Short Version: Dante’s Inferno offers up a solid, if somewhat shallow and short-lived, action experience. If you are looking for a stop gap until God of War 3 arrives, Dante’s Inferno will likely satisfy your thirst for button mashing action.

Game Rant reviews Dante’s Inferno

Dante’s Inferno isn’t necessarily the first videogame to be based on a piece of classic literature – but it is the most mainstream title to do so. Published by EA and developed by Visceral Games, the team behind 2008’s fantastically terrifying Dead Space, Dante’s Inferno takes its cues from the epic Dante Alighieri poem, The Divine Comedy, specifically the first chapter, “Inferno”.

Rather than directly re-telling the poem stanza by stanza, Visceral have instead opted for a thematic re-imaging of the source material, using the poems key ideas and imagery to create a very adult character action game.

Players assume the role of fictionalized version of Dante, re-imagined as a veteran of the Christian crusades. After literally staring Death in the face, he returns home to find that his wife, Beatrice, has been brutally murdered. To make matters worse for the chap, Lucifer soon arrives on the scene to drag her soul down to Hell. Doing as any self-respecting hero should, Dante, gives chase, beginning his oh-so bloody quest through the nine circles of Hell. As he descends deeper into the underworld, we begin to learn more about Dante and the sins he has committed in the past – as well as the Lucifer’s true motivations.

Short Version: Heavy Rain is an intense title with incredible depth – especially for players who are willing to follow the experience with an open mind.

Game Rant reviews Heavy Rain

It’s been almost four years since Quantic Dream revealed The Casting, an early tech demo that would serve as the foundation for Heavy Rain. Featured at E3 2006, The Casting showcased a highly detailed character model named Mary Smith that allowed for shocking emotional realism as well as fluid interaction with the physical environment.

The demo looked great and carried the viewer through a disturbing, emotional story, that wasn’t afraid to revel in tension as the character’s actions rapidly intensified.

With such a well-conceived foundation, it should be no surprise that the final product, that is to say Heavy Rain the game, is a remarkable experience from beginning to end and could possibly be one of the most thoughtful, immersive, and important titles ever created – pushing innovation and artistry in the gaming industry.

Short Version: White Knight Chronicles turned out to be an uninspired, boring cliche of a game. Unfulfilling and lacking memorable moments, this game is disappointing to say the least.

White Knight Chronicles was initially announced at the Tokyo Game Show in 2006. That first trailer was extremely impressive, and ultimately became one of my top reasons for purchasing a PlayStation 3. In 2008 the game was released in Japan, but it would take two more long years before it would reach the shores of any other region. By the time the game was finally available I had nearly forgotten about my initial excitement. How exasperated and disappointed I felt when White Knight Chronicles turned out to be an uninspired, boring cliche of a game.

Short Version: Even though the game is quite short and has little re-playability, it is a great game that’s a lot of fun to play and definitely worth a try.

Capcom’s latest release in the Ace Attorney series comes to us with a bit of a twist.  Anyone already familiar with the series will recall that you typically play as Phoenix Wright and battle against your nemesis, Miles Edgeworth, on most cases.  In the 5th installment of the series, this time it’s you playing as Miles, out to find those responsible for committing evil and wrong-doings!

The nice change about Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth is just as the title states; investigations!  This game keeps you out of the courthouse and on the streets, looking for clues, and laying down the law.  As you move through cases and locations you will spend time looking for evidence and talking with suspects, witnesses and other characters you encounter on your journey.

Short Version: Bayonetta may not be for everyone but it still offers exciting, fast-paced, combat in an imaginative and over the top experience.

Game Rant reviews Bayonetta

I remember the first time I played Devil May Cry. It was early 2002 and I did not know what to expect (Smackdown 2 and Tekken 3, along with other less notable titles, were the only other games I had played).

From beginning to end, my mind was blown and I would end each mission wondering how they could ever top the last boss I had just fought or scale of the level I had witnessed.

