I dig this game a lot. Realistically though, this game is probably just okay. Desert Child is part walking simulator, part sound track sampler, part racing game. The game takes place in a post earth solar system. You play a lowly hoverbike racer trying to make it to the big race...ON MARS! You work your way up race by race, noodle bowl by McNoodle bowl, and the occasional five finger discount. The races are fun and zippy and I really the look of the hoverbikes. The walking simulator portion of the game was not my bag; however, it allows for you to settle into the ambience of the area you are staying in when you are not racing. (I am a fast walker, pls let me fast walk) My greatest complaint: Desert Child was too short. I want more. I want to explore the filthy under belly of old Earth's hoverbike racing scene. I want to give corporate racing a run for it's money and show them to be just as dirty as the gangsters. I want to race on the remnants of the moon. I wanna get caught by the cops and make a jail break escaping with a cop's hoverbike. I want more bikes, more parts, more cities to explore, more lore, more hoverbike races, more variety of objectives and more God-damn beans! I hope somebody collaborates with the Devs to make a full and more flushed out game out of this. I am into the vibe of this game. I got my fingers crossed. Father Ted is indeed a great show, 6.5/10
In Invisible inc you play as agents of a recently defunct spy agency that is attempting to survive.... Kind of like in Archer but, not employed by hapless degenerates. If you are new to Klei, this company takes an established genre polishes it and adds its own flavour to a game. I would say that: Klei games lack high level complexity, but are entertaining to play. I have got to hand it to Klei for being consistent with their art style and high visual quality of their games. I have played the Shank series and Mark of the Ninja and have not been disappointed in Klei's iterations of beat-em-up and stealth genres. This turn based strategy rewards, stealth, non-lethal take downs and punctuality. Unlike Shadowrun, an agent of Invisible Inc can't light the place up, blow the smoke off his pistol, and call it a day. All guards are equipped with heart monitors that alert a central security system of any deceased personnel -- you can't shoot away all your problems but you can taze them to your satisfaction. It is the fine art of sneakery that will allow you to obtain your goal. Remember, you are on the clock. If you spend too much time on a mission, you will be met with nosey well-armed reinforcements. A few features of this game make it extra entertaining for me. The first is this tone of the game: there is a real sense of urgency and desperation to survive when you play that adds to the excitement of the game play. Second, are the random maps which keep the game from getting too stale. Lastly, is the incremental challenge that is placed in each level; I like how sometimes I win just by the skin of my teeth. 7/10
It may be a neat idea to amalgamate a variety of RPG styles throughout video game history, I don't think Evoland2 [EV] pulls it off. The nature of the game leaves it open to two main flaws which in my opinion are not well handled. 1)Jack of all trades master of none: [EV]'s selling point was an adventure though RPG gaming styles the sheer number of which are to be commended; unfortunately, none of them are done very well. Each era looks and plays like a cheap knock off. It is difficult to do precise movements which makes even basic jumping puzzles loathsome. Characters move at a snails pace. Hit boxes are iffy which make the ARPG elements of EV frustrating. The inventory system is overly simplistic, meaning there is no real equipment optimization at all for yourself or your party members. The natural consequence of the bare bones inventory system is that there is barely an in game economy to speak of. There is gold all over the place, there is just nothing to spend it on. One of the more unfortunate features of the game is that you have limited access to your party members which act more as spells than playable characters. Your party members are unironic unidimensional plot devices; which brings me to the second flaw. 2)Non-immersive story: The game never misses an opportunity discuss its every changing nostalgic RPG game play instead of letting the features stand on their own: EV story suffers from not taking itself seriously. Your own character barely speaks. Some games will reveal the main character's personality through a back story or place emphasis on the meaning of his actions --Not in EV. The story is revealed chiefly by bland in game events and the vapid dialogue of your party members. Surprisingly, EV will attempt to handle topics like meaning of true friendship and the obliteration of a people with an aloof attitude and numerous 4th wall breaks. It is impossible to get into the story when the characters themselves act as if their world is a joke.
Valfaris is a video game. It is not art aping as a video game, it is not an unpublished novel pretending at being a video game, nor is it Pravda wearing the flayed skin of a video game. Valfaris is a video game, as it should be. In this 2D platformer, our laconic protagonist returns to his home to vanquish the evil that has infested it and quest for the truth. This noble mission is accompanied by one the best soundtracks to a video game that I have ever heard. The pixilation excellently done but it falls flat only because this animation style has become ubiquitous with indie games. I find the controls a bit stiff but after acclimatizing, this game plays smoothly and is consistent in its platforming and hitbox detection. I find the difficulty level quite manageable and most importantly this game is fun. I highly recommend you get it. The Steel Mantis and Big Sugar crew nailed this. 10/10
I get it. I do. And maybe that's why I should put it down.
