Video Game Review

CHICAGO – EA’s “Need For Speed: The Run” features some adrenalin-pumping moments but they’re undercut by some truly poor mechanics and some awful development decisions. The concept behind the “story” of the game is clever and promising enough to warrant a rental, but the execution is flawed enough to steer clear of a purchase.

CHICAGO – “Saints Row The Third” is to “Grand Theft Auto” as “Machete” is to “No Country For Old Men.” They may feature similar themes but one takes the dramatic edge of the other and turns it into B-movie insanity. And I don’t mean that as a criticism. The third game in the surprisingly robust “Saints Row” franchise is a blast. A goofy, wacky, silly, dumb, crazy blast.

CHICAGO – By now, millions of players have screamed at their television as a screen popped up to reveal how some jerk got the jump on them and damaged their ratio of deaths to kills. And they’ve loved every minute of it. Such is the world of “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3,” a place built around pain.

CHICAGO – Nintendo has arguably received more negative press than at any other time in their existence regarding the lack of must-own titles for their newest product, the Nintendo 3DS. Why upgrade to 3D if there are no games that demand it? Every single console has been driven by the software available for it.

CHICAGO – Everything immensely popular eventually falls victim to an awkward tie-in. There are graveyards of fast food toys related to blockbuster hits that never should have existed (a fact brilliantly parodied in the upcoming “Toy Story” short in front of “The Muppets”).

CHICAGO – “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” is everything the video game universe predicted: a monster hit. “MW3” is now the highest selling movie, book, or video game of all time in a five day span. No, these numbers are not fake: the game grossed over $775 million in less than a week.

CHICAGO – “Disney Universe” plays not unlike the legendary company’s attempt to replicate the customizable success and platforming simplicity of “Little Big Planet” (with a bit of “LEGO” smash-and-collect thrown in). Sony’s amazing franchise works not only because the platform/level design is amazing but because it allows inclined players to spend hours (and lots of cash) on ways to customize their sack boy.

CHICAGO – “House of the Dead: Overkill” is not unlike “Grindhouse” for shooter fans. Remember the total chaos of Robert Rodriguez’s “Planet Terror”? Imagine that insane, B-movie violence, gore, and ridiculous dialogue in video game form. Much to the surprise of those of us who had written off any chance of adult-driven games on the Nintendo Wii, the “House of the Dead” game hit the platform in 2009 and was a fun ride.

CHICAGO – “Goldeneye 64” was one of the most influential games on my life. Not only did it redefine shooters for this hardcore gamer but it took away hundreds of hours from my college education. Who’s to say what I could have become if not for this addictive shooter, which, along with “Doom 2,” opened the world of multiplayer action?

CHICAGO – Here’s a story that comes as no surprise: gamers really love “Call of Duty.” For the third straight release, the “Call of Duty” series has set a new one-day record for sales. In 2009, “Modern Warefare 2” boasted sales of $310 million on the first day. In 2010, “Black Ops” topped the record with $360 million in its first 24 hours. Now, “Modern Warefare 3” has set the bar much higher, with $400 million of total sales in one day in North America and the U.K.