Contributor: Bob Hoose

After spending more than two decades touring, directing, writing and producing for Christian theater and radio (most recently for Adventures in Odyssey, which he still contributes to), Bob joined the Plugged In staff to help us focus more heavily on video games. He is also one of our primary movie reviewers.

Fable II

I walk into town, trusty dog at my side, looking to replenish supplies and maybe pick up a better ax. (The one I have just doesn’t seem to cleave Hobbes and Banshees the way it used to.) But the moment the townsfolk catch sight of me they all run away …

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PC

The personal computer is potentially the most expensive gaming console available. Gaming on the PC is a red-hot trend, with Internet gamers numbering in the millions. Gaming with a personal computer is a different experience than any of the console sys …

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Gran Turismo 5: Prologue

There are three kinds of people in the world: dog lovers, cat lovers and car lovers. And in the latter group, there are those who, more often than they’ll admit, find themselves stuck like a Garfield doll to a high-end automobile showroom window, sighi …

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Poms

The Hollywood caricature of what it takes to be old and “cool” diminishes the upbeat message this film wants to send.

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Pokémon Detective Pikachu

The movie’s wonderfully rendered Pokémon will have young fans of the franchise (mostly) oohing and awing.

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Wolfenstein

Two things have perpetually stayed the same as the Wolfenstein franchise fast approaches the age of 30: The dreaded Nazis are always up to no good. And the heroic one-man army B.J. Blazkowicz is ever diligent to foil their malevolent schemes.

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Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend

Lara Croft began strutting her stuff back in 1996 when a small British company set the gaming world back on its heels with the first Tomb Raider game. They had created an “in-your-face” female character whose edgy attitude was matched only by her athle …

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UglyDolls

Like the pink, purpose-driven hero at its core, this movie’s heart is warm, fuzzy and endearing.

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Pirates of the Burning Sea

The “van Hoorn” Snow is a serviceable ship. She can hold her own in any waters, especially when her crew stands hale and hearty. But this day an ill wind blows and a pair of 22-Gun Corsairs are cutting us apart, plank from beam. “Come about and feed ‘e …

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Age of Empires: Mythologies

When first hearing the title Age of Empires: Mythologies, it would be reasonable to expect that this video game is all about building majestic kingdoms or exploring, in-depth, the storylines of ancient myths. But in reality this is a sphinx of a differ …

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Tomb Raider: Underworld

What Indiana Jones did for map-in-one-hand-gun-in-the-other cinema, Lara Croft has done for video games. They’re really very similar iconic figures when you think about it. Except that Lara never gets older than twentysomething and, well, Indiana never …

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Resident Evil 5

When Resident Evil made its U.S. debut on the PlayStation in the mid ’90s, it raised an unexpectedly eerie head and launched a brand-new genre called “survival horror.” It was primarily an action/shooter game with a few twists—lumbering horror movie-st …

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Professor Layton and the Curious Village

Have you ever daydreamed of visiting a picturesque French village filled with quirky locals? Wandering the cobblestone streets enjoying a loaf of bread, a chunk of cheese and, say, a bunch of brainteasers? If so, then the riddle-devising crew at Level …

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Imperator: Rome

There’s a lot of strategy to be employed in this empire-building game. Maybe too much.

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Civilization Revolution

If you’re one of those people who always wants to pull out the Risk game whenever friends or family are looking for something fun to do—or you just look forward to dressy occasions because your Napoleon hat makes you look so tall and commanding—then I …

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