Game Reviews
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Battle Chasers: Nightwar – Review
Battle Chasers: Nightwar is the latest game by Airship Syndicate, a studio comprising of some of the folks behind Darksiders. However, Battle Chasers is as far from Darksiders as you can get, and is a turn based RPG that takes inspirations from popular JRPG classics, and peppers in a good measure of procedural generation. The guy heading the studio, Joe Madureira, is also the same guy behind the Battle Chasers comic book series, and the game is set in the same universe. While Battle Chasers takes inspirations from older JRPGs, it’s presented in a visually striking manner that’s gorgeous to look at both in and out of combat. The isometric view while exploring the world does a great job of showing you points of interest, and combat encounters happen in a 2D side view manner, with the same ar...
Armello – Review
As much as I love board games, it’s not always easy to get together a group friends or even manage the time to do so. It’s here that virtual board games come in handy, and Armello offers one of the most enjoyable experiences, be it playing alone or with friends. You start off with some basic tutorials that do an excellent job of easing you into the game and familiarizing you with it’s many rules. There are eight characters you can play as, and each of them have their own characteristics and abilities. You move them around the board to progress through the game, while tackling combat scenarios and avoiding dangers. At it’s core, Armello is a fantasy battle between animals to rule a kingdom. You objective is to kill the King. The King is constantly taking damage due to a disease called ‘The ...
The Hunter: Call Of The Wild – Review
There’s an odd sense of serenity and tranquility to The Hunter: Call Of The Wild, a game primarily about stalking and hunting your prey. This comes due to the thoughtful and methodical nature of how the game plays out. And also due to the visually stunning landscapes that you pursue your hunts in. Unlike most first person shooters, The Hunter: Call Of The Wild is a slow paced affair of tracking animals by their hoofprints and sounds. You need to be careful while making your approach, and make sure to stay low and hidden to avoid alerting your prey. The animals themselves are acutely aware of their surroundings, and will flee at a moment’s notice. Finding them after that can be tough, since the underbrush and the woods are rife with hiding spots. The HUD elements are presented really well, ...
Steamworld Dig 2 – Review
Steamworld Dig was a fantastic take on a steampunk western post apocalypse, and Steamworld Dig 2 expands on its predecessor in almost every way, with hand-crafted levels instead of procedural generation, excellent platforming, better level design and enemy encounters, RPG systems, and a significant visual upgrade. For those new to the series, Steamworld Dig 2 is a mix of digging, exploration, platforming, and combat. It’s a 2D side-scroller and has a simple yet enjoyable story that holds up well enough to push you along. You play as Dorothy who’s searching for Rusty, and old friend who’s gone missing, and was also the protagonist in the first game. Tremors have shook the world, and it’s up to Dorothy to dig in deep and discover what’s causing them. While the premise is simple, the presenta...
Serial Cleaner – Review
While most games set you out with the objective of committing murder, Serial Cleaner begins right after a murder has taken place. You play as a professional cleaner, a Serial Cleaner, whose job is to clean up evidence from the scene of a murder. Imagine going around in GTA V creating absolute ruckus, and a pile of bodies behind you, only to come back later and see everything spick and span. Well, now you know that the Serial Cleaner has been through the area, and that’s who you play as in this game. The game presents itself with a ton of style and the presentation is top notch. You are given an aerial view of the crime scene, and tasked with getting rid of the bodies and other evidence left around the place. The hiccup is – the cops are already here and you need to be sneaky to get a...
Raiders Of The Broken Planet – Review
Raiders of the Broken Planet is not what you would expect. It’s a third person shooter that feels really off when you start playing. It’s hard to pinpoint it exactly, but you can feel it nonetheless. However, there’s also something about it that kept me going. The art style, the presentation, and the gameplay is just different enough to make you want to stick with it and see what it’s all about. And you’ll be amply rewarded for it. To put it simply, Raiders of the Broken Planet is a 4 player co-op game, which you could play solo, or you could play as an Antagonist instead of one of the protagonists, and try to disrupt other players’ progress. You take on missions across various areas, and from the beginning there’s a good scale of spectacle and grandiose. This is complimented by the game’s...
