Tuesday Fun

Darksiders Review

Genre: Action adventure, Hack and slash
 THQ, 2010

Trailer

I know it's not the newest game, but I accidentaly instaled it so I gave it a shot. Everywhere I saw high scores, and good opinions about it. Although I can't see why it is such a big deal. I played for a couple of hours, but I got bored at the beginning, I only continued to play only because of the scores, and in the trailer it seemed more fun.

 Bad:
- boring, repetitive gameplay and puzzles
- swimming (I usually enjoy it in games but here it'sjust boring)

Good:
- story
- graphics

The Graphics
The graphics are pretty good, nothing special, but still a little cartoony twist they are one of the reasons why I continued to play at the beginning. The enemies and environment look great.

The gameplay
The gameplay is too boring. It is like a bad Devil May Cry clone, without the cool stuff. You only go and slash. I know that what hack-and-slash means, but hey there is for ex. DmC and that is waaaaay far from boring. There are no special combos or big moves except that you can activate that mode, but that gets boring. You get new gear, but that doesn't compensate for the dullnes of the fights.

The story
The story is very good, in a post-apocalyptic world you have the Knights of th Apocalypse, being War. Someone wants to scam him that he started the war. Interesting storyline, with a better gameplay it could have been one of the best games of 2010 for me as well.


Final Verdict
All in all if it wasn't for the graphics and story I don't think it would made such good scores.

Final Score
5/10

Rainy day afternoon games

Raining outside, you are sitting in a cozy warm room under a blanket. Only one question remains. Which game to play? This is a good time to dust off some old games, or try out something new, or a game about which you have heard so much.

My top 5 coziest games for a rainy day

5. Alice: Madness Returns

Our heorine, Alice thinks she is starting to go nuts. Or maybe it is real? Interesting, dark mood, goes well with the rain.

4. Slender The Arrival

Rainy days also a great time to play horror games. The sound of the rain, a creepy tall guy behind you...

3. Any Harry Potter game

Everyone knows what a cozy atmosphere has the Hogwarts. The games give back this atmosphere pretty good, mostly the Chamber of Secrets, Prisoner of Azkaban, Order of the Phoenix...

2. Game of Thrones

Not one of the best gameplays or graphics, but the story is great, just like every story in Westeros.

1. The Longest Journey

Little old, but all-time favorite. Not like any other adventure games, has interesting story, great mood, two worlds...

DuckTales Remastered Review

Genre: Platformer

Capcom, 2013

Trailer

I've never played the old game, but I saw the cartoon, and had several comics, and small books. Ducktales, and Donald Duck was a huge part of my childhood, mostly with Huey, Louie and Dewey, so I was pretty happy playing the game. Of course the main goal is to find money and treasure for Scrooge, but there are some complications.I'm always affraid when trying a remake, but I think this one turned out fine. I really like the characters accents.

Good:
- Enjoyable
- Artwork Extra
- Good graphics
- Fun gameplay
- Can skip cutscenes

Bad:
- Not always responding immediatly to buttons
- Short
- Many unnecessary cutscenes
- Can't replay levels for more money

The Graphics

As I saw screenshots of the old game, I think they made a pretty good looking game for a platformer.

The Gameplay

It's a really fast moving, fun little game. You jump with your swagger-stick on enemies head, collecting treasure in the meantime. Sometimes the maid shows up giving helpful cakes and extra lives. You have a couple of themes for levels, Amazone, Transylvani (my fav since I'm from there), Moon, etc... On every level you have to collect some items, you have secret tunnels, and on the end of every stage there is a boss fights. Not impossible to play the game, but not that simple to be boring. Perfect balance for a relaxing gameplay. Although sometimes it can be irritating that Scrooge doesn't reacts in the moment when you press the button. There are many cutscenes, at first it's fun to know the story, but after a couple of times, when you have to replay a level because didn't made it in the first attempt it's annoying, but yu can skiip it.

