Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.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[Resident Evil: Revelations review: Any port in a storm]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/resident-evil-revelations-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/resident-evil-revelations-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/resident-evil-revelations-review/#commentsResident Evil Revelations review Any port in a storm The 3DS is no graphical slouch. Aside from the glasses-free 3D feature, the system can kick out some impressive scenery, and it did so with last year's Resident Evil Revelations, a well-made little horror shooter in a series that's been looking for a lifeboat lately. After launching Resident Evil 6 fewer than six months ago, Capcom seems to think HD platforms need even more Resident Evil love, and so this week Revelations hits Xbox 360, PS3, Windows PCs, and the Wii U.

Playing it in enhanced form on an HD console, however, feels just a little goofy. The textures do look excellent, but the game's models are clearly made for a more lightweight graphics engine, which means you get characters with hair frozen in place and enemies with just a few animations to use over and over again. Revelations was made for a handheld machine, and its designers cut corners that the other platforms would have let them curve around more gracefully.

But Revelations' saving grace is that it's a Resident Evil game, and it's a good Resident Evil game at that. For that reason, fans of the series who missed out the first time around will probably appreciate the chance to see it for themselves.

Gallery: Resident Evil: Revelations (5/20/13)

Continue reading Resident Evil: Revelations review: Any port in a storm

JoystiqResident Evil: Revelations review: Any port in a storm originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 May 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>consoleshandheldmicrosoftnintendonintendo-3dspcplaystationportps3raid-moderesident-evilresident-evil-revelationsreviewwii-uxboxMon, 20 May 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Deja Review: Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/review-donkey-kong-country-returns-3d/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/review-donkey-kong-country-returns-3d/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/17/review-donkey-kong-country-returns-3d/#comments
In our 2010 review of Donkey Kong Country Returns for the Wii, our own JC Fletcher admitted a terrible truth: He had used the Super Guide. Nintendo gave us the nefarious innovation a few years ago, ostensibly a tool to help less experienced players navigate the trickier parts of its games. Seasoned players recognized it for what it really was: A taunt, a gently whispering devil on your shoulder.

Resisting the shiny, candy-like allure of the Super Guide is still a major component of Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D, Monster Games' 3DS rendition of Retro Studios' Wii platformer. A new difficulty setting tries to soften the Wii version's sharp edges, but the brutal structure of its levels remains intact, and no amount of extra health is going to change that.

Gallery: Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D (4/6/13)

Continue reading Deja Review: Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D

JoystiqDeja Review: Donkey Kong Country Returns 3D originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 May 2013 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsdonkey-kong-country-returns-3dmonster-gamesnintendoretroretro-studiosFri, 17 May 2013 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Zoombies is a fiesta of undead carnage]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/zoombies-review-portabliss/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/zoombies-review-portabliss/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/zoombies-review-portabliss/#commentsThis is Portabliss, a column about downloadable games that can be played on the go.

Zoombies is a fiesta of undead carnage
Say the name High Voltage, and your first thought might be the Conduit series of first-person shooters (or this). While the studio is indeed known most recently for The Conduit, one of its other ideas has been languishing for quite some time, namely Animales de la Muerte. Originally slated for WiiWare, and then for XBLA and PSN, the game has finally found a home on iOS.

Renamed Zoombies: Animales de la Muerte, the game tells the story of two children who must save a Mexican zoo from being overrun by a horde of zombified animals. To do this, the kids utilize every available tool of destruction, ranging from axes to shotguns, roman candles and even the occasional dollop of guacamole.

Zoombies is the most festive zombie game I've ever played, and it's also one of the most immediately entertaining.

Gallery: Zoombies: Animales de la Muerte (5/15/2013)

Continue reading Zoombies is a fiesta of undead carnage

JoystiqZoombies is a fiesta of undead carnage originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 May 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>high-voltageHigh-Voltage-Softwareiosipadiphonemobileportablisszoombies-animales-de-la-muerteWed, 15 May 2013 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Portabliss: Mosaique (iOS, Android)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/portabliss-mosaique-ios-android/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/portabliss-mosaique-ios-android/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/portabliss-mosaique-ios-android/#commentsThis is Portabliss, a column about downloadable games that can be played on the go.


Puzzle games tend to fall into one of two categories. There are the fast and frenetic ones, where you watch pieces smash into one another, pushing your mental and physical reflexes as far as they can go before a wire is crossed and it all comes crashing down, hopefully after you've set a new high score. Then there are the Zen puzzlers. These are slow, asking you to plan the best moves for the highest score. You examine the board, analyzing its patterns and discerning how best to eliminate all those pesky blocks or orbs or gems or what-have-you.

Mosaique falls into the latter category, presenting a deceptively simple game of destroying colored blocks. At no point will it bring you either the stress or exultation of a Tetris or a Puzzle Fighter, but sometimes that's okay. Sometimes you want to sit back, relax, and watch as everything falls into place.

Continue reading Portabliss: Mosaique (iOS, Android)

JoystiqPortabliss: Mosaique (iOS, Android) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 May 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidiosipadiphonemobilemosaiqueportablisswinning-blimpTue, 14 May 2013 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Sid Meier's Ace Patrol review: Strategy simplified]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/ace-patrol-review-sid-meier/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/ace-patrol-review-sid-meier/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/ace-patrol-review-sid-meier/#comments
There's a certain stigma attached to strategy games, where deep systems and mechanics can hoist a sky-high barrier for the uninitiated. Sid Meier's Ace Patrol sidesteps these stigmas, presenting a turn-based experience so simple that even the strategically challenged will be able to play and excel.

Designed for iOS devices, Ace Patrol is a dogfighting game set in WWI. With a series of taps, intense air combat is engaged over a battlefield of hexagonal grids. Using these taps, players execute everything from strafing to swooping dives, hard banking, the Immelman turn and other expert maneuvers.

