Like most of Bit.Trip's catalog, this game came and went largely unnoticed. When I saw it appear on Xbox, I thought: "What happened to Runner 1?" and "Where did this bs IP even come from?" (I wasn't aware, at the time, of Bit.Trip's long-yet-unremarkable history on PC). However, I noticed that the few critics that reviewed it gave it some unexpectedly high scores and, while thoroughly in the mood for some mindless, twitchy fun, I bought it. Within an hour, it had shaken loose my once firmly rooted view that anything flying under the radar probably belongs there (even if that is still true for 95% of all sub-radar games). That's not to say it's a masterpiece deserving of a place on everyone's hard drive. But within the "runner" genre, it is the most professional, polished, enjoyable and skillfully made game of all. You will find yourself humming the music, joyously soaking up the whimsical, colorful scenery and pressing restart countless times as you strive for Perfect+ in every level along Runner2's masterfully graded difficulty curve. If you enjoy runners at all or simply want to turn your mind off and engage only your reflexes, this is the game most worthy of your time, money and attention.
"condition people to expect nothing and the least little something gets them all excited" - Jane Lane, Daria "it's better than bad, it's good" - Log ad, Ren and Stimpy Those quotes adequately explain the insane disproportion of positivity in relation to the relatively unremarkable offerings of the new Shadowrun franchise. But relativity is what makes objectivity in reviews so elusive. Shadowrun was the first taste of traditional cRPGs that most of us had sampled since the Infinity Engine was still current...or at least relevant. To many that's enough to merit a 5 star rating a glowing review. To me, the memory of Black Isle's/Bioware's living worlds inhabited by engaging, sympathetic characters; memorable plots; and writing/design that truly let you feel like you were playing a role is still too fresh to think much of Shadowrun's bare-bones world, interesting-if-not-endearing characters, and feeling that your role was that of an information-gathering machine whose only choice was the tone in which to deliver queries. Everything from the hub-and-mission style progression to the pathetic sparseness of the hub save for quest/item vendors made me perpetually aware that I was playing a game with very simple and obvious mechanics. What makes the 90s cRPGs legendary is their success at transcending their medium and giving you a personal experience in a rich, complex, fantasy world...which is why Shadowrun's relative game-y-ness and shallowness in every RPG aspect was such a disappointment. There are some for whom mechanics alone define an experience (looking at you: Icewind Dale players) and if you're such a person, you may very well find something to love in Shadowrun. If, however, you crave immersion, an engaging world and endearing characters, just play through the old classics again.
When I saw the first comparison to Planescape, I was surprised. When I saw 5 more, I nearly vomited blood. Compounded with all the 5-star reviews, I could only wonder if I played an entirely different game that also happened to be called The Cat Lady. Like 99% of people who buy this, I was attracted by the visual and thematic grittiness. Unlike 99% of people who then reviewed it, I was unimpressed after seeing that the grit was nothing more than a veneer, obscuring unconvincingly delivered acting and an utterly shallow treatment of the themes of depression and suicide, which act as little more than vehicles for plot progression rather than subjects explored in ANY depth or commented upon meaningfully. Even the plodding monotone in which the protagonist speaks screams shallowness. Depressed people aren't husks, incapable of voice modulation. The monotone should have been used where it made sense and not as a constant and incredibly tactless means of perpetuating some half-baked atmosphere. The writing was barely serviceable in some parts and immersion-breakingly full of exposition in others. Susan's evolution as a character is definitely told and not shown, making changes feel forced and unexpected. Showing without telling is one of the top things that distinguishes good writing from bad. The puzzles were, for the most part, so straight forward, they may as well have prompted you to "click around on the screen while we artificially and meaninglessly extend your play time". The art style was reminiscent of that found in Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. The individual pieces were, for the most part, well done, but often assembled somewhat thoughtlessly. Clearly the majority is content to just be fed "dark subject matter" even if it's at the most superficial level. If you're looking for some depth, there isn't any to plumb here.
