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Not perfect, but very promising.
I’ve been reading mixed things about Batman’s first handheld outing. I had some hands on time with the game and found it to be a much better representation of its console counterparts than I initially expected. The game is a 2.5D action platformer in the vein of games like Metroid. While the gameplay is primarily in 2D, the game does boast full 3D graphics and environments (with the Vita version having the slight edge visually). Batman controls very much like he does in the other Arkham games, with most of the controls remaining on the same buttons, particularly during combat.
One hardcore RPG.
Aside from a brief escapade with the Persona series, I pretty much have had zero experience with the Shin Megami Tensei series. The name is familiar to me, but all I knew about the series is that it’s widely loved, and has spawned many spinoff series that have all garnered some success. While I really enjoy what I’ve played of the Persona series, I still had no idea what to expect when booting up Shin Megami Tensei IV for the first time. I was afraid that I wouldn’t even like this type of game. In the early goings I felt that my fears would be confirmed, but I eventually found SMT to be enjoyable, despite being new to the franchise.
It’s all that and a bag of chips, home skillet.
Get ready to ride a time machine back to the ‘90s. A time when we thought the Internet was something completely different than the cesspool we know today; a time when JNCOs and flannel were acceptable clothing choices; a time when we raised the roof and exclaimed everything was “the bomb, yo!”; a time when Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers was intended to be released in America. For whatever reason, Sony rejected the title from release on the PlayStation and in Japan it remained. Until now, that is, when Atlus finally dusted it off and brought it into the future on the 3DS. The fact of the matter is that if Soul Hackers would’ve been released when intended, it would’ve been better than tight, it would’ve been straight phat, dawg.
Available now as a DSiWare title for the Nintendo DSi, or Nintendo 3DS.
The video game industry's doctors are moving on.
Hot on the heels of the huge announcement for Dragon Age 3: Inquisition came some sobering news that nearly eclipsed that previous story: the founders of Bioware, Dr. Greg Zeschuk and Dr. Ray Musyka confirmed that they are leaving the company. This isn’t simply a matter of the doctors making a smooth exit from EA to form a new independent video game label—they are leaving the industry entirely and moving on to new ventures.
When five of ten puzzles are borrowed from past episodes, we have a problem.
After playing through the past three Carmen Sandiego Adventures in Math games, I’ve built up a memory bank full of the puzzles that have been featured in each one. It’s pretty easy, as each game only contains ten puzzles and each feature repeat puzzles from prior installments. The Great Gateway Grab stays true to the series’ roots, as it has a total of three repeat puzzles with two that are extremely similar, though not identical, to past puzzles. When half of the puzzles in the game are repeats, it becomes very hard to suggest anyone buy it if they’ve been following along with the series.
Time is a harsh mistress.
As a fan of the Persona series, I'm delighted by the release of Innocent Sin. It's the one chapter I've never been able to experience, solely because it was left in Japan more than 12 years ago. Now that it's here, my feelings on it are mixed at best. Truth be told, Persona 2 is not a game that has weathered the years well. It's full of old school RPG designs and has been completely eclipsed by Persona 3 and 4. At this point, Innocent Sin is a game that only the most diehard of fans will be able to appreciate.