Gallery: Sid Meier's Ace Patrol

Continue reading Sid Meier's Ace Patrol review: Strategy simplified

JoystiqSid Meier's Ace Patrol review: Strategy simplified originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 May 2013 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2k-gamesfiraxisFiraxis-Gamesiosipadiphonemobilesid-meiersid-meiers-ace-patrolMon, 13 May 2013 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro Last Light review: Tunnel vision]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/metro-last-light-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/metro-last-light-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/metro-last-light-review/#comments There is so much suffocating despair in Metro: Last Light. The world is irradiated rubble, blanketed in noxious fumes and trampled by gnarled monstrosities. Humans that remain must huddle underfoot, eking out lives in Moscow's underground railways. But the worst thing, the cruelest twist, the darkest dick move of the apocalypse, is that millions die and the accordion still makes it.

If not its purpose, I have to respect the accordion's presence in Metro: Last Light. You can listen to the instrument's musical wheezing as part of a show put on in a dilapidated theater, one of several populated hubs you'll visit in your trek through the tunnels of Moscow. If you opt out of the game's scavenging and shooting for a few moments, there's an entire show to take in. It has all the awkwardness and earnestness of a production that only needs to be less bleak than its surroundings.

Last Light, much like predecessor Metro 2033, is a feat of obsessive, paradoxical world-building - you believe this as a place that has been demolished, poisoned and forced to retreat into claustrophobic hovels. There are glimmers of recuperating life in these bastions, most of all in Metro's stunning sewer-bound equivalent of Venice. The town layouts are noticeably linear, in part because there isn't much room for subterranean sprawl, and because the game spends all its money on the critical path. To explore is to linger, listen and look; and that's fine.

Gallery: Metro: Last Light (5/13/13)

Continue reading Metro Last Light review: Tunnel vision

JoystiqMetro Last Light review: Tunnel vision originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 May 2013 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gamesdeep-silvermetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxMon, 13 May 2013 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move review: Fancy pipe dream]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/mario-and-donkey-kong-minis-on-the-move-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/mario-and-donkey-kong-minis-on-the-move-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/10/mario-and-donkey-kong-minis-on-the-move-review/#comments There are four games in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series, each sporting 2D puzzle-platforming action. What sets Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move apart from the group isn't just the change of "vs" to "and." Minis on the Move still tasks players with the challenge of guiding their Mario toys through a level of obstacles to a goal point, in this case a star, but the game diverges from the series' norm by operating in three dimensions. Players must drag tiles on the touch screen to create a track for their minis to safely traverse.

In true Nintendo fashion, this simple premise is expanded upon with a solid variety of obstacles to avoid and special tiles to use. For example, spring tiles launch your mini two spaces, and colored pipes warp your mini to another location on the small map. The occasional tile with Donkey Kong on it will send your mini flying three spaces in a given direction (I suppose that's where "and Donkey Kong" comes from).

I like to call the total package "Fancy Pipe Dream," as the gist of its primary design doesn't at all feel new or creative. It's much like the tile-based puzzler from the Miscrosoft Entertainment Pack of the 1990s, also known as Pipe Mania. The difference is that Minis on the Move is much more fleshed-out, as it includes special tiles, obstacles, and a few different modes. Oh, and Mario is in it.

Gallery: Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move

Continue reading Mario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move review: Fancy pipe dream

JoystiqMario and Donkey Kong: Minis on the Move review: Fancy pipe dream originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 10 May 2013 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsmario-and-donkey-kong-minis-on-the-movenintendopuzzleFri, 10 May 2013 12:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Portabliss: Hiversaires (iOS)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/portabliss-hiversaires-ios/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/portabliss-hiversaires-ios/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/02/portabliss-hiversaires-ios/#commentsThis is Portabliss, a column about downloadable games that can be played on the go.

Portabliss Hiversaires iOS
Why am I here? What do these weird symbols mean? What is this place?

Hiversaires poses more questions than it provides answers. It's an adventure game where the player is provided no context for what is happening, thrust into a beautiful monochromatic world and forced to poke and prod through one strange area after the next.

Gallery: Hiversaires (iOS)

Continue reading Portabliss: Hiversaires (iOS)

JoystiqPortabliss: Hiversaires (iOS) originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 May 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>david-mondou-labbehiversairesiosipadiphonemobileportablissThu, 02 May 2013 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Soul Sacrifice review: Escapism encapsulated]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/soul-sacrifice-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/soul-sacrifice-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/soul-sacrifice-review/#comments Soul Sacrifice is a steady ascent to superiority over your captor, a mad sorcerer named Magusar. You can provoke and challenge him from within your fetid cage at any time, but ultimate victory requires toil, repetition and mastery of the same magic that imprisons you. You'll have to play the game to get out, which makes you wonder what the real trap is.

Freedom through power is your goal in the game's fiction and function, with progression framed in a living, speaking journal covered by a contorted face. The cheeky diary, named Librom, recalls the inner turmoil and exploits of Magusar's former partner, from whom you acquire magic and memories packaged as short, perfect-for-portable quests. Discovering the author's identity and exploits is an intriguing, incremental accompaniment to your own gestation as a powerful conjurer.

Soul Sacrifice is a game you play more for the beach than for the sand. Like other sagas that spin around the aggressive acquisition of beastie bits, there is less reward in the act of fighting than the result - and in the case of bigger battles, "epicness" is often conflated with "duration." Soul Sacrifice has no pretense of exploration or towns, just a distilled drip-feed of enclosed arenas and creature extermination that enables new spells, augmented magical prowess or a greater life expectancy for the next challenge.

Gallery: Soul Sacrifice

Continue reading Soul Sacrifice review: Escapism encapsulated

JoystiqSoul Sacrifice review: Escapism encapsulated originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 May 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>comceptkeiji-inafuneplaystationplaystation-vitarpgsceasoul-sacrificevitaWed, 01 May 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Thomas Was Alone review: Mastering the inverted fall]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/thomas-was-alone-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/thomas-was-alone-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/thomas-was-alone-review/#comments On the surface, Thomas Was Alone appears unremarkable. It breaks platforming mechanics down to their most basic levels, quite literally, replacing characters with colored rectangles and environments with precarious arrangements of black rectangles. To reiterate: Thomas Was Alone is a platformer starring a cast of little, colored blocks.

What's amazing is that, thanks to the a tiny injection of story and a bit of good writing, you may actually start to care about them.

