Aramation Games

Unveiled: Modern Warfare 3 (2011, shooter)

Aram — Thu, 26 May 2011 22:45:34 +0000

Perhaps surprising no one, Activision has announced that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will launch soon, before the end of the year. If you have missed it, here is the official launch trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coiTJbr9m04

Unveiled: Age of Empires Online (PC, 2011)

Aram — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:37:08 +0000

Even Age of Empires isn’t immune to free-to-play online gaming… Microsoft has unveiled the next entry in this venerable PC franchise will be going online. Your capital city will level up even when you’re not actively playing, and it will feature co-op multiplayer gameplay (think of Farmville). Due for release some time in 2011 for PCs, closed beta is expected to start soon.

Unveiled: Alice – Madness Returns (2011)

Aram — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:26:20 +0000

American McGee is returning to his world of Alice once again with the new game Alice: Madness Returns set for release in 2011 for PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. Alice is venturing once again to the Wonderland in order to save it. Not much is known about this title, expect more details as it gets closer to launch date.

Metareview: Brutal Legend (2009, RTS)

Aram — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:38:02 +0000

Brutal Legend is disappointing, depending on what your expectations of the game are. The game does present a rich world dripped in rock mythology (rockthology?) that seem to be as metal as it can be. However the core gameplay mechanic of Real Time Strategy will turn even the most ardent fans. Generally, RTS on consoles has suffered from poor control scheme, and Brutal Legend is no exception. You control Eddie Riggs in a third-person perspective and on top of that you need to control your army, manage resources, create new units and defend/attack bases.

If it sounds like it’s a lot, it is and sometimes you can be overwhelmed by all that is required of you and your fingers. If you can get past the RTS, you will find a surprisingly good storyline that is well voiced (not just the main character). The graphics can be rough in certain sections, especially when a lot of enemies are on screen, and the vehicle controls horribly.

Rating: 45%

ImpulseGamer: In conclusion, this game rocked and was a great walk or drive down memory lane with all the great bands who have lent their music to this game. The voice acting is pure class and the gameplay actually works quite well in a bizarre way that makes this quite an original game.

Armchair Empire: The worst part of Brütal Legend is that the single-player portion of the game feels like training wheels for the multiplayer part. Granted the training wheels of Death have 7 chrome exhaust pipes, are covered in blood, and hum Def Leppard’s “Rock of Ages” while smashing through a landscape of battered rock album ruins and occasionally spewing flames, but training wheels nonetheless.

Kombo: The drum-beat of the gameplay may be a little erratic at times, if only because the drummer’s creativity and ambition overwhelmed his finesse, but it delivers the hard-driving goods when they’re needed most.

Metareview: Batman – Arkham Asylum (2009, action)

Aram — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 23:04:00 +0000

If you look back at the Batman games, you will quickly realize most of them were crude tie-ins to movie releases that were below average. The new Batman game is not a tie-in to last year’s movie as it is a brand new story told in the Batman universe. Coupled with great action mechanics, stealth components, faithful visuals and great voice acting ensure this to be the best Batman game ever released. You play as Batman and it feels authentic: your reliance on stealth, tactics and toys to free the Asylum from Joker and his goons.

Rating: 90%

GameSpy: This action-adventure is so smart, so well-written, and delivered with such an obvious love for its source material, I daresay it is both the best licensed game ever made, and arguably the best game of its kind in our current console generation.

VideoGamer: Whether you fancy skulking in the shadows, smashing slow motion fists in into a goon’s skull, or simply using some cool gadgets, you can do no wrong with what is Eidos’ best game in years.

Metareview: Borderlands (2009, Shooter)

Aram — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 05:18:42 +0000

When it comes to looting, most gamers will remember fondly of the venerable Diablo franchise where you kept clicking on those monsters and hoping for something better to wear and use. Set in the world of Pandora, you arrive on the planet with the promise of the Vault and you start your quest to find its contents and claim the spoils. To do that, you will need to use lots and lots of guns and kill lots and lots of enemies. Choosing between 4 unique characters with different play styles, you will encounter an extraordinary number of guns with modifiers such as pistols that shoot acid, machineguns that shoot flaming bullet and even grenades that steal health from your enemies. With striking visuals, Borderlands will keep you addicted until the end. The ending is actually pretty anticlimactic but you won’t mind it as that means you’ll be able to go and start a new game.

The best part is that you can enjoy the game with a group of your friends online as the game is meant for co-op with 4 different classes with increased enemy difficulty and corresponding rare loot drops.

Rating: 85%

DailyGame: Really, Borderlands is like crack. But these 16 hour marathons have to stop. I have laundry and other things to attend to.

GameSpy: The accessible nature of Borderlands — with its relatively non-punitive deaths, constant checkpoints, and convenient fast-travel systems — makes it a fantastic game for introducing FPS fans to some basic RPG tropes. And, most importantly, the killing and looting never ceases to be fun.

