** This will be a completely spoiler-free review. All screen shots have been carefully selected so as not to give anything away. **

Gameplay:
The sequel to 2010′s Metro 2033 (which was only available on the Xbox 360 and PC), Metro: Last Light continues the story of Artyom, a Ranger living in the post-apocalyptic Subway tunnels around Moscow. Both games are based on the best-selling Russian novel Metro 2033 by Dmitry Glukhovsky, and while this game was originally titled Metro 2034, it bears little to no resemblance to the sequel novel of the same name.

Nuclear war ravaged Russia in 2013 and the survivors went underground for survival. Breaking into several distinct groups each controlling different areas of the network of tunnels, people live a tough life dealing with mutants and fighting between the various factions. Artyom is part of The Order, self appointed guardians of The Metro and essentially neutral. Most other groups are neutral as well with the big exceptions being resurgent Nazi and Communist factions.

If you never played Metro 2033, the game does a good job laying the groundwork for you through flashbacks and cutscenes. You learn that Artyom is seen as a savior of The Metro, having launched several nuclear missiles to destroy “The Dark Ones”, a group of mutants with telepathic abilities living on the surface. As the game starts, Artyom is told about a possible survivor of that attack and he’s sent on a mission to destroy the last remaining Dark One.

Since the ammunition manufactured in the Metro tunnels is pretty low quality, the currency in this world is pre-war military grade ammo, which can be used to buy weapons and upgrades or as (much better) ammo if necessary. Either way, you’ll find early on that ammo is scarce and you’ll need to be careful when entering into a firefight. To that end, the game rewards stealth and you can get through most situations with some careful slinking through the shadows. Slipping in behind an enemy and knocking them out or flat out killing them with your knife can be a satisfying experience. The mechanics work really well and it’s a nice challenge to see if you can make it through an entire area undetected but it’ll require a lot of patience to pull off.

The pacing is really good throughout the game as story usually takes precedence over action. Some levels are almost entirely exposition as you make your way from A to B. I found this to be a really nice change from your standard shooter where you enter an area, trigger the enemies, fight until you’ve cleared it and move to the next… rinse, repeat. It’s not going to be for everybody and some may be itching to get back to the action but this is first and foremost about the story and everything in the game is built to serve that purpose.

With that being said, does it work as a story? Absolutely it does, albeit with a few minor stumbling blocks along the way. With the original game being based off a bestselling book in Russia, finding a table in a little library in one of the stations with that and the sequel laid out as if for an autograph signing session was a cute and clever nod to the origins of the game. Seeing it pop up more and more, including the poster touting the release of the sequel book, Metro 2034 (along with the website) starts to pull you out of the game world and back to cold, hard marketing unfortunately. There are also a few boss battles that feel forced and unnecessary in the greater context of the story and game.

Overall though, there’s a nice variety in gameplay and a lot to learn about the world through interactions and eavesdropping on NPC’s making multiple playthroughs well worth the effort. As part of the Limited Edition (currently the only way you can buy the game), Ranger (Hard) mode and 100 Military Grade bullets along with a new rifle become available. Ranger mode is especially nasty and will give players an even more serious challenge.

Visuals:
This is a really great looking game that’s just thick with atmosphere. The attention to detail in the environments is off the charts. Every place you’ll see looks and feels like it’s truly been “lived in” for a good twenty years as it should.

Each of your guns has an attachment indicating whether you’re in the light or not, critical for stealth. You’ll need to take out lights to sneak around undetected and you can do this by either unscrewing the light bulb or breaking it. In a game where stealth is so important, the lighting is excellent, giving you a really clear understanding of whether you’re hidden or not even without the indicator on your guns.

Surface travel requires a gas mask and filters which will need to be changed out periodically. This is another area where the developers paid some serious attention to detail. Radiation hotspots will kill you without your mask on and even when traveling underground, you may come across some dangerous areas. Your mask can become covered in dirt, blood and other filth and a quick tap of the L2 button will wipe it off. If (or really when) your mask starts to get cracked during combat and such, you’ll need to switch it out quickly with another from a dead body if you can find one.

The movement of your character as he walks, gets tossed around and has to stand up again is some of the best I’ve felt in a game. It can be disorienting at times but it actually feels “right”.

Even with all the good stuff, there are some problems. The game does suffer from some screen tearing at times which can be distracting and the shadows cast by characters tend to look downright ugly. Also, in the cramped areas of The Metro, while most characters would yell at me to get out of the way, I had a few walk right through me, giving me an intimate look at their inner polygons and hollow bodies.

Audio:
Music in the game is mostly atmospheric and works pretty well, giving you audio cues when you’ve been spotted as well as when you’ve dispatched all enemies in an area. There are also a lot of radios around playing Russian rock music which adds to the atmosphere of the game.

The voice acting is surprisingly excellent. I don’t know why, but I didn’t expect much in this area but a lot of work was put into each of the characters and their dialogue is delivered with all the emotion and passion you’d expect in a high budget film.

Online/Multiplayer:
This game is single player only.

Conclusion:
This game is definitely not for everybody. It can be brutally tough depending on how you play it as stealth is definitely rewarded over action. Story is king here and it’s given a lot of room to breathe with quite a few slow, expository sections in the game. The message can get a bit preachy at times, especially near the end, but you’re given a number of choices along the way that really let you make the story and character your own.

Things can get bogged down a bit with a few unnecessary boss battles and such, but overall, there’s a really good story here wrapped in some pretty tight gameplay in a fully realized post-apocalyptic world.

Score:

* All screenshots used in this review were taken directly from the game using the Roxio Game Capture HD Pro screen capture feature.

Title: Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
Format: PlayStation Network Download (1.7 GB)
Release Date: April 30, 2013
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Shanghai
Price: $14.99 (US) / €14.99 (EU) / £11.99 (UK)
ESRB Rating: M
PEGI: 18
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is also available on Xbox Live Arcade and PC.
The PlayStation Network version was used for this review.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is not DLC, you don’t need to have the original Far Cry 3 game to play this iteration. It’s not like anything you’ve seen before, unless that is, you’ve grown up in the 80′s watching films like the Terminator, Commando and Mad Max 2.

It’s a game that thinks it was made in the 80′s set in the future, 2007 to be exact. Earth has been ravaged by a nuclear war and new paths for peace must be found. A U.S. cyborg army may have found a solution: a powerful bioweapon on a distant island. A Mark IV Cyber Commando, Sergeant Rex Power Colt has been sent over to gather information and figure out what the hell is going on.

Gameplay:
A first person shooter which doesn’t take itself too seriously and has a surprisingly large amount of wit and charm. This game oozes fun, from the missions to the comments said by your character. The controls are just like Far Cry 3 and most others in the genre, if you have any trouble there is an extensive guide in the pause menu, which reminds me. I even found the menu and it’s descriptions funny.

Being a Cyber Commando means you can do a few more things in this game, like swim underwater indefinitely or even fall from any height without being hurt, which means you can sit back and enjoy the world a little more with worrying about the little things, like dying.

As you play the game you earn XP which at certain points, levels up your character. You can also gain better attachments for your weapons by collecting particular items or killing certain things. With these things you begin to feel like a badass, an unstoppable killing machine. But Ubisoft doesn’t make this make too easy, in fact it’s very balanced, keeping the game constantly fun.

Like FC3 I found myself ‘Joshing’ this game, several times I had to stop myself from going off mission to grab that collectable or take out a squad of enemies on patrol. With a large map to explore and lots of collectables there is definitely a lot squeezed into this game.

