The original Sanctum quickly became one of my favorite PC titles of all time. It had a ton of charm, but most of all, it was difficult. On some maps you had to juggle scores of towers, make elaborate mazes, and blast your way to victory without a second to waste. Sanctum had a level of strategy practically unparalleled in other tower defense games, if only due to the mere fact that twitch skills and strategic thinking were required.

Sanctum 2 on the other hand, is more twitch based. In fact, it’s practically all twitch based, as a lot of the strategy elements were thrown out the window. Whether that’s a good thing or not is completely dependent on how much you value the FPS genre.

Right out of the gate, Sanctum 2 will be a lot easier to pick up than its predecessor. As in, players who I initially demonstrated the original Sanctum to and found themselves completely lost, picked up Sanctum 2 in minutes. After a very brief, very thorough interactive tutorial mission, you’re off to the races, ready to take on the world. The setup is mostly the same, but a bit more marginalized — facilitated through wave based gameplay, you’ll blast foes with weaponry and place down “towers” to help automatically shoot enemies are certain intervals. How you place each tower and what tower you decide to use can change the course of each stage, and if the enemies get all the way to the end of the map, they’ll bash the core (the object you have to protect) until it runs out of health, causing you to lose the map.

This time around, a plotline is introduced by way of comic book scenes to help facilitate the game’s story. They’re not award winning segments for sure, but it’s a nice, stylized effort to attempt to give the game a bit more of a pronounced theme, and it mostly works due to the new and improved character designs. Speaking of which, each of the game’s four playable characters feel pretty unique, and a Call of Duty style perk system help facilitate replay value and further distinction between them.

The FPS elements are pretty paint-by-numbers, but they work, and manage to keep you engaged throughout. Hitting enemies in certain spots will yield more damage output, and given the sheer amount of health many enemies have, you always have to be shooting something. It’s a high-octane experience that’s only made better with friends, and despite the lack of weapon variety, Sanctum 2 manages to keep you mostly entertained throughout the experience. There’s also an “iron sights” function, as well as unlimited sprint distance, limited time to build in-between rounds (to increase the pacing), and more mechanics that help morph the game into more of an action-oriented experience, which I had mixed feelings on.

See, as time went on, I started to realize how much of a step back many elements of the game were. For starters, there’s a limit of 15 towers per map (10 before a patch), not counting barriers (which you can still snake and create mazes with), which is a bit of a disappointment to say the least. The original Sanctum was incredible in that you could have these elaborate setups with tons of different towers — but here, you’re stuck with a mere few options, and only a limited space to put them in. It really takes a lot of the strategy out of the game entirely, and effectively homogenizes Sanctum 2 into an already over-saturated genre.

But thankfully, if you can deal with the emphasis on action, Sanctum 2 has a pretty lengthy campaign in addition to a full four player multiplayer component to help keep you busy for quite a while. Feats of Strength, which are like an in-game achievement system that limits the player to increase their experience, also help increase replay value if you’re bored playing the same old maps over and over. On the opposite side the spectrum, there’s an Easy Mode for players who don’t want to dive too deep and want to learn the ropes.

Sanctum 2 puts a bit too much emphasis on the FPS aspect of the game. I understand that moving from a predominately tower defense flavored game into FPS territory will garner more sales, but I can’t help but feel like some of the magic was lost from the original. There are plenty of FPS games out there, but not nearly as many unique tower defense titles, and practically no hybrids of the two genres. Even still, Sanctum 2 is a very serviceable shooter in its own right, and very much a worthwhile experience for fans of the genre — even if fans of the original may want to wait for a sale or a few patches.

This review is based on a digital copy of the Xbox 360 game Sanctum 2.

Resident Evil Revelations was a solid effort by Capcom to attempt to marry the old and new philosophies of the Resident Evil franchise. Although it wasn’t really their top work in either regard, Revelations look incredible on the 3DS, and pushed the system to its limits.

Now, we’re back to that fateful cruise ship once again as we relive the terror with Jill and Chris, but this time, in HD.

Revelations HD is still the same solid, yet flawed game it was on 3DS, more or less. Alongside of the obvious HD visuals, it provides a dual stick control system without the use of a Circle Pad Pro, and a new Inferno difficulty mode as well as some new Raid Mode content.

It’s not like the game needed an HD makeover, but Revelations looks great on consoles regardless. While it lacks a major attention to detail in terms of basic textures (it isn’t a complete overhaul), the world still looks as haunting as ever, and the enemy animations still make their own unique mark on the franchise. You can still move and shoot just like the 3DS version, and honestly, barring a dodge move, that’s about it as far as gameplay mechanics go.

Unlike Resident Evil 6 that offered up new tactical options like the Quick Shot and shooting while prone, Revelations is a very simple third person shooter affair. You can scan the environment with your Genesis scanner, shoot, melee, and that’s really it. Not that the simplicity is really a bad thing, but it feels a bit odd to have the game translate directly to a console and not have a little more depth to it.

But with all of the positives come the negatives, including the incredibly throwaway story that adds nothing to the Resident Evil franchise as a whole, the horrid characters of Jackass and Grinder, and the over-emphasis on action in many, many portions of the game when it feels wholly unnecessary. My issue with most of the pacing is that the game will throw you into a particularly scary, small environment, only to toss you into an open tundra shotgunning wolves a moment later. This wouldn’t be so much of an issue if the plentiful new characters were memorable in any way, but I can honestly say after experiencing the game a second time I have no desire to ever see them again.

But that isn’t to say the game is bad, really. Revelations still offers up a serviceable romp through multiple locations, and at the end of the day, blasting creatures in Capcom’s creation is still incredibly fun. The new Inferno difficulty helps create an incentive for pros to replay the story again though should be you burnt out on it, as it offers up a decent challenge as well as a new enemy and new foe layouts — it also has the added benefit of actually encouraging multiple New Game+ playthroughs.

But most of those issues are completely destroyed when playing the game’s Raid Mode, which is really the meat and potatoes of the package. This time around, Raid Mode is a bit more fleshed out, with new characters, ResidentEvil.net support, and new content. For those who haven’t experienced it yet, it’s basically a level-based minigame similar to Mercenaries, except each stage has a beginning and an end, instead of taking place in an open-arena.