Meta Review: Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (2009, DS, Puzzle)

Aram — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 22:10:43 +0000

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box is the followup to the first game in the series The Curious Village. As to be expected, the developer did not change anything that was a smash hit with the audience such as charming visual style, over 130 puzzles and an intriguing story that lets us follow Professor Layton and his boy sidekick on a journey to find the origin of a box that seems to be cursed. Through the adventure, you will need to solve puzzles to progress and it is a bit disappointing that many of the puzzles in the first game return. As such, if you have played the first one (I seriously hope you did), you will know what to expect in most of the puzzles here. However it is an engaging story and you will want to solve puzzles and more puzzles just to find out the mysteries behind the box.

My Rating:80%

1up: Diabolical Box shows that the game’s developers aren’t content to just sit on their laurels — they take a wonderful game, and make it even better.

Gamer 2.0: If you were expecting this second entry in the Layton series to go through extraordinary leaps and bounds, which you really should have no business expecting, then you will be horribly disappointed. But if you were expecting another session of tough puzzles with a convincing story, then Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box is every bit as good as The Curious Village and should be more than enough to satisfy your inner detective.

Game Releases – Week of September 6 2009

Aram — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 21:49:27 +0000

Monday (Sept. 7)
ColorZ (Wii)
War Leaders: Clash of Nations (PC)

Tuesday (Sept.
Ant Nation (DS)
Arcade Zone (Wii)
Black College Football Experience – The Doug Williams Edition (360)
Darkest of Days (PC, 360)
Dirt 2 (DS, PC, PS3, PSP, Wii, 360)
Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days (PSP)
Fallen Earth (PC)
Hardy Boys: Treasure on the Track (DS)
Heroes Over Europe (PC)
IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey (PS3, 360)
Imagine Detective (DS)
LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition (PS3)
Mini Ninjas (DS, PC, PS3, Wii, 360)
Obscure 2 (PSP)
Platinum Hits Triple Pack (360)
Qubed (360)
Raiden IV (360)
Time of Shadows (PC)
Trine (PS3)
Valhalla Knights: Eldar Saga (Wii)

Wednesday (Sept. 9)
The Beatles: Rock Band (PS3, Wii, 360)
My Virtual Tutor: Reading First to Second Grade (DS)
My Virtual Tutor: Reading Kindergarten to First (DS)
My Virtual Tutor: Reading Pre-K to Kindergarten (DS)
Sonic & Knuckles (360)

Thursday (Sept. 10)
Women’s Murder Club: Twice in a Blue Moon (PC)

Game Releases – Week of August 24, 2009

Aram — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 22:29:17 +0000

Monday (Aug. 24)
Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box (DS)
The Sims 2 University Life Collection (PC)
Time of Shadows (PC)

Tuesday (Aug. 25)
Batman: Arkham Asylum (PS3, 360)
CrimeCraft (PC)
Cursed Mountain (Wii)
Dissidia: Final Fantasy (PSP)
Emergency Room: Real Life Rescues (DS)
Fallout 3 Game Add-On Pack: Broken Steel and Point Lookout (PC, 360)
Harvest Moon: Frantic Farming (DS)
Harvest Moon: Magical Melody (Wii)
Imagine: Teacher Class Trip (DS)
Logic Island (DS)
Mahjongg Ancient Mayas (DS)
Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy (PS2
Nancy Drew Dossier: Resorting to Danger (PC)
Princess Lillifee’s Magic Fairy (DS)
Raven Squad: Operation Hidden Dagger (PC, 360)
Reel Fishing: Angler’s Dream (Wii)
Sudoku Ball Detective (DS)
The Clique: Diss and Make Up (DS)
Warriors Orochi 2 (PSP)
Wizards of Waverly Place (DS, Wii)

Wednesday (Aug. 26)
NBA 2K10: Draft Combine (360)
Watchmen: The End Is Nigh Part 2 (360)

Friday (Aug. 28)
Beach Fun Summer Challenge (Wii)

Unveiled: Sony Playstation 3 Slim

Aram — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 20:42:11 +0000

As heavily rumored, the Sony’s Playstation 3 is getting a makeover becoming slimmer. Set to be released in September at a new and improved price of $299, the internals aren’t changing much as no added hardware benefits were announced.

Here’s a handy chart to compare existing models with the new upcoming update:

	120GB PS3 Slim	160GB PS3	80GB PS3
Product code	CECH-2000A	CECH-Pxx	CECH-Kxx / CECH-Lxx
Price	$299.99	$399.99	$299.99
Color	Matte Black	Piano Black (Glossy)	Piano Black (Glossy)
HDD	120GB 2.5-inch SATA	160GB 2.5-inch SATA	80GB 2.5-inch SATA
Dimensions	11.42 x 2.56 x 11.42 in.	12.75 x 3.86 x 10.8 in.	12.75 x 3.86 x 10.8 in.
Weight	7.05 lb.	11 lb.	11 lb.
Vertical Stand	Optional ($24)	Not necessary	Not necessary
Compatibility	PSOne	PSOne, Linux	PSOne, Linux
PS2 compat?	No	No	No
BRAVIA Sync (HDMI-CEC)	Yes	No	No
Bundle	Wireless DualShock 3 controller	Wireless DualShock 3 controller, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, PAIN downloadable game voucher	Wireless DualShock 3 controller