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GeminiSaint reviews some games:
10 years ago
Here are brief impressions of some downloadable games I played recently. Because why not?
Portal 2: (Available on Steam, PS3, XB360) Impressive in many ways. Expands on the foundation established in the original game in almost every aspect. Game is about three times longer than its predecessor too. A solid experience all the way through. Very recommendable.
Shovel Knight: (Available on Steam, WiiU, 3DS, PS3, PS4, Vita) Excellent throwback to the glorious era of 8-bit platformers. If you grew up playing games such as Mario and Mega Man on the good old NES, this game is for you. Actually, even if you hadn't, this game is still for you. It features top-notch pixel art, highly polished gameplay and a very catchy chiptune soundtrack. You can tell it was lovingly crafted with utmost dedication. Everyone should play it.
Teslagrad: (Available on Steam, WiiU, PS3, PS4, Vita) Atmospheric 2D platformer in which a boy on the run has to explore a massive tower filled with strange contraptions that revolve around magnetism. Great world-building and storytelling that employs no words whatsoever, complemented by a beautifully immersive gloomy atmosphere. Obstacles are mostly physics-based and require a certain level of dexterity. And by that I mean you will die a lot, particularly during those grueling boss battles! The difficulty might be a bit too much for the unprepared, but I still think it's worth checking out.
Ittle Dew: (Available on Steam, WiiU) 2D game similar in appearance to classic Zelda. Sports colorful cartoony graphics that are very nice to look at. The writing is firmly tongue-in-cheek and full of self-referential humor. Gameplay is heavily puzzle-oriented, and involves a fair amount of crate-pushing and variations thereof. Some of the puzzles can get really hard, especially in the optional bonus dungeon. Definitely recommendable for those who enjoy their Sokoban-esque brain teasers.
Castle in the Darkness: (Available on Steam) Fast-paced 2D platformer with many elements of the metroidvania sub-genre and a decidedly retro 8-bit aesthetic. There's plenty of backtracking, hidden items to find, doors to unlock, stats to upgrade, etc. And secrets. There's TONS of secrets for those who want to dig for them. All in all, you can't go wrong with this game. Just bear in mind, things get quite challenging toward the end of the adventure!
Guacamelee!: (Available on Steam, WiiU, PS3, PS4, Vita, XB360, XBOne) Words can't convey how AWESOME this game is. Yes, that's AWESOME in ALL-CAPS. Just do yourself a favor and play it. You won't be disappointed. The game is an engrossing 2D metroidvania adventure set in a very colorful, very stylized world based on imagery from the Mexican Day of the Dead. Also, your main character is a masked luchador with a very robust move pool that is very useful for both exploration and -of course- beating the crap out of anyone who dares stand in his way. No, seriously, the melee system is loads of raw fun. Basically, I'd describe this game as Super Metroid with a luchador. And it's, without doubt, a must-play. (by the way, be sure to get the "Super Turbo Championship Edition", as that's the most complete version of this game).
Toki Tori 2+: (Available on Steam, WiiU) This game was much, much better than I expected. It's a beautiful, colorful 2D puzzle-platformer where you play as a rotund chicken whose only two weapons are whistling and stomping. Half of the fun comes from discovering how these two moves affect the world around you; a world that is also populated by various other creatures, whom you have to learn to manipulate in order to have them (unwittingly) help you overcome the many obstacles along the way. And did I mention there's no hand-holding whatsoever? Skills are learned organically as you go, one at a time. All stages are interconnected in various ways (many of them have more than one exit, and all of them can be revisited for missing collectibles/alternate exits), and there are several possible routes to complete the main quest. Non-linearity FTW! Of course, things begin on the easy, almost trivial side, but later puzzles will prove to be very challenging! You will definitely want to put on your thinking cap for this one. Highly, highly recommended.
Portal 2: (Available on Steam, PS3, XB360) Impressive in many ways. Expands on the foundation established in the original game in almost every aspect. Game is about three times longer than its predecessor too. A solid experience all the way through. Very recommendable.
Shovel Knight: (Available on Steam, WiiU, 3DS, PS3, PS4, Vita) Excellent throwback to the glorious era of 8-bit platformers. If you grew up playing games such as Mario and Mega Man on the good old NES, this game is for you. Actually, even if you hadn't, this game is still for you. It features top-notch pixel art, highly polished gameplay and a very catchy chiptune soundtrack. You can tell it was lovingly crafted with utmost dedication. Everyone should play it.
Teslagrad: (Available on Steam, WiiU, PS3, PS4, Vita) Atmospheric 2D platformer in which a boy on the run has to explore a massive tower filled with strange contraptions that revolve around magnetism. Great world-building and storytelling that employs no words whatsoever, complemented by a beautifully immersive gloomy atmosphere. Obstacles are mostly physics-based and require a certain level of dexterity. And by that I mean you will die a lot, particularly during those grueling boss battles! The difficulty might be a bit too much for the unprepared, but I still think it's worth checking out.
Ittle Dew: (Available on Steam, WiiU) 2D game similar in appearance to classic Zelda. Sports colorful cartoony graphics that are very nice to look at. The writing is firmly tongue-in-cheek and full of self-referential humor. Gameplay is heavily puzzle-oriented, and involves a fair amount of crate-pushing and variations thereof. Some of the puzzles can get really hard, especially in the optional bonus dungeon. Definitely recommendable for those who enjoy their Sokoban-esque brain teasers.
Castle in the Darkness: (Available on Steam) Fast-paced 2D platformer with many elements of the metroidvania sub-genre and a decidedly retro 8-bit aesthetic. There's plenty of backtracking, hidden items to find, doors to unlock, stats to upgrade, etc. And secrets. There's TONS of secrets for those who want to dig for them. All in all, you can't go wrong with this game. Just bear in mind, things get quite challenging toward the end of the adventure!
Guacamelee!: (Available on Steam, WiiU, PS3, PS4, Vita, XB360, XBOne) Words can't convey how AWESOME this game is. Yes, that's AWESOME in ALL-CAPS. Just do yourself a favor and play it. You won't be disappointed. The game is an engrossing 2D metroidvania adventure set in a very colorful, very stylized world based on imagery from the Mexican Day of the Dead. Also, your main character is a masked luchador with a very robust move pool that is very useful for both exploration and -of course- beating the crap out of anyone who dares stand in his way. No, seriously, the melee system is loads of raw fun. Basically, I'd describe this game as Super Metroid with a luchador. And it's, without doubt, a must-play. (by the way, be sure to get the "Super Turbo Championship Edition", as that's the most complete version of this game).
Toki Tori 2+: (Available on Steam, WiiU) This game was much, much better than I expected. It's a beautiful, colorful 2D puzzle-platformer where you play as a rotund chicken whose only two weapons are whistling and stomping. Half of the fun comes from discovering how these two moves affect the world around you; a world that is also populated by various other creatures, whom you have to learn to manipulate in order to have them (unwittingly) help you overcome the many obstacles along the way. And did I mention there's no hand-holding whatsoever? Skills are learned organically as you go, one at a time. All stages are interconnected in various ways (many of them have more than one exit, and all of them can be revisited for missing collectibles/alternate exits), and there are several possible routes to complete the main quest. Non-linearity FTW! Of course, things begin on the easy, almost trivial side, but later puzzles will prove to be very challenging! You will definitely want to put on your thinking cap for this one. Highly, highly recommended.
dlpeattie
~dlpeattie
I do like that they are still making top quality 2D video games.
