By Anonymous on Aug 04, 2018 09:30 pm It's hard to believe Dark Souls is already seven years old. Mike and Jean-Luc put their nostalgia to the test and see if it's as good as they remember.
Call of Duty is a force to be reckoned with in the video game industry. It has, for the past 14 years, been the dominant first-person shooter in a market with some serious contenders. The series has had to evolve to maintain its edge, and despite being developed by multiple different studios, the entirety of the Call of Duty series has almost consistently garnered widespread acclaim from critics and players alike. People will always debate the merits of an annualized series, especially one that seems to thrive on iteration, but Call of Duty shows no signs of slowing down.
It all began back in 2003, with the original Call of Duty appearing alongside the likes of Medal of Honor and Battlefield, two series that had already established a glowing reputation among military FPS fans. All three were set during World War II, and Call of Duty would continue down that path for both Call of Duty 2 and Call of Duty 3.
After four years and three games set in a decades-old conflict, the decision to ground the next Call of Duty game in a more contemporary setting resulted in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The departure was welcomed with open arms by an audience hungry for something new, and the positive reception ensured a steady stream of modern- or future-set sequels, including multiple Call of Duty: Black-Ops and two more Modern Warfare (Modern Warfare 2 and Modern Warfare 3) games in the years to come.
Like so many things, Call of Duty moves in cycles, and it was just last year that Activision took the series back to World War II, for, you guessed it, Call of Duty: WWII. It was a return to form that felt, to many, like the right move at the right time--a good way to shake up the flow of the previous 10 years. We are now looking ahead to the impending release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 this fall, and it's anyone's guess as to when the series will return to a more traditional style of military mayhem.
Call of Duty's reach is so vast that it has no doubt resonated with people for a wide variety of reasons. We've collected GameSpot's Call of Duty reviews from over the years and compiled them to illustrate the series rise to prominence, and to provide a historical snapshot of each individual games' place in the process. But if there's a particular game that made you fall in (or out) of love with the Call of Duty, shout it out in the comments below!
Call of Duty -- 9/10
"Call of Duty is an all-around excellent game that confidently challenges, head-on, all the other WWII-themed shooters out there and comes out on top. When a game is outstanding, like this one is, some people invariably expect it to be something completely different from what's already available. That's not true of Call of Duty, which is directly comparable to Medal of Honor: Allied Assault and other such games. Yet, on its own merits, this game is executed extraordinarily well, and, therefore, can be wholeheartedly recommended not just to fans of other WWII-themed shooters but to anyone looking for a first-rate action game." [Read the review]
-- Greg Kasavin
Call of Duty: Finest Hour -- 6.7/10
"Overall, Call of Duty: Finest Hour is still a competent shooter, and those who enjoy World War II-based games will still have a good time with it. Had the feel of the weapons been a little better, and had the campaign been more consistently intense, Finest Hour could have been a much better game. As it is, though, it enters a market that becomes more and more competitive with each passing month. Judged against the standards of so many other quality first-person shooters, Finest Hour is difficult to wholeheartedly recommend." [Read the review]
-- Bob Colayco
Call of Duty 2 -- 8.8/10
"Call of Duty 2 is just about everything you would hope for and expect from the sequel to one of the most successful World War II shooters of all time. Its varied campaign, excellent sound and gameplay design, and generally good AI make it a worthy successor to the original. At the same time, though, it's still a World War II shooter, and if you've grown weary of them, then Call of Duty 2's lack of new material might turn you away. It can also be murderous on your computer if you have modest hardware. What Call of Duty 2 does do well is nail down just about all aspects that define an ideal first-person shooter. If you liked the original and have been thirsting for more, Call of Duty 2 will definitely deliver that." [Read the review]
-- Bob Colayco
Call of Duty 2: Big Red One -- 7/10
Overall, Call of Duty 2: Big Red One is still a worthwhile first-person shooter. The game has made noticeable strides over the previous Call of Duty game on consoles with an interesting, but short, campaign. While the game has its moments, particularly with the turret shooting and vehicle portions, Big Red One still falls short of the standard the series set for itself on the PC because of pedestrian sound effects, poor AI, and a lack of intensity in the infantry combat. The multiplayer action on the Xbox and PS2 is also only serviceable, so it's worth a bullet point on the back of the box...and not much more. Unless you're a hardcore WWII game fanatic, Big Red One's probably only worth a rent." [Read the review]
-- Bob Colayco
Call of Duty 3 -- 8.8/10
"From start to finish, Call of Duty 3 is an intense experience and a great game. The visuals are fantastic and the sound is some of the best in any game to date. Though there's no question that Call of Duty 3 is every bit as good as its predecessor, and without question the multiplayer is vastly improved, none of the changes or additions to the single-player campaign significantly alter the way the game plays. If the Call of Duty series hasn't won you over previously, Call of Duty 3 isn't going to do much to change your mind. But for anyone else, Call of Duty 3 is a must-own." [Read the review]
-- Aaron Thomas
Call of Duty: Roads to Victory -- 6.2
"Call of Duty: Roads to Victory isn't a terrible game--it's just unnecessary. While it may look like Call of Duty and for a while feel like Call of Duty, nearly all of the things that make the Call of Duty games so enjoyable are watered down or missing." [Read the review]
-- Aaron Thomas
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare -- 9/10
"COD 4 is available on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC, and each version holds up admirably. The differences between the two console versions feel mostly negligible. Both systems deliver good frame rates and have good, easy-to-use multiplayer setups that most closely resemble Halo 2 and 3's party system and matchmaking playlists. The PC version of the game uses a more traditional server browser to get you into games. Both systems work just fine on their respective platforms. The PC version has the ability to run in a higher resolution, if you're equipped with a PC that can handle it, but it seems to scale quite well. You can also create servers that allow up to 32 players to play at once on the PC, as opposed to a limit of 18 in the console versions, but given the size of the multiplayer maps, putting 32 players in them makes things a little too crowded. Despite listing 1080p support on the back of the box, COD 4 appears to prefer 720p on the PlayStation 3. The only way to get it to run in 1080p is to tell your PS3 that your TV doesn't support 720p or 1080i, but the difference seems minor. Either way, you'd be hard-pressed to tell it apart from its Xbox 360 counterpart. And all versions control just fine, making the decision over which version to buy totally dependent on which controller you like the most.
