Bioshock Infinite: Burial At Sea (Part 1) (DLC)

Buried at Sea

Burial at Sea assumes you have completed Bioshock Infinite

Introduction
Burial at Sea (Part 1) is the first instalment of a two-part DLC series for Bioshock Infinite (my review). Released in 2013 for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, PC and OS X, both parts of Burial at Sea are included in the DLC Season Pass, as well as the non-story DLC "Clash in the Clouds".

Disclaimer : Standard first-person shooter violence with some slight horror themes.


The First Thing
It should be no surprise that I am a big fan of Bioshock, since I appointed it my sixth 'best game of all time'. Rapture is one of the most interesting locations ever used in a game, so the opportunity to peek at life before it fell apart is a happy one. It certainly looks absolutely fantastic, but strange FPS, obvious linearity and little story explanation prevented me from becoming immersed.


Plot & Devices
It's News Years Eve, 1958. Booker DeWitt (you) is a private detective in Rapture and asleep on his desk. A woman calling herself Elizabeth wakes him from his drunken state with information that a little lost girl named Sally is still alive and Booker is needed to investigate. Together the two head out into the city to find Sally.

We're back...

Burial at Sea feels primarily intended as a nostalgic experience. In fact it spends little time on any story, saving it for the final few moments - where it ties into Bioshock Infinite. Instead the world is filled with references to the gameplay and story of Bioshock. Nothing new is added to the lore but listening in to NPC conversations or audiologs helps paint a picture of what 'life was like' before the social structure collapsed. Gameplay mechanics such as the Skyhook or 'drinkable' plasmids which did not feature in the original Bioshock are explained in-game - sometimes a little tongue-in-cheek.


The Game
Gameplay is the same as Bioshock Infinite (my review) save a few changes that have been made to emulate the original feel of Bioshock. Some are in name only ("Vigors" are called "Plasmids") but others are alterations to game mechanics - like the removal of the two-weapon system. The game is split into sight-seeing and combat sections, with little interconnectivity between the two.

In the first part the player and Elizabeth wander around a small, linear area of Rapture. The intention is to provide a small glimpse of the city before it fell apart - something not available until now. Players unfamiliar with the story will probably not enjoy this section as much, as gameplay is restricted to exploration, a fetch quest and examining objects.

Combat from Infinite and environment from Bioshock

An interaction with a fan-favourite Bioshock character starts the second half which is more in keeping with the original game: first-person combat against splicers in dark and gloomy environments. Combat is the same as Bioshock Infinite with the only change that now all weapons can be carried at once, selecting them from the weapon wheel. Resources are also scarcer to emulate the conservation and survival feeling of the original game. In Infinite Elizabeth was constantly throwing health, ammo or eve, but here she frequently says "I can't find anything". The plasmid selection is a mix between the two games, with a new frost one added.

Traditionally DLC takes existing level design or features and adds new content, allowing developers to use their existing hard work and add more to the overall game and universe. Because Rapture does not really feature in Bioshock Infinite, it had to be built from the ground up for Burial at Sea. The result is that whilst the game feels like Infinite, it looks very different. Familiar visual style and sound assets ("Welcome to the circus of values!") does a convincing job of replicating the feel of Bioshock.


Wrap Up & Negatives
Building new environments from the ground up results in a new experience, but is developer time that could have been spent elsewhere. Burial at Sea is short, even for a DLC. Given that the experience is only about two hours it makes the price questionable too - although if you buy the Season Pass it becomes more acceptable. The shortness of the campaign negatively limits the story, which does not feature at all until the final few minutes. Given the ending of Bioshock Infinite, Burial at Sea ends in a predictably complex fashion but is undermined by the limited gameplay. In hindsight the events do not really make a lot of sense, in particular Elizabeth's overall plan.

Visually in keeping with the original Bioshock

I feel the absence of developer time has also resulted in a game that is little less technically competent than I would have liked. Bioshock Infinite ran at a steady framerate but Burial at Sea had frequent low-spikes, particularly in the starting area. Along with AI that felt 'dumb' and gameplay features that served no purpose (the upgrade system) it is hard not to feel negatively. Note: The gamebreaking bug which prevents retracing of steps through airlocks has been fixed.

