The Summer (and the long game drought that went with it) has finally come to an end. So it was mostly a month of backlog cleanup for the Warp Zoned crew. A few of us went further back than others, but everybody got some good gaming in as they hid from the heat.
John Scalzo
Editor-In-Chief
I treated August as retro month after putting a ton of time into Penny Arcade’s On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 3. The 16-bit-styled RPG didn’t have the clearest of endings, but I am definitely looking forward to part four in 2013. After vanquishing another old one, I moved on to Dust: An Elysian Tail, the final selection from this year’s Summer of Arcade. The side-scrolling RPG (done in the “Metroidvania” style) was a tad talky (and they were talking rabbits at that!), but I thought it was worth every penny. A full review will be posted soon.
Finally, when I heard about the Rise of the Triad reboot back in the beginning of the month, I fired up the original DOS classic for another go-round of ludicrous gibs. God bless you GOG.com!
Nicole Kline
Senior Editor
August was a great month for gaming for me. I spent as much time as possible playing Sleeping Dogs, which I absolutely loved. I couldn’t put it down, and even after beating it, I wanted to go back and finish all the missions. I haven’t felt that way about a game in a long time! I spent the last few days playing New Super Mario Bros. 2, which I was disappointed by. I also got in some more time on Rainbow Moon, which is a much longer game than I realized – there’s a Trophy for getting to level 250, and I’m at level nine. Not sure if I’ll ever reach Platinum on that!
Other than that, it’s been a lot of Ascension, Fortress, and Splice on my iPad, as well as some teaming up on Sudoku on my boyfriend’s Kindle, and some sweet co-op time with Renegade Ops. And oh yeah, I finally got my hands on Uncharted: The Board Game, which we haven’t had a chance to play yet. More details on that whenever we have time to play it!
Ryan Littlefield
Podcast Producer
August has seen the finish of a couple of games; namely James Noir’s Hollywood Crimes, Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One and Disgaea 2: Dark Hero Days. Clearing off the prospective plate is comforting, but I’ve also taken on some Chrono Trigger on my shiny new 3DS XL when I’ve had the time. Other than that? More World of Warcraft, especially with the Mists of Pandaria expansion coming out next month. Sly 2: Band of Thieves is my latest focus, and Xenoblade Chronicles is getting worked on in the background alongside Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3. The light is at the end of the gaming tunnel, I think! But the tunnel keeps getting longer, and then I look at my backlog. There is no longer a light in sight.
Mike Ryan
Contributor
Wait…August is already ending? My backlog already hates me, and this doesn’t help.
I started the month off by finally getting into Resident Evil: Revelations, and it does not disappoint. I have the Circle Pad Pro, but surprisingly, I prefer the gyro controls. While the story is typical RE craziness, I appreciate the shorter chapters and the spookier pace. Plus, using the Genesis Scanner to get info on the zombies as they shuffle towards me just adds to the intensity.
I also purchased New Super Mario Bros. 2 for my five-year-old, and we both love it. The game is pretty much what you’d expect from a 2D Mario game – and that’s a good thing. I also must commend Nintendo on including the Invincibility Leaf. If Mario dies more than five times, a glowing block appears that contains a golden leaf, which, when obtained, grants Mario invincibility throughout the entire level. While not necessary for a seasoned gamer, this is a great option for a young child who is still getting used to the subtleties of gaming.
I rounded off the month playing The Amazing Spider-Man. The open-world swing mechanics are great; although the controls are a bit wonky. Trying to land on one precise spot is much more difficult than it should be. The indoor stealth segments are reminiscent of Arkham City, and while not perfect, are still fun to play. It may not be Amazing or Spectacular, but this Spidey is defintely worth taking for a swing.
