A Super Time Force Ultra Review -- It's Time To... Die, And Then Be Joined By Ghosts Of Our Former Selves

Written By: Tyler
Platform Played On: PC

The indie scene has a tendency of shitting out games that look similar to this one. There is a nostalgia associated with 8-bit and 16-bit games at this point, and it often charms us into thinking a game is better than it really is. There are games that pray on our weaknesses of looking to the past, and then there are games like Super Time Force that allow us to embrace both history and the future.

In STFU -- get it? Of course you do, every site points this out -- you play as one of many soldiers, each with their own unique pros, cons and different abilities. You are part of the Super Time Force, a time-traveling military lead by Colonel Repeatski. The basic goal here is the same as most games, except with time travel: you have to save the world. Whether this means going into the future or back to the dinosaurs, you have to do it because it is your civic duty.

The story is silly. Let's just get that out of the way. It's also important to note that the game is extremely self-aware (so self-aware that it may become sentinent, if you leave it alone), so the ridiculousness of the plot only helps the experience. Throughout the game, you will be treated to the mostly clever and quirky comments of all the characters involved, as they rip on stereotypes and ride the novelty of the story as far as it can go. It's not the funniest game ever developed, but if you're anything like me it will make you chuckle a couple times, or at the very least, put a smile on your face.

The graphics are gloriously old-school. They won't appeal to some people who can only deal with modern graphics, but for those who appreciate different art styles and don't just see this particular kind as an attempt to cash-in on nostalgia, there is a lot to like here. The character models are fairly detailed, given the circumstances, and levels are alive with colour. This isn't a drab, dark game... it gleefully uses a whole arsenal of colour. There is also a lot of things going on at any given time, like bullets flying at you, enemies jumping around, four of your characters all dazzling us with their gunplay and footwork. It gets really hectic but the game never looks bad because of it... just a little confusing.

Not only that, but the levels themselves are carefully crafted. Look at the background and you will surely see something going on, which makes the world feel bigger than the 2D stages that you exist in. You can see rust on objects, splatters, the whole nine yards. Some people think that creating a game with these types of visuals is easy, but it's not. It takes a different type of skill set to truly bring this brand of pixels to life. Super Time Force clearly had a lot of attention put into not just making a game that appeals to gamers from the late 80s and early 90s.

The music helps reinforce where the roots of this game lie. You're not going to hear an orchestra as you're blasting baddies. You're going to hear all the bleeps, bloops and blomps that you would hear in an NES game. It wouldn't really make sense to do it otherwise in this case, since the game is so entrenched in where it came from, but it's reassuring to know that -- like the visuals -- there was a lot of care put into making the music good on its own. It's not Shovel Knight good in this regard, with memorable track after memorable track, but it helps aid the experience. Unfortunately, as I played, there was so much going on the screen at a time that I didn't have a lot of time to actually concentrate on the music. I had to listen to the tracks as I wrote this review.

The most important aspect of Super Time Force is the one that sets it apart from other games of its ilk. It's Contra having a baby with Braid: only it's not as fun as Contra and doesn't have the emotional depth to support its gimmick like Braid.

I'll admit that the game looked like a lot of fun when I watched videos of it. I admired Capybara's attempt to redefine/innovate the classic 2D side-scrolling shooter by introducing a feature where you can rewind time at any given point, providing you still have some rewinds left (you get 30 each level). I still admire them for this, but I think the actual execution is a little bit lacking.

What you will most likely find out quickly, if you don't already know, is that it leans more on the puzzle side of things than the action side. Sure, you jump around, shoot things, platform to different ledges, shoot more things, fight a boss, kick some ass... but perhaps more importantly is how you manage time. You will die, and you will die lots, but dying is a learning experience here rather than a penalty.

This isn't even the scary part.

Every time you die, you can just rewind time and restart that particular area. Only something is different when you come back: the old version of you fights beside you, mimicking your own actions when you played as that particular character. What this means is that you could have a bunch of different "yous" on your screen at any given time, laying waste in a much quicker and efficient way than you would by yourself.

This is important because you only have sixty seconds per level, so you're always racing against the clock. There are ways to slow down time or add ten seconds onto the clock, but it is a very quick and stressful experience. Super Time Force aims to constantly put you on edge, with makes rewinding time a little hectic because you don't really have time to breathe.

Some will truly love that element of the game, but they contradict one another and lessened my enjoyment with the game. It's sad to admit because I am a guy who constantly gives praise to innovation because we're at the point where games that try something new should be encouraged, but I think I would have preferred if Super Time Force had less time manipulation and less Contra.

The mechanics are solid, and the game is extremely polished, but I felt myself getting frustrated more often than I had hoped. It's a pretty challenging game, but that's not my complaint. It's that this race against time spits in the face of the puzzle aspects. You may be thinking, "But Tyler, when you're rewinding time you can essentially take all the time you need in order formulate a proper plan," but that takes away from the action. Braid worked because it never shifted tones like this: it was always just a puzzler. Contra worked because it was non-stop action and required skill. Super Time Force is stuck in some kind of purgatory where sometimes it fumbles over the very mechanic that got it glowing endorsements originally.

That's not to say that the time mechanics aren't sometimes fun. Early in the game, you have to save someone, and this is an excellent usage of the core mechanic because it slows the game down and makes you solve a real puzzle, as opposed to making you just spawn different versions of yourself in order to complete a level. It was thrilling when it was used like that, but those moments are few and far between.

Super Time Force Ultra also includes bonuses that the original release did not. Namely, it has fifty challenges where the focus is on the puzzle aspect more than the shooting, for the most part. This is a little more rewarding because it's more straight forward and picks a side rather than flirting with both.

I know some people will think that I didn't enjoy the game as much as I had hoped because I suck, but that's not the case. I'm not awful at the game, but I'm not great. The problem was that I didn't feel a desire to get better because of the constant shifts between wanting to be an action game and wanting to be a puzzle game. I'm sure there is a way to make this work better than Super Time Force did, but I'm not reviewing a possibility, and as it stands, STFU is a completely solid game that can be really really frustrating.


Rating: 7.5/10
Verdict: It has its flaws, and the core mechanic of rewinding time actually makes the game stumble a bit more than it should, but it is still a fun game. We should praise it for trying something different, even if it's not something we'd prefer.

A Gods Will Be Watching Review

Written By: Tyler
Platform Played On: PC

Rating: 6/10
Verdict: It's got an amazing premise, and solid ideas for fun gameplay, but it's unfortunately held back by some poor design choices.

