Toronto Thumbs

Review
Puddle

Puzzle games can be hit-and-miss. Sometimes they are too easy, and pose absolutely no challenge at all; sometimes they are actually puzzling in their implementation, confounding the player with complicated control or scoring schemes. There are few games that strike a magic balance between challenge and playability*, allowing the player to concentrate on the task at hand without being mired in a complicated rule set. Puddle, a very “physical” puzzle game (developed by Neko Entertainment and published by Konami), is one of those games that flows along that delicate tightrope between challenge and fun.

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Posted in Move, PlayStation 3, Reviews, Xbox 360 | No Comments »

Demo-lution*
Games for Windows Phone 7

Lately, I have been playing around a bit more with Windows Phone 7 (on a Samsung Focus), checking out some of the titles that have been emerging lately in the Xbox Live games marketplace. I have been downloading some of the demos (that are surprisingly meaty) and thought I would give you my impressions of what I have seen. In this edition, I take a brief look at a cool racing game, and a crazy shooter.

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Posted in Byte-Size Reviews, LIVE, Windows Phone 7 | No Comments »

Krytical Eye
Final Fantasy XIII-2

Please note that this review contains mild spoilers and ranty goodness.

If the Final Fantasy franchise has taught us anything, it is that it’s never too late for a spinoff title; in this case, a direct sequel to Final Fantasy XIII – a flagship entry with mixed results. It presented a complete story, with likeable enough characters, an interesting setting, and a changed-up the ATB (active-time battle) combat system into something more frantic than what us long-time fans were used to. Sure, I give it flak for not opening up its world until thirty hours into the adventure but if you were brave enough to stick around – then the rest is quite satisfactory.

Then someone over at Square Enix decided it was appropriate to expand the world of Pulse with a sequel. It is an eye-roll of an idea; but the finished product is something I can’t seem to get a feel for. The additional game-play tweaks are a welcome makeover from XIII – but the story is a paper-mache of great ideas that were never given a chance dry properly. What could have been an impressive portfolio piece turns into a poor man’s project that tries its hardest to be a work of art – but the reality is that it’s far from that goal.

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Posted in Krytical Eye, PlayStation 3, Reviews, Xbox 360 | No Comments »

Review
Xotic

The screenshots of WXP’s Xotic are surreal and alluring; as strange as it looks from afar, the game becomes even stranger when you start playing. Being different, though, can sometimes make a game fun – the departure from the ordinary makes for a great way to be entertained. Unfortunately, the bold visuals and odd controls make this XBLA downloadable game a less desirable prospect than other first-person-shooters, which is unfortunate given the uniqueness of the game.

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Posted in Reviews, Xbox 360 | No Comments »

Review
Choplifter HD

“Take a look at me now!”

Who remembers playing Choplifter when they were young? The simple premise of flying behind enemy lines to rescue trapped soldiers and hostages was a neat idea and fun to play. Now, inXile brings us Choplifter HD, a modern reimagining of the Apple 2E classic for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. Does the game have any lift? Or does it come crashing down?

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Posted in PlayStation 3, Reviews, Xbox 360 | 1 Comment »

Thoughts
Leveraging Kinect to Capture New Gamers

Today’s post is a guest piece by a new video gaming friend that I met at a “gamer’s night out”. He’s a cool dude with interesting ideas! Check it out!

Halo is a prime example of a multi-million-selling games property with vast casual appeal and a backbone of vocal hardcore players who petition for the stewardship of future installments. They love Halo the most, and their only wish is to see that it doesn’t lose what makes it great. Sometimes this means that they are hostile to new developments, such as the Kinect integration in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. When it was announced that players with the right hardware would have the choice of yelling ‘grenade’ or ‘reload’ to perform these actions, comment-sections and forums overflowed with chagrin from gamers eagerly awaiting ‘real’ news on the updated edition.

The knee-jerk reaction to casual gimmickry encroaching on hardcore turf is understandable, but gamers need to take a step back and consider their personal journeys that lead to their first Killtacular before such vocal dismissal.

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Posted in Commentary, Kinect | 3 Comments »

Review
Grease Dance

Following hot on the heels of the recent dance craze, 505 Games has released Grease Dance for all major platforms (in various forms). As the name implies, it’s a spin-off on the popular 1978 movie by the same name. I was sent over the Kinect version to review which is arguably the best platform for this type of interactive gaming. That being said, this might not be the best example of Kinect game development.

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Posted in Byte-Size Reviews, Kinect, Xbox 360 | No Comments »