Computer Game Reviews

From board and puzzles to time management games, Big Fish is a popular source of PC games for kids, adults, and the whole family. Big Fish is highly rated for its hidden object games like the Mystery Case Files series and the The Mirror Mysteries.

Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove

Mystery Case Files: Dire Grove is the recent installment in the series. The game involves puzzle solving, point and click exploring, and, the main highlight of the game, finding the hidden objects. The hidden objects scene will have you looking for hard-to-find items. The job must be accomplished before the clock hits zero. The Dire Grove has come a long way from its predecessors. The visuals are obviously a great enhancement. The items you will find in the scene can be used along with your search, while a magnifying glass can zoom in the object. The three-dimensional setting is very challenging with its vivid illustrations. The audio also makes up the creepy feeling upon exploring the grove. Perhaps the only thing that's missing are more original puzzle games. If you've played Mystery Case Files before, then there's a good chance you'll know how the puzzle goes.

The Mirror Mysteries

The Mirror Mysteries is a hidden object game with a twist. Here, you will be the mother of children lost in a mystical world through the mirror. To save your children, you will have to go through a journey to a magical world. You need to find the hidden objects to guide you with your rescue and uncover some of the dark mysteries. Trying to solve the Mirror Mysteries will have you playing for hours. The graphics are good enough to have you hooked, making you want to explore further in hopes of finding the missing children.

Interested in playing any of these games? Check out the Big Fish website for downloads and walkthroughs to these games.

Sally's Salon is a fun, easy game for managing your own salon. You start with the basic equipment and service for hairstyling and, as you move along with each level, you can use the money you earn to invest in new equipment and make the task easier to handle with more and more customers visiting your salon. Here's the full review:

PC game description

Sally is the owner of a beauty salon that offers different hairstyling services, starting with the basic wash, blow-dry, different types of haircut, manicure, perm, and eventually, the fake sun tan. The game works by using the visual cues to know what the customer wants. Through fast services and giving them the look they want, the customer will get more hearts, which translates to bigger tips. If not satisfied at all, then they can lose the heart and leave the salon in dismay. At the end of every level, you must earn a required amount to move along. The money you earn can be used to hire new assistants and buy equipment that can improve the service of the salon and accommodate the needs of more customers. As you complete the different levels, you also get to move to new locations, from suburban mall to hotel.

PC game review

Sally's Salon is similar to Diner Dash, wherein you have to manage your own time and provide the service to your customers. What PC gamers like about the game is that it is easy to play with customer feedback to give you a hint on the type of hairstyle they want. The graphics are good enough to show the different hairstyles. It is easy to earn more points, and use them to shop for new salon equipment. Overall, you can say that the game is fairly easy but still challenging as you move along. Perhaps the only disadvantage is that earning more points is so easy that you can easily complete the upgrades half-way through the round. The visual cues can still be improved. Some also look forward to hiring more assistants for help around the salon.

Sally's Salon is one of those management sims that let you enjoy the pace of each game level with ease and much satisfaction from what you've accomplished.

GameHouse has offered many popular casual games over the years. Here are two top titles that you might find fun to play!

Jewel Quest

This puzzle game comes with gameplay mechanics seen in so many others: make a line of 3 or more similar items by clicking on the items to move their positions. However, Jewel Quest stands out because of its excellent graphics, as well as an exciting storyline rarely seen in casual gaming. By clearing each stage, you learn more about the Indiana Jones-like character’s quest for a lost temple filled with hidden treasures. The game has grown popular enough to spawn two more sequels, with puzzles just as challenging as the original.

Farm Frenzy 3

Fourth in Alawar Entertainment’s very successful Farm Frenzy series, Farm Frenzy 3 retains the fun elements that made its predecessors so popular. You’ll still have all the fun and excitement of managing your farm under time pressure, with the added boost of new locations and animals. Instead of being restricted to one village or town, like in the previous Farm Frenzy titles, you get to manage farms around the world. This lets you raise typical farm animals such as geese, as well as more exotic wildlife like penguins. Different challenges also come up with lions and other predators in addition to the familiar Farm Frenzy bears. New 3-D graphics also enhance the Farm Frenzy gaming experience, and new characters as well as a backstory make achieving your farm’s goals even more fun. This game has something to offer Farm Frenzy fans, as well as newcomers to the franchise.

Casual gaming has grown to offer players more than mindless clicking. Although there is a lot of clicking involved with both these games, they combine it with a lot of fun and a need for strategy.