Gods Will Be Watching is the expanded version of a Ludum Dare game. In the original, you were tasked with surviving for forty days by managing your resources, making hard choices and possibly sacrificing people for the greater good. Even though I never played the Ludum Dare version of the game, the level from that version is in this one, and a lot of people were excited for the full game. I was excited too because I thought it looked like a cool idea... the kind of thing that indie games get a lot of recognition for. If it isn't outright innovating in at least some miniscule way, it's doing something that is very uncommon these days.

The concept of the game is that with each chapter, you are thrown into a different environment, with different goals, and you have to control your team in order to successfully complete the mission. This will involve a lot of clicking on the different characters. You will manage them and also keep an eye on the resources you have. There is a lot of variety in the missions, as one has you taking hostages, one has you being tortured, one has you walking through a desert, and much more. 
 

So I started a new game...

I have some pretty negative things to say about the game, but I have to admit that I absolutely adore the premise of the game. I love that the game throws you into a mixture of different kinds of situations and expects you to figure out how to best solve the problems while never holding your hand, and at best, only giving you a little bit of information on how to proceed.

I also give a lot of credit to the artistic side of things. While the pixel-art may turn off some people, and many have proclaimed that Gods Will Be Watching -- and other games of its ilk -- have terrible graphics, you have to compare it to other games with the same style. Because I do that, I can safely say that there was a lot of work put into the visuals and it shows. The characters are about as detailed as they can be, which is an important element because the game relies a lot on visual cues to inform you how the characters are doing. It's a testament to the talent involved that it is usually pretty easy to tell when the people are feeling a certain way.

...then this happened, a few times, and I was very confused.

The environments are varied and beautiful, with a lot done to breathe life into them. You may only see one room at a time, but they are a joy to look at and really add to the atmosphere, especially some of the outdoors levels. The indoor levels do a satisfactory job of making you feel claustrophobic and shut-in, like a survival game should. 


At first I was going to say that while I enjoy the soundtrack, I'm glad I didn't buy package on Steam that included both the game and the soundtrack, but as I write this review I'm listening to some of the tracks on Youtube and I'm changing my tune a little bit. At first I didn't think the music stuck out, but in retrospect it may have been because I was so caught up in making decisions that I didn't pay a lot of attention. Now that I sit here and listen to the songs individually, it's very clear that the music does a good job of (usually) making you feel like you may be going insane. Since the nature of the game is that things get tougher and tougher as they go on, and you're constantly being pushed to the brink, it makes sense that the music reflects that, with a lot of the songs slowly building... like your insanity.


There are minor issues with the game, such as some poor English, but those can be brushed aside because there are flaws that are much bigger; such as the lack of narrative-cohesion and how tedious it gets.               

Gods Will Be Watching attempts to tell a strong narrative but there are some painfully obvious hiccups in that. For the most part the story is fine; you play as a group of people who are trying to stop the "terrorists." It's a game that tries to tell the side of both factions and does a good job of explaining that things aren't black and white in a conflict such as this. I really have no gripes about the plot as a whole, but they've done a terrible job of making your actions have any kind of consequence. You can literally lose a member of your team during a mission and he/she will be there the next mission. I lost Jack during a torture scene, and I was still talking to him during the rest of the chapter. I thought I was just talking to a ghost, and while I think that's a bit of a cheesy mechanic to employ in storytelling, I accepted it. Then in a future chapter, people were talking to him and he was performing tasks like he was alive. I could sacrifice people and they'd just show up next level. This is pretty much unforgivable in a game like this and breaks the immersion immensely. They really needed to fix this because once you figure that out, outside of accomplishing the challenges, who cares if so-and-so dies? And really, the challenges isn't enough glue to hold it together when the game is so story-driven.
 
Take a look at the first image on this page: I picked it for a reason. Unfortunately I chose "Exit Game" more than I would have liked when trying to play through it. I read preview after preview, watched video after video, of professional critics being in awe of how bad the game made them feel, or how intense the missions were. I can see why someone would get sweaty when playing this because it does expect you to multi-task a lot. Ultimately though the game gets bogged down in tedium because a) I don't think the choice-making is that interesting and b) the chapters are too long with no mid-level checkpoints.

You could spend 45 minutes playing a level only to die and have to start it over again because there is no saving in the middle of a chapter. The problem with this is that the game isn't exciting enough to warrant that. The first time you play a mission it's fresh and there's a joy in figuring it out, but then it becomes routine and the choices you make are more static than kinetic, and this gets highlighted when you die. You will end up falling into a pattern at some point, and their solution for that seems to be to add parts in each mission that are insta-death. These are random and there's nothing more frustrating than having to play something for so long only to be killed by something you have absolutely zero control over. The game stresses that you are the master of your own destiny in a lot of ways, but then the execution leaves a lot to be desired. I understand that in real life anything can happen, but this is still a poorly thought-out design choice. With that said, I can get past the random death but I have a much harder time with it when it takes so long just to get back to that point again in a replay.

I kept turning the game off because I just couldn't bring myself to do it again. That's where the game loses probably two points for me, because I can't get past this aspect of the game. There is a great idea in here, but it was implemented poorly.

Gods Will Be Watching had a lot of promise, and some people clearly enjoy this game more than I do. As it stands, it's actually one of the bigger disappointments of the year for me so far. It's only $10 on Steam though, so by all means give it a shot... it may appeal to you more than it did me.

What Better Way To Celebrate Easter Than A Trip Through Hell! A Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls Review

Written By: Tyler

Rating: 9.5/10
Verdict: Despite the necessarily and decent tweaks, the leveling system still leaves a little to be desired. Outside of that though? With Loot 2.0, Act 5, the Crusader and other little additions, Diablo 3: Reaper of Souls is a drastic improvement on all fronts and has asserted itself as one of the best games in the Action RPG genre. Yes, I went there.


When Diablo 3 came out a couple years ago, it was the return of one of the most beloved franchises of all time. Players waited twelve years for the sequel to Diablo 2, though to be fair it seems like people just kept playing Diablo 2 up until the third came out anyway. But something stragic happened -- a lot of players didn't enjoy it that much. A lot of hyperbole was thrown out, as Diablo fans proclaimed it as the worst game ever, and the Battle.net forums were hard to read as people bitched and complained constantly, though I still read them anyway because I'm a boss and forums were my thing.