Although I’m a die-hard Mercs fan, I’m still able to enjoy Raid Mode for what it is due to the well crafted XP and RPG style systems, which let you earn cash for your efforts to spend on equipment, refills, and new weapons/items. Leveling up all your favorite characters is still the main draw, as you embark upon a ton of missions of varying difficulty. You can compete against your own times and score for endless replay value, and online support is the cherry on top (though sadly, there’s no split-screen play like other games in the franchise).

Resident Evil Revelations is an interesting game, to say the least. It offers up a decent amount of missed opportunities, but still manages to capture some of the magic that Resident Evil was known for. If you’ve been waiting for a game in the franchise to return to its horror roots, this isn’t quite it, but it should leave you somewhat satisfied.

This review is based on a retail copy of the Xbox 360 game Resident Evil Revelations.

As soon as I saw the first footage of Soul Sacrifice, my eyes lit up. A Monster Hunter-like, with a Dark Souls vibe, created by the legendary Keiji Inafune? On paper, it sounded like one of the best ideas of all time.

Of course, not every idea actually plays out how it should, and some amazing concepts end up in the bargain bin of life, forever doomed to “woulda coulda shoulda.” Soul Sacrifice is not one of those throwaway games.

In a rather unique setup, the game starts with the player character (a slave) poised to be sacrificed in the name of a powerful sorcerer. Suddenly, in your hellish prison as you await your death, a magical book appears, granting you the ability to relive past memories of sorcerers of old, and augment and awaken your own innate power in the process. There’s just one catch — not all of the book is completed as it takes place partially in your subconscious, and the book isn’t just a book — it’s a talking demon tome. A wisecracking, ornery demon tome that doesn’t take crap from anyone. If you’re getting a Suda 51 vibe from this, that’s a good sign, as it totally feels like Shadow of the Damned‘s demon buddy setup.

As you read through the book, you’ll progress through the game using a standard chapter system, in a fairly linear manner. Chapters have set enemies in them and take place in enclosed arenas, like a scaled down Monster Hunter — to be clear it’s not an open world game. The cool thing about the game is that even though you’ll be reliving past memories, you’ll actually forge your own fate through various choices in different scenarios, and you’ll appear as your own customized character. So while the levels themselves are presented in a linear fashion, the way the story is told is fairly dynamic.

The voicework and style reminded me a lot of Dark Souls from an aesthetic standpoint, and some of the stories, like some of the characters in the Souls series, can get pretty grotesque. To be clear, this game is not for the faint of heart, as there’s a lot of fairly violent themes, both in terms of the core gameplay and the world itself. Personally, I found it refreshing, and the gothic theme, like the Souls games, really adds to the package here without feeling like a cliche.

You’ll do combat against your demonic foes entirely with spells (called “offerings”), that all have a finite amount of casting to them. It took me over an hour to get used to how they work, as three spells are mapped out to the Square, Triangle, and Circle buttons, with the ability to map three more to a list triggered by pressing the right shoulder button on the Vita. There’s also a lock-on system (which can be toggled to either holding down or tapping the button), and you can hold down X to sprint, or double tap to dodge. As you can see, most of the action-genre staples are alive and well in Soul Sacrifice, and they work quite well, with minimal (if any at all) shoehorned touch screen controls.

Players will be experimenting with builds for weeks on end before they find their favorites, and even then, there’s a lot of potential for experimentation. If it wasn’t so easy to adjust everything I’d call it complicated, but somehow it manages to present itself in a fairly simple manner despite the depth. Combat itself is fast and frenetic, as dodging, sprinting, and the variety of spells help keep things action oriented. Although the character customizations aren’t as deep as other games, mostly allowing you the simple choice of a color scheme, head, and an option for a hood, they get the job done and allow for a decent variety, to the point where most of the people you play online will look at least a little unique.

In combat, like Dante’s Inferno, you can choose to save or sacrifice enemies, which levels up your respective affinity for each choice, labeled as blue and red meters respectively. Every single enemy in the game gives you this choice, as do boss characters, the latter of which impact your skills the most. At first glance, outside of the boss fights it’s not the deepest addition, but it’s not an annoying one in the slightest, and could easily become more important as the game goes on. Online play is very interesting, as you can choose to either save fallen allies at the cost of half your health, or sacrifice them to launch a powerful spell.

One thing I was truly surprised to see was that the game was packed with lore. I’m talking each major boss has a freaking fairy tale story to read, like the gluttonous Harpy who was once a noble, or a powerful general that sank into a bloodlust. You’ll also see new stories forged along the way, as you literally fill in the pages of the tome yourself through your actions. It’s a really cool way to tell a story, and given that the lore itself is utterly optional, it lets players experience as little or as much of the world as they like, which should speak to action and RPG fans alike.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Soul Sacrifice without an actual sacrifice, which is where the super abilities come into play. Each part of the body will have a super associated with it. If you choose to use this super in battle (through an unmistakable icon that must be tapped), you will pay a price that carries on permanently, unless you spend some of the games currency (earned by oddly wiping off tears from the demon book’s eye after completing levels) to remove it. For instance, the fire ability actually burns away some of your skin, decreasing your defense by half your base stat. It’s a very cool way to balance devastating attacks and prevent players from spamming them, as well as add to the theme of the game.

If I had one major complaint with combat, it would be the odd decision to allow your partner’s knockdown abilities affect your player character. For the first thirty minutes I was utterly confused as to why I was being knocked down by a surprise ability when I didn’t see any enemies in sight capable of launching it. Come to find out, it was actually my AI partner that was doing it. Even if it doesn’t damage you in any way, it’s still an odd decision.

It can be countered by having a real life partner who avoids using this tactic while you’re near, or simply attacking a different foe than the AI, but it’s still a puzzling and minor annoyance to say the least. What I do take major issue with is the fact that repetition does begin to set in rather quickly. The setup is always the same — a veiled story starts off each chapter, then you fight some monster in an arena battle. The portability of the game vastly increases your propensity to fire it up, knowing that you can just do a few quick battles at a time.

