DeVuego

All told, my only complaint regarding AR-K: The Great Escape is that I haven’t had the opportunity yet to jump backwards and see the tale unfold from the beginning. Despite coming in halfway through the series’ projected four-episode delivery, though, I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent. With high-quality writing, voice acting, and graphic design, it stands well above the expectations I had going in, and I’d easily recommend it to anyone who’s a fan of the point-and-click genre. 

When all is said and done, Blasphemous 2 is exactly what it sets out to be. It meets and surpasses the benchmark set by the original ever so slightly, all while offering some new innovations to keep the formula fresh. 

All in all, Disney Speedstorm is a game that I can see myself returning to, both for the new seasons and to dive into high-action races with my favorite Disney personalities. There aren’t many other live service games in the racing genre, so for those who love cosmetics, Disney, or playing with friends, this title will be a great addition to the mix and an upbeat way to take a break from the shooters and battle royales.

Fraught, lonely, and emotionally devastating, Enderling: Extinction is Forever is a powerful example of the kinds of experiences that are only possible through the medium of video games.

It’s possible that nostalgia has quite a bit to do with it, but I had a great time with FullBlast. Those who miss the genre, or who simply aren’t quick-reacting enough for the more punishing bullet hell style, should certainly give it a look. 

Funk of Titans is a game full of missed opportunities and it’s really a shame. The game has a solid premise that would be good for some great laughs and varied gameplay, it just never seems to deliver. The developers could’ve had a field day with the different genres of music and really put a special touch on each world. Instead you’re left with an over-simplified platformer that doesn’t provide any real incentive to play.

As a one-off experience or one-time playthrough, GRIS is certainly one of the most artistic and provocative experiences I’ve seen in video games. While I would’ve liked to see a more fleshed out world, with meaningful collectibles and more puzzles to solve, GRIS is still worth a look for anyone who has an interest in platformers or silent stories.

Ultimately, such foibles ought to be expected for a game that is not intended for drawn out marathoning. You are meant to pick up Monster Prom, take a crack at a new target, try out some new decisions or events, and then leave. The writing may make sticking around longer enticing, but it dries up the well – and what is there is absolutely marvelous, and worth preserving. For this reason, it fares a bit better as a multiplayer game than a single-player one, a standalone entry in a genre that is not known for catering to that demographic. For the lone Casanova, it is still most certainly worth giving a go, so long as you’re aware of its limitations going in.

Despite the fact that Moonlighter doesn’t do anything incredibly new, it still feels like a wholly unique experience. The combination of dungeons and shopkeeping creates a great gameplay loop that encourages exploration, and the game’s aesthetic really helps drive everything home. There’s definitely a bit of micromanaging to do with its myriad systems, but it all connects into a surprisingly satisfying experience.

At the end of the day, Moonlighter: Between Dimensions is an acceptable DLC drop for a fair price. As long as you like the original release and want more of the same, Between Dimensions comes highly recommended, as it extends your time in Rynoka. Otherwise, those expecting anything to freshen up the experience, or hoping for game-changing additions, will be met with swift disappointment.

Releasing September 1 on Steam, I’d highly recommend the title to nearly anyone, and if PC gaming isn’t your thing, Yanim Studios plans to bring the title to Wii U and PlayStation Vita in early 2016. If you’re a fan of the genre, while you may not find anything truly innovative in the actual gameplay, the story and all-around design makes it more than worth a look. Challenging and rewarding, Red Goddess: Inner World is one that I think has slipped under the radar despite some excellent potential.

When all is said and done, Temtem is far more than its inspirations. Though it stumbles occasionally, the game offers an experience that even the most grizzled Pokémon fan will enjoy while also building up a new world for fresh players to marvel at. It’s a must-play and a strong showing of what could be a major series moving forward.

The Crow’s Eye Is Sinister, Intriguing, and a Little Too Much like Portal

ByChaz MillerPosted on March 17, 2017 crows eye header SHARE TWEET SHARE EMAIL

THE CROW’S EYE ON PC

One of the best things about video games, as a medium, is the way that players interact with interesting worlds and stories in order to create an all-around experience that delivers a combination of expectations and surprises. When I first jumped in to review The Crow’s Eye, all I knew about the title was that it was some manner of psychological horror. What I found as I progressed was something that was certainly more, and which challenged my expectations at several twists and turns through its story.

At its core, The Crow’s Eye is the tale of a dark and sinister experiment deep within a crumbling university, called Crowswood. Players begin the tale with little exposition or explanation about their surroundings, taking the only opening cues from a voice drifting in over the university’s PA system — one that sounds like it’s doing its best imitation of Mark Hamil’s Joker from Batman: the Animated Series. The game’s opening chapters are largely focused on exploration and discovery, with notes and audio tapes laying the groundwork for the story thus far alongside the shrill urgings of Dr. William Holtwick over the loudspeakers.

The Crow's Eye University

Perhaps the most confusing feature of this early going is that, as players discover more and more about the world, there’s no clear indication of their role in it. A number of names come up time and again in the audio tapes and scattered notes — at first, it seems as if you’re embroiled in a police investigation surrounding several students who’ve disappeared, but the deeper into the university you travel, the more sinister things seem to become.

Unfortunately, The Crow’s Eye seems to suffer a bit from a lack of identity. While the atmosphere and setting is firmly rooted in the horror genre, the actual gameplay seems to delve further and further into Portal-style puzzle-solving and platforming. While several of the puzzles are interesting and difficult, the disparity between the game’s ambiance and appearance and the requirements to move on grows further; there’s even a section that feels ripped directly from the Portal franchise, down to the large bold numbers painted on the walls and the complex jumping puzzles across decrepit architecture and moving platforms.

The Crow's Eye Platform Puzzle

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Portal-style puzzler without some unique gear. While players spend much of the opening acts equipped only with a lighter to pierce the pervasive darkness, The Crow’s Eye does eventually hand over some more interesting tools, including lockpicks and a gas mask. The most useful and central to progression later on, though, is the electromagnet. Working as a flashlight and as an object-manipulation and movement tool, this critical piece of gear plays a leading role in many of the game’s latter-stage puzzles.

The biggest downfall, quite literally, that The Crow’s eye suffers from is platforming sections. The controls, while suitable for exploration and discovery, aren’t particularly well-honed for precision jumping, crouching, and weaving across moving platforms and other elements. This makes the stretches of the game that rely on these things more frustrating than they might be otherwise, and more than once I had to stop, close the game, and take a break before making another attempt. The game’s limited save-point system adds some to this frustration by sometimes forcing backtracking when the platforming gets the best of you.

The Crow's Eye Block Puzzle

All in all, The Crow’s Eye is an interesting title with an interesting enough story, but with some hurdles to uncovering that story and the world in which it’s set. Its dedication to dangling the carrot of freedom — and the conclusion of the convoluted tale — is commendable, and players will spend much of the game feeling as though the end is just around the next corner or past the next locked door. Like the experiments its characters describe, The Crow’s Eye becomes a trial of how much players are willing to endure for that final piece of its puzzles. The Crow’s Eye releases March 20th on Steam.

By simply being an interactive experience, ‘The Longest Road on Earth’ won’t be for everyone, but if you’re a fan of the genre or want some ‘chill out time’, or even just want something to serve as food for reminiscent thoughts, I implore you to find a moment to take a stroll down this road. If nothing else, it’s a reminder to stop and smell the roses every once in a while. Life’s too short not to.