Diablo 3 was streamlined in a lot of ways, and lost some of the elements in Diablo 2 that fans enjoyed. I'm not a Diablo fanboy, I don't have those memories with Diablo 2 that a lot of gamers have, but even I can admit that it left a little to be desired. Not that it was a bad game, and I defended it at the time, but I will concede that it does some things better but some things worse. In retrospect I probably thought higher of it than I should have at the time, but that was because I put over a hundred hours into it with my brother and did enjoy my time.

Looking back at it now though, I'd still say Diablo 3 wasn't the disaster that a lot of fans declared it as... but Reaper of Souls stomps all over it. Seriously, the changes made with this expansion and the pre-expansion update are monumental.Very few games can make me put a hundred hours in and then rope me back in for what could be a hundred more at some point.

I am going to get on with the actual review now, but just know that I probably won't remember to tackle every single little detail of the expansion, but I am going to hit on the major points at the very least. This is mostly a full review, though I am well aware that items and whatnot may pop up that I have never seen before, but I felt confident that I could give it a final score regardless.


The first thing I have to talk about is Loot 2.0. Though it was released as a pre-expansion update that anybody can acquire, it is a massive upgrade. I don't think anybody could deny that a big selling point of Diablo and most ARPGs is the copious amounts of loot you will find during your adventure. With Diablo 3, legendary drops were few and far between so you'd have to replay Acts over and over again just to try to find a good weapon so you can proceed. Or you'd just get a bunch of crap you couldn't even use because while getting a lot of loot is great, getting quality loot is the most important thing.

With Loot 2.0, they dropped the "quantity over quality" mantra and reversed it. You may get less loot, allegedly, but you still get tons. Yet what you get is often better. Play it on the Normal difficulty and you'll find legendary items. I got more legendary items in the first few hours this time around than I did in my entire initial playthrough. I didn't even realize just how much the Auction House was holding everything back until it was gone -- now the loot flows freely.

On top of that, items can have different types of characteristics now. My brother has an item that summons a little guy that collects equipment for them and at a certain point has the chance of creating/dropping a legendary item. There's more variety to the loot, and you'll find better stuff more often.

They also changed how potions work. Gone are the multiple types, and now you only have one. Why any game has more than one type of health potion is beyond me, because it's often just confusing and unnecessary.  You can also get different items for crafting.

Loot 2.0 is a victory on all fronts and it drastically alters how fun the game is. There is no more slogging without reward... there is only reward.


I expect three things from an ARPG: an in-depth leveling system (such as Path of Exile of Sacred 2), massive amounts of enemies to murder, and tons of loot to satisfy my greed. I already talked about Loot 2.0, there were always lots of enemies to murder, and now I'll talk about how you level up.

The leveling system in Diablo 3 was a significant point of contention with me, and probably a lot of others as well. I am all for change. I praised a game like Killzone: Shadow Fall for bucking the trend and going their own route with how level progression was handled, but sometimes -- and this is the case with Diablo 3 -- traveling your own path is detrimental to the experience as a whole.

You couldn't upgrade your stats at all, which even Diablo 2 had twelve years before it and most games of this ilk include as well. All you could do is shift around the runes and skills that the game gave you each level. While creating a great build is appealing in some aspects, just allow me to put points into my base attributes and give me a skill tree so I can unlock whatever skills I want. Or give me a system like Path of Exile. Allow me control over my character. I'm less forgiving of this in the ARPG than I am in other RPGs, because to me, the stories in these games are never great or memorable.

They can't fix this problem without a complete overhaul of the game, but they've done just about as much as they can to try.

The level cap was upped from 60 to 70, and with it came more skills and runes, along with another slot for passive skills. You still just mix and match your skills and runes until you';re the best ass-kicker that you can be, but with Paragon Levels at least you have some control once you reach 70. I know Paragon Levels existed before, but they've been revamped a bit to the point that there are no limits to how many there are. In a nice touch,  you don't just level up your base attributes... there are four different categories with multiple statistics in each. This actually gives you a great amount of control, ultimately, but you still have to max level and deal with having all your skills and runes forced down your throat when the game wants you to. As a system, it is a little sub-par, but they made strides to fix it and I commend them for that.


Before I touch on the meat and potatoes of the expansion like the new Act, character class and the different modes, there are a few little aspects of the game I want to talk about -- the Mystic, the difficulty and the wave-based events.

The Mystic is a neat little addition to the game. She offers two different services, which are enchanting your items and Transmogrification. She allows you to re-roll certain magical properties of existing items, allowing you to ultimately gear your, er, gear more to your liking, while Transmogrification allows you to change how you look. It's a small thing, but I know cosmetics are important to some people because let's face it... looking like a badass is part of the appeal.

The enemies now level up with you, and the difficulty sliders just affect how hard the enemies are beyond that. I think this is a better system all around, so props again to Blizzard for that.

Events are a blast in this game because they drop a lot of stuff and you get a lot of experience. They've added events called "Cursed Chests" and "Cursed Shrines" which are essentially wave-based events where you try to kill all the waves in the time allotted. It can get chaotic and the benefits are worth it.


Now onto Act 5 and the other completely new features added within the Reaper of Souls expansion.

Act 5 is a blast. The basic story is that Death appears and you have to go kill Death. Like I said above, I actually don't think plot is that important in this sub-genre of the role-playing game, but it does a good enough job. I mean, you have to go bring death to Death. That sells itself.

There are a lot of events, lots of enemies to kill and loot to collect... but I really love the music especially. As I write this I'm listening to it, and I never listened to the initial Diablo 3 soundtrack because the music didn't overly stick out. However, the music seems to be perfectly placed in Act 5. When you're walking around in a dank, gloomy area, the music is appropriate and does a good job of making you feel that dread. Or when enemies appear, the music will get big and loud, making you actually want to fight. The music adds a lot to the atmosphere and mood of everything going on.

I never understood the complaints about how some of the other Acts looked, because I enjoyed traveling to different areas. I don't need every place I visit to be dark, full of decay, rotting trees, skeletons, zombies and other stereotypically evil beings. I know a lot of people did, but they can rest assured that Act 5 is dark. It is Diablo as they remember it.

After you complete Act 5, a whole new method to loot up is presented to you in the form of the Adventure Mode. While playing this particular mode, you do bounties, which are randomized missions that give you different objectives. You might have to kill a big nasty, or kill 100 enemies on a single map. There is variety, and when you win you obviously get equipment, but along with that you get blood shards -- which are used to buy specialty items -- and Rift Key Fragments.