Did Bayonetta leave me with that same feeling Hideki Kamiya orchestrated 9 years ago?

Short version: If you love casual iPhone games, tower defense and/or zombies then the low price of admission is totally worth it.

Game Rant’s Jon Lavallee reviews Plants vs. Zombies for the iPhone

My iPhone has become an unofficial appendage of mine. I use it daily for everything it offers – including the plethora of games the app store offers. I’m a sucker for them – usually a mere few bucks and way too attainable.

I also adore the zombie genre – fun, suspenseful and gory. Never gets old. So when you take these two subjects, combine them and put it at the top of the featured app page you can safely assume that it has become yet another irresistible app – at least for me.

Enter Plants vs. Zombies. You may have heard of this title from Pop Cap (the imaginative creators of Peggle) as it has been a popular Flash title of theirs for a bit. Due to the success of the web version, Pop Cap developed a port for the iPhone.

Short Version: Despite a little repetitiveness, Space Miner: Space Ore Blast is a great addition to any iPhone library and will keep you satisfied for hours.

Game Rant’s Jeff Schille reviews Space Miner: Space Ore Blast

Space Miner: Space Ore Bust is a blast!  Equal parts Asteroids and Diablo, this game will keep you grinning for hours.  Easy to pick up for a quick play, but hard to put down, Space Miner is a great addition to any iPhone game library.

You are young Joe (or Jade), helping your Uncle Jeb and his telepathic alien friend Galactus save the Gritstone Mining Company from the Mega Space Corporation.  The story, though not deep, is delivered with plenty of humor and moves the game along nicely.

Can’t get enough Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2? Check out this headset from Mad Catz, the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 “Throat Communicator” for Xbox Live.

Recently, my standard headset that came with my Xbox gave up the ghost, so I started looking for a replacement. I would have normally picked up the standard Microsoft XBox Live Headset, but, as a huge Modern Warfare fan, I chose to semi-spoil myself and check out the Mad Catz headset instead.

Short Version: BioShock 2 is an excellent game – mostly because it’s exactly like the first BioShock. For every minor improvement 2K Marin made to the sequel there’s a missed opportunity that could have made the game even better.

Game Rant reviews BioShock 2

The original BioShock was an incredible experience: an engrossing title that provided a number of fresh takes on the first person action genre, as well as drew from a number of literary and philosophical texts – resulting in one of the most engrossing stories in videogame history. The extraordinary mix of story-telling, immersive exploration, and enjoyable combat made playing the original BioShock a unique as well as rewarding journey.

For a franchise built on originality, almost everything in BioShock’s sequel is too familiar. In BioShock 2, the greatest strengths of the original title are still present – but they haven’t evolved in any significant way. In terms of the visual aesthetics, enemy types, and core gameplay, the campaign portion of the sequel could be mistaken for a lengthy DLC add-on episode.

That’s not to say the title isn’t worthy of a retail disc, because there is plenty of content to justify the price. It’s just that the game doesn’t look or play particularly different. Which, for some players, may not be a bad thing. The bottom line is this – if you enjoyed the first BioShock, you’re likely to enjoy the sequel. It’s got all the strengths of the first title, with a few minor improvements, but also a few questionable changes.

Short Version: If you have a DS and loved the Puzzle Quest series of games, then definitely check out Puzzle Chronicles.

Game Rant’s Marc bell reviews Puzzle Chronicles for the Nintendo DS

Puzzle Chronicles comes to us from Konami and Infinite Interactive, the makers of several successful crossover puzzle/RPG titles such as Puzzle Quest and Puzzle Quest: Galactrix.  While at first glance this might appear to be the same game with a different skin, let me warn you that it is not!  Other than the fact this is a puzzle/RPG hybrid, the similarities stop there.

