The Nintendo 64 had a lot going for it, but possibly its best development was the advent of the 3D platformer. Between Super Mario 64, Banjo-Kazooie and Conker’s Bad Fur Day, the genre got a great start. There’s something great about colorful worlds to explore and interesting mechanics used to save the world, and The Last Tinker looks and feels like a visual upgrade to those greats of generations past. READ MORE
I’m currently trying to get through Valkyria Chronicles II. Note that I said “trying.” It’s certainly not a terrible game; the soundtrack and visuals are very similar to the first Valkyria Chronicles, which is nothing but a compliment. The music ranges from tranquil and relaxing to foreboding and intense. The world is a mix of fantasy, anime and historical fiction. At first, I couldn’t help but think how ridiculous it is that teenagers in high school are being trained for war, until you remember that children younger than these have been expected to fight for their countries for thousands of years. READ MORE
As the first release using the new Unreal Engine 4, Daylight is an anomaly, in that it’s a horror game and not the usual first-person shooter. You are trapped in an abandoned hospital that is infested with ghosts called Shadows. You must find a way out with the help of another character, who you only communicate with over audio channels. The world is procedurally generated, which means that no two playthroughs follow the same layout. As a result, this limits how much narration the player can receive, to avoid having it repeat too much. The narration is ominous and fits the feel of the game, even when it is largely working as a tutorial. READ MORE
With the ability to turn production sketches directly into in-game assets, the UbiArt engine supplies some breathtakingly delicate visuals to Child of Light. The unique graphical design, combined with a haunting piano-dominated score, bring the story of Aurora’s journey through Lemuria to life in a way that will be remembered for a long time. While not flawless, this odd blend of turn-based RPG and flying platformer is certainly an experience worth investigating. READ MORE
It’s the primary goal of this column to help readers better understand the world of imports and make it easier to jump in and play some themselves. Much of the time, it’s interesting to go in-depth on topics, but not always. Sometimes, it’s valuable to answer some questions directly and succinctly, and this time, I decided to do just that. So here we go: answers to eight things I’m asked all the time! READ MORE