Gallery: Thomas Was Alone (PSN)

Continue reading Thomas Was Alone review: Mastering the inverted fall

JoystiqThomas Was Alone review: Mastering the inverted fall originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 May 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>mike-bithellpcplaystationplaystation-vitaps3thomas-was-alonevitaWed, 01 May 2013 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Pandora's Tower review: Chained blades]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/pandoras-tower-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/pandoras-tower-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/01/pandoras-tower-review/#comments It's hard to say for certain what a platform's last game will be, but it's pretty easy to guess what a platform's last noteworthy release will be. I'm sure the endless parade of impulse-buy, waggletastic Wii shovelware will continue to trickle out for a while yet, but the last significant Wii release for North America looks to be Pandora's Tower.

As the last of the three Operation Rainfall games brought over from Europe (via Japan), it was bound to garner plenty of attention, regardless of its quality. The good news is that Pandora's Tower deserves it.

Gallery: Pandora's Tower: Until I Return to Your Side

Continue reading Pandora's Tower review: Chained blades

JoystiqPandora's Tower review: Chained blades originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 May 2013 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ganbarionnintendooperation-rainfallpandoras-towerwiiWed, 01 May 2013 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon review: Neon Genesis Elation]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/far-cry-3-blood-dragon-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/far-cry-3-blood-dragon-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/30/far-cry-3-blood-dragon-review/#comments The year is 20xx, and the world is starved ... of imagination. An evil army of soulless game clones is hell-bent on taking over The Industry. No one is brave enough or mad enough to stop them from reshaping the gaming landscape into their drab, browny-grey vision.

No one ... except one spin-off game, a retro-fueled standalone commando powered by the twin suns of Parody and Crazy. That game is Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon.

And it is most excellent.

Gallery: Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (4/24/13)

Continue reading Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon review: Neon Genesis Elation

JoystiqFar Cry 3: Blood Dragon review: Neon Genesis Elation originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>far-cry-3-blood-dragonmicrosoftpcplaystationps3ubisoftubisoft-montrealxboxTue, 30 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Monaco review: A good day to spy hard]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/monaco-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/monaco-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/monaco-review/#comments I'm a terrible thief.

If ever there were an investigation into a string of high-profile burglaries in my neighborhood, all I'd have to do to clear my name is invite some police officers to sit down, get comfortable, and watch me play Monaco for five minutes. The officers would see my glowing, pixelated character get caught on the walls around doorways while running away from hordes of angry guards with guns; they would laugh as I rushed into rooms full of alarms and set off every single one; and they would leave soon after I forgot, again, that my character could dig through walls, hack locked doors or easily knock out unsuspecting enemies, and I'd be a free woman.

Just like I'd planned all along.

Gallery: Monaco

Continue reading Monaco review: A good day to spy hard

JoystiqMonaco review: A good day to spy hard originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftmonacopcPocketwatch-GamesxboxFri, 26 Apr 2013 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Dead Island Riptide review: DNR]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/dead-island-riptide-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/dead-island-riptide-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/dead-island-riptide-review/#comments Dead Island was a bit strange. A showy, standout marketing campaign belied a familiar zombie game, its roots in Dead Rising and weapon-heavy looters like Borderlands obvious. For all the modesty of its combat, for all the bugs and rough edges, it was satisfying. The endless array of swipes, kicks, bashes, decapitations and dismemberment got repetitive fast, that's true. But when it was fresh, that shaky first-person melee offered an adrenaline rush that remains vivid.

The reason it's so vivid is because I'm playing the same game all over again in Dead Island Riptide, an uninspired and unashamed rehash. Not only is it less satisfying, but any satisfaction gained is done so begrudgingly, because the game plainly doesn't deserve it.

Gallery: Dead Island: Riptide (4/9/13)

Continue reading Dead Island Riptide review: DNR

JoystiqDead Island Riptide review: DNR originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dead-island-riptidemicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxFri, 26 Apr 2013 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Moga Pro controller makes Android games better]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/moga-pro-controller-review-android/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/moga-pro-controller-review-android/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/24/moga-pro-controller-review-android/#comments
We got our hands on one of PowerA's new Moga Pro Android controllers, and so we decided to put together a little video detailing how it works. The Moga Pro is a full-sized console styled controller, complete with a cradle to attach Android phones (and a separate stand for tablets).

Overall, the experience of using the Moga Pro is a good one, providing much greater control compared to Android's usual touch screen controls. First-person shooters in particular are dramatically better, and the benefits for a reflex-intensive game like Pac-Man are obvious. We did notice a small amount of input lag while playing R-Type, but this seems to be a software issue, as other games like Dead Trigger played just fine.

There's also a strange bug in R-Type that can force users to exit other games and go back into R-Type. We contacted PowerA, and the bug seems to be confined specifically to R-Type. PowerA is reaching out to its developers to get it fixed.

The Moga Pro is available now for $50. Watch the video above for a full rundown.

Update: PowerA contacted Joystiq to let us know that R-Type has been updated, and the bug mentioned in the video should now be fixed.

JoystiqMoga Pro controller makes Android games better originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidmobilemogamoga-properipheralpower-apoweraWed, 24 Apr 2013 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen review: Cheating Death]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/23/dragons-dogma-dark-arisen-review-cheating-death/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/23/dragons-dogma-dark-arisen-review-cheating-death/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/23/dragons-dogma-dark-arisen-review-cheating-death/#comments Death has always been an integral part of Dragon's Dogma. From the intoxicating notion that it could come at any time while travelling the world of Gransys to the corpses that litter an area once you've torn through it, death permeates the narrative like a foul odor. The punishing difficulty ensures defeat in most cases, making it an absolute certainty that a restart will be necessary at least once. That same frustration, however, is what attracted the droves of players to Capcom's open-world RPG in the first place.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen ups the ante by introducing Death personified. Your first sighting could end up being your last, though with persistence, even Death itself can be cheated. And that's just one small piece of this sprawling hunk of supplemental content. The austere world of Dark Arisen is a meaty expansion pack that serves up a substantial amount of new material, opening up welcoming arms to veterans and enticing new players with what will inevitably be billed as the definitive Dragon's Dogma experience.