Rift Key Fragments are where it's at, because they allow you to open Nephalem Rifts. The Rifts are where Adventure Mode shines, because you go in, fill up a bar by killing enemies and than a big boss appears. When the boss appears it is awe-inspiring, full of lots of colours flashing on screen. They actually feel like a big event. You kill them and get a ton of loot. I'm not sure if farming on a higher difficulty in the story mode is more beneficial than Rifts or not, but Rifts give a lot of cool stuff.

Adventure Mode offers a lot of replay value for those who don't just want to do the story.

The Crusader is the new character, and he specializes in defensive tactics while having a good array of offensive moves as well. I don't know if I'd use him if I were playing by myself, but as a support character he is pretty awesome. He has "Laws" that permanently offer him and his companions boosts in things like damage, he has a healing spell, a skill that allows him to revive if he dies (awesome!) but he can use skills like Bombardment that drop death on enemies. You could run him as basically a buffer, which I did for a bit, or you could transform him into a more deadly force. I play as a mixture.

Because of him, there are specialized crusader shields and a new weapon type -- flails. I've always been more of a giant sword type of guy, but it's cool that they added a new weapon type for him. All-in-all I think the Crusader was a worthwhile addition to the roster.


I love Reaper of Souls. I could just be high on the game since I've been playing it currently, but it brought me back into Diablo 3 in a big, bad way. With that said, because of the leveling system not being up to snuff, I give this game a "light" 9.5. What I mean by this is, I think the game deserves better than a 9, but I operate on a .5 system so I'll up it to a 9.5. It's basically everything I could want from the genre, except for that one nagging issue (which would have made me drop the rating more had they not tweaked it a bit), so if you were turned off by the initial release, you should give Reaper of Souls a go because Blizzard changed a hell of a lot.

Killin' Prostitutes, Blaming Old Men: The Wolf Among Us Episode 3 - A Crooked Mile Review

Written By: Tyler
Platform Played On: PC

"The Big Bad Wolf?" More like "The Big Emo Wolf!" Ha! Don't hurt me Bigby.

Rating: 8.5/10
Verdict: The Wolf Among Us: Episode 3 is a return to stronger storytelling, like the first episode, but the lack of real gameplay will always be an issue for me in this type of game.

Since I have a terrible memory, I don't know what I said in my reviews for the previous episodes. They're all very similar so I'm sure I'll say similar things each episode... hell, I've probably said something like this before.

In Episode 3, you are still Bigby and you are still on the prowl. Like any good murder mystery, the plot thickened and now you've gotten a different lead. At the end of Episode 2, Bigby found a picture that he thinks proves Crane is the guy who murdered Lily... a woman that should be praised for her valiant services (she's a prostitute).

The pros and cons of The Wolf Among Us are on display once again, only this is a return to stronger storytelling than Episode 2, which I felt was still great but a bit of a letdown after the first. This series lives and dies by its plot and how it's told, and I have to admit that despite the little flaws, I have become engulfed by the twists and turns that this series brings.

Sometimes the voice acting is a little sub-par, and the mouths don't always line up to what is being said, but if you look past that minor issue there's a lot to like here. Episode 3 moved at a brisker pace than Episode 2, and it tried to add a sense of urgency to the proceedings by having a timer. It's not a big thing, but it's nice that they put it in there.

The plot is always intriguing, and even if the choices don't drastically alter the events, they still make a bit of difference and make you think about what you're saying. Will you be understanding as Bigby? Or will you go all-in, all the time, showing people why you're the Big Bad Wolf (despite him claiming he has changed). In fact, that whole sentiment looms over your actions as Bigby, constantly gnawing away at you.

Maybe you want to be a mixture of both. Maybe you want to be nice to Snow White because you want Bigby to get with her, which I'm guilty of. The point is, regardless of what choices you make, something interesting always happens afterward. These are great interactive movies, and the premise of Fables is always going to be interesting. Luckily, Telltale has done a good job with it.

Though it didn't have the cliffhanger that the first episode had, it probably had a better narrative. If that's all you want from a game, you can rate this higher than an 8.5. However, a game is still a game to me, and if a game doesn't have compelling gameplay, I hesitate to give it an extremely high mark. Episode 3 simplifies the detective elements even more than the first episode did, and because of that it's a weaker conventional game.

The gameplay still amounts to watching it, making a couple choices, and then walking around a room looking at everything that is clearly indicated. When I did end up getting in a fight, I was able to choose a couple different things to do while in the heat of combat. The series has done this since episode one, and I appreciate it, but it's nothing new at this point. What made this particular fight the most memorable moment of the series for me was the build up and the aftermath (which I made possible by my choices). It is moments like that that The Wolf Among Us is at its best.

But don't get it twisted: The Wolf Among Us is one of the best video game stories going right now. A lot of larger games pale in comparison. This isn't a series that you can turn into a first-person shooter, nor do I want it to be another addition to that stale genre, but it's an adventure game with very little adventure so adding more elements of that -- like fleshing out the detective parts -- would be welcomed by me.

A Cloudbuilt Review - I Try To Wall Run, I Fall, I Die... Rinse, Repeat

Written By: Tyler
Platform Played On: PC

Rating: 7.5/10
Verdict: Cloudbuilt is at its best when it's letting you do the crazy platforming that it promises. There are little issues that keep me from enjoying it more, but anybody who likes hard games and Mirror's Edge inspired parkour should check it out.


Cloudbuilt was born into existence whilst promising two things: it was going to be hard with crazy, fast and clever platforming. The good news is that Cloudbuilt basically delivers on its premise. The bad news is, sometimes it's not in the best way.

In Cloudbuilt you play as a female -- and to the games credit, it's like Remember Me in the sense that you're a girl but ultimately you're just a person -- who doesn't know why her body is in a room. Every time you press the E key while standing above her body, you are transported to a new level and that's where the game gets intense.

The game is described as Sonic meets Mirror's Edge by every preview I've ever seen and that's an apt description. Take the speed from Sonic and the parkour elements from Mirror's Edge, throw in a healthy dosage of Dark Souls difficulty, and you have Cloudbuilt. You run fast and can run across walls, you have a jetpack that allows you to jump more than once, and you have a gun. You get planted at the beginning of the level and due to clever level design, you can pick one of a few different ways to get to the end of the level.

The fast-paced runner-style platforming is intriguing and is usually a lot of fun. Running up a wall, jumping to another wall and running up that is invigorating and thrilling... it's an event that gets the blood pumping. Running and then doing a massive jump, using your jetpack, is a good time. There are a lot of things you can do in this game that make it a game worth playing, and since the levels offer you different ways to reach your destination, it pays to experiment on what path works the best for you. I imagine seeing people who are great at this game will be an experience in itself because it's one of those types of games that give you a genuine feeling of satisfaction when you reach the end of each stage.

