Video Game Reviews

Madden NFL 25

EA Tiburon/EA Sports

Reviewed on: Xbox One

Also on: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, iOS, Android

Street: 11.22.13

Nothing in the gaming world is more comfortable than slipping into a Madden game. The frustrating, improbable computer interceptions, online ass-beatings courtesy of some preteen with the gamertag xXhalobanger69Xx, the passive-aggressive chidings from the announcers every time I fail to convert on fourth and 23—it’s like coming home to a warm bed on a cold winter’s night. And with the 25th edition (Jesus, that makes me feel old), the best word to describe it would be just that: comfortable. Sure, the Xbox One edition uses the new Ignite engine, which, according to EA Sports, allows for “Human Intelligence,” “True Player Motion” and “Living Worlds”—but a revolutionary system seller this game is not. Graphically, yes—it is an improvement over its Xbox 360 brother, but the gameplay differences are virtually nonexistent. One change I did notice is that on Xbox One, every touchdown is recorded and shared over Xbox Live, so now I have a library of proof showing how truly shitty I am at this game. Overall, if you are looking for a deep, smooth and enjoyable—if not a bit complacent—professional pigskin sim on your new, expensive system, Madden is your only fucking choice. –Blake Leszczynski

 

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Remastered
SEGA

Reviewed on: iOS

Also on: Android

Street Date: 12.12.13

The original 2010 re-release of SEGA’s classic platformer, Sonic the Hedgehog, was a complete mess, debilitated by a terrible emulator that affected many of SEGA’s first-run mobile releases. However, the game’s recent 3.0 update (available for free to anyone who purchased the crappy original) debuted a game re-built with Christian Whitehead’s infamous Retro Engine, which also powered the recent iOS re-releases of Sonic CD and Sonic the Hedgehog. What was once a buggy, unplayable mess of pixelated graphics and broken audio is now the definitive version of a classic platformer, running smoothly at 60 frames a second and packed to the brim with extras and secrets to uncover. It would be nice if the online two-player mode worked, but it’s a small complaint, easily overshadowed by the spot-on controls, new Boss attack mode, the ability to play as Tails or Knuckles, the game’s inclusion of the long-lost Hidden Palace Zone (which sees an official release some 21 years after the game debuted on the Genesis). Sonic’s modern releases may continue to be a mixed bag, but their classics still stand the test of time in these beautiful, Retina screen–friendly updates. –Randy Dankievitch

Stick It To The Man
Ripstone
Reviewed on: PS3


Also on: PS Vita, PC
Street: 11.19.13

Stick It to the Man combines puzzles and platforming with incredible tongue-in-cheek humor. Your paper-crafted hero, Ray, discovers himself able to read minds and pull objects from the world as stickers after being hit on the head by a hammer one day at work. The adventure is to discover why you developed this skill, and to figure out who this Ted fellow in your brain is, taking you through dreamscapes, an insane asylum, and Ray’s home city. The gameplay isn’t exceptionally challenging, but the story more than makes up for the simplistic mechanics. You spend your time reading the minds of everyone around and then searching for what they need to be happy. You find stickers anywhere possible to meet their needs and apply them in the correct parts of the world. Getting the puzzles solved gives you an excuse to see inside the twisted, deranged and hilarious characters created by the development team. Bundling the twisted humor and bizarre landscape together is a jazzy soundtrack ranging from lounge to rock-a-billy. At $12.99 for cross buy, this game is a bizarre way to spend $12.99. –Thomas Winkley