It's a shame that the single-player is so brief, but you should only skip out on Call of Duty 4 if you're the sort of person who doesn't appreciate great first-person shooter multiplayer. The quality of the content in the campaign is totally top-shelf, and the multiplayer is some of the best around, making this a truly superb package." [Read the review]
-- Jeff Gerstmann
Call of Duty 4 (DS) -- 7/10
"The bigger issue is the lack of any sort of online play. It'll take you roughly eight hours to finish the campaign, which you'll probably spread out over two or three play sessions just to give your eyes and hands ample rest. Beyond that, the multiplayer mode is restricted to four players who happen to be in the same room as you. There's a decent selection of environments while the layouts are well suited to the different deathmatch and capture-the-flag options, but realistically speaking, how likely are you to convince four of your friends to buy one DS game then arrange for everyone to get together to take advantage of its multiplayer mode? Not very likely. As such, the game's longevity stems mainly from its single-player campaign. That's Call of Duty 4 on the DS in a nutshell: intensely satisfying, but over in a day or two." [Read the review]
-- Frank Provo
Call of Duty: World at War -- 8.5/10
"By staying largely true to the formula that made Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare so successful, Call of Duty: World at War has ensured a proven level of technical quality, particularly in the multiplayer arena. On the other hand, one of Modern Warfare's strengths was its fresh approach, and by embracing a familiar setting and familiar mechanics, World at War achieves greatness but falls short of excellence. This is only a bad thing if you are expecting this game to top its benchmark predecessor. If, however, you are hoping for an exciting campaign, fun cooperative play, and engaging multiplayer action, then you'll find a lot to be happy about in World at War." [Read the review]
-- Chris Watters
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex Edition -- 8.5/10
"All told, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare: Reflex Edition does right by the source material. The expertly scripted and intensely exciting campaign is just as entertaining as it was two years ago on other systems, and even the occasional lapses in visual fidelity and control precision can't keep it from being a must-play for Wii shooter fans. Though the multiplayer will feel familiar to World at War veterans, the modern guns, equipment, and perks will make it feel new again, and the expanded gameplay modes offer a lot more variety. Though there are a few hitches to deal with, the core excellence of this game shines through, giving Wii owners a great shooter to keep them entertained for months to come." [Read the review]
-- Chris Watters
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 -- 9/10
"Fortunately, the action generally remains on the good side of hectic, and the stream of rewards is as satisfying as ever. Two new elements, title and emblem, are little graphics and titles that you earn through your match performance, and these range run the gamut from serious to totally goofy. While not exactly in keeping with the serious tone of the campaign, they add an amusing way to further customize your online presence. With a robust variety of playlists in which to ply your deadly trade, Modern Warfare 2's competitive multiplayer is the best in the series and one of the best available on consoles. The inelegant campaign plot may make you feel like you're just along for the ride, but it is such an intense, roaringly great ride that you will be glad just to have played it. The cooperative missions provide a uniquely fun angle on the action that rounds out the package superbly, making Modern Warfare 2 thoroughly entertaining, thoroughly rewarding, and thoroughly worth the wait." [Read the review]
-- Chris Watters
Call of Duty: Black Ops -- 9/10
"While it may not take the signature Call of Duty action to dizzying new heights, Black Ops is a thoroughly excellent game. New modes and mechanics give a jolt of energy to the lively competitive multiplayer, and the engrossing new campaign develops into one of the best in the series. Combat training allows anyone to enjoy the thrills of arena combat and the satisfaction of leveling up, and the opportunities for cooperative play, local competition, and community video creation provide even more outlets for entertainment. Call of Duty: Black Ops lives up to the top-notch pedigree that the series has earned, giving players an awesome new shooter to enjoy just in time for the holidays." [Read the review]
-- Chris Watters
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
"Modern Warfare 3 doesn't take any chances with the tried-and-true formula. At launch, even the matchmaking playlists feature standard fare, but the robust Private Match customization options let you tweak the standards to your liking (even offering some of Black Ops' more interesting modes) and hold the possibility of odd permutations to come. Whatever diversions or innovations may lie in Modern Warfare 3's future, the competitive multiplayer still offers the same sweet satisfaction you've come to expect from the series. This is some of the best online shooter action around, and with the daunting challenges of Spec Ops and the exciting, globe-trotting campaign, Modern Warfare 3 stands tall as another great descendant of the game that changed a generation." [Read the review]
-- Chris Watters
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 -- 8/10
"Though zombies mode is stagnating, the rest of Black Ops II is lively, and it's great to see some shifting in the familiar structure. Developer Treyarch's storytelling prowess has once again resulted in an engaging, exciting campaign, and the addition of league play to the online multiplayer arena is an intriguing change that could reinvigorate the formula that has endured for so long. By reaching forward while remaining rooted in the things it does so well, Black Ops II offers a great shooter experience." [Read the review]
-- Chris Watters
Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified -- 2.5/10