The story

We have our base characters, Scrooge, his nephews, and Webby, a couple of helping characters, like the maid, the little prehistorikduck (I can't remember their names), and of course the big enemies: Magicka DeSpell and Flintheart Glomgold.

The Extras

There are some extras in the game, which are fun. There is the well-known swimmingpool-vault of gold, you can jump in and enjoy your well-earned money. Then there is concept art, you can unlock it by collecting money in the game and buying them. I always enjoy seeing artwork in the game, so it's a good addition.

Final Verdict

Enjoyable little game. Great relaxation for a Sunday afternoon.

Final Score

8/10

Gone Home Review

Genre: Simulation, Exploration, Interactive story

Fullbright Company, 2013

Trailer

At first I was excited to play this game. I'm a big fan of exploration games, although most of them are horror games, which I don't always have the mood for. So I was looking forward to this game, how cool I can explore a house, find out a story... But after 5 minutes playing the game I was pretty disappointed. This game is nowhere close to exciting, innovative, or any good aspect.

Bad :
- Boring, simple story
- Bad graphics
- Boring puzzles

Good:
- The exploration style is good

The Graphics

Compared to nowadays games, this game looks pretty crappy. There are many decorations, and stuff in the house, but non of them look anything special. It's like the designers didn't even try. Just took a simple house and made it into 3D, undetailed, boring scenes.Maybe they wanted a realistic environment, but this is nothing I call realistic.

The gameplay

The game doesn't need much time, maybe 3 hours max. You just go around the house, with some little puzzles to solve, but not much brain activity needed for them, grab a couple of objects, read some notes, and that's it. You beat th game. If you just want to look around a house and several objects from a families life (a pretty boring life), then this is your game. The only good thing in this game is the exploration itself. If it would have been with more interesting items, and story this could have been a good game.

The story

Many people say this game is so great because it is so emotional, and has a sad, dark story. But I think this is just a simple story of an everyday family. When I saw that the father is a writer, I thought hey maybe there is something interesting about him, or his books, but not even that.

The mood

Those flickering lights, the sounds of tht thunder... It makes you feel like you are playing a horror game. It just doesn't go with the story. Maybe if the story took place in a warm sunset, that would have made tha game more enjoyable. The horrorific elements have nothing to do with this game. There are too kinds of music, the rock music from the tapes, an element what I finally liked, and the ambient background music.

Final Verdict

This game seems like a quick toss off of a couple elements, but not put enough thought into it. This could have been a great game, maybe with a better, more interesting story. I don't say there has to be supernaural, fantasy, or horror elements, but if none of these is present you need a pretty good story for a video game. And this one is not. I don't know why it got such big scores on IGN and Metacritic. This game doesn't deserve to be between games like Bioshock Infinite, and get even higher than so much better games. 

Final score

3/10

Top 5 weapons in video games

5. Corvo's Crossbow

Dishonored (2012)

Who doesn't like crossbows?

4. Bucking Bronco

Bioshock Infinite (2013)

Let's play with fire!

3. Portal Gun

Portal (2007), Portal 2 (2011)

Not exactly a weapon but it can be one.

2. Lightsaber

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003)

Favorite, green one.

1. Arbiter

DmC: Devil May Cry (2013)

Dante's Demonic Weapon, my personal favorite.

Weekly Online

Graverobbers

adamatomic.com/graverobbers/

Fun little game, you have to stop the robbers by pressing the letters corresponding to the traps.

Video Games Bucketlist

gamercrave.com/video-game-bucket-list-101-gaming-things-to-do-before-you-die/1845/

Got 12 out of 101, How much do you got?

Super Mario vs. Pacman Game War

Pica Pic

www.pica-pic.com/

Digitalized collection of handheld electronic games

Zork

http://www.web-adventures.org/cgi-bin/webfrotz?s=Zork1&t=Y

Classic text-based adventure games are a must for every RPG player. Here is one online, but single-player.

Organ Trail

www.hatsproductions.com/OrganTrail.swf/

Another text-based game. You have to travel through post-apocalyptic zombie USA, collecting food and equipment, and taking care of your companions.

