A lot of gamers have fond recollection of the original Butcher Bay game-myself among them, and for a time it would have seemed that one Riddick game was our lot, no matter how much of a sleeper hit it had been - but in 2009 we were treated to a reprisal from the cult anti-hero in Dark Athena. What was surprising to me was the level of apathy the game produced upon review because of the similarity to the original. What was praise in 2004 was seen as far too samey in 2009, and in 2015 as I type, little has changed. This is, at the core, a worthwhile stealth game, with expanded FPS elements. It can be cute, sometimes clever and has charisma for days, but more often than not, there will be little buggy moments where the camera is just a little too rigid to be useful, or the darkness is too completely dark as to be a black screen and these moments take away from the momentary enjoyment if not the overall theme. That theme is its biggest strength, in my opinion. This is a Riddick Game, and it flows from every pore and takedown. The atmosphere is spot on, the monologue overlay is faithful, precise and timely. Let's be honest, if you're investigating the game, odds are high that you are already a Riddick universe fan and that appreciation for the source material or even the previous game soften criticism of an acceptable game into a hidden gem. It is only a shame that it wasn't packaged as juicily as the first game with a director's commentary-but that is a pet peeve rather than a worthy commentary on the game itself. This is a nice title that I can easily recommend, but certainly on sale over full price, and it offers an ambient, atmospheric diversion that won't outstay its welcome.
Most people looking to an Icewind Dale review are probably already familiar with the RPG engine used in Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II-if not, don't consider this game until you've tried the superior original series! With that said, Icewind Dale is a solid RPG, with the emphasis on the battle rather than the plot. Your part is really just you-not a collection of NPC plot devices-there is no intra-personal relationships like in BG, but the engine & formula is otherwise identical. The graphics have aged quite well, and the combat system is still quite accessible and slick-though as mentioned, BG is a better learning curve altogether. What stands out to me is the sheer playability and grand score-a game well worth a look or two, and surprisingly, vastly superior to it's own sequel.
This is simply a wonderful and superbly wrapped simple platformer! The premise of the game is a medieval/fantasy style 2d adventure using a clever pseudo 3d effect to enhance the visual gameplay. It is a solid game in its own right, with small touches of humour and more than a polite nod to Mario and even Ghosts and Goblins at times. The movement of the background is particularly impressive, as it layers and wraps in on itself as the level progresses, so that you often see where your chosen hero is headed well before they reach it. This gives a false sense of a third dimension when in fact, you are tied to a horizontal plane. The two characters are diverse enough to offer replayability on each level, and their different abilities and skills do make for quite different approaches-Fargus is slower but has range, while Nikki is lighter but prone to unseen hazards as a result of the faster gameplay. Overall, this a very cheerful, fun game - not too difficult by any stretch, but worthwhile. Thoroughly recommended! S.
This is a game stuck in memory as my first PS1 let down. Back in the early days of Playstation, just about that time in my life when games were still bought FOR me (and as a result were a serious, serious investment of money)-I ended up asking for, and getting this disappointment. I remember the hype. I remember the previews. I even had accepted the graphics as decent for the time. What I also remember was the hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach as I realised that I'd busted this year's gift budget on a simply terribly implemented game! Why do I still wear rose-tinted glasses for it then? To be honest, I just don't know-all these years on, I still want it to be better! Ok, the review proper- gameplay is pretty chunky-characters are not quite tanks, but they lack finesse and moreover, don't stop when you need them to. The learning curve is out the window tough-I thought it was hard back in the day-today it is not easier at all. The enemies are cheap and your reaction speed and hitbox is ridiculous! Sound is-not really present to be poor. The game has promise-even if the story is shallow, it is based on rich source material-it had all the potential of being a great title, but fell almost at the first hurdle. I still think you should experience the game just once-just to see what can go wrong and how easy other dungeon hack n' slashers are compared to this-but definitely wait for a very good sale!
