Right before Max Payne 3 released, I was unsure of what to expect. I knew that Remedy, the developer of the first two games, had a distinct style, and I was curious to see how Rockstar would approach that. Thankfully, instead of attempting to recreate the style that made the series well-known, Rockstar went down their own path. What we have is a game that, in many respects, pays homage to the original two titles while becoming an entirely different, Rockstar-styled action game of its own. READ MORE
Right before 3DO’s death, they had a few upcoming releases that showed promise. Back in 2003, the one that stood out to me was The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, an action game set right before the supposed end of the world. In it, you control the archangel Abaddon and team up with a group of three humans known as the “chosen,” to track down and kill the riders of the apocalypse in order to prevent, well… the apocalypse. It attempted to mix heavy action with some light exploration and horror elements to create a game that was not unique, but had some interesting potential. READ MORE
Telltale Games has had a lot of success in the past creating memorable adventure games based on existing franchises. Its once-popular formula began to grow a bit stale, and when it attempted to mix things up with Jurassic Park: The Game, it was met with very little fanfare. Now it’s back with The Walking Dead, a five-episode adventure series that attempts to try something a little different once again, while staying true to the company’s winning adventure game formula. READ MORE
Sometimes I look over at my shelf of games and grumble to myself, “things aren’t what they used to be.” I’m not unsatisfied with games today; sometimes it just feels like there’s something missing. Gaming has changed so drastically since the rather simplistic, seemingly carefree days of the 8 and 16-bit eras. Whenever a new game comes along that emulates that style, it can succeed, but not to the level I want it to. Examining Fez with my nostalgia goggles on brought me gratification, but when I took those goggles off, I found out that the folks at Polytron understand. They were well aware of that era in games and knew how to properly emulate it. They get it. READ MORE
Thanks to the popularity of such motion-based systems like the Wii and the 360’s Kinect, “minigame” has almost become a dirty term in the industry. You think of Wii Play, Carnival Games or one of the hundred other minigame collections that have come out over the years and plagued us with their tedious mechanics and uninspired gameplay. Not all minigame collections are bad, but most have been pushed out to make a quick buck off the gimmicks of these new control devices. In light of these releases, I want to show that minigames still have a place in the industry, and can potentially be our hope and saviors from potentially monotonous gameplay. READ MORE
