Tag Archive: review


EGM Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet Review

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August 5, 2011

Originally Published: August 2, 2011, on EGMNOW.COM

Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Developer: Shadow Planet Productions
Platforms: XBLA

Release: 08.03.11

The Good: Old school exploration and backtracking similar to Metroid
The Bad: Constantly referring back to your map and weapon wheel breaks pace of game play
The Ugly: Monstrous, screen-filling shadow creatures bent on your destruction

Cut from the mold of old-school action games like Metroid, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet proves that fun, simple, yet engrossing game play can trump all the special effects and cut scenes of other games most any day of the week. In fact, the story of Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet can be summed up thusly: You’re an alien with a spaceship. Your home world has been invaded by a plague like shadow creature. Kill it.

And that’s all you really need as you pilot your way through a maze-like massive world with varying climates and themes and you blast away at parasitic creatures spawned from the master shadow monster. And blast away at these creatures you shall as you’ll earn an assortment of various weapons from standard missiles, blasters, and scanners, to more unique weapons like buzz saws and barrier shields. Of course, each new weapon will only make you want to explore even more as each will not only help you take down certain foes, but also open up new door ways that were once blocked off to you. Rewards ranging from concept art and more of the game’s back-story to armor and blaster power-ups await you if you choose to explore the entire map available.

The only downside that comes from having a large assortment of weapons and a map of where to explore is that you find yourself constantly referring back to the map to see where to go next, or even with four assignable hot keys, needing to go to the weapon wheel to change weapons. This tends to break the pace of game play and will slow down the experience for all the completionists out there.

Despite this minor complaint, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet is a wonderfully addicting old-school romp that uses simple, tried and tested techniques to pull off a winner. The limited color palette works perfectly for the theme of the game and it helps put your sensory emphasis on the mood-setting music as you blast away in classic underdog style with your tiny ship against an entire world. Throw in an actually compelling 2-4 player co-op/versus mode called “Lantern Run” where you and up to three friends must work together to solve puzzles and escape the encroaching Lantern Monster, all the while competing for the high score, and Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet is another more than worthy entry into Xbox’s Summer of Arcade.

Score: 9.5/10

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EGM Section 8: Prejudice Review

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Originally Published: August 2, 2011, on EGMNOW.COM

Publisher: TimeGate Studios
Developer: TimeGate Studios
Platforms: PS3 (previously released on Xbox 360 and PC)

Release: 7.26.11

The Good: Deeper story mode than original serves as more than tutorial for multiplayer
The Bad: Dated, last-generation graphics, glitches, and horrible voice acting
The Ugly: The splatter when an orbital supply drop crushes someone

Section 8: Prejudice is a sequel to Section 8, a sci-fi shooter that revolved around space marines who would be shot from an orbital cannon into various military conflicts, and provides players with the personal challenge of trying to crush hapless opponents on impact. Although an interesting take on the shooter, the campaign served as nothing more than an extended tutorial that seemed to gear players up for the multiplayer. With the release of Prejudice though, the entire Section 8 universe has seen a re-design.

The most obvious fix to this franchise comes in the single player campaign. Although there are several parallels between the action of this new story, which continues to follow Alex Corde, the first game’s protagonist, and the original game’s campaign, the clear ramping up for the multiplayer, which remains the game’s meat and potatoes, is much better hidden through a more complex story.

The terrific multiplayer, which is what most attracted players to the first game, has only been bolstered by the new Swarm mode. Similar to Gears of War’s Horde mode, Swarm sees players team up to defend a single control point as they eliminate waves of enemy bots. Up to 32 players can also take part in the returning Conquest mode, which rounds out the multiplayer experience. In Conquest, two teams attempt to score points by killing their opponents, capturing objectives, and finishing a plethora of missions that prompt teamwork from the entire group in order to complete. This variety in a glorified death match mode really lends itself to team tactics in order for your squad to emerge victorious. Include again several customizable load outs you can pre-set before jumping into any and every fray and the multiplayer is something that most shooter fans should check out at least once.

Even with this downloadable title having more content than the disk-based original from two years ago though, there are still many flaws right on the surface of Prejudice that keep it from being elite. The paltry graphics, glitch riddled combat, and horrible voice acting makes you think this could be a game from the last console generation. And, again, even with a more involved story and much better character development and cut scenes, the single player campaign still feels like an extended tutorial to play before jumping into the multiplayer mode.

