9 Clues: The Secret of Serpent Creek

9 Clues: The Secret of Serpent Creek

Join a paranormal private investigator as she rushes to the aid of her friend, who runs into some trouble in the town of Serpent Creek. The Secrets of Serpent Creek is probably a little too short and easy for veteran players, but casual players or those new to the genre will still find plenty to like. It is not a groundbreaking title in any way, but the story is entertaining, and the cast of interesting characters makes it worth a second look.

Gameplay: Quite short and very, very easy, but still offers plenty of entertainment.

Graphics: The usual hand-painted scenes, but nothing really memorable.

Sound: The music is good, and the voice acting much better than what the genre typically has to offer

Bust-A-Move: Ghost

Bust-A-Move: Ghost

Bust-A-Move Ghost is a nice game, but the formula is starting to get a bit old by now. The saving grace of this game is the myriad of play modes and it really is one of those games that you’ll keep returning to. Newcomers will love it.

Gameplay: Same old Bust-A-Move, but just lots more of it.

Graphics: Crisp, clear and fitting the PSP wide screen perfectly..

Sound: Spooky tunes, but fairly annoying

Starship Traveller

Starship Traveller

Starship Traveller offers a nice departure from the usual swords and sorcery settings that the gamebooks are known for. It is a science fiction tale that borrows heavily from Star Trek, but packs a lot of humor as well. Completing the story requires a lot of luck or trial and error, which might annoy some players. However, it remains entertaining and engaging throughout, even if the replay value is not as great as we would have liked. Still, you can’t really go wrong with its low asking price and it is worth it for the nostalgia factor alone.

Gameplay: Lots of reading along with the occasional choices and dice rolls.

Graphics: A couple of nice full color drawings add some flavor to the text.

Sound: Not many sound effects, but the music capture the mood nicely

BloodRayne

BloodRayne

If all you want is some mindless action along with plenty of blood, then BloodRayne has got you covered. The B-movie plot isn’t exactly gripping, but provides a good excuse to tear apart plenty of foes. The game is quite dated at this point, but action junkies might still have fun with it.

Gameplay: Action packed but very repetitive.

Graphics: Not bad, but rather dated.

Sound: Average at best

Batman: Arkham City

Batman: Arkham City

Improving on a game that is rated so highly as Batman: Arkham Asylum could not have been easy, but Rocksteady Studios pulls it off with aplomb. If you are looking for the definitive Batman experience, then look no further than Arkham City. While not quite perfect, it comes close and sets a new standard for all licensed titles.

Gameplay: Improves on almost every aspect of the already great original.

Graphics: Shows that the Unreal Engine 3 can still deliver stunning visuals.

Sound: Excellent voice acting and a moody soundtrack

Angry Birds

Angry Birds

Angry Birds was already an enormous success on iOS before it was ported to Android so there was never any doubt that this would be a hit. The Android version is polished, addictive and has been receiving constant updates making it one of the best time wasters available on the platform.

Gameplay: Fiendishly addictive.

Graphics: Very stylish and easy on the eyes.

Sound: Catchy theme song and good sound effects

Alan Wake

Alan Wake

Five years in the making and still impressive, Alan Wake is one of the best exclusives on the system. The story is utterly compelling and the gameplay has just the right amount of action and tension to keep you hooked to the end. There’s a few minor issues here and there but overall this is a solid game that deserves to be played by all fans of the genre.

Gameplay: Tense flashlight and firearm battles with the Taken and some good story sections.

Graphics: Nicely done and really gives the impression of a large gameworld even if you are mostly restricted to a linear path.

Sound: Good sound effects and good voice acting

American Pickers: The Road Less Traveled

American Pickers: The Road Less Traveled

Considering the license, American Pickers: The Road Less Traveled could have been so much more than just another straightforward hidden object game. Newcomers and young fans might enjoy the simple gameplay, but if you are familiar with the genre, there is nothing new here to shake things up a bit. Enjoyable but disappointing all things considered.

Gameplay: Find hidden objects and buy them.

Graphics: Not bad, but nothing that stands out either.

Sound: The voice clips are all taken from the show and sound a bit random

4 Elements

4 Elements

4 Elements is a polished and entertaining match three game that is well worth checking out if you are a fan of the casual genre. The story is aimed squarely at children, but the gameplay offers fun for all ages. It is one of those games that are perfect for playing when you have a few spare minutes to kill and don’t feel like firing up something more involving.

Gameplay: Addictive, but rather easy and somewhat repetitive.

Graphics: Colorful but nothing really special

Sound: The music remains unobtrusive for the most part

Procyon PC Review

Procyon PC Review

Procyon is a game that has more than a passing resemblance to the classic arcade titles from companies such as Irem and Toaplan. It won’t take long to complete the five levels on offer, but you’ll have fun doing so and the game is available at a bargain price. Procyon focuses on delivering a solid shooter instead of really shaking up the genre but it is polished and very enjoyable.

Gameplay: Nice, solid arcade shooter.

Graphics: Not the most detailed, but plenty of colors and explosions.

Sound: Great soundtrack and some pretty good sound effects