Visuals:
When the game loads up it looks like a VHS tape, complete with the tracking slider. It runs off the same engine as Far Cry 3 and uses a lot of the same assets, which isn’t a bad thing in the slightest. All of the weapons and look to the game are is if it were designed on an 80′s film stage, it all adds to the feeling of nostalgia and looks great. Many little touches have been added to this, from the animations for when your healing yourself to the robotic arms welding things in a lab. They all add to the atmosphere.

Animals in the game are pulled straight out of FC3 but as it’s set after a nuclear war, they’re all mutated, the worst of which are the blood dragons. A sight which I’ll let you discover for yourself. A very satisfying experience is lining up a headshot, pulling the trigger and watching the devastating results, it never gets old.

As in FC3 you can approach missions and objectives in different ways, I found guns blazing to be a lot more enjoyable this time round. But sneaking around with the silent crossbow is still a very rewarding experience.

Apparently the story was even written on a BBC Micro just to add that layer of authenticity , now that’s what I call old school. Yes, this game has lots of swearing and  tons of explosions. Yes, you’ll be killing mutants and cyborgs with insane weaponry. Yes, it’s silly and extreme in a good way. But above all else you’ll enjoy every minute of it.

Audio:
One of the few soundtracks I turned up. fits perfectly in the game and compliments the action well. Created by Australian group Power Glove from Melbourne. Surprisingly this is their first videogame project and I’m sure it won’t be their last. It is an old-school soundtrack, with one iconic track for each mission making them feel a little more unique.

The voice work is brilliant and often funny. Rex Colt’s voice is by Michael Biehn who you may remember from The Terminator, Aliens or The Abyss. Even the computerised P.A. system in the enemy bunkers is amusing. All of this combined makes this game a treat to the ears.

My only issue is that this hasn’t got a full audio track as you’d find in a full disc based game so you may hear some things repeat but I didn’t care.

Online/Multiplayer:
This game is single player only, and I’m glad they didn’t throw in some tacked on online play which would have probably lessened the final score.

Conclusion:
You may think that this game would lose a lot of its enjoyment if you’re a younger gamer who missed out on the 80′s but I can assure you it’s a fun and enjoyable game regardless of the excellent witty nostalgic references. With Far Cry 3 and now Blood Dragon, I think Ubisoft have found an almost perfect formula, and they’re sticking with it.

This game is a joy to play and one that I won’t forget anytime soon. I highly recommend it and can’t wait to see what comes next. This is one of the few games that really puts the fun back into the genre and reminds me why I love gaming. So sit back and enjoy the only game where Blood Dragons shoot laser beams from their frickin’ eyes!

Score: 

Many gamers would argue that the PlayStation Vita has a somewhat lackluster library after its first year on the market. For the most part, this is true, as the majority of the Vita’s catalog consists of ports or spin-offs of major console titles. While games like Gravity Rush, Sound Shapes, and Guacamelee diversify this line up, the PlayStation fan base has been clamoring for a new IP built around a mobile gameplay experience. Enter Soul Sacrifice, an original IP built from the ground up as a PlayStation Vita experience from the minds of industry veteran Keji Inafune and SCE Japan Studio. With an emphasis on quick missions, tons of content, and an unconventional story, Soul Sacrifice cements itself as a solid title on the PlayStation Vita, even if it isn’t for everybody.

Gameplay:
Soul Sacrifice aims to tell a story of regret, choice, and human suffering. At its onset, the player finds themselves locked in a cell by the powerful sorcerer Magusar, an corrupt individual hell-bent on sustaining his immortality through human sacrifice. In this cell, the prisoner is confronted with the mysterious, talking book Librom. He contains the memories and secrets of prisoners and sorcerers past, and through these experiences, the prisoner will eventually become strong enough to confront Magusar. It’s an atypical plot, but its structure facilitates the mission based gameplay at Soul Sacrifice’s core.

The game is structured around missions that take anywhere from two to twenty minutes to complete, depending on objective and complexity. A vast majority of the missions charge the prisoner with slaying a certain amount of enemies in a given area, while others may stress collecting a set number of soul essences or defeating a boss. The lack of mission variety begins to wear thin after a while, but the fluid and addictive combat makes the tedium much more bearable.

Inspired heavily by Monster Hunter, Soul Sacrifice is a third-person action RPG focused on killing monsters. Rather than equipping weapons and armor, the player equips six items to enter each battle with, each with a limited amount of uses. The fighters can only use a spell a finite amount of times before it breaks and becomes unusable. These spells can be replenished through restoring charges in the environment or sacrificing enemies, and they also fully heal if they remain unbroken at the end of the battle.

The spells can be upgraded and fused to create more powerful and longer lasting ones. By combining two duplicate relics, the player can upgrade its level and its durability. In addition, new spells can be forged by fusing existing spells together. The fusion and upgrade system can seem a bit obtuse, as the game does a poor job explaining it to the player in the beginning. Thankfully, it becomes second nature after the first few hours. Every mission rewards you with a steady stream of new and already discovered items, giving the player plenty of opportunity to fuse and upgrade.

At its heart, Soul Sacrifice is a game about choices, and this emerges in its core gameplay mechanic. After defeating an enemy, the player is presented with the choice to save or sacrifice it. Saving it increases your fighter’s overall defense and HP, restoring its health in the midst of battle as well. Sacrificing it increases your attack power and slightly restores your spells charges. For the smaller enemies, these choices can seem trivial and meaningless, but this decision becomes significantly more important after defeating a boss. Saving or sacrificing a boss tends to open up different branches in the mission structure, and you’ll find yourself replaying missions just to unlock all of the paths. In addition, saving a boss gives you an AI partner that can tag along during certain missions. The boss characters also give a significant boost to your life or magic level. Each of these skills can be leveled up, but with a maximum combined level count of 100, the choice is left up to the player. Luckily, the player’s progress can be changed with the in-game currency: Lacrima.

In a strange and out of place “mini game”, (and I use the term rather loosely here) Librom will develop droplets of Lacrima on the outside of his binding every so often. The player can gather this when he exits back to his cell, where Librom will remind you to check for droplets. It’s an arbitrary step that is unnecessary. The game could have just as easily awarded players with Lacrima after each battle, but nonetheless, this resource is necessary to maintain your character’s well being. Besides reconfiguring your health and attack levels, Lacrima can be used for a great many other things. If your combatant happens to use a spell until it breaks, it can be restored to as good as new with a payment of Lacrima. If an AI partner falls in a mission, you can spend this precious resource to bring them back to life. Finally, it can also be used to heal yourself after using a Black Rite.

The Black Rite can be seen as the ultimate form of magic. These spells are a one time use in combat, and they usually have massive consequences. For example, casting the Infernus Black Rite lights every enemy on the battlefield aflame, dealing a considerable amount of damage. In return, the caster has his defense permanently halved. Unfortunately, this status effect does not wear off after battle, and can only be reduced through the use of Lacrima. It’s a cool risk-reward system that makes the player reconsider whether casting this spell is worthwhile.

One of the biggest strengths of Soul Sacrifice is the pure amount of content in the game. After the first hour or so with the story, the game opens up tremendously and gives the player a wide array of missions and objectives to tackle. There are easily over 200 missions in the game, giving players plenty of bang for their buck. Most of these missions amount to little more than kill a certain number of enemies in this area, but the combat is fluid and dynamic enough to keep it interesting. Everything in the game is solid, providing a great experience for players who want a lot of content, but don’t mind the somewhat tedious and repetitive nature.