A big part of that is because the game is really hard. Unless you're a natural at this kind of thing -- and even then -- you will die a lot. You will fall to your death, only to start again... trying to perfect that perfect run through a level. Once I finally finished a level, I was left feeling like I actually accomplished something, which is an element that a lot of games lack because most games are fairly easy (on Normal). The normal in this game is frustration.

Some people love this kind of thing. People play Dark Souls for a reason, though I'd argue -- in my limited experience with that series -- that Dark Souls is better designed. I'm going to be honest here, but I don't actually love really hard games. I don't know if it's because I grew up in the NES era where a lot of games were hard and I feel like I already "did my time," or if it's just because I like to complete a game and see the story and whatnot. Maybe it's a mixture of both. Since reviews are a personal opinion, this accounts for why I didn't give the game a slightly higher score. I enjoy the game quite a bit, but I had to throw this out there because I did drop the score a teensy-weensy bit because of it.

However, the game isn't without flaws. As fun as the parkour elements are, it also suffers from the same thing that Mirror's Edge did (though I'd also argue that Mirror's Edge is a better game). I don't know why the game had guns. Most of the time the gunplay in this is just an annoyance and it actually badly affects the flow of the game. Cloudbuilt is supposed to be fast, and when you get something right, progressing through a stage is a fluid, beautiful act. Including a gun and enemies that actually corrupt that flow was a bad move. The emphasis should be on the platforming, and for the most part it is, but this issue exists.

For example, guns can shoot you from across the stage. I'm not kidding. You're not supposed to look back in this game because the genre itself is forward forward forward, but you could be standing there planning your next move and you get shot from a gun that you passed a while back. Some may argue that it keeps you on your toes, I say it's just cheap difficulty. The game is hard enough without these tricks. That's just one example, but there are aspects of the game that take you out of it. When Mirror's Edge slows the game down, it cheapens the experience. The same can be said about Cloudbuilt. I'm not against enemies being in the game, but they weren't always implemented correctly.

There are other issues too. Sometimes the game doesn't do what I want it to do, meaning I may try to jump across to another wall and it doesn't do it. I hit the wall then fall to my death. It doesn't happen a lot but it did happen a few times. It wouldn't even be worth mentioning if it weren't for the fact that the checkpoints are so few and far between that dying is traumatic. It's frustrating to be on a good run, hit the wall and not have it register and just fall to your death... only to start from the beginning because there wasn't a checkpoint anywhere near where you are. At the beginning of the game it seemed to have a good amount of checkpoints but as it went on they became more scarce. Dying because I suck is one thing, dying because the game doesn't work is another.

Don't look for any upgrade systems here, because Cloudbuilt gives you all the tools you need to succeed right from the beginning. This was an interesting move in this day and age because so many games base their accomplishments on upgrade systems. The upgrade here is the skills that you develop as you play the game.

The game is pretty. I have to give props because they do the cell-shaded thing well. This particular style is not one we see a lot of, even today despite the popularity of games like Borderlands, so it's always refreshing to see it done well. The environments are detailed, whether it's the way the rain beats down on you or looking off into the distance and seeing the rest of the level. I don't know if it'll be a nominee for Best Visuals when I do my awards at the end of the year, but I'll definitely consider it.

The music is also pretty, particularly when you're in the main room in between missions. I would sit there and listen to it for a few minutes once in a while. The music has a retro feel, and when done well (like in Cloudbuilt) that can be really appealing.


The story is vague and a mystery, and slowly unfolds in between missions. I don't think just standing in a small room and listening to someone monologue is the best way to present a plot, but this is a problem with games as a whole. I've criticized games like Haze for this kind of thing because it's really just not that entertaining standing in place while people talk all the time. A little bit is fine, but some games go overboard. Luckily Cloudbuilt has an interesting story, so it's easy to forgive it.

But really, you come here for the platforming, and like I've said, Cloudbuilt succeeds for the most part. It's interesting that we've gotten a game like this and TITANFALL in quick succession. Is this an indication of where games are going?

Cloudbuilt is a fun game. It's flawed, but that feeling you get when you finally beat a level you've been attempting for an hour is worth the price of admission alone. The small team that developed this should be proud of themselves, and anybody who wants a challenge should try this out.

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze - I Did It All For The Bananas (C'mon), The Bananas (C'mon)

Written By: Tyler
Platform Played On: Wii U (YES THERE ARE GAMES)

Rating: 9/10
Verdict: Tropical Freeze is an outstanding platformer that doesn't quite reach the heights of Mario 3D World but has its own brand of intense that would make Nicolas Cage proud.


When Retro Studios announced that they weren't making a new Metroid and had instead decided to focus on a new Donkey Kong Country, there were a lot of disappointed people. I don't think it was because people don't like Donkey Kong... I think it was because Metroid is Metroid and it's hard to compare. Despite the fact that I'm not as in love with the Prime series as some (I'm more of a side-scroller Metroid guy), even I was a little disappointed. You see, I've really enjoyed every Donkey Kong Country that I've played but for some reason I never get excited for a new one. I genuinely have no idea why that is.

Whereas Super Mario 3D World was more of a slow, cerebral platformer, Tropical Freeze is more akin to an action flick. It throws a lot at you at pretty much all times. You would think it would be the opposite as Mario has a timer each level and this doesn't, but most of your time in Tropical Freeze is spent running/carting/flying/swinging/jumping for your life while the environment explodes and destructs around you. Because of that, the levels are often exhilarating but often stressful.

Yes, this is a difficult game. There were some levels that frustrated me, but victory never seemed unattainable. Whether it was riding the rocket barrel and watching obstacles pop up in the blink of an eye, or battling one of the elaborate bosses, the game constantly kept me on edge. It is to Retro's credit that they managed to keep things relatively fresh throughout the entire game even in a familiar intellectual property.

They do this by offering new twists in each world. This isn't an original feat, but it's an appreciated one. Every world will throw new things at you, and Retro did a great job of introducing these at a good pace while never becoming overwhelming. It just adds to the unexpected nature of the game. Mario had this to, but as I said, it was slower. You don't have time to stop and think in a large portion of Donkey Kong Country.

Of course, there's a supporting cast here because what fun would it be without Cranky Kong (the OG Kong), Diddy or Dixie? They all ride on your back and offer special abilities, though I ended up solely using Dixie. I don't know why anybody would use Diddy, but maybe that's just me. They aren't game changers but they give you an extra boost to get through the many challenging levels. The rhyno makes a return and I found some of his sections the hardest.