Despite this though, Section 8: Prejudice is a much richer experience than its predecessor and with the cheaper downloadable price tag, is a worthy distraction for shooter fans with itchy trigger fingers.

Score: 7.5/10

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EGM Captain America: Super Soldier Review

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July 25, 2011

Originally Published: July 19, 2011, on EGMNOW.com

Game Name: Captain America: Super Soldier

By: Ray Carsillo

Publisher: SEGA
Developer: Next Level Games
Platforms: 3DS, DS, PS3, Wii, Xbox 360

The Good: Stellar shield mechanics makes you really feel like the Star-Spangled Avenger
The Bad: Uneven plot pacing leaves you feeling vaguely dissatisfied
The Ugly: Unnecessary acrobatic sequences too often break the flow of action

In an adventure worthy of the character’s long history, Captain America: Super Soldier takes some liberties in regards to the original comic story lines, but from the get go fans will know that Cap is in his classic element and I can’t imagine it feeling better than how this game portrays it. From working your way through WWII trenches and punching out HYDRA foot soldiers, to taking on some Arnim Zola inspired monstrosities in German warehouses, the action sequences are worthy of any comic book hero as Cap pursues his long time nemesis, the Red Skull, deep into Nazi controlled Europe.

The first thing anyone should want to try out is Cap’s iconic shield, which handles surprisingly well in both offensive and defensive situations and feels like a natural extension of Cap. Aside from deflecting punches or bullets, the shield’s offensive capabilities have it so you can get the drop on your enemies from afar or use it in its own combo as it bounces off three, four, or even five enemies at a time just like Cap does in the comics. And for more personal combat, the game takes a page out of the Batman: Arkham Asylum handbook. Cap will often find himself surrounded by various foes, but by stringing together punches, kicks, and properly using your shield to counterattack, you can pull off combos that will leave your enemies sprawled at your feet and you no worse for ware, even if it feels a bit more stiff than the inspiration from which the system seems to be taken.

Unfortunately, for as good as the fighting feels, there are also a lot of unnecessary points to the game play, specifically some acrobatic and platforming situations that seem more akin to Assassin’s Creed or Prince of Persia, but far too linear. Although meaning to show how Cap could use his superhuman abilities to get around, the sequences often came at the sacrifice of the flow of action and jarred you out of the world you found yourself in as you tried to needlessly time these forced maneuvers.

All things considered though, when you include cameos by some of Cap’s classic allies like Nick Fury, the Invaders, and Bucky Barnes while taking down iconic foes like Baron von Strucker, Madame Hydra, and the Red Skull himself in this comic worthy storyline and the positives clearly outweigh the negatives as any Cap fan will be thrilled by how well-portrayed the Star-Spangled Avenger is overall in this game.

Score: 7.5

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EGM Bastion Review

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Originally Published: July 19, 2011, on EGMNOW.com

Game Name: Bastion

By: Ray Carsillo

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Developer: Supergiant Games
Platforms: XBLA

The Good: Old school RPG dungeon crawl feel with new stylized design twists to keep it fresh
The Bad: “Quests” can become repetitive
The Ugly: The game is more linear than most RPG fans may like

Most gamers nowadays don’t have the time to devote to a 40-hour dungeon crawl like Dragon Age. Well, those gamers out there who have been looking for a more casual dungeon crawl may finally have the answer they’ve been looking for with the first entry into this year’s Xbox Summer of Arcade: Bastion.

Bastion is a real-time combat RPG with a top down hack ‘n’ slash-style flare reminiscent of Gauntlet Legends. You play as “The Kid”, a young adult who has seen his share of hardship and finds himself as one of the last living beings in his world after a great calamity has wiped out all he’s known and loved. Planning for such an event, his people built the great Bastion that was to serve as a protective meeting place should the need arise, but even that is in shambles and must be rebuilt by “The Kid” and other survivors.