Dishonored: Death of the Outsider – Review
Death Of The Outsider is what is being called these days an expand-alone. It’s a standalone DLC expansion for the Dishonored series, and has you playing as Billy Lurk, trying to kill the ultimate target – The Outsider. The Outsider has been an enigmatic figure in the series – the source of all the power, but always staying in the shadows. However, the same power he offers seems to come at a terrible price, and it’s time to end it. Fans of the Dishonored series will be instantly comfortable with what Death of the Outsider has to offer. While all the powers have been changed in some ways, the core of the game remains the same. The first person stealth is still top notch, and, once you get the hang of it, the combat is fun as as always. The new powers are one of the highlights her...
Rock Of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder – Review
Rock of Ages 2 brings back all the humor, tower defense and hilariously inaccurate plot style from the previous game, and steps it up a notch in every way imaginable. ACE Team’s original Rock of Ages was lauded for the great gameplay, quirky mechanics, and tons of clever dialogues. Rock of Ages 2: Bigger & Boulder pretty much delivers on exactly what the name stands for. It’s bigger and there’s most definitely a boulder. You play as Atlas, who, after accidentally dropping the World on his shoulders, ends up in a clash against major historic figures – both fictional and nonfictional – such as Joan of Arc, King Henry VIII, Don Quixote, and so on. While the plot might seem thin at first, it’s laden with hilarious writing through and through, complimented by goofy cutscenes. Yo...
Maize – Review
I hadn’t heard too much about Maize before I started playing it, except that it had been made by a small team, and was a bit weird – in a good way. Before starting, I also went to the game’s Steam Page where it said – Maize is a first-person adventure game about what happens when two scientists misinterpret a memo from the U.S. Government and create sentient corn. And that last sentence is pretty much the least ridiculous thing about the game. As you can imagine, I was all in, and I am guessing you would be too. The game starts off with you in the middle of a corn field, trying to figure your way out. It’s eerily silent, and looks a bit grim. You won’t be wrong to think that maybe this is not a weird funny game after all, instead there might be a jump scare just around the corn...
Marvel Vs Capcom: Infinite – Review
At a glance, Marvel Vs Capcom: Infinite is sure to turn off players, due to its lackluster visuals and character design. However, for those willing to dig slightly beneath the surface, there’s an incredibly deep and satisfying fighting game. Like the previous games in the franchise, you’ll find a strong roster of characters from the Capcom and Marvel universe, and all of them have powers unique to them, while being tweaked for balance in competitive play. You team up characters and pit them against others in chaotic fights, tagging players in and out as needed. Say what you will about the character designs, the arenas themselves are actually really well designed, and set a spectacular stage for the fights. The fighting itself is also top notch, reminding us why this brawler is so beloved ...
Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 – Review
I’ve always enjoyed open world games for the most part, especially those that do stealth well. And when I heard of Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 going open world, I was really excited. The trailers were interesting, and the game looked really promising. The good thing is that when it comes to the gameplay, Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 offers some really fun and engaging options. Sadly, a bland open world and some technical issues (significantly fewer post patches) hold it back from realizing its true potential. If you’ve been playing any of the big recent open world shooters, then Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 will make you feel immediately comfortable. Maybe even too comfortable, since the game hesitates to deviate from the well trodden path or innovate in a way to establish its own identity. Luckily, the g...
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana – Review
The Ys series has had a niche yet staunch audience over the many years the series has been active, mainly because of strong storytelling and engaging gameplay. Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana marks the latest entry in the series that follows tradition, and adds some significant improvements, which makes it the easily among the best entry in the franchise, both for fans and newcomers. Long time hero in the series, Adol Christin makes a return. However, unlike previous Ys games, he’s isn’t instantly entrusted with saving the world, or ordained a legend by prophecy, or a familiar JRPG tropes. Instead, the game has strongly rooted narrative, well as rooted as it gets in fantasy JRPGs, that is surprisingly compelling and absorbing. You start the game aboard a ship, headed for Eresia. On the way, you...