Besides the characters there are little boosts but these are strictly one use, one level only things. You don't get permanent boosts, and I never bought any of them. I did buy some red balloons though so I could afford to die more.

If you want replay, it's pretty much par for the course at this point. Collect the letters, spell out "Kong" and collect the puzzle pieces. It does unlock bonus levels though so completionists will be rewarded with more game time.

I was pretty impressed with the music a lot of the time. The boss battle music was fittingly aggressive and I loved every time I jumped into the rocket barrel just because I wanted to hear the music. The fact that the track got faster as I got into the later level was a nice touch because it added a sense of urgency to it all.

Visually the game shows what the Wii U is capable of. People will scoff it, especially since Retro recently said that the Wii U is a "powerhouse," but it is capable of good graphics if developers know how to use it. No, the Wii U will never have the realism that other consoles (or God forbid the PC) has, but Tropical Freeze feels right at home on the Nintendo system. The character models are gorgeous and there's a lot to appreciate about what's going on around Donkey Kong. For example, there's always something neat going on in the background and I sometimes found myself gazing at the events taking place behind all the action. Then I died, but that was nothing new at that point.

People can mock the technical prowess of the Wii U, but Retro used it extremely well and made a game that's incredible to look at. The game is colourful, crisp and animated fluidly, which is essential considering all the shifting that the environments do within each stage.

If you are on the fence about picking up this game, don't be. If you like platformers, it's one of the best current examples of the genre.

The Game With The Lame Name -- A Bravely Default Review (Finally)

Written By: Tyler
Platform Played On: 3DS

Rating: 8.5/10
Verdict: Bravely Default is a wonderful RPG in a lot of ways, but there are some things later on that dampen the experience and keep it from being a masterpiece.


"Oh man, I can't wait to play Bravely Default... it's finally out!"

I turned on my 3DS and cleared off some space and started the download. After it was completed, I laid down on my bed and fired it up. "Oh, this is a pretty song on the main menu, I'm getting into this already. This feels like an RPG."

I press New Game, and I do all the things the game requires me to do to set it up. All of a sudden I'm looking at my room through the top screen on the 3DS -- a feature that has always existed on the 3DS but one that I haven't really seen used in-game before, but I only bought my 3DS last year and have mostly played RPGs on it anyway. A woman comes onto the screen (the screen that is still showing my room) and she's in a panic. She's screaming and rambling on about saving things, but I'm swinging the 3DS around following her as she walks around. All of a sudden the ground gives out and there's a giant hole in my room. This woman, Agnes, is now scratching and clawing for her life. I tilt the 3DS down and look at her as she is at my feet, her body dangling down into the hole. She falls.

"Wow, that was actually a really awesome beginning." From that moment I was hooked. It wasn't until later that it all tied in, and as of writing this review, I can fully appreciate what they were trying to accomplish there. Very cool stuff.

From there I play as Tiz, and while I wished I could change the names (I come from the old school of RPGs), it's not a big deal because at this point in gaming it's understandable, with voice acting and whatnot. I watch Tiz loses his family in the same way I just lost Agnes. "This game is dark," I say to myself, continuing on.

Once I become familiar with Tiz, and end up meeting Agnes again, I realize that at this point in time the story is nothing fantastic. I meet Ringabel, who doesn't remember who he is, and Edea, who was a villain but left the Eternian forces (Sky Knights) because she starting seeing things differently than them. Ringabel is a pervert. Edea is hardheaded. Bravely Default has been called a Final Fantasy by many reviewers, and I'm no different. It has all the trappings of a good Final Fantasy/JRPG, with its cutesy character models, perversion, Job System, and a story that involves crystals. I find out that Agnes is trying to reactivate all the crystals, and that's pretty much how the story goes for a long time, while I see how the characters grow and change towards each other.

Ringabel and Edea, in particular, are the most interesting to watch interact. There are legitimately some times where I laughed out loud and how they talked to each other. While Tiz and Agnes are more serious and predictable in where they will go, Ringabel and Edea keep the mood light and entertaining as often as they can.

A man modeled after my own heart.

As I walk through the different lands to each of the crystals, I am treated to a beautiful World Map song. It helps make walking feel like a real adventure, as any RPG should. As I hear more and more of what the OST has to offer, like the fantastic boss battle themes, or the music while I'm in my menu, I think to myself about how wonderful the soundtrack is from top to bottom. This is another reason why Bravely Default can favorably be compared to a Final Fantasy because at its best, Final Fantasy had amazing and awe-inspiring soundtracks. Bravely Default is no different.

I also am treated by the gorgeous visuals. The art and visual design on this game is on point, with every location feeling distinct and different, and beautiful rendered. It truly feels like a fantasy world, and allows me to get lost in it.

I am never forced to listen to the small talk between the characters, because the developers were smart enough to realize that a lot of people don't need to hear every single thing that a JRPG character has to say. Instead, I find it refreshing that "Party Chat" pops up on the screen and you press a button in order to access it. I always eavesdropped on the characters anyway, but it's a small feature that's appreciated.

As I progress, I keep myself busy with a few different things. Throughout the game I am reconstructing Norende, the town that Tiz is from that he saw get destroyed. When I am going to save the game, I can choose to update and the game will find villagers for my town. I can do this once a day, and when I do, I get optional monsters sent to me along with the villagers. I am the boss now, and I choose where to place my villagers. I realize it's smart to just focus the villagers on one thing at a time, because it can take hours upon hours to complete one task, especially later on. I get rewarded for my fine managerial efforts in various ways: I can buy more powerful weapons and armor, sometimes I get gifts in the forms of items, or I can get abilities to add to my special attacks. It's a simple concept, but it is important to remember to constantly have construction going so you can get some of this cool stuff. After all, it's as easy as simply clicking what you want to focus on next and when they're done you'll get a message on the screen saying they've completed it. It takes no time at all and is a huge benefit.

But as I play with the complex Job system I am filled with the most joy. Like Final Fantasy Tactics or Final Fantasy 5, the main pitch for me is the existence of said Job system. Each Job can level to 14, but not only that, you can have a sub-Job and special abilities from whatever jobs you've unlocked stuff for. What this means is that there are a ton of ways to play the game. Do you for some reason want your Black Mage to also have the Martial Arts ability (a Monk ability)? Well you can. You can also select buffs from all over the spectrum, if you've put in the time to unlock them. The combinations are endless, and as I progress through the game I kept getting more and more jobs and kept re-thinking what I wanted to do.