Bastion succeeds in finding a balance between keeping the action quick and simple, but also providing an engaging enough story to make you feel you should have a vested interest in the characters. Part of what makes you care is every action you take in the world is described “live” by the story’s narrator and it compels you to continue on even when the game’s dozen or so levels start to feel repetitive. The narrator also helps to set the atmosphere of the game as you can actually feel your heartstrings tug as you walk up to less-fortunate citizens who have been petrified, akin to real life victims of Vesuvius in Pompeii millennia ago. Turned to ash almost instantaneously, but preserved, frozen in charcoal, the narrator talks about who they once were as you come across them and it is the most haunting graveyard you may find in a game.

The only real drawback I found to Bastion is the overall lack of choices you have. Many of the levels are unlocked one right after the other and so with your path already laid out before you, there isn’t anything story-wise beyond your weapons selection and leveling up bonuses for you to directly influence. Despite this, Bastion is one of the more replay-able RPGs I’ve seen, as there are weapon challenges, three horde mode-like levels with 20 waves of enemies, and several side-quests that may prompt you to go replay levels. All in all, with a terrific plot, tremendous atmosphere, and solid game play, Bastion is another title in the long list of stellar downloadable games that have been part of Xbox’s Summer of Arcade.

Score: 9.5

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EGM Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D Review

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July 7, 2011

Originally Published: June 28, 2011, on EGMNOW.COM

More mindless than the zombies you’ll be shooting

Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Capcom
Platforms: 3DS

Release: 06.28.11

Players: Singe Player, 2-player Co-op

ESRB Rating: M – Mature

The Good: Beautiful graphics
The Bad: We’ve seen this all before in Resident Evil 4 and 5
The Ugly: Time is your greatest threat, not your enemies

Every fan of the Resident Evil franchise has been waiting with baited breath to see if it could make a successful transition to portable gaming with a pair of titles coming to the 3DS. The first of those titles, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D may have the diehards worrying a little.

Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D is the attempted expansion and combination of the Mercenaries mini-games found in Resident Evil 4 and 5. Although the graphics for the game are crisp, the character models look nearly as good as they did on a console, and the use of the bottom screen for your inventory and map are nice touches, there is little beyond these features to make the game worthwhile.

The point of Mercenaries is to play as one of eight different characters from the series that are randomly inserted into various familiar locations from the Resident Evil 4 and 5 games. Whether in Europe taking on cultists or in Africa taking on the Majini, the object of the game revolves around an arcade style time-trial where you try to get the highest score possible in the time allotted while also building up combos by quickly dispatching several foes in a row.

Unfortunately, even with 30 possible missions, RPG-like powering up of your favorite Resident Evil characters, and some stellar graphics, the game gets repetitive and boring quickly. There is an overall lack of enemy variety with nothing you haven’t already seen in previous Resident Evil games and because of limited enemy A.I. and the powering up feature, where any character can equip up to three upgrades once they’re unlocked, your greatest threat against getting a high score does not come from the infected but from the clock on the top of the screen.

A nice feature to try to add some replayability to the game is that Mercenaries does feature a co-op mode for a friend with a 3DS, but then you’ll have two people getting bored after a handful of missions instead of just yourself. Add in poor controls that will take a lot of time to get used to as the most often used actions for this game, shooting and reloading, require not one, but two buttons to be pressed or held at a time and overall, Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D just lacks the substance necessary to make it a worthwhile purchase.

Score: 4.0/10

By: Ray Carsillo

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EGM Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D Review

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June 29, 2011

Originally Published: June 21, 2011, on EGMNOW.COM

Game: Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time 3D
Publisher: Nintendo
Developer: Grezzo
Platforms: Nintendo 3DS

Release: 06.19.11

Players: Singe Player

ESRB Rating: E10+ – Everyone 10 and up

The Good: One of the best games of the past 15 years revamped for a new generation
The Bad: Need to complete story once to unlock Master Quest
The Ugly: New hint system is completely unnecessary

When I was 13, I remember waking up Christmas morning and one present stood out above all else. It was The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, a golden cartridge that would redefine what I thought of action/adventure games and that I would beat a dozen times over the next several months as each time I found something new.

A few years later, I would wake up early on a random Sunday morning and drive to my local toy store to pre-order The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker in order to get Ocarina of Time: Master Quest for the Gamecube. Again, I would devote many hours to this evolved version of the original Ocarina of Time.

