Don't discount these games just because you've already seen their tricks.
We've already shown you some of the biggest games coming this year, as well as some brand-new titles that certainly look interesting. Now, the attention of our 2013 sneak preview turns to some tried and true titles. These are some old friends, coming back to say hello.
The Cave is set to be released on January 22 from the PlayStation 3's PlayStation Store and the Wii U's eShop, and on January 23 from the Xbox 360's Marketplace and where viable from a PC.
Come join the dark side
Welcome to our little group. This time on Backloggers, I'm joined by Jesse and JD as we discuss Darksiders, and it's publisher THQ.
My, that’s a polished turd!
Beautiful aesthetics, wonderful music, and just about perfect controls are all you could hope for in a platformer save one very important factor and this eluded me for a while. I couldn’t figure out with so many great things going on in Pid why I hated it so very deeply. Eventually I realized that its well-crafted elements were completely overwhelmed by the boring, mediocre, and at times maddening level design. It’s a shame that the designers primarily focused on the window dressing bits instead of considering all the things you would actually be doing when you play. Pid struggles with knowing what sort of levels it wants to present, switching from puzzles to difficult platforming to stealth to long periods of just waiting around or running in a straight line. Each of these disparate level types (and more) are middling at best on their own and when combined are a complete drag. Pid’s wonderful presentation can’t save it from the tedium packed into every single minute of its tortuous length.
It's time to slay the dragon!
Welcome to a very special edition of Nerds Without Pants. Julian is joined by a couple of lovely ladies—Shanna and Allison—who are experts on the topic of the day: massively multiplayer online role playing games. That’s MMORPGs for you savvy ones. With Star Wars: The Old Republic doing well below expectations and Final Fantasy XIV needing a complete redesign this episode of NWP asks what’s so special about these types of games, and why do people still play them?
Since the world didn't end this year, I guess we should talk about it.
So the world didn't end. Who'd a thunk it. So let's celebrate with a special "Year in Review" episode of Push Start to Continue that sees the Hell Block Heroes reunite! The guys guiltily admit how the Steam Winter Sale pilfered their wallets; Jesse explains away his Civilization V addiction; and the whole crew goes round and round on some of the best games and gaming moments of 2012.
Dear Diary: Today I beat up a tree.
From the moment Code of Princess was announced, comparisons between it and Guardian Heroes were inevitable. Videos quickly showed that the gameplay was extremely similar, and quite a few members of the staff that previously worked on Guardian Heroes were on the design team. It's a fair comparison, and a rather impressive one considering Guardian Heroes did a lot for the brawler genre at a time where it was at risk of becoming irrelevant. It’s chief contributions included the inclusion of RPG elements like leveling, stat management, and magic, at a time when this practice wasn’t nearly as mainstream as it is today.
We're going streaking!
It’s 2013 and somehow we survived the apocalypse! Time to ring in the new year in style, with a new episode of Nerds Without Pants. This week we’re a nerd down, as Patrick is convalescing after minor surgery. Filling in is the one and only Ty “Fighter”, who long time listeners will know as Rob’s oft-mentioned buddy. Since every podcast is doing their game of the year lists we decided to buck that trend and instead take a look back at the year that was.
With a bigger budget, 505 could've had a real hit on their hands.
I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to turn in my gamer card for this one, but Funky Barn is a legitimately fun game. I know it sounds like shovelware garbage, and it does seem like it was built on the budget of such a title, but the farm sim is actually competent in its design, complete with an addictive game loop. Unfortunately the game's low budget is painfully obvious – from the low quality art to the long loading times to the hard freezes, Funky Barn has a healthy dose of anti-funk.
If you didn't have enough stress at your day job…
If you noticed the developer on Aero Porter, your interest may have immediately piqued. Vivarium, which should be synonymous with Yoot Saito, helmed creation of this second entry in Level5’s Guild01 series. Like his previous works, Seaman and Odama, Aero Porter is an odd beast that’s fascinating in concept, but rather painful in execution. Aero Porter is not fun – but on the other hand, it doesn’t seem like it’s trying to be. Saito pulls no punches; he’s very up front with the fact that you’re going to be running the baggage sorting at an upstart airport and it’s very much your job. And jobs entail work, which is exactly what Aero Porter feels like.
