Steven Wong
By most standards, Grey Goo is an excellent real-time strategy game with fantastically unique factions and stunning graphics. Its campaign undermines some of its positive aspects with a steep difficulty curve, some annoying "gotcha" moments, and maps that can make it difficult for expansion. Despite this, and the amount of multitasking it takes to manage over the Goo faction, you can hardly find a better real-time strategy game than Grey Goo.
All taken together, Phantom Breaker offers a couple hours of mindless, mass-bashing fun. It has some of the same charm as old-school beat'em up arcade games like Turtles in Time, but with an Japanese anime theme. It's fun for a time, but it passes quickly, and it's very easy to move on without looking back.
Even though its puzzle isn't very difficult, minus the falling, it does provide an entertaining experience. Perhaps Grow Home will evolve into something more someday. As it is right now, it's a short and sweet experience with a lot of free falling involved.
If you don't mind the Sisyphean struggle, Oblitus is definitely a game worth checking out.
Ultimately, the game left me wishing there was more to it.
I'm not really a huge fan of the game's ending, but I truly enjoyed getting there, even though the game started to feel drawn out after a while, especially after I restarted some of the levels dozens of times over. But if you're looking for a game that provides a nice challenge, and you don't mind the trippy story, Hotline Miami 2 is a good way to go.
We can treat the Revelations 2 experiment as a learning experience. This game should be dissected, studied, catalogued and put into storage. I genuiniely hope that there will be another Revelations game--one with better cooperative gameplay and perhaps doing away with episodes altogether.
With Cities: Skylines, you have the chance to plan the city of your dreams, complete with a complex road sysem and economic infrastructure. However, the game's steep learning curve and vague status feedback might put-off a lot of would-be mayors.
For the most part, Stealth Inc. 2 is a very enjoyable stealth based platforming game, but the sudden switches from planned stealth to frantic reflex based gameplay might be a turn-off for those like me.
The new characters, stages, and gory Fatalities all maintain the same Mortal Kombat feel we've come to expect since the previous game. Variations give characters more flexibility and dimension, while the interactive stages play as much into fighting strategies as combos and special moves. There might not be any Friendships involved, but this is Mortal Kombat at its bloody best, and it's a blast to to tear opponents open.
Despite its issues, Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China is one of the most entertaining experiences I've had from the series in a while.
Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown takes the Shadowrun experience - where magic works alongside high technology - and brings it online for players to play cooperatively. But it's hard to make a living in this dark cyberpunk fantasy when there are so many problems with the world... and we're not just talking about the dragon that destroyed Fenway.
Toren is an experience that's worth at least one run. Then, it gets put up on a shelf like a nice book, where it ends up disappearing alongside the other novels.
Despite its quirks and difficulties, Not a Hero is a spectacularly addictive game. The thrill of running through a building and shooting everyone in sight is backed by a fantastic sense of humor, illustrated by off-the-wall weapons (like an exploding cat), along with BunnyLord's slideshow presentation and after-action comments at a nearby diner.
The game's challenge might seem extreme at first, but it never feels cheap. It forces you to think out your strategy and carefully plan each move. Invisible Inc is a sort of paradox. You have to move carefully, but you're fighting the clock at the same time. It's immense pressure that is thrilling to play out.
Given how complex GalCiv3's overlapping systems are, getting good at the game can become quite a daunting task, but it's worth it. Few games offer the same sense of flexibility and depth that this game has.
Between the bloodlines, research, and combat, Massive Chalice tosses a ton to micromanage, and it can feel overwhelming. But it all builds up to a spectacular ending that makes it worthwhile and satisfying.
Ronin puts you the role of a motorcycle helment wearing ninja, who can dodge bullets and deliver death with every leap. However, the game's unforgiving nature tends to sap much of the fun out of vengeance.
Quiplash is a new game from the makers of You Don't Know Jack, and it aims to get the party started. But like any party, you need a lot of fun and interesting people to make for a good time. That goes doubly so for this game.
Traverser puts players in the role of Valerie Bennett, who has the freedom to move between a floating city's upper and lower halves in a journey to free her father and uncover the truth. Although the game has a nice atmosphere, complete with a gravity manipulation glove for puzzles, Traverser can get weighted down with wasted potential.