With Puzzle Chronicles, your gameplay area is set up more like two Tetris boards turned sideways and placed back to back.  As colored gems fall into the gameplay area from the side, your goal is to match gems and gather skulls.  After collecting a certain number of skulls the center line moves closer to your opponent, giving them less room to work.  The battle ends when one player’s gems hit the top of the game play area much like in Tetris.

Short Version: MAG introduces 256 player games into the FPS genre and backs it up with interesting first person shooter gameplay with only a few minor flaws.

Game Rant’s Alex Sebenski reviews MAG

The release of MAG brought with it the promise of a bigger, more strategic and realistic war simulation first person shooter. 256 players in one game is just fantastic enough to make the average gamer question if such a thing can actually work.

Games with four to eight characters often fall victim to high ping causing rubberbanding (where a character disappears and reappears where they were at a previous time), server disconnects or some other manifestation of lag. After a week of play, we can safely say that whatever they did to make a game that could handle a server of 256 players, it worked. Only once did we encounter an enemy that seemed to rubberband resulting in missed shots and our death but mostly you can proceed through a game without noticing any type of lag. Just like any other game, MAG suffers from the occasional disconnect which cause you to forgo any rewards from the ongoing battle but it seems to be somewhat of a rarity.

Short version: Mass Effect 2 is a must-play game for its story but it may not live up to expectations of RPG players or hardcore fans of the first Mass Effect.

Game Rant reviews Mass Effect 2

Before it even released, the hype surrounding the long-awaiting sequel to BioWare’s 2007 hit game Mass Effect suggested that Mass Effect 2 would easily be a game of the year contender for 2010. Although many reviewers may already have it in that category with its incredibly high critical acclaim, I do not.

Mass Effect is one of my favorite games on the Xbox 360 to date. It brought something completely new to the table and offered countless hours of gameplay from RPG style character progression through experience, stats, powers, weapons, armor to 3rd person team-based combat, and even vehicular exploration and combat. It took what was amazing about Knights of the Old Republic in terms of storytelling and character development in a sci-fi space adventure and shattered the conventions and limitations set before it.

Instead of clicking a button and watching an attack, you were in full control of the combat with a built-in cover system included. There were tons of new worlds to explore, your own ship to fool around with and countless new weapons, mods, upgrades and armor pieces to loot and purchase around the galaxy.

Mass Effect 2 sets out to continue the story of Commander Shepard in his/her quest to hinder the impending threat known as the Reapers but doesn’t offer as much of a main story as its predecessor. It also drops some of the important gameplay elements of the first game, substituting them with a limited and simpler mechanic or in some cases, dropping it entirely.

Short Version: Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is a great tile. There is such an overabundance of things to complete and unlock that it will keep you going for hours. The only downside is the fact that you don’t know half of the roster (unless your a huge anime fanboy/girl), but overall a must own for the Wii.

Game Rant’s Riley Little reviews Tatsunoko vs. Capcom

Every few years Capcom releases a new line in the “Vs.” series, and past installments, such as Marvel vs. Capcom, have become the pedigree of fighting game awesomeness. Tatsunoko vs. Capcom takes everything that made the other games in the series so great and simplifies it so that even the players that have little to no skill (i.e. myself) can actually get into this title!

The fighting engine is perfect for anyone who doesn’t perform well in games such as Street Fighter IV or Marvel vs. Capcom. It’s made a lot more simple, but still keeps intact its depth, so there are still sick combos that the Capcom vets will be able to pull off. There is an initial learning gap for newbies, but the controls are simple enough that you will pick them up rather quickly. I have never been able to kick ass nearly as hard in other fighting games as I have been able to in Tatsunoko, and I love Capcom for that.

Short Version: While I did enjoy playing Glory of Heracles… This title will most likely end up being a big hit only for die hard, turn-based RPG fanatics or those looking for a classical Greek fairy tale fix.

