Attempting to get away from the plastic peripherals that made the series famous to begin with, Harmonix’ Rock Band Blitz is a strange game. How do you create a Rock Band game without the instrument controllers? They went back to their roots. Clearly inspired by their previous titles Frequency and Amplitude, Rock Band Blitz is a music game that isn’t as complex as its predecessors, but it also doesn’t need to be. READ MORE
Video games allow for many different stories through multiple perspectives. Through games, players can experience a multitude of different narratives and, not only that, interact with said narratives. When you attempt to tell a very personal story and create a game around that story, things get trickier. You need to find a way to make that story personal to all players, even if they never went through those experiences themselves. This is where Papo & Yo comes in. It tells the story of a young boy struggling to escape his difficult life through fantasy. READ MORE
In 1994, Final Fantasy VI was released and quickly became one of the most popular and successful games in the franchise. It was remembered for many things, including its strong cast of characters and fantastic villain, but I remember it for being the first game that took a bold step forward and attempted something that, to me, had never been done before. The game’s central antagonist, Kefka, had actually succeeded in his plan and destroyed the world, killing off many people, animals, and plant life. This was a bold move, one that gave the player a reason to keep fighting and eventually defeat Kefka. Most importantly of all, it provided a post-apocalyptic world for players to explore. READ MORE
There isn’t much you can do with the shoot-‘em-up genre these days that hasn’t already been done. You usually have a character, sometimes someone in a spaceship, and other times a person who is magically able to fly and shoot projectiles. You often find yourself moving from one end of the screen to the other, shooting down enemies as they show up and doing your best to survive. Now imagine this classic concept in reverse, with you flying backwards in time instead of moving forwards. Add a musical spin on it and you have Retro/Grade, a game that is actually less of a side-scrolling shooter and more of a rhythm game. READ MORE
For those complaining about the potential death of the JRPG, this year is a treasure trove of big releases. From Xenoblade Chronicles to Tales of Graces f, the genre has been alive and kicking again for the first time in a few years. And now, the man responsible for creating the Final Fantasy series is at it again with his team at Mistwalker, bringing us The Last Story. This Wii exclusive JRPG tells a relatively formulaic tale, but thanks to its action-heavy battle system, it manages to stand out in the genre. READ MORE