Visuals:
There’s no denying it; Soul Sacrifice is a gorgeous game. The environments look fantastic and so do the enemies. This can be attributed to the few enemies on screen at any time, but things never feel too devoid of life. From ice covered wastelands to endless deserts, the levels in Soul Sacrifice are one of the better visual treats on the PlayStation Vita. Unfortunately, repetition becomes an issue. The same environments are recycled from mission to mission, and even though this gives the player a sense of familiarity, it makes it feel like the game has been artificially padded with content.

The enemy design in Soul Sacrifice leaves a lot to be desired. While well designed to an extent, the game seems content with feeding the player the same enemy sets over and over again. Most of the enemy variety in the game amounts to little more than a re-skin and weakness swap, leading to the overall tedium present. While the boss designs are inspired and gruesome, the large amount of repetition in enemy design yet again makes the game feel padded and stretched out.

The interface and menu system, however, are extremely unique and creative. Rather than use a static set of menus to transport players from encounter to encounter, Librom serves his purpose as a book and guides you to different battles through the pages in his books. Every tap on the touch screen adds an ink blot to the screen, furthering the illusion of the book interface. Instead of scrolling through long lists of texts, illustrations and captions pop and animate on each page of the book, making the story sections feel much more interactive.

Audio:
The audio in Soul Sacrifice stands head and shoulders above many other aspects of the game. Recorded at Skywalker Sound, the fantastical orchestra perfectly accentuates moments of grave tension, excitement, and adrenaline. Whether it’s the swells of violins in the menu or the strong percussion in battle, the music in Soul Sacrifice is memorable and perfectly augments the experience. Weapon sounds and monster attacks are on par with what you expect from the genre, with nothing standing out or memorable. The voice work in the game is stylized well, but it can become cheesy and cringe-worthy in some certain spots. The performances deliver a much needed ambivalence, making it complement, rather than detract, from the story’s direction and tone.

Online/Multiplayer:
Most players will find that the multiplayer is the most appealing part of Soul Sacrifice. After completing the first chapter of the campaign, the Avalon Pacts section open up to the player, allowing them to take on missions with the aid of AI or other players. These missions can be tackled solo or with others, but it is significantly more enjoyable when playing with friends. Many of the bosses can be taken down with brute force, but teaming up with other players to strategize equipment selections will make battles go by smoother and easier. Progress attained in the multiplayer portion of the game will carry back to single player, giving players plenty of reason to partake in multiplayer as much as possible. The online lobby system is slick and easy to navigate, and the game’s quick, addictive style makes it extremely addicting and rewarding to play online with others.

Conclusion:
Overall, Soul Sacrifice is an excellent game, held back by some unfortunate design decisions. The recycled landscapes and enemy design make the game feel tedious quicker than it should, but at the same time, I found myself entranced by the rewarding and addictive gameplay. The combat is solid and enjoyable. Online multiplayer is extremely fun, and its short, mission-based structure lends itself for an excellent portable gaming experience.

For players that tend to get bored with a game if there’s not something new around every corner, Soul Sacrifice, with its loose story and simplistic mission objectives, is sure to disappoint. For those who would rather have a finely tuned machine that is well crafted, yet ultimately repetitive, this game will deliver. It’s not the best portable game to come out in years, but it is something unique that Vita owners should appreciate. It’s nice to finally have a unique IP designed for on the go play.

Score:

** This will be a completely spoiler-free review. All screen shots have been carefully selected so as not to give anything away. **

1912. The past few decades have seen the invention of automobiles, airplanes, electricity, telephones, movies, phonographs and more. America still sits in the shadows of its Civil War, the Great Sioux War, the Spanish-American War and the Boxer Rebellion in China. This is also the dawn of the idea of “American exceptionalism” and the circumnavigation of the globe by The Great White Fleet.

The Industrial Revolution had brought about a sea-change in the lives of almost every American and its effects were still reverberating throughout society, giving rise to the Populist and Progressive movements. Labor laws were pretty much nonexistent and companies exploited their workforces to the fullest.

It’s against this backdrop that BioShock Infinite is set. You play as Booker DeWitt, former Pinkerton Detective and veteran of the Battle of Little Bighorn turned Private Investigator.

“Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt.” That’s your sole mission in the game. Sounds easy enough, but along the way, you’ll need to, and want to, find out why you’ve been asked to do this, who this girl is, and what makes her so special.

Gameplay:
The game itself unfolds at a leisurely pace, allowing you time to soak in your surroundings in the fantastical floating city of Columbia. It’s a critical component of the experience, giving you time to learn more about what’s going on, what day to day life is like and why you’re there.

If you’ve played the original BioShock, you’ll know what to expect here. This immediately brings up the question of whether you need to play the original BioShock before playing BioShock Infinite. The answer is no, you don’t really need to, given that this is a stand alone, fully realized story. Will you get more out of the game if you do? Absolutely, which is why, even though it’s not critical, I’d definitely recommend playing the original game first.

As in BioShock, you’ll have guns, controlled by R1 and R2 and “Vigors” (which take the place of Tonics), controlled by L1 and L2. Searching through trash cans and crates for items gives a very similar results screen. Vending machines will allow you to purchase supplies and upgrades and there are plenty of collectibles in the form of Voxophones and Kinetoscopes hidden throughout the city. The Voxophones are audio recordings which really help flesh out the story while the Kinetoscopes give a history of the city for the general public and both are well worth looking for. You’ll also find coded messages in places which can be broken if you find the correct cypher giving you a rich reward. Move controls are optional and they actually work pretty well (once you dial back the sensitivity) but if you’re going that route I’d really recommend the Nav controller over a DualShock 3.

You’ll be collecting Vigors throughout the game and learning to use them to great effect. You can only have two equipped at a time though so you’ll need to choose wisely when entering combat. Combining two, by using one then quickly switching to the second and using that, can create devastating effects on your enemies and it’s fun to experiment with them. The guns are slightly different in that you can only carry two at a time, no going into a menu and swapping out weapons so you really need to decide what’s useful in any given situation. You’ll find new weapons around the city and can, of course, pick up any that enemies have dropped.

Weapons and Vigors are all upgradeable through the vending machines scattered throughout the city along with a new Gear element. Hidden away, promoting exploration, are pieces of Gear which can be worn, only four at a time: a hat, shirt, pants and pair of shoes. While these don’t actually change you character’s appearance, they do add bonuses like increased ammo capacity for all weapons, an increase in melee strike range and more. This is another area where you’ll need to switch out pieces depending on your situation and needs. While they’re not critical to completing the game, they sure do help a lot.

Once you find Elizabeth, have no fear of this game turning into one big, painful escort mission. She’ll duck down out of the way and remain unharmed during combat so you’ll be able to focus all your energy on the enemies themselves. She can also help out by unlocking various doors and safes but she’ll need lock picks for some. These can be found throughout the city, encouraging further exploration. She’s also very helpful in other ways during combat but if you’ve avoided all trailers and info on the game up to this point, I won’t spoil how here.

Choices made along the way affect how parts of the story play out and it all comes together in one of the best story endings of all time. That goes for video games, movies, books, whatever, and that’s all I’ll say about that.

