Video Game Reviews

Crypt of the NecroDancer
Brace Yourself Games
Reviewed On: PC
Also On: OS X
Street: 07.30
Games like Crypt of the NecroDancer are why I love indie developers.  They’ve taken a rogue-like dungeon-crawler and transformed it into something completely insane by throwing a rhythm element into the mix.  The result is a game that not only has a hilarious premise—your hero is navigating through a dungeon filled with monsters that can’t stop dancing at you—but also presents a serious challenge.  Each movement you make, whether it’s attacking or digging through a wall, needs to be timed to the beat of the music.  It might sound easy, but the moment you encounter a room filled with grooving monsters, survival is in the reflexes.  Though it’s an innovative concept, this early build of the game still has some calibration bugs to work out, but it’s not a deal breaker.  As music plays an important role in the game, each level has been outfitted with some serious tunes, courtesy of Danny Baranowski. Though the in-game soundtrack is amazing, the game also gives players the ability to access their own MP3 collection to create a unique dungeon-crawling playlist—I recommend the work of Ratatat, but there’s also something surreal about setting a dungeon-crawler to “Milkshake” by Kelis.  –Alex Springer

Godfire: Rise of Prometheus
Vivid Games
Reviewed on: iOS (Exclusive)
Street: 06.19
Unfortunately, there are times where the App Store feels like clone central. Be it innovative new titles released exclusively on the platform or re-releases/imitations of popular console titles, iOS has a bad rap when it comes to bringing true ingenuity to gaming. On the surface, Godfire: Rise of Prometheus appeared to be of the latter category, a competent God of War clone that promises jaw-droppping graphics, a deep combat system and plenty of loot to find through its shadowy and blood-drenched world. In practice, however, Godfire: Rise of Prometheus is less than that: from constant lagging to repetitive hack-and-slash gameplay, Godfire is an awkward, often frustrating iOS experience that pushes the boundaries of what iOS is capable of graphically, but at great cost to gameplay—and more often, actual functionality. Even after the game’s first large update—which also added a survival mode, for more hack-slash-repeat action—Godfire is still a technical mess, with a poor frame rate and sometimes-laughable collision detection that pairs with the repetitive gameplay and laughable “story” for an altogether underwhelming, in-app purchase–littered iOS experience. –Randy Dankievitch

Magic 2015 – Duels of the Planeswalkers
Stainless Games/Wizards of the Coast
Reviewed on: PC
Also on: Xbox 360, iOS, Android, Xbox One
Street: 07.16
Whether you’re a Friday Night Magic regular or a fledgling planeswalker casting their first spell, Magic 2015 – Duels of the Planeswalkers is a fun way to experience the game that doesn’t involve sitting across from an unwashed nerd and her world-ending mana ramp deck. Make no mistake, the power level in DotP is way, way lower than it is in tournament-level Magic—most of the cards you get to play with are nothing special. However, taking things down a level makes the game a lot more fun and laid back for those who just want to sling spells and watch the sparks fly. The game’s story is really nothing to get excited about—back in the Innistrad block, Garruk the jolly green planeswalker was cursed by Liliana, a black magic woman with a crazy evil artifact called the Chain Veil. Now he’s a planeswalking murder machine, and he’s hunting planeswalkers like you. If none of that made any sense to you, don’t worry about it. The story is mostly delivered in the form of loading screen text and short cutscenes that give you a vague approximation of what’s going on. As far as the game goes, it’s pretty much the same as the tabletop game, except with a few really awkward design decisions that make it frustrating for seasoned players. After a bit of tinkering in the options, I was able to deal with most of these issues, but some things—like the default land tapping options—required me to remain vigilant in order to counteract them. Overall, the game is fun, and while the matchmaking system was a little spotty on my computer, it was fun to play multiplayer games with my carefully cultivated deck. A great introduction to the granddaddy of all TCGs. –Henry Glasheen

