Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogobig.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Bloodforge review: God of sore ... thumbs]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/27/bloodforge-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/27/bloodforge-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/04/27/bloodforge-review/#comments Even before diving into Bloodforge's gore-soaked, beast-slaying combat or encountering one of its screen-enveloping enemies, the XBLA brawler announces itself as a God of War wannabe. From its pissed-off protagonist to its female narrator, the hack-and-slasher channels Kratos' exploits before the first entrails stain your sword. There are certainly worse series to crib from, and Bloodforge, while significantly flawed, generally feels more like a fan-made tribute than a cash-grabbing copycat.

The first thing Bloodforge hits you with isn't some ugly monster's sharp steel, but a striking visual presentation. Contrasting a desaturated color palette with buckets of bright blood, Bloodforge looks like it may have jumped off the paneled page of a mature graphic novel. The dark vibe is further complemented by sopping rain storms, snowy landscapes stained with viscera, and marshes blanketed with mist. If all that doesn't set the tone, silhouetted corpses impaled on spikes and hanging from nooses should do the trick.

Gallery: Bloodforge (XBLA)

Continue reading Bloodforge review: God of sore ... thumbs

JoystiqBloodforge review: God of sore ... thumbs originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bloodforgemicrosoftxblaxboxxbox-livexbox-live-arcadeFri, 27 Apr 2012 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mario Party 9 review: Rolling like a boss]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/14/mario-party-9-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/14/mario-party-9-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/14/mario-party-9-review/#comments Those who have not followed the Mario Party series in recent years could be forgiven for dismissing its 9th console entry as yet another attempt to milk an aging franchise. Hell, even as someone who's been mini-gaming around the Mushroom Kingdom since it required being tethered to an N64, I had trouble mustering enthusiasm for the latest sequel. Allowing that big "9" on the box to mislead you, however, would be a mistake on the level of hiring Bowser as a babysitter.

You see, Mario Party 9 -- the series' first entry in nearly five years -- feels surprisingly more like a thoughtful reboot than a phoned-in rehash.

Gallery: Mario Party 9 (E3 2011)

Continue reading Mario Party 9 review: Rolling like a boss

JoystiqMario Party 9 review: Rolling like a boss originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 14 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>mario-party-9nd-cubenintendowiiWed, 14 Mar 2012 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded review: More than a Re:hash]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/kingdom-hearts-recoded-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/kingdom-hearts-recoded-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/01/21/kingdom-hearts-recoded-review/#comments While we've patiently waited for the inevitable Kingdom Hearts III, Square Enix has kept our appetites at bay with a steady stream of prequels, spin-offs and sort-of sequels. From 2009's 358/2 Days, to last year's Birth by Sleep, followers of the Final Fantasy/Disney mash-up have had ample opportunities to revisit its bizarre, but successful collision of emo-spouting pretty-boys and anthropomorphic theme park stars. Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded, a DS remake of an episodic Japanese mobile phone entry, mostly succeeds in continuing to distract us while we wait for that full-on sequel to finally arrive.

Given its phone-to-DS porting, I wasn't exactly dying to wield a Keyblade again in Re:Coded. However, despite some camera-crippled platforming and other minor annoyances, it managed to suck me back into the series' imaginative world. Sure, it revisits many of the locales from the 2002 original -- damn, has it been that long? -- but it also incorporates enough new tricks to put a fresh spin on the at-first familiar-feeling settings. Additionally, it reunites us with series star Sora, the spiky-haired hero who's sadly been absent from the last two titles.

Gallery: Kingdom Hearts Re: Coded (DS)

Continue reading Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded review: More than a Re:hash

JoystiqKingdom Hearts Re:Coded review: More than a Re:hash originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dsKingdom-Hearts-RecodednintendoFri, 21 Jan 2011 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Kung-Fu Live review: Kinect-like on the cheap]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/15/kung-fu-live-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/15/kung-fu-live-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/15/kung-fu-live-review/#comments With a motto like "Serious fun for people who don't take themselves too seriously," it's no surprise Virtual Air Guitar Company's debut title is the brimming-with-dumb-fun Kung-Fu Live. Utilizing the PlayStation Eye camera to inject players into an arcadey, comic book-inspired 2D beat-'em-up, the title should appeal to anyone who's mimicked the Karate Kid's crane kick or threatened a potential bully with a deadpanned, "I know Kung Fu." Actually getting yourself in the game, however, can feel like a kick to the swimsuit area, and could steer some Bruce Lee-wannabes from a weekend's worth of hilarious chop-socky hijinks.

Gallery: Kung Fu LIVE! (PSN)

Continue reading Kung-Fu Live review: Kinect-like on the cheap

JoystiqKung-Fu Live review: Kinect-like on the cheap originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>kung-fu-liveplaystationps3virtual-air-guitarWed, 15 Dec 2010 18:00:00 EST