FPS is not my go to genre. I find the genre a bit bland and I am terrible at them so, take my review with a bit of salt. I was recommended the Metro series and was told to start here. I like the game. Personally, I can't distinguish Metro Light's game play from other shooters save for a few aesthetic differences to the display screen. I liked the weapon selection and the gun upgrade system. The game play is fun and unfortunately a little repetitive in that you: enter an area, interact with an MacGuffin, and then wait for the bullet storm to ensue. But, this repetitive nature could be in part because of my lack of FPS proficiency; I was never quite able to pull off completing missions with stealth. I still had a great time playing. I enjoyed the music and the accents. Overall, what I really enjoyed was the atmosphere and the story. Don't get me wrong it is a video game story but, it was still pretty good. If you don't mind older games, wait for a sale and pick it up! "Now that is a tasty burger!" /10
This is one of my favorite games. Sleeping Dogs [SD] fits neatly into the third person action adventure genre seen in, Grand Theft Auto, Red Dead, or Infamous. What makes SD shine is the setting. Hong Kong [HK] has a cinematic history of action movies. SD take full advantage of this and integrates the 1970's HK action flicks, coupled with a 2000's depiction of HK and put them into one game. For around five dollars you can immerse yourself in an ~20 hours of excellent action packed story telling, street food, fashion, and fast cars. If your are willing to over look the age of the game and how that shows in the game's handling and graphics, I don't expect you to be disappointed. (Review of PS3 version with 16 hours of game play)
There is a tangible upgrade in the smoothness of play and graphics from the first installment of The Force Unleashed. However, there is nothing to captivate the imagination. The foundation of this game is an insultingly shallow story arch with completely static characters. Which dove tails with a lack of creativity in employing the mechanics of this game. Shock and awe are the only methods of problem solving and, since Star Killer has single handedly taken down a star destroyer in the previous episode, there is really no topping that. The list of enemies, situations and levels to play are severely truncated. You will find yourself repeatedly fighting the same battles, in the same places, running in circles, going nowhere with no one interesting. Add a few fan service appearances by well known characters, a flaccid appearance of Lord Vader, and here my friends is how you make a sequel. A frozen in the middle veggie burger, with a soggy GF bun served on a dirty plate/10
This game just got worse & worse to play; by the end I hated it. A few reasons... Leveling up: In general, combat earns squat XP. That being said you will gain a few levels from all the running back and forth from town to forest. There are 3 major skill trees & 1 minor skill tree. There are a total of 51 skills & each skill can be leveled up 2 times; for a total of 102. Your max level is 35 which leaves you with 34 talents to populate your skill tree. By the end of the game Geralt only can achieve a 33% in Witchermanship. And MAN do you ever feel it. On a vanilla run Geralt is exquisitely remedial at his profession. Expect to die. A lot. There is little narrative reason for this. Geralt in bread, borne, trained, and neutered for the job of monster hunting. There is simply no good reason for him to suck so loudly. The Economy: Not only will Geralt be forced to be an incompetent Witcher throughout the events of The Witcher 2 but, he will be broke as joke. Witcher 2 sports a savage sell back ratio of 1 to 24. Back in an era where a person could expect to only be able to afford one new set of clothes in his life time, Geralt can sell a sack of magical swords for roughly 20 Orens. Which isn’t enough for him to buy a pair of gloves. The first Witcher had a sell back ratio of 1 to 5 which is much more manageable. As with experience, money will come almost exclusively from quests. Combat earns you next to nothing. The easiest way to raise money I found was to arm wrestle. (If that isn’t a euphemism, I don’t know what is) Inventory: Geralt cannot haul more than 250 lb of crap. Which is strange because Witchers need a wide assortment of crap to witch. Perhaps there is some sort of “bag o’ holding” Geralt could employ? NO. Some spell that could help? NO. Perhaps Geralt could hire a mule? NO. But a transdimentional chest that is present in one location per chapter? Brilliant, YES. I just touched on the basics of why this game is awful. Refrigerated Gas Station Burger/10
This game is a hack n' slash with a Star Wars skin and a colour palate circa 'Who Wants To Be A Millionaire". I was extremely hesitant on making this purchase based on the more reviews about this game being a bad port. And, they are not wrong this is a laughably BAD port. I played this game on the PSP and PS3 and do not remember the game being this janky. Likewise, the keyboard controls are painfully bad; but SWFU plays decently with a controller. The story snuggles in fairly well with old cannon, it's fun, and best of all it is light on the SocJus agitprop. With a little love, this game could be most excellent. SWFU on sale and with a little forgiveness, isn't half bad. Ball Park Burger/10
