12 public reviews
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Okamiden is a fitting tribute to the end of the much-beloved Nintendo DS. Arguably the system’s swan-song, the game is an example of what is possible near the end of a device’s lifecycle. Packed inside its cartridge is a sprawling adventure lasting more than twenty hours in a fully realized, beautifully cel-shaded, 3D world. The title is an apt Japanese pun combining the name Okami with the word “Gaiden” meaning…
With the original LittleBigPlanet , developer Media Molecule sought to create a platform for user-generated content, putting the same tools they used to craft levels into the hands of their users. Over two million levels later , the community of LittleBigPlanet continues to grow and amaze. For LittleBigPlanet 2, the creators haven’t torn it all down and started over. Instead, they’ve made calculated, thoughtful…
Platinum Games has made a name for itself offering unapologetically hardcore games like the monochromatic blood-feast Mad World , the hyper-sexual beat ‘em up Bayonetta , and the methodically paced RPG Infinite Space. Shinji Mikami, creator of Resident Evil and founding member of Platinum Games, has directed the company’s latest creation. Set in the not-too-distant but typically dismal future, Vanquish pits the…
Kirby’s Epic Yarn is the latest entry in Nintendo’s renewed love affair with the platformers of yesteryear combined with a modern twist. The game is a departure for the big N’s lovable but oft-neglected pink puff, eschewing the mechanics commonly found in a Kirby game for an all new set of abilities. The game’s visual style is its most-striking feature, basing its aesthetic on bits of fabric and string. The game’s…
Costume Quest is the latest creation from developer Double Fine, makers of Psychonauts and Brütal Legend . This adventure RPG is the first in a planned series of upcoming downloadable titles for XboxLive Arcade and Playstation Network as the studio shifts its focus toward smaller games with smaller budgets in lieu of disc-based retail outings. Set amidst the haunting glow of jack-o-lanterns on Halloween night,…
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow seems like a risky move for the franchise. Previous attempts to bring the series into the world of 3D haven’t necessarily rendered the results fans have craved. After three successful 2-D titles on the DS, the series is having another go on consoles and developer MercurySteam has finally broken the 3-D curse. Lords of Shadow isn’t a perfect game but it’s certainly a good one which takes…
Shibuya is the first iOS game from Never Center , the developers behind the App Store entry, CameraBag . The team is no stranger to the platform, which explains the fact that their first foray into mobile gaming is so well-suited to the strengths of the iPhone. Shibuya is a color-matching tile puzzle game. The idea will be familiar to anybody who has played Tetris, Lumines , or Meteos but Shibuya introduces some…
There’s no denying I was a huge fan of the original Mirror’s Edge when it debuted for the PS3 and Xbox 360 back in 2008. The game represented a substantial leap forward in game design through the first-person perspective. Exploring the dystopian city through the eyes of Faith was breathtaking and the acrobatic parkour , while tricky at times, was incredibly rewarding. Faith is a Runner, a courier of the future,…
It’s not too often a game is able to completely surprise you. When Bioshock 2 was first announced, my initial reaction was a mix of resistance and skepticism. As a fan of the first Bioshock, I was wary of how a sequel could undercut the richness of the original. These things must be done delicately . The first Bioshock was not perfect. The plot-twists made the last third of the narrative lose steam, the shooting…
No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle starts off with a bang. The action is bloodier, the humor is more off-the-wall, and the experience is even crazier than the first. The game is influenced by things as varied as the Kill Bill movies, manga, animé, and even David Lynch films. Series protagonist, otaku, and deadly assassin Travis Touchdown returns in, what executive director Suda 51 considers, a story that’s much…
Nintendo has a knack for creating simple yet absolutely addictive puzzle games. The original Picross on the DS was a clever play on Sudoku-style grid puzzling, with the added twist of pictures being produced by eliminating squares. Removing squares on the grid is based on a logical elimination based on numbers marking the rows and columns. For example, if a row of 5 squares has a number 5 attached to the end, then…
Singularity marks a departure for Raven Software, the team behind the recent Wolfenstein reboot, X-Men Origins: Wolverine , and Marvel Ultimate Alliance . The studio finally has a chance to work on an original property and the result is a game that borrows stylistic elements from their previous sci-fi laden shooter and relies on the team’s pedigree for crafting solid mechanics. The game begins as Nathaniel Renko,…
