Game Review: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Genre: Puzzle/Adventure           Platform: Nintendo DS          Publisher: Capcom

Released: 2001

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is an interes-OBJECTION!!! Your Honour, there is cleary a... urm... contradiction with the reviewers statement! All jokes a side, objection is said a lot in this game. It takes some funny stereotypes of lawyers, a well thought out plot and a great soundtrack and brings them all together in this wonderful creation.

Players assume control of the title character, Phoenix Wright, an understudy who wants to become a fully fledged defense attorney. Phoenix gets his first case, when a childhood friend (who happens to be an idiot) gets arrested and accused of the murder of his ex-girlfriend. As the player, you have to look through the evidence and prove that your buddy isn't a murderer. 

The game is almost like a novel, with bits for you to figure out in between to unlock the full story. The story is well written and pieced together intelligently, the sound track is brilliant and keeps the pace and atmosphere of the game, and the game is challenging enough to make you feel like you actually had to think. Often I found myself talking to the screen 'I know what happened!' and the game captures the saying "it's not what you know, it's what you can prove in court". I had great fun putting myself in the shoes of Phoenix, and the characters in the game all had a unique way off acting and looking. Part of the graphics which I felt really made the game shine was interaction during dialogue. Characters pulled some form of expression when lying or hiding something, so it paid being observant. 

There is a downfall to the game though and it isn't particularly a big one. Text. The game is completely dependent on you constantly reading, and is very much so an interactive novel. Now, this was not a problem for me, but makes the game not to everyone's tastes. I really cannot think of any other complaints to this game. And if you can think of them, well OBJECTION! TAKE THIS!

Rating: A-Lister

This game deserves recognition as a funny, intelligent and enjoyable game. It isn't the greatest game ever, but I would recommended this game to anyone. Check it out!

Fluxzy's Flashback: Super Mario Allstars

Super Mario Allstars: Flashback

Genre: Platformer         Released: 1993         Re-released on wii: 2010

Awesomeness: Maximum

To quickly explain the point behind this article, I am writing this because not many people my age (20) managed to really play many video games until it exploded to the point where pretty much everyone owns some form of gaming system (console or PC). I'm hoping that by sharing the rainbow spews of nostalgia that someone, somewhere, will be inspired to play these games. I hope to also delve in to games which are seen as classics but I missed due to the games not being at blockbusters (the main source of games for me and my bro as kids, every other friday one of us got to rent a game for the weekend and we got so good we would often complete that game several times). 

I Think it is safe to say that most people can say 'this was my first game'. In my case, SMA (acronym mudda fucka deal with it) was just that. What most people can't say is that I played this game when I was about 3 or 4. Somewhere around there, I can't exactly remember much, other than how awesome this game is. I say game, but really it is a collection of awesome games mashed in to one awesome cartridge of awesomeness. Yes, that's right, it is awesome. 

Anyhoo, Super mario allstar was my virtual first (excuse the sexual pun if you can, if not feel the tension) and as many say my first holds a special place in my heart. Not only that, but each of the games in the collection easily inspire games which are still being produced right now. Mario is THE platform game for most gamers. Jumping on stuff to kill it, getting big over shrooms, travelling down pipes and having to go to another damn castle due to there being so many evil castle layers for bowser (seriously?!) all combine in to a fantastic game. I still play it now. It beats most games of the genre as most now just feel like a copy. The game has had a massive impact on my life, gaming and personal. I often randomly break out in to some form of tune whilst walking around or even just doing stuff. Even tunes from the gameboy (original grey brick of fun) game mario land. Sometimes I wish I could just impersonate mario. I try, but it is hard to get such an iconic voice perfect. His voice just makes me smile.

And that is why you, the person reading this right now, should play this game. Right now. No, don't think about it. Go. Find a way of playing it, and do it. It doesn't matter if you have played it before or not, just go enjoy my childhood... sounds weird, but please, you won't regret it. 

Comment below, what was your first game? Do you still love it? let me know by typing below!

Game news: THQ Humble Bundle

THQ Humble Bundle raises over $3 million!

What is Humble Bundle?

