Bioshock 2 - Review
Bioshock 2 - Review

Bioshock 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 More
EssayNathalie2K Games, 2K Marin, Bioshock 2, Reviews
Crimzon Clover WORLD IGNITION - Review
Crimzon Clover WORLD IGNITION - Review

Maybe 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 More
EssayNathalieAdventure Planning, Bullet Hell, Crimzon Clover, Editor's Choice, Reviews, YOTSUBANE
Quick Thoughts On: Hamlet
Quick Thoughts On: Hamlet

Hamlet (or “the Last Game without MMORPG Features, Shaders and Product Placement”, which is likely one of the worst video game titles ever conceived), is a point in click adventure game loosely inspired by Shakespeare's classic play of the same name. Its goal is clearly to lend a more comedic angle to the tragedy, but the result is something that comes off as both underbaked, and exceedingly dumb.

Read More
EssayNathalieHamlet, mif2000, Quick Thoughts
Detective Grimoire - Review
Detective Grimoire - Review

Let's get one thing out of the way first: Detective Grimoire is not the bonafide Professor Layton clone some may have been hoping for. Though it shares a few similarities, and even references the top hat wearing puzzle solver at one point, where Layton focuses heavily on brain teasers and riddles Grimoire is a pure detective game; something akin to an elaborate game of Clue crossed with an adventure game. While I could see developer SFB Games losing some people at this point, Detective Grimoire is actually all the better off for straying away from Nintendo's franchise and carving its own original, highly enjoyable path for itself.

Read More
EssayNathalieDetective Grimoire, Editor's Choice, Reviews, SFB Games
The Blackwell Legacy - Review
The Blackwell Legacy - Review

Rosa Blackwell's life isn't going so well. She's become an antisocial shut-in, her work as an amateur book reviewer for a local paper is beginning to suffer, and her only relative has just passed away after succumbing to what might possibly be hereditary madness. And as if that wasn't enough, she's begun to see and hear a smart talking ghost who has revealed himself to be something of a family heirloom.

Read More
EssayNathalieReviews, The Blackwell Legacy, Wadjet Eye
Jamestown - Review
Jamestown - Review

Jamestown might be the most refined game I've played in the last decade. A top down bullet hell shooter set in an alternate history timeline (largely mirroring early American history, only this time with aliens), it presents itself with an air of confidence, as if it realizes what a pedigree its of and is determined to make you see so as well.

Read More
EssayNathalieEditor's Choice, Final Form Games, Jamestown, Reviews
Year Walk - Review
Year Walk - Review

Descending through Year Walk is liking having an ice cube put down the back of your shirt, then being pushed into the Artic Ocean. It's chilling and unnerving in a way that messes with your head, transcending its own existence into something that feels tangible; too close for comfort and so well crafted it causes you to second guess your own instincts that this is nothing but fantasy.

Read More
EssayNathalieEditor's Choice, Reviews, Simogo, Year Walk
Antichamber - Review
Antichamber - Review

Antichamber wants to screw with you. An abstract puzzle game, it exists in a world built upon its own rules, requiring you to shed conventional logic and adopt an out of the box mindset to progress through the labyrinthine chamber you find yourself in. Up is down, going backwards moves you forward, and nothing can be taken at face value. It's one of the smartest games I've ever played; thoughtfully evolving at every step, as my feeble brain scrambled to keep up.

Read More
EssayNathalieAlexander Bruce, Antichamber, Editor's Choice, Reviews
The 39 Steps - Review
The 39 Steps - Review

One thing that I love about video games is how they can take a story I've already heard several ways, and turn it into an entirely new experience that's just as engaging as if I was hearing it for the first time. The 39 Steps by The Story Mechanics is the first in what they call "digital adaptations", which fall somewhere between a visual novel and a radio show. The idea if simple, but the execution highly stylized and the pacing tightly wound to make what could have been a dry collection of text a surprisingly compelling and intense narrative piece.

Read More
EssayNathalieReviews, The 39 Steps, The Story Mechanics
Transistor - Review
Transistor - Review

Transistor left me floored. What Supergiant Games has accomplished is hard to properly put into words, as even with all I’ve said I can’t help but think I’ve barely scratched the surface of the praise I wish to heap upon the game. It’s vision is remarkable, stunningly consistent and inspired in every aspect, achieving a level of excellence that exceeded my already high expectations. It’s undoubtedly one of the best games I’ve played this, or possibly any year, and is an experience that cannot be overstated or should in any way be passed up.

Read More
EssayNathalieEditor's Choice, Reviews, Supergiant Games, Transistor
The Wolf Among Us - Review (Completed)
The Wolf Among Us - Review (Completed)

Telltale has succeeded without doubt in creating a fairy tale for a modern age, one that pulls no punches and surprises with each passing moment with the lines they are willing to cross to tell the story they want, and the means they have at their disposal to do so. It's dark, violent, ugly, occasionally appalling, but more than anything an absolutely astounding achievement that should not be overlooked.

Read More
EssayNathalieReviews, Telltale, The Wolf Among US