Video game franchises come and go all of the time. To think, just three years ago the Guitar Hero brand was one of the biggest in the industry. In five years, even Call of Duty may not be as prominent as it used to be. We all expect the Marios and the Final Fantasys of the world to be around as long as video games are, but what about those franchises that don’t make it? It’s always nice to see them return, but is it always for the best? READ MORE
Every now and again, a little indie game comes along that grabs everyone’s attention thanks to unique design choices and brilliant immersive gameplay. Games like Braid, Limbo, and Super Meat Boy, just to name a select few, are all fantastic examples of this. These are the games that define gaming today, and we continue to see more of them as time goes on. Sadly, Scarygirl is not one of those games, despite how much it might want to be. It certainly has a lot going for it, but actually playing it is not one of those things. READ MORE
Freebird Games’ To the Moon is a game that has had me thinking for quite a while. It explores themes in way I’ve never seen done in a game before, and does it in a highly original way. I would love to further discuss the game’s themes and story bits in greater detail, but I want to avoid discussing spoilers when so many people have yet to play To the Moon. Instead, I’m going to focus on the more general themes that drive this game and how other games could benefit from using similar concepts. READ MORE
The original Trine came out of nowhere, providing players with the closest thing to a Lost Vikings sequel they could imagine. Or maybe that’s just my interpretation of it. Nevertheless, Trine succeeded because of its three character dynamic, fun puzzles and mostly-enjoyable platforming. Although it doesn’t change things up too much, Trine 2 manages to keep that winning formula fresh with plenty of new and interesting levels and puzzles. READ MORE
10. L.A. Noire
Rockstar and Team Bondi have crafted something pretty incredible with L.A. Noire. The facial motion-capture technology is amazing and the story is pretty great, but what is most fascinating about L.A. Noire is how it turns your typical point-and-click adventure title into a blockbuster hit. This game is far from perfect, but it’s one where I’m able to look at the package and a whole and say, “Yeah, that turned out pretty great, didn’t it?” READ MORE
Video games have a tendency to attempt a grand finale during their last acts, giving us a large, epic battle against something we have been preparing for the entire game. Sometimes, these moments come out of nowhere, but sometimes it leads to a final act that is exact what we might expect it to be. And yet, games rarely deliver. Final acts in games are generally bad, and even some of your favorites might suffer because of it. In the long run it might not matter, but to leave the player with an unsatisfactory or lazy conclusion might ruin their feelings on the entire game in the long run. Generally speaking, final acts in games tend to be missing something that everything prior to them did so well. READ MORE
I’m sure that everyone has, at some point in their life, wanted to go back in time and change something. Whether that is how you reacted to something, a decision you made, or even a conversation you had. Freebird Games’ indie title, To the Moon, is out to ask the question “what if you could go back?” Perhaps not go back in time, but go back through your memories and correct one thing in your life that takes you on a completely different journey. This is a game that asks a lot of interesting, almost philosophical questions about memories and does so in a heartfelt package. READ MORE
Ever since those crazy Rabbids took over, the Rayman series has been pushed to the side as if it never mattered in the first place. With Rayman Origins, the limbless hero returns with his first 2D outing since the original Rayman back in 1995. Many of the elements that made that game stand out back then apply here; it’s whimsical, addictive, and very French. And trust me, that’s a very good thing. READ MORE
Narration is not something you often see in games. For fans of film, narration as a means of exposition is something that is not unheard of. In games, especially outside of cutscenes or story moments, is not something that is often explored. At least I thought it wasn’t, until I played this year’s indie darling, Bastion, and discovered my love for narration all over again. Of course, Bastion is a much smaller game that doesn’t leave as much open in terms of exploration or choice. It made me wonder, could Bastion-style narration work in an open-world game? READ MORE
Another year, another Call of Duty game. This year we have the third and probably final Modern Warfare title, which sets out to finish the trilogy while also expanding on the series’ always popular multiplayer and Special Ops modes. As with any Call of Duty game, Modern Warfare 3 has a lot to offer despite most of it remaining relatively the same. READ MORE