Visuals:
While visually striking, Columbia didn’t grab me in the same way that Rapture did in the original BioShock, at least initially. It took me a while to warm up to the city but I was consistently amazed by the level of detail in every environment. The Art Direction in BioShock Infinite is absolutely superb. Cobblestone streets, trash cans, mailboxes, architecture, every last little detail is in place to make Columbia feel real and lived in.

Set in 1912 in a floating city, there’s a wonderful mix of period architecture and mechanical wonders, each made to look possible, if unlikely, given the technology and materials of the time.

In combat, your Vigors each have their own unique look and feel. Using them can cause things to get really bloody really quick and this game doesn’t shy away from the gore. Your Skyhook can even be used as a weapon, tearing enemies apart in a bloody mess.

It’s important in a game like this that nothing takes you out of the story and in that regard, the graphics do a marvelous job, immersing you in a fantastic world that you’ll want to believe really could exist.

Audio:
Another very strong point of the game, the audio shines. The songs playing on phonographs and such, much like the original BioShock, were very carefully chosen to put you directly into the early 1900′s. There are a few surprises along the way, also carefully chosen and explained throughout the story. The score itself is also very fitting, delivering the needed highs and lows matching the action on screen.

Dialogue is very well written and expertly delivered. This is a story designed to have an emotional impact and the actors really give it their all throughout the game to help bring it all home. Usually an afterthought in games and relegated to a few often repeated lines, the NPC’s in BioShock Infinite are much more than that and an absolute delight, breathing life into the day to day goings on of the city in the sky. It’s worth stopping and eavesdropping whenever you get a chance, you’ll really learn a lot about that story and the setting by doing so. The Songbird, of course, also has a unique feel and you’ll always know when it’s close because of the signature sounds it emits.

Online/Multiplayer:
This game is single player only. There will be single player DLC and a Season Pass is available on the PlayStation Store.

Conclusion:
It’s incredibly tough to write a review and try to explain why this game is so perfect without giving anything away. It slowly dug its hooks into me and by the end it had jumped to one my favorite games, if not the favorite, in thirty-six years of gaming experiences.

A critical look at racism, war, religion, politics, science and more, nothing is left out of BioShock Infinite. Exploration is richly rewarded with a fuller experience and by the time you reach the end of a harrowing and emotional journey, you’ll come to one of the most staggering and satisfying endings in fiction.

Score:

* All screenshots used in this review were taken directly from the game using the Roxio Game Capture HD Pro screen capture feature.

Title: BIT.TRIP presents… Runner 2: Future Legend Of Rhythm Alien
Format: PlayStation Network Download (769 MB)
Release Date: March 5, 2013
Publisher: Aksys Games
Developer: Gaijin Games
Price: $14.99 (PSN)
ESRB Rating: T
BIT.TRIP Presents… Runner 2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien is also available on Wii U, Xbox Live Arcade and PC.
The PlayStation Network version was used for this review.

Gameplay:
The object is to run from left to right collecting piles of gold, score multipliers and keys which unlock chests filled with goodies like costumes and alternate characters. In order to accomplish these tasks one must avoid, destroy or block obstacles. The moves available to the player are jump, slide, kick, block, bounce, launch and hang. Also sometimes don’t forget to dance. Clues as to the timing of these actions are in the background music which is 8-bit inspired. Lives are unlimited but check-points can be a long way behind you considering you have the choice to jump over the check-points to get a higher score.

The player begins Runner 2 as Commander Video running from left to right, using the X button to jump up platforms, to jump up to collect gold and multipliers or to leap over empty spaces. The longer the button is held the farther the jump. This is the most basic move in the game. Eventually other actions are added to this simple jump. Moving obstacles are added to the basic platform and gold/multiplier jumps along with alternate pathways either up via launch or down via slide. The more difficult the path one takes the more likely it is to contain a chest with costumes and unlockable playable characters like Uncle Dill, a pickle man.

There are five different artistic “worlds” in the game. Each is filled with about 20 stages not including the surprise 8-bit levels. The player comes across key levels before he or she has unlocked the path which makes the keys useful. That means built-in replay because you will want to go back to those key levels to unlock those locks. Additionally there are score-chase rewards for perfecting a run and also for getting a bulls-eye bonus at the end of each perfect run. And TROPHIES, YO for doing so!

The complexity just grows, and grows. By and by, even in the game’s “Quite Easy” mode, it’s possible to feel like someone juggling live kittens. Or more appropriately for the gaming milieu, to feel like someone playing the board game Operation while someone else is throwing live kittens at them.

The game does not share its secrets easily. Those half-invisible keys needed to unlock the alternate areas only become useful when you’ve stumbled upon how to make them corporeal. That’s if you know what you did that did it. I know. You can Google if you need to but I am not going to spoil this for you. If the devs wanted it to be obvious or easier they would have instructed the player in some obvious way. Like putting tips on their website. Hey, wait a minute!

Runner 2 also incorporates in-game accomplishments to unlock so-called Rewards. There are a lot of these milestones to cross, however the effect of doing so is like getting a kiss from your Aunt Sally. You’re fine with the fact she loves you but you aren’t going to get her face tattooed across your chest. These Rewards unlock nothing and since the game already tracks statistics, their effect on player morale is arguably negligible. The game does have 16 trophies but no platinum. Considering The Walking Dead rewarded a platinum for merely playing at all, Runner 2 with its difficulty and required skill-set should deliver one as well.

Visuals:
BIT.TRIP is known for 8-bit graphics. Runner 2 is Gaijin’s first BIT.TRIP game to principally use current gen graphics for the majority of the gameplay. Take heart though BIT.TRIP fans! There are hidden 8-bit levels to enjoy as well.

Unfortunately the game design includes some camera angles which can result in a few cheap deaths. Sometimes the camera view swings to a slightly lower angle as the player climbs higher platforms. It is very cinematic. And with everything else going on it momentarily effectively and unexpectedly ratchets up the difficulty to implausible. You will probably die there and go back to your check-point. Maybe more than once.

Several times after kicking and breaking an obstacle, pieces of said obstacle flew in direct conflict with the camera blocking the view of the Commander at the precise moment needed to jump. These little gaffs would probably not be such a big deal if they happened nearer a check-point or if they didn’t feel like a fat family member crossing in front of the TV at precisely the wrong time.

Audio:
8-bit inspired music plays throughout the game. This is a rhythm game as well as platformer. The odd thing is that the melodies are syncopated in such a way that on a first attempt they are pretty meaningless. The music won’t help until you’ve failed a run enough times to learn the tune. When you’ve done that then you can use the playing of the tune to guide you during difficult areas. If you can hear the music over your own sobs.

Online/Multiplayer:
There is no online play here. Just leaderboards. But when you’re connected to the PlayStation Network while playing, you see your friends’ high scores at the start of each stage. Highly effective for score chasing and-there-goes-Glenn-to-the-PSN-store-to-download-the-game-now.

Conclusion:
I loved and hated this game. There is nothing like getting to the end of a stage to discover that even though your hands and feet sweated through your socks and driving gloves you’ve made a perfect run! Now shoot yourself out of the cannon for a bulls-eye! Then there are times when all the sweaty pit-stains in the world will not change the fact that it just took you 20 minutes to run 10 feet. Well, the last ten feet. But you had to go back 220 feet to make that final 10 correctly.

But I know! I get it! It is 8-bit-ish. It harkens back to the arcade game quarter-eating stand-up machines in malls all over America. It should be hard. It should be fun. It is hard and fun.