New releases this week

Big Releases

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified

Genre: Action, FPS

Released by:  2K Games

After the trailer the gameplay seems monoton and boring. Maybe it has a good story, or something interesting about the creatures, I don't know...

Saints Row IV

Genre: Action-Adventure

Released by: Deep Silver

Now this is so much better. Thos shows more action in 5 seconds than Xcom in 2 minutes. Introducing sci-fi elements, aliens and spaceships, I just can't wait to play it.

Ravaged: Zombie Apocalypse

Genre: Action, FPS

Released by: 2 Dawn Games

Usual zombie killing game.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist

Genre: Action, FPS

Released by: Ubisoft

Looks like  usual FPS Splinter Cell. Not a big fan, but it's not bad.

Might and Magic X Legacy

Genre: Strategy, Dungeon Crawling
Released by: Ubisoft

Looks pretty good, now early access only.

Neverwinter: Fury of the Feywild

Genre: MMORPG
Released by: Cryptic Studios

Neverwinter, like any other Neverwinter game is a great game. I can't wait to play this story.

Smaller Releases

Sir, you are being hunted (Early Access)

Genre: Action, Survival, FPS
Released by: Big Robot Ltd

Kickstarter project. The theme would be pretty good, wth great atmosphere and scenery, if there wouldn't be any robots. Maybe monsters hunting you, or ghosts, or something else. I don't think robots are the best choice to an environment like this. Gameplay seems too monoton, but I like the idea of survival.

Weekly Geek Products

Darth Vader lamp

R2D2 and C3PO Best Friends Necklace Set
From this shop

Pacman earrings
From this Etsy shop

 
Avengers bracelet
From this Etsy shop

 Lara Croft style bag

Tron Prom Dress

Half Life Ring
From this Etsy shop

 Super Mario hippo game

Skyrim bookweight
From this Etsy shop

Skyrim Dark Brotherhood ring
From this Etsy shop

The Sims 4 First Official Gameplay Trailer

Genre: Life simulation

Publisher: EA Games

Everybody likes messing with the little people in the Sims games. In 2014 will come the next game (which I can't wait for)

Character creation

I always had trouble with sliders, this new way of sculpting them, like you can sculpt clay, looks really great. Much simpler than with the sliders, this looks so much better than in the other Sims.
+ you can customize their movement.
I would like to see more about new clothes, maybe accesories. I hope there will be lots and lots of them, maybe alien and zombie skin... (I bet there will be an expansion for stuff like this)

Emotions

This is quite new, I can't wait to play with their emotions (I like playing God in games). Also like the voodoo doll revenge.
+ the environment affects them more than before.

Building

Big + that you can move rooms. I had sometimes trouble with building a room and then wanting to relocate it but didn't had the mood to rebuild the whole room. Always planned to build huge houses with interesting architecture, but maybe in this one I will already do it.

This game looks really promising. I like that characters aren't too realistic, I think that would have ruined the game. I can't wait for more gameplay, and the game.

This trailer made me to reinstall Sims 3...

Weekly Retro Earthworm Jim

Genre: Run and gun, side-scrolling platform game

Release date: 1994

Released by: Sega

Yesterday I saw a picture about Earthworm Jim, and today I had time to reinstall it. I remembered that it is a great game, I loved it when I was a child. But now I didn't had the patience to finish the first stage. It's exactly the same situation like I loved Scooby Doo when I was a child, but know I can't even watch it for 5 minutes. Maybe it's because I have played so many better games (better stories, better and smoother gameplay, not especially better graphics). I don't know. I was irritated how all those crows just came at me and I couldn't even aim exaclty at them.
In it's time it seemed like it was one of the best games. Although it was a time when I had only Super Mario and Prehistorik available on my computer.
The hero is an earthworm named Jim. I didn't realize this until now (english is not my native language, so I'm not surprised that I didn't observe this as a child). Maybe I liked it because it was so cartoony and fun to look at.

Trailer (Couldn't find a decent trailer, old game...)

