Latest Reviews
Let’s just get this out of the way: Mind Zero is a blatant knock-off of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona with a bit of Etrian Odyssey mixed in. Luckily for us, and developer MindDiv, those are both good games. Even though I uncovered few traces of originality in Mind Zero’s depths,...
While obviously not meant for a broad, easily discouraged audience, 1001 Spikes' elegantly devious level design and endless string of "oh, so close!" deaths help it succeed at what it sets out to do: deliver a nightmarish degree of challenge while remaining just fun and interesting enough to keep beleaguered...
There are some great concepts in Murdered: Soul Suspect, but they feel undercooked or underutilised, and the lack of demand for any real input from us makes Murdered feel like a pick-a-path game where there’s only one path. It scrapes by on the power of its central whodunnit mystery, but...
Tropico 5
There is a lot that I like about Tropico 5, and it will probably hold my interest far longer than Tropico 4 did. But at the same time, it's rough edges are a continual annoyance. The larger issue is that while Tropico 5 definitely introduces some new challenges and ideas,...
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II represents a considerable improvement over its predecessor, although its focus consists primarily of augmenting the core action RPG experience rather than changing it. Balance issues and multiplayer bugs remain, but there's enough variety found in its tower defense scenarios and three classes to...
The Wolf Among Us Episode 4: In Sheep’s Clothing still features Telltale’s strong writing, but is ultimately my least favorite chapter of the series so far. The lack of meaningful choices and scant story progression make Episode 4 feel unimportant in the grand scheme of things. But despite this bump...
Watch Dogs
One-button hacking might be overly simplistic, but it does give you abilities that make playing through Aiden’s story feel powerful and fun. Doing side missions and multiplayer as you make your way through the dark and lengthy story makes it feel like a huge adventure, and stealth options let you...
While Electro's role is superfluous, Amazing Spider-Man #2 offers plenty of fun and drama for Peter Parker.
Transistor’s the kind of game that made me immediately jump back in to take on New Game Plus. I wanted to continue exploring the excellent combat in new, more challenging scenarios. I wanted to double back on the areas that I’d missed the first time through, and try to fill...
Wolfenstein: The New Order is the melding of your typical, everyday shooter with quality writing and a cast of believable and relatable characters. Machinegames' more grounded treatment of the often way over-the-top alternate Nazi history is also a nice touch, and while The New Order is in no way, shape,...
Drakengard 3
I did everything I could to overlook Drakengard 3’s shoddy graphics, repetitive gameplay, poor controls, and shallow characters. Alas, this RPG is its own worst enemy. Everything about it feels underdeveloped and cobbled together. If there’s ever another Drakengard, I hope the developers do it justice and invest in smoother...
I enjoyed playing Super Time Force. It was refreshing to experience something truly different, even in the well-worn territory of the old-school. I was especially impressed by its dedication to its strange and novel mechanic, one that makes it so much more than yet another retro-inspired side-scroller. Still, Super Time Force's...