I grind so I can level-up my jobs and see what they have to offer. I do this again and again and again, but it's never boring despite the repetitive nature. Every time I level up a job I get excited to see what I will gain. When I master a job, I jump to another job to see what it has to offer. It's an obsession for me at this point.

I do the side-quests because they aren't really side-quests at all. It becomes clear early on that in order to unlock at least half of the jobs of the game, you have to complete these side-quests. I think to myself, "Why wouldn't anybody do these? The main crutch of this game is the Job system." Some of these side-quests are long, but I knew what was coming so I anticipated it like a child on Christmas Eve.

As I travel through the world, activating the crystals and seeing the melodrama unfold, I never get bored of the battles because Bravely Default does some neat things with the JRPG formula. For one, they created "Braves" and "Defaults." I think having that as the title is dumb, but it makes sense because it is a main point of the game.

The game has Brave Points, and you can have up to 4 at any given time. When you start the battle you have 0, and when you do an action you lose one. You gain one each turn so what this means is you can always attack once per turn. That isn't anything new, but if you Default, you gain a BP and it's like defending in other RPGs so enemies do reduced damage that turn. There are abilities in this game that require BPs instead of MP, so the battles are a constant struggle between managing your BP and risk and reward. It's a refreshing take on a tried, tested and true system because theoretically you can demolish your enemies in one turn... which cuts down on the grind time. So does the fact that you can fast-forward through a battle at two different speeds. You also get rewarded at the end of the battle for winning in one turn, along with other things. The battle system is still turn-based but they tweaked it enough to make it interesting even today.

There is also the SP, which allows you to interrupt your enemies for another attack. You get more by leaving your game on Sleep or paying for more, but I never needed them. They're just a way to make things easier if you need help. "I don't need no stinkin' SP," I say to myself triumphantly, with the only time I used it being when I accidentally pressed the button on the screen.

The game also uses Street Pass effectively, but I live in a small town and I never get to fully experience Street Pass features. You can use it to acquire friends to summon, a feature that allows you to summon your friends for powerful attacks in battle, or you can just get more villagers for your town. I cry a little bit inside because I cannot experience Street Pass.

I'm having a blast playing this game, listening to the music, leveling up my various jobs, switching abilities around, watching Ringabel perv on every girl he sees... this is a JRPG I can get behind. "This is one of the better RPGs I've played in the last ten years," I say to myself.

Then I get to, I believe, Chapter 5 and the game goes terribly, terribly wrong in some ways but awesome in others. A smorgasbord of blue exclamation marks -- which represent side-quests -- shows up on my touch screen. "Wow! There's a lot of content thrown at me," I exclaim so loud that my entire neighbourhood hears (okay it wasn't really like that). I eagerly travel to the nearest side-quest, and it turns out I get to fight a boss from earlier in the game again. It is important to note that from this point on, there are spoilers. I don't intend to give specifics unless I include spoiler tags, but depending on how sensitive you are to this sort of thing, you should proceed with caution.

I go towards another side-quest and again I fight a boss I've previously defeated. Something is different though, and I am intrigued by how the conversation between myself and the bosses have changed. It turns out every side-quest is like this.

I stop enjoying doing the side-quests because I've already done this. I don't care if they're harder, but I do appreciate that the encounters between my team and the bosses have altered in little ways. I can get behind that, but it's a sin to make a player replay sections. With that said, they are technically optional and they give you a lot of Job points and experience. It's still a crappy time.

However, with this, the story has kicked up a notch.

It's become genuinely interesting for me because it has done its best Bioshock: Infinite impression. All of a sudden there are parallel universes and realities, and the story has gone from simplistic "save the crystals Final Fantasy style" to "what's going on?"

 I can get behind where the plot goes, and I do, because I start truly loving the story, even if it took a lot of hours to get to this point. I'm just glad it happened.

"But I hate doing this," I say to myself, because I feel like they mishandled the situation. Bravely Default sends me to re-activate the crystals, so now I'm running through dungeons I've already run through enough, beating bosses I've already beaten, and this just puts a damper on the entire experience. I stop enjoying the game play. I try to justify it by thinking about how it makes sense from a storyline perspective, but I can't forgive it. "How dare you take a dump on my Bravely Default experience, Bravely Default!"

In order to get the true ending, you have to do the crystal thing again and again. Which means you beat a boss and then mangle your finger pressing X repeatedly (an idea I actually enjoy because it makes you feel the stress and pain that Agnes does, just like Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid 4). I respect the immersion much like I did in the opening scene in the game. Rinse, repeat, yawn. I start playing Bravely Default less and it takes me longer to complete than it should.

Finally, I trudge through it and complete the game. It's a satisfying conclusion and there is a plot twist thrown in there. The normal ending is decent but not amazing, and the true ending is significantly better. I lay on my bed and think about what I've just played, and what I'm going to write about it. "What am I going to score it?" It's something I struggle with because when Bravely Default is on, it's on like Donkey Kong.

"But after Chapter 5 is kind of ass," I say to myself. I decide on 8.5 because even though the story does get better and less generic, the developers have committed a cardinal sin. It is because of this that Bravely Default only gets an 8.5, but I strongly recommend it regardless.

Government Paranoia, Espionage And Pigeons -- A Jazzpunk Spiview

Written By: Tyler

 

Rating: 9/10
Verdict: Jazzpunk is an inventive adventure game. It's wonderful, hilarious parody from beginning to end and even the game play is more than just "get this, go here," though it certainly does that too. It's short, but there is no fluff, so it's a must-play for anyone who wants something a little different and strange.

Jazzpunk is a pretty hyped release that came out a few days ago. Developed by Necrophone Games, you play as a secret agent who is put in some seemingly normal situations (for a secret agent) such as infiltrating the consolate. However, in Jazzpunk things get weird and comical fast and a typical spy adventure becomes something much, much more.

Unlike some people, it wasn't really the trailer or anything that I saw from game play videos that got me excited for this game. It was the name, it was always the name. Jazzpunk appeals to me as a title because either it's a play on genres such as "cyberpunk" or it's a strange marriage of two completely different musical genres, since punk is known for its aggressive attitude and simplicity whereas jazz is known for being more complex. Or it's neither of these things. Who am I to say?

