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Monday 31 March 2014

Alan Wake's American Nightmare - Completed

Although the combat seems to have improved on the predecessor, not much else really has… This may be more of an arcade style title, but the campaign is pretty much the same three small areas replayed three times; each time made slightly different… So it often feels like a very lazily slapped together game!

The arcade ‘horde’ mode although fairly entertaining isn't particularly good enough to warrant return visits or to even offer a great deal of extended game-play…

I guess, buying American Nightmare in the sales on Steam for a quick action experience is fair enough but I’d avoid this game at standard price, there just simply isn't enough content to justify it!






Alan Wake - Completed

At first I didn't know what to think about this game. The gameplay surprised me a bit, and to be honest, I thought to myself in the tutorials: "Is this it?"

But I decided to keep on playing, and I'm glad I did. I got used to the gameplay and it became rather fun. But that's not where the strong point is in this game.
What impressed me about Alan Wake is the story line and how the game is set up. You're playing as a writer, and the game is played as if you were reading a book, or listening to an audio book. It has chapters, and even narration by Alan Wake so we can explore his thoughts and truly know how and what he feels.

The ending didn't leave me wanting for more, but it sure was a confusing, yet climatic ending.
All in all, Alan Wake has a great story line, and is in my opinion one of the best horror games I've played story wise.






AI War: Fleet Command - Completed

This game works almost entirely because it throws away the standard RTS convention of trying to make the AI players act like human players. The AI in this game is an AI. It acts like an AI. It's deliberately designed to play differently then a human. As a result, a lot of the stupid cheating that other games do in order to make the AI a challenge while giving it the human's rules don't exist here.

The AI is not playing with the same rules you are, but it is playing a well defined set of rules.

Exploiting the AI isn't cheesy in this game, it's virtually required on higher difficulty (and not as easy as it sounds, the AI gets pretty mean). The goal is to beat the AI while taking as few planets as possible, because the more you take the more aggressive the AI gets in response. Graphics are nothing to write home about. Soundtrack is good.

Ship selection is good, and insanely huge if you have the expansions. Any serious RTS fan should give this one a try.





Sunday 30 March 2014

AZMD! Scorepocalypse - Completed

All Zombies Must Die was my go to game when I just wanted to mindlessly kill a few zombies while having a little giggle along the way. It wasn't graphically intensive so I could play it on my net book on the go, so I was kind of looking forward to playing this sequel.

There isn't really a story to this one, it is just a set of challenges in which you must get the highest "Score" possible. I had an absolute blast playing it but I found it extremely hard to get the final few achievements where you have to beat the Dev's scores.

Really enjoyable few hours gaming here with tons of replay-ability.





Machinarium - Completed

Machinarium is quite simply one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had. The game is beautiful, with brilliant animation and a great hand drawn art style creating a charm that immerses you in the game world.

The music is great and also adds to the immersion. The story is full of interesting, quirky characters and is strung together with intriguing, intelligently designed puzzles (with only a rare few feeling confusing).

Overall, Machinarium is a unique, refreshing experience that oozes charm and style. I would highly recommend this to all.






Hitman: Sniper Challenge - Completed

This game is not just a pre-order bonus to Absolution, but a game in it self. The first one to test your sniper skills, this game is just way too good.

Challenging others, scoring up, and being precise in your sniping so as not to alert the enemy, the game has its own personal merit, apart from the "Hitman" name tag on it.

Unfortunately there is a choice of one and only one sniper rifle. Along with that, it only features just one mission but still a really fantastic little game.





Hitman: Codename 47 - Completed

This game is amazing, and was amazing, almost 14 year on, maybe the graphics are dated, but the gameplay still takes your breathe away and leaves you thinking.

The game is hard as nails but that makes it even more of an achievement when you finish it. I love the story, the setting and 47 himself. I really love these Hitman games, one of my favorite series'.




Saturday 29 March 2014

MacGuffin's Curse - Completed

As far as puzzle games go, MacGuffin's Curse is certainly challenging enough, but does rely heavily on a couple of core mechanics to the point that it feels repetitive after a while.

On the plus side, all the "flavor" stuff thrown in -- story, characters, mini-games, etc. -- goes a long way to keeping you interested in seeing what happens next.






Lost Planet 3 - Completed

Great dialogue writing and acting can't help when the plot is boring and gameplay is so repetitive and irritating. Graphics are okay though.

Stay away or you will be insanely bored and frustrated.




The Lord of the Rings: War in the North - Completed

I really enjoyed playing this game, the combat is fun, the graphics look great, the skill trees are rewarding, and I am really enjoying the story. The combat feels like a blend of the best of Skyrim and Warcraft.

The only legitimate thing that could be said against it are the inventory system could be a bit more polished, the story could be longer and there could be more scope for exploration. These things are easily forgotten as you play through the game hacking the heads off orcs, eagerly awaiting your next level.

I have had no connection issues. I thoroughly recommend the game as one of the finest co-op action rpgs out there.






The Longest Journey - Completed

A true gamer would care not for the graphics quality but for the game's true quality.
The story is beautiful, and the characters are very easy to relate to.

The puzzles are not too difficult, but also fairly challenging. There is also humor in the game.

It's one of those games that are long and they grow on you and after you finish it, it's a shock. I still wish to stay in that world. I wish the longest journey were a longer journey.





Friday 28 March 2014

Long Live the Queen - Completed

Don't judge a book by its cover... or in this case, don't judge a queen by her age. This is not so much a game as it is a 'monarchy' simulator. The endless paths you can take to progress and the cute characters make this pretty addicting. I found it fun to restart and try out different strategies and take different decisions. Whether I win or die, there is never a moment when I truly rage quit.

I normally cringe at any anime type of stuff, but this wasn't too bad.







Little Inferno - Completed

Pretty fun and setting things on fire as the main focus of game play is a new mechanic for me. It has an interesting "story" if you will that gets you thinking.

Not much of a reason for another play through after you beat it.



LIMBO - Completed

Turning the limitations of a small Indy game into a strength, Limbo is short but fun, has a memorable art style and is a must play downloadable game.

The visuals of Limbo are simple and effectively create an eerie atmosphere better than most AAA video games. The game play is simple but adequately fun, the game physics are great and there are some memorable little game moments found in Limbo.

Less can be more which is a lesson that the rest of the industry should learn. Recommended.






Lilly Looking Through - Completed

Lilly Looking Through is a short but very good adventure game, with beautiful animations and tricky puzzles, and it looks perfect to be played in family, even if the end is so frustrating.