Humble Bundle is a bundle of games that can be 'purchased' here that creates an interesting dynamic. The customer gets to choose the amount they pay (although there is a threshold for certain games to be unlocked) and where this payment goes to. Payment can go between charitiy, THQ, or a tip to the Humble Bundle company to cover there costs and so on. The threshold also changes according to where the average donation is. The current Humble Bundle is for games published by THQ and for donations above $1 you will receive a steam download key for: Darksiders, Metro 2033, Red Faction: Armageddon, Company of Heroes and 2 expansion packs. Those who pay above the average donation (currently at $5.69) will receive a 'bonus' code for Saints Row: The Third. These are all brilliant games, and you can choose to donate all of your donation to charity. It is really up to you! I payed $6 or £3.87 and donated most of this to charity.

What did you do with your donation? Let me know in the comments below!

As of writing this article, the highest donation is at $1650.01 and the total payments is over $3,000,000.

Want your slice of charitable gaming goodness? Head to http://www.humblebundle.com/ 

Game review: Realms of Ancient War

Realms of Ancient War

Genre: Action/Adventure/Dungeon Crawler
Platforms: Playstation Network, Xbox Live Arcade, and PC

Let us start our journey with a story that many veteran gamers are familiar with. The disappointing purchase. I have bought many games in my life, but there are few which I 100% would take a refund for. Realms of Ancient War (R.A.W) has made this list. 

R.A.W joins the long list in recent dungeon crawlers. At one point these games became scarce, and were probably the beneficiary of an endangered species protection law. However, it seems we have entered a phase of rejuvenation, with some major titles such as Torchlight and Diablo releasing sequels around the time R.A.W appeared on the market. So surely any developer behind a dungeon crawler would say "Hey, people love these games so lets figure out what thy like, and port it to our universe and have our own unique flair", right? If you said yes, you (like me) should be prepared to be slapped in the face with what I can only describe as the trash that is this game.

In a dungeon crawler I like to look for an immersive combat system, character customisation and some other elements that would give the game some individualistic spark. I played the trial one morning and thought 'Hey, this game could be going somewhere'. Again, I was wrong. I'm beginning to see a trend here with this game. That it's 'wrong'. The combat system is a mash button snoozefest with every mobs attack being identical, as well as their cosmetics. There is no mini map in the game, progression is the same process in every level and if it weren't for the numbers in the stats page I wouldn't even know what the difference is with any of the equipment. Only 3 classes exist in the world of R.A.W, and the campaign for each is almost a copy of the other. Playing with a friend is not fun, as the equipment is aimed mainly at your class and does not adjust for theirs. Basically, there are no features I would expect to see in this type of game.

So, how does R.A.W rate?

Just in case you haven't read the above wall of anger, I'll sum up my feelings for this game. Complete and utter rubbish. I would rather be smacked in my man parts than have to pay for this game again.

I give this game the rating: Stinking pile of s***

This will be the lowest rating I ever give a game. Some may reach the equivalent, but nothing could be worse than this. Especially for a commercial game. WizarBox (the developers), what the hell were you thinking?!

Game Review: Warp

Warp

Genre: Action, Stealth, Puzzler

Platforms: Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network and PC

Warp is a strange yet interesting game where you play as an alien, Zero, who has the ability to... you guessed it: Warp. I start by saying the game is strange because of the mash-up/blend of the genres. Not that they do not go with each other, but whilst playing the dynamic is constantly switching. So shall we start from the beginning?

Warp starts as Zero (you) has crashed on Earth and is taken to a top secret government facility somewhere deep under the ocean. You are then put through some novel tests by the evil scientists. Soon you find yourself within grasps of a shiny medallion looking piece of Zero, which was taken from him in experiments. There is an instant reaction, and suddenly you find yourself changing colour, being able to warp and in danger of being killed by ignorant and despicable humans (damn them!). From this point the game begins to grow, and there is a consistent addition of new content to keep you on your toes and the cogs in your brain grinding. Enemies adapt to your weaknesses (apparently zero doesn't like to wash) while you adapt to their adaptions with new powerups. The stealth element really comes into play with an RPG like upgrade system. You can make Zero stealthy and faster at warping, and enhance your other abilities to add alternate solutions to the puzzles. 

Combat and other aspects of the game let down the concept however. As satisfying as it is to make your enemies shoot each other in the face, this quickly becomes dull and repetitive. Even with the addition of new abilities, I still felt like each situation was the same thing with a slightly different take to it. Frustrations arose with the controls, such as continuing to walk for a split second after stopping (a feature which I thought was long gone from gaming) and moving in the same direction as echoes if they were destroyed. Deaths can be frequent as well, and the checkpoint system made me rage a few times. Gameplay feels forced around every ability being something to do with the warp, and yes it starts off cool teleporting into a guy and blowing his entrails out, but the excitement drops drastically after a few kills.