The idea that there is a story here is just like the cake. It’s a lie. Mass Effect has a story. Runner 2 does not despite anyone’s cries to the contrary. They try and they pretend there is some sort of story. There is no story. Stop it. You know I’m right.

For some of you in PSNation-land there may not be a platformer this year with more pure challenge requiring so much stamina and masochism. For you I am excite. For others of you who like a little less stress in your stress-relieving game play, Runner 2 could be like getting home from work, putting up your feet and digging a ditch.

My final caveat is that for the current market and with no interactive online play of any kind the price seems about five bucks too high. But what can you get for five bucks in 2013 anyway?

Score:

Title: Dead Island Riptide
Format: Blu-ray Disc / PlayStation Network Download (2810 MB)
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Publisher: Deep Silver
Developer: Techland
Price: $49.99 (Special Edition) / $79.99 (Rigor Mortis Edition)
ESRB Rating: M
Dead Island Riptide is also available on Xbox 360 and PC.
The PlayStation 3 version was used for this review.

Gameplay:
Dead Island Riptide picks up right where the first game left off, unfortunately your group’s rescue is short lived as you’re quickly shipwrecked on another island in the Banoi archipelago. Right from the start, you can import your character from the original Dead Island which is a sweet little bonus. No need to slog through hours of grinding and leveling up but it also makes the game instantly harder as all of the zombies automatically level up with you just like in the original.

If you played the first game you’ll feel right at home here. If you haven’t, well…. I hope you’re a quick study. See, the developers assume you have experience with their world and skip over tutorials or hints about crafting and repairing weapons (a somewhat critical detail). This was among the first things that made the Dead Island Riptide feel more like an expansion pack than a full on standalone game.

It’s a lot more of the same here. You’re in a resort setting, so weapons are a little more scarce than your average third person action game, especially the guns. Combat tends to be more up close and personal, putting you in more danger but also giving you some very visceral and satisfying kills. One of the new additions is another playable character, John Morgan. He’s more of a hand to hand combat expert so you can really dive in and get messy with him if that’s you style.

Another new addition is the Base Defense which is sort of a limited horde mode. You’ll run around your home base putting up fences (while the NPC’s stand around and watch) and then have to fight back a few waves of zombies. An nice diversion, but even the upgrades to the fences can’t make this an interesting addition after the first or second time.

New zombies also make an appearance, some will disorient you, some freeze you in place. Again, interesting ideas but nothing earth shattering. Boats are one of the more important additions to the game since the new island has a lot of rivers. They work pretty well and are an easy way to cut across the island but you’ll need to be aware of the new “Drowner” zombies which will come to life and grab onto your boat, eventually climbing aboard and attacking you. A quick jolt on the throttle will almost always shake them loose though, so not much to worry about there.

Really, the whole point of the game is to craft crazy weapons and tear through the zombie masses and the game truly excels at that. Leveling up and picking your path on your character’s skill tree are a big part of the draw and it all works just as well here as it did in the original game.

Visuals:
While the game looks a bit sharper this time around, many of the issues that plagued Dead Island are still here. Trouble with the framerate, screen tearing etc. and while it’s not quite as bad, it’s still painfully present. When transitioning to a new level, the texture pop-in is atrocious, quick as it may be.

The new “dynamic” weather system is anything but. You’ll go from a bright, sunny day to a monsoon in the blink of an eye. Less than a minute later and it’s instantly sunny again. While the rain does cut down your visibility a bit, it doesn’t add much to the game and the instant on/off of the changing weather just takes you out of the experience.

Audio:
Nothing new to report here either for veterans of Dead Island. The voice acting is the same, for better or worse and NPC’s tend to have very little dialogue which becomes repetitive much too quickly. The ambient sounds of the jungle are well placed in the surround sound and the disturbing nature of the bigger zombie’s screams across the island set a perfect mood.

Online/Multiplayer:
Really, the heart of the game is the multiplayer. This series is meant to be played by a group of people and it’s a much more enjoyable experience that way. While single player is a fine option, it’s definitely much harder and not really the point of the game.

Thankfully, the vast majority of the issues that nearly destroyed multiplayer in Dead Island have been eliminated here. Dropping in and out of other games is a simple and pretty painless process. You can set your game to open or closed to just your Friends List and I didn’t have a single lockup or dropped connection the entire time I played.

Conclusion:
Even with all the little additions, this doesn’t feel like much more than an expansion pack for the original game. The story is largely forgettable and the whole game quickly devolves into the grinding quests of the original. To say then that this is a bad game would be entirely missing the point. Modifying your weapons into crazy instruments of death and tearing through hordes of zombies with a bunch of friends is still a blast. Just don’t go in expecting that Techland has reinvented the wheel here and you’ll be fine.

Score:

* All screenshots used in this review were taken directly from the game using the Roxio Game Capture HD Pro screen capture feature.

The survival horror genre has taken somewhat of a nose dive in recent years. With titles such as Resident Evil 5, Resident Evil 6, and Dead Space 2, developers seem to be moving away from slow and methodical horror towards faster-paced, action-oriented gameplay. Dead Space 3 continues this trend by building upon the foundation laid by its predecessors, with human and necromorph enemies, a new outdoor setting, and cooperative gameplay. This puts Dead Space 3 in a perilous situation. This action-oriented direction is sure to alienate some existing fans, but EA and Visceral are betting that this more streamlined approach will bring new fans to the franchise. The addition of co-op has also prompted a mixed fan response, with some claiming that Dead Space 3 has lost its identity as a game. While it fails to fully capture that same creepy ambiance the first Dead Space is famous for, it surprisingly cements itself as one of the most solid action games in recent memory.

Gameplay:
You are once again cast in the role of Isaac Clarke, an engineer turned terrorism target. After being imprinted with the knowledge of the black markers and its symbols, the Unitoligists are on a hunt for Isaac, claiming that he is a heretic and deserves death. Dragged out of hiding in search of his former girlfriend, Isaac eventually makes his way to Tau Volantis, a forgotten ice ball of a planet on the edge of the galaxy, to find a way to stop the markers once and for all. It’s a story that engages and captivates, always keeping you on your toes. There’s a lot to take in, and the artifacts, audio logs, and art design create levels that feel like living, breathing worlds.

For those of you unfamiliar with the series, Dead Space 3 is a third person shooter with some unique mechanics. Rather than cluttering up the screen with a heads up display and other information, Visceral has integrated any and all necessary stats into Isaac’s suit. His health and stasis powers (the ability to slow down enemies for a short amount of time) are displayed on his back, and the ammo count is displayed when Isaac’s gun is raised. It’s a great decision that further immerses the player in the world. Without all of these distractions, Dead Space 3 becomes a game about observing the environment and enemies around you in a natural way. It makes it hard to go back to other games with distracting HUDs.

Unlike enemies in most other modern games, necromorphs can’t be defeated with a simple head shot. Strategic dismemberment, a staple for the series at this point, requires Isaac to shoot off the limbs of his enemies to slow their progress and deal the most damage. With standard weapons like rifles and machine guns, it feels difficult and a bit unnatural, but when wielding the series’ signature plasma cutter, you’ll find yourself hacking off limbs left and right. The ability to rotate the shot direction of the plasma cutter (between horizontal and vertical) turns combat into a puzzle as you plan your shots around the orientation of the enemies limbs. It’s satisfying and rewarding, and never grows tiresome. In regards to weapons, Visceral decided to take a page out of Mass Effect 3′s book and unify the ammo system. While this takes away much of the tension and pressure from the previous games, the feeling of freedom from ammo choice encourages the player to experiment more with weapon combinations and gun types.

