Sure, playing as Wolverine is fun, but being able to feel immersed in a new character can be even better. Letting us choose our own path and create our own story can make us feel like the character is an extension of ourselves, instead of feeling like we’re a kid running around in a Wolverine costume. This is the promise of Silicon Knights’ X-Men: Destiny: to let us live in the X-Men world in a way that other super-powered games haven’t. To let us make our own choices, customize our own hero, and pave our own destiny. Surprisingly, it just about pulls the concept off… but that’s about all it does right....
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The recent release of Resident Evil 4 HD reminded us that some great games remain as inviting and playable as they ever were, even after the passage of several years and countless innovations within the same genre. If only the same could be said about tomorrow's release of Resident Evil: Code: Veronica X HD. Almost twelve years after its first appearance on the Sega Dreamcast, playing Code: Veronica X feels more like fumbling through an interactive museum exhibit demonstrating some of 3D gaming's first wobbly steps into modernity. It's still a solid game, but you should leave behind most modern conceptions of what makes a good game if you want to get the most out of this outing...
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Jonah Lomu has left a wake of human destruction in his path. Bullying through a couple of tacklers and sprinting toward the goal line, he appears superhuman. Several opponents have tasted the dirt and grass of Eden Park, wondering exactly what hit them. Meanwhile, the rest of his team, a mix of rugby union greats, is trailing their superstar teammate as he puts the ball down to officially score a try.At this moment in time, the Lomu All Stars are destroying a solid, but in this case hapless, French side here in the heart of New Zealand. It’s pure fantasy, of course – Lomu doesn’t play anymore – but offers a glimpse into how brutal, fast, and decisive the game can be when played on a high level. Just don’t ask the French to come back anytime soon...
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Jeremy Roenick’s face is a disaster. Both eyes are sporting ugly shiners, and we’re pretty sure his nose isn’t pointing the same direction it was when the season started. Worst of all, it’s not even his fault – he’s been in ten fights in the first month of the season. This isn’t because J.R. is particularly prone to fisticuffs, although he mixed it up plenty during his Hall of Fame-worthy career. Rather, we’re so bored playing as him in NHL 12’s new Be A Legend mode that we can’t help but drop the gloves two or even three times a game; thanks to the new ability to sim through all the time he’s in the sin bin, it makes the games go faster. The fact we want that to happen is alarming – and a shame...
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“The ability to control time could be very useful,” says your fictional Presidente after one of Tropico 4's optional tutorials. Really, that sums up the game pretty well. You're an island dictator who's capable of, well, pretty much whatever he damn well pleases. You can slip on your goodie two-shoes, kiss a few babies (and a few more asses), and climb to the top the hard way, or you can bulldoze your glorious tropical paradise to make way for a menagerie of military bases. Sorry, rebellious types, them's the breaks. And by “them's,” we mean “your kneecaps.” And by “breaks,” we mean, well, you know. Our point is you've got some serious power – including, yes, limited time control. Like many politicians, though, El Presidente's incredible promise lacks substance. Dig beneath the surface, and there's really not much to see... 
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