Murdered: Soul Suspect
Airtight Games/ Square Enix
Reviewed on: Xbox One
Also on: PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, PC
Street: 06.03
Because of SLUG Magazine’s publishing cycle, and the fact that we aren’t necessarily the most renowned game journalism source in the world (yet…), I oftentimes find myself writing about a game that has been out, and reviewed, for quite some time. Which effectively means, I am playing the game after the gaming world at large has spoken. And a lot of times I am able to echo their sentiments. In this case, however, Murdered: Soul Suspect did not get a whole lot of love from the masses, but I think it’s a pretty solid game. In it, you play freshly dead detective, Ronan O’Connor, who, now in ghost form, is tasked with solving his own murder. The premise alone leads to some very interesting gameplay mechanics, like walking through walls and possessing people (and cats) to find clues and further the story. At times, elements like some of the crime scene pieces feel forcefully bloated to make the game feel longer. And the lack of any replayability makes the $60 price tag seem in poor taste. However, the great noir-style storytelling and the fresh mechanics make this game worth a peek. –Blake Leszczynski

One Piece: Unlimited World Red
Ganbarion/Bandai Namco Games
Reviewed on: Wii U
Also on: PS3, PS Vita, Nintendo 3DS
Street: 07.08
I went into One Piece: Unlimited World Red with no expectations—I’ll admit, I haven’t seen much of the One Piece anime so I wasn’t sure what to expect. For those of you who don’t know, One Piece is about an exceptional group of pirates lead by Luffy, who can stretch and expand like he’s made of gum. The game is about you trying to get your pirate team back after they’re kidnapped. You help expand the town on the mainland, in-between your adventures on the islands saving your friends. You collect all sorts of things from the islands to help with the expansion effort—animals and fish require you to catch them via a mini-game that lowers their health. The combat is basically button-mashing but the moves are bad-ass looking and each character has a totally different move set which kind of makes up for it. The one thing that made me sad was that they didn’t use the gamepad—you can play the game on the pad, but it does nothing when the game is on the TV. The graphics are pretty spiffy and it’s a fun game that’s worth checking out on any of the systems. –Ashley Lippert

Outlast
Red Barrels
Reviewed on: Xbox One
Also On: PS4, PC
Street: 06.18
Fuck all of the introductions and filler text that usually start my reviews—this is one of the very best games on my Xbox One. The way Outlast brings you right into its world from the beginning with its storytelling, atmosphere and awesome gameplay, never letting you go, not even after the game is over, is an incredible feat. Outlast is a horror video game. Straight up. No shooting or fighting mechanic is to be found here. You are a helpless journalist (aren’t we all?) called Miles Upshur with nothing but your camera, investigating a psychiatric hospital that has been taken over by its patients. Fucking great. What’s more is, the hospital’s power is less than reliable, so you have to lean on your video camera’s night vision for half of the game. Luckily, the hospital must have doubled as a double A battery manufacturing plant or else you would be super fucked. All told, at $20, this may be the best value on the Xbox One store right now and, as I alluded to earlier, it is one of the very best games I have played this year. –Blake Leszczynski

Squids Odyssey
The Game Bakers
Reviewed on: Nintendo 3DS
Also on: Wii U
Street: 07.03
Squids Odyssey is back! It may have lost the HD edge from the Wii U version I played earlier, but it’s still just as fun and portable, now that it’s out on the 3DS. It’s got the same levels and squid heroes that you found on the Wii U version so there’s not much of a reason to buy both. The only big difference is the 3D almost gives it the appearance of being underwater and brings out the scenery a bit more while the Wii U has the sharp, beautiful HD graphics. The game play meshes a bit better with the 3DS as well, especially if you use your finger or stylus to fling your squids—instead of staring up at the TV while you try to figure out the angle, the second screen is within your field of vision. I did find a bit of a glitch in the 3DS version though, so it doesn’t look like it got the same attention in the QA department as its counterpart. The Squids series got its start on mobile platforms so the transition to the 3DS is easy and suits the game well. –Ashley Lippert