Game Rant’s Marc Bell reviews Glory of Heracles

Glory of Heracles is the latest turn-based RPG for the Nintendo DS from Paon, the makers of DK: King of Swing, Donkey Kong Barrel Blast, and DK: Jungle Climber.  The game begins with you, Heracles, washing up on shore, unable to remember who you are or how you got there.  As you travel on your way back to Mount Olympus in order to ask Dad what happened, you meet some fellow forgetful immortals, happy to join you on your journey, looking for the same thing as you…Answers.

Now before we go any further, this review isn’t full of spelling mistakes.  The guy’s name is Heracles.  And yes, he is the same dude as Hercules.  Hercules was the Roman adaptation of the original Greek demi-god Heracles, son of Zeus.

Short Version: Army of Two: The 40th Day improves the controls but doesn’t polish them. Graphics seem both better and worse and the story is nonexistent. It’s not a great game but still worth a play-through with a friend cooperatively.

Game Rant reviews Army of Two: The 40th Day

I have to admit that when the sequel to Army of Two was first announced, I was really excited. The first game didn’t blow me away by any means, but it was definitely a blast to play. It had solid graphics, tons of action and my favorite feature in games, co-operative play. I thought with such a good base to work from, Army of Two: The 40th day has the potential to be a huge success. The question is, did Army of Two: The 40th day live up to my expectations or did it feel like a rushed expansion?

When I first booted up the game, I do what I always do and changed the controls for the y-axis to inverted in the options. I started the game and to my surprise the controls where not inverted. I paused the game and double checked the controls, which said they were inverted. I thought maybe EA just mixed up the two options so I set the controls to not inverted. I un-paused and was ready to kick some ass, or so I thought. The controls were still not inverted! After multiple times of switching the options during the gameplay I decided to shut off the game. I started the game back up. I didn’t touch the options on the main menu and started from a new save file. I then changed the options while I was in the game and presto, changeo, the controls were magically inverted. Talk about a bad first impression.

Short Version: Assassin’s Creed 2 far surpasses its predecessor and makes for a very enjoyable experience. You can find a few flaws here and there, but nothing that should deter you from the game completely.

Game Rant reviews Assassin’s Creed 2

When Assassin’s Creed was first released, I myself had high hopes. After playing the game all the way through, I was ultimately disappointed with the overall product. A good game, yes, but definetly lacking in some areas. Assassin’s Creed 2, released on November 17th, hopes to remedy the mistakes of its predecessor. So buckle up, grab a bite, take a bathroom break for all I care! The review starts now.

In Assassin’s Creed 2, you start out as the main character from the first game, Desmond Miles. Things at Abstergo are a little shaky and you begin by escaping the building with Kristen Bell (ahem, I mean Lucy). There is an interesting little scene before the escape, however, where you get to experience the birth of your newly discovered ancestor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, first hand. It adds a bit of charm to the game, and it’s nice to see Ubisoft adding a bit of background to this new character.

Short Version: Left 4 Dead 2 uses the same old team-based game play with new content, new game types and updated graphics to earn the title of sequel and not “DLC.” This fast-paced shooter is built for Left 4 Dead fans, co-op enthusiasts, and anyone who wants to stay in practice for when the next variant of the flu turns into a zombie apocalypse.

Game Rant reviews Left 4 Dead 2

The end is near. The zombie apocalypse is upon us. Everyone but you and three of your friends have changed into rabid, violent monsters. The government suggests you barricade your home, stay inside and wait for instructions. Yeah, right! I’m gonna kill me some zombies!

Left 4 Dead 2 comes complete with five new campaigns, four new survivors, new and old weapons, new special infected, new items, new graphics and the new Scavenge mode. Did I mention there’s a whole lot of new?

The first Left 4 Dead only came out a year ago and since the sequel was announced the internet’s been full of customer complaints that they’re forced to pay full game price for what should be an update or at very least cheaper downloadable content. The improvements and new content crammed into the sequel create a completely new game that I’m happy to say I own. It’s worth every penny.