Gallery: Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

Continue reading Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen review: Cheating Death

JoystiqDragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen review: Cheating Death originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>capcomDragons DogmaDragons Dogma: Dark Arisendragons-dogma-dark-arisenDragonsDogmaDragonsDogma:DarkArisenmicrosoftplaystationps3reviewxboxTue, 23 Apr 2013 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The Last Door pixelates gothic horror]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/the-last-door-review-snapshot/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/the-last-door-review-snapshot/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/the-last-door-review-snapshot/#comments This is a Snapshot, a quick, un-scored review of a game we think you should know about.

The Last Door pixelates gothic horror
Pixelated horror seems to be all the rage these days. Lone Survivor, Home and now The Last Door - none of them need high tech visuals to give you goosebumps. I spent yesterday morning playing the first chapter of The Last Door, a recently Kickstarted browser-based adventure game, and I experienced a handful of genuine chills. That's especially impressive given just how pixelated the game really is.

Characters look like they strolled right out of the first King's Quest, so blocky that basic human features are barely discernible. Head, hair, body, arms and legs. Environments are just detailed enough to make out the important parts. Spooky mansion, fireplace, sofa, foreboding murder of crows. The fact that the crows are only vaguely crow-shaped does nothing to diminish their presence.

As most horror fans will tell you, fear is often about what you can't see. For The Last Door, a little obfuscation goes a long way.

Continue reading The Last Door pixelates gothic horror

JoystiqThe Last Door pixelates gothic horror originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>game-kitchenmacpcsnapshotthe-game-kitchenthe-last-doorFri, 19 Apr 2013 18:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Injustice: Gods Among Us review: From Outworld to Elseworlds]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/injustice-gods-among-us-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/injustice-gods-among-us-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/injustice-gods-among-us-review/#comments Comic books and fighting games have a lot in common. Both are known for featuring absurd, contrived premises, overly sexualized women and mythology so complicated even Tolkien couldn't reconcile all the pre-Crisis continuity issues. It's strange then, that up until now there's never been a solid fighting game set in the DC universe.

Injustice: Gods Among Us is Mortal Kombat developer NetherRealm Studios' alternative take on DC's heroes, hooligans and thieves. Its dark thematic overtones and mature ideas explore the psychological dangers of power, the temptations of absolute authority and the effects of grief on the psyche of metahumans, all while delivering a polished, thrilling fighting game experience. No, really.

Gallery: Injustice: Gods Among Us

Continue reading Injustice: Gods Among Us review: From Outworld to Elseworlds

JoystiqInjustice: Gods Among Us review: From Outworld to Elseworlds originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>injustice-gods-among-usmicrosoftNetherrealm-Studiosnintendoplaystationps3Warner-Bros-Interactive-Entertainmentwii-uxboxFri, 19 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ouya: The infinite garage sale]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/17/ouya-kickstarter-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/17/ouya-kickstarter-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/17/ouya-kickstarter-review/#comments Ouya The infinite garage saleOne summer, when I was a kid, I wandered into a garage sale and came across an old Atari 2600 and a shoebox full of games. I don't remember how much they wanted for it, but it was low enough that a kid without a job could afford it, so it wasn't much. I took it home, immediately hooked it up to the television and started rifling through the games.

Most of the games were simple, executions of a single concept. Some of them were great, some were passable but forgettable, while others were nigh indecipherable. Naturally, there were some genuine turkeys in there too. It was hard to be disappointed though, since I could just pop in another cartridge and, after all, the entire box of goodies had cost me practically nothing.

That summer day pretty much encapsulates my experience with the Ouya thus far.

Gallery: Ouya Kickstarter console review

Continue reading Ouya: The infinite garage sale

JoystiqOuya: The infinite garage sale originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 17 Apr 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidmobileouyaWed, 17 Apr 2013 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Portabliss: Gemini Rue (iOS)]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/portabliss-gemini-rue-ios/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/portabliss-gemini-rue-ios/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/portabliss-gemini-rue-ios/#comments Gritty, futuristic adventure game Gemini Rue started as a student project by Joshua Nuernberger. Nuernberger received help from Wadjet Eye Games, the husband and wife tandem of Dave and Janet Gilbert, who helped bring the point-and-click adventure to Steam in October 2011. The game runs on the Adventure Game Studio engine, which was first created in 1999, back when the notion of porting games to a mobile device wasn't at the front of developers' minds. Janet spent eight months adapting the AGS engine to iOS, and Gemini Rue is the first attempt at bringing one of Wadjet Eye Games' adventures to the platform. For a first attempt, it's quite impressive.

Gemini Rue has players controlling two characters located across a stretch of space from one another in the distant future. Azriel Odin, an ex-assassin, is searching for his missing brother. The other playable character, Charlie, starts the game with his memory being erased after a failed escape attempt from an unknown testing facility. Each piece of the mystery unravels at a good pace. The initial puzzles provide the backdrop for the game's well-conceived universe, itself an intriguing, nearly relatable Earth-like world full of crime. As the story progresses, the plot thickens and twists in a mostly expected manner before dropping a hefty, deep series of concepts on the player at the end.

If you think that sounds like a vague explanation of Gemini Rue's story, you're spot-on. I can't unveil the plot in good conscience; it simply needs to be played. It isn't ground-breaking by any means, but the tale is wholly enjoyable and worthwhile to anyone who enjoys dark sci-fi.

Gallery: Gemini Rue (iOS)

Continue reading Portabliss: Gemini Rue (iOS)

JoystiqPortabliss: Gemini Rue (iOS) originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gemini-rueiosipadiphonejoshua-nuernbergermobileportablisswadjet-eye-gamesTue, 16 Apr 2013 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Toki Tori 2 review: Not for birdbrains]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/toki-tori-2-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/toki-tori-2-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/15/toki-tori-2-review/#comments Despite the decade plus between the first and second Toki Tori games, Two Tribes's Wii U (and soon PC) evolution of the Game Boy Color game is striking. The 2001 puzzle-platformer was neat, charming, and challenging. Its compact levels and tool-contextual actions evoked Lemmings, albeit with the micromanagement filtered out. You controlled a dopey-looking bird in blocky 2D platform levels, making him manipulate his environment to open up paths to progress. This simplicity, however, was negated by some very specific solutions. It was, and still is, a likable little puzzler.