Dead Space 3 adds a brand new crafting mechanic to the series. Isaac can either pick up spare parts littered around the environment, craft new parts out of resources found on corpses, or use scavenger bots to gather enough material to assemble, modify, and upgrade weapons and benches scattered throughout the levels. It’s a system that is designed to encourage experimenting, but I found myself crafting one or two guns, upgrading them to maximum ability, and sticking with them through most of the game. Players who like to tinker may find more enjoyment from this system, but it’s solid enough to enhance the experience without making the player rely on it too much. Plus, any weapon can be disassembled and reassembled on a whim, eliminating the pressure of permanently screwing up your weapon inventory.

Now, about DLC/Micro-transactions; there’s been a big uproar from the community about the ability to pay for resources and materials in the main campaign in order to create a better gun. While it is feasibly possible to partake in this system to get an advancement on a gun part, it is a completely superfluous system that is not required at all. If you’re familiar with the multiplayer purchases in Mass Effect 3, you’ll know what to expect there. Each of these randomly generated packs can be bought with resources found in the game. There is no big prompt that pops up each time you arrive at a bench encouraging you to spend $1.99 to unlock this gun. It’s merely a quick click of the triangle button away. It’s not obtrusive in the slightest, and I found that it did not detract from the overall experience.

The controls are much improved in this third part of the trilogy, but players expecting an experience similar to other third person games on the market will be left scratching their heads for the first few hours. Slow and methodical is the name of the game. Requiring the hold of a button to run, Dead Space 3 is designed to have players moving through the level at a slower pace, absorbing all of the cues around them. The act of stomping on a corpse never tires, and the motivation to acquire more ammo and parts for crafting makes it worth your time to slow down and decimate every corpse. Isaac lacks the ability to blind fire, requiring players to make a choice whether to melee or aim down the sights. The sensitivity and targeting are significantly tightened from previous entries, making shooting feel more like a core part of the experience than an afterthought. Whether you’re aiming for headshots with Unitologists or severing limbs off of necromorphs, the shooting in Dead Space 3 is satisfying and smooth.

The game throws a few unique combat scenarios to keep the gameplay fresh. Whether it’s gliding around in zero gravity or trying to disassemble a giant drill, Dead Space 3 packs enough unique moments to keep it interesting, but it ultimately feels like retread. The enemy design and set piece moments feel scaled back from its predecessors, leaving a sense of longing for new content or play styles. The whole package gives off a “been there done that” vibe throughout its 19 chapters, but it is extremely solid nonetheless. The weapon upgrading, new game plus, and highly tuned action encourages multiple play-throughs, with or without a buddy.

Visuals:
Running on a modified version of EA’s Godfather Engine, Dead Space 3 runs and looks extremely solid. Character models are well detailed and designed, and facial expressions are adequately animated. At least on the PS3 version, the game was plagued by low textures on certain characters, taking away the realism. Isaac’s suit is well modeled and lit, which is good considering that you’ll spend most of the game looking at his suit. Unfortunately once the suits come off, the real flaws show. Hair, ears, and noses all look a bit off, and any snow texture added to a character looks flat and pixelated.

Thankfully, most of the enemies are designed well. They dismember and morph with convincing animations. Each necromorph maneuvers around the environment in its own unique way, giving each of them a recognizable identity. The way that enemies move and traverse throughout the levels gives cues on how to best handle them. Bosses and larger enemies show off the engine’s animation technology, but most of them look a bit too “samey”. Yes, their animations and attack patterns may very, but most enemies tend to share the same hue of brown, grey, or green. A bit more variety in the color palette of the enemies would have been appreciated.

The environment design is well thought out and carefully crafted. Blood stained scribbles on the wall, various computers and projectors that run in the background, and corpses that are strewn about various laboratories and caves enhance the games creepy atmosphere. Tau Volantis feels like an abandoned, iced over planet that could really exist somewhere in the reaches of space. The spaceship levels, though not as memorable or large as the first two entries, are well made. Every level is designed to minimize backtracking and aimless exploring. While this may be a negative for some fans, it tightens up the flow and has allowed the creators to better pace the enemy encounters.

Audio:
This game is one of the leaders in audio design for the industry. The subtle cues given off by the environment tell more about your situation than any voice over or dialogue ever could. The screeching of metal as an elevator falls, the shriek of an enemy, and the frantic communication from your teammates all reinforce the perilous situation Isaac is in. Gun sounds impact with a satisfying thud, and music swells and intensifies at appropriate times. This is a game that is meant to be played with a surround sound system, as it’s designed to confuse and mislead the players. Without the audio, the tension would not nearly be as palpable in the final product.

Online/Multiplayer:
The largest, and perhaps most controversial, addition to the Dead Space formula is the addition of cooperative play. The second player takes on the role of John Carver, a teammate of Isaac’s in the solo campaign. At any point in the campaign, you can invite a friend in to your game to play alongside you, helping you decimate necromorphs and fight off the Unitologists. The co-op is so well integrated that the experience is nearly identical whether you choose to play solo or with a friend. That’s definitely a compliment. Visceral has succeeded in adding a cooperative mode to a game without dumbing down the single player experience. There are a handful of puzzles and differences in cooperative play that you won’t experience playing solo, making it worth it to play the game twice. Other than enemy intensity and a few things that I won’t spoil, the there aren’t any drastic changes between the two modes. I found myself enjoying the game equally in co-op and single player, but I suggest playing by yourself the first time around to proceed at your own pace and discover the full story.

Conclusion:
With a wide variety of difficulty levels, a classic mode that prevents weapon upgrade and modifications, and a well-executed combat system, Dead Space 3 is a solid game that provides a lot of fun. Its environment and enemy designs are top notch, but its color palette, human character design, and textures could use some work. The audio design is top notch and eerily convincing, providing some spine tingling moments.

Dead Space 3 is not a game that will revolutionize a genre, it’s a game that takes the best aspects of horror and third person action games from the past generation and blends them into one package. It may be stale and not very inventive at points, but it’s a solid and enjoyable action game that should be played. Fans of the series may feel alienated with this new direction, but Isaac Clarke is here to finish the job and does so with a bang.

Score:

Title: Injustice: Gods Among Us
Format: Blu-ray Disc
Release Date: April 15, 2013
Publisher: Warner Brothers
Developer: NetherRealm Studios
Price: $59.99 (US) / $108 (AUD) Collector’s Edition
ESRB Rating: T
ACB Rating: MA15+
Injustice: Gods Among Us is also available on Xbox 360 and Wii U.
The PlayStation 3 version was used for this review.

*Note: Michael French (aka Fluffy Nuts) drops in from Australia to give us an early review of the game.

Gameplay:
As a casual fighting game fan but not an expert on them in any way, I could easily tell that the combat really doesn’t live up to other fighting games. Mostly based on Mortal Kombat, it just doesn’t feel as clean or precise as it should. It seems slow and sloppy and uncontrollable at times. As fun as it is, I couldn’t see this being played in any proper fighting game tournament as it seems better suited towards casual play with friends or the single player story mode. The fighting is relatively simple and I managed to get through the entire story mode without even knowing how to block. This, along with infinite retries without penalty, makes it obvious that this is aimed towards the casual player.

