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Nov. 3, 2009

  • An immaculate PS2 masterpiece.:  Arguably one of the best (if not, *the* best) release on PlayStation 2, Shadow of the Colossus is one of those rare accomplishments that can genuinely change the way you look at video games. When you think of basic elements of gaming -- boss battles, combat, world exploration, character and story -- SotC takes each of these and escalates them to a unrivaled level of understated sophistication.  And that’s not ...
    5 days, 1 hour ago
Oct. 1, 2009
Aug. 2, 2009
July 14, 2009

  • A big game in a little package.: Love it or hate it, much of the PSP catalog consists of portable versions of console games you've already played. Many of these are faithful, spirited copies of their source material, but they are still copies nonetheless with a nagging sense of deja vu. Resistance: Retribution follows this pattern, but it's hard not to be impressed by how well-made this game is and how much the developers have crammed into ...
    3 months, 3 weeks ago
June 11, 2009
  • sgthalka is trying to digest lunch
    5 months ago
May 14, 2009

  • A breath of fresh air for fantasy RPGs, but combat gets dull.: There's really two games to discuss in The Witcher.The first is an incredibly fresh take on what a fantasy RPG can be in 2009. A captivating, mature world filled with grey moral choices between numerous political ideas and groups at odds with each other. This is the game that wows you in the first few chapters. This is adult subject matter -- drugs, sex, sin and virtue -- explored through ...
    5 months, 3 weeks ago
March 22, 2009
  • sgthalka reviewed

    Artful, understated brilliance.: All games, to some degree, are designed to tease emotions out of you -- excitement, fear, joy, intrigue. What's so incredible about Flower is the emotions it brings out in such a compact, beautiful and simple game design. The pure joy of exploration, the elation of soaring through sky carried by wind -- these are to be expected. It's the final two levels of Flower which I didn't expect. (Even ...
    7 months, 2 weeks ago

  • Mediocre story, but solid AI makes a fun challenge throughout.: Looks can be deceiving when it comes to the PS3's launch "killer app." At first glance, Resistance looks like a fairly run-of-the-mill space marine shooter with lackluster graphics and a forgettable story. But what emerges (quickly) is an extremely challenging FPS that keeps you engaged not through pretty environments or a riveting plot, but tough fights that often require multiple attempts and different methods of attack to figure out how ...
    7 months, 2 weeks ago

  • Best baseball game to date, but some weirdness creeps in.: Starting with 2006's re-branding (and re-invention) of Sony's baseball series as "The Show", developer San Diego Studios has steadily evolved a rock-solid core gameplay model to the stupidly high level of excellence it's at now. I honestly couldn't imagine how SCEA could elevate the series after playing last year's MLB 08. Sure, some oddities could be fixed, some new details could be added to online or franchise modes, but the ...
    7 months, 2 weeks ago
  • sgthalka reviewed Dead Space

    Flawless game design, despite some obvious plot turns.: It says a lot for Dead Space that -- despite the derivative "alien outbreak" sci-fi storyline and cardboard characters -- it's still an incredible achievement. When the game design is this good, and so flawlessly executed, it's easy to forgive Dead Space's less-than-satisfying exposition. The story snob in me wishes the final "twists" weren't telegraphed so obviously (and then over-explained after the fact). The key relationship between you and your ...
    7 months, 2 weeks ago
Feb. 16, 2009
  • sgthalka reviewed Fallout 3

    Bethesda's most polished RPG to date, but loses a little magic.: Bethesda has refined their open-world RPG formula down to a science. Fallout 3 is certainly the studio's most well-crafted game to date, giving you a much tighter, more focused and faster-paced experience than anything we've seen before in Oblivion or Morrowind. It's also refreshing to play a RPG based in our own world, grounded in science fiction with strong voice-acting, well-written dialogue, excellent sound design and a stable game engine. ...
    8 months, 3 weeks ago
Oct. 13, 2008
  • sgthalka commented on Rich's blog post Fall Schedule
    I remember you digging baseball games way back on Gamespot. I can't believe you haven't picked up a PS3 for MLB 08: The Show! It's the best baseball that's ever been put into video game form. Both gameplay and presentation -- it's incredible.Plus the Blu-Ray is a nice throw-in. But seriously -- MLB The Show. You will be amazed.The best model is the MGS4 / 80GB / DS3 bundle if ...
    1 year ago
Oct. 6, 2008

