Chris Pickering Reviews Archive

News from Chris Pickering

Results 1 to 25 of 241.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 - PS3
Lower league football? 23 November 2009 19:01 GMT

The Good
Realistic looking player faces, great fun in local multiplayer

The Bad
Online still broken, AI not up to scratch

Verdict
Once again the former king of the footballing genre stumbles well short of greatness
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Xbox 360
A worthy successor to the original? 12 November 2009 18:24 GMT

The Good
Brilliant multiplayer, Spec Ops mode

The Bad
Single player still too short and a little unfair

Verdict
A brilliant overall package, only slightly let down by the slightly less than amazing single player story
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves - PS3
Will this be Sony's big Christmas hit? 21 October 2009 16:42 GMT

The Good
Incredible aesthetics, total non-stop action, keeps you thoroughly hooked

The Bad
Some strangely over-powered enemies

Verdict
If you've ever wondered what it would be like to play an Indiana Jones film, then Uncharted 2 is what you've always dreamed of. Sheer bliss
FIFA 10 - PS3
The best football title ever? 30 September 2009 16:43 GMT

The Good
New Virtual Pro options, plays an excellent game of football, so many little touches

The Bad
Achievements/trophies heavily based on last year's offerings

Verdict
A huge improvement on what was already a brilliant football offering. A real treat for every football fan out there
Halo 3: ODST - Xbox 360
Halo without the Chief 23 September 2009 15:21 GMT

The Good
Firefight mode is brilliant, great storyline, same old Halo FPS action

The Bad
No Firefight random play, can be too slow-paced

Verdict
The series continues with a brilliant single player campaign, and tonnes of multiplayer options
Championship Manager 2010 - PC
Can this match Football Manager? 21 September 2009 16:00 GMT

The Good
Fast paced, excellent scouting system

The Bad
Terrible UI, still not realistic enough, poor on-pitch action

Verdict
Getting closer, but still a while to go before it can rival the great Football Manager series
Batman: Arkham Asylum - Xbox 360
Pow! Spla-a-t! Blurp! Whack? 7 September 2009 12:00 GMT

The Good
Brilliant fully fleshed out story, brilliant fighting mechanic, feels like being Batman

The Bad
Repetitive and unimaginative boss battles

Verdict
Batman finally gets a game worthy of the name. Sheer brilliance
Ashes Cricket 2009 - Xbox 360
Hit for six? 14 August 2009 16:00 GMT

The Good
Lots of fun, delightfully realistic, fantastic control options

The Bad
Graphics a bit lacking, too many edged balls that don't carry

Verdict
A cracking effort from Codemasters, and one that has hit us (hoho) for six
Wii Sports Resort - Nintendo Wii
Virtual Club La Santa? 27 July 2009 16:00 GMT

The Good
Fantastic fun in multiplayer, incredibly accurate, free Motion Plus

The Bad
Shallow in single player, Motion Plus can get confused

Verdict
Yet another Wii based multiplayer masterpiece. But definitely not something for the lonely gamer
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 - Xbox 360
Has putting from the rough ever been this good? 7 July 2009 12:01 GMT

The Good
Brand new putting system, new set of online options, still as thoroughly addictive as ever

The Bad
Not enough improvements, visuals unchanged

Verdict
The best available, but there had better be some major new features included next year to stop us feeling short changed
Fight Night Round 4 - Xbox 360
Will this take the title? 6 July 2009 9:35 GMT

The Good
Stunning visuals, long lasting career mode, fantastic control system

The Bad
Training both difficult and dull, a few minor graphical defects, controls can feel a little strained under pressure

Verdict
A brilliant looking and fantastically well produced brawler. It's just a shame a few flaws stop it from claiming the gold
Grand Slam Tennis - Nintendo Wii
Fancy some Wiimbledon action? 22 June 2009 12:00 GMT

The Good
Motion Plus control system, Nunchuk player control, fun in multiplayer

The Bad
Control isn't truly consistent, add-on is a bit on the expensive side, single player lacks any real reward

Verdict
Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but more responsive controls make this a decent show of what the Wii could do in the future
Fuel - Xbox 360
Racing without boundaries 15 June 2009 16:00 GMT

The Good
Huge game world, so many challenges to take part in, stupendous visuals

The Bad
Racing a touch simplified, maybe not enough pure racing for some

Verdict
It's not a world beater, but Fuel is one damn enjoyable racer that certainly deserves a peek
Prototype - Xbox 360
Hit, miss or maybe? 12 June 2009 16:52 GMT

The Good
Large city to explore, it does a good job at showing a city sinking down to hellish depths

The Bad
Poor aesthetics, story difficult to keep a firm grip on, dodgy targeting system.