Transistor
Supergiant Games
Reviewed on: PC
Also on: PS4
Street: 05.20
It’s not often that I get so sucked into a game that I play it from dusk until dawn, but the first night I played Transistor I did exactly that—and then the next night, and the next. Developed by Supergiant Games, also known for the excellent Bastion, Transistor is an isometric action-RPG with non-traditional cyberpunk aesthetics and an absolutely gorgeous painterly art style. Transistor starts abruptly, throwing you into the role of one of the last people alive in a city filled with digital monsters. Your only companion is your weapon, a talking sword called the Transistor filled with the consciousness of the dead man you pulled it from. Gameplay consists of real-time hack-and-slash with a twist, allowing you to activate a planning mode called “Turn()” that lets you plan out your attacks and then unleash them all at once. Acquired abilities can also be mixed-and-matched to alter their attributes for the perfect play-style, allowing for a significant amount of strategic creativity. As stimulating as the gameplay is, the moody, haunting soundtrack and the whispering of the Transistor remarking on your every action with curious questions, jokes, and occasional fearful wonderment are even more compelling, emphasizing the mysterious emptiness of the world and aiding the eerie atmosphere. Transistor still haunts my dreams—it’s the game that every gamer deserves. –Matt Brunk

Valiant Hearts: The Great War
Ubisoft
Reviewed on: Xbox 360
Also on: Xbox One, PS4, PS3, PC
Street: 06.25
This game knocked me flat on my ass. It lured me in with its beautiful, Sunday-comics animation, only to punch me in the heart with a compelling story about friendship, valor and the hell of war. Valiant Hearts follows the fates of five characters whose lives intersect with one another over the course of World War I. Though it’s set against the backdrop of one of the most infamous wars in world history, the game’s not about killing enemies. In fact, what makes it so memorable is how its characters react to the massive slaughter that is taking place around them. From a gameplay perspective, the player is tasked with guiding each character through a series of environmental puzzles that are challenging enough to keep the player interested—but the real motivation behind progressing through these brain-benders is to see what becomes of the people that we’ve grown so attached to. Valiant Hearts is also packed full of unlockable photographs and historical facts about World War I that forge a strong connection between the game and the actual historical event. There aren’t many games that I would describe as heart-wrenching—which is why Valiant Hearts is worth your time. –Alex Springer

Wayward Manor
The Odd Gentlemen/Moonshark
Reviewed on: PC (Exclusive)
Street: 07.15
On paper, Wayward Manor is a great concept for a video game. Placing the player in the role of a mischievous ghost that is dedicated to ridding a creaky old mansion of its unwanted tenants sounds like an idea that would lend itself to many hours of macabre gameplay. Not to mention the fact that fantasy author Neil Gaiman (American Gods, The Graveyard Book, and DC’s Sandman comics) penned the story. However, once the game actually starts, it is plagued by its own little poltergeists that get in the way of all that fun that you’re expecting to have. Chief among said impediments would be the graphics. Not the Schafer-esque character designs—those were actually pretty awesome. No, it’s the fact that, for a game that requires the player to use specific objects in the room to achieve various objectives, the fuzzy resolution makes it difficult to tell what each object is, making it frustrating to figure out its purpose. On its own, Wayward Manor is grappling with some major design flaws, but since Gaiman narrates the tale, it’s actually kind of fun to pretend that you’re participating in an interactive version of one of his short stories. –Alex Springer

The Wolf Among Us: Episode Five – Cry Wolf
Telltale Games
Reviewed on: Xbox 360
Also on: PC, PS3, PS Vita, iOS
Street: 07.08
The final chapter of the Fables spin-off video game comes right at you with intensity and closes out with more death than the previous four combined. Immediately picking up where Chapter Four left off, Bigby Wolf confronts the Crooked Man in his hideout, with the situation quickly escalating into a fearsome chase, a massive confrontation and a final trial among peers. Storyline wise, you can tell this game went through a couple revisions along the way and probably had a lot more depth like its sister game series, The Walking Dead. But it all ties together nicely at the end as the choose-your-own-adventure aspect really hits home and makes you question your own sense of morality, pushing you in the shoes of the characters affected by the conflict. The graphics are still great and the voicework still needs some fine tuning, but ultimately this chapter and the game as a whole are an absolute pleasure to play. Telltale Games did a fantastic job of bringing the game to a close while also keeping a door open for a second season. Which of course, with the series itself ending this year, fans should be very appreciative to hear. –Gavin Sheehan