"Crashes occur on a fairly regular basis, locking the system up. It's tough to stay connected to games, and even remaining hooked up to Wi-Fi can be a challenge. Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified is a massive disappointment that tarnishes this highly regarded franchise. What's more, this is a blown opportunity for the Vita to garner itself a headline game and franchise that could have really energized the system. Instead, we get a quick, forgettable knockoff cranked out simply to take advantage of the buzz around the Black Ops name." [Read the review]
-- Brett Todd
Call of Duty: Ghosts -- 8/10
"From an exuberant campaign full of spectacle and variety to the way Extinction's unpredictable aliens force you to use those targeting skills in entirely new ways, Ghosts strikes an excellent balance between the familiar and the novel. This is a game that's keenly aware of the series' strengths, but doesn't find itself beholden to them. No matter what standard you apply, Call of Duty: Ghosts is a terrific first-person shooter." [Read the review]
-- Shaun Mcinnis
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare -- 8/10
"The last time Call of Duty had "Warfare" in its subtitle, it led to a well-received trilogy that deftly transitioned the series away from a well-trodden global conflict to modern-day combat. If the settings of today have run their course just as World War II did years ago, Advanced Warfare makes for a convincing foundation of futuristic yet relatable combat that is worth exploring and expanding further. The huge change in player mobility is less of a paradigm shift and more of an overdue retooling for an 11-year-old FPS franchise, especially in a year of mobility-focused shooters. Yet for all its predictability, Advanced Warfare is a deluge of action-film bravado, and it's difficult to not be carried away by its tidal forces." [Read the review]
-- Miguel Concepcion
Call of Duty: Black Ops III -- 7/10
"There are fleeting moments when Black Ops III's cybernetic modifications change the way you play. These abilities let you control enemy drones, stun human opponents, or set fire to robots' internal systems. The powers would be more impactful, though, if there wasn't such a lack of enemy variety. Aside from flying drones and the occasional mech mini-boss, enemy variants just require differing numbers of bullets to take down. And when you're using them on such a repetitive group of targets, who react the same way every time, the abilities lose their novelty.
Although Black Ops III offers the option to play the campaign cooperatively, its problems only multiply as a result. Instead of creating deeper scenarios involving teamwork and communication between up to four players, Black Ops III decides to just throw more hardened enemies at you. One Warlord--an enemy that requires several magazines to bring down--is bothersome enough. Four of them together is downright frustrating. They feel more like brick walls than sentient soldiers.
Black Ops III's narrative doesn't support the campaign in any meaningful way, either. It tells an incomprehensible story about AI ascendancy and the moral grays of a hyper-connected future, raising intriguing questions but never bothering to answer them. At the end of it all, after hours of soulless shooting and unremarkable storytelling, Black Ops III delivered its nebulous twist, and I didn't dwell on it.
In its undead modes, and the first 10 hours of multiplayer, it excels. But in its campaign, it merely crawls forward. Black Ops III doesn't offer anything remarkable to the series, but does just enough to maintain the Call of Duty status quo. The franchise, however slowly, continues its inexorable march." [Read the review]
-- Mike Mahardy
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare -- 8/10
"By venturing beyond Earth--and not just to other planets, but to space itself--Call of Duty found a canvas to produce its best story in years. It reinforces the notion that a game's narrative is only as good as its characters. Given the campaign's accomplishments in space combat, it's puzzling that no effort was made to replicate its zero-G sensations in Infinite Warfare's multiplayer. Consequently, the well-crafted Zombies mode is a more attractive, time-consuming proposition for those looking to play with friends. While no Call of Duty game has matched the comprehensive excellence of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the exploits of Reyes and Ethan are at least as memorable and moving as any deeds from "Soap" MacTavish and John Price during from the series' heyday." [Read the review]
-- Miguel Concepcion
Call of Duty: WWII -- 9/10
"Ultimately, if every shooter set in the European Theater of World War II is measured by how it depicts its D-Day landing--assuming it has such a mission--Call of Duty: WWII emphatically succeeds in its impactful designs and delivery. The sensation of riding the troop carrier as it approached the beach filled me with depression more than dread, knowing I'd survive eventually while many of my surrounding brothers in arms wouldn't. While not equally emotional, this battle's reinterpretation in War mode proves to be a highlight in a superb suite of competitive modes. Zombies rounds off this stellar return to form, effectively blending the ferocity of online cooperative play with the goal-driven satisfaction of found in the campaign. As one of the most comprehensive and filler-free Call of Dutys in recent memory, Call of Duty: WWII successfully capitalizes on the series' strengths" [Read the review]
By Anonymous on Aug 04, 2018 08:30 pm No Man's Sky Next breathes new life into game once thought lost to the perils of hype. No Man's Sky is available on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
Nothing about the hype, release, disappointment, and slow, disciplined redemption of No Man's Sky has been typical. As such, the great paradox of the Next update isn't exactly a surprise. It introduces some drastic improvements to the base game, not to mention a great deal of what Hello Games' Sean Murray promised and was pilloried for not delivering at launch. It is a grander, more cohesive experience that makes the infinite expanse of space feel much less lonely. But what Next really ends up emphasizing through all of its quality-of-life improvements and additions was that the game we got on day one was always going to be "the game."
