DarkChaplain

All Square Enix needed to do was follow the script's core beats, and flesh it out, while fully realizing the setting's world, ambiance and characters. For about half the game, they actually achieve this. It's a joyful, nostalgic trip to Midgar, with Avalanche growing dear to your heart all over again. Tifa and Aerith are stunning in their added depth and interactions with the rest of the cast. Infiltrating Don Corneo's abode had me laughing at just how good it was. But the further the story progressed, the harder did Nojima and Toriyama deviate from the original's story and developments. From introducing core villains, whose presence was supposed to be felt as a looming dread, without fully unveiling them yet, far too early over additions of fate ghosts to a completely absurd, rewritten ending that pulls everything into question while making it clear that no, this is not a Remake, but a reimagining, a reboot, with the publisher opening the next part up to being whatever they wish it to be (or is easier to produce than a faithful sequel), the so-called Remake is a massive letdown. I was ready to adore this game. Cautiously optimistic ever since they announced it, being of the old guard that had been wishing for a faithful remake for a decade before the announcement dropped, I wanted to love it. For a good amount of hours, I actually did. It is a great shame that they decided to abandon the script in favor of Nojima's prime storytelling device (not to spoil things directly, but if you look at a list of games he's written for on Wikipedia, you'll be able to tell what most of them have in common...). The real tragedy of this first part of the "remake" really is that they did nearly everything right for so much of the game. From adding sidequests to flesh out the Sector 7 slums and their inhabitants, adding dialogue, making a real show out of the Honey Bee manor, speeding up some tedious parts while allowing further exploration in others. Graphically, the game looks absolutely stunning and I am ready to consider the main cast here to be the definitive versions, the best overall designed and authentic renditions. The music is for the most part incredibly well arranged from the original Uematsu tracks, although the new tracks fall short on a stylistic level. Added characters and comedic relief work in the game's favor at the point they occur, before everything comes tumbling down to crash and burn. It left me asking myself whether these changes were intended from the start, or were taken as a get out of jail free option when Square Enix's executives realized just how expensive the full game would turn out being, if they kept the same level of detail and interaction throughout all we remember from the original. It's almost like they put so much of their budget into the first half, they couldn't possibly maintain this scope for future zones, cities, dungeons and the like. Abandoning the original makes sense on some level, considering that, especially when it comes with a sort of justification to do things differently with part 2. The problem is, that none of these full rewrites are good. They're fanfic-level absurdities that fail to grasp what made the original beloved in the first place. It's as if they didn't truly understand why fans wanted a remake, or what they expected of it. Maybe they figured that sales of Kingdom Hearts 3 indicated that people wanted more of that absurd type of modern Square Enix storytelling? I'm grasping at straws here, trying to somehow understand what made this company throw one of their most highly valued and cherished title into the river to drown any future expectations. If I had Nojima's timey wimey powers vested within me, I would like to turn back time to the moment that the relevant staff at Square Enix decided to make these fatal decisions, and force them to defy fate. I wished this game nothing but success, but this company has once again managed to disappoint and, in a sense, infuriate. My biggest fear is that the rewrites will tarnish the original's legacy, especially for the newcomer audience that expected to hop into it with no prior experience. To them, it'll feel very disjointed, but probably cool due to the way it looks and plays. They won't be able to grasp what made the original a classic for the ages, however. That's a shame.

Unmechanical is a fairly enjoyable little physics puzzler. It plays very intuitively, with the controls being simplistic yet fully functional. Thanks to the physics engine, your little robot flies with a real sense of weight and, at times, clunkiness that makes you feel just a little bad about bumping him against the environment. Carrying things with his tractor beam drags it down just enough to make you feel like you're actually lifting something heavy, which takes a bit of effort and control. Graphics-wise the game is just stunning. Gorgeous to look at and get lost in, with lots of beautiful detail and atmosphere. The puzzles are very much enjoyable and brain-teasing, yet I think they should have put more puzzles into the game. The current amount of puzzles just doesn't cut it after you're done with the game, which can be easily achieved in less than 3 hours, and as it is, physics puzzles aren't offering that much replay-value (if you're not into speed-running games like these, anyway). Considering the limited amount of unique content, I am not sure if the asking price is really appropriate, despite it being a very solid experience from start to finish. Nonetheless, they've achieved what they wanted with the game, it is a solid product I'd very much like to see more of in the future.