Now, I’m older and wiser (sorta) and I don’t wake up early that often anymore if I have anything to say about it. So when my phone starting going off early one morning, much like Navi trying to wake up Link in his Kokiri tree house, I was not happy. I felt a familiar thrill though when it was my boss assigning me Ocarina of Time: 3D.

The biggest difference between this version of Ocarina compared to the others is obviously the graphics. The flawless 3D gives you a whole new sense of depth that you feel on every step of the journey, but especially when using your slingshot and bow. Not to mention the painstaking detail put into every corner of Hyrule now. Every house and shop is full of life and color (in the past anyway) from the ceilings to the floors and really shines through.

Score: 9.5

-Ray Carsillo

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Gotham City Sirens #23 Review

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May 25, 2011

Originally Published: May 25, 2011, on Comicvine.com

After a brief respite for the Judgment of Gotham crossover, Gotham City Sirens comes back with a bang as Selina struggles with loyalty issues and Harley is seen helping the Joker turn Arkham into something similar to the Arkham Asylum video game, but gets resistance from an unusual suspect in the new Black Mask, Jeremiah Arkham!

The Good

This marks the beginning of a new story arc for Gotham City Sirens and as previous issues seemed to be spiraling into a valley, this issue looks to be pulling us back towards a peak again. Tons of action and chaos as Harley and Joker survey the carnage they’ve caused around them while torturing the Arkham guards unfortunate enough to cross their path. Throw in some cameos by Clayface and Mr. Zsasz and you’ll have flashback to the Arkham Asylum video game.

The key to this issue though is conflict. Catwoman versus herself as she weighs whether or not she should help Harley out over in Arkham. Ivy versus Harley as the two friends confront each other as Ivy has had it with her love sick puppy spells she goes into when she’s near the Joker. Joker versus Jeremiah Arkham as Arkham has been slowly buying or twisting many of the prison guards to his means and the Joker’s rampage is undoing the plans he put in motion months ago. And, of course, the set up for Batman (Bruce Wayne) versus them all as he lets Catwoman know that cases involving the Joker are his personal responsibility and are not to be handled by Dick. This is a great build up for a new story arc as we’ll see the effects of the previous ones finally play out here in one of Gotham’s grandest stages.

The Bad

The only real negative that seems to come from this comic is the lack of originality. Will every major arc that guides its way through Arkham Asylum and the Joker deal with a giant breakout that causes chaos and riots in the Asylum and force Batman to come inside the haunted padded walls to quell the threat? It just sounds a bit too much like this arc is already getting ready to help build up some more hype for Arkham City along with the five-issue mini-series that is being released as well.

The Verdict

What I thought of as a lack of originality aside, this comic features a lot of action between many different characters and sets the stage for what looks to be a mighty test for both Catwoman and Batman in the future issues. If you haven’t been reading this comic, you might be a little lost since even though it’s technically a new arc, you’re really jumping into a continuation of the last one, but you should be able to catch on quickly enough to still enjoy it.

4.5/5 Stars

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X-Men Legacy #249 Review

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Originally Published: May 25, 2011, on Comicvine.com

The X-Men continue to recuperate after the events of Age of X as Rogue and Magneto realize just how much they’ve been through together both in reality and fantasy. Meanwhile Legion continues to try to bring his thousands of personalities under control and Frenzy attempts to figure out how to let go of a dream that felt more natural than the reality she finds herself trying to sleepwalk through.

The Good

No matter how many times now we may revisit Magneto’s past in a concentration camp, it gives me chills each and every time. And when he shares those experiences with Rogue in order to teach her a lesson of how he was tainted by that universal evil, you appreciate the strength of the character more and more with every passing issue.

It was also very interesting to see how Frenzy is developing as a character and was a surprisingly compelling sub-plot to this issue. All the while Legion has an unexpected setback that can set up a plethora of future problems for the X-Men that has me holding my breath in anticipation.

The Bad

Although I think the two sub-plots of this issue were very well done, I think they took away from the power and impact of Magneto’s story. With the way this comic started out, I much would have preferred if the entire issue was dedicated to Rogue and Magneto and their relationship and could have waited on seeing Legion and Frenzy again until the next issue.

