Cutesy and colourful, Life Goes On takes a core concept from most games, flips it, and embeds it in an environment with reciprocating elements. The result is an engaging puzzle platformer that delights more than it frustrates. The ending credits sequence is also one of the most charming things I've seen this year.
Daylight's claim to fame is its reported replay value; that no scare will ever be the same twice. While it is technically true that the level geometry does change from playthrough-to-playthrough, the scares certainly see some overlap, and the writing isn't worth a return visit. There are no nascent ideas in Daylight – just the desperate, flailing attempts to throw every horror cliché at the wall.
BattleBlock Theater is a charming platformer. It comes loaded with a sense of style and humour that only developer The Behemoth possess. An incredibly funny narrator, adorable creature design, and cut-scenes that look like paper-doll puppetry all amount to a stylistically cohesive game that has tight platforming to boot (albeit with a few mechanical hiccups).
The driving in GRID Autosport is fantastic, and certainly more in-line with Codemaster's (and the fan's) vision of what their series should be. While the singleplayer A.I. detracts from the overall experience, and the lack of personality is disappointing, these are all just minor issues that orbit a game with a solid foundation.
Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty is currently retailing on PSN for $33.95 (NZ) and is a 4.5GB download.
The Swapper is a beautiful, haunting thing. It's rare for a game to leave you feeling emotionally numb, but also satisfied by the journey. All of The Swapper's parts operate in concert, creating a masterful puzzle platformer that deserves to be remembered.
The PC port of Dead Rising 3 manages to bring the core experience over well. The combat is still visceral, insane, and funny. The sheer quantity on offer here is impressive, but don't come to this version if you're looking for something new. Also, make sure to bring a controller.
The game is an anachronism, proving that transposing ideas from the past (without thinking critically about how they should be represented in the present) doesn't always work.
The culmination of changes in Advanced Warfare make it the freshest playing entry in the series, and the largest departure from its norm.
MXGP has a solid, interesting control scheme that is rewarding when you figure out its quirks. The lack of meaningful content, however, in addition to its graphical presentation, severely limits any impetus to continue playing it.