Soul Sacrifice could have stood to have a bit more direction, but it’s undoubtedly one of the best games on the Vita right now. Inafune had a great idea, ran with it, and backed it up with a solid combat system to boot. I’d be very interested in seeing a more refined Soul Sacrifice 2, but in the meantime, action fans can get their fix on the go.

This review is based on a physical copy of Soul Sacrifice for the PlayStation Vita.

Sacred Citadel wants your love. The game opens wide with its warm color pallet and fast action promising a tight embrace. It’s poised; it’s ready. The urge is to come closer.

When you do, you get all that is expected from a beat-em-up. No frills. The embrace holds for some time, albeit the love is evaporating.

Right away, Sacred Citadel plumbs the player into a typical adventure / beat-em-up plot — there are evil forces out there scheming to take over the land, the darkness coming ever closer. Taking control of either the Warrior, Ranger, Shaman, or Mage, the player thrusts into the fray fighting for loot and honor (but mostly loot). It’s a disposable story. Even without it, the game would still deliver its goods with everyone none the wiser. And to be honest, a deep story isn’t really what this game goes for. It’s all about the action.

Action is what this game has in droves. The horde never lets up in Sacred Citadel. There is a constant need to dodge, hack, pound, and fire projectile after projectile to keep the baddies at bay. Sacred Citadel is definitely a button masher’s dream. This isn’t a bad thing. It’s a beat-em-up after all.

It can still be fun to smash through the familiar enemies, especially with two other players prepared to leave countless bodies in their wake. The game does spice things up to some degree with varied bosses as well as large beasts / vehicles used to plow through enemies when standing toe-to-toe starts to feel passé.

The lull creep in once the player realizes how both the avatars and the enemies smack generical. You’ve seen the Warrior before by many other names,  as well as all the other playable characters. The villains are orcs once you strip away the “grimmoc” moniker. Zombie pirates, bugs that spit poison, monster rams, et al. they’re all borrowed from other adventures, just flared up in a particular art style, wound up, and set stomping toward you. This isn’t aggravating; it isn’t exciting either. It’s just there, like the story.

Sacred Citadel‘s progression system doesn’t stand in the way of the violence, as it shouldn’t. Pick up stronger weapons, armor, and crystal buffs that dead monsters leave behind; and expect to assign level up points at the end of each stage. That’s about it, nothing special or out of the ordinary.

Playing through the five acts is a breeze if you shoot for speed. However, there are plenty of achievements to keep the completist busy. Put that on top of the more traditional time, health, and damage goals for each stage and you have solid replay-ability given you want to power through a game that is already familiar to begin with.

Can you guess the theme here? How about a few hints — familiar, ordinary, generical. Overall, Sacred Citadel meets all the criteria of a traditional beat-em-up, but not much else. Surprises are few and far between, if any. There is some fun to be had, especially in multi-player, but nothing you haven’t seen before.

This review of Sacred Citadel is based on a digital copy for the PC.

Black Rock Shooter: The Game is a pretty unique prospect. It arrived in Japan in 2011 as the first videogame follow-up to the popular manga and anime series, and now, two years later, it’s ready for an international release.

As a mix of both RPG and action concepts, describing Black Rock Shooter: The Game is fairly difficult. One thing is for sure though — the experience is the very definition of “niche.”

The concept of the Black Rock Shooter franchise is fairly simple to grasp. Throughout all of the IP’s various bits of media, the universe may change, but there is one constant — there is always a mysterious girl named Black Rock Shooter, and she always kicks major ass. In this particular world, the year is 2051, decades after a galactic war ravaged the planet. Black Rock Shooter herself awakens during the apocalypse, and has to assist the last humans alive in ridding the world of aliens. That’s where you come in, as you blast baddies into oblivion for roughly 15 hours of play.

Black Rock Shooter: The Game is entirely a subbed affair with full voice acting with Japanese audio. Right there, that would be enough to alienate a lot of people, not to mention the fact that it essentially plays out like an anime OVA in videogame form. Now, that’s not a bad thing of course, because BRS is actually a JRPG with some pretty cool concepts. Despite the fact that it looks like a full on action shooter, this is a classic “roam the overworld until you’re touched by an enemy, swish-transition screen starts an encounter” JRPG — like Chrono Trigger, but with more involved combat.

After coming in contact with a foe, BRS has her massive cannon and weapon arsenal at her disposal — but she can’t just blast them willy nilly. If you utilize too many attacks or dodge too many times in succession, you’ll overheat, which leaves you open to attack. You have to constantly manage your block, dodge, and offensive abilities as you decide which enemies to take on first, and which weapons to use in what situations. It makes combat more engaging, and serves to eliminate the feeling of “ugh…not again” when you fight in the most menial of encounters. To be clear, there isn’t 100% freedom of movement like, say, Phantasy Star Online, but it’s not turn based either.

Things never really get that difficult at all, but the ability to be slightly more mobile in combat than your average RPG makes it feel more advanced than your average static JRPG turn based engine. While a full-on arena based combat system would ultimately be preferred, fans of the genre will still feel right at home, and satisfied. Exploration is also a key factor, as hidden chests and items may augment your skills permanently, which inspires you to check out as much of the environment as you can using basic platforming mechanics. Yep, there’s even classic JRPG save points as well, which really brings the old school veneer to the forefront.

When I say “old school,” I really mean it, as the antiquated graphics look outdated, even for a PSP release.  Note that this is not a proper Vita game; it’s actually a two year old localized PSP title. The Vita can utilize second analog nub (if set to L/R) to control the camera, but you’re going to see a distinctly PSP experience, mostly due to the extremely limited draw distances, despite the fact that the art and character designs are as gorgeous as ever.

In terms of content, while the game is a JRPG, it’s on the lighter side at around 15 hours of play. There’s a decent amount of post-game content after everything is said and done, as well as another ending, extra stages, and unlocks. Given that the game is offered at the budget price of $19.99, there’s a ton on offer here.

At the end of the day, Black Rock is a very niche game that won’t really appeal to anyone who isn’t already aware of the franchise. But at the same time, it has a solid foundation of action-RPG tenets that should resonate with a larger audience. If you’ve been jonesing for a JRPG, and enjoy easy to pick up yet deep combat systems, Black Rock Shooter may be your huckleberry.

