Review: Child of Light, a Poetry-Driven RPG
By Nick PinkertonChild of Light has excited me since its announcement not only because it’s developed by Ubisoft Motreal (Assassin’s Creed, Watch Dogs, Far Cry), but also because it’s a departure from the action-oriented gameplay that most AAA publishers deliver. Creative Director Patrick Plourde and writer Jeffrey Yohalem, with whom I spoke at this year’s PAX East, have spearheaded an artistically-inspired Japanese Role-Playing Game (JRPG) with Western elements, like platforming and item-crafting. For the most part, their JPRG rendition feels like a handcrafted, intimately-composed product that visually immerses its audience in an interactive storybook. The story sometimes comes across as fragmented from the gameplay, and customization depth feels limited, but overall, Child of Light offers a beautiful and well-composed adventure worthy of an entire playthrough.
In this Child of Light review, we'll talk impressions, story, artistic presentation, and the unique utilization of poetry as a central game design element.
The Wolf Among Us Episode 3 - A Crooked Mile - Review & Gameplay
By Nick PinkertonWhen Telltale Games announced last Wednesday that it would release Episode 3 of The Wolf Among Us on April 8, I let out a sigh of relief and commented: “Thanks for not leaving me hanging off the cliff for too long!”
You can find our reviews of the previous two episodes here:
Glitchspace: Learn Programming with a Puzzle-Platforming Game
ByProgramming meets puzzle game in Glitchspace. Developed by Space Budgie, this first-person platformer presents a simple environment where a node-based programming system is used to move through levels.
Set in a cyberspace world, you're trying to find a place known as “Glitchspace” -- a by-product of cyberspace and its various glitches or inconsistencies. Access can be gained across all systems in cyberspace through careful, programmatic exploitation, but the game isn't inaccessible to non-coders, either. Story mode is used to help introduce players to programming concepts, but a Sandbox mode is used for experienced players and programmers who'd like the full tool-set immediately available.
The Wolf Among Us: Episode 2 - Smoke & Mirrors - Review & Gameplay
By Nick PinkertonTelltale Games recently released the second episode in The Wolf Among Us, Smoke & Mirrors. GamersNexus continues its windy trek through the Telltale adventure series in this review.
I had played through Episode 1, Faith, and was delighted by its gripping storyline, superb visuals, and a dynamic (but buggy) dialogue wheel. Episode 2, Smoke & Mirrors, adheres to its predecessor’s formula and further tests the relationships of Bigby and his Fabletown peers, and although it culminates in another well-devised cliffhanger, it makes me doubt the impact of my actions on future episodes.
Insurgency Game Review – Gameplay Video & Overview
ByInsurgency is a full-fledged multiplayer FPS game based on the Source mod of the same name, Insurgency: Modern Infantry Combat. It features a realistic, tactical style of play, but tries to expand accessibility in the new version. The release date for Insurgency (formerly called “Insurgency 2”) was January 22, 2014 and is available on PC now.
"There's a whole mess'a freedom-lovin' folks over in them hills!"
Echo Prime PC Review & Gameplay Impressions
By Adam Davis
When I was first given the game Echo Prime by Robot Entertainment, I have to admit it looked slightly amusing but limited in overall entertainment value. I am pleased to say that I could not have been more wrong. Echo Prime has become one of my all-time favorite small studio games after playing it for the past few weeks. Every single battle feels fluid, every movement consistent, and every choice meaningful. That is not to say the game is perfect or without flaws—some of them glaring—but overall the experience was highly enjoyable and required very little concerted effort to find interesting new ways to slaughter aliens and robots alike.
In Echo Prime, you play as our space-venturing hero, traveling the galaxy to fight off the Slivers - a little-known alien race hell-bent on destroying the rest of the galaxy. Sort of like AT&T. The Hero is equipped with energy swords and heavy-duty firearms, because disemboweling them isn't enough -- but disemboweling and head-shotting seems, oh, ample.
Horizon Gameplay & Preview: Big Universe, 4X Solutions
By Adam DavisRecently I was allowed a sneak peek into the second closed-beta for a new Turn-Based Strategy game called Horizon. I haven't been as excited to play a TBS game since the original Rome: Total War, which are some pretty big, Legionnaire-like shoes to fit into. With ten races to choose from in this cosmic 4X turn-based game, my biggest fear going in was whether or not L3O Interactive would achieve making each race feel unique and challenging to players in various ways.
Horizon is a strategy game in which the player chooses a race and goes about trying to take over the galaxy through diplomacy, trade, or war. Standard 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) stuff.
FORCED Game Review & Gameplay - Co-Op Arena Combat
By Steve BurkeGauntlet -- one of the most successful arcade games of the 80s -- stood as the gaming world's best guess at what a tactical multiplayer dungeon-crawler would look like. It was one of the first, and since its release, we've seen countless attempts to refresh an otherwise classic arcade hack-n-slash series.
FORCED is a modernization of that genre, taking traditional hack-n-slash elements and fusing them with teamwork-oriented gameplay mechanics and puzzles. I first previewed FORCED over here, highlighting its playstyle and Kickstarter campaign and, one year later, they're finally launching.
The Wolf Among Us, Episode 1: Faith - Review & Gameplay
By Nick PinkertonI've been jazzed to play Telltale Games' The Wolf Among Us since first demoing it at PAX Prime. Telltale Games has released the first of the game's five chapters, Faith, and has already set up a series of disturbing-but-beautiful episodes I'm excited to play through. In this The Wolf Among Us - Episode 1: Faith review, we'll look at the unique dialogue tree, action sequences, and gameplay elements within Telltale Games' newest gaming adventure.
I reveal the game's early plot, but I don't get into spoilers that will affect anyone's gameplay experience (per our revised review guidelines).
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