Acclaim

Here's my question: Was Burnout intended to be a racing game or a traffic accident simulation? Combining these two elements created a somewhat interesting product, and Peter is accurate in saying this marriage sets up a solid foundation. And the result? A building that looks amazing, but is as structurally sound as a house of playing cards.

I have two basic rules about puzzle games. They have to: a) be intuitive enough that I can learn the basics without ever having to crack open the manual or try the tutorial; and b) be compelling (read: "addictive") enough that I find myself unable to stop playing even when it's 1 a.m. and I have to be at work tomorrow.

The inexplicable floating demons on the title screen. The still beating hearts that replace the "cutesy" stars and shines of the Mario games. Even the way that Vexx seems to have a permanent scowl on his face throughout the game. It all smacks of a flimsy facade placed on a boilerplate platforming game.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Violence

The Turok: Evolution is an interesting creature. It's story alone chews away at a person's suspension of disbelief—a Native American and a confederate get sucked into an alternate dimension, where dinosaurs have the upper hand on technology and territory. This is probably what would have happened had Mark Twain and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ever collaborated on a novel. Considering the story only has to go as far a setting a premise for the gamer to blow the heads off dinosaur-men, making complete sense doesn't really matter all that much.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood and Gore, Violence

Turok: Evolution is Acclaim's effort to revive the series on the next-generation platforms, and the game lives up to its lineage. It is classic Turok gameplay, evolved and refined.

I owe some of my driving skills to video games. I know it sounds silly, but its true. I learned how to navigate curves by playing Segas OutRun arcade game back in 1988. For some reason, I couldnt get the feel of steering properly during practical driving, but after playing OutRun, things just clicked. Its pretty scary to imagine what would have happened had I not learned this valuable skill. For starters, I probably wouldnt have earned my drivers license; and what worse, I probably would have constantly veered off the road at every turn and that would've been ugly.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Mild Violence