You start out as an amnesiac astronaut stranded on a random planet with a broken ship that, once repaired, takes you on a potentially neverending search through a near-infinite universe. What you seek can vary; it may be answers that explain your identity crisis and the odd state of the universe or a wealth of natural resources to fund an extended tour of strange, far-off planets. Though you begin as a disadvantaged lost soul, it's entirely possible to study your surroundings, take advantage of what they have to offer, and become a social and military force in the eyes of No Man's Sky's alien races.
Through multiple updates, this has always been the very soul of No Man's Sky. Ever since the Atlas Rises update, "You are not alone" is the first phrase another living being speaks to you after you manage to escape your starting planet. There is an enormous amount of fear, hope, and power in that moment, especially after spending a couple of hours scouring your ersatz home planet for the resources to repair your ship.
The power of that statement diminishes, however, the more the game gives you command and comprehension of your environment. Without a doubt, No Man's Sky has become a veritable sandbox. In fact, after a few initial goals are met, you receive a message asking if you'd like to continue the story, or define your own path--whatever that may be. Through a combination of new mining and terraforming tools and the freedom to build how and where you wish, it has never been easier to make any planet into a home. Finding the raw materials to do so and refining them into their most useful form is now a quick and relatively painless fact of life. Multiple land-based vehicles now exist, making traversal even less of a dangerous hassle. As for space, frigates and fighter crafts are easier to obtain. There are more missions available to haul in incredible amounts of resources or, if you're looking to play the role of a space pirate, seek out traders and fleets in other galaxies and ransack them for sweet loot.
All this is made more enticing by the fact that Next fulfills the much-touted promise of true multiplayer, where up to four people can now party up and take on the universe together. It's not entirely seamless. Multiplayer tended to create random stutters and bugs more than anything else I did in game--even when playing the otherwise technically astounding Xbox One X port. That said, you can still wander around, help people farm resources, and have backup while breaking into a well-guarded facility. Portals and teleportation devices are now a staple in No Man's Sky, and showing off your new home has never been easier. Altogether, No Man's Sky's universe finally feels like, well, a universe. It feels like a fine place to live a digital life, while simultaneously being the least innovative or interesting thing the game could become.
With Next, No Man's Sky becomes a competent space-faring sandbox. It's definitely good enough to turn some of the heads who angrily ranted against the game that released in 2016. Creatively, though, No Man's Sky neither gains nor loses anything by trying to become a mining colony sim. It greatly excels when it embraces being the No Man's Sky we've always known.
The things that make No Man's Sky a great experience are the things that have been there since the first version. In that game, you are well and truly alone. You were a drifter in a universe where the chances of meeting a stranger who spoke your language were in the single digits, and the chances of meeting one who said something coherent were even lower. In that game, you're not being led on by loot or having the best house. Your concerns are material inasmuch as if you wanted answers, if you wanted to see what new creations the procedural generation gods had bestowed on the next planet, you needed to barter, trade, and mine.
The good news is that side of the game is still very much here, and it has seen its share of improvements, most notably to the pacing and presentation. It's rare that graphics can make or break a game, but Next's visual upgrades truly make a difference. The worlds are vastly more detailed, with breathtaking new lighting and physics effects enhancing everything from pollen flying off plants as they sway in the breeze to gravity and light being vacuumed into the yawning void of a black hole. The third-person camera not only grants the game a sense of scale, but also gives you a better understanding of exactly who you are in the universe, especially since the look and species of your character is now customizable at space stations. The improved effects in space make an already magnificent environment even more amazing, especially with ringed planets now a common sight.
Where much of the game's initial hours are still spent introducing you to the core mechanics, they are now far more deeply embedded in narrative conceit; you are a newborn wholly unaware of who you are, your place in the universe, and who is guiding you along. Every new bit of information is found by you, clued in by anomalous broadcasts from derelict equipment strewn across the universe, learning from the failures of other explorers. There are aliens, but their help is unreliable until you put the time and effort into learning their language. You do this either by getting one of the aliens to teach you new words or finding the species' codices scattered in foreign monuments. There are many more of these opportunities now, especially in space stations which have been redesigned as wide-open forums where one might find friends bragging about new discoveries, hulking armies on furlough, or scavengers hawking their new finds. You're a stranger to them all at first, and it's only in choosing to take the risk of ingratiation that you can find yourself in a species' favor, with their representatives willing to offer help in your hours of need.
All of this is in favor of the Artemis and Atlas Path storylines, introduced in the Atlas Rises update. The narrative beats of each story are largely unchanged, but they are both now far better integrated into the flow of the game as rewards for your curiosity rather than staunch waypoints impatiently waiting for your arrival. That said, players returning to old saves will find it's not as easy as just picking up where they left off, and much of what they already own gets shuffled around at random. It doesn't break pre-existing games, but it's a less-than-welcome relearning curve, to be sure. Both narratives still have their positives and negatives, though the original Atlas Path storyline is now a minor footnote in a journey much wider in scope, but what matters most is that both narratives encourage the things that distinguish No Man's Sky.