Injustice has, in all of its stages, different forms of environmental attacks. Interacting with different objects in different levels makes for a lot of fun and something cool to look at but every one of these attacks does the same amount of damage and is triggered by the same single button every time. It takes away from needing to fight and have a bit of skill when these moves, which seem a bit cheap, make the game a whole lot easier. The character’s special moves have the same problem. Much like the x-ray attacks in the last Mortal Kombat game, these deal the same amount of damage and are set off by the same two buttons every time. No need to remember and practice different buttons like in Street Fighter. As cool as it is to look at, it just feels cheap.

NetherRealm has been clever by doing away with the traditional ‘best of 3′ fight system and opting to give the characters double the health bar. When it gets to half-way, the fight stops for just a second to indicate the next round but doesn’t do that weird thing in fighting games when the character just gets up brand new and healed after being beaten.

The story mode is brilliant in this game. In my opinion this story is good enough and I would personally like to see it as an animated feature. It takes you through the game, much like the last Mortal Kombat and Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe as one character for four fights before changing you to the next character and it gets progressively more difficult as you go on. Since this is a fighting game including Superman, most people ask “How would that work?” but the story covers that detail. It explains how everyone is strong enough to handle super powered attacks but not be any stronger than normal. This would be a ridiculous explanation but after watching All-Star Superman it works well. With lots of subtle and not so subtle references to the comics and movies it’s easy to say that the story is the main focus and the best part of the game.

Besides the story, Injustice also includes lots of character based mini games, training rooms, arcade style ladder battles and new mixed style ladder battles.

Visuals:
This is definitely a beautiful game, the artwork and colours are amazing and the animation is almost flawless. The transition between cutscenes and fights are barely noticeable. These are all very well designed models, from their different looks to all of the many alternative costumes.

Unfortunately (in my opinion) most of costumes are based of the New 52 comic books. Whereas some of the costume redesigns are great, others really aren’t but that’s just my taste. I guess the important thing is that they look like the current stories. The story mode doesn’t show this, but once you get into multiplayer then characters start losing flesh in patches to show damage. This has to be its biggest downfall in visuals. Instead of looking like they’re damaged they just look like some bad zombie make up.

Audio:
The audio is especially brilliant, backing tracks and sound effects aside, as good as they are, the best sound in the game comes from the voice actors. Bringing in, for most of the characters, the voices by which most of us know them best, from Batman/Justice League animated series, Young Justice, Teen Titans and other DC animated movies, it was great to spot all the familiar cast (although no Mark Hamill).

The backing music is great though, even though it’s a very Superman based story it has mostly Batman themed music, very dark and strong rather than uplifting.

Online/Multiplayer:
I haven’t played online yet (due to region locking) but same room multiplayer is great fun. I look forward to playing more multiplayer but for the moment I’m stuck to just playing with friends.

Conclusion:
It’s a good looking and fun game, best played with friends and not to be taken too seriously. Great for the comic book enthusiast and the casual fan, not too hard if all you’re after is the story. Lots of time to be put into this and lots to unlock. A great game but not a great fighting game.

Score:

Any interest in back story or main references I’d recommend:
* Injustice Comic 1 – ongoing
* Justice League Animated series (2×11, 2×12)
* All-Star Superman
* Superman: Red Sun
* Flashpoint (Aquaman/Wonder Woman)

Title: Guacamelee
Format: PlayStation Network Download (527 MB PSN and 327 MB PS Vita Cross-Buy)
Release Date: April 9, 2013 (US) / April 10, 2013 (EU)
Publisher: SCEA
Developer: Drinkbox Studios
Price: $14.99 (US) / £9.99 (UK) / €12.99 (EU) (PS3+PSV) *This is a Cross-Buy title
ESRB Rating: E
Guacamelee is available on PlayStation Network and PlayStation Vita. It is a Cross-Buy, Cross-Save title.
The PlayStation Network and PlayStation Vita download versions were used for this review.

You start as a “simple” agave farmer named Juan. You’re heading into town as if nothing is wrong with the world, but that quickly changes with an strange attack on El Presidente’s home. His daughter is abducted by an unusual and supernatural figure, as he sends you to another existence. In the confusion that follows, Juan comes across a typically simple Luchador mask, and once he puts it on his head, the mission to save her begins.

Gameplay:
‘Guacamelee’ is an excellent addition to the “MetroidVania” genre that has spanned videogaming culture for years. A 2D scrolling action-platformer, your powers are revealed to you one-by-one as you progress through the story. You start with some pretty basic fighting moves, but as you move through the game, Juan/Guacamelee will earn other powers such as a fiery uppercut, a ‘stomp’ move, and even later on, you’ll get to fly! Also, in true “Metroid” style, you’ll search for items such as pieces of stamina and health containers, which when enough are collected, will increase the amount of both. You’ll also collect Pesos as you progress, and will have the opportunity to buy upgrades and new moves at the many altars throughout the landscape.

The action can get pretty frantic, but the tight controls help you pull-off heavy combos and will have you shuckin’ and jukin’ with the best of them. You’ll quickly learn that the dodge button will be your friend, as you’re temporarily invincible as you do so, which helps immensely when the screen is full of enemies, all with differently-colored shields which all need to be broken by specific, color-coded special moves. Every special power that you have is tied to a specific color, so a headbutt is always yellow, and an uppercut is always red, and so forth. That’s not all though because you’ll also gain the ability to turn into a chicken, allowing you to get into tight areas that may hold some shiny rewards. Another major element that comes into play during your adventure is the ability to actually shift between the worlds of the living and the dead, first by jumping into portals, but later at the quick press of a button (or swiping up or down on the Vita’s screen). Speaking of the Vita, ‘Guacamelee’ is the exact same game on both platforms, except that you can’t play cooperatively on the portable.

You can also use the Vita as the PS3 game controller using the Sub-Controller functionality of Remote Play. It’s very easy to setup and use, and unlike LBP2, the visual information on the screen is always the same.

* Instructions on how to use this functionality are at the bottom of the review.

On the screen, you’ll be able to quickly check the world map instead of hitting the “Select” button on the DualShock 3 to do so on the game screen. Also, you’ll be able to instantly see how many Pesos you possess, which is something not normally on the main screen. It may seem like a gimmick, but using the Vita in this way actually works quite well. I did have one instance where the controls felt like they got stuck, but it quickly went away.

In true MetroidVania form, the game gets increasingly complex as you come across some pretty inventive puzzles. Later in the game, you’ll require a good deal of reflexes and abstract thought to get past some of these, especially when you’re swapping between dimensions while invoking a special move at the same time. Yes, I did like some of you probably just did with a *sigh*, but know that I finished this game, so I got through every puzzle thrown at me. At times, you may need to simply stop and take a look at the entire screen to figure things out. It can get frustrating, but it’s supposed to. I can’t count how many times that I cried out something to the affect of “are you serious?!”, but again, a game like this is made for that very purpose. Fortunately, the pacing is setup to give you some much needed breathers. If you need a distraction though, head to town to pickup a quick side-mission, which you’ll definitely want to do if you’re pursuing a Platinum trophy, since some are tied directly to these missions.

I would be an idiot not to mention the dialogue throughout the game, since the writing is pretty great. I’m one of the many people that skip through dialogue bubbles, but in this instance, do yourself a favor and read the text. There’s some funny stuff, and you’ll also pickup some hints at what’s coming up in your travels. The writing is clever, so don’t miss out.

