Game Review by Matt Remley
Game Rating = 4/5
It seems that puzzle games are all the rage these days, luckily Oddgoat Studios doesn’t stray too far from this with their latest downloadable game. Go Go Medley seems to be the new word for chaos, as that’s what players will be experiencing in this fast paced puzzle game similar to that of Tetris or other block stacking games.
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Winter Wolves released the next chapter of Vera Blanc called Ghost in the Castle. Feel free to check out our review of the first chapter Full Moon. The Ghost in the Castle, a detective mystery written in a comic book style finds the heroine Vera Blanc travels to a small town in Italy to discover who’s behind the ghost and a string of deaths scaring the locals.
Reflexive, creators of classic games like Ricochet Lost Worlds released a new time management game called GabCab, where the game player must pick up and deliver passengers to their destinations while catching tips in the air. The game retails for a whopping $6.99.
http://www.bigfishgames.com/download-games/9004/gabcab/index.html
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Mr. Smoozles Goes Nutso Game Review Rainier Wong
Game Rating: 4/5
Who says only 3D games can rule the gaming world? Mr. Smoozle Goes Nutso is a game that proves whoever says such thing wrong. If you love Pac-man, you will like this game even more. Although I am not a great scorer in games, I enjoy this game very much due to the uniqueness in its interactions especially the comic strips at the beginning of the game that reminded me of my childhood days. This game greatly challenged to my memory, and my ablity to obey instructions when I was playing it.
The object of this game is exciting. In this game, you play the role of Ed, a friendly creature who is responsible for bringing everything back to normal and restoring Mr. Smoozle’s mind who was affected by creatures from another dimension, the Gorogans who had also taken away reality.
Playing this game was really fun as it challenged my mind especially when I needed to remember instructions, when it really pumped up my andrenalin while being chased by Mr. Zmoozle, and when I had to quickly get the crown for the frog to get the “Displacer” before being hit by some “Reality Wave”. Like the traditional Pac-man game , you have to move Ed along paths to collect items to gain some scores. However, unlike Pac-man, you have to complete certain tasks before gaining enough power to collect the items, and find keys to open doors to other rooms. The way the instructions are given is interesting. You as Ed has to ‘converse’ with other characters to get them, and I like the way how each conversation was presented in comic-like speech baloons. Some of the conversions involved some humor too. Remembering those instructions was indeed a challenge to me. Another thing that challenged my memory was having to remember the way to exit to other rooms.
Using the keyboard to control the game was easy as only the arrow keys were used to move Ed around; and the Enter and Control keys to interact with the other characters and certain objects.
There are three levels of difficulties you can choose on this game. What sounded strange and funny to me was the second or intermediate level was called normal.
The game creators were very creative and innovative indeed when he used comic strips as part of the game especially in the introduction. It was indeed my first time playing such a game. Although the graphics seem to be more appealing to the kids especially the comic strips, and the characters involved, this game is great challenge for adults like me as well, and brings fond memories to many. The lobby room was the most colorful place in my opinion. The less colorful place was the Vortex room. There was something that appeared to be drawer but I didn’t seem to be able to jump to it. Perhaps, I must have missed an instruction earlier.
The sound in general was great. However, it would be a nicer to have a more lively tune as a theme song or something that is usually used for sci-fi or space movies. I enjoy the music used in the lobby as it was the most upbeat of all in the game. Perhaps we can have someone or a group to sing the theme song like those used in the old Hanna Barbara production cartoons. It would be nice if the player could shut down the sound as some people who prefer to play in a quiet mood. It would also be great if the player can just only shut down the background music.
Overall the game is superb for children who are 6 years old or more, and adults as well. You will surely enjoy this Mr. Smoozles Goes Nutso. My verdict? A 4/5 for this game.
Neogen 2 released the downloadable platform game called A Man With A Monocle” about a monocle wearing man who’s monocle contains the soul of another man. Interesting concept for a downloadable game. But hey, its meant to entertain. Give it a whirl.
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Brunilda and the Dark Crystal Game Review by Matt Bird
Game Rating = 2/5
You should buy this game if:
- You adore point and click adventures
- You like puzzles
- You like mini-games
You should not buy this game if:
- You’re bored of fantasy tales
- You dislike generic games
- You want to preserve your eyesight
Fantasy stories are legion. Point and click adventure games are legion. Stick the two together and what do you get? Aside from something so common you’ve seen its kind a billion times before, you get Brunhilda and the Dark Crystal.
There is, apparently, a fantasy world that exists beyond our own, known as the Faerie Realm – and, for reasons most dire, the magic of the place is seeping away, which will result in some nasty implications. A demon has been sent out to look for the only one who can save the realm, a girl named Brunhilda, whose aunt is knee-deep in magical lore.
Accompanied by the vexatious demon Brunhilda must travel through a variety of locations, trying to discover the mystery behind the loss of magic – entombed within an artifact known as the Dark Crystal – and save the Faerie Realm. Sounds rather generic, yes, and it is: there’s little innovative substance behind this story, if you’ve read even one fantasy novel, and though the overall setting has some neat aspects there’s almost nothing new here.