At its absolute best, No Man's Sky is a measured, gentle experience where you are rarely the agent of change, but a perpetual visitor who's constantly dwarfed by the magnitude of a universe neutral to your presence. It is not your job in these stories to colonize the universe. Your job is to comprehend it. Your job is to recognize the spirituality in it. The primary gimmick of No Man's Sky, since day one, has been awe. The best things about the Next update feed that gimmick. While features like multiplayer and base-building certainly put more proverbial asses in seats, they're also the least memorable additions to an otherwise thoughtful experience.
Now spanning twenty years, the Grand Theft Auto series has seen all sorts of changes and improvements throughout its many crime sprees in large open worlds. While each game brought its own take on the familiar rags-to-riches story, where a small-time hood makes some bold moves against some notorious criminals, Rockstar Games have managed to up the ante with every installment--eventually becoming the quintessential example of what an open-world game is.
Starting out as a top-down sandbox action game where stealing cars and evading the law was the primary focus, 1998's Grand Theft Auto offered several missions and challenges that tested players' driving skills. But not long after, the series eventually transitioned into the 3D open-world space with Grand Theft Auto III. Upon its release, the third core entry in the series was a watershed moment in gaming, kicking off the push towards games that offered complete freedom in vast worlds--all while causing trouble along the way. GTA III saw a number of spin-offs such as Vice City and San Andreas, which greatly expanded the scope of gameplay and exploration.
But it wasn't until 2008 when GTA III saw its true successor with Grand Theft Auto IV, serving as a reboot for the series. Stepping into the shoes of Eastern-European immigrant Niko Bellic, the newcomer would fall into the criminal underworld of the re-imagined Liberty City, as he tried to get his own piece of the American dream. Though IV was a far more subdued take on the increasingly more over-the-top GTA experience, it managed to tell a far more consistent and layered story that grew more engaging as it went on--and the narrative was fleshed out even further with the release of two story expansions." But in 2013, Grand Theft Auto V saw its release, taking the series to new heights. With three playable characters, the largest map of the series, and a densely populated online mode with heists and other high-stakes missions to take part in, GTA V would eventually go on to become the fastest-selling video game in history.
Over the course of the Grand Theft Auto series' rise, and occasional falls, GameSpot was always there to offer our thoughts on its continued growth. While we skipped out on reviewing some of the more obscure GTA titles, particularly ones for the Game Boy Color, we've invested time with the franchise's most noteworthy entries. Here are all of our reviews for every major GTA game, from 1998 to the present day.
Is there a particular GTA game that still stands as your favorite among the others? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below.
Grand Theft Auto | 8/10
"The real payoff of Grand Theft Auto is the freedom it allows. With most games you can only go where the game tells you to go when you're told to. In GTA you can go anywhere in the city, take any car on the street, at anytime. The only two things you really have to watch out for are getting killed or arrested. The true joy of GTA is the giddy feeling you get when you decide for no apparent reason to start launching rockets, blowing up cars, setting people on fire, and then, just over the screams you hear the sounds of approaching police sirens. Then you're forced to decide. Will you jack a car and get out of Dodge, or will you man up and stick it to 5-0 with your gat? That's what the game is all about, having that overwhelming feeling of slightly giddy doom when the police start to close in, and leaving the scene unscathed in a shiny new police car." [Read the full review]
-- Ryan MacDonald
Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 | 5.9/10
"Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 does have some good things going for it. The go-anywhere, do-anything nature is its biggest plus, and if the structured assignments don't appeal to you, you can take any car joyriding and create a little crime spree of your own. There's a tangible sense of tension as you're trying to get to a safe house with the police on your back, and the way the police try to set up roadblocks is a nice touch. But Grand Theft Auto just has too many problems to make it anything more than a premise in search of a better game. All you would-be thugs out there keep your fingers crossed and hope the sequel addresses these problems." [Read the full review]
-- Ron Dulin
Grand Theft Auto 2 | 6.8/10
"Whether or not you'll enjoy Grand Theft Auto 2 depends on a couple factors. If you're easily offended by the concept of running around and committing wanton acts of destruction with a few simple button presses, this game isn't for you. If the first game's control scheme baffled you, there's no solace to be found here either. Though the game manages to be quite a bit of fun, it occasionally still feels like a glorified mission pack." [Read the full review]
-- Jeff Gerstmann
Grand Theft Auto III | 9.6/10
"Rockstar and DMA Design have obviously spent some time making sure that Grand Theft Auto III is a quality product, and that quality shows in everything, from the graphics, to the sound, to the plot points, to the gameplay itself. Unlike previous games in the series, the game is extremely fun whether you play it as it was intended to be played or eschew the game's intended mission structure and set out on your own to wreak havoc throughout the city. While the violent nature of the game will surely turn some people off and kids simply shouldn't be allowed anywhere near it, Grand Theft Auto III is, quite simply, an incredible experience that shouldn't be missed by anyone mature enough to handle it." [Read the full review]
-- Jeff Gerstmann
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | 9.6/10
"In the end, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City provides just about everything you'd want in a follow-up to an outstanding game. It's bigger, badder, and better in almost every imaginable way. The game tells a compelling story and adds enough gameplay content to the formula to engage players who've already played the previous game to death. And if by some small chance you somehow missed out on last year's GTAIII, Vice City will clue you in on what all the commotion was about. In short, if you're old enough to purchase Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, then you absolutely should, and fast." [Read the full review]
-- Jeff Gerstmann
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | 9.6/10