Short Version: New Super Marios Bros. Wii blends together our favorite memories of the the classic Mario games while adding a long-desired feature with 4-player simultaneous co-op. It is a must have for all Nintendo Wii owners.

Game Rant reviews New Super Mario Bros. Wii

When Nintendo announced that they were releasing a version of New Super Mario Bros for the Wii, I was the most excited I have been for game announcement in the last few years. Not only was Mario returning to his 2D roots on a console, but it was going to be the first Mario game to support simultaneous co-op gameplay.

Ever since I was a young boy I dreamed about the day that I could play through Mario with a friend, at the same time, through every stage. I hated waiting for the other player to check each pipe for a secret, or collect all the coins in a level. I just wanted to play and I wasn’t a fan of taking turns. Those days are now gone. Not only can you play through the entire adventure with a friend, but you can play with up to three friends! The question is how does the 4-player play? Continue to find out.

Short version:  Indiana Jones returns to the tried and true Lego format, boasting fun gameplay and a humorous story adapted from all 4 movies.  A complex hub system, and rough play controls on vehicle levels might frustrate some, but ultimately Indy’s return to Lego land adventure are the building blocks for a great game.

Indiana Jones might not be as large a LucasFilm property as Star Wars, but it’s a widely popular classic nonetheless. I’m always excited for Indiana Jones news of any kind because when the man with the hat is back, adventure is always right around the corner. The character has seen a myriad of video game releases since 1982’s Raiders of the Lost Ark on the Atari 2600. While subsequent releases over the years have included new adventures of Dr. Jones, the latest title, LEGO Indiana Jones 2 proves that using the films as source material is still the best way to go.

I was surprised to find that the original Lego Indiana Jones would be receiving a sequel. The first game, which borrowed from the successful formula used in the great Lego Star Wars games, had already spanned all three of the archaeologist’s original movies. Beyond incorporating recent Kingdom of the Crystal Skull material, the developer would have to reinvent the original trilogy for the sequel’s new content. The answer for Traveller’s Tales was simple: if the first game was to be a Lego parody of the Indiana Jones movies, then the sequel would be a Lego adaptation. The differences are discreet, but effective when measured against the first game.

Short Version: While a fairly fun and unique game in itself, the game is rather short, the AI is lacking, and fans of the original will surely be disappointed at the lack of variety. Laggy online play doesn’t help it either.

Game Rant guest Ken J reviews Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising

The year is 2001 and Codemasters releases a game called Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis developed by a foreign game developer Bohemia Interactive Studios. The game is technically a first person shooter, but this isn’t like any first person shooter anyone has played at that time (you can argue not ever since). Yes, you are playing in first person view, yes you’re going to be holding a firearm most of the time, but that’s about where the similarities end. The game takes place on a fictional island in 1985 during the height of the Cold War in a hypothetical conflict between American and Soviet forces. It was known for its open-endedness and for its brutally realistic injury model. One shot in your chest or head and you’re dead. Luckily, the same can be said for your enemy. I will be making a lot of comparisons between Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising and the original because that is the standard a lot of fans hold it to.

Game Rant reviews Dragon Age: Origins

Do you like swords? Do you like to fight Dragons and Demons?  Do you like to hear people talk throughout the duration of these things? Alright fantasy nerds, strap in, it’s going to be a nice long ride!  Bioware is back to grace us with another fine example of rich storytelling, deep adventure and a good helping of fairly strong gameplay to go along with it.

Continue after the jump to read Game Rant’s review of Dragon Age: Origins.

Game Rant reviews Modern Warfare 2

For months Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has made headlines: record breaking pre-orders, alleged marketing insensitivity, controversial gameplay content, and angry PC dedicated server proponents. Infinity Ward’s game may be the most hyped title of all time (even beating out the always-controversial Grand Theft Auto series), and for months gamers have been speculating, “Is Modern Warfare 2 deserving of all the hype?” Our answer here at Game Rant: Mostly.

