Critical Mass was made by a studio of two people. As such it isn’t going to blow anyone away with crazy graphics production value. But it is an addictive puzzler with a cool take on the match-four genre, one that’s easy to lose countless hours to with its simple, yet challenging gameplay. Seeing Critical Mass for the first time made me think of an elaborate Rubix Cube. Every stage starts with a floating structure of colored...

One sign of a great game is when you never notice it’s repetitive. Anyone can be reductive and distill a game down to a few key mechanics that are repeated, but it’s up to the level design, enemy A.I., and a host of other factors to keep it interesting from start to finish. Red Faction: Armageddon has successes and failures at this, with pacing issues and levels that swing from super exciting to downright boring. Still,...

I’m not a terribly sentimental person, and I have a pretty healthy cynical streak. But since having a kid, my heart rips open anytime I see something bad happen a child. I can’t watch any movie that features endangered kids, and I bought Heavy Rain but could never bring myself to play it because I know that bad things happening to kids is a key compenent of the story line. The Mass Effect E3 demo featured a lot of the things...

We know you’re sick of listening to nerdy boys talk about games, so we’ve gathered together all the female editors to give you a different perspective. Girlfight is the place to hear Nicole Tanner, Dana Jongewaard, Kristine Steimer, Stephanie Lee, Audrey Drake, and Meghan Sullivan talk about the games they love as well as serious issues about women in gaming and the games industry in general. We debate about a monetization...

During my time in the Mojave with Fallout: New Vegas there was one thing I’d hoped to learn more about: the Burned Man. If you don’t remember hearing his story, the Burned Man was one of Caesar’s (the founder and leader of Caesar’s Legion) best men until he failed him in battle. As a punishment, Caesar sentenced him to a gruesome death: covered in pitch, lit on fire and tossed off the cliffs of the Grand Canyon....

There’s a good chance I’ll never hurtle down the backroads of Finland at more than 100 mph in a BMW Z4. To be honest, I’d be terrified to cross into triple digits on roads so narrow. But to be able to experience such a feat in a safe environment is divine. Dirt 3 delivers this power, reminding rally nuts what a fun ride this series is. The driving in Dirt 3 feels tight and responsive, and the six tuning options return to...