Welcome to The Black List, your one stop shop for the stories published on the site this week.
MONDAY REVIEW SimCity > The first real SimCity game in a decade is an often shambolic disappointment, at least on a technical level. Server issues, broken features and lengthy loading screens are the order of the day. When everything is working more or less as intended, the strong multiplayer concepts and addictive core gameplay shine through. Who knows, this already infamous game may one day be considered an important misstep on the road to a better SimCity experience. READ MORE
TUESDAY REVIEW Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel > As the third entry in the competent yet unexciting Army of Two series, The Devils Cartel does little to improve what is a somewhat stale formula. There is nothing particularly wrong with it, but then again there is nothing particularly right either. The co-op shooting is tight, but with so many superior options on the market, this is a hard game to recommend at full price. There is fun to be had, but it’s a “2 for $50” kind of fun. READ MORE
WEDNESDAY NEWS Ubisoft exec envisions ‘always online’ future >If you endured crippling single player lag during the Diablo III launch, the idea of an always online console experience may not sound particularly enticing. If you spent an hour or two (or 10) trying to get SimCity up and running last month, you’ll probably be of a similar disposition. The broader gaming community is slowly learning something that MMO players have known for years, namely that always connected experiences come with their own set of problems and risks. READ MORE
THURSDAY JUST ANNOUNCED New Zelda, Yoshi and Mario titles > After the landslide of announcements in January and February, we suspected that Nintendo would allow the hype machine cool off for a while, at least until E3 rolled around in June. How wrong we were. The Japanese platform holder this week announced yet another batch of titles, all for its burgeoning 3DS handheld. As we’ve come to expect, Nintendo has delved into its back catalogue for inspiration. READ MORE
FRIDAY NEWS TimeGate facing $7.3m legal bill > The workers at TimeGate Studios may well be under intense pressure, but considering the ongoing drama surrounding the business, they’re very unlikely to be bored. After collaborating with Gearbox Software on Aliens: Colonial Marines, TimeGate watched on as its work was dragged through the mud by critics and consumers alike. It then faced another round of negative publicity after shedding some 25 members of staff. READ MORE
