.
Nintendo Profit Drops 9.4%
Nintendo has announced that their group net profit declined 9.4% April through December due to rising yen and price cuts. Demand for Nintendo Wii is slowing down and Sony’s PS3 is closing the gap.
Source: Nintendo Profit Drops Despite Strong Holiday Sales
