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We've picked three more reviews at random from the web to see which sites are educating, entertaining, and worth your time. Check out a new gaming review site, an alternative way of looking at games, and a review of everyone's favorite AO title.

After wrapping up the inital installment of Review Views last week, I realized two things. One; that I definitely wanted to make a weekly feature of it, and two; that I should go into reading these reviews like the average prospective reader--meaning, henceforth, that I will only choose games that I have no experience with, depending completely on the review for information. We've got an interesting batch this week. Let's check them out!

GameTap: Madden NFL 08 (PS3, Xbox 360)

Yup, you read that right. GameTap, the classic-game buffet application for the PC, has grown into a gaming media entity. The "GameTap Read" section just opened this week with a small starter slate of reviews, previews, and features. The writers at the helm are no strangers to gaming journalism, and the site should be a review force to be reckoned with. With that in mind, I picked a tough game for any outlet to review: Madden NFL Football.

Madden is a game that doesn't change substantially over the years. The last time I played one for any great length was Madden 2001 (PS2 launch FTW), and I gather I could get back into the series without too much strain. GameTap does away with starting the review with a weak retrospective or mentioning the re-emergence of 2K's franchise--because, really, what non-gamer gives a darn?--instead providing in-action examples of the new features, and Madden gameplay in general. I'm not up to speed on the NFL (I know the dog-fighter and the one called Pac-Man that wants to be a pro wrestler), but this review manages to make me interested in reading about it. Mission accomplished, GameTap. Now just lose that sidebar about the Madden curse. Already read that in every other freaking outlet.

Action Button: Blue Dragon (Xbox 360)

New Games Journalism, if you've never heard of it, is a method of writing about games by using more esoteric methods of writing-- including personal anecdotes, references to other media, and creative analyses, according to Wikipedia. When it works, you'll find yourself seeing a game in a completely new way, believing that the medium is worthy of deeper analysis than "graphics, sound, control, overall score". When it doesn't, you've spend a half-hour reading the equivalent of a LiveJournal blog with a half-assed review peppered in between incoherent ramblings.

I've seen some pretty interesting reviews on Action Button, a NGJ review site, including one about The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess that cleverly captured everything I thought was wrong with the series. I chose to read about Blue Dragon, since it's been piquing my interest lately. I've been looking for a traditional RPG for some time, and I love games designed by Akira Toriyama (that aren't Dragon Ball Z, natch). The article's author, Tim Rogers, is one of the most prolific NGJ writers. He's written a review of Earthbound that might be the best review I've ever read. Unfortunately, this review just couldn't grab a hold of me like other Action Button reviews. While I loved finding out about the writer's long-standing tradition of reading videogame instructions over a bowl of cereal, the analysis at work and the anecdotes put forth lallygag for a bit too long. When the review finally does address the gaming elements of Blue Dragon, it presents some pretty pertinent information, but in this case, it took some perseverance to get to. I highly recommend Action Button, but not this particular review.

GamesRadar: Manhunt (Wii)

I've never read a review that filled me with regret than this one. GamesRadar has republished an exclusive review from its UK magazine affiliate of Manhunt 2 for the Wii. Had the game come out, the review wouldn't have been very noteworthy, but now that it's mired in ESRB Hell, the glowing praise heaped on the game is unbearable to read. From the start, the reviewer states "Manhunt 2 is one of the best games on Wii.", and you nary read a line that won't have you seething with rage that the game won't get a proper (read: uncensored) release. The game is hyped as the best looking, and sounding Wii game, and while those may not see serious compromise, the game's immersive violence may end up but a sliver of what it was meant to be. Fraught with forboding warnings, the review is a must-read, if only because there may never be another look at the "real" Manhunt 2.

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