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.

Read the rest »

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

Event
Sony Playstation Vita Media Event

For a number of months, gamers have been talking about the Playstation Vita. Since Ricky and I got to try it out last year at the Holiday Event, we have been really looking forward to getting our hands on our own. Some folks are lucky enough to have it already, but for the rest of us who are waiting for this upcoming Wednesday, the Playstation Vita Media Event was a nice way to get our fix. Following are some brief bits about things that I managed to try during the event.

Read the rest »

Posted in Events, Vita | 1 Comment »

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.

Read the rest »

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

Review
Stick Man Rescue

Years ago, I stumbled upon an internet animation series called Xiao Xiao (also known as Stick Fighter); it was a neat little animation about stick people fighting in a grand martial arts battle. While not really the same, TikGames’ Stick Man Rescue brought a smile to my lips and reminded me that a game does not need to be graphics intensive to be fun*.

Read the rest »

Posted in Byte-Size Reviews, PlayStation 3, PSP | 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?

Read the rest »

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

Review
Vanguard Bandits

While my tastes tend to bend toward RTS, I also find the occasional Tactical RPGs fun to play. In some ways, engaging in these types of games is probably a subconscious desire to replicate the amount of fun I had playing one of my all-time favourite TRPG’s: X-Com: UFO Defense. Human Entertainment’s Vanguard Bandits does not really come close to that experience for me; however, it is definitely a fun romp that Mike Jackson’s favourite team, Monkey Paw, has seen fit to bring to North America – to the PS3 (from the PSN).

Read the rest »

Posted in Byte-Size Reviews, PlayStation 3, PSN | No Comments »

So-Late-It’s-Early Review
Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken

Rocketbirds: Revolution was an impressive flash browser game developed by Ratloop Asia. I say impressive because the game looked and sounded like a console title, suffering only from a stiff control scheme with the keyboard. It’s no surprise then that Ratloop Asia has taken Rocketbirds and brought it to the PSN to live up to its full potential. With a plethora of new content and a fresh HD coat of paint, does Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken shed its flash roots and fully embrace the new format? Strut past the break to find out.

Read the rest »

Posted in PlayStation 3, PSN, Reviews | 2 Comments »