Borderlands was all about over-the-top weapons and characters. The folks at Gearbox didn’t try to sell you on anything except for having fun taking down baddies with ridiculous weapons. Borderlands 2 takes what made the first game great and applies it to some of the bits that didn’t stand out the first time around. Weapons were great before and feel even better now, grenades are much improved and the locations are more varied. In most of the ways that matter, Borderlands 2 is an end-to-end replacement of the first game. The additions to 2009’s formula fit the universe wonderfully, and the returning vault hunters from the original game make for a story that I was actually invested in instead of one that only pushed me from quest to quest. READ MORE
Back in the early ’90s, there was an interesting little tactical shooter called Cannon Fodder. In it, you commanded a small squad of soldiers by clicking around a battlefield, commanding them when to attack and retreat. It was a fun little game, and had enough success to garner a sequel, but not much was heard out of the series for a long time after that (until just recently when Cannon Fodder 3 was released on Steam, but that’s another story).
Why bring up Cannon Fodder during the review of a different game? Well, let’s just say that said differences are actually pretty few and far between. It’s clear from a simple glance that Tiny Troopers borrows a great deal from the former, but does that make it less of a game? READ MORE
I am an unashamed fan of tower defense, and the little twists that each individual developer imparts on the genre. It’s fun to plan out moves and see a level defeated based on wits alone, instead of twitch skill with the mouse or being able to queue up all of the right magic spells in a preset amount of time. I like those games, as well, but it’s nice sometimes to sit back and relax while your towers do all the dirty work.
Shad’O both is and isn’t a by-the-numbers tower defense game, but I was compelled to keep playing, so the elements that were fresh were enough to keep me engaged throughout the bits that feel like lots of games that I have already played. READ MORE
Mutant Mudds is a throwback to the early, tough-as-nails platformers of the 8 and 16-bit eras. A simple formula pushed to masterful levels of skill to beat, it is definitely aimed at people who miss those days. READ MORE
My knowledge of The Walking Dead is limited to Telltale’s episodic game series. I know that it also exists as a comic book series and television series, but I have no idea whether the three share anything more than the basic premise that the dead are walking among the living and neither side really wants to hang out with the other. Telltale has done such a fantastic job on the games, however, that I desperately want to read the comic and catch up on the television show. I can only hope that the other media manage to create such strong ties to characters. READ MORE