But enough story. On to the game play. What makes Brunhilda tick? Unfortunately, it’s a mechanic that’s familiar to the extreme, as Brunhilda and the Dark Crystal relies almost entirely on point-and-click mechanics to get the job done. As she travels Brunhilda is propositioned by all manner of creatures to do something or other for them, from finding cheese to matchsticks to spider webs, and this requires the tried-and-true method of hunting through static environments and clicking until you find what you’re seeking.
And, unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot more to this game. There are some mini-games, true, but they’re not boisterous or inventive enough to save Brunhilda. It’s too simple. If you like these kinds of games you’ll probably have fun regardless, but for the rest of us…
Nor does the presentation help much. Brunhilda isn’t UGLY, per se, but there’s something off about this game’s aesthetics. Everything looks blurry, which doesn’t help when you’re trying to identify items of importance. Your eyes will probably start to hurt when you strain to pick out important details.
This is all rather unfortunate, because Brunhilda’s programmers tried to be ambitious by including full voice acting. This would have been awesome had the writing not turned out rather poor: some of the storytelling is downright awkward, and even the spunky demon is boring as a sidekick. Add in the fact that most of the voice actors are bad (Brunhilda has no emotion at all) and, well, there you have it.
Brunhilda and the Dark Crystal is par for the course. It’s the same as anything and everything else you’ve ever seen in a point and click adventure. It’s not really worth the money unless you’ve never played a point and click before, and even then there are better titles.
Deadly Sin 2: Shining Path Game Review by Kenneth Andrews
Game Rating = 3/5
A totally standard but basically competent downloadable Role playing game Deadly Sin will not win any awards for originality, or indeed for anything, but is pretty good fun for newcomers to the genre.
THREE REASONS TO BUY
Clear instructions
Colourful graphics
Good introduction to RPGs in general
THREE REASONS NOT TO BUY
Irritating music
Interminable cutscenes
Highly derivative plot
Young apprentice Mage Lorelai wakes to find her guardian, Winchester, has left on a mysterious quest. He leaves a note asking her to take a letter to the nearby capital city. No sooner does she leave the house though, than giant spiders are attacking her, and demons are coming to drag her to the Abyss. Exciting, and yet strangely familiar, stuff!
Gameplay
Deadly Sin’s gameplay should be completely familiar to casual gamers. Controlled entirely from the keyboard (the arrow keys and Enter take most of the strain), Lorelai travels through a top-down world as a cartoonish sprite, before switching to a horizontal screen for combat. For new gamers, it’s an easy system to pick up, and its familiarity means anyone who has ever played an RPG before will know exactly what to expect. Although the game puts the player straight into action exploring the monster-strewn forests around Winchester’s house, the dialogue scenes between Lorelai and her first party member, Blade, are excruciatingly slow as you need to click your way through lengthy banter. This establishes their characters and their relationship, but needed to be broken up in smaller chunks.
Graphics and Sound
The graphics for Deadly Sin are competent, but by no means flashy. The top-down view for exploring the game’s world is cartoonish and solid, with the bare minimum of animation (torches flicker, Lorelai’s ponytail sways from side to side as she walks). For combat sequence, the background art of underground tunnels and woodland is exceptionally well-drawn, as are the monsters and our heros, but the minimalistic animation becomes ridiculous, the sprites flash rather than move. Which is a shame, as the animation for magic spells and special attacks is really rather neat and well-executed, highlighting the static nature of everything else.
For audio, the spot-effects are sturdy but not exciting. The music is impressive, but quite repetitive and as such becomes irritating. Put on some of your own tunes and it’s all a lot more fun.
Creativity and Innovation
Deadly Sin’s control system is a clone of many other games, and there is little room for innovation in the RPG genre after all these years. There is a young character discovering her destiny, on an epic quest, with a mysterious mentor. There are demons, a slightly stilted love interest, a plague of undead… The game has the odd creative flourish, such as the skills tree which has some interesting abilities at higher levels, and there has been a clear decision to get straight on with the meat of the game rather than the standard opening stages of dull introductory quests. But there is nothing mould-breaking about the game in any respect. At $6.99, however, it represents excellent value of money and is a rewarding game on its own terms.
Frictional Games will release Amnesia: Dark Descent in September. They describe the game as a interactive horror experience. Feel free to check out the trailer:
Amazing Pyramids Game Review by Cindy Shanks
Game Rating = 4/5
If you enjoy word puzzles then you will love Amazing Pyramids. This is the chance to guess the missing words and gain points. Beware, if you don’t guess the word before your energy levels run out you will have to start again.
Three Reasons to buy Amazing Pyramids
- You are looking for a fun family game.
- You enjoy solving word puzzles.
- You want a game that can be enjoyed for long periods of time or played in short bursts.
Three Reasons to avoid buying Amazing Pyramids
- You dislike word games.
- You are looking for a fast paced action game.
- You find repetitive word games dull. (more…)
Inner Quest Game Review by Brandon Rutter
Game Rating = 4/5
Perfect for the casual gamer, Inner Quest offers a unique and relaxing puzzle game experience.
Reasons to buy:
- You are a fan of colorful slide-matching tile puzzles akin to Bejeweled.
- You want a calm, casual game. Inner Quest even has a “casual mode” wherein one can play levels without the stress of a timer.
- Inner Quest is a puzzle game, pure and simple. There isn’t a story; there are no gimmicks. (more…)
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