What's clever about Toki Tori 2 is how it doesn't deviate from that ethos, and yet it feels like a completely different game. If anything, its evolution of the first game's principles is to make them simpler, yet the result is something much more complex. It's weird, because there's a pungent minimalism about Toki Tori 2, but it's this minimalism that branches out in so many ways through the environment, and the result is distinct and, more than anything, clever. The reason it all works is because Toki Tori 2, with all its environmental nuances, makes you want to be as intelligent as it is.

Gallery: Toki Tori 2 (3/14/13)

Continue reading Toki Tori 2 review: Not for birdbrains

JoystiqToki Tori 2 review: Not for birdbrains originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>nintendopctoki-tori-2Two-Tribeswii-uMon, 15 Apr 2013 13:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Guacamelee review: Wrestlevania]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/10/guacamelee-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/10/guacamelee-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/10/guacamelee-review/#comments Is there anything more paltry than the video game chicken? Guacamelee lets you kick the poor featherballs, lock them in your log-like luchador arms, and pile-drive them into the ground so hard they bounce around the room. In the presence of a protagonist, the only thing worse off than a chicken is a vase.

Guacamelee doesn't have much to say about vases or any sort of pottery, but its Mexican fairytale offers some spiritual redemption for the down-trodden chicken. This overdue kindness is reflected in the game's eclucktic characters, and in the hero's typical ascent to spandex.

In Juan, you inhabit a slouching, mild-mannered man and earnest collector of wrestling paraphernalia. The villain kills him immediately. Upon his resurrection - via mystical luchador mask - a swaggering Juan learns to leap through the dual worlds of living and dead, and finds reason to punch them both.

Gallery: Guacamelee!

Continue reading Guacamelee review: Wrestlevania

JoystiqGuacamelee review: Wrestlevania originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>drinkboxdrinkbox-studiosguacameleeplaystationplaystation-vitaps3vitaWed, 10 Apr 2013 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Battleblock Theater review: Bring some friends and beat 'em up]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/05/battleblock-theater-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/05/battleblock-theater-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/05/battleblock-theater-review/#comments Every week, a group of friends and I get together to watch the television show, The Walking Dead. By "watch" I mean we make fun of the terrible acting and bemoan the missing parts that made the comic so good. It's a joyful, heartfelt tradition that we look forward to each week, and not much distracts us from this routine. Except, of course, a really good excuse to beat each other up.

This week we started our screen session with a local co-op round of The Behemoth's Battleblock Theater in Arena mode. Arena mode features a handful of four-player mini-games, all of which are co-op, two-on-two or every man for himself. We started with "Ball Game." After two hours of passing the controllers, running through various levels, rolling in laughter and punching each other whenever a sweet move went awry, someone suggested we start up The Walking Dead. The response was immediate.

"No way. We're playing this." And so we did, all night long.

Gallery: BattleBlock Theater (4/5/13)

CampaignCampaignCampaignArena ModeArena Mode

Continue reading Battleblock Theater review: Bring some friends and beat 'em up

JoystiqBattleblock Theater review: Bring some friends and beat 'em up originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>battleblock-theatermicrosoftthe-behemothxblaxboxxbox-livexbox-live-arcadeFri, 05 Apr 2013 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Harmoknight review: Out of step]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/05/harmoknight-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/05/harmoknight-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/05/harmoknight-review/#comments I love Game Freak. The studio's rise from being Satoshi Tajiri's one-man doujin strategy guide production house to creating Pokémon, a franchise beloved the world over, is both incredible and inspiring. But Pokémon's success also came with a cost. Before addicting a generation to pocket monsters, Game Freak made games of all different genres across multiple platforms - the awesome action/puzzler Mendel Palace for the NES, Jelly Boy and its sequel on SNES, and my personal favorite, Pulseman - a Mega Drive title I rank among the best 16-bit platformers ever made.

Since Pokémon took Japan by storm in 1995, however, Game Freak has devoted the vast majority of its resources to making more critters for us to catch. It's only made three non-Pokémon games since, most recently 2005's distressingly overlooked Drill Dozer on GBA. Now, 8 years after Drill Dozer, we've finally got another new and original Game Freak IP in Harmoknight. As a longtime fan of the developer - and someone very hungry for something new - I was eager to get my hands on this one.

Gallery: HarmoKnight

Continue reading Harmoknight review: Out of step

JoystiqHarmoknight review: Out of step originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 05 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsharmoknightnintendoFri, 05 Apr 2013 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 review: Thin shot]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/04/tiger-woods-pga-tour-14-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/04/tiger-woods-pga-tour-14-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/04/tiger-woods-pga-tour-14-review/#comments Golf is a sport of heritage, as much shaped by the past as it is the equipment and talent found in today's elite class of clubbers. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 pays homage to the former with the in-depth Legends of the Majors mode, a nostalgic big-budget presentation that takes players through a series of contests from golf's important moments of yesteryear. The latter is represented in the addition of connected tournaments, live contests where multiple golfers compete simultaneously online.

These two modes create a great balance of old and new, and provide just enough to keep Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 from feeling too much like iterative apathy.

Gallery: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14

Continue reading Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 review: Thin shot

JoystiqTiger Woods PGA Tour 14 review: Thin shot originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 04 Apr 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaea-sportsmicrosoftplaystationps3tiger-woods-pga-tour-14xboxThu, 04 Apr 2013 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Deja Review: Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/03/deja-review-monster-hunter-3-ultimate/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/03/deja-review-monster-hunter-3-ultimate/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/03/deja-review-monster-hunter-3-ultimate/#comments Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate is the latest revision in the long-running Capcom series, the last of which was seen on Western home consoles in 2010's Monster Hunter Tri. When the developer adds an "Alpha," "Turbo," or in this case "Ultimate," to a game's title, it typically signifies that the core parts of the game are unchanged. With Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate, players get the familiarity of Tri with the excitement of more quests, monsters and areas in which to hunt.

Ultimate spans two systems this time around, the Wii U and 3DS. Both versions kick off in Moga Village, putting you through the same tired paces as seen in the previous slow-burn introductions to the universe. Collect some mushrooms, defeat a Great Jaggi, catch three goldenfish, deliver some eggs and so on. Veteran hunters will have plenty of material to re-tread before the game resembles anything different than what they're used to.