This review is based on a digital copy of Black Rock Shooter: The Game for the PSP, played on a PlayStation Vita.

No one saw Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon coming. As a full-on digital-only game that’s completely separate from the core experience (and thus, doesn’t require Far Cry 3 to play), Blood Dragon takes the foundations of Far Cry, runs with it to the absolute maximum, then cranks it up to 11 and lights it on fire with a concentrated blacklight.

Complete with VHS tape style loading screens, a tutorial that makes fun of other tutorials, and classic sci-fi actor Michael Biehn, this is one wild ride that you — ::puts on shades:: — will never forget.

Rex Colt is the superstar of the show, and his part human part robot body will stop at nothing to kill the evil Colonel Sloane, complete his mission, and fulfill his duty as a real American. You’ll accomplish this through an open world mission structure not unlike Far Cry 3, complete with its own (smaller) island, enemies, theme, and narrative. Rex will trek across a dystopian future filled with titular Blood Dragons (giant lizards that are prone to rage fits), evil corporation soldiers, and pretty much everything else sci-fi related you can shake a stick at.

Getting around with Rex is super easy, and a ton of fun. Since he’s a cyborg, he suffers from zero fall damage, he sprints faster, and can breath indefinitely underwater thanks to his robotic lungs. There are vehicles to ride around in, but since Rex is so mobile I found myself just running around and swimming everywhere. Instead of choosing from a set of skill trees after earning sufficient XP to level up, perks are automatically applied — like more health and better aim — up to a maximum of level 30. It’s a bit less fun than choosing your fate like in Far Cry 3, but it still works, as it provides enough of an incentive to level up.

Visually, Blood Dragon is one of my favorite games in recent memory, with an endless supply of neon blue, green, and red hues to keep you interested in the action at hand. The game is unmistakeably unique, and is destined to turn some heads when played on a big screen at full volume at social gatherings. Within seconds, Dragon makes an imprint on you, and doesn’t let go.

Thematically, Blood Dragon goes full camp, complete with an endless supply of one-liners, cheesy plotlines, synthesized sounds, and even a sex scene straight out of even the worst of sci-fi films. But surprisingly, provided you’re old enough to remember what a VHS tape is, it all works. Despite the insanely contrived narrative and generally over-the-top characters, Blood Dragon manages to forge its own identity with the amalgamation of 80s and 90s nostalgia its comprised of, to the point where I was sufficiently “sold” on the concept of Blood Dragon as an entirely new IP.

To augment the wonderful visuals and univerise, the musical score clearly emulates a few action classics, most notably the Terminator series and Rocky — even providing full-on arrangements of those film’s most recognizable tunes. I don’t say this often, but the score itself is literally perfect, and served to draw me even further into the game and its world. The pumping bass, eclectic keyboard tunes — they all serve their purpose wonderfully, and really drive the theme full circle.

If you’re expecting a huge, sprawling series of islands with a 20 hour or more campaign, you’re going to be disappointed. I was able to complete the main campaign of Blood Dragon in a scant few hours, and achieve near 100% completion in under 10. Even still, replaying the game on multiple difficulties, leveling up, liberating all the bases, general exploration and collectible hunting will provide hours of entertainment. Just like Far Cry 3 proper, you can buy collectible location maps and view animal stomping grounds on your main map screen, which makes it very easy to be inspired to find everything.

Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon came out of nowhere and blew me away. As a child of the 80s and 90s, it was a wonderful blast through the past that I couldn’t stop playing. My only major complaint is the brevity of the package, but if you’re the kind of person who always goes for 100% completion, there’s more than enough game here for you to enjoy. If there was a full retail sequel that could somehow not over-exert its parody roots, I would buy it in a heartbeat.

This review is based off a digital copy of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon for the Xbox 360.

Who would’ve thought that on rookie cop Chase McCain’s first day on the job he’d find himself traveling all over Lego City trying capture elusive criminal mastermind Rex Fury? Well, you probably did because both characters are right there on the box. Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins is a 3DS prequel to the Wii U release that came out earlier this year.

While developer TT Fusion should be applauded for their ambition–trying to bring an open-world Lego City game to the 3DS–ultimately the hardware’s own limitations are what keep The Chase Begins from truly shining.

The long loading times and multiple splash screens are the first thing you notice when you start The Chase Begins, and they’re indicative of the experience as a whole. While pressing A to get to the next screen is accompanied by the delightful noise of LEGO bricks clacking together, that little burst of nostalgia isn’t enough to make you forget that you’re waiting a really long time for the game to actually load. And when this is a portable game–one that’s supposedly designed to be played on the go–waiting around is one of the last things you want to do.

Once you get into the game and past the introductory cinematic, which are the only fully voiced sections in the game, Chase McCain is deposited into Lego City. You could almost mistake this city for San Francisco because of how foggy it is thanks to the extremely low draw distances. Terrible jokes aside, Lego City lacks much of the charm of its Wii U sibling.

Even though it’s stuffed with collectibles like extra disguises for Chase, cars, Super Bricks, and more, the city feels surprisingly empty. Cars and pedestrians appear out of the fog, but they don’t do much, especially the pedestrians. Because the only voice-acting takes place in the cinematics, the city’s also quiet. You hear the sounds of traffic, but no chatter from the people on the streets. Plus there’s no music except for when you’re in combat or driving. It’s great when you get to hear some. The soundtrack is like it was taken directly from an action cop movie. It fits the The Chase Begins perfectly; it’s just a shame that it’s frequent absence contributes to the empty setting.

The main antagonist, Rex Fury, has to to be the most bizarre criminal mastermind ever. Some of his schemes include: kidnapping dogs (not very devious), blowing up a dam (downright evil), and back to capturing supposedly rare squirrels (bizarre). The Chase Begins is broken up into sections that involve Chase completing missions within a set portion of the city before moving onto the next one. For example, the first part of the game takes place in Cherry Hills near the main police station, while the second part has all your missions occur on a prison island.

Once you’re in the current location, you’re not subjected to the terrible loading times that pop up every time you try to go from city section to city section. However, if you want to backtrack and explore in an attempt to find more of the game’s seemingly endless collectibles, you’ll be forced to sit and wait again and again. The loading times and the fact that the collectibles don’t do much besides unlock new disguises and cars completely discouraged me from trying to find them all.