  • Brilliantly bizarre.: Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is a remake of an obscure PS1 JRPG cult classic, Valkyrie Profile. The original PS1 game is incredibly hard to find (and ridiculously priced, if you do find a copy) -- so credit to Square-Enix for re-releasing an underrated classic on a current platform.Even if you’re accustomed to JRPG mechanics, Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is going to throw you some curve balls. It combines side-scrolling platforming with semi-active ...
    1 year, 1 month ago
Sept. 12, 2008
  • demands you register to vote.
    1 year, 1 month ago
  • Dude. First, relax. Don't put so much pressure on yourself. You're overthinking. Chasing girls is supposed to be fun. Don't make it homework.Second, lay off the Internet. If you're 22, your friends should still be having parties, hitting bars, going out. Shockingly -- you might run into girls in these situations. Talk to them. See if you meet anyone you like. Don't talk to girls because you like the size ...
    1 year, 1 month ago
  • https://voteforchange.com/Time's a wasting, and it's easy as pie. Register to vote right now and tell the Commie hordes to go f- themselves with our sweet, delicious freedom.
    1 year, 1 month ago
Aug. 25, 2008
  • My review is up here -- http://www.giantbomb.com/profile/sgthalka/reviews/I didn't like it. Maybe you did? Tell me what I'm missing here.Besides graphics or alien sex.
    1 year, 2 months ago

  • A missed opportunity.: Let's just take this step-by-step.1.) The much-heralded "new" dialogue system. The conversation system in Mass Effect was hyped to be this total re-invention of RPG dialogue systems. By giving the player multiple abbreviated conversational "tones", you could steer the conversation naturally, without getting buried reading your own dialogue options and instead just going with a briefly described tone of speech, and watch the drama unfold. In reality, the dialogue system ...
    1 year, 2 months ago
Added by sgthalka on Sept. 12, 2008

https://voteforchange.com/

Time's a wasting, and it's easy as pie. Register to vote right now and tell the Commie hordes to go f- themselves with our sweet, delicious freedom.


Added by sgthalka on Aug. 25, 2008

My review is up here -- http://www.giantbomb.com/profile/sgthalka/reviews/

I didn't like it. Maybe you did? Tell me what I'm missing here.

Besides graphics or alien sex.


Added by sgthalka on Aug. 19, 2008

Made it about 8 hours in ... I'm not sure why this game isn't catching my attention. The combat system is decent. The conversation system and dialogue are generally interesting. The soundtrack and graphics are fantastic.

Maybe part of it is KOTOR deja vu -- where I feel like I've already played this game, just now it has new names and graphics. The universe lore is fairly complex and well-developed, but it also feels like a transparent substitution of Star-Wars-into-Mass-Effect.

Maybe it's the characters? I don't feel personally invested in the main character at all. The flat delivery of lines doesn't help -- maybe the female lead is more impassioned than the male reading-the-phone-book voice? The NPCs are a little stiff and the conversations are stilted book passages.

I don't know. So far I stopped playing a few weeks ago, went on vacation, and don't have any desire to really finish the game now. I'll keep plugging away, bit by bit. I just thought I'd be a lot more addicted to this.


Added by sgthalka on July 22, 2008

5. This one's pretty easy ... SUMMER FRIDAYS.


Who came up with this idea? Why do I get these now that I'm a working professional? I guess kids obviously have the market cornered on summer vacation and all. But hey, THEY'RE NOT GETTING PAID TO NOT GO TO SCHOOL. Whoever came up with Summer Fridays, and allowed me to have them, deserves a Nobel Prize ... for Awesomeness.

4. Girls must wear WEATHER-APPROPRIATE CLOTHING.


And what's great about that? ... EVERYTHING.

3. Every weekend is AN EXCUSE TO GO ON VACATION.


Hey! It's Friday! And it's the summer! Hmm -- what to do, what to do ... I know! Go on fucking vacation! (Can we swear here?) You don't need an excuse to go on vacation in the summer. Because IT'S THE SUMMER! Go to Baltimore! Take a train to Philadelphia! Who cares, it's nice outside!

2. When it rains, it's STILL SUNNY.


Mind you, I live in New York. So we don't quite get the Florida / Hawaii / California level of bright sunny rain. But it's close enough. Rain drizzling down a sun-filled day owns. Anyone who tells you different is a goddamned Communist. And maybe ... just maybe ... you'll catch a peek of a rainbow. Aaaah.

1. Everyone is GRILLING.


Each night my neighborhood is filled with the sweet aroma of seared sirloin on metal grills. There's something about seared cow that lifts the spirits, reaffirms our American way of life, and makes me want to watch The Criterion Collection release of Robocop.


Added by sgthalka on July 21, 2008

Greg needs to come home. Forget about Electronic Arts and those meh Command & Conquer games. Old-school GS must reunite under the banner of good. Get Kasavin back on the saddle! HE MUST REVIEW AGAIN.

But yeah. Congratulations to the Giant Bomb folks for upstaging Gamespot and for giving CNET a giant middle finger. (In a productive way.) Site is looking great on Day One.