"Usually, when a game tries to do a million different things, it's an overambitious hodge-podge that can't manage to get its different parts down cold. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas has you doing many, many more things than any previous GTA game, and while some of them do work a little better than others, the strength of all these different gameplay elements--too many to count--makes for a powerful package that does not disappoint, despite the extremely high standards that Grand Theft Auto established and that San Andreas needed to live up to. With its strong story, well-written dialogue, terrific voice cast, impressive graphics, great in-game sound, and extremely entertaining and varied gameplay, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a stupendous thrill ride that shouldn't be missed." [Read the full review]
-- Jeff Gerstmann
Grand Theft Auto: Advance | 6.5/10
"While the Grand Theft Auto series may be one of the most popular things going on in gaming these days, most people don't really know too much about the roots of the series. Yes, the "III" in Grand Theft Auto III does, in fact, mean that there were two games out before it. Those two games were top-down, 2D games that had the same basic structure as the newer games in the series, but it was done on a much smaller scale. That smaller scale is now available in an all-new GTA adventure for the Game Boy Advance. GTA Advance basically takes the gameplay from GTA1, adds in some of the conventions of GTA III, and brings along a rather dull and poorly written story, too. There's some nostalgic gameplay here, but by and large GTA Advance just isn't much fun." [Read the full review]
-- Jeff Gerstmann
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories | 8.6/10
"It's really pretty amazing that GTA: Liberty City Stories manages to cram in so much of the GTA experience that you're used to seeing on consoles. While the game is definitely a fine technical achievement and one of the best PSP games to date, the dull storyline and basic mission design do bring the whole thing down a bit. Maybe it's not entirely reasonable to expect for this game to live up to its console counterparts in every respect, but it retails for just as much as they did, and attempts to do many of the same exact things, so it really is a whole new GTA (just in a familiar setting). Yet for all it squeezes out of the PSP, it doesn't quite squeeze everything that makes the GTA series so special. But if what you're after is a game that looks and plays like a Grand Theft Auto game for your PSP, you'll definitely be satisfied." [Read the full review]
-- Jeff Gerstmann
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories |
"Vice City Stories is certainly an enjoyable follow-up to what Liberty City Stories offered last year. It's unfortunate that Rockstar wasn't able to craft a story as compelling as that of the console GTA games, and some of the technical limitations of the game engine are really beginning to stick out. Still, Vice City Stories does Grand Theft Auto in portable fashion quite well. It may not take the series into any kind of new territory, but it does the things it needs to in order to be an enjoyable GTA game more than well enough." [Read the full review]
-- Alex Navarro
Grand Theft Auto IV | 10/10
"In case you haven't guessed already, Grand Theft Auto IV is a game that you simply have to play. The single-player game, which you can still play long after you complete the story, is the series' best by far, and the multiplayer features are good enough that you'll likely have no problem finding people to play with for many months to come. The minor flaws that you'll experience are no more difficult to overlook than those in previous GTA games, and they're greatly outnumbered by the features that will impress and surprise you anytime you think you've already seen everything that the game has to offer. There's lots to see in Liberty City, so you'd best get started." [Read the full review]
-- Justin Calvert
Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars | 9.5/10
"Perhaps what's most amazing about Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is that it doesn't feel like a scaled-down handheld version of a GTA game. Rather, it feels like a logical and somewhat experimental progression for the series, introducing a handful of great new features that seem destined to become standard in future iterations. And don't let the art style or the presence of simple minigames fool you; Chinatown Wars is every bit as deserving of its mature rating as previous games. It's also one of the best GTA games yet." [Read the full review]
-- Justin Calvert
Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City | 9/10
"Even if you choose to ignore the multiplayer and most of the optional activities and side missions, there's a good 20-plus hours of fun to be had with these episodes. The visuals are showing their age, and The Lost and Damned, while great, is clearly inferior to The Ballad of Gay Tony, but in every other respect this package is difficult to fault. The stories are compelling, the memorable characters are too numerous to mention, and the gameplay is still top-notch. It's unfortunate that PS3 owners have had to wait so long to get their hands on this content, but that's certainly no reason for you not to enjoy it. The PS3 episodes are indistinguishable from there Xbox 360 counterparts, and there's no question that you should play them. So, the only decision you need to make is whether you'd rather download them for $20 each or pay $40 to get them on a disc." [Read the full review]
-- Justin Calvert
Grand Theft Auto V (PS3/360) | 9/10
"Where do you begin talking about Grand Theft Auto V? Do you start with the vast, varied, beautiful open world? Do you start with the innovative structure that gives you three independent protagonists you can switch between on the fly? Maybe you talk about the assortment of side activities you can engage in, or the tremendous number of ways in which you can go about making your own fun. Or perhaps you dive right into the game's story problems, or its serious issues with women. GTA V is a complicated and fascinating game, one that fumbles here and there and has an unnecessary strain of misogynistic nastiness running through it. But it also does amazing things no other open-world game has attempted before, using multiple perspectives to put you in the thick of cinematic heist sequences and other exhilarating, multi-layered missions like no open-world game before." [Read the full review]
-- Carolyn Petit
Grand Theft Auto V (PC, PS4, Xbox One) | 9/10
"Aside from a few mild frame rate issues that sometimes take the edge off its more dramatic moments, this is the definitive version of GTA V, and the bar by which all other open-world games, or indeed any game that aims for a cinematic feel, should be judged. It is beautiful, and thought-provoking, and thrilling throughout. Even if you've played through GTA V once already, it's worth going back just to be reminded of what an outstanding achievement it is." [Read the full review] -- Mark Walton and Peter Brown
By Anonymous on Aug 04, 2018 11:38 am We made RWBY voice actor Barbara Dunkelman & Funhaus' Elyse Willems interview each other at RTX Austin 2018. Find out what Hogwarts house they would be in and what Barbara's guilty pleasure movie is!