So I stuck to the main story which will take you about 8 hours or so to complete. Missions are fairly simple–as this is a kid’s game after all–and they involve you being told that you need to fix the latest bad thing that’s happened: generators sabotaged, bridge is out, squirrels are kidnapped, etc. Stopping the crimes involves heading to the proper spot on your map, putting on the disguise the game tells you, and either mashing A or engaging in repetitive battles against disposable LEGO cannon fodder enemies.

All the main categories of disguises from the Wii U game are here: police officer, farmer, construction worker, etc. Each one has its own uses: the construction worker can fix fuse boxes or use a jackhammer, while the astronaut uses a jetpack. Swapping between them is as easy as using the 3DS’s touchscreen or using the D-pad. Each set of missions is designed to highlight your most recent disguise, but near the end of the game you’ll find yourself switching from fireman to astronaut to construction worker and back. However, trying to choose which disguise to use is never hard. The Chase Begins explicitly tells you which one to use in every situation.

The boss fights are where the combat moves beyond just grabbing enemies and throwing them to the ground until you can slap handcuffs on them. Each fight is more of a puzzle that highlights your most recent disguise. They’re not incredibly challenging, but they’re more engaging because they require a little more work than just hitting A then Y over and over.

Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins is a game with more ambition than its platform of choice can handle. Extremely long loading times hamper its portability, and instead of bustling LEGO metropolis, you’ll spend 8 hours or more in a LEGO ghost town. If you’re looking for a game with 70s cop movie sensibilities, you’re better served by picking up the Wii U version.

This review is based on a digital copy of Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins for the 3DS.

At first glance, it’s kind of hard to tell what Monaco even is. It’s been shown at various trade shows for the past few years and has garnered a solid amount of hype and buzz behind it, but without a full release, it was hard to really nail down what made Monaco so special.

Well, it’s out now, and after actually playing it, I’ve seen the magic right before my eyes. Monaco is essentially an Ocean’s 11 simulator — and it’s awesome.

Simply put, Monaco is a heist simulator from a top-down perspective. The entire game is engineered to support up four players, but every level can be played solo as well. You’ll utilize one of eight different personalities, such as The Mole, who can dig through walls, or The Cleaner, who can knock out enemies from behind (think Metal Gear Solid chokeholds). Some classes are more effective than others (the Mole feels particularly overpowered in my experience), but the game works because everyone can function enough to complete a stage without abilities — I’m talking menial tasks like unlocking doors, hacking PCs, and so on. Surprisingly, despite the complexity of everything on paper, gameplay is actually quite simple — run into obstacles or objects to use them, sneak with one button, and use items with the other — that’s it!

Items range from tools like shotguns, EMP blasts, and medical kits — in order to power them up for more uses, you have to collect coins scattered across the level. As you can see, given the finite amount of treasure, it makes it clear that you won’t be able to get into every mission guns blazing; you’ll have to use your wits to best each stage. From tactics like distracting guards to hacking security systems, you’ll use your environment in any way possible to accomplish your goal.

Speaking of goals, Monaco has 33 missions to choose from, with the ability to unlock a second campaign by “cleaning out” (picking up every single piece of gold) each stage. Each arena isn’t just a throwaway experience, as they all have a tiny story sequence before them, weaving into the larger overall narrative of deception and mystery. The second set of story levels is told from the perspective of another crew member, and using  the in media res storytelling tactic, explains a similar, yet different set of events from his point of view. It’s a bit tougher than the core bundle of levels, so it’s a nice way to slowly introduce tougher concepts to the player without overwhelming them. Oh, and there’s also a surprise final stage, and a pure multiplayer PVP level.

From a visual standpoint, Monaco has charm in spades. Although a few of the in-game models are a bit rough, unique aspects like the blueprint-style map that fills in as you view it and the hilarious sounds of the clinks and clanks of the game world help draw you in. Austin Wintory’s soundtrack also adds to the atmosphere, as the old timey piano tunes and more contemporary tracks round out the music.

While multiplayer has a bit more variety as to how you approach each mission and how they play out (more on that in a second), solo missions often drill down to “steal this” affairs. Some of the stages tend to blend together after a while, and unless you mix it up with multiplayer very so often, you might find yourself taking a break from time to time. Also, a few of the levels have vague goals with very little direction, so without a group of players putting their brains together it can be a bit annoying to aimlessly search the same few floors twice over.

But should you choose to take advantage of the local or online capabilities of Monaco, the tension the game builds is pretty off the charts. For instance, as you’re slowly picking a lock, a guard may be right around the corner, ready to catch you red-handed in an alley. Sometimes you’ll get the door open in time, sometimes you’ll spring for an auto-lockpick, and in other scenarios, you’ll be throwing down a smoke bomb with your back to the wall. Even if you replay the game’s set missions, every experience will no doubt differ with all of the above variables to account for.

You really can’t replicate the hilarious feeling of all-out chaos quite like Monaco. While the game is most certainly meant to be played with grace, at times, it can feel straight-up like Bomberman, because make no mistake: multiplayer is where the game really shines. Voice and text chat are fully supported, and work quite well. While I was experiencing issues finding games early into launch day, as time went on, I could find more available games, and had zero connection issues on Steam. As of the time of this writing the planned level editor is not available, but whenever it does go live, it will help alleviate a lot of the replay value problems in the current build.

To date, there aren’t a whole lot of games like Monaco. There’s action oriented isometrics like Trap Gunner and strategy heavy games like Frozen Synapse, but Monaco succeeds in blending the two playstyles together effortlessly. Even if you aren’t the type who plays nice with others, Monaco offers more than enough content to help you channel your inner thief.

This review is based on a digital copy of Monaco: What’s Yours Is Mine for the PC.

The time has finally come: the last Operation Rainfall Wii game has hit stateside. After so much fanfare for the two major RPGs in the group, Xenoblade and The Last Story, the action-centric Pandora’s Tower arrives with little to no fanfare, compliments of publisher XSEED Games.

But it’s a shame that it hasn’t gotten more publicity, as it’s completely worthy of “classic” Wii game status –in fact, I’d say it’s my favorite of the Rainfall Three. Provided that you’re willing to deal with a few outdated technical aspects, you’ll find one of the best raw action games in recent memory in Pandora’s Tower.

