10 Second Ninja X is a short platformer that is fast paced from the moment it begins, and it never really stops. With the interesting game mechanic of clearing a stage in ten seconds, the difficulty is increased by achieving the required stars to open up more stages. While it is a clean platformer in terms of fine-tuning the mechanics, it is a frustrating one that seeks to appeal to the platforming purists hungry for a hardcore time sink. The hours will fly by as the ninja dashes across countless stages; however, because of the difficulty, it's a tough sell for casual gamers or those not well versed with chaotic platformers.
With lots of references to pop-culture, this parody of an alien invasion contains all the jokes and humour that one would expect from a Mars Attacks! clone, and Destroy All Humans! does not disappoint. However, the humour cannot atone for the poor gameplay mechanics on foot that feel clunky and outdated, though the saucer sequences do save it somewhat. There's a real lack of variety with the missions, with most repeating themselves constantly with different enemies. The few stealth missions are really fun, but they aren't used to their fullest potential, while the HoloBob can be cumbersome at times due to how easy it is to have Crypto's cover blown by the always watching Majestic. For fans wanting to relive the classic, Destroy All Humans! is worth a purchase. However, for newcomers wanting an alien invasion title, this may not be enough to satisfy those otherworldly desires.
Aragami is a fantastic display of being a ninja, with throwbacks to the gameplay mechanics of the Tenchu series. Incorporating the Shadow abilities that enable Aragami to teleport to a shadow, while also having the power to create his own shadows, makes this a fresh experience in the arts of stealth-combat. With thirteen open-world stages to traverse, this game is a time-sink in terms of longevity, with hidden scrolls that open up new pathways to advanced abilities. With an interesting art style that contrasts the ninja with everyone else, this is a story of two opposing sides of “Dark vs Light,” with the dark taking centre stage in terms of gameplay. Though it is light in the combat side of things, those looking for a pure stealth-based ninja game will find plenty here to enjoy and salivate over.
Manual Samuel sounded great on paper, with the weird and wacky control scheme promising a tonne of potential for some fun gameplay elements. Unfortunately, the misses really drag down the overall tone. From the unresponsiveness of some button presses, to the cumbersome deaths caused by forgetting to breathe out while trying to control a manual car, to the humour-filled moments that seem to forget the humour - it just seems like a frustrating experience from beginning to end. The story is also weird, with each character playing a caricature of a usual stereotype found in other stories, but they do not seem to come together well at all. The only thing that does flow from scene to scene is the aggravating control scheme, coupled with the equally as annoying characters, and, as such, Manual Samuel is a tough game to sell.
Mordheim: City of the Damned is a tough game to get into at first. It is a daunting experience from the moment the game is turned on and the tutorials are attempted, but the mechanics are better off learned during the heat of battle. Trial and error will eventually get the ball rolling in terms of finally being able to win missions, but it does take a lot of losing early on to finally get into the swing of things. With not much of a story to keep newcomers interested, and its poorly laid out user interface, it is the rinse and repeat process of building a team of fighters and levelling them up across campaigns that is the real selling point. This is not a pick-up-and-play title, and it requires many hours of dedication before it starts to become a fun experience. Again, though, persistence is the key to cracking this beast of a game, and though it does deliver on its sense of accomplishment, it takes a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get there.
Marvel's Women of Power pack sees Zen Studios dip into the well of licensed properties, and bringing to life some of the lesser-known female super heroes in the Marvel comics franchises. The audio serves a great purpose in giving these characters some personality that would be enjoyed by newcomers to this Marvel property. The A-Force table is the easier of the two due to its openness; however, both tables are ultimately great additions to the ever growing Zen Pinball family. The comic art style used further embellishes a pack that Zen Studios has put as much tender loving care into as any of their previous packs.
RIVE is a fantastic shoot 'em up game that will push the limits of patience and fortitude. Roughshot, the main character who traverses the stages in a spider tank, dies a lot. Because of this, certain battles may take up to or over thirty minutes of constant dying and trying again before the moment of victory comes. It is extremely satisfying when these moments occur, but it can be hard to be persistent when the game can feel like it is unfair at times.
Disney Magical World 2 on Nintendo 3DS is a fantastic game aimed at a younger demographic who would appreciate the work put into bringing each of the worlds to life. There is no greater thrill than interacting with the characters from some of Disney's greatest properties, and assisting them in defeating the evil ghosts is an enticing prospect. Decorating their own house with furnishings while running a café, while crafting new costumes to wear and planting seeds to grow new crops in the Hundred Acre Wood are just some of the ways that the game can be played. With lots to do, and daily missions that are constantly changing, this is one game that is sure to be a favourite for quite some time.
The main gripe with The Bunker is the limitations with the gameplay. There are no puzzles to be solved, and it is a linear experience where the interaction stems from opening the doors and picking up the key items in order to progress the movie. However, beyond that is a wonderful acting performance by Adam Brown, Sarah Greene, Grahame Fox and the rest of the cast that inhabit the world below in the dark and quiet bunker. Full of mystery and intrigue, this is a remarkable effort at an interactive movie, which works well enough for another attempt at creating a live action video game. This is a gripping movie, and although short, fans of the horror genre looking for something different need to check this out and experience the unforgettable tale of John in The Bunker.