Sgthalka's Reviews
An immaculate PS2 masterpiece. (PS2)
 Arguably one of the best (if not, *the* best) release on PlayStation 2, Shadow of the Colossus is one of those rare accomplishments that can genuinely change the way you look at video games. When you think of basic elements of gaming -- boss battles, combat, world exploration, character and ...
Reviewed by sgthalka on Nov. 3, 2009
Four years on, RE4 is still a tour de force. (PS2)
I'm an extreme latecomer to Resident Evil 4, having never owned a GameCube and never getting around to the PS2 version until recently. All I can say is, I wish I played this game sooner. It's unreal both how good this game is in terms of level design, action sequences ...
Reviewed by sgthalka on Aug. 2, 2009
A big game in a little package. (PSP)
Love it or hate it, much of the PSP catalog consists of portable versions of console games you've already played. Many of these are faithful, spirited copies of their source material, but they are still copies nonetheless with a nagging sense of deja vu. Resistance: Retribution follows this pattern, but ...
Reviewed by sgthalka on July 14, 2009
A breath of fresh air for fantasy RPGs, but combat gets dull. (PC)
There's really two games to discuss in The Witcher.The first is an incredibly fresh take on what a fantasy RPG can be in 2009. A captivating, mature world filled with grey moral choices between numerous political ideas and groups at odds with each other. This is the game that wows ...
Reviewed by sgthalka on May 14, 2009
Artful, understated brilliance. ()
All games, to some degree, are designed to tease emotions out of you -- excitement, fear, joy, intrigue. What's so incredible about Flower is the emotions it brings out in such a compact, beautiful and simple game design. The pure joy of exploration, the elation of soaring through sky carried ...
Reviewed by sgthalka on March 22, 2009

1 out of 1 found this review helpful.
Mediocre story, but solid AI makes a fun challenge throughout. (PS3)
Looks can be deceiving when it comes to the PS3's launch "killer app." At first glance, Resistance looks like a fairly run-of-the-mill space marine shooter with lackluster graphics and a forgettable story. But what emerges (quickly) is an extremely challenging FPS that keeps you engaged not through pretty environments or ...
Reviewed by sgthalka on March 22, 2009

1 out of 1 found this review helpful.
Best baseball game to date, but some weirdness creeps in. (PS3)
Starting with 2006's re-branding (and re-invention) of Sony's baseball series as "The Show", developer San Diego Studios has steadily evolved a rock-solid core gameplay model to the stupidly high level of excellence it's at now. I honestly couldn't imagine how SCEA could elevate the series after playing last year's MLB ...
Reviewed by sgthalka on March 22, 2009

2 out of 2 found this review helpful.
Flawless game design, despite some obvious plot turns. (PC)
It says a lot for Dead Space that -- despite the derivative "alien outbreak" sci-fi storyline and cardboard characters -- it's still an incredible achievement. When the game design is this good, and so flawlessly executed, it's easy to forgive Dead Space's less-than-satisfying exposition. The story snob in me wishes ...
Reviewed by sgthalka on March 22, 2009
Bethesda's most polished RPG to date, but loses a little magic. (PC)
Bethesda has refined their open-world RPG formula down to a science. Fallout 3 is certainly the studio's most well-crafted game to date, giving you a much tighter, more focused and faster-paced experience than anything we've seen before in Oblivion or Morrowind. It's also refreshing to play a RPG based in ...
Reviewed by sgthalka on Feb. 16, 2009
Brilliantly bizarre. (PSP)
Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth is a remake of an obscure PS1 JRPG cult classic, Valkyrie Profile. The original PS1 game is incredibly hard to find (and ridiculously priced, if you do find a copy) -- so credit to Square-Enix for re-releasing an underrated classic on a current platform.Even if you’re accustomed ...
Reviewed by sgthalka on Oct. 6, 2008


Date Joined: July 21, 2008
City: Brooklyn
Gender: Male
Alignment: PC
Points: 150 Points
Ranked: Ranked #2665 of 59,170
150 points you are ranked
2665 of 59,170 users

Snatcher
game - 75 points
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
game - 22 points
MLB 08: The Show
game - 13 points
Fable: The Lost Chapters
game - 6 points
World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade
game - 6 points
Aliens RPG (working title)
game - 5 points
MLB: The Show
franchise - 3 points
Gradius Collection
game - 3 points

Wishlist
a list of 2 items by sgthalka
Blueblur1 3 days ago
Blueblur1 says my buddy Dani over at NeoGAF has set up the Halo Reach leaks thread! http://bit.ly/u7oYQ
Jeff 4 days, 4 hours ago
Game of the Day: Rambo: First Blood Part II (SMS)
ghostmind 6 days, 2 hours ago
ghostmind is truly, this is the Age of Sponsorship.
Metal_Mills 2 weeks, 4 days ago
Metal_Mills got 3 red rings a day before getting Forza 3 and on the final mission of Brutal Legend. :(
Cipher 3 weeks ago
Cipher is trying to finish inFAMOUS
iAmJohn 3 weeks, 2 days ago
iAmJohn wishes Trophy support was working so all his shiny Uncharted 2 trophies would show up. :(
Ryan 3 weeks, 4 days ago
Ryan's status has changed!
shoota 4 weeks ago
shoota is hyped for Uncharted 2.