Evan Schwab
When I look back at my pained time with Homefront: The Revolution, I can't help but shudder. I feel dirty even suggesting this game wasted its own potential; I can't be certain potential was lurking behind this shoddy façade to begin with. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever played a game as unpolished and trashy as Homefront: The Revolution.
If I could remove the poorly executed boss battles from the story mode, Devil's Third could have been a passable, albeit paltry, game. And while the multiplayer doesn't offer anything new and isn't overly populated, it can be fun for additional hours of gameplay. Your best bet is to wait for the game to fall in price before picking it up.
As a game, Zenith functions just enough to play. Its sloppy controls and buggy mechanics coupled with its sound issues and childish dialogue leave what little hope the story had to offer lost.
Tom vs. the Armies of Hell is a jumble of failed and successful attempts at a game. For $12.99, the price seems a little steep for the myriad problems I ran across. The difficulty and alleged skill involved in completing this game may be worth it for some who enjoy a hard time, and there is an easy mode for those who just want to experience the entertaining story.
My time spent with Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor wasn’t always spectacular, and I often found myself not wanting to continue in my quest to un-curse myself and escape the daily redundancies of being a spaceport janitor.
The gameplay itself is fun if a bit uninspired. The narrative stumbles from the starting blocks until the finish line, finding itself in more embarrassing scenarios as it progresses. With mission lengths falling terribly short and being the very definition of redundant, there isn’t much value to be had outside of the gameplay. It’s a sad cycle to see the Hyperdimension series fall into; it has officially become what it set out to satirize.
For $19.99, the HD Remaster of Resident Evil 5 is probably worth your money. The game comes with all released DLC and game modes, so the value of gameplay per dollar is pretty nice. Resident Evil 5 isn’t a terrible game by any stretch, but time could be spent doing any number of other things, including purchasing/playing a game that you actually enjoy.
Among the Sleep is a very short experience that thrives on its ability to craft an interesting narrative while not needing to burden the scenario with words. Like a piece of art, Among the Sleep should be examined and thought about.
Casting all of the positives aside, however, Gurumin 3D suffers from near game breaking technical issues — including the eye-bogging 3D function that nearly defeats its own purpose. The story of Parin is probably better played on Steam or, if you still have it handy, your PSP. While the whole experience is present and able to be enjoyed, the disastrous technical issues severely harm this port.
Nights of Azure is both a wonderful attempt at freshness in a genre that lapses into redundancy and a lapse into said redundancy itself. The ideas in Nights of Azure are worthy of a nod of respect, but the execution falls short.
The Collider 2 offers a brief wave of fun for its cheap $9.99 price tag. You won’t find endless hours of gameplay here, but you will find a challenge at neck break speeds.
I want to like Anima: Gate of Memories – and, to some extent, I do – but the character flaws and clichés, the shaky combat system, and the absolutely droll and horrific dialogue (YouTube the Reading Ergo) pull down a title that, with a little more polish or a more experienced development team, could have succeeded on multiple levels.
When I think of the positives, I find a game that is mechanically decent but presents an interesting narrative worth experiencing. For me, however, the dungeon exploring became stale very quickly, and I only forced my way through the game because of the plot line.
In conclusion, Gearbox’s attempt at a little bit of fan service is acceptable. Retro shooter enthusiasts will relive their glory days in the World Tour edition of Duke Nukem 3D, and the curious will probably come away with a positive experience.
On the whole, Mushroom Wars is a cute and enjoyable RTS experience from indie developer Zillion Whales. For its $9.99 pricetag, the short campaign and inclusion of skirmishes/multiplayer is worth your time.
Aegis of Earth is a tricky game to consider. The overall experience is actually a fairly solid one, even allowing the various issues I’ve previously mentioned. For its relatively cheap price tag, you’re given hours upon hours of gameplay and a pretty challenging experience.
The game is good enough to stand on its own without multiplayer, but the lack of any accessible games or rooms really damages the value (especially at the $40 price tag).
Layers of Fear offers horror fans the opportunity to delve into the mindset of an artist descending into insanity.
7th Dragon Code: VFD is a brave leap by SEGA to reestablish itself in the west. While the game doesn’t offer a battle system with variety (and one that grows tiresome rather rapidly), the strong narrative and immersing atmosphere make the game worth a look.
Furi is a serious endeavor for the hardcore. It’s extremely fun and very rewarding, but it delivers in equal parts immense frustration and anger.