For full enjoyment one will need to be familiar with the story of Bioshock, but completing Infinite will suffice. I would suggest that players briefly remind themselves of how Infinite ends because Burial at Sea uses the same complex concepts and details with its ending.


Personally
Overall I was left disappointed. Erratic FPS at the start was certainly a factor but the game was just too small. The brief campaign prevents the story and gameplay from achieving any depth and I felt compromises were made in order to put it out as DLC. The developers did a good job but Burial at Sea feels unworthy of its predecessors.

Perhaps this is influenced by the level of personal 'bioshock-fandom', but speaking as a 'big' fan I would say that whilst the experience was worthwhile, I regretted the missed potential.

Metro Last Light

The Title Screen

Introduction
Metro: Last Light is a first-person shooter developed by 4A Games, released in 2013 for PC/Mac, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The sequel to Metro 2033, it features a singleplayer campaign based on the world established by the Metro book series by Dmitry Glukhovsky.

Disclaimer : Standard first-person shooter violence, occasional strong language and some nudity/sex. There are some minor horror elements but done atmospherically, rather than trying to terrify the player.


The First Thing
After tackling the extremely low FPS by turning Nvidia Physx off (I do not use Nvidia), I was impressed by just how well Last Light runs. I have frequently heard how Last Light is considered to be one of the best looking games ever developed so I was expecting a degraded experience on my three year old machine. But on 'high' settings it still looks really good and had a smooth 60FPS nearly throughout. The extremely tight level design probably helps but I was still impressed. Fantastic optimisation work by the folks at 4A Games.


Plot & Devices

Metro 2033 had two possible endings: a 'good' one where Artyom realises the Dark Ones (psychic, scary-looking creatures) are friendly and a 'bad' one where he destroys them all. Last Light continues on from the 'bad' ending.

A year has passed since the events of Metro 2033. The surface of Earth is still uninhabitable from the nuclear war and the survivors are living underground in the Russian metro network. Artyom (you) has officially joined the Rangers who are now occupying D6; a large military depot with supplies. However, news of D6 is spreading and creating unrest within the two rival metro factions: the Reich and the Red Line. On top of this, a surviving Dark One has been sighted recently. Still conflicted about his role in their demise, Artyom is sent to track and kill it.

The surface

Last Light is a story driven experience which is reflected in its gameplay. The author of the Metro books, Dmitry Glukhovsky, helped write the story and plans to released a more complete version as the novel "Metro 2035". Listening to the fully-voiced cavalcade of characters progresses the story and atmosphere although Artyom himself is a silent protagonist - except during the loading screens where he narrates a quick summary of events. Apart from the intro and outro sequences, there are no out-of-engine cinematics. As a character Artyom is fleshed out further through collectible 'notes' scattered throughout the game; offering insight into his thoughts on the current situation.

Like Metro 2033 there is a hidden moral system that decides which cutscene to display at the end. Influenced by a mix of subtle and obvious choices, it has no impact on gameplay or events.


The Game
Set in the first-person perspective, Last Light feels divided into three gameplay types: sight-seeing, underground combat and the surface. Sight-seeing usually involves exploring a new settlement or story area. The player walks around listening to characters talk and trading the bullet-currency for ammunition and guns in the shops. Effort has been made to disguise the linearity of these moments, but there is still clearly only one path to take. Sight-seeing serves as a respite from the action and helps establish the atmosphere of the situation.

Stealth gameplay (blue light = visible)

Combat takes place either against humans or monsters. There is a focus on stealth gameplay against humans, with Artyom's watch serving as a visibility indicator. Players have the option of bypassing entirely, knocking out or killing enemies. Lights can be disabled to provide cover and enemy detection will sound an alarm. There is a slight pause between being seen and alarm which allows the player to scurry back to the shadows if quick enough. The stealth-detection capabilities of the AI is not especially complex, but most of the time they will react with alarm to gunshot and body discovery.

Otherwise, combat is handled in standard FPS fashion. Artyom can carry three weapons and use a melee attack. There are many different weapon types with their own ammunition and each is modifiable at vendors. Throwing knives, grenades, fire-grenades and mines can be assigned to the 'thrown weapon' slot. Artyom's health regenerates, but there are syringes to bring health to full for emergencies. Enemies have hit-box detection and headshots cause additional damage. Human enemies will take cover and use basic combat tactics, whereas monsters will attempt to rush the player. Tactics are still required for monsters, such as the use of light against spiders. Additional ammo and bullet-currency can be looted from dead humans.