Visuals:
I’m a huge fan of the visuals in every way. The animation is silky smooth with nary a hitch to be seen. The style is almost cartoonish, with a great color palette throughout, and the layers of depth do a fantastic job of adding to the scope of the world that you’re in. Drinkbox also, in a few instances, used a great technique of zooming the camera in and out in stages, mainly to show where you fit in to this large environment, but also at a late point to just be funny (extreme close-up!). At some points, the style even reminds me of another game set in a similar world, that game being ‘Grim Fandango’. But ‘Guacamelee’ is definitely all its own, and you’ll instantly be drawn into the world that Juan lives in.

For those that possess a tendency to notice some finer detail in games, you’re in for a treat, as Drinkbox has filled the background with nods to not only past Drinkbox titles, but also to other indie developers. Keep an eye especially in towns where posters are on the walls, and the clothing drying on the lines. There’s a lot to see and experience, so every now and then, take some extra time to check things out.

Audio:
So, I was shopping yesterday when I realized that I was humming one of the main songs from ‘Guacamelee’. This is actually pretty surprising to me, because I don’t usually remember game soundtracks as often as you’d expect. The music is fantastic, with a definite Mexican vibe throughout. Equally, sound effects are very well-done, and as a whole, the audio mix did a fantastic job, especially in tense situations or boss battles.

Online/Multiplayer:
Online features are limited to leaderboards for Speed Run times, and being able to upload and download cloud saves, so you can take your game on the road with the Vita, or back to the PS3 to play on the big screen.

Conclusion:
I love this game, truly. Really my only complaints are that the co-op isn’t online, and that one of the later bosses is an absolute cheap bastard. I got past him, but it took some time. Other than that, I truly had a smile on my face while I played this one. If you’re not a completionist that won’t play a second time through in “Hard Mode”, you may consider this one a bit short in the grand scheme of things, but there’s actually a lot of game here, and luckily, you’ll enjoy it from beginning to end. HIGHLY Recommended!

Score:

* All screenshots used in this review were taken directly from the game using the Blackmagic Intensity Shuttle screen capture feature.

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Title: Dead or Alive 5+
Format: PlayStation Network Download (2628 MB) / Game Card
Release Date: March 19, 2013
Publisher: Tecmo Koei
Developer: Team Ninja
Price: $39.99 (PSN) / $39.99 (Game Card)
ESRB Rating: M
Dead or Alive 5+ is the PlayStation Vita version of Dead or Alive 5, previously released for PS3 and Xbox 360.

Ever since its debut just over one year ago, the PlayStation Vita has been subjected to comparison of its console counterpart.  Aside from being dubbed ‘the most powerful handheld in the world’ the Vita can’t escape the ‘portable PS3‘ moniker or the ‘console in your hands’ descriptor.  Publishers, developers, and industry personnel are not looking to separate the two either, with many titles being released for both platforms and a focus put on cross-save features.

I have however noticed that such comparisons are stated with a bit of hesitation.  It is common to hear ‘it looks almost like the PS3 version’ or my personal favorite, ‘certain features have obviously been taken out’.  Dead or Alive 5+ looks to close this gap between handheld and home console by offering the stunning visuals, extended features, and perfected gameplay that we’ve come to expect from the PS3; all the while adding in a few extras.

Gameplay:
If you’re familiar with fighters and/or the Dead or Alive franchise, you know that these games are comparatively deeper than others in the genre.  I delved into this one head first by checking out the 34 section tutorial, each with more than a few moves to learn, offering hundreds of lessons to master.  It can be a little overwhelming at first, but it is quickly realized that this game will need time and devotion to be thoroughly enjoyed.  There is so much terminology to consider with high, low, and mid holds, combo throws and counter strikes all coming into play at high levels of competition.

One thing in particular that impressed me about Dead or Alive 5+ was the character diversity.  There are wrestlers that focus on holds, ninjas and karate masters that are super quick, and even a drunken fighter.  In many fighting games, the same 3-button input will represent a special move for more than half of the character cast.  This is definitely not the case here, as Team Ninja has created a fighting game with a focus on longevity that has been rare this generation.

The story mode in Dead or Alive 5+ starts off as a convoluted mess of intertwining character storylines but it clears up as you push forward.  We get a little snapshot of what each character was doing leading up to the 5^th Dead or Alive tournament.  There is some humor, a few emotional parts, and everything ends up tying together very nicely.  With more than 70 chapters and over 90 cutscenes, the story mode is more than a few-hour affair.  If nothing else, it serves to familiarize the player with the DOA universe and add dynamic character traits to the otherwise bland roster.

And now, the question you’ve all been waiting for me to answer:   Emrah, how has Team Ninja incorporated touch-screen and gyroscope capabilities?  Even though a DOA fan is probably a core gamer that gives no audience to gimmicky features, I believe that this game has nailed it.  Touch fight is a feature of Dead or Alive 5+ that is completely separate from the rest of the game.  It pits you against an AI opponent in first-person view and allows you to use the Vita both vertically and horizontally.  All fight mechanics are mapped to tapping and swiping and it can be a fun novelty in a mini-game type of way.

Visuals:
With Dead or Alive 5+, the franchise maintains its place at the top when it comes to visual fidelity in the fighting genre and translates that beauty to the small screen.  But what about the boob physics?  They are in full effect for all of you e-pervs out there.  Black market smartphone apps are no longer the only form of pornography in the mobile space.  These ladies barely have to take a breath for their breasts to bounce uncontrollably.

Seriously though, I’ve yet to experience a Vita game with graphics that mirror its console version so closely, especially in this genre.  Mortal Kombat on the Vita lacked character detail, resulting in some downright ugly visuals.  In DOA 5+, you can fight anywhere from an industrial setting to a beautiful island paradise to a silly circus.  Each of these arenas are complete with appropriate lighting and the characters themselves never exhibit the slightest hiccup.

Audio:
There is a healthy selection of background music with a mixture of flowery Japanese dojo music and ass-kickin’ rock and roll.  You can assign any of the tracks to any character and the assigned song will play when using that character.

The attacks in the game also represent a good portion of the soundtrack.  Each kick, punch, throw, and hold come complete with the appropriate karate-action-movie sound effect.  The announcer has that slightly obnoxious voice that we’ve come to expect from a fighter, but it is satisfying to hear him yell ‘K.O.’ at the end of a heated battle.

Online/Multiplayer:
The online multiplayer in the game is very simple.  You can either play a casual or ranked match with ranked matches obviously counting towards your overall win/loss record.  You can choose to fight players in your region or anywhere and I did not experience any lag, slow down, or frame skips.  Online, the game plays impressively close to the offline experience.

Dead or Alive 5+ also supports ad hoc multiplayer and cross-save.

Conclusion:
Dead or Alive 5+ is not only a beautiful reflection of Dead or Alive 5 on console, but it is an overall mechanically sound fighter with deep combos, precision timing, and entertaining gameplay.  It does not have the gory attraction of Mortal Kombat or the super hero following that Injustice:  Gods Among Us will no doubt accrue.  It does not have the projectile or super move appeal of Street Fighter either.  It is a bare-knuckle brawler with virtually no magic or nonsense.  A little bit of ninja mysticism is sprinkled on this close quarters fighter, resulting in intense matchups requiring split-second reflexes.  If any of you fight fans out there are looking for something that will truly test your skills on the go, Dead or Alive 5+ is the game for you.

Score:

***All screenshots used in this review were taken using the PlayStation Vita’s built-in screen screen capture feature***