Gallery: Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate 3DS (2/14/13)

Continue reading Deja Review: Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate

JoystiqDeja Review: Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dscapcomdeja-reviewmonster-hunter-3-ultimatenintendowii-uWed, 03 Apr 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[BioShock Infinite review: Of lions, lambs and liars]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/25/bioshock-infinite-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/25/bioshock-infinite-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/25/bioshock-infinite-review/#comments BioShock Infinite review Of lions, lambs and liarsBioShock Infinite weaves a complicated and intricate plot around ever-changing variables. Not only is it an evolving story that sees protagonist Booker DeWitt and the mysterious Elizabeth grow closer, but Irrational's latest deals with the hubris of a society built above the clouds, its ideals inflated with so much of the same hot air that propels it above the world below.

Though it touches on topics revolving around racism, religion, rebellion and revenge, these themes take a backseat to BioShock Infinite's primary topic: Love. Whether it be a society in love with its own patented brand of American Exceptionalism, a leader in love with his own self-appointed immortal image, or a pair of people that come together to care for one another, BioShock Infinite is a love story.

And it's an easy story to fall in love with.

Gallery: BioShock Infinite (03/25/2013)

Continue reading BioShock Infinite review: Of lions, lambs and liars

JoystiqBioShock Infinite review: Of lions, lambs and liars originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2K-Gamesbioshock-infiniteIrrational-Gamesmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxMon, 25 Mar 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dead Space 3 Awakened DLC review: Event horizon]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/dead-space-3-awakened-dlc-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/dead-space-3-awakened-dlc-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/22/dead-space-3-awakened-dlc-review/#comments Note: This review concerns events that happen after the ending of Dead Space 3. As such, it discusses elements that may spoil the story for those who haven't finished it. You have been warned.

Dead Space 3's "Awakened" DLC was pitched as a couple of different things. It was to serve as an epilogue to the game, presumably providing some clarity on the more nebulous plot points. It also promised to return players to the sort of horror that was more pronounced in the first two Dead Space games, a horror born of claustrophobia and psychosis.

Awakened delivers on these two points to a certain extent, but much more so on the former.

Gallery: Dead Space 3 'Awakened' DLC (03/07/2013)

Continue reading Dead Space 3 Awakened DLC review: Event horizon

JoystiqDead Space 3 Awakened DLC review: Event horizon originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dead-space-3dlceaelectronic-artsmicrosoftpcplaystationps3visceralvisceral-gamesxboxFri, 22 Mar 2013 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon review: Ghouls' Gold]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/21/luigis-mansion-dark-moon-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/21/luigis-mansion-dark-moon-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/21/luigis-mansion-dark-moon-review/#comments Ghost busting is a lucrative job. I don't know how much money Luigi makes as a plumber, but it can't be as much as he gets for vacuuming up ghosts. The spectres of Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon are positively stuffed with coins, cash and gold bars. (And so is the furniture - the mansion's owners won't notice if you pilfer an ingot or two, right?) Granted, it's terrifying work, but it's got to be better than playing second fiddle to the world-renowned Mario every day of your life.

As with most jobs, however, the problem isn't really the money. It's the grind. How many houses can you de-spook before supernatural elimination loses its luster? The answer, I've discovered, is right around five.

Gallery: Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (1/28/13)

Continue reading Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon review: Ghouls' Gold

JoystiqLuigi's Mansion: Dark Moon review: Ghouls' Gold originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsluigis-mansion-dark-moonnext-level-gamesnintendoThu, 21 Mar 2013 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm review: Zerg rushing towards resolution]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/18/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/18/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/18/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-review/#comments StarCraft 2 Heart of the Swarm review A zerg rush to the heartIn music theory, there's a series of notes called a tritone interval. (I'm a writer and a Rock Band player, not a musician, so bear with me, band members.) The tritone consists of three different whole tones: The first sets the stage, marks the spot on the musical scale that our ear can attune itself to. The second note is actually dissonant - it throws off the harmony, and introduces new elements so distasteful that the chord used to be called "The Devil in Music."

The third tone, however, finishes off the chord in exactly the right way, and brings resolution to all of the dissonance. Leonard Bernstein famously put the tritone to great use in the song "Maria" from West Side Story: "Ma-" is the beginning tone, "-ri-" shakes things up with some disharmony, and "-a" resolves the melody, justifying the lead couple's forbidden love.

Now, using that theory to talk about Blizzard's StarCraft 2 trilogy is a little unfair. The second campaign, Heart of the Swarm, isn't anywhere near "distasteful." But it does introduce plenty of new elements to the series, spinning off the RTS classic into places that Wings of Liberty never dared to go. And like that second note of a tritone, it makes sure to leave plenty of ambiguity and promise out there, making sure we're all ready for the big finale in Legacy of the Void.

Gallery: Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm

Continue reading StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm review: Zerg rushing towards resolution

JoystiqStarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm review: Zerg rushing towards resolution originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activisionactivision-blizzardblizzardblizzard-entertainmentfour-starsheart-of-the-swarmkerrigankerrigaynorlegacy-of-the-voidpcreviewstarcraft-2starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarmMon, 18 Mar 2013 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Gears of War: Judgment review: Horde mentality]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/18/gears-of-war-judgment-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/18/gears-of-war-judgment-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/18/gears-of-war-judgment-review/#comments There is a parable at the heart of Gears of War: Judgment, a tale of many people affecting the one. Though the words "Horde mode" are not to be found on its main menu, it is this revelatory multiplayer invention of Gears of War 2 that makes Gears of War: Judgment such a success.

The guiding principles and universal value of its simple proposition - you and your pals fight back against ever-encroaching waves of enemies - have been so bluntly interwoven into the campaign and multiplayer components of Gears of War: Judgment that it's impossible to miss. Horde mode helped put the Gears of War series on the map and, while the mode itself is technically absent from Gears of War: Judgment, the entire game is a learned execution of its logic.

