Guilty Gear X

Guilty Gear X

It is a pleasant surprise to see the Guilty Gear series appear on PC and with the right setup this game is a blast to play. Gameplay is solid although the last boss is one of the cheapest I’ve seen in a while. The lack of a story mode is also a downside but if you like your fighting games deep and don’t mind getting your ass kicked then this is the game for you. 2D fighting games doesn’t get much better than this on PC.

Gameplay: More accessible than the last game but also has a lot of depth if you stick with it.

Graphics: It would have been nice if the resolution could be increased but the game still looks good.

Sound: Good music but muddy sound effects

Eledees

Eledees

The storyline is rather childish but the gameplay is quite addictive in this non-violent shooter. Raising havoc is a lot of fun and chasing down all the little critters can be tricky but overall this game shouldn’t pose too much of a challenge. The controls work rather well bar a few instances and it is a good showcase for the Wii hardware.

Gameplay: Perfectly suited to the Wii controls.

Graphics: Not exactly cutting edge but does the job.

Sound: Good but not great

Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy

The fact that you have to buy both games separately is a bit of a kick in the teeth but playing Final Fantasy on PSP is as fun as it has always been. The game looks good on handheld wide screen and the simple gameplay makes it a fun title for long trips. Chances are if you are a fan you will already own a copy of this game in which case you might not want to shell out for this version.

Gameplay: Pure and simple fun.

Graphics: Nicely redrawn graphics.

Sound: Classic Final Fantasy fare

Depths of Fear :: Knossos

Depths of Fear :: Knossos

There are plenty of things that I can fault about Depths of Fear, but at the end of the day and I had a lot of fun playing the game and it kept me hooked right to the end which is all that matters. It is an impressive piece of work considering that it was made by only one person and definitely provides a unique and memorable challenge. The excellent atmosphere and addictive gameplay makes it worth the effort.

Gameplay: A nice atmospheric blend of stealth and action.

Graphics: A little rough, especially the animations, but this doesn’t detract too much from the experience.

Sound: Great creature sounds and a very nice synthesizer based soundtrack

Concursion

Concursion

Concursion is definitely a game that will defy expectations. It is not as straightforward as it first appears and the way that five different genres have been combined seamlessly is impressive to say the least. Individually none of the genres would really have stood out, but mixed together they offer gameplay experiences that are just not possible elsewhere. While the visuals are not that great the audio is superb and Concursion offers plenty of challenging content. This is not a game that you will be completing in a hurry.

Gameplay: A challenging, but addictive blend of five different genres and styles.

Graphics: Plenty of variety, but I’m not a big fan of the visual style.

Sound: The soundtrack is great and seamlessly changes along with the playing styles

Burnout Revenge

Burnout Revenge

There are some interesting new additions to the Burnout formula here and taking out rival cars is every bit as fun as it was in the last game. The traffic checking feature might upset some fans as it removes a bit of the tension from the races but its a lot of fun and overall Burnout Revenge is a worthy successor to Takedown.

Gameplay: Adds some new elements to the Burnout formula, some better than others.

Graphics: Gritty and destructive.

Sound: Solid sound effects and some nice music

Sound of Drop – fall into poison –

Sound of Drop – fall into poison –

Sound of Drop offers a captivating, horror-themed experience that is worlds away from the typical romance visual novels on Steam. Although it contains some blood and gore, most of the really gruesome scenes are left to the imagination instead of depicted visually. The multitude of endings adds to the replay value, and there are even some great new additions compared to the original Japanese version of the game.

Gameplay: The story is absorbing and features plenty of choices.

Graphics: The game features excellent character designs and beautiful backgrounds.

Sound: While the game lacks speech, the music and sound effects are great

Asphalt Urban GT

Asphalt Urban GT

I really wanted to like this game and be convinced that the DS is capable of an awesome 3D racing game but Asphalt Urban GT is a severe letdown. The graphics look downright low budget on certain levels and the bizarre collision detection makes the races more frustrating than fun. The audio is also a bit of a lost cause. Unless you can get it for very cheap and have nothing better I can’t recommend this.

Gameplay: Had potential but lots of technical glitches.

Graphics: A decent effort but suffers from being a N-Gage port.

Sound: Repetitive car sounds and lackluster music

Guilty Gear X Advance Edition

Guilty Gear X Advance Edition

I must admit that I had more fun that I expected with this port of the game. The visuals and sound let it down but the gameplay remains solid. It is a lot easier than the other versions which is bad if you are experienced with the game and good if you have struggled to get anywhere with the other games. Nevertheless fighting games on the go don’t get much better than this on GBA.

Gameplay: This actually comes close to the bigger versions except for the vastly reduced difficulty.

Graphics: Tiny characters and bland backgrounds but at least everything is recognizable.

Sound: As bad as you would expect from the Gameboy Advance

The Last Tinker™: City of Colors

The Last Tinker™: City of Colors

If you remember the golden era of 3D adventure titles such as Zelda, Jak and Daxter and Banjo Kazooie then The Last Tinker is a must. It doesn’t copy these games directly, as is evident by the lack of a jump button, but it does a great job capturing the feel and atmosphere of the titles that inspired it. The colorful and vibrant gameworld is a joy to explore and the puzzles involving colors as well as strange Mushroom people are loads of fun.

Gameplay: Perfectly captures the look and feel of the 3D adventures of the Playstation and PS2 era.

Graphics: Colorful visuals with some great character designs.

Sound: An exotic soundtrack with plenty of memorable tunes