The Verdict

This looks to be the right time to start getting into X-Men Legacy if you haven’t been already as the aftermath of Age of X is starting to come to a close and you’ll have a good jumping off point to see just where Magneto, Rogue, Frenzy, and Legion are when the next big arc starts up.

Couple this with an always powerful Auschwitz story from Magento and great character development all around and I would highly recommend picking up this issue as we look forward to the future of the characters featured in these pages.

4.5/5 Stars

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Uncanny X-Men #537 Review

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Originally Published: May 25, 2011, on Comicvine.com

Kruun’s plans for revenge begin to come to light and he has made sure that most of the X-Men are powerless to stop him. Can Kitty Pryde find a way to warn the others in time or will Kruun’s suicide mission be the end of the X-Men and Utopia?

The Good

It looks like we might finally start to get some resolution to the entire Kitty Pryde intangibility issue and thank goodness because I can’t take it anymore. Along with this, Kruun’s plans are finally fully revealed to us and the action begins to amp as we being moving to a climax and resolution in this story arc that sees the Breakworlders visiting Utopia.

The Bad

I had some problems with a lot of the things that took place in the pages of this comic. The most notable had to be with Wolverine. There is a systematic telling of how Kruun planned for every mutant who could interfere with him…except he conveniently forgot about Wolverine. If there is one mutant on Utopia who you should try to plan for, I think it would be Wolverine.

Not to mention, there is this huge build-up for a fight between Kruun and Wolverine in the next issue, but honestly if that fight lasts more than two or three pages I’ll be disappointed. It’s Wolverine versus a one-armed humanoid alien that he’s already kicked the snot out of before, and that was when the alien had the home turf advantage and both his arms. This issue seemed more like an attempt at just showing how formidable Kruun still is, but in reality he shouldn’t be and it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense except as page filler.

The Verdict

If you’ve been reading this Uncanny storyline, then you’re going to want to see where it ends up, but I’m tempted to tell you to pass on this comic due to blatant page filler moments and the unnecessary build up of a character that just doesn’t need all this attention. Not to mention I still can’t stand the intangible Kitty Pryde thing, even if it does look to be coming to a head soon.

Also, if you’re looking to get into Uncanny X-Men, this is definitely not the issue to do so and I would wait until this arc at least finishes up before adding this to my weekly pull box.

2.5/5 Stars

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Red Robin #23 Review

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May 14, 2011

Originally Published: May 11, 2011, on Comicvine.com

Bruce Wayne and Lucius Fox are targeted for assassination by the Scarab while she is still in jail! What is going on here and can Red Robin put the clues together in time before he ends up being the one feeling Scarab’s sting.

The Good

I am really enjoying the fact that Lynx seems to be turning into Tim Drake’s version of Catwoman and that as much as he may not be ready for it, his life is paralleling Bruce’s more and more with every issue and story arc he appears in.

This issue also launches a story arc that will look to tie up some loose ends that were put on hold for the time being as Tim re-enters the shady world of international assassins to catch those who would target Lucius and Bruce. And making Lucius a target is great because Tim has to interact with Tam, Lucius’s daughter, and you see a glimpse of the difficulty of balancing Tim’s life with Red Robin’s, even though Tam is aware of his alter-ego.

The Bad

If you haven’t been reading previous issues of Red Robin, you might be at a loss to who all these new villains are that Tim is dealing with and not appreciate as much the clear character development you are seeing on a issue to issue basis with this series.

Also, I understand that Tim is kind of a wild card within the Bat-family, but to see Dick and Bruce just follow his lead seemed weird. When Tim is on his own, I have no problem with him doing all the work, but to be using Dick and Bruce like pawns in one of his own plans just rubbed me the wrong way.

The Verdict

If you haven’t been reading Red Robin, you might get confused, even with this being the first issue of a new story arc. It features a lot of characters that had been introduced in previous issues of the series as major players in this arc and so you might want to check out some back issues first if you want to use this issue as a jumping on point.

Aside from that, Red Robin looks to be leaping head first into a complicated yet thrilling new direction that should rock Tim’s world with this issue and has me really looking forward to next month to see just how Tim resolves all these messes in his crime-fighting life.

4/5 Stars

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