The lights are on
In every way imaginable, Starcraft II surpasses every other RTS on the market. From the amazing, well-balanced gameplay that made its predecessor such a universal hit 12 years earlier to the complex, powerful story presented in a way far more cinematic than the original, this game satisfies on all levels. The campaign is incredibly deep, the persistent upgrades and choices that the player has to make are well thought-out, and the game is absolutely gorgeous. Normally, I'd go more in-depth as to why I love this game, but if I did that this would be way too long for a review. Any gamer who has a PC capable of running this game should be scrambling to snag it right now. It is a satisfying sci-fi adventure that has me more excited for the next entry in the series than I was for this one. And that is saying something.
Tim Schafer's Brutal Legend is a tough game for me to judge. In some respects, it's everything I could ask for in a video game. The entire story centers around the world's greatest roadie Eddie Riggs as he is teleported into a legendary world of metal. Every character and environment seems like it is pulled from an album cover, and the brilliantly penned script is delivered by music legends like Rob Halford, Lita Ford, and Ozzy Osbourne. And it stars Jack Black! Sometimes, the world just works.
What is the difference between a game and a masterpiece? Many people feel that this difference is what separates Irrational Games' original Bioshock and its sequel, developed by 2K Marin. Like any follow-up to what fans call a landmark achievement in the medium, Bioshock 2 had quite a few steep obstacles to overcome, obstacles that - as a huge fan of the original - I didn't think it could beat. Fortunately for gamers everywhere, this game has cleared every hurdle in its way, and matches its predeccesor in many key ways while even surpassing it in a few areas.