#ps4
#ps4
by Omar ( @siegarettes )
RIVE is a bit of anachronism in 2016. Despite the current popularity and developments of the twin-stick shooter, RIVE feels like a game from the heyday of Xbox Live Arcade. Between the gruff, blue collar characterization of the protagonist, constant reference to retro arcade games, and fourth wall breaks, RIVE is particularly enamored with an idea of a retro throwback in a way that now feels like a throwback itself.
by Omar (@siegarettes)
If you know anything about me, you know that I have a soft spot for robots. Well, okay, more like a liquefied gooey center that spills out whenever I get the chance to talk about them. If the design of Heart & Slash is any indication, developer AHEARTFULOFGAMES does as well. There’s an art direction that evokes the Mega Man Legends series, clear nods to other famous robots, and a return to themes of artificial beings finding a sense of humanity that’s been popular since Pinocchio came around. The story itself centers on Heart, the titular protagonist, struggling in a post-human world against QuAsSys, a quality assurance system moving to create a world of perfect equality—by removing the unique individuals it sees as defects. Naturally, that puts Heart, with their Apple II inspired chassis and singular design, in opposition with QuAsSys, which of course means a lot of robot brawling.
by Omar (@siegarettes)
Stikbold is a game that gets by entirely by its charm. Between its bright color palette, humor, low poly characters and expressive animation, Stikbold is a game so lighthearted that often feels untethered from gravity. It’s a distinctly springtime game.
By Omar (@siegarettes)
There’s something comforting about the construction of myth. A sense of adventure that feels at once larger than life, incredulous even, but at the same time often intimate and familiar. That’s the feeling that Moon Hunters attempts to capture. Each hour long session is designed to produce a unique story for you and your friends.
By: RJ (@rga_02)
In 2013 Compile Heart announced that they would be developing new jRPGs that weren’t the usual Neptunia fare they are known for. Aimed for the Japanese market, they wanted to stand out above the rest of the mainstream Japanese based companies who are now catering to the Western audience. They dubbed this project, “Galapagos RPG”. The first jRPG under that moniker was Fairy Fencer F and now the second game arrives, dubbed Omega Quintet, an interesting hybrid between an idol game and a jRPG. But will Compile Heart have a perfect song to for their audience?
By: Omar(@siegarettes)
KA-LACK LACK. KA-LACK LACK. KA-LACK LACK. Wheels on concrete. Waves of wood on steel rails. The feeling is familiar, known and comfortable. I’ve been here, and done this. Covering OlliOlli was my first paid gig, the first time I turned my words into cash. I know it well. Coming to the sequel, I found it easy to slip back into the same rhythms, feel the same suspension of time in the moment before touching down. Everything from back then is still here, but in a lot of ways OlliOlli 2 reflects the game in my memory better than the original did.
By: RJ (@rga_02)
Zig zagin’ through deep space with WipEout-esque music blasting in your ears, and acid inducing scenery that makes your eyes melt with joy. This is Futurdium EP Deluxe. But instead of racing your way through highways of the future, you are a space pilot shooting blocks. In what seems like an old video game trope rehashed into something pretty, MixedBag attempts to well….mix up the genre a bit.
By: Omar (@siegarettes)
Second Opinion by RJ (@suppadoopa)
There’s a certain sense of a remix culture taking place in the games space. AAA titles have become a parade of sub-systems and mini-games in polished containers. A simple look at the last generation of games will see a whole lot of derivative titles that can be described as “game X meets game Y” as popular games become continually borrowed from. In another space are the independent developers, remixing genres and styles from titles past to create new takes on them. Velocity 2X would be one of these. The first Velocity mixed the genre up by introducing a short range teleport, changing the focus from shooting to navigation and puzzles. 2X builds on that, introducing sidescrolling sections and story segments.