The haunting music serves as a grimy backdrop to what is otherwise a very beautiful-looking game. Each stage is a perfect illustration on the sources they are based on in Norse mythology, with splendid vistas that are equally as impressive. While the gameplay and stages can be slow going at times, or downright frustrating due to constant backtracking in order to discover all the secrets in every stage, the fights against the five Jotuns are the true meat of this game. Jotun: Valhalla Edition contains a Boss Rush mode at the completion of the adventure, which allows for a greater challenge at defeating these bosses, while Thora's journey to reach Valhalla is a satisfying one thanks to a strong acting performance given by Viking warrior.
Dex is a fun and simple open-world RPG with a plethora of missions (both main and secondary), to get invested in. The characters introduced are done well thanks to the voice acting, which, combined with the artistic style of the "industrial" setting, helps set Harbor Prime apart from other cyberpunk titles. Though the story and the game world are inspired by other classic sci-fi's that do not seem original, there is enough soul here to actually warrant it a play-through. The poor combat and unfortunate glitches show the real flaws underlying what is otherwise a wonderful game; one that has shown enough to give hopes for a more refined sequel.
Hue is a visually beautiful title that begins with dreary music, as the greyscale world hints at hiding a lot of dread. However, before too long, the haunting environments become a crescendo of colour. While the story is simple and not all that important to the overall scheme of things, it is the gameplay mechanic of changing the background colour to bypass obstacles, or make new landscapes and blocks appear, that is at the forefront of what Hue has to offer. Clever stage designs get progressively harder as more colours are unlocked, and they constantly keep Hue on his toes, as he has to discover new methods of approach to each new puzzle. If there is any game that needs to be checked out, please make it this one.
Lost Sea had an interesting premise from the get go, with its use of procedurally generated stages and the quest of finding the tablets in order to escape the Bermuda Triangle. However, the randomly generated stages seem there only due to constant necessity to replay levels because of the inability to save the progress. While this may have been aimed at increasing the replay value of the game, after a few hours of play, it still feels like little to no progress had been made. This is a cause for many infuriating moments and seriously detracts from an otherwise clean and simple game with a lot of potential.
Armikrog looks amazing, with the stop-motion claymation performed to perfection. However, that is as good as it gets, with clunky gameplay mechanics and the significant glitches found that are the true enemy for Tommynaut and Beak-Beak. This is the equivalent to being thrown into the deep end of a swimming pool without learning how to swim, and then trying to select the nearby life ring, only to discover that only the dog can select that option for some illogical reason. Armikrog feels like an unfinished game that was rushed out the door, with any form of character progression or story left on the cutting room floor. While it was created with good intentions behind it, Armikrog only serves as a sad reminder of just how great The Neverhood truly was, and that it may never be successfully replicated.
Type:Rider is an enjoyable 2D experience through the history and advent of typography. By combining the haunting and dreary visuals with captivating and clever stage designs, this is a game worth checking out. While not a long game, it can be quickly completed while still providing quite a challenge in terms of puzzle solving. If learning about typography doesn't sound immediately interesting, Type:Rider has surely made it an amusing way to learn and there are some memorable stages that make replaying it for the time trials fun.
It is incredibly difficult to find a fault with Odin Sphere Leifthrasir, and as it can probably be gauged by the length of this review, there is so much to do in this game.
However minor the various issues may seem, LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a worthy addition to the LEGO Star Wars videogame franchise. Even though the gameplay mechanic feels a little bit dated, and is still susceptible to a plethora of mechanical glitches and rough controls, this latest adventure is a refreshing take on the ever-expanding galaxy that is Star Wars. With new locations and characters taken from the movie itself, with a booming soundtrack to back it up and plenty of humour thrown in, this LEGO adventure is a must-buy for any fans of either LEGO or Star Wars, and is definitely one that should be experienced with another player, if possible.
Toy Soldiers: War Chest - Hall of Fame Edition is a fun way of combining toy combat with varied and uniquely colourful armies. While the design of various maps is generic, the core mechanics of the game are enough to be engaging for a short time. However, once the campaign is completed, there is little need to go back and play as the other armies, due to their lack of diversity. While the action can be frenetic and heart pounding in some exciting moments, the game-crashing bugs, the extreme load times, and the constant shoving down the throat of signing up to Uplay, puts an ugly stain on what would have otherwise been a really fun game to play. Contrary to what this is called, this latest entry in the Toy Soldiers franchise does not feel like a "Hall of Fame" at all.
Trans-Galactic Tournament is by no means an outstanding MOBA. Some may loath the simplicity of the game and the lack of character building that they may be used to. However, the simplicity has the potential to lure new players into the way of MOBAs. It is a great starting point for newcomers, with a massive array of characters to play as. Conversely, therein lies the major issue: fans of the genre will gain nothing by trying out this title, as it does not add anything new to the scene. Trans-Galactic Tournament is a simplification of what already existing titles do better.
Yasai Ninja is an undercooked mess of a dish, with ideas that weren't implemented well. The entire game seemed to be against the player, from the colour palette and fighting style, right down to the annoying camera and silly AI partner. Nothing seemed to work as it should, and even the characters played as if they were being held down by weights, resulting in their sluggishness. The response time between the button press, and the resulting action was atrocious, and the story was so generic that there was no motivation to continue playing just to see how it would pan out. This title had gotten one thing right, however: the onion will make the tears pour, but for all the wrong reasons.