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The games of winter

Despite a quiet January, this winter gives gamers much to look forward to: long-awaited sequels, promising original franchises, and even a new handheld system.
Sci-fi, fantasy, and Sony's new handheld
By MITCH KRPATA | December 30, 2011

Review: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

For a couple of hours, I was enjoying the latest iteration of the long-running Metal Gear Solid series, which is called Peace Walker . Unlike the massive, bloated, self-important Metal Gear Solid 4 , this portable installment felt lean and mean.
The latest Metal Gear Solid sends mixed signals
By MITCH KRPATA | July 02, 2010

Review: Red Dead Redemption

The land doesn't care. Not about the storms that blow across its plains. Not about the animals that stalk one another through its grasses. And certainly not about the men who occasionally appear over the horizon and try to build a civilization on its san
Grand Theft Oater?
By MITCH KRPATA | June 18, 2010

Review: Super Mario Galaxy 2

Say this for Super Mario: he still seems to be having a good time.
Star-crossed: not quite super
By MITCH KRPATA | June 11, 2010

Review: Alan Wake

Alan Wake proves, once again, that developers don’t need to reinvent entire genres to make a good game — they simply need to play to their strengths.
Shadowplay: Remedy Entertainment puts on a light show
By MITCH KRPATA | June 04, 2010

Review: Final Fantasy XIII

I’m so old, I can remember when Final Fantasy VIII came out and everybody complained about it.
Paradigm shift!
By MITCH KRPATA | April 09, 2010

Review: God of War III

What is Kratos so angry about — again? There used to be a good reason for his non-stop temper tantrums.
New console, same game
By MITCH KRPATA | April 02, 2010

Review: Heavy Rain

Is Heavy Rain a game or a movie? Players have been asking the question since before its release.
A haunting thriller for PlayStation 3
By MITCH KRPATA | March 12, 2010

Daddy issues

When Andrew Ryan said this to your player in BioShock , it was part of a plot twist of surprising power — about halfway through the game, you realized you'd been taking orders from your antagonist.
BioShock 2 dives under the surface
By MITCH KRPATA | February 26, 2010

Review: No More Heroes 2

In the world of video games, one rule is ironclad: if a game is successful, there will be a sequel. Hell, sometimes if a game isn't successful, there will be a sequel.
Pain in the assassin
By MITCH KRPATA | February 19, 2010

Review: Army of Two: The 40th Day

When I reviewed the original Army of Two , I found myself in the unfamiliar position of being the guy who liked something everybody else hated (as opposed the guy who hated something everybody else liked).
One step forward, but Army of Two steps back
By MITCH KRPATA | January 29, 2010

Review: Bayonetta

Here's the thing about Bayonetta : you have to take all of it, not just part.
Season of the witch
By MITCH KRPATA | January 15, 2010

Greatest video-game tragedies of the last decade

Here are some of our favorite anti-victories of the past 10 years, in rough chronological order.
Zeroes from the Aughts
By LASER ORGY | January 15, 2010

Review: The Saboteur

When Pandemic Studios was shuttered on November 17, it seemed less another casualty of the economy than a mercy killing.
Pandemic Studios' swan song
By MITCH KRPATA | January 08, 2010

Winter wonderland

Do not adjust your calendar. Christmas has not been moved to March this year.
Video games start the new year right
By MITCH KRPATA | January 01, 2010

2009: Year in video games

At the end of each year, there's the temptation to identify a common theme among the games that were released.
Swimming the mainstream
By MITCH KRPATA | December 25, 2009

Big starts

I kick off my highlights of 2009 with praise for a theater company that has just finished its inaugural season: The Legacy Theater Company, founded by former City Theater artistic director Steve Burnette.
2009 was full of newness + energy
By MEGAN GRUMBLING | December 25, 2009

2009 had some redeeming qualities - really

Let's get serious: For many Portlanders, 2009 was a crap year.
Don’t look back in anger
By DEIRDRE FULTON AND JEFF INGLIS | December 25, 2009

Review: Assassin's Creed II

Assassin's Creed II is a macabre Italian getaway
Death in Venice: a macabre Italian getaway
By MITCH KRPATA | December 18, 2009

Review: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

The staggering commercial success the folks at Nintendo have achieved in recent years has made it easy to overlook their more unfortunate habits.
OId news: nothing super about it
By MITCH KRPATA | December 11, 2009

Review: Left 4 Dead 2

When Valve announced a full-priced sequel to Left 4 Dead only one year after the original, 40,000 frustrated gamers joined an on-line boycott. The boycotters had a point, but they'll miss out if they stand on principle.
Zombie nation: Valve at the top of its craft
By MITCH KRPATA | December 04, 2009

Review: Modern Warfare 2

You're standing in an elevator with men wearing bulletproof vests and wielding machine guns. "No Russian," the leader reminds you, as the doors open to reveal a line of persons waiting at the airport security gate.
Hell to play
By MITCH KRPATA | November 27, 2009

Review: Dragon Age: Origins

BioWare's latest gets lost in the details
BioWare's latest gets lost in the details
By MITCH KRPATA | November 20, 2009

Review: Borderlands

It’s tempting, and easy, to describe Borderlands solely via comparisons to other games.
Gold rush
By MITCH KRPATA | November 06, 2009

Review: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Nathan Drake walks like a man. Not so much in a macho, John Wayne kind of way — though there is plenty of that in him — but as if he were a real person occupying physical space.
A real treasure
By MITCH KRPATA | October 23, 2009

Review: Brütal Legend

The cover of Brütal Legend sports an interesting detail.
Brutal is one way to put it
By MITCH KRPATA | October 16, 2009

Review: Scribblenauts

If knowledge is power, and words are the vessels for ideas, then the appeal of Scribblenauts is easy to understand.
The pen is not so mighty
By MITCH KRPATA | October 09, 2009

Delay of game

Splinter Cell: Conviction , BioShock 2 , Heavy Rain — these are just some of the eagerly awaited titles that won't be coming to your video-game console this fall.
With some big names shelved, 10 releases to watch for this fall
By MITCH KRPATA | September 18, 2009

Review: The Beatles: Rock Band

Can we agree that the music-game market is saturated? To stand out in this crowd, you'd need something special. You'd need the Beatles.
Don't meet the Beatles — be them
By MITCH KRPATA | September 11, 2009

Review: Batman: Arkham Asylum

Although Heath Ledger fully deserved the Oscar he won (posthumously) for his portrayal of the Joker in The Dark Knight , a less heralded actor had staked a claim to the character years before. On Batman: The Animated Series , Mark Hamill brought a fe
Joker's wild
By MITCH KRPATA | September 04, 2009

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