Portable entries of big franchises are usually created one of two ways: They are an attempt to emulate the gameplay of the main games as best as possible, or they are something different entirely. The latter usually focuses on experimentation while trying to stay as connected as possible to the original games. The former, on the other hand, rarely succeeds, mostly due to the hardware limitations of the handheld in question. Ubisoft has tried both approaches with Assassin’s Creed, but thanks to the Vita’s impressive technical specs, the former finally seems entirely plausible for the franchise. Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation is that game, blending together well-known elements of the series with some Vita-specific gimmicks that rarely succeed. READ MORE
Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure was groundbreaking in its combination of add-on content through collectible figures. The gamble paid off, with Skylanders claiming honors as the most profitable game of 2012 to date. Not resting on their laurels and simply releasing new characters, Activision and Toys for Bob pushed the envelope again by introducing new types of characters in Skylanders Giants. Will it be enough to convince gamers to pick up a new game with accompanying characters? READ MORE
Hotline Miami is, quite simply, the bloodiest puzzle game I’ve ever played. But it’s also one of the most addictive. It takes a top-down action game and mixes it with puzzle elements that keep you coming back. READ MORE
Assassin’s Creed is an odd series. The first was burdened with repetition, the second was absolutely wonderful, its two sequels (forming a trilogy in the middle of a series) added great things just as often as they added needless cruft; much as I enjoy tower defense, those sections of Revelations weren’t fun and felt tacked on. Brotherhood added the stellar band of junior assassins at your command, which was expanded in Revelations in Mediterranean Defense (which I’m still convinced could be carved out and sold solo on XBLA or Steam).
At the end of the day, though, I miss the loveable rogue we had in Ezio. Connor is interesting, but Ezio was just plain more fun, and his games took place in cities with more verticality which really allowed the parkour system to shine. READ MORE
Over the last five years, Daedalic has been steadily improving its hand at crafting point-and-click adventure games. From its first game, Edna & Harvey: The Breakout, to its latest, Deponia, Daedalic has been refining the aspects that needed work while maintaining the humor and offbeat nature of its stories. So it should come as no surprise that Harvey’s New Eyes is the team’s best game yet. READ MORE