Since these gaming consoles were launched, they’ve been head to head in “friendly” competition. They’ve gained a loyal following from gaming enthusiasts who continually debate on which is the better gaming console.

Features of Playstation 3

Playstation 3 is the third outing of the Sony Computer Entertainment gaming console. The key features of the Playstation 3 are its multimedia capabilities, network gaming through Playstation Network, and online gaming services. Playstation 3 also using Blu-ray discs as its primary storage system.

Features of Xbox 360

On the other hand, the Xbox 360 is the 2nd version of this Microsoft gaming console. The Xbox 360 also features online gaming and network gaming possibilities. You can also get online to download game demos, play games, and watch trailers, television shows, and movies in real-time. The focal feature of the Xbox 360 is the Windows Media Center, which enables the console to do its multimedia functions.

Which is the better game console?

Initially, while the gaming feel and control of Playstation 3 were well-received, it received negative reviews for having limited playable games. This soon changed, and Playstation 3 is now widely lauded as a great follow up to PS2. The Xbox 360, on the other hand, is still crippled by a few technical problems. The console suffers from high failure rate.

Some PC games stood out in 2009. Here’s a review of some of them:

PC games review: StarCraft 2

StarCraft 2 is actually still a yet-to-be- released PC game. However, this early, it is already gaining major interests from StarCraft enthusiasts and gaming experts. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is a real-time strategy video game that emphasizes military science and war tactics. It is being developed by Activision Blizzard.

PC game review: Left for Dead 2

On the other hand, Left 4 Dead 2 is a first person shooter game developed by Valve Corporation. It was launched in November 2009. It is currently made for Xbox 360 consoles and computers running on Microsoft Windows operating system. The PC game focuses on the apocalyptic aftermath where there are only four human survivors. These survivors fight off infected humans.

Computer game review: Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age: Origins is also a popular computer game, released in November 2009 by BioWare. It is developed for Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and computers that run on Microsoft Windows operating systems. The game is based on the RPG Dungeons and Dragons.

Role-playing games are some of the most popular computer games around. They are such hits because it’s easy to get addicted to the game play of role-playing games. Here are some of the reasons why we love and are so addicted to these games:

Colorful and wonderful adventures of RPGs

Role-playing games are addicting because of the adventures you get to have playing them. With RPG, you can become anything. You can turn yourself into a ninja, a warlord, an elf, or a combative princess – practically anything you can imagine.

RPG characters you can personalize and best identify with

The personalization of the characters in role-playing games is also a great motivator to log in and play. These characters can be personalized to match your looks. Or, you can just skew things a bit and make a totally new version of yourself, just for the game.

RPG game controls that allow flexibility and fulfilling make-believes

The game controls of role-playing games are also commendable. You can set yourself to do so many things with just a flick of a finger or two. It can be so much fun and a fulfillment of your ultimate gaming fantasies.

In life, there could only be heroes and villains. We sometimes stick to one role or dabble with both. But when it comes to fighting crimes, the police will always be ready to serve and protect the common law citizens. Part of their job is to risk life to save us from harm and danger. Ultimately, they are real-life heroes of our fragile society. So can you blame some of them when they take offense in seeing themselves brutally murdered in a computer game?

We didn't hear mommies complaining after the release of "Reservoir Dogs Under Fire." Rather, this Xbox game sent a bleeping red signal among police officers in United Kingdom. Of course, they're exposed to daily crime and violence but they condemn the savagery of killing policemen as part of the game plot. To kill and torture a police officer is not a lovely sight for kids who wander about the streets, confident of the peace and order system.

The British Board of Film Classification just turned their backs on UK cops, giving the "Reservoir Dogs Under Fire" a go signal for release. Meanwhile, Australia and New Zealand countered the police violence on video game with a ban order. Still, Police Chief Tom McGhie of the West Yorkshire Police, continued to air his vehement disapproval in glorifying police execution. A movie with the same title was first released in cinemas, but surprisingly, this Xbox game version received the most publicity.

The Superman saga isn't over yet! The red cape will zoom its way to our XBox 360 screens and game consoles soon. I just wish that it won't be another superhero crap, because when Batman and Spiderman made their action adventure on video, it was so darn sloppy that even the Super Mario Brothers can overcome their extraordinary powers. It's just not enticing and believable enough to see their sissy cartoon characters with lame tricks and poor cinematic appeal. But hey, with Xbox 360, we can only expect a smashing 3D effect on screen and manipulative power of adventure.

