Nintendogamer on 02 September 2010
Metroid: Other M - [8]
Quote:
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Other M dabbles in cinematic tricks and
sensational set pieces, but it's strength is in it's foundations; it builds an
enveloping 3d world from straight lines and right angles, and ups the gears of
it's rewarding basic constantly. It offers an uncluttered slice of sci-fi
action, a singular take on the 3rd person adventure, and a combat system of
pared-down beauty. Team Ninja had good material to work with, but the studio's
own contribution is a fine complement
indeed. |
Valkyria Chronicles 2 -
[6]
Quote:
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With Peace Walker having so recently
demonstrated what can be done when a complex, home console series is carefully
adapted to PSP, Valkyria Chronicles feels like a missed oppertunity. It's battle
system still provides an excellent alternative to the rigid chess boards of many
a strategy RPG, but one that feels comprimised rather than optimised for it's
new setting. There's nothing wrong with heading back to school, but Valkyria
Chronicles was already qualified. |
Mafia
II - [6]
Quote:
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There is, perhaps, a metagame moral in Mafia
II's open-world teasing. It reminds us that the best sandbox stories are still
within the reach of good writers rather than frivolous player-agency. Though 2K
Czech's operation doesn't run entirely smoothly, there's a definite spark of
potential and the roots of an abandoned attempt to engineer something more than
throwaway entertainment. Like the characters it portrays, Mafia II expects
loyalty to it's blinkered cause but unfourtunetly, in a more fatal parallel, it
also falls pray to the offer of easy money and some cheap
thrills. |
Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days -
[6]
Quote:
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As with many games. the blights and blemishes
are partly concealed by playing it through in co-op, and there are extensive and
intriguing multiplayer modes in the package, too. But as a single player
experience, Dog Days feel underdeveloped. It's most striking ideas don't fulfill
their promise, and it's successes are etched by pervasive minor flaws. The
towering, terrifying city and the lens through which it is shot, drag you onward
through the game's lesser parts. but you sense that the real crime in this whole
bloody escapade is that it doesn't live up to it's dark flashes of
imagination. |
Puzzle Quest 2 -
[6]
Quote:
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It'd be easy to punch holes in Puzzle Quest 2
for not moving the match-three vehicle farther down the road, but it's not a
series that's stalled, just one build on a concept that hasn't really moved on.
The gems that this sequel is connecting - the RPG and match-three puzzler -
still need one more to complete their chain;
character. |
Ruse - [8]
Quote:
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Eugen's real triumph has been in packaging the
games complexities in an entirely accessible manner. By cross-developing for PC
and console, the French developer has found a way to facilitate deep strategy on
just a handful of buttons, streamlining the interface at little cost to the
tactician. The conservative setting and lack of an engaging storyline may do
little to excite RTS veterans but, in it's ruleset, Ruse expands upon the genre
in a way that goes beyond gimmick. As a result, it's deserving of a wider
audience than recently released high-profile rivals might allow
for. |
Lara Croft and the Guardian of
Light - [6]
Quote:
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As the more intimate title suggests, this may be
as much about Croft's brand awareness in the face of unprecedented (and
Uncharted) competition. It certainly gets the job done in the gap between boxed
released, but you can't resist the feeling that the series about grand adventure
should be scaling greater heights. |
Tom
Clancy's HAWX 2 - [5]
Quote:
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A game about the most ridiculous form of
human-on-human combat, HAWX 2 should be anything but pedestrian. But in miring
the action in a crayon-written plot, and applying air brakes to anything going
too fast, the screaming thrills it does provide are the exception, not the
norm. |
Guwange - [8]
Quote:
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Guwange appears the most accessible of Cave's
late 90's output, even if the latter stages of the game will require a
combination of dedicated practice and natural skill to overcome. That said,
there are no concessions to the newcomer. The game is designed exclusively for
score attack or single credit runs, it's stern Japanese arcade mentality unmoved
by the jump to console and a potentially wider audience with no extra credits or
easier modes. Despite all this, the game remains enthralling and the fully
featured leaderboards will obsess and delight those skilled or patient enough to
excel at it. |
Scott Pilgrim vs The World
- [6]
Quote:
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Too calculated to be a truly sympathetic
adaption, what Scott Pilgrim is missing in inspiration it makes up for -
inappropriately - with sheer professionalism. It may be quietly lacking when it
comes to the ad-libbed charm of the source material, but this is still a
detailed and intelligent fraud; a slice of cool, corporate entertainment for an
audience that probably sees no contradiction with that
notion. |
Ace Combat: Joint Assault -
[6]
Quote:
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Murky, muted visuals and a lack of ground
details let's the games presentation down, but the satisfying combat and
customisation - especially when you unlock the Tune menu, which lets you add
custom parts to your aircraft - do their best to hold your attention despite the
frequently repeating missions. |
Shank -
[6]
Quote:
|
Like the movies that doubtless inspired it,
Shank ultimately has more style than substance. It looks fantastic, but it's
hardly a lengthy game and it does little to trouble your brain. As throwaway
entertainment goes, it's solid popcorn
stuff. |
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Buying in 2015: Captain toad: treasure tracker,
mario maker
new 3ds
yoshi woolly world
zelda U
majora's mask 3d
