Review: Tales of Xillia
I’m really not quite sure what to make of the Tales series. The games have always been of an inconsistent quality, and all have failed to surpass the first title I played; Tales of Symphonia. Still, every new release has me excited at the prospect that it might, just might, recapture the brilliance I know the series is capable of. Unfortunately Tales of Xillia fails to even reach the levels of mediocrity that these games usually at least achieve.
Review: Dangan Ronpa
In Dangan Ronpa a group of highschool students are forced to compete in an evil game where the only escape is murder. Sound familiar? Dangan Ronpa isn’t even the only ‘Battle Royale’ esque story I’ve reviewed this week, but it certainly has more than enough originality underneath it’s familiar surface. In fact, it’s borrowed elements are all executed perfectly, and Dangan Ronpa is so good that it largely exceeds that which it takes influence from.
Review: Grand Theft Auto V
When Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was released on the PlayStation 2 back in 2004 it was certainly the biggest GTA ever made. But such a game taught us that bigger is not always better, and it would appear that Rockstar North has approached the challenge of every subsequent GTA with caution. It’s taken them five years to craft the sequel to one of the most iconic and well loved games of the generation, but is Grand Theft Auto V enough to satisfy those use to the ridiculously high standard set by the series? Honestly? Yeah.
Review: Project X Zone
A few years ago a game like Project X Zone would have never been released outside of Japan. But times (they) are (a) changing, and I’m certainly glad that a title such as this is available in the West, even if it is a strictly specialist game. It’s about as ‘Japanese’ as a videogame gets, and there’s no denying that Project X Zone is a unique, if slightly odd, experience.
Review: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Skyward Sword follows on Nintendo’s tradition of releasing an epic Zelda game in the twilight years of a console they appeared to have forgotten about. Two years on and I can say with certainty that this was the last great game for the Nintendo Wii, and it’s hopefully what the console will be remembered for, rather than the mass grave full of shovelware it had to climb out of to get here.
Review: Metal Gear Solid HD Collection
Few games have stood the test of time as well as the Metal Gear Solid. When originally released, Metal Gear Solid 2 offered a first taste of the cinematic experience now common in videogames, and 3 expanded on the genre defining ideas the series had already established. These two iconic games look fantastic in high definition, and are just as fun to play now as they were 10 years ago.
Review: Puppeteer
It’s difficult to play Puppeteer and not notice the clear influence many other popular platforms have had on it. Whilst this isn’t a game lacking in identity, it is one that presents new ideas side by side with mechanics that will be exceptionally familiar to fans of the genre. Is Puppeteer the next Little Big Planet? It honestly could be.
Review: Gravity Rush
I first played Gravity Rush when I imported it a few months before it’s Western release. Since then I’ve also familiarised myself with the English language version, and as a result have put quite a lot of hours into the game. This wasn’t time wasted, and there’s so much to love about Gravity Rush. Unfortunately there’s also a few things to hate, and the game’s levels of brilliance are at times matched by it’s levels of frustration.
Review: The Wonderful 101
Earlier this year I fell in love with two games. The first was Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, a superb game despite it’s stupid title. The second, Vanquish, was originally released in 2010, although I had regrettably ignored it until a couple of months ago. Both these titles were made by Platinum Games, and this got me excited for their upcoming release; The Wonderful 101. It’s finally here, but sadly it’s not quite as wonderful as the title might suggest. Whilst certainly not a bad game, anyone use to the high quality experience Platinum Games usually deliver is likely to be disappointed.
Review: Killzone: Mercenary
Killzone: Mercenary follows on from a long string of games that have unsuccessfully attempted to bring console quality gameplay to Sony’s PlayStation Vita. The first person shooter genre has become particularly notorious for failing to translate, and Nihilistic Software (who were responsible for a bad Resistance game and an even worse Call of Duty) are likely to have tainted the expectations of anyone who played either of these two titles. How does Killzone handle the downsize? In three words? Better than most.
About Dracula’s Cave
Donate
Dracula's Cave 
Recent Comments