Square Enix

CHICAGO – After playing Life is Strange shortly after its launch, I thought it was the type of game that would make a minor splash then fade relatively quickly into obscurity. The concept was genius, but the execution, particularly in terms of visuals and dialogue, was severely lacking.

CHICAGO – Dontnod Entertainment struck potential conceptual gold with “Life is Strange.” Iterating on Telltale’s point-and-click episodic narrative adventure formula, they’ve crafted a truly intriguing world that begs to be explored through the lens of protagonist Max Caulfield’s eyes.

CHICAGO – Lara Croft is all about her boobs. I mean, seriously. I don’t mean to be this guy, but if you’re a gamer who was around to play or hear about the initial “Tomb Raider,” the first thing your subconscious brings to mind – most likely – is Ms. Croft’s green tank top and those not-quite-round polygonal boobies.

CHICAGO – “Final Fantasy XIII-2” takes an adjustment. It’s not that distinct an experience from other “FF” games but gamers currently handling “Modern Warfare 3” or “Skyrim” addictions will have to get accustomed to a very different gaming style. The first couple hours, heavy on cut scenes and with a first level that seems frustratingly juvenile and pedestrian, disappointed me.

CHICAGO – The newest action/horror zombie slaughter game, “Dead Island,” has debuted with a bang. The video game, published by Deep Silver, has already shipped out more than a million copies in North America alone. Additionally, the game will have sold 2 million copies globally by the end of this week.

CHICAGO – Rarely has an action game given me the same sense of accomplishment as “Deus Ex: Human Revolution.” While we’ve come a long way in the genre over the last few years, most shooters are still based on predetermined patterns. Enemies pop up in the same place. The same doors must be opened. Precise paths must be taken.

CHICAGO – I must admit to not being a huge RPG fan. Sure, I’ve played the big ones of the last few years and know my “Dragon Age” from my “Fable” from my “Final Fantasy,” but I often run into the same problems — a depth of customizable play that I just don’t care about. Some RPGs feature so many options and so many details that I get lost choosing which shield/sword combo to carry into battle or which spell loadout to take on the next quest.

CHICAGO – Everything old is new again. It’s fall 2010 and there are millions of gamers playing a new incarnation of “Castlevania” (review here), a reboot of “Medal of Honor” (review coming soon) and yet another variation on another of the most legendary franchises in gaming history in “Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light,” an immensely-enjoyable downloadable title now available on both the Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade.

CHICAGO – The ultra-violent third-person shooter “Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days” wins points merely by the developer’s refusal to pull any punches when it comes to visceral, pitch-black action, but a few frustrating elements continue to hold the franchise back from what it could have been.

CHICAGO – When the representative who sent me a copy of the newest Square Enix RPG “Nier” suggested that I needed to give the game time to impress me, I was immediately concerned. Modern gamers don’t like to wait for their entertainment. And, more often than not, “wait, it gets better” is a false promise. But not in the case of “Nier”.