"Dex" plays quite a bit like an old platform shooter, albeit with a lot more sophistication and adult dialogue. The world is detailed and interesting, especially for a platformer, and it has all the feel of classic cyberpunk. I wouldn't call it groundbreaking, but it doesn't feel like an attempt to break new ground so much as to tell a story. That it does well: the artwork is superb, the voicing is expressive and thorough, and the characters are sympathetic. Complaints have been voiced about the combat elements of the game. I found the combat challenging but not overwhelming. Like the Deus Ex series, this is not a game for people who want to go in guns blazing or beating the crap out of everybody. The character Dex is a relatively young woman, not Sylvester Stallone; she isn't designed to overpower her enemies. Play it accordingly and both the shooting and the hand-to-hand combat make sense. "Dex" won't be everybody's favorite--cyberpunk titles tend to be very polarizing--but it plays its strengths well and doesn't overreach.
Where on this planet one could have seen masked horses murdering people, now or in 1986, I can't say. Closest I ever came to that was getting stepped on by a horse--about the same time, come to think of it. Then there's HROT. I come out of a bunker and think "ok, lots of people have shown up and I have to fight them HOLY CRAP THAT HORSE WANTS TO KILL ME!" I could have focused on other aspects of gameplay, but other people have assessed the game well. So far in my reading, however, nobody appears to have remarked on the presence of murder horses. I felt this needed some attention.
"Mirror's Edge" is not a tough one to review, and certainly not tough to praise. It's a tightly-assembled story with superb visuals, relatable characters, and credible acting. The gameplay is excellent; Faith is by no means invincible, but with a bit of skill and judgment, she shows herself quite capable of handling things. It's possible to play most of the game at a sort of amateur level, but it's all very speedrun-friendly too. This isn't a terribly long play, and the game systems are heavily focused on action. The story could have easily been translated to a feature-length action movie. But if you're looking for a nice blend of drama and engrossing platform play with a splash of shooting, "Mirror's Edge" is a great choice.
"Sleeping Dogs" sits somewhere between the styles of Yakuza and GTA, though with more of a Breaking Bad type of atmosphere. It takes skill to pull off missions in a way that preserves the most street cred with both the cops and the criminal factions Wei Shen is trying to infiltrate. The city map is big and has enough sprawl that some fast transport to various locations is really valuable, so driving isn't just tacked on. I haven't played through the entire thing, so I can't speak to the actual story, but the premise is credible and well supported with quality acting. A real gem.
Superb racer. Anyone who played Wipeout XL in the 90's will recognize the soul of a classic here. If not, you'll still see the death-defying spirit of Grand Prix and other high-performance racing styles. The game is a blast, the car customizing feature is a nice touch, and everything about it is pretty to look at. So why did I detract a star? My wife and son and I all pummeled each other regularly on SuperTuxKart during the pandemic. We loved it, and GRIP would go right in the same slot in our family night activities if only they had bothered to work in a LAN feature. Sure, you can play on split screen, but unless you've got a really large 4K or widescreen display and a GPU capable of running it at a high frame rate (and trust me, for this game you want all the FPS you can get), split screen sucks. And forget racing with three or more. So if you're OK with solo racing or head-to-head with a pal on a split screen, this is a 5-star reco. Otherwise, I have to dock it.
The game has a few irritating flaws, but it's fraught with charm and very kid-friendly without being obnoxious. Once again the pajama-clad space gnome goes on an adventure, this time to rescue his kidnapped dog. From cracking the impenetrable fortress of the dognappers to figuring out the perfect brew to wake a lazy cabbie, the puzzles are a good blend of clever cuteness and head-scratching loonie logic.
It's cute, short, and free of charge. If you want something you can puzzle over with the family, the Samorost series is a good choice.