If "Superman Returns: The Videogame" has Electronic Arts-Tiburon as a game developer, I'll bet my stakes on this one! Tiburon is behind the Madden Football games mania and I sincerely wish that the new Superman adventure will surpass its reputation. It is yet to be the greatest superhero fantasy with featured adaptation and storylines from both movie and DC Comics series. Xbox and The Man of Steel? Even kryptonite cannot destruct their powers! It's a dream come true for Superman wannabes, including me, who desperately wish to venture on a flying fantasy and save the Earth from catastrophe!

The game is expected to have less to do with Superman's infatuation with Lois Lane. Here, Superman will embark on a deadly mission to save the Metroplis from evil villains and robotic monsters. Of course, he will need a few boost of his supernatural powers like heat vision, ice breath, flight, super strength, and X-ray vision. He will look for clues and solve puzzles behind this action drama. Seeing the Xbox 360 "Superman Returns" screenshots, man, they look riveting! How would you like to lift a Washington monument and slam it against an enormous robot? At least, we no longer have Brandon Routh to taint the Superman image with gayish charm!

Boys will always be boys, that's what they say. Their raging hormones will make them all the more rowdy, active and dynamic. They can pull pranks at you or simply turn your quiet life into a rumpled mess. Boys can be too aggressive, especially when they start to unlock their virile ego approaching the teenage years. But if there's one damn thing that can always keep them hanging on their seats, with the same overflowing passion, it is an Xbox 360 computer game package. It is another way to exhaust their vim and energy. But how will you react when computer game fantasies turn to real life drama?

Computer game console can be sensational and popular among teenage boys, but never did it cross my mind that one day they can actually kill for a silly Xbox 360. Imagine how passion can turn into obsession. Given that it might be a cause of a nasty argument, it doesn't make an excuse and justify a move to murder your 6 other friends in Florida. Florida was in shock when the news of Xbox murderers hit the headlines. It is such a mindless and brutal killing. All for a moment's violent rage, perpetrators are convicted of first-degree murder in legal court.

One sweet night, five friends were sleeping over Erin Belanger's house. They were confined to serenity when three men broke in. The cranky Belanger then asked the uninvited guest to leave the house. However, Troy Victorino with Michael Salas and Herone Hunter were pissed off when Victorino refused to give back their belongings including an Xbox. Heated argument then turned into murder when intruders killed all six people, hitting them with baseball bats. The success of the conviction relied heavily on the cooperation of the fourth accomplice, Robert Cannon. The jury will decide if these men will face life imprisonment or suffer death penalty through lethal injection.

If you are blood-thirsty and hungry for some action and thrill, "The Punisher" will take you to a violent journey of vengeance and retribution. I've seen the Hollywood movie but the killing is far more sensational and brutal when it comes to the actual video game exploits. How would you like to exact your own revenge? You are in dire control! But don't worry, at least, you'll only have to ruin lives of fictional characters in a computer game habitat. It's nothing compared to the air strike plotted by the Israeli that slaughtered almost 54 Lebanese civilians. Now, that's true-to-life drama while real lives are consumed by these acts of these senseless killings. So if you worry about your son's addiction to violent video games, first think of the age-old battle of supremacy between nations. It's more alarming than you think it is. For in our hearts reside a punisher.

In PS2's "The Punisher", you assume the role of Frank Castle, a combat veteran turned vigilante. His aim is to exact revenge after his family was brutally murdered by callous criminals. It's a classic tale of a man who veers into violent rage in pursuit of justice and retribution. Castle is his own judge, jury and executioner and there's no reason why social crooks and sinisters should live in his society. He's torn between good and evil. His got the purest intention but the most devious acts. It reflects the same scenario with the long-standing war in Israel. We've seen how they've greatly suffered from loss and tragedy. All you need is to watch "The Schindler's List" and you'll feel the same pain, being deprived of dignity and respect. So long as Israelis hold on to its past grief and agony, WWII will never be vindicated by history. A twist of fate turns victims into ferocious hunters of retribution.

When I first heard of "The Punisher" as PS2 game, I thought, it will only be a senseless trash of shooting spree. I mean, how can they capture the movie drama in a bloody action game? But I was wrong. Although it is gory and messy, every action sequence and scenes will be enough to stir a punisher out of you. You'll run through a maze of basement walls and into the mansion's secret hiding places. When you run out of ammo, you'll turn every item into a dealy weapon. You can grab and burn you enemy's head to the fireplace. That's how sadistic the punisher can be! But hey at least it's the bad guys! You don't need to feel any remorse later on. There are 100 ways to kill and claim lives. You can execute your own entrapment and interrogate enemies. The dubbed voices are really good and it fuels up the drama of the lead role's character. The movie is fused into the actual game and what else can you expect from well-executed screenshots and play? I'd suggest that instead of war, everybody should release their fear, tension and agony playing this PS2 game. Who knows, this may result to peace after we let out our violent rage!