In every review you'll hear about the humour in the game. I've seen a bunch of reviews that say that the comedy wears off but I disagree strongly. The game doesn't stay around long enough to burn out, so it's funny from beginning to end. There are references and homages galore, with a personal favourite being the life bar from Goldeneye popping up. It doesn't stop there, as I counted many references to the things we know and love. I don't want to get into any real depth and risk ruining some of the jokes like I've seen with other reviews, but trust me, whether it's a reoccurring gag or NPCs who are only around one and then disappear, it's hilarious.

It's supposed to be influenced by movies like Airplane! and Naked Gun which are classics of the parody genre, and you can see it here in the way it handles its references but doesn't rely entirely on them like certain parody movies of today -- I'm looking at you Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer. A good parody movie puts spins on other things, but also develops its own story and brand of humour. Jazzpunk succeeds at this... even when it's just mocking stereotypes it has its own identity.

You can beat the game pretty quickly, but it pays to extend the experience by exploring. If you seek out everything that the world has to offer, you'll get some silly side-quests and you'll be involved in some funny conversations. Whether it's swatting flies in a vase shop (great) or hunting pigeons, the game doesn't stop bringing the laughs.

There are some classy gags with this guy.

It's a pretty stylish game too. It's not that the graphics are incredible and Crysis level, but the art-style fits the mood and themes perfectly. It gives the proceedings an otherworldly type feel, though it's ultimately grounded in real life. Whether it's exploring beaches or hotel rooms, the game does look good if you aren't someone who needs AAA style graphics. The music also does a good job of making you feel like you are a spy, but it doesn't overpower anything. It's just there to set the tone, and that really fleshes out what the game is going for.

It's a first-person adventure game, so most of the game play consists of you walking around. You pick up this, take it there, solve slight puzzles (though there definitely isn't an emphasis on that). I don't feel that the game is about the difficulty as much as it is taking you on a marvelous ride through the world of spies and espionage.

They do break from the mold on occasion. There are "shooter" parts though it's simple and there's no way you can lose as far as I know. There are parts where you play sports, and these are refreshing breaks from the typical adventure elements that are found in the rest of the game.

However, the main story is really short and with the recent controversy of Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes being tiny, I can understand some people being turned off by this. The price tag isn't as hefty as the MGS5, but fifteen dollars at normal price (twelve right now) for what amounts to about two hours of game play can be a deterrent. It shouldn't be because length does not dictate quality, but in this economy it's still completely logical to avoid purchases like this.

 I urge you to pick it up, though, because interesting indie games are always a bonus and they need your money. They've crafted a great game that lives up to the hype. I'd rather play a great game for two hours than a mediocre one for ten. Take your time with it, look around, and see all the hilarious things they've sprinkled throughout.

All My Friends Are Dead! My Review For The Wolf Among Us: Episode 2 -- Smoke & Mirrors (Not Cody Rhodes)

Written By: Tyler

Brazzers.

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: Episode 2 doesn’t pack the same punch as the first episode. I don’t know if it’s just the way I played the first episode or not, but this one seemed lighter on action, and it was certainly shorter. But it still delivers on a fantastic story. It’s just a little lesser in all ways than the fantastic first episode.

            Snow White is dead – that’s what we found out at the end of Episode 1. Smoke & Mirrors picks off where that one left off, with Bigby (the Big Bad Wolf) once again on the prowl to find who killed her. It’s become a more personal journey for him because of his clear feelings for Mrs. White, but are things what they seem?

                Of course they aren’t. What would be the fun in that?

Telltale hasn’t made a name for themselves making games like everyone else. You will spend most of your time making choices about how the story progresses, with occasional action scenes depending on what you say to people. You will walk around whenever the game allows you to control your character and investigate crime scenes. I enjoy these types of games, but I can’t play them all the time because the lack of control over your character is noticeable.

I’m not saying that you have no control. Indeed, Telltale has done a wonderful job once again of making your choices matter. Want to go the aggressive route with a pimp? Go for it and see what happens. Maybe you want to handle things with a little finesse and understanding. Or maybe you want to mix and match those elements like I did… admit it, some people deserve to be punched. Anybody who gravitates towards these games are coming for the narrative, and the things I liked about the first one apply here as well. Namely, I haven’t read the actual comic books but the idea of the fables we know and love being put into a different context appeals to me. When fables aren’t Disneyfied, they’re generally pretty dark anyway, but The Wolf Among Us takes it a couple steps farther, with familiar characters showing up in, er, compromising situations.

For the most part the story telling is on point, but there was one particular moment that baffled me because I don’t understand why a particular character showed up given the knowledge I had of the characters involved in the situation. It led to the most thrilling part of this episode, but it seemed shoehorned in. That was the only part I had a problem with, however, and the rest of the story was fluid and flowed well, with a particularly emotional encounter early in the episode with TJ, Toad’s son. I don’t think Smoke & Mirrors ended with the same oomph that Faith did, but it was still a pretty surprising end and the final shot was a thing of beauty. Telltale are very good at this kind of thing.

It helps that the artwork is gorgeous. I imagine this is something I’ll say in my review for every single episode as they’re released, but it is spot on with its comic book look and feel. The game stutters a bit which is strange because it’s not exactly Crysis and the lack of polish sometimes shines through. It got incredibly choppy when it was recapping what happened in the previous episode and when it teased Episode 3. This is a minor problem, ultimately, but it's there.

In terms of the actual gameplay, the fight scenes do feel satisfying. You move your mouse over certain things in the environment or on the person you’re fighting and once you click it you hit the person with it/throw them into it/smash it… whatever. I didn’t run into a lot of fights this time around but the one I did was pretty quick but throwing him against the wall felt good. It is also heavy on Quick Time Events which I know is controversial in the gaming community. So proceed with caution.

The actual investigation scenes are nothing awe-inspiring, but they get the job done. You can’t really leave until you discover what you need to, but it does allow you to connect the evidence yourself. It was easy, because I’m notoriously stupid and even I was a successful detective. Since it’s not an adventure game where you can revisit places you’ve already been, the “puzzles” – if you can even call them that – in these crime scenes are really just there to push the plot forward.

The main problem is the length. We’ve waited a long time for the second episode and it ended in an hour and a half. It was a good hour and a half, but it was still an hour and a half. But if you put it into perspective, you pay $25 and you get five episodes, as they’re released, and that amounts to over ten hours so it’s not really a bad deal. It just seems like it when you wait this long for a game that ends up being so ridiculously short. There is replay value there though, if you wanted to make other choices.

The Wolf Among Us: Episode 2 – Smoke & Mirrors is certainly representative of its title, and it’s filled with a great cast of characters. These types of games aren’t for everybody, but for anyone who wants a great, on-going story, it’s hard to find anything better currently.