10 Titles, One Post: Quickie Reviews #1

A quick update before we begin: We have not forgotten, nor abandoned, our attempts at a podcast. It will be coming back, and soon. Current plan is for the week of September 16th, though that's not a hard deadline.

Tonight, I'm going to review some games I've played that just didn't conjure up enough in me to validate a full piece. Some are good, others are not, but all shall be judged.

Skullgirls

Skullgirls is a fighting game designed by tournament player Michael Zaimont, who was looking to take his favorite game(Marvel vs. Capcom 2), and reintroduce a similar system that was much more fair, while still being incredibly nuanced and deep. It has recieved a lot of flak for only having 8 characters upon release, and the entire system was changed with a patch in November, due to some last minute changes causing a less-than-desireable play experience. Overall, it is competent, and looks fantastic, though, due to the limited roster and lack of sales, at times incredibly stale, and hard to find other people to play with. 

Grade: B

Max Payne

Max Payne is a highly stylized third-person shooter, with a great story, and a lot of interesting modes and mechanics. The story is fantastic, and is told through comic book styled cutscenes. It is still one of the most enjoyable titles of the past 15 years, and much of that is owed to it's replayability. This is the game that took Bullet Time from the Matrix, and introduced it to the gaming world, and with it's self-adjusting difficulty, can always surprise you. The biggest complaint I've heard from other fans is that the game is just too short, and I tend to agree. Of note is the New York Minute mode, in which you are given one minute with which to complete the game, gaining extra time whenever you score a kill, making for a challenging speed-run, and one of the most unique experiences of the last console generation.

Grade: A-

Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1

When otherwise good development teams go wrong, you end up with games like Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. It tries to be everything that its Sega Genesis predecessors were, at times blatantly ripping them off, but control is sluggish, and the game is too easy. With the ability to replay a level at any time, and being able to grind earlier stages for Chaos Emeralds and 1-ups, it's far too easy to become Super Sonic and be sitting on a stockpile of 100 or more lives. The new addition of the homing jump has it's uses at times, but is otherwise more of a nuisance, and with only 4 short chapters, there's not a lot worth seeing here.

Grade: C

Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward

The sequel to Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors expands upon its predecessor in nearly every way, though it has some more downsides. A combination Visual Novel and Room Escape game, the story sequences are there to fill the time between puzzles, though, it is well thought out, and is a worthy successor to 999 in that regard. The problems tend to come in with some of the later puzzle rooms, which are far more confusing than anything in 999, and the hints given by other characters don't help all that much. There are also times where the story sequences drag on for a bit too long between rooms, and with the already slow pacing of the genre, it can be tedious to finish certain story arcs. Neither release of the game is flawless, either, with the Vita version not having precise enough touchscreen control at times(Some of the objects needed to complete puzzles are seemingly impossible to pick up due to too-small detection areas), and the 3DS version has a nasty bug with a habit of wiping save files.

Grade: B

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune

Essentially Indiana Jones: The Game, Uncharted is the tale of treasure hunter Nathan Drake. Full of setpiece moments, one-liners, and over-the-top action sequences, it's an enjoyable ride, but it's not without problems. Its overtuned difficulty, sometimes frustrating climbing mechanics, and oddly spaced checkpoints can cause hours of headaches. The cold open is action-packed and enjoyable, but the first few chapters following it slow to a crawl, and make it difficult to get to the real meat of the package. It takes an interesting third act turn that is equally telegraphed and completely out of the blue, which can lead to either excitement or disappointment, depending on your view of it.

Grade: B+

Alice: Madness Returns

The sequel to American McGee's Alice, the best reason to purchase this is that new copies come with the original. Underwhelming in nearly every aspect, with too-long chapters, basic combat, and less creative platforming than the first. If you've never played the original, and find it otherwise unavailable(Talking to you, console gamers), this is worth the $20 price point, but otherwise is entirely skippable.

Grade: C-

Retro City Rampage

All the ridiculousness of Saints Row The Third, with more parodies and 80's jokes than the Scary Movie series. Played in the classic top-down 2D Grand Theft Auto style, Retro City Rampage is a fun downloadable title that does nothing to move the bar, but instead, sits comfortably upon it.

Grade: B

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles HD

One of the best on rail shooters I've played in a while, having the ability to control the camera, and the option to wield your knife in up-close situations were nice additions, though having unlimited handgun ammo in a Resident Evil title feels out of place. Some of the chapters overstay their welcome, but it's mostly well paced, and packs a surprising amount of content.

Grade: B+

Black Knight Sword

Black Knight Sword is a somewhat modernized version of the classic 2D action platformer from the 8- and 16-bit era. It does some new things, but, mostly, it's just a lot of jumping around and stabbing enemies. It's short, and the art, while well done, can be disturbing at times. With little to no story, outside of some bizarre and dark tales told at the beginning of each chapter, I can only recommend it if you're a fan of Grasshopper Manufacture's other works, or if you're a devoted fan of the genre.

Grade: C

The Cave

The Cave is a quirky adventure game made by Double Fine, and directed by Ron Gilbert. When the game starts, you choose a party of 3, from a varied cast of 7(each with their own special ability), and make your way into the cave. Many areas of the cave are character specific, so you'll have to play through at least 3 times to see all of it, and with 2 endings for each of the characters, it can take many more. It doesn't take particularly long for a playthrough, a few hours at most, and around an hour when you know what to do, and there's no real penalty for dying. Most of the game is solving puzzles(which often requires using more than one character) and platforming, though the dark and, at times, self-referential humor of the game makes it more of a treat than a chore. It's an experience I recommend, even though it is short.

Grade: B+