Gallery: Gears of War: Judgment (3/7/13)

Continue reading Gears of War: Judgment review: Horde mentality

JoystiqGears of War: Judgment review: Horde mentality originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>epicepic-gamesgears-of-war-judgmentmicrosoftpeople-can-flyxboxMon, 18 Mar 2013 00:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Lego City Undercover review: Chip off the old block]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/14/lego-city-undercover-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/14/lego-city-undercover-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/14/lego-city-undercover-review/#comments Much like the toy these days, Lego City Undercover is both familiar and unfamiliar. Or, more to the point, it's two games masquerading as one, the first new and the second old.

The introduction of a tremendous open world, a plastic parody of a city full of whimsy to discover, and more importantly to collect, is what should define Lego's Wii U debut. This miniature metropolis sits alongside an almost wholly separate campaign, its tight, linear missions shuffling to the break-it-rebuild-it rhythm which has long been the Lego beat.

The first game, the exploratory open world collect-a-thon, is not just fresh, it's on the verge of greatness. It's unfortunate, then, that to fully enjoy it you must wade through the second game, the campaign, and all its relatively drab, through-the-motions familiarity.

Gallery: Lego City Undercover (12/17/12)

Continue reading Lego City Undercover review: Chip off the old block

JoystiqLego City Undercover review: Chip off the old block originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lego-city-storieslego-city-undercoverlego-city-undercover-the-chase-beginsnintendott-fusionwii-uThu, 14 Mar 2013 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Ridiculous Fishing review: Acute angler]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/14/ridiculous-fishing-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/14/ridiculous-fishing-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/14/ridiculous-fishing-review/#comments Ridiculous Fishing review Acute anglerVlambeer wouldn't want me to start my Ridiculous Fishing review by bringing up Ninja Fishing - and I kind of don't want to either - but Gamenauts' well-publicized clone actually works as an example of why Vlambeer's iOS update of its own browser game (which "inspired" Ninja Fishing) is so excellent, and so necessary.

Playing Ninja Fishing and Ridiculous Fishing in quick succession illustrates what a difference it makes to care about your audience. The concept may be similar, but Ridiculous Fishing outclasses its would-be competitor in every way.

It's just better.

Continue reading Ridiculous Fishing review: Acute angler

JoystiqRidiculous Fishing review: Acute angler originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>iosipadiphonemobileridiculous-fishingvlambeerThu, 14 Mar 2013 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate review: Symphony of the Fight]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/13/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-mirror-of-fate-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/13/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-mirror-of-fate-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/13/castlevania-lords-of-shadow-mirror-of-fate-review/#comments If the multi-tiered title didn't make it clear, "Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate" is a heavy thing. A glut of gothic gravitas manifests in a huge quest that peels out of its handheld frame, even while anchored by burly protagonists and sullen environments. It's a fine action game fueled by fervor, but in need of some finesse.

Mirror of Fate invites a fair comparison to older Castlevania games like Aria of Sorrow, which made light of a somber premise with whip-smart heroes, Michiru Yamane's upbeat score and a crisp, unfurling map of interconnected rooms. Dracula's dire abode was buoyed by brisk exploration, by coloring in each room on the diagram and expanding your navigational knowledge as you went about the business of slaying monsters. The combat found complexity in a large variety of swords, lances, axes, maces and daggers, each of which offered simple, easily decipherable changes.

This trip through the horror catalogue curtails the equipment to the chain-whip "Combat Cross," brandished by Gabriel Belmont in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, as well as a small but powerful set of exhaustible sub-weapons. There's more interest in ferocious fighting than traversal, and a far greater demand for concentration and finger gymnastics than you might expect.

Continue reading Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate review: Symphony of the Fight

JoystiqCastlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate review: Symphony of the Fight originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dscastlevania-lords-of-shadowcastlevania-lords-of-shadow-2castlevania-lords-of-shadow-mirror-of-fatekonamimercurysteamnintendoWed, 13 Mar 2013 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[SimCity review: They built this city to shock and troll]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/13/simcity-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/13/simcity-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/13/simcity-review/#comments I've written five different openings to this SimCity review over three days. Some felt ignorant of the game's disastrous launch, an element I openly wrestled with before writing this review. Others were too aggressive and awkwardly angry. I fired blindly with some fluffy paragraph about the fun of building, but that seemed disingenuous. I'm unlikely to go back to SimCity for some time. The game simply isn't fun.

Like 2003's SimCity 4, this new SimCity uses a regional map divided into playable zones that interact with one another, transporting commuters and allowing for a level of specialization in particular zones. Unlike SimCity 4's sprawling megalopolis created from a massive grid of connected tiles, the new SimCity's region zones are separated by gaps (think of a subway map where you play the stations but not the lines between). The current region selection supports as little as two and up to 16 zones.

SimCity is very user friendly and a hallmark of modern interface design and simulation transparency. I must stress that I'm speaking specifically about when players are in their particular zone, not when they are trying to discern anything from a regional perspective. Pipes and electricity now run along roads, removing two dull mayoral duties seen in previous games. Crime, pollution, education, and just about every other chart is no longer presented in some tiny pop-up window, but is instead delivered in full graphical glory as an overlay on the main game screen. It's also great that players can now expand on buildings, like giving the police more cars or adding classrooms to schools, but this also begins to highlight the cramped size of the zones.

Gallery: SimCIty (02/19/2013)

Continue reading SimCity review: They built this city to shock and troll

JoystiqSimCity review: They built this city to shock and troll originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eaelectronic-artsmaxispcsimcity-2013simcity-5Wed, 13 Mar 2013 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Vergil's Downfall DLC review: Downfall is right]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/vergils-downfall-dlc-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/vergils-downfall-dlc-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/vergils-downfall-dlc-review/#comments Vergil's DownfallImportant things first: Unlike in the full DMC: Devil May Cry, Vergil wears a total of zero fedoras in his spin-off DLC, "Vergil's Downfall."

Aside from that missed opportunity, Vergil's Downfall plays like a disowned, disgraced brother of Dante should. It resembles the main game and pulls directly from Dante's move list, copying his style and button mapping, but there's something inherently lackluster about the gameplay. Handling Vergil simply can't compare to the thrill of controlling Dante, and Vergil's pared-down weapons pale in comparison (as does his hair).

I'm not saying the addition of a fedora would have helped Vergil's Downfall, but it definitely couldn't have hurt.

