Warp Zoned Presents
Most Recent: Reviews
South Park: The Stick of Truth Review: Douchebag Saves the Day
Based on the long-standing truth that games based on already established properties are usually second-rate, and the fact that the development cycle was troublesome at best, It would be forgivable to assume that South Park: The Stick of Truth would release as a write off. A whole host of problems should have held back the release of this RPG; however, The Stick of Truth is surprisingly fantastic in almost every way. (more…)
Yoshi’s New Island Review: Not Quite A Stroll Down Memory Lane
Yoshi’s New Island has been a long time coming. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island, the first game in the series, was originally released in 1995. It was well-liked by gamers and critics and was even included in Nintendo’s 3DS Ambassadors program as a gift for the handheld’s early adopters. But where that one took me weeks to complete – replete with dozens of “Game Over” screens and more Mario tears than anyone could handle – Yoshi’s New Island took me just six hours. It was a fun six hours (spread out over four days), but the original had me dying more times than I knew I even could die in a platformer. While in the new game, I rarely died more than once per world. It was a breeze, and while I’m not surprised, I am just a tiny bit disappointed. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Reviews, Top Story
Tagged Yoshi's New Island
Weapon Shop De Omasse Review: Tap Your Feet to this New RPG Beat
Level-5 recently released Weapon Shop De Omasse, the final game in their “Guild01” collection, in America.Originally, the developer had no plans to release it here due to how much translation work would be required, seeing as the game is very heavy on text. But, three weeks ago, it finally came out here nearly two and half years after its Japanese release. The rhythm/fantasy RPG game is played from the point of view of the blacksmith who creates and sells weapons to adventurers. Except in Weapon Shop De Omasse, the master and his apprentice have decided to rent weapons instead of sell them, collecting their rental fee when the heroes return. With a quirky story and interesting mechanics, Weapon Shop De Omasse revisits the RPG genre from a different angle, bringing something fresh and fun to the table. (more…)
Posted in 3DS, Reviews, Top Story
Tagged Weapon Shop De Omasse
The Walking Dead Season 2: A House Divided Review: Strength In Numbers
Telltale’s Walking Dead games can be tough to review. The series is so heavily focused on story that it becomes increasingly difficult to write a review without giving away some of the finer plot details. In the Walking Dead universe, characters you’ve grown attached to are taken away in the blink of an eye, and if you know what will happen beforehand, the emotional impact is greatly lessened. In that regard, I’ve opted to provide a separate, spoiler-free review of The Walking Dead Season 2: A House Divided. That way, those of you who haven’t played the game can read on, knowing that nothing will be ruined. I promise to avoid any specific information or plot points throughout the rest of the review, so you can still feel confident in reading the entire review without learning too much.
Spoiler-Free Review: The game is amazing – go buy it right now!
OK, now that we have that out of the way, on with the review. (more…)
Thief Review: Criminally Mediocre
I’ve been a fan of the stealth genre since 1998, when I first played the greatest game ever: Metal Gear Solid. No hyperbole, of course. That’s not to say I don’t like other games in the genre, too: the entire Splinter Cell series is excellent and, more recently, Dishonored was hugely impressive. However, Thief was one I just never played. The loot-em-up is apparently the genesis of some stealth mechanics, such as light meters and sound cues, which were revolutionary achievements in the first person point of view. So, it should have been no surprise that I was incredibly intrigued by this new reimagining of Thief.
Sadly, if opportunity makes a thief, this reboot offers them up sparingly. (more…)
Borderlands: Gunsight Review: Another Terrible Book Tie-In
John Shirley is at it again with his third book in the Borderlands series. Borderlands: Gunsight has Brick on the cover, but don’t let that fool you: Brick isn’t more than a periphery character in this book. No, this book continues where Borderlands: Unconquered left off – with Mordecai shacked up with Daphne Kuller, AKA Kuller the Killer. And that’s not all it has in common with the second book – it’s just as terribly written as that one, and just as boring. And oh yeah – Shirley still has not learned how to use semicolons. Can someone please take away that guy’s computer already? (more…)
Outlast Review: House on Haunted Thrill
For a few years, I worked at a haunted house during the Halloween season. My job was, as one would expect, to scare the patrons. It was a great gig, and I have some fond memories of really freaking people out. But it wasn’t all about standing in a corner and jumping out at the most opportune time. There’s a real science behind the perfect scare. You need to be meticulous in your planning by first creating a sense of uneasiness, then instilling dread and fear, and finally, delivering the scare.
Horror games follow a similar process. For example, the dog jumping through the window in Resident Evil is one of the most famous video game scares. Things were already very spooky when you first stepped into that mansion. As you continued, fear crept in, as you knew that something was waiting for you around that corner. Then, when that zombified doberman finally crashes through the glass, it really hits you hard. Some of the better survival horror games follow this formula pretty religiously, creating some pretty intense experiences.
Outlast already has a pretty faithful following among the PC crowd. As a console-specific gamer (my PC can barely run The 7th Guest), I’ve only heard a few things about the game on various gaming forums. The sentiment was almost universal – this is one of the scariest games ever made. Now that I finally got a chance to play through the console version, I can say that I definitely agree with those sentiments. (more…)
Broken Age Review: A Point-And-Click Game For A New Era
Since the introduction of crowdfunding sites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo, there have been a number of high-profile successes that have managed to capture the collective imagination of the public and skyrocket beyond their original goals. Double Fine Productions’ Broken Age is one such title, dwarfing its initial target of $400,000 by raising $3.3 million, one of the highest amounts ever raised for a game. The reason for the excitement was simple; industry veteran Tim Schafer, designer on classic point-and-click games such as LucasArts’ Full Throttle, Grim Fandango, and co-designer on the incredibly funny Monkey Island series, was returning to the genre. But how does his latest endeavour stand up against these unforgettable games? (more…)
Posted in PC, Reviews, Top Story
Tagged Broken Age