Sure, BasketBelle's gameplay is fairly limited, its controls anything but smooth, and its length incredibly brief, but none of that really mattered to me. The imagination and love flowing through the constantly evolving journey was all I needed to allow me to sink into its gorgeous backgrounds as I dribbled with alien monsters, learned to fly, and bonded with my sister all in time for bed.
Read MoreThe Banner Saga’s awe inspiring scope is both its biggest strength and weakness.
Read MoreI’m not sure I’ve ever played a game that’s taken me on the sort of rollercoaster of conflicting opinions as Alien: Isolation did.
Read MoreFlash forward many years later and here we have Double Dragon: Neon, a loving recreation of the now several decade old original, decked out with a slick presentation and some much-needed refinement to the now rather archaic mechanics that hold up much better in my memories than reality.
Read MoreAfter three games and two expansions, I thought Bioshock and by extension Irrational Games had run out of ways to surprise me. I thought I knew all their tricks, the sort of experience I was in for, and how to overcome the obstacles they threw at me. I thought I was prepared for the second half of Burial at Sea, Irrational's final piece of work before its disassembly, but, well, you can probably guess from this introduction just how accurate all that hypothesizing actually was.
Read MoreThe first half of Burial Sea is that rare bit of DLC that manages to add to an experience without feeling like it was stripped out of the original game; expanding upon threads left over from Bioshock: Infinite and providing closure to a few loose ends it didn't have time to wrap up.
Read MoreThe scope and ambition of Bioshock: Infinite is in itself difficult to fully take in, but it’s in seeing this ambition conceptualized in such astounding fashion that causes it to become almost exhausting to try to appreciate the vast amount of layers laid in such an intricate pattern required to make it what it is.
Read MoreIt’s simple vector graphics twist and contort into images and designs which far succeed the simplicity with which they’re drawn, even more impressive in motion as you speed through levels barely having time to take it all in. The artistry and style expressed in these moments is at times stunning and always stimulating, mesmerizing and drastically different in tone and setting in each passing scene.
Read MoreHatoful Boyfriend is more nuanced and compelling than it has any right to be.
Read MoreIt’s probably not an understatement to say I was rather taken aback by how much I ended up enjoying The Curse of Brotherhood. Its beautiful scenery pulled me in, and the leisurely platforming and puzzle solving kept me there throughout an experience that continued to surprise me the further I got in. Some may scoff at the low difficulty, but in terms of simple fun and creativity I haven’t played something quite as nice for too long.
Read MoreOutlast might not be the absolute pinnacle of interactive horror, but it's certainly close and an impressive bar for other developers to shoot for.
Read MoreBioshock 2 was set up almost from the onset to be a colossal failure. It was to follow one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time, by a different developer, with the inclusion of a seemingly tacked on multiplayer mode to a series that had absolutely no need for one. It had every possibility to be a disaster, which makes it almost shocking that it arrived in a state that was not only comparable to the original game, but improved and expanded on it as well in ways that would be hard to go back from. It’s the sequel I never expected; maybe nobody did.
Read MoreDespite all the years since its release, very few games have managed to match the scope and creativity of Bioshock's world and mechanics (even its own two sequels). It's an astounding achievement in every area of its design, and the sort of game that would be fair to consider something of a requirement to play.
Read MoreGravity Badgers is Angry Birds: Space without the pigs.
Read MoreMaybe I'm sounding a little overzealous, praising something high and low which prior to playing I'd virtually no idea of, but Crimzon Clover is such an amazingly fun experience that it really requires no introduction. It's packed with so many modes, made with such a high level of polish, and fine tuned to near perfection that I can't help but sound so absurdly enthusiastic when I talk about it, nor spend anymore time doing so and continue being held up from playing more.
Read MoreDepending on how you feel about FMV, Roundabout will be either one of the best or most cringe worthy games you ever play.
Read MoreTo be honest I can think of very little to say about Racer 8. It's so devoid of any identity that playing it hardly felt like I was interacting with a game at all. It's anonymous in the way that leaves you bored and begging the question why you ever decided to boot it up to begin with.
Read MoreSecrets of Rætikon is as gorgeous and ethereal as it is tedious and poorly designed.
Read MoreTurns out time travel isn't quite all it's cracked up to be, but that's OK because the Super Time Force is here to fix all the stuff you screwed up and make the world more awesome for everyone! Though it's probably Capy I should thank, not the STF, for giving me some an awesome...time, with one of the most outrageously fun and intensely smart games I've played all year!
Read More