Gameplay

Side-scrolling, which is not my favorite. Run and shoot, I like it when I'm in the mood. (The perfect combination of these two is maybe the Jazz Jackrabbit series) You have a gun, and Jim's head, that is also a whip. With your whip you can do things, you know stuff, like grab, swing, etc... Usually you have bosses as well, Major Mucus, and Evil The Cat (I can only remember their names). I liked the little in-between level game, where you could control Jim and his rocket.

Story

As a child I only realized that there is a worm in a cool space suit who kills every moving creature on the level. Now I see it as a kind of post-apocalyptic world scenario, where a mutant worm fights the evil mutanst. I never finished the game, but I looked on the internet and ther is a princess at the end, Princess What's-Her-Name. SPOILER at the end the Princess is crushed by a flying crow... So much for Jim's happy ending.

Sequels

There is a HD remake, with new levels and multiplayer ame. Also Earthworm Jim 2 was released, but I never got to play it.

Tv series based on this

They made a tv series out of this, 1995-1996, two seasons. Only if I would have known this as I child...

Old rating (as I remember): 70% (out of 100%)

New rating (my opinion now): 35% (out of 100%)

Weekly Games Fun

Remember when FPS maps were fun? Pepperridge farm remembers. You had hours of fun just to explore whole maps full with secrets, collectibles and extra stuff. You had puzzles, you had to use your brain. Now it's full with cutscenes. You go around the corner: cutscene... You look out the window: cutscene... I mean come on I'm not watching a movie I want to PLAY!!!

Minecraft Disney Castle
I can't believe someone really had so much free time and patience to make this...

 

You know that feel when you spend hourse creating the eprfect character appearence, adjusting every slider that exists, and then playing tha gem in helmet?

 

This week in PC Games Aug 11-15

Big Releases

Duck Tales Remastered

Genre: Action

Released by: Capcom

Who hasn't played or seen the good old Duck Tales? Capcom thought it's time to renew this classic. As you can expect, the main character is Scrooge McDuck, and what else would he need than money and treasure?

Trailer (yaay sing-along!)

Payday 2

Genre: Action, Co-op Shooter

Released by: 505Games

I haven't played the first one either, but I guess I will give it a try soon. If you want to have the heist experience this is your game.

Trailer

Europa Universalis IV

Genre: Strategy

Released by: Paradox Interactive

Haven't played any of the Europa Universalis games, been planning to.

Trailer

Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches

Genre: Action

Released by: Bethesda

You step into assassin Daud's shoes again, continuing where The Knife of Dunwall left off. A must if you are a fan of sneaking assassin games.

Trailer

Smaller Games

Worms Clan Wars

Genre: Action

Released by: Team17 Ltd

For Worms fans, now you can easily play in Multiplayer, with new weapons, landscapes, etc... Supports LAN.

Trailer

Unholy Wars

Genre: Simulation

Released by: Petit Depotto

It is a mixture of 2D apartment simulation and tower-defense.

Trailer

Weekly Geeky Products

1. NES Cartridge Ring

2. Harry Potter bracelet

You can get it in THIS ETsy shop for only 5.66$.

3. Leather Bioshock Splicer Bunny Mask

Can have it from THIS Etsy shop, for 80$. Also there are quite a few masks at this shop that look amazing.

4. Legend of Zelda Triforce Hoodie

5. Batman Hoodie

I'm always in trouble finding decent hoodies but this one just amazing.

6.Comic Superhero Leggings

I don't know where can you find it, but it looks so amazing.

7. Falcon Pillow/Beanbag

If I would be sitting on it I would be much more happier than that girl on the picture. Just saying.

8. Dante's Necklace

A must for every DMC fan. Can get it if you buy the game from Capcom, or find it at Amazon.

9.Portal Companion Panties

How could you impress more your geeky boyfriend, than wearing this? Also if you don't have one, here's your little companion.

10. Mario Plant Earrings

I don't know where you can get it, but if you are a little crafty can easily make it with modelling clay.