From what I've seen these past 2 hours of the Demo and 7 of the Full Game, KoA:R is a great game. The world is open to travel, and I've yet to come across an area I could not enter if I wanted to, although I am more entertained by exploring the world, solving quests as they come and talk to NPCs. I wonder what people expect from an Open World game - sure, Reckoning connects the bigger spaces on the map through smaller paths, but who gives if I cannot view the other end of the world from my house? Even in Real Life, areas are connected by bigger roads and passes. KoA:R has its fun moments, where it does not even take its own characters seriously. One example would be a wannabe-alchemist trying to assume the identity of a legendary man of that craft, but can only keep up with that due to a potion that makes him smart. He also resembles black rapper stereotypes, which makes the nonsense he talks even more enjoyable. While there are fun moments like these, the world itself feels consistent so far, with a bigger conflict being hinted by multiple important NPCs. There is a lot more depth to be found here than people would like to admit when comparing it to the grand, excessively overrated "skyrim". Yes, this is no Skyrim. But quite honestly, I'm glad for that fact. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning feels far more engaging and exciting than Skyrim ever did. This game offers interesting combat, customization both in terms of equipment and skills, with basic traits and abilities split and a world which is fun to explore with its multitude of colors and nice voice acting. It will take multiple playthroughs to explore everything the skill and ability trees have to offer. Spending points either on Might, Finesse or Sorcery also make your character much more specialized than in an "you can be anything you want, all at the same time"-RPG like Skyrim. You sure can weild a hammer, staff or sceptre whenever you want, for sure, but you won't be quite as good as with the weapon types you spec on, and its fairly noticeable early into the game. The combat itself is nicely balanced so far, from easy enemies you could mow down without effort to fiends who'd require faster reactions and different ways to approach in general, and bosses that can be quite frustrating if you underestimate them. The dual-weild style of combat works extremely well and it is rewarding to watch enemies get pushed back by your melee attacks just to get finished by an arrow or ability. switching between combat styles is simply and works to the player's advantage, as there is a weapon for any taste, and different flavors of these weapons. There are multiple traits a weapon can carry, some strengthening your energy or health bars, others protecting of damage or adding status effects to your attacks, and you'll compare your gear all the time. KoA:R uses the typical "white, green, blue, purple, gold"-pattern for equipment levels, which is a good and intuitive decision. You'll feel right at home. Crafting requires some talent points to be truly effective, as you first dismantle gear into their basic parts, where the quality (and success) depends on your blacksmithing skill, and then reattach gear by using the necessary basic parts and adding enhancements in the process after unlocking these optional slots on the skilltree. Alchemy works similarly, you'll have to actively spend points on that tree to be able to brew stronger potions rather than having you craft x potions to level up. Of course, experimenting is in as well as brewing by recipes. There's also sagecraft, where you can combine shards or put them into weapon/armor sockets to give the gear special traits, but these are typical lategame-things. All crafting screens are easy to navigate and intuitive to use, which is a definite plus. There's much more to the game as a whole, but these are the points which I personally find noteworthy and deciding. Overall the game is great, entertaining and engaging. I can't see why people already start downvote-spamming on release day (which isn't even worldwide yet).

Absolutely beautiful game - in fact, one of the most amazingly looking games I've ever seen. A charming atmosphere, great puzzles, music that delivers enough emotion to bring you to tears if only you embrace the wonderful game that Trine 2 has become. Take that and the astonishing support (both Pre-Release, including the Beta for preorderer, and post release) by Frozenbyte, you have a game worth every cent of its already low price. A clear 10/10

Overall I am very, very pleased with Space Marine. Relic has done a great job bringing 40k to life once again, proving that they're the right ones for the job of developing 40k Games. While I'm not a huge Multiplayer fan myself, I couldn't help but enjoy Space Marine's Annihilation and Seize the Ground matches for hours already. My impatience was well justified and the game did not disappoint in the slightest.

Did I enjoy my adventures in Horodyn? Not really. I did at first; the tutorial was nice, the boss battle was alright and it had some variety. The actual game, starting with a level one character turned me off. Some people might consider it fun to grind. And grind. And grind. And grind and grind and grind til they finally do a nice amount of damage, get some options and encounter more types of enemies, but I surely do not. Grinding is a good part of RPGs, but in Lord of Arcana, it just doesn't pay off to spend hours and hours into playing something you aren't supposed to play alone. The multiplayer might be a hell lot of fun, but due to 'bringing gamers together in real life'-reasons by Square Enix, you won't be able to play with your friends using W-LAN. All you can do is sit together and play via AdHoc or connect your PSPs to a PS3 to simulate AdHoc. While playing together irl is fun, it is seldom possible, especially in world unified by the internet. First Publishers cut Split Screen from their games, and now they want Portable users to get together. I sure wouldn't get any of my friends to spend money on such an unpolished game, that's for sure. Full Review: ****/2011/02/lord-of-arcana-review.html

While I can't play the game due to being completely frightened, I LOVE what the devs did here. The atmosphere is really thick and dark, easily one of the top horror atmospheres ever created by a game. The player feels just as helpless as the character himself and shares the same confusion. This game involves you on a totally different level than other horrorgames tried before. There are no weapons or opponents you could attack with them - you are alone with your wits and quick feet. Run for your life, don't waste your light and progress through the Lovecraft-inspired story. If you want a REAL survival horror game, go for Amnesia: The Dark Descent!

Should you buy it? Definitely, yes. If you're looking for a good game and yet don't want to pay a lot of money, go for Magicka. Even if you're still unsure about the bugs people mention all the time, wait a a month and get it later on - it will improve even further. I haven't had that much fun with a game in months, and especially not THIS type of fun. Go, try the demo, buy the game, support great devoted developers and laugh yourself into oblivion! Full Review: ****/2011/02/magicka-review.html

Definitely one of my favorite RTS games. The Company of Heroes series offers many great campaigns to enjoy, different factions and a true to history feeling. The Squad-based strategies are easy to get into yet are challenging to use correctly. Upgrading and equipping your troops with specialised weapons is an essential part of the game, and the balance is nicely achieved; you can counter the biggest tank rushes if you use the right units, use cover or hide in buildings. Great franchise, amazing value!