This is not an instant win. Winners will be selected at random and receive an email with the code. Codes are for the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Multiplayer Beta only and do not give access to the full game when it launches officially.
Here are the official Beta dates:
Multiplayer Beta Weekend 1:
Friday, August 3 at 10:00am PT to Monday, August 6 at 10:00am PT (PlayStation 4 only)
Multiplayer Beta Weekend 2:
Friday, August 10 at 10:00am PT to Monday, August 13 at 10:00am PT (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC)
Saturday, August 11, 10 am PT – 10 am PT Monday, August 13 (PC Only Open Beta)
The series which has become the most played in Call of Duty history, as well as a cultural phenomenon around the globe returns October 12th with the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, a gritty, grounded, all-out combat experience. Black Ops 4 raises the bar for Multiplayer mode that increases tactical gameplay and player choice, along with the biggest Zombies offering ever with three full experiences at launch, and Blackout, where the Black Ops universe comes to life in a massive battle royale experience featuring iconic characters and locations from all four Black Ops games in a one-of-a-kind offering that is uniquely Black Ops. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 transforms the established universe played by hundreds of millions of fans with the largest gameplay experience ever created in the series.
By Anonymous on Aug 04, 2018 06:30 am By now you've seen Avengers: Infinity War but did you catch all the easter eggs, comic book and pop culture references? Greg finally recovered from the Infinity War and shares the best easter eggs you might have missed including Arrested Development, Snatch and the Defenders references.
By Anonymous on Aug 04, 2018 06:30 am We made Funhaus' Bruce Greene & James Willems interview each other at RTX Austin 2018. Find out what Marvel characters James thinks they are most like, what Bruce's guilty pleasure game is and more!
One of Nickelodeon's upcoming TV series is created using the company's Entertainment Lab, the R&D unit used for developing augmented and virtual reality games. The show's working title is Meet the Voxels, and it's a sitcom that documents the life of a family of video game characters.
According to Deadline, the Voxel family is composed of "Hunter, the 13-year-old star of a laser-tag video game; Maude, a 16-year-old girl fighting to pop as many bubbles as she can; their younger brother Cody who has not found his video game calling yet; Mom, a popular street fighter in her game; and Dad, a '90s-era classic console game character who quit the business years ago."
The pilot of the show is written by Jana Petrosini and Sean Gill, both of whom were behind Henry Danger, Kid Danger, and Game Shakers. Meet the Voxel's episodes will be designed so that they can also be viewed via virtual or augmented reality devices.
This news follows the announcement of a Mario Kart-like Nickelodeon-themed racing game called Nickelodeon Kart Racers. Nickelodeon Kart Racers features 24 race tracks and 12 characters from beloved Nickelodeon shows such as SpongeBob SquarePants and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The game features both team-based co-op, where partners can pull off devastating fused attacks, and local free-for-all multiplayer.
Bandai Namco has shared some more details about its upcoming open beta for the Nintendo Switch version of Dragon Ball FighterZ. The beta kicks off next weekend and will give Switch owners their first chance to try the acclaimed Dragon Ball fighting game before it launches on the platform this September.
To participate in the beta, you will first need to download the open beta client from either the Switch Eshop or Nintendo's website. The beta begins on August 9 at 9 PM PT (12 AM ET on August 10) and runs through the weekend, concluding at 11:59 PM PT on August 11.
Players will be able to try four different game modes during the beta: Practice Battle Tutorial, Arena Match, Ring Match, and Ring Party Match. The beta will also feature the entire starting roster in Dragon Ball FighterZ, along with Super Saiyan Blue Goku and Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta, for a total of 23 different playable characters. You can see the full beta roster below.
Dragon Ball FighterZ releases for Nintendo Switch on September 28. Bandai Namco recently revealed that the Switch version will launch with a couple of new local mulitplayer options, in particular an offline six-player Party Match mode and 2v2 and 1v1 matches. The publisher hasn't announced if these options will also be added to the PS4, Xbox One, and PC versions down the line.
Those who pre-order Dragon Ball FighterZ for Nintendo Switch will receive a couple of bonuses. First, they'll have immediate access to Super Saiyan Blue Goku and Vegeta at launch. Additionally, those who reserve the title will get a digital Japanese copy of Dragon Ball Z: Super Butoden, a rare Super Famicom game that was never previously released in North America.
Funko collectors and Marvel fans alike, get excited, because a bunch of new Avengers Funko Pop collectables are coming out soon. All of these characters appeared in Avengers: Infinity War, and the figures are inspired by their performances in the movie.
A bunch of characters new and old will be getting Funko figures. First off, Teenage Groot is out of the pot, looking formidable with Stormbreaker in hand. Next up, Young Gamora, complete with her amazing braids, purple tunic, and small dagger, is getting a cute figure.
There is also a figure of Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, in the collection, with his super-arm and a giant gun. Perhaps the most creative, though, is the figure of Bruce Banner in the middle of his transition into the Hulk; he's legit half green.
