Bionic Dues has exactly what I want in a roguelike: direction. Most feature the absolute least amount of story possible: go to the bottom of the dungeon, get a thing, come back up and try not to die. Bionic Dues, like FTL before it, put just a little bit more into the story, and wormed itself that much deeper into me because of it. The scenario crafted by Arcen Games is an interesting one, and it means that there is a push to see the conclusion to the evolving story as well as the push of “just one more mission.” READ MORE
Marlow Briggs is the interactive version of the cheesy action movies I loved in the early ’90s, like Demolition Man. Things blow up, not because the plot calls for it, but because it sure would be fun to slow down the camera and watch a thing explode. There are guys with flamethrowers, not because they would be useful at an archaeological dig site, but because carrying a bunch of flamethrower fuel means they’ll blow up very nicely. These are the sorts of design choices ZootFly has made, and I love them for it. READ MORE
Final Fantasy XIV is a game with a short but rocky history. The original incarnation of this game, commonly referred to as 1.0 by players, was a mess. Compared to other titles on the market, it was a skeleton of a game, with little content and innumerable bugs. After about a year, Square Enix threw in the towel, and the development team was removed from the project. Ultimately, it decided to completely remake it from the ground up. The PS3 version was scrapped, and work began on what would become A Realm Reborn. READ MORE
Memoria is an odd beast: it works wonderfully as a story but falls on its face as a game. This is common among point-and-click adventures. I don’t replay Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis because I yearn for the old days of moving my mouse cursor around the screen and using inventory objects. I replay it because I enjoy the story, the atmosphere and the characters. Memoria succeeds in this respect. READ MORE
How do you follow a game that not only revitalized a franchise, but also restored many players’ faith in the power of the platformer? 2011’s Rayman Origins combined a refreshing and gorgeous aesthetic with smooth, interesting level design, and had some seriously questioning Mario’s place as the top of the genre.
Rayman Legends follows up in the most straightforward way it can: by stepping up its game in every possible aspect.
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