Time to lay the Smackdown with Smackdown vs. Raw 2010! The Smackdown series has been around since the Playstation era, and has always been an alright series of games. I have put in quite a fair bit of time with SVR 2010 and have found some flaws, but these get buried by the games depth.

Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way first. I absolutely hate the targeting system in this game. It is almost like somebody intentionally decided to piss people off by making it impossible to target your foe. You will have no problems if you are playing one-on-one though as the real trouble starts the second you play with 3 players, or even worse, a 4 player match. As an example, in a handicap match I knocked one character down and then attempted to whip the other out of the ring, but ended up picking up the computer character I just knocked down, which then lead to the other computer booting me in the face and allowing both of the computers to simultaneously pummel me while I lay defenselessly on the mat. Not a pretty sight for sure.

I have to admit, I was looking forward to Fairytale Fights for a long time. I was probably one of the few people who were following this game. Now that it is here, I am very disappointed.

From a presentation standpoint, Fairytale Fights fails miserably. When I started the game I didn’t know where to go or what I was supposed to be doing. This is heavily due to the fact that the game has no dialogue, written instructions or way points.

I was searching the games Hub world, reading books which acted like a menu system. One book allowed me to select my character,another allowed me to tweak the few options the game had, and so on. I had to travel all the way to the left hand side of the map to find the Chapter Select Book. What felt like ten minutes after putting the disc into my 360, I was finally playing the game. It would have been much easier to just have a regular menu so in a few button clicks and a few moments, I would have been playing.

If you already have read my preview coverage of Borderlands, the you know about the basics on controls, leveling and the health system.

Now, after dozens of hours logged into the game all I can say is that it’s excellent. This is exactly what I have been waiting on for a very long time. Borderlandsperfectly blends an action FPS with an action RPG. I can easily say it is one of the best games of 2009, and one of my personal favourites on the Xbox 360.

Check out Game Rant’s full review after the jump.

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves has climbed, pun intended, into the busy Fall release season surrounded by rays of sun light, chirping song-birds, and angels with golden harps, crooning in a flurry of praise. If you listen closely, you might even hear Sony firing up the presses for the inevitable Uncharted 2: Game of the Year Edition. Naughty Dog knows how to sell the Uncharted franchise, always surprising potential players, as anyone whose seen the announcement trailer can attest. But is this level of praise truly deserved?

Is Uncharted 2: Among Thieves worthy of 10/10 reviews or a 96 on Metacritic? Did it really deliver improvements over the core-gameplay issues that prevented Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune from drawing the same level of critical praise? Read Game Rant’s review of the Uncharted sequel after the jump.

No, this isn’t a character piece on Christian Bale and his feelings toward light engineers.  Today we’re delving into the latest addition to the superhero video game collection.  Let’s be honest straight out of the box, there’s been a lot of really bad Batman games over the years.  Even the previous non-Lego games had lots of issues.  Sure, it looked good for it’s time but you could beat it in one night, even if you didn’t know what you were doing (this iteration is a tad longer than that).  The lego series is fun, but it’s Lego’s for God Sakes!  We needed a good Batman game that didn’t focus on any movie, had its own storyline, great graphics, lots of replay ability, and some good gameplay to boot.  Well, look no further because that’s what we got with Arkham Asylum…

Halo Recon was announced at TGS in 2008 as a small expansion to the fan-favorite Halo 3. The game was stated to have a new campaign that would run roughly four to six hours. For the first time in the series, the playable hero of the campaign would not be Master Chief, but a new protagonist in ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers) armor.  It was also said to have an expanded multiplayer with exclusive new maps, and all of this content was supposed to release at a discounted price.

Over a year, the game went through a name change from Recon to ODST, a price increase, and the additionof a new cooperative multiplayer game mode called Firefight, which was said to be similar to the Gears of War 2 Horde mode (one of the most incredible experiences available on the 360). The question now is whether or not this expansion is really worth the full retail price tag.