Last but definitely not least, is a figure of Eitri, the dwarf king portrayed by Peter Dinklage in Infinity War, which includes his weaponized fists and his giant scar. The Eitri figure will be an Amazon exclusive.
The new Avengers Funko figures will be released in November, but if you can't wait that long for more good stuff from Infinity War, the Blu-ray edition just came out and we learned a lot from the audio commentary and special features.
Former WWE Champion and Tag Team Champion Kane had a recent resurgence on Smackdown, teaming with former partner Daniel Bryan to take on the Bludgeon Brothers for the Smackdown Tag Team Championships. However, as of the evening of August 2, fans shouldn't expect to see the Big Red Machine on weekly television because he's now the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee.
The man under the mask, Glenn Jacobs, gave a victory speech on that Thursday evening as he stepped into his new shoes as county mayor. He walked to the podium--and this is not a joke--while his WWE theme music played, which you can see below.
"Buddy just reminded me, we talked about having a cage match, and we never did that," Jacobs joked. He thanked everyone for showing up and invited his wife on stage on well to celebrate. Additionally, he thanked his opponent for running a great race as well, then talked about the future of the Republican Party.
Jacobs isn't the first sports entertainer to leave the squared circle for politics. One of Japan's most famous wrestlers--who battled Muhammad Ali in 1976--was elected into the Japanese House of Councils in 1989. Former WWE superstar Jesse "The Body" Ventura was mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, then went on in 1998 to become the governor of the state until 2002.
The most notable is WWE Hall of Famer Donald Trump who became involved with WWE during the early years of Wrestlemania when Trump Plaza hosted Wrestlemania IV. Before becoming President of the United States, Trump made several appearances on WWE programming, including the infamous Hair vs Hair match at Wrestlemania 23, where Trump shaved Vince McMahon's head.
Stay tuned to GameSpot for more wrestling when Summerslam airs on the WWE Network and PPV on Sunday, August 19. We'll have live coverage of the show and more leading up to the event.
Best Buy's weekly ad usually devotes three or four pages to video game deals. You'll normally find a selection of games on sale, plus deals on bundles and accessories for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. This week is different, because all the video game deals fit on just one page. Perhaps that's because of all the game deals that were in last week's Black Friday in July Sale. In any case, if you dig around, you can find some additional gaming deals that go unmentioned in the ad. Here are Best Buy's video game deals available through August 4.
First of all, the NES Classic Edition is in stock for $60. That's not a sale price, but these have been tough to find at retailers recently. The NES Classic Edition Controller, also tough to find, is in stock for $10. And if you're more of a 16-bit person, the SNES Classic Edition is in stock for $80. A couple of Switch games are also on sale; see below.
In the market for a new console and a new TV? You can buy the Xbox One S and 43" 4K TV bundle for $500, for a savings of $150. Or, if you buy any Xbox One, you'll save $20 when you throw in an extra controller. Similarly, you'll save $20 if you buy a new PS4 and and an extra controller as well. And you don't even need to buy a Switch to save $9 on an extra pair of Joy-Cons.
Football fans who are amped for the upcoming season can trade in their copy of Madden NFL 18 for its regular trade-in value, plus a $10 coupon for Madden NFL 19, which hits shelves on August 10.
All of which proves that just because it's a slow week for video game deals at Best Buy, you can still find a few sale items worth considering. For the full list of games and accessories that are on sale this week, click here.
Most PC gamers are probably aware of the Humble Monthly gaming subscription. For $12 per month, you get a monthly bundle of games worth over $100. The catch is that some of the games you'll get are a mystery until after you've already paid. But as an assurance, you always get to unlock at least one game early. For the September 2018 Humble Bundle, you actually get a choice. You can either unlock Rise of the Tomb Raider or a trio of games: Sniper Elite 4, Tales of Berseria, and Staxel.
Rise of the Tomb Raider has appeared in Humble Monthly before, but if you haven't played it, it's a good choice. Not only is it an excellent game (see our 9/10 Rise of the Tomb Raider review), but you'd probably have time to finish it before Shadow of the Tomb Raider comes out on September 14. In either case, a handful of additional games will be revealed at the end of the month (though occasionally a game or two will unlock a couple weeks in).
The games come in the form of Steam codes that are saved in your Humble account. Unlike some other game subscription services, you get to keep and play your Humble Monthly games forever, whether you have an active subscription or not.
Humble Monthly subscribers get a number of additional bonuses as well. All active subscribers get 10% off every game in the Humble Store and access to subscriber-only deals. You also get access to the Humble Trove, a collection of mostly well-received indie games you can play as long as your subscription lasts. You get slightly better deals for subscribing for three or six months at a time. Subscribe for a full year, and you get a free month. Plus, 5% of Humble's proceeds go to charity.
All in all, Humble Monthly is one of the best deals in PC gaming. And with a choice of early unlocks for September, you have more control than usual over which games you receive.
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We made RWBY voice actor Barbara Dunkelman & Funhaus' Elyse Willems interview each other at RTX Austin 2018. Find out what Hogwarts house they would be in and what Barbara's guilty pleasure movie is!
By now you've seen Avengers: Infinity War but did you catch all the easter eggs, comic book and pop culture references? Greg finally recovered from the Infinity War and shares the best easter eggs you might have missed including Arrested Development, Snatch and the Defenders references.
We made Funhaus' Bruce Greene & James Willems interview each other at RTX Austin 2018. Find out what Marvel characters James thinks they are most like, what Bruce's guilty pleasure game is and more!
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