PixlBit

High Moon’s latest impresses.

Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is on its way to being just as good, if not better than its predecessor if my latest hands-on with the game is any indicator. 2010’s War for Cybertron left a lasting impression on me, and was one of my favorite games of that year. It finally set the bar for what a Transformers game should be like with the right amount of action, fluidity of gameplay,  and the overall production value. Thankfully, Fall of Cybertron continues that trend. The latest demo, which includes single and multiplayer components shows that High Moon has learned from some of its mistakes in the last game and is trying hard to make sure that Fall of Cybertron is a better game overall.

Read more »

A devastating tale of love lost… for a game reviewer.

It’s pretty heartbreaking when you are really enjoying a game only to have it all hit a breakneck stop and you just want it all to end already.  Such was my experience with Ys Origin - a prequel to the long running Ys series from Falcom that is finally available in English after first being released in Japan years ago.  I spent several hours mesmerized: loving the combat, wondering what would happen in the story, and considering if I would soon be buying other games in the series to satisfy my nascent Ys fandom.  Then, the game’s off-kilter balancing rammed me into a wall.  Then another.  And another.  Time after time, Ys Origin mires you in lengthy forced grinding situations, and that one fault is the game’s undoing.

Read more »

No need to wait on Portal 3 to get your first-person puzzle-solving fix.

When Portal hit the market, it took gamers by storm. Never before had the world experienced such a game – the unique portal mechanic was tied to a first person perspective, complex puzzles, and a compelling story and antagonist. Quantum Conundrum, the latest work of Valve alum, Kim Swift, captures at least part of Portal’s essence, but comes up short in the character and story department. First person puzzle solving takes the center stage and the Inter-dimensional Shift Device (IDS) proves to be an interesting tool/concept to drive the complex dimension-shifting puzzles; however, the lack of an overarching concept and vision disallows Quantum Conundrum from reaching the cult stature of its influencing material. Despite this, the interesting mechanics and the well constructed “test chambers” make for a fantastic game that shouldn’t be missed.

Read more »