Do you really wish to see what is waiting for you in the darkness?

Artyom has two sources of light available to him for the darkness: a re-chargeable flashlight and a lighter. Both can be used simultaneously but the flashlight must be charged-up manually for its brightest output. Using light will alert hostiles so a trade-off is often required between seeing and being seen. A gas mask must be used when encountering tainted air on the surface or in the tunnels. Artyom's watch displays a five minute timer that ticks down till the current air filter expires. At this point the player must replace the air filter or start choking to death. Gas mask sections will provide enough filters, but often needing a modicum of exploration to find. Should it get too damaged the gas mask can be replaced with another if found.

From the voiced characters to the monsters and guns, Last Light features high quality sound effects.  Music is atmospheric and a short musical cue indicates the process of being detected in stealth. Graphically the game has exceptionally high fidelity, the lighting effects in particular are outstanding. Last Light is artistically split between the confined, dark tunnels and the open, ruined surface. With highly customisable options, flawless mouse and keyboard controls (control pad is supported) it is an excellent PC game. I encountered only one serious bug but it was not game breaking. Clocking in at nine hours play time, the campaign is a decent length for a modern FPS.


Wrap Up & Negatives
Two big negatives coloured my time with Last Light: linearity and plot completion. About three-quarters way through the campaign the story shifted from its political focus of survivors fighting over limited available resources, to a fantastical, meta-physical tale of redemption. I realise this will sound a weak criticism, but it really felt it was 'trying to be clever'. The completely abstract sequence involving a river (you'll know when you get to it) killed any interest I had in finishing the story. Also, the short levels and little inter-connectivity result in Artyom being 'captured' or 'knocked out' too often. All in all I felt detached and uninterested in the story by the end.

The exceptionally beautiful but linear and non-interactive world

Last Light is also oppressively linear. At all times it is quite clear there is only one path to take (except sometimes on the surface). This takes something away from a world that otherwise is quite believable. I realise that atmosphere and pacing can benefit from extreme linearity, but for large parts of the game I felt quite unconnected from the actions of my character. Exploration and resources scavenging could fit quite naturally within the theme of Last Light, but are disappointingly not offered.

Binary 'good' and 'bad' endings feel outdated when compared to games like The Walking Dead. I was irritated to find out after I completed Last Light that I received the 'bad' ending. I felt I had failed in some way. Furthermore it did not feel appropriate since I'm mostly morally positive in games. With research I discovered the system is fairly arbitrary and inconsistent. Killing some humans results in negative points, but not others. Giving money to beggars is 'good' but paying a stripper is 'bad'. This is why binary moral choice systems are inherently flawed. They assume decisions are only either 'good' or 'bad', which is incorrect.


Personally
When all is said and done, Last Light is basically all right. Despite the problems it excels at enough to make playing worthwhile. The world it creates is phenomenally atmospheric and highly believable, filled with genuine characters and real emotion. True, it mostly takes place in dark and gloomy tunnels but it is a beautiful game none the less. Though I would have preferred more of the visually astounding (and less linear) surface gameplay.

Some will love Last Light and some will only feel 'so-so'. Others might be too scared to even see it through to the end, but I reckon most players will enjoy the visuals, atmospheric levels and story-telling (even if it gets a little out of hand towards the end).

Gone Home

The Title Screen

Introduction
Released in 2013, Gone Home is an interactive-story focused, exploration game by The Fullbright Company for Windows and Mac OS.


The First Thing
The elegant art style and competent options menu were pleasing discoveries and made a good first impression. However, I quickly encountered some very unstable FPS. Since at first glance Gone Home is not a technically demanding title, I went looking for a reason. The developers state that high/stable FPS is not to be expected since the use of ultra-high texture quality cause FPS drops. They then go on to say that high FPS is not required, nor is detrimental to the experience. I'm not so sure I'd agree that "it is not detrimental" but I can confirm high FPS is not required. This is an exploration game, with no reliance on fast or precise mouse control.


Plot & Devices
Kaitlin Greenbriar has returned to her family's new house after a European trip of unknown length. Upon arriving in this unfamiliar home, Kaitlin finds it completely deserted; no sign of her younger sister 'Sