The Bureau is a confused game. It doesn’t seem to have a single, driving focus, and that really hurts the experience. Instead of, I assume, working with the folks at Firaxis to craft a narrative that dovetails into the narrative of last year’s XCOM: Enemy Unknown, The Bureau spins a tale that is gripping at the front and completely nonsensical at the conclusion. READ MORE
The Mario & Luigi series technically started on the GBA with Superstar Saga, but the argument could be made that the series is the successor to the SNES’s Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. The battle systems are similar, the aesthetic is familiar and the Paper Mario series is definitely off doing its own thing. Either way, Dream Team lives up to the legacy laid out by Superstar Saga, Partners in Time and Bowser’s Inside Story before it. READ MORE
I moved recently, which gave me the opportunity to look through my old valuables. I say valuables, but these things are more like “junk that told a story:” an old action figure my uncle gave me, a cheap ring that represents an old relationship or even a scrap of a paper I thought I threw away laying out my plans for a weekend gathering with friends. If you live in a place for long enough, that place will begin to gather more than dust; it will gather memories. The first game from the Fullbright Company, Gone Home, gives you the opportunity to examine the lives of a family by simply letting you explore their home. As a result, it spins a meaningful yarn that pushes the art of storytelling in games forward. READ MORE
Divinity: Dragon Commander is a game that flew under the radar for quite a while, but it offers an interesting blend of strategy mechanics, both in and outside of missions. Divinity is an established, long-running RPG franchise, but Dragon Commander is an experimental first foray into strategy. READ MORE
DuckTales Remastered is just that: an HD conversion of an NES classic. It isn’t a remake or a reboot, and should not be viewed as such. Most of the mechanical and design changes are subtle. The real draw is the presentation: the adorable HD visuals and robust animations, fully-voiced cutscenes and yet another energetic Jake Kaufman soundtrack. As long as you know what you’re getting into here (or aren’t above choosing “Easy” mode), DuckTales is just as fun as it was on the NES, with a hefty helping of extra charm. READ MORE