So, how does Warp rate?

On my NEW (oooooo noises) rating system, Warp receives the rating: Bargain Bin

Warp is a fun game, but has its drawbacks. Get it when it's 'on sale' and you'll have a fun game which you got for cheap.

New review system and more consistent content!

I haven't posted a new blog in a while. It's not because I forgot about the blog, but that I felt I was going down the wrong path for my game reviews. For those that know me personally, I'm generally a bit eccentric and I feel that the system I had in place for my reviews held back my personality, and so my writing was a bit dry. Since I would prefer my writing to be moist... I think, I've decided to expand what I review. I will now be reviewing any games, not just free ones and will be attempting to do regular giveaways/competitions. The prizes will not be massive, but it will be something to involve and reward those who frequent the posts I make (either here or at some point on youtube). I will also be aiming to add content more consistently so there will be something new at regular interval. Subscribe via the handy gadget on the right of the page (this way --->) and keep an out for more content. Since I feel that those who read this will have not received what my blog is usually about (some form of a review) here is a video of a cat. If you're not like 99% of the interwebz, and therefore do not want to watch that video, check out one of my videos instead. Or you could be pleasured twice by one post and watch both, if you can handle that. Enjoy:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OmOKrzTYtA&feature=plcp

Game Review - Spiral Knights

Spiral Knights

Genre: MMO/Dungeon Crawler                Price: Free to play (Bundle pack available for purchase)

Notable Features: Joypad Enabled, Available through Steam with achievements

Developer: Three Rings (Sega)                 Game Link: http://www.spiralknights.com/

Gameplay

From the very beginning of Spiral Knights (SK from now on) one thing became very obvious to me. The game is designed for a younger audience. I could tell this without reading it anywhere. How? The gameplay is very simplistic. Even for a hack and slash style game, SK keeps the pace and learning curve of the game simple and steady. Players have to move around a dungeon and fend for themselves against slimey monsters and other beasts. To do this, your knight is equipped with two weapons (by default a melee weapon and a gun) and their trusty attack button. If you feel like going crazy, you can perform a charge attack by holding down the attack button. If you are picking up on my sarcastic tone through my writing, then I'm glad, because that is how it was supposed to read. The majority of the game is learnt in the first two minutes, and later a crafting system is introduced. That is all there is to SK. Even the crafting system is as simple as buying a recipe, finding the materials and clicking a button. Which is how SK is meant to be. This is a game for a younger audience, developed by a studio which is known for games for the younger audience (i.e Puzzle Pirates). Of course as an adult the game is overly simplistic (which some may relish) but for a child or young teenager the game is just right. I'd dare to say that it would be difficult to reach the games simplicity by accident or laziness. The one function I feel was overlooked and poorly implemented is the gamepad functionality. A lot of the menu's do not work as well or at all when using a pad, and often I had to go back to using the mouse when in the haven (safe area).

Gameplay Score: 4/10 I didn't play the game for very long because it was just excruciatingly boring. Never a good start.

Graphics

The graphical aspect of the game was the most enjoyable for me. Like the gameplay, the graphics are simple but they have their charms. Almost comic like in style is the best way of describing what you see without a particular genre, the animations in the game are important since they allow players to block incoming attacks. Backgrounds below the maps are simple though, and I felt like they could have added much more to the appearance. Enemies are mostly identical and I wish there was more variance in their appearance. Maps also begin to all look the same with a similar texture and layout. I believe that the graphic style can be simple without dumbing down the amount of content. Why is their a lack of variety when the game is so straight forward?

Graphics Score: 4/10 The graphics look nice, but everything is the same.

Business Model

Free to play is always a trivial matter for games, and should normally always be followed by an asterisk symbol explaining how 'free' the game is. In the case of SK, the pay part of the game is simple. There is a mission DLC available which the standard price on steam is £3.99. In game, money is used to buy energy. Energy is used to descend into the clockworks, open doors in dungeons and so on. You can purchase energy, and this will allow you to play the game as much as you like. You can craft, dungeon crawl and explore to your hearts content. If you determined to have a free to play experience, you can. Players receive 100 mist energy a day. 