Definitely one of my favorite RTS games. The Company of Heroes series offers many great campaigns to enjoy, different factions and a true to history feeling. The Squad-based strategies are easy to get into yet are challenging to use correctly. Upgrading and equipping your troops with specialised weapons is an essential part of the game, and the balance is nicely achieved; you can counter the biggest tank rushes if you use the right units, use cover or hide in buildings. Great franchise, amazing value!

Yes, the game is damn short (you can make it in about 3 hours), but it's not the length or replayability that makes this game fascinating. It's the atmosphere and art that count. With every "puzzle"-ish game, once you know the solution, you won't forget it anymore. But while you're still on it, it will bind you to the screen, make you want to go on, escape, find the boy's sister. The way they ended the Demo alone was making me want to continue right away. The game captured me in about half an hour of playtime. The puzzles themselves are varied, and you won't feel like you've done this or that before. You'll have to run for your life more or less constantly, it will keep you on your toes. At ~3 hours of playtime, you can say that it's about $3 an hour. Is the game worth that? Yes it is. Play it at night, sit down, relax, and let the game get to you. Don't resist the chills. This game is worth your while.

Deep strategy and a heavy tome full of rules are involved in Blood Bowl. The mechanics are as close as they can get to the original Tabletop rules, so veterans will feel right at home. Don't buy it if you expect quick action, though, as turn-based games usually don't provide that type of fun

Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a prequel to the old "Deus Ex" duology. Set 25 years before the original Deus Ex it is more of a prequel in spirit and overall world development. The timespan is huge enough to allow Eidos to do something set in the same world without being tied down by specific ends to the plot, complete with a separate cast of characters and its own focus. While the "Human Revolution" might have been an interesting plot to explore, it ultimately falls short in the game. While it is clearly noticeable that the population is uneasy about the technological developments and the dangers of augmentations, only at the end of the game will real riots break out - alongside the path of Adam Jensen. You feel like an outsider, kept from the actual events that tear the population apart. While being fed information via emails, ebooks, TVs and other sorts of media, the game fails to involve you into its setting. Upon hearing that James Swallow, one of the better Black Library authors, is involved, I felt the urge to experience this title. The experience I got was unexpectedly forced and seemed awkward. While a lot of the ebooks provided a good read, the story told in the actual game felt shallow, leading you from one job to the next without even realizing its full potential. Instead of building up a solid connection to the characters by adding relevant material, you barely get to see them, and what they say is normally so limited, you simply cannot bond with them. Decisions don't have a real impact on the story either. Whether you choose to help a Quest NPC or not doesn't matter, even if you do, you'll see him once or twice right after the quest, gain your reward and that's that. Instead of incorporating these NPCs into later parts of the game, helping you out, they get abandoned asap. Characters Jensen seemingly knows from a past we've never even scratched appear and disappear without leaving marks in our lives, only adding a few credits to our pockets. One thing I regretted was letting my pilot, Faridah Malik die when we got shot down by Belltower soldiers. A short dramatic dialogue sequence via vox and once I passed that area, Jensen got contacted by Pritchard, who was seemingly shocked for seconds but then told Adam to not act out of revenge. When you later find her body in Triad-boss Tong's lair, there is no reaction, no line of regret, sadness, nothing. Abandoned. If I had rescued her, she'd have evacuated Megan Reed and her team later on, and disappeared afterwards. No impact. The end of the actual plot feels artificial, architected and unnatural. Eidos took all of the leading characters and threw them onto Panchea, and left the player with the decision to doom them all. Tying loose ends was supposed to work differently, especially when you don't even get a proper epilogue. Abandoned characters once again, Deus Ex Machina.

Great game, successfully built upon the first title, improved what was lacking, added a lot of potential and overall quite a satisfying game. Full Review: ****/2011/08/assassins-creed-1-dual-review.html

Extremely horrible port, does not work properly (not even with user-made fixes) at all and never saw a single patch, despite all the "known issues". This game should not be bought AT ALL!

Horrible bugs and issues. Since when do ATI/NVidia need to heavily adjust their drivers so that a game runs smoothly? Horrible lack of optimization, video settings are laughable, bad gamepad layout, texture-pop-ins everywhere, critically bad texture quality overall. By no means a game worth the $60 pricetag.

Amazing game, not a thing to criticise yet. Totally caught me off-guard and improved basically ALL the negative points I found while playing the first installment. Without a doubt, CD Projekt LEARNED a lot since the first game and watched what people have been saying about other RPGs these past years. The Witcher 2 really knows how to impress!

Simply over-hyped and does not deliver the fun you'd expect. Laggy, hardware issues that make you doubt it has been tested and too focused on online modes.

Simply over-hyped and does not deliver the fun you'd expect. Laggy, hardware issues that make you doubt it has been tested and too focused on online modes.