How would you like to mess up with the gods? Pretty cool, huh? In God of War, you'll assume the character of Kratos, and ex-spartan warrior, who will exact vengeance and punishment to Ares, the God of War. With his lethal chainblades, he has to unlock the mystery behind dark creatures of the Greek Mythology such as Medusa, Cyclops and the Hydra. Man, it's a huge puzzle with provocative environmental settings! If you're Kratos, how will you fight against the God of War? Get your PS2 game and put to use your vengeful tactics.

Have you been meaning to kill the three hydra boss in the God of War? I know how you feel,they're a real pain in the ass and I'm about to get them this time. First, hit them so they'll fall over but hurry up, they're stubborn to get up. On the left or right, jump on boxes before you leap on the platform that will fall and stick to little hydras' heads. This time be patient, climb up the cargo net. Get the little hydras where you can use a circle to activate miniplay and eventually knock off the pole. Push circle and pull him on the pole when he's down. Then, enter the big hydra. Look for the guy and take the key. Be careful with the cutscene. That's how you'll nail the three hydra boss down.

For the God of War, you have to unlock lots of credits so you can move fast and enjoy different levels and challenges. Here are the lock codes: to unlock credits: beat game on any difficulty; unlock eleted Levels: beat the game on any difficulty; unlock Heroic Possibilities:
beat the game on any difficulty; unlock Monsters of Myth: beat the game on any difficulty; unlock God Mode (difficulty): beat the game on any difficulty; unlock Challenge of the Gods: beat the game on any difficulty; unlock A Secret Revealed: beat the game on God Mode difficulty; unlock The Fate of the Titans: beat the game on God Mode difficulty; unlock In-Game Movies: beat the game on any difficulty; unlock Character Graveyard: beat the game on any difficulty; unlock The Birth of the Beast: beat the game on any difficulty; and to finally unlock Visions of Ancient Greece: beat the game on any difficulty.

I know too much violence is bad. But if I were to choose, I'd let out my violent rage through a computer game than to fume with anger in real life. After all, it's all just a fantasy. If I can control the game, I can also control my temper. For a violent shooting spree, Urban Chaos: Riot Response is the PS2 game for you. Man, it's gory and gruesome with 15 missions and 200 medals to unlock. If you think it's easy, the riot shields will give you a tougher time than you ever thought. The downside is the AI (artificial intelligence) is too predictable and the friendly characters could be a pain in the ass.

You assume the role of Nick Mason, an ex-marine who's a tough member of the T- Zero police unit. Your job is to eliminate lawless crimes by all means. You are ruthless and you will not condone terrorist acts. There's no place for organized crime in the city so you'll have to use full force, whatever it takes to destroy a terrorist gang called The Burners. It's a bloody war zone out there. where it's violence against violence. Your nemesis will create chaos to ruin peace and order in the city. You can blow their heads off with a shotgun, use a chain gun to smash their bodies down, or crush the entire block down. You are at liberty to use all resources available.

To get started in unlocking the cheat codes, press the following on the main menu, hit Up, Up, Down, Down, Circle, Down, Up, Circle. Then you can register the following codes: DANCINGFEET - Disco Mode; BURNERSREVENGE - Terror Mode; BURNINGBULLET - Bullets Set Fire; KEEPYOURHEAD - No Heads; ISEEYOU - Better Visibility in Smoke; WHATWASTHAT - Hi-pitched Voices; FRYINGTIME - Long Range Stungun; FRYINGTIME - Long Range Stungun; MINIFUN - Minigun (Replaces Pistol); ULTIMATEPOWER - MK3 Assault Rifle With Unlimited Grenades; ZEROTOLERANCE - MK4 Pistol; KEYTOTHECITY - Unlocks All Levels And Emergencies. The list of codes can be turned on or off.

Whenever I am bored I always have one thing in mind, and that is playing computer games. When you search the internet, you will see a lot of computer games that you can play every single day. If you want, you can play the old games for one whole week, or probably orient yourself on a variety of new games that the internet is offering. The type of games that you want to play depends on your taste and preferences. You can choose the game that you want since you have a lot of alternatives available in just a click. You just have to decide whether you play classical games like that of 1980's hit Froggle or the timeless Super Mario or play with other Xbox games.