Pandora’s Tower is the tale of the former solider Aeron and his companion Elena — two close friends who are forced to deal with a terrible curse alongside of the mysterious witch Mavda, who serves as a shop of sorts, as well as a general helper figure and narrative mover. Without spoiling the setup, Elena has been afflicted with a dark spell that will turn her into a grotesque demon — unless she eats the organs of other monsters.

It’s a suitably grotesque theme that at times, is almost unbearable to watch, as Elena (against her religion nonetheless) slowly gulps down pieces of monster flesh, nearly throwing it up in the process. Of course, eating said flesh will only curb the transformation — to really eliminate the curse, Elena will have to eat the organs of the Masters, boss characters who are literally found at the top of a collection of towers. Aeron will trek into each tower, occasionally returning to the Sanctuary to buy, sell, and trade items, as well as converse with Mavda and Elena.

It sounds like a lame game extending mechanic, but it plays out quite well, as the game gives you ample time to explore dungeons and locate shortcuts that make getting to and fro much easier. In practice, it’s actually quite a cool conundrum, tasking you with deciding whether or not to keep pressing on or return to safety, just like a classic dungeon crawler of old. The idea of bringing back intermittent meat to Elena had the opportunity to get extremely old, but considering the “spoil” mechanic rarely ever actually ruins your meat, you should hardly ever feel frustrated to go back and visit her.

Aeron isn’t really the most outspoken character ever, but I liked him. His low-key approach and prowess in battle served as a great juxtaposition next to Elena’s inner-strength, as Aeron’s lack of speech often times evoked strong feelings of helplessness, like the curse would in fact spread and everything was hopeless. In those moments, Elena’s faith would shine, and every character’s motivations would come full circle. Talking to Elena specifically will open up new dialog options, as well as the ability to increase your affinity rating with her, which leads to new endings.

It’s a neat, tight-knit narrative that I can get behind for sure. The vast majority of the game’s towers looks and feel unique, from the entryway all the way to the boss encounter. It’s easy to get sucked into the level based approach, which keeps things fairly broken up to avoid repetition, while remaining in awe of the solid character designs and beautiful locales.

The compelling world isn’t the sole reason why I came to enjoy Pandora’s Tower quite quickly — it’s the solid combat foundations the game provides that really made it easy to dig in. Combat is simple to learn, yet provides a deep set of rules that will excite even the hardiest of action veterans. Almost everything stems from the magical Oraclos Chain Aeron carries with him, but the complexity of said chain is where the game shines. You can climb up areas, swing to and fro, use it to tie enemies together, rip the flesh from their bodies to feed to Elena, and a whole lot more. A dodge mechanic is as simple as pushing a button, even if you’re already attached to an enemy, making for some pretty intense fights — the boss fights in particular are always a highlight.

I didn’t think I would enjoy controlling the action with ancillary IR Wiimote support, but I did. While 90% of the action is controlled through a Wiimote and Nunchuk setup, Aeron’s chain can be utilized by pointing at the screen, and launching it at enemies or obstacles with ease. For everyone else who outright hates IR controls, you’re free to use the Classic Controller or Classic Controller Pro, which is always appreciated.

But the raw beauty of Pandora’s Tower is just that — raw. To say the game looks outdated would be understating things, as it clearly feels like a high budget PS2 game rather than something of the current era. While many of you out there may be willing to condemn it for that, I didn’t once feel like the non-HD nature of the game took away from anything from an actual gameplay standpoint, as everything ran fairly smoothly and without any major hiccups. Although I long for a true HD look at Imperia in all its glory, the tower and enemy designs from a base level are gorgeous enough to keep you interested.

By the time you hit the last few towers, the similarity of the puzzles within may start to grate on you a little. While the game lends itself very well to playing it in short spurts, completing a tower at a time, it’s a shame the last few stages couldn’t have been a bit more imaginative — instead, relying on the lore aspect of “twin” towers to justify the similar setups.

Despite that final feeling of déjà vu, I was left wanting to explore the world even more than Pandora’s Tower would let me — perhaps with a newer set of towers in an HD setting. In fact, I sincerely hope that developer Ganbarion has the energy for a full Wii U sequel, as the universe is ripe for exploration given how strong the lore is. After all is said and done, there are new areas you can explore in addition to the 15-20 hour storyline and multiple endings to uncover, which is quite a bang for your buck at the launch budget price of $40.

Pandora’s Tower may not be remembered as fondly as other games in the Wii’s lineup, and it feels a bit dated right out of the gate, but I couldn’t think of a better third party sendoff for the Wii. Utilizing motion mechanics in a non-intrusive way, while providing an option for a Classic Controller on top of creating a compelling world is a mighty feat. If you can pick up a PS2-era action game today without missing a beat, Pandora’s Tower is one of the biggest must play games on the Wii — period.

This review is based off a physical copy of Pandora’s Tower for the Wii.

If you were itching for an open world zombie game in 2011, Dead Island was just what the doctor ordered. It offered up a bloody four player co-op experience in a market that wasn’t quite over-saturated with similar experiences, and it soared commercially for it.

But the zombie-fest also came with a price: it had a heap of technical issues, game breaking glitches, and to some, a general lack of polish and heart that caused many players (myself included) to come away somewhat disappointed.

With all that said, I hope you liked Dead Island, as you’re basically just getting more of it.

To be clear, Riptide is not a full sequel, as developer Techland has made abundantly clear leading up to release. Instead, this is basically an expansion with a new island and a new character, continuing the story from the very end of the first game. In fact, there’s even a “previously on Dead Island” recap, as well as a short intro video to re-acclimate you to what’s happening in the timeline.

The new character is the unassuming John — who, like Purna and Xian, has a violent militaristic background. His focus is melee attacks, making him more inline with Sam B’s moveset. He’s not wholly original, but he’s a neat addition to the cast. Even still, more new characters in Riptide would have been appreciated, as I didn’t really like any in the original. If you’re keen on bringing your old character back, importing is quick and painless — I was able to bring in my old Sam B with no issues whatsoever in a few seconds. New characters on the other hand have a heap of skill points to distribute right away, to get you up to speed with imported ones.

