You would not expect a such a simple modern game to be much good, but it really is. What the game lacks in enemies or even challenge, it makes up for in visual style and a truly unique exploration mechanic you will likely not find anywhere else. This game will wow you while playing and stay just long enough to enjoy what you are doing. If you are looking for something different, especially as a quick break between other titles, you would do very well giving this a try.
I REALLY wish I could be nicer to this game. There is serious greatness here that a lot of people would love to enjoy. The problem is it’s buried under a terrible port reworked so that it at least runs without crashing in some ridiculously crude ways (like the frame cap) and a whole lot of boring between missions as you are forced to earn the right to play what is supposed to be the main point of the entire game. That design choice, even if you get past the technical issues, is simply baffling and outright ruins the game. I wanted to like this game, but I wound up only liking a part of it, and bored with the rest.
This is one of those games I REALLY wanted to like. Like many kids of the 90s, I loved the crazyness of the original title back in the day. I wanted this to succeed and bring back that insanity. But that insanity was ironically only really possible because of the limits in the engine of that game. Platforming was there, but it worked because there was no jump button and all "floors" had to be built with sprites, requiring it to be much more simple just due to these limitations. It just wasn't going to work without them. And to try to turn up the volume on it just made those differences all the more glaring. This game is a mess, plain and simple. I salute the attempt, but I recommend you just move on to something else.
This is a game that definitely has an audience that should pick up a controller and play. It is a title that emphasizes platforming exploration and related platforming puzzles before all else and does so very well. It even does so with a strong vision, atmosphere, and world to apply it all to, making for a really great package to play. However, it also does so at the sacrifice of just about everything else, resorting to flash scenes between sections of the game to explain why you are even there in the first place and there is almost no threats to keep you on your toes at any point during your adventure. The result is a very relaxing game which, provided you are not looking for some serious action or monsters to blow up, you will likely be able to sit back on the couch and enjoy. But this is also a relatively brief game, as I finished it in about 6 hours taking my time with it. It is actually a great length of time for the game itself, as everything stays long enough to keep interesting, but not overstay it's welcome. But as a total package, it seems a bit steep for the asking price of $30. I would say if you like exploring and finding new ways to find your way around an environment, its worth getting, but get it on sale if you can just due to the length.
Really good storytelling, great ambiance, and great puzzles combined with good physics and tight controls and you have a great game here. Bonus points for being a solid step up from it's solid predecessor and this is not a game to miss. Enjoy!
Q.U.B.E. is a very solid puzzle game, but aside from it’s stark design and use of cubes to make up just about everything, it really doesn’t do anything to stand out on it’s own. It’s basically a portal clone using on/off switches instead of portals without a GlaDOS or turrets to add character to the game. Is it good? Yes… but I can definitely point to better both in style and in challenge, depending on where you want that bar to slide.
Psychonauts is an absolute gem of a game. It's brilliant, creative as hell, and will make you smile just about every time you start it up. But at the same time, it is riddled with moments that are confusing and need to be better communicated to the player. It is clear the team at this point came from a background of games where trial and error was not only entertaining, but encouraged by entertaining the player with what happened cause they chose wrong (aka point & click games). And as such, they didn't always get how to teach mechanics in an action-based platformer. Add to this a last level that simply lives nowhere near the quality of the rest of the game and you just can't ignore that this gem is flawed.
P.O.L.L.E.N. is a very interesting title which can definitely keep the player engaged. While at it’s core it is a walking-sim title, it has the right balance of intrigue, mystery, and even a dash of creepiness to keep you wanting to see just what it’s all about. Simply put, if that description appeals to you, you will enjoy the trip. Sadly, however, it is very short and very much a one trick pony. Once you’ve seen your way to the end, there is literally zero reason to go back and play again. As such, I would recommend the title if, again, that description strikes you as interesting, it would be worth your time to pick it up on sale or when it drops in price, but you might well want to wait till then. If, however, you need action in your gaming diet, stay the hell away. To put it bluntly, this game was not made for you.
Before we begin, we have another title where I have a hard time calling it a game. There is literally nothing for you to do as the gamer. Your roll is to simply observe what the experience wishes to show you. And in this case, I have to commend them for knowing their limits. It's there just long enough to entertain you before rolling credits and leaving you to go about your day. Sadly though, it did not bring all that much to the table. If you like horror, you will enjoy it, but you will be glad it's over when it's over.
This game hits so right on so many levels. It is a game for those who like a dark sense of humor and lives off the dream of unleashing the hoards on your enemies with just the right amount of puzzle solving involving those same hoards. In short, this is an awesome game that all who dream of unleashing evil (admittedly in darkly adorable form of goblins who love “sheepies”) at their command should take some time with.