Verdict
We'd been told to expect blockbuster action and riotous fun. We got dodgy visuals, poorly realised story, and a sub-par battling system. Shame
Virtua Tennis 2009 - Xbox 360
New balls please 3 June 2009 12:00 GMT

The Good
So much fun in multiplayer, easy to pick up and play, lots of depth to discover

The Bad
Players look weird, frequent loading screens are a huge irritant

Verdict
It might be for social gamers, but this is one of the very best if you like your living room jam packed
Plants vs. Zombies - PC
Tower Defence goes green 25 May 2009 16:00 GMT

The Good
Addictive brilliance, cutesy art style, so much strategic choice

The Bad
Can get unbelievably frantic

Verdict
So incredibly addictive that you’ll not notice those zombies crawling through your window
InFamous - PS3
Supercharged PS3 action? 22 May 2009 16:00 GMT

The Good
Huge world to explore, excellent climbing abilities, fantastic cutscenes

The Bad
Bland powers to start with, frame rate problems

Verdict
Not quite as astoundingly brilliant as we’d hoped, but still certainly a fully charged romp
Bionic Commando - Xbox 360
Swinging without Spider-Man 19 May 2009 16:00 GMT

The Good
Context sensitive arm works well in the main, large levels, some great visuals

The Bad
Early section very poor, less exploration that we’d hoped for

Verdict
An impressive attempt, but still far too many flaws to be considered a classic
X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Xbox 360
Want to play with Wolverine? 1 May 2009 12:00 GMT

The Good
Frantic action, great visuals, fun fighting system

The Bad
Terrible frame-rate, far too much repetition

Verdict
The fighting system's a whole heap of fun, but don’t go expecting much more than that same minute of gameplay repeated ad infinitum
Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena - Xbox 360
Can Riddick stand the test of time? 28 April 2009 16:00 GMT

The Good
Butcher Bay is brilliant, truly brutal, absolutely fantastic aesthetics

The Bad
Far too much "action", poor multiplayer

Verdict
Butcher Bay is still as brilliant as ever, but the new episode is quite as true a classic
Logitech Wireless Guitar Controller Premiere Edition - PS3
The ultimate Guitar Hero accessory? 27 April 2009 8:30 GMT

The Good
Stunning build quality, fantastic strum bar

The Bad
Lacking the clicks is a big miss at first

Verdict
The price may be huge, but you certainly get a whole heap of product for your cash. For Guitar Hero fanatics, this is a must
Ninja Blade - Xbox 360
Action tastic or one to miss? 15 April 2009 12:00 GMT

The Good
Enjoyable QTEs, fast paced action

The Bad
Poor visuals, platforming sections dull

Verdict
It might not be a real top quality title, but passing on Ninja Blade may be a big mistake for action fans
Wanted: Weapons of Fate - Xbox 360
Just another movie spin off? 13 April 2009 9:03 GMT

The Good
Excellent cover mechanic, bullet swerving works

The Bad
Far too short, absolutely no variety, bullet soaking enemies

Verdict
A fantastic cover mechanic can’t save this short-lived thrill ride from being one to only pick up when it hits the bargain bins
The Godfather II - Xbox 360
Molto bene? 9 April 2009 16:00 GMT

The Good
Your "Family", powerful weapons

The Bad
Technically terrible, far too repetitive, too short

Verdict
Far too many flaws make this game feel unfinished and a long way from deserving of your time and money
The Wheelman - Xbox 360
Vin Diesel goes virtual 7 April 2009 16:00 GMT

The Good
A truck load of fun, fast paced, car jacking fun

The Bad
Terrible on foot, poor representation of Barcelona, repetitive mission objectives

Verdict
Verdict It has its flaws, but The Wheelman is a true riot and deserves at least a look