So where does your adventure begin? With your crew captured on a ship of course! The action begins after a few quick twists of the narrative, informing you that you’re to be held captive by a new big bad — that is, until zombies somehow attack the ship, and jostle your holding quarters loose. The ship serves as a tutorial of sorts, reacquainting you to the world of Dead Island and its mechanics. Depending on your skillset, it could take you anywhere from 20-60 minutes to complete, and then it’s off to the new island of Palanai you go!

Don’t get too excited about your new vacation destination though: whereas the ship was a fairly interesting prospect, showing off the game’s combat in tight corners and hallways and some decent water effects, the island is basically just a duller version of the first game’s Banoi. Whereas Dead Island‘s skyscrapers wowed me on occasion with their unique aesthetic designs, so much of Riptide feels like a reskin of the more boring jungle areas that took up the latter half of the original adventure.

It’s a shame, because Techland is capable of so much more than generic swamps and jungles. In a twist from the original the latter half of Riptide is actually the most interesting (an area called Henderson), showing off a township that causes a much needed scenery mixup juxtaposed to jungle after jungle, but by then, the wear and tear of the experience has already taken its toll. Zombie sieges and boats attempt to create new waves, but ultimately come off as ideas that should have stayed in the alpha stage. The “same old same old” fetch and kill quests also don’t help it transcend the genre in the slightest.

That isn’t to say that Riptide isn’t enjoyable at its core though, because ripping off rotting limbs and slicing up zombies is pretty much just as fun as it was in the first game when the dullness isn’t setting in. With more skillpoints to play with, you’re free to provide yourself with more abilities like the must-have “quicker knock-down recovery” skill, and more stamina and durability increasing buffs. With all of these skills in hand due to Riptide‘s continuing adventure, the game is significantly more fun given the fact that you’re not constantly fighting the game’s pace-killing weapon decay system or low stamina rate nearly as much. Co-op works as advertised, and my online multiplayer sessions didn’t have any connection issues to speak of.

Like the original adventure, Riptide will keep you entertained anywhere from 20-30 hours — more if you opt to explore Palanai or complete every sidquest. Creating new characters or participating in co-op will no doubt net you more, but I can’t help but feel like something new could have been added to keep people interested who may have had their fill of two whole campaigns — like a simple full-on Horde Mode, or a fun Arcade-like extra . In fact, zombie sieges would have served well as their own mode rather than a canned, pointless addition to the campaign.

If you absolutely positively adored the original Dead Island, you will most likely enjoy Riptide. If you had any hesitations whatsoever however, you may want to hold off here until a sale, or an opportunity to go at it with three other friends. It’s a shame that Riptide couldn’t have been a bit more polished given how much opportunity there was here for improvement, but as it stands, it’s basically the same flawed game we got nearly two years ago — for better or for worse.

This review is based on a physical copy of Dead Island Riptide for the Xbox 360.

If you experienced Dishonored, you no doubt caught the catalyst for the protagonist’s entire adventure at the start of the game: the death of the beloved Empress of the The Empire of Isles. But who actually killed her? Why, none other than Daud — assassin extraordinaire, and man of dubious moral standing.

Well, you get to play as him in Knife of Dunwall — and it’s a ton of fun.

The narrative picks up after The Empress has been murdered, with Daud reflecting on his life, his choices, and his path in life. Utilizing his assassination syndicate known as The Whalers, he seeks redemption by way of The Outsider, a supernatural force from the original game who gives him a cryptic clue: “Deliliah.”

A stark contrast to the original game’s silent protagonist, Daud talks — and considering he’s voiced by the famous Michael Madsen, when he talks, I listen. Thankfully, he doesn’t  just talk out his ass, because Daud is an interesting character to say the least. He’s tired and old, yet incredibly formidable, feared, and skilled. He’s an enigma of sorts, who unravels over the course of the DLC. Daud didn’t seem all that deep in the original game, but here, he really gets a chance to shine and completely steal the spotlight from Dishonored‘s own Corvo. He’s more nuanced in that he doesn’t mind getting his hands dirty, but he is conflicted, thus, forcing his morality into your hands — it’s a fun prospect, to say the least.

Okay so Daud is already a master assassin, so what’s the biggest difference from a gameplay perspective? The new Blinking (teleporting) mechanic immediately comes to the forefront. To be blunt, Blinking is buffed in this DLC, as Daud now has the ability to freeze time entirely while the Blink button is held. Provided he has the mana, Daud can tactically plan out his next move while time is frozen — even in the air. It makes for some particularly amazing stealth kills, as you jump off a roof, blink in the air, and strike an unsuspecting enemy.

It also makes platforming easier and more fun, keeping in mind that the inability to use Blink without mana still keeps things balanced, added onto the fact that a few of the new foes will give you a ton of trouble. Specifically, the new Butcher enemy is incredibly formidable, with his handheld circular saw preventing most forms of forward attack. In a group, these guys can really sneak up on you and cut you to bits — good thing they have an explosive whale oil tank on their back. If it sounds like something that’s a bit too “gamey” for Dishonored, it’s really not. It’s a great mechanic that helped me enjoy Knife of Dunwall a bit more, as enemy variety is the spice of life and keeps the gameplay a bit more varied — I just wish there was tad more of it than what’s already available.

Daud has a few other tricks up his sleeve, most notably the ability to call on his assassin brotherhood to help in combat. This serves two purposes — it’s not only an awesome power-up from a gameplay perspective, but it actually draws you more into the game, as you realize that Daud is not an island on his own, and is actually connected with the world he’s in. That was my problem with Corvo — he was too isolated. Instead of an actual character, Corvo was just a vessel for the player, and made it really hard to actually care about the world of Dishonored. Daud on the other hand makes things particularly engaging, as he’s clearly an important part of the story at hand, and the bigger picture.

In addition to assistance from his assassins, he also has the ability to call in “favors” — essentially unlocks that make missions easier, or fundamentally change parameters. I’m talking mechanics like “a guard will scrawl the code to a safe on the wall to make it easier to loot.” On paper it sounds lame as the game essentially just flicks these switches before the map loads, but it helps drive the point home that Daud is an important person, and as an optional addition, I found them incredibly fun to play around with. As a minor note, his “Void Gaze” ability works just like the Heart did, but without having to annoyingly hold it and take up an item slot, which makes it more convenient to constantly scout for loot.