Business Model Score: 7/10 Although the model limits your activity in the game, you can still play a decent amount every day. 

Overall Score: 5/10 The game just wasn't for me. I'm sure I could stick a younger person on this and they could happily play with few complaints. Personally the game lacked character development, excitement and originality.

Game Review - Heroes Of Newerth

Heroes Of Newerth (HoN)

Genre: MOBA/ARTS (Action Real Time Strategy)

Price: Recently made 100% free (all heroes on sign-up)

Gameplay

Heroes of Newerth was the third game to be released by an indie games company called S2. The developer used its established lore from its previous games and the play style of a well known game, Defense of the Ancients, to create an up to date game. DotA was originally a map mod on the Warcraft 3 engine and quickly became incredibly popular, especially in South Eastern Asia. The popularity of DotA is so strong that some still play the original, even with the sequel in closed beta. When HoN was first released, it had a very similar style to DotA and there are still rumours today that legendary devoloper Icefrog (who now works for valve on DotA 2) helped at the games beginnings. However, the game is now distinctly different between its main competition, League of Legends and DotA 2. Unfortunately, between the three games, HoN has the hardest time for beginners. 

The learning curve is steep, with some playing for years and still considered low skill players. This isnt due to a poorly designed game, its just that the game is much more complicated than it seems. There is over 100 heroes in HoN, and each one plays differently. Although these differences can be minor, there is still 4 skills per hero that you have to understand, and then several skill builds to learn as well. Its easy to get the builds wrong as each depends on the situation and there is also items to consider buying. Once you understand the basics of the game and how it works, it truly is addictive. Matches are often long (38 minutes is my average over 400+ games) but maintain a fast pace . Teamwork and communication is key to the game, as well as being a good player yourself. You have to understand what your role in the team is depending on what heroes you are all playing. Your actions could mean victory or defeat. If this goes right, the feeling of success is huge. I advise playing with friends and growing as players together or learning from them if they are better and vice versa.

Gameplay score: 9/10 The game is fun, addictive and recent, consistent updates have brought the game a long way. Be warned, it can easily get frustrating due to the community. OMG NOOB is a common occurrence in the chat. This happens in most MOBA games though.

  

Graphics

Graphics on the game are great. In comparison to its competition, I certainly prefer HoN to LoL, and between DotA 2 and HoN is a hard choice for me. The game engine runs really well on my shitty laptop, and I can't even remember the last time the game crashed or froze or anything. Admittedly, the graphics are not the most complex around. To me, they capture a feel of the original warcraft engine whilst still being unique. There are a couple of faults, such as animation bugs and other UI glitches. The glitches can be common, and often bugs are fixed with updates on every Friday. Graphics is always a very subjective thing, but I enjoy the style of HoN.

Graphics Score: 8/10 They aren't exactly flashy, but they get the job done and look good to me.

Business Model

Before I start reviewing this section properly, I should explain the history of this games marketing. Once the game was released from beta in 2010, players had to pay $30 for an account to play the game. This was a pretty standard fee which you would expect from quite a few games. However, the game ran into serious competition form LoL which was free to play and so forced HoN to change its system to a similar one or sink. Presently, the game operates on a fully free to play system, with cosmetic changes and early access to new heroes and avatars available for purchase. With the new model also came alot of changes so that the in-game currency is alot easier to earn, and there are lots of alt-avatars you can earn quickly. Speaking as someone who has paid to play the game, not only am I impressed by the bold move, I'm happy it happened. I can easily question its originality, since DotA 2 announces it would be fully free and then HoN makes the change soon after, but the change is right. It allows balance to public games and opens up new players to the highly competitive nature of the game. Competitive scenes and E-Sports keep a game alive. For example, Counter Strike 1.6 is still a well played game despite a 2000 release. I even made a suggestion 5 months before the new model to change hero rotations and game mode restrictions so that free accounts could access them. Regardless of originality, the game is fully free, and who can argue with free fun?

Business Model Score: 10/10 Many have mocked S2 for mistakes they have made before, but the change took guts and I tip my internet hat to a fully free game for all to enjoy. 

Overall

Taking away bias from the choice of which MOBA you play, HoN is a great choice and can only grow from its current position. Sure its competition is strong, but that doesn't stop HoN from being strong too.

Overall Score: 9/10 The game isn't perfect, but with friends and updates supporting the game, its moving in a great direction and is fantastic free game!