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Most Recent: Reviews
Inazuma Eleven Review: The Grindingest Soccer Game Ever
I’ll just say it up front: Inazuma Eleven is really weird. It’s an RPG set in the world of high school soccer that plays as both a role-playing game and a sports game at the same time. Developed and published by Level-5, who are not strangers to games that are different, Inazuma Eleven really just rolls with it… no pun intended. It was released in Japan back in 2008 on the DS, and was re-released earlier this year on 3DS, which is when it finally came to our shores. The game – which has multiple sequels and spin-offs – has also spawned a manga, anime, collectible card game, and yes, according to Wikipedia, it even “served as the debut of a J-pop idol group” called Twe’lv. So what’s the deal with this quirky game? (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Reviews, Top Story
Tagged Inazuma Eleven
Pure Pool Review: It Is Definitely A Video Game About Pool
Every time I sit down to play a game based on some sort of real life sport, the same dilemma runs through my head… why am I playing the virtual version of something I can do out in the real world? I may not be able to putt like Woods, score like Beckham, or run absurdly fast like Bolt, but I can head down to the nearest playing field and make a decent go at it. However, those games allow a form of wish fulfillment to take place on the part of the player, giving them the chance for the sport to be recreated at its highest level. Pool, on the other hand, is a more two-dimensional sport. There is only so much you can do standing around some green felt, holding a stick, and smacking around some balls. There is no management simulation, no on-the-fly formation changes and tactics, no real pop culture icons of the sport. On top of that, pool has that ease of access that American football and the like do not. When you can head down to a local drinking hole, pop a few coins into a table, and play, why does virtual pool need to exist? That’s the question VooFoo Studio attempts to answer with Pure Pool.
And you know what? It’s answered startlingly well. (more…)
The Walking Dead Season 2: Amid the Ruins Review: The Dark Before the Dawn
In the television world, the finale is perhaps the most important episode of the season. It needs to be exciting and emotional. It needs to provide closure, while at the same time end on a cliffhanger and leave unanswered questions. How else could we remain interested in the show during that excruciating, seven-month wait until the next season? This rings true for the current season of The Walking Dead TV series. Rick and the gang are once again in a dire situation, and we don’t know what’s going to happen next. What happened to Beth? What do the residents of Terminus want? Will we riot if Daryl dies? See, now I’m getting anxious just talking about it. OK, back on track.
In order for the season finale to pack a punch, you need the prior episode to provide a good set up – which usually means a duller entry. This is not bad; it just slows down the momentum a bit. But it is necessary in order to make the finale that much stronger. A calm before the storm, if you will. Ergo, Season 2 of the The Walking Dead video game is no different from its television counterpart. As we draw ever closer to the conclusion of the season, we need to have the penultimate preparation episode – as we get ready for the end. Episode 4 follows this same mantra, giving us a notably slower episode, but still enjoyable in its own right. (more…)
Metro Redux Review: A Great Return Journey
Recently, the trend of re-releasing old games as shiny, new PlayStation 4/Xbox One versions has become the standard operating procedure for many video game publishers. Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, The Last of Us Remastered, and Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition sit alongside titles like OlliOlli, Hotline Miami, and Escape Plan as games that straddle the console generations. With Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition and Grand Theft Auto V still to come later this year, it’s fair to say it’s not a short-term trend. This time, it’s Deep Silver’s turn to add to this big list of titles. However, give Deep Silver some credit, Metro Redux offers a lot of value with a significant amount of gameplay tweaks and graphical upgrades. (more…)
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Review: Look Out!
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is one of 2014’s biggest movies, and with any summer blockbuster movie comes the inevitable video game based on said blockbuster movie. And as any self-respecting gamer should know, movie-based games are not of the highest quality. In fact, a majority of the time they just plain suck. Such was not the case in 2012, when the first Amazing Spider-Man game was released to positive reviews. Now that the sequel is out, gamers everywhere hoped that the Amazing Spider-Man 2 would be of the same quality as the first game. While it is an OK game, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 doesn’t quite do everything a spider can. (more…)
Scram Kitty and His Buddy On Rails Review: Scram Kitty Purrs
Ah, mice: those lovely little rodents that humanity loves to experiment with. Unfortunately, when the Council of Great Scientists starts researching and tinkering with mice on its space station, they take it a step too far. Like Pinky and the Brain, the mice are transformed into a super-intelligent, power hungry menace with mechanical upgrades, and just like the Brain, they want to take over the world. The first part of their goal is to remove their immediate threat: cats. When your pet, Scram Kitty, is kidnapped along with all the other cats, you grab your anti-grav spin board and head to the space station to save all the imprisoned felines. (more…)
Posted in Reviews, Top Story, Wii U
Tagged Scram Kitty and His Buddy On Rails
WWE 2K14 Review: Yes! Yes! Yes!
I always find it incredibly difficult to write a review for a yearly sports franchise. To innovate and change something that has a real-life counterpart is incredibly hard because, well, the sport just doesn’t change in time for every autumn. Not only do I feel like I’m repeating myself, but it also must be really hard for the developers. Anyway, stop me if you’ve heard this one before… WWE 2K14 is a fantastic pro-wrestling title, probably the best in the Yuke’s-produced series. However, it is held back with bad AI and physics, as well as rough commentary. Yet, it does have the best story mode in a WWE game to date. (more…)
Valiant Hearts: The Great War Review: A Valiant Effort
At first glance, Valiant Hearts: The Great War seems bizarre at best and flippant at worst: a cartoon-style puzzle game set during the ugly brutality of World War I. But fortunately, looks are deceiving, as Valiant Hearts is one of the most intriguing (and dare I say it, educational) games of the year. (more…)