He also has a few new items, like Choke Gas and Arc Mines, in addition to the rest of his toolkit, which mirror’s Corvos (sleep darts, pistols, and the like). The Arc Mines are particularly fun, as you can attach one to a rat and have it scurry into an unsuspecting solider. Having said that, Daud could have used a little more tweaking, perhaps giving him 100% entirely different inventory options than Corvo, with zero item overlap if only to make him more unique.

I’m pleased to say that the open-ended structure from the game’s main missions are back and better than ever. Throughout Knife of Dunwall‘s three levels, you’ll be able to approach the core quest in a number of ways, just like Corvo did. There’s sidequests, hidden areas, hidden charms and items, and more. The first two missions are brand new, and the third takes place in the familiar Whaler hideout, but all of them are fun. I’m already starting my second playthrough shortly after completion of the first, attempting to track down everything in these massive arenas.  To really drive the point home, there’s even an achievement for completing the DLC without alerting anyone.

Now, there is a major hold-up from a narrative standpoint — this is just the first part of the story, as a second DLC, titled The Brigmore Witches, is coming at a later date. So if you’re expecting a full tale from beginning to end, you will be disappointed. Things just of just…end in Knife of Dunwall, and it’s easy to expect a little bit more to be on offer here. Three missions isn’t really enough to get as deep as I had wanted here, even if you can replay them multiple times with different outcomes.

Despite the two-part approach, Knife of Dunwall is DLC done right. It takes the core fundamentals from the original game without sacrificing the integrity of it and provides its own spin on the formula. Honestly, at this point I wish Daud was the main character of Dishonored to begin with. If you even slightly enjoyed Dishonored, this is a no-brainer.

This review is based on a digital copy of Dishonored: Knife of Dunwall for the PC.

Is “cute” really the opposite of “punk”? Like up and down, black and white, and my mind should automatically connect “cute” and “punk” as natural antonyms? I asked myself that question multiple times as I retried a section in one of Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams’s difficult levels for the umpteenth time.

I mean, those two words describe the game fairly well. Colorful, charming, and cute. Uneven, deeply frustrating, and I guess, punk. Too bad the two aren’t in greater harmony. The game’s ”punk” flaws completely overshadow almost of its cuteness.

The Giana Sisters series has a lot of history behind it—especially because it started as a Super Mario Bros. clone back in the 80s. Apparently, the series was dormant until 2009′s Giana Sisters DS. I knew none of that going in. I’d seen a couple of screenshots of the PC version of Twisted Dreams and figured I’d give the XBLA version a try.

Twisted Dreams has all the requisite modes you’d expect from a modern-day platformer: score attack, time trial, and of course the story, or adventure mode. It’s a simple affair—two sisters get sucked through a magic portal in their bedroom. A dragon eats one of them, and it’s up to the player’s character—Giana, I’m assuming because the game never tells you–to rescue her from this strange world. I don’t need the stories in my platformers to be Shakespeare or anything. If rescuing Peach worked for all those Mario games, then this works for me.

After a lengthy loading screen, you’re plopped into the first level, and right away you’ll notice how lush and colorful the environments in Twisted Dreams look. Things are bright, colorful, and genuinely charming. It’s sweet without being cloyingly saccharine and a refreshing change if you’ve just finished playing the current drab military shooter du jour.

But the candy-coated visuals are only one half of the story. See, early on, you’re introduced to Giana’s main puzzle-solving mechanic. Giana is able to transform from her “cute” blonde side to her “punk” pink-haired side. And when you swap everything changes—the backgrounds, the enemies, and even the music. It’s a fun twist that almost makes you forget that almost all the levels overstay their welcome.

Most of the levels involve some variation of switching back and forth between the different Gianas to traverse an assortment of puzzles, moving platforms, and enemies. When everything clicks, the game’s fairly fun. However, before long things go bad.

When Twisted Dreams hits a low point, it hits it hard. For me, the boss levels were some of the least enjoyable. Bosses aren’t given their own separate levels like in the Donkey Kong games. Instead, they’re located at the ends of regular levels. So if you get frustrated after, oh say, 45 minutes of trying to beat one boss, you can’t quit and come back later. You’re stuck having to beat the level before challenging the boss again.

The game is also hampered by some dodgy physics and hit detection for lack of a better term. I died multiple, multiple times because Giana touched an enemy or a crystal (no idea why those kill you) by mere pixels. (It’s not a pixel-y game, I know.) It’s only made worse by the fact that the stages are brutally difficult, requiring an almost trial and error approach until you have the layouts memorized. It’s not fun. It doesn’t feel challenging in a good way. For the amount of times you’re going to die on the later levels, the checkpoints need to be much closer together. There’s a reason games like Super Meat Boy have nearly instantaneous respawns and small levels.

I talked about the game’s lush visuals before, but they also come with a price. Because the environments are so busy, it can be difficult to discern what’s in the foreground and what’s in the background. You’ll leap for a rock or ledge, find out it’s just a piece of scenery, and then plummet to your death, thus keeping you locked in the trial and error loop.

In other challenging platformers, your number of deaths doesen’t impede your overall progress. It does in Twisted Dreams. You earn stars for collecting gems and limiting your number of deaths. The stars aren’t just for show; they’re required for unlocking boss levels. It made me want to throw my controller out the window when I’d die over 30 times on a single level and then be told I need to play it again before I could progress further in the game.

In fact, I stopped playing before beating the game because I couldn’t take it anymore. Out of the game’s 23 stages, I made it through 18 of them before I’d had enough. Based on everything I’d seen so far, I doubt those last few levels (and final boss) would somehow negate all the previous unhappy hours I’d already spent playing.

The entire experience of Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams doesn’t come together in a cohesive whole often enough for it to be considered one of the great platformers, or even a really good one. Its frustrating lows, compounded by brutal difficulty spikes, don’t completely outweigh the occasional highs. A great soundtrack and bright colorful visuals certainly help, but they’re just set dressing.

This review is based off a downloadable copy of Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams for XBLA.