Pipe Push Paradise might take me all of 2019 to solve

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by Amr (@siegarettes)

  • Pipe Push Paradise
  • Developer: Corey Martin
  • Switch, PC, Xbox One/PS4 later this year

The island of Pipe Push Paradise has an infrastructure problem. They have a single plumber, and he’s been asleep for about a week. And of course every pipe seems to have come undone since then. That’s where I enter, on a lonely sailboat, coming to fix the plumbing problems of a town that seems almost indifferent to my existence.

Out of sheer indignance and stubbornness I’d like to say that I’ll complete all of Pipe Push Paradise’s puzzles. But sometimes you’ve got admit when you’re over your head, and I am waaaaay over my head with these problems. The flat shaded, Golden Books-esque aesthetic might seem inviting, but it quickly became clear that this island’s plumbing problems are mind bending nightmares.

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Groove Coaster is my 2018 Game Of The Year

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By: RJ (@rga_02)

2018 was a lackluster year for me in terms of video games. Sure, there were some great releases such as Forza Horizon 4, DJMax Respect, Tokimeki Idol and Soulcalibur IV – but 2018 was alright for the most part. However, there was a game that was released this year that was more than “alright.” A game that not only captivates my imagination but also places me in a trance that I never thought I would experience from a home setting.

My game of the year for 2018 is Groove Coaster.

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Grapple Force Rena is a charming action game that’s endlessly inventive

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by Amr (@siegarettes)

  • Grapple Force Rena 
  • Developer: T. Ashley Jenkins (@FlutterSprite)
  • Publisher: Galaxy Trail
  • PC

I know my tastes. FM synth. Grappling hooks. Momentum platformers. That’s what Grapple Force Rena’s got and what I expected to enjoy about it. What I didn’t expect was it to be so goddamn funny.

There’s none of that groan worthy videogame humor that other games use as a crutch. Rena is clear-eyed comedy–using smartly written character dialogue, situations, timing and visual gags to deliver punctuation to a scene. It’s got a wonderful cadence and playfulness to it. Honestly, I’m laughing to myself just remembering them.

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Mutant Year Zero is a tactical apocalypse with a dry sense of humor

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by Amr (@siegarettes)

  • Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden 
  • Developer: The Bearded Ladies 
  • Publisher: Funcom 
  • PC, PS4, Xbox One

Before I even began Mutant Year Zero it was broken. Starting a new game greeted me with a bizarre “Do you want to continue without saving?” prompt which didn’t allow me to continue unless I said yes. It was only after I played a session without dialogue or area transitions triggering, dying to enemies I obviously wasn’t supposed to fight, that I was able to play the game intact. Even then it was clear that this game was going to be a rough ride. This is a harsh game that made it clear it would beat me down every step of the way, sometimes with exhilarating, but often frustrating, results.

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Nairi’s heartfelt, hand drawn adventure is one worth embarking on

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by Amr (@siegarettes)

  • Nairi: Tower of Shirin
  • Homebear Studio
  • Hound Picked Games, Another Indie
  • PC, Switch

Good hand drawn art always gets to me. Despite how impressive games look now, with all the variety of art styles, there’s a certain warmth to hand drawn art and the effort put into them that never fails to charm me. Nairi: Tower of Shirin is one of those charming entries, and it takes full advantage of that warmth with a strong storybook vibe.

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Override is a promising arena fighter with some sick looking mechs

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by Amr (@siegarettes)

  • Override: Mech City Brawl
  • Developer: The Balance Inc. 
  • Publisher: Modus Games 
  • PS4, Xbox One, PC

It took a lot of reprogramming for me to get into Override: Mech City Brawl. Out of the gate it reminded me of other arena fighters like Gundam Versus or ARMS. Override is slower paced, focused more on physicality than speed. If other arena fighters present their characters as nimble fighter jets, then Override’s mechs are thrashing heavyweight boxers, crushing the city underfoot as they battle. It’s awkward to start with, but as I adapted to it the game started to show promise.

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American Wilds is a meditative driving game about struggling through intimidating terrain

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by Amr (@siegarettes)

  • Spintires: Mudrunner- American Wilds
  • Developer: Saber Interactive
  • Publisher: Focus Home Interactive
  • Switch, PC, PS4, Xbox One

It’s winter in Chicago. As I return to Mudrunner for the first time since last year, I can’t help but think of the way it reminds me of driving through a Midwest snowstorm. There’s a different vibe, but the physicality of it, the emotional content, it’s the same. Mudrunner is all the frustration and triumph of parallel parking on a snowed out street. It’s a translation of the way the tires crest and crush the waves of wet earth. The way the suspension tries to push back, until it can’t. The grinding of the wheels as they steer back and forth trying to clear a path.

Mudrunner is ostensibly a game simply about driving piles of logs between destinations, but it is also a game about the journey and the struggle between you and its primary character: the ever changing muddy terrain.

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Short Reviews: Megadimension Neptunia VIIR

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By: RJ (@rga_02)

  • Megadimension Neptuina VIIR
  • Developer - Compile Heart
  • Publisher - Idea Factory

What pops up to mind when you hear “VIIR?” You might think, “oh, it could be the long-awaited Final Fantasy VII Remake.” But surprise! It isn’t. It’s actually Megadimension Neptunia VIIR – but this time you get to be with your console goddess up close and personal, but would you want to?

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