Gallery: DmC: Devil May Cry - Vergil's Downfall (2/20/13)

Continue reading Vergil's Downfall DLC review: Downfall is right

JoystiqVergil's Downfall DLC review: Downfall is right originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CapcomDLCdmc-devil-may-crymicrosoftninja-theorypcplaystationps3vergils-downfallxboxTue, 12 Mar 2013 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[MLB 2K13 review: Shameless]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/mlb-2k13-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/mlb-2k13-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/mlb-2k13-review/#comments MLB 2K13 review Shameless"Milwaukee Brewers closer John Axford has a sweet mustache. The commentary team in Major League Baseball 2K12, Steve Phillips, Gary Thorne, and John Kruk even spend time talking about it when he's on the mound, throwing strikes. Yes, dialogue was recorded specifically to discuss the pitcher's facial hair - and yet Axford's player model is clean-shaven with some average-joe sideburns."

So began my review of MLB 2K12 a year ago, though it could just as easily serve as a fitting introduction for a review of MLB 2K13. Axford's facial hair hasn't changed in MLB 2K13 - and neither has the game. I take that back: The Online Leagues feature has been removed, the Houston Astros are now in the AL and Tampa Bay Rays pitcher David Price is on the cover. There, I think we're pretty much all caught up.

Continue reading MLB 2K13 review: Shameless

JoystiqMLB 2K13 review: Shameless originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2K-SportsmicrosoftMLBmlb-2k13playstationps3Visual-ConceptsxboxTue, 12 Mar 2013 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Etrian Odyssey 4: Legends of the Titan review: The warm embrace of exploration]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/etrian-odyssey-4-legends-of-the-titan-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/etrian-odyssey-4-legends-of-the-titan-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/etrian-odyssey-4-legends-of-the-titan-review/#comments Etrian Odyssey 4 Legends of the Titan review The warm embrace of explorationThis year is starting to feel like an embarrassment of riches for RPG fans who own the Nintendo 3DS. Fire Emblem is out, Pokemon X/Y and Shin Megami Tensei: Soul Hackers are on the way, and now we've got Etrian Odyssey 4: Legends of the Titan.

Admittedly, Etrian Odyssey is not a series that I would necessarily recommend to everyone. It has a history of being very tough, and its story (such as it is) is on the sparse side. But despite looking much the same as the original Nintendo DS games, changes are afoot with Etrian Odyssey 4, many of them for the better.

The most important change, arguably, is that it's easier. A lot easier. Not that it's overly simple or anything; but compared to the first three games, the opening areas are a breeze. This is good, because Etrian Odyssey long delighted in simply tossing players into its trademark labyrinths, then watching them die. This way, at least, newcomers have a chance to see what really makes Etrian Odyssey great.

Gallery: Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan

Continue reading Etrian Odyssey 4: Legends of the Titan review: The warm embrace of exploration

JoystiqEtrian Odyssey 4: Legends of the Titan review: The warm embrace of exploration originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Mar 2013 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3dsatlusetrian-odyssey-4nintendoTue, 12 Mar 2013 13:15:00 EST<![CDATA[MLB 13: The Show review: Five-tool player]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/mlb-13-the-show-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/mlb-13-the-show-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/12/mlb-13-the-show-review/#comments Baseball has roots as deep and interwoven in the culture of America as any other tradition, a pastime that Baseball legend and Hall of Famer Ted Williams says is "the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer." MLB 13: The Show is beyond a good performer, setting the bar that much higher with utilitarian improvements that push to evolve the solid core experience rather than simply offering new modes of play or flashier presentation.

MLB 13: The Show is, like its predecessor, the best baseball video game to ever hit the market. Developer Sony San Diego is the die-hard fan rocking the nosebleeds, calculating pitcher ERA and WHIP in a crummy little note book at each and every home game. Their care and diligence has paid off yet another year, as MLB 13: The Show is, in a word, excellent.

MLB 13: The Show champions the best parts of iterative development, a triumph that doesn't feel like a rubber stamp sequel despite the lack of any one dramatic improvement or addition that I can point to as this year's theme. Instead, the tweaks and changes in MLB 13: The Show come from practical points of view, changes that mean to build even more upon the series' flawless foundation.

Gallery: MLB 13: The Show

Continue reading MLB 13: The Show review: Five-tool player

JoystiqMLB 13: The Show review: Five-tool player originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 12 Mar 2013 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>baseballMLBmlb-13-the-showplaystationplaystation-vitaps3sony-san-diegovitaTue, 12 Mar 2013 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[God of War: Ascension review: Spectacle slipstream]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/11/god-of-war-ascension-review-spectacle-slipstream/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/11/god-of-war-ascension-review-spectacle-slipstream/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/11/god-of-war-ascension-review-spectacle-slipstream/#comments God of War Ascension review Everything that rises must convergeIn the race for spectacle, Sony Santa Monica's God of War franchise is constantly attempting to lap itself. From striking down a god to tearing down giants, it would seem there are few bodies - human, mythical being, god or behemoth - left for Kratos to shatter. In response to the angry protagonist's bloody evolution, Santa Monica has ventured to the only place left for Kratos to wage war: the past.

God of War: Ascension tells the story of Kratos before the events of his all-out war against Ares, the Greek God of War. But the narrative fabric woven throughout the franchise has begun to split, and Ascension's thinly constructed premise does little to enhance its characters in any meaningful way.

Its narrative issues aside, Ascension provides the distinct God of War flair required to eradicate all that stands in Kratos' way. Wielding a familiar set of chained blades, the popular anti-hero fluidly works his murder-pinwheel magic to perfection. The combat system, however, is less complicated than before, abandoning an arsenal of collected weaponry in favor of sticking with Kratos' trusty, sharp sidekicks. It's Kratos at his least materialistic, eschewing the pack-rat mentality of previous entries in favor of simplicity.

Gallery: God of War: Ascension (3/11/13)

Continue reading God of War: Ascension review: Spectacle slipstream

JoystiqGod of War: Ascension review: Spectacle slipstream originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>god-of-war-ascensionplaystationps3Santa-Monica-StudioSony-Santa-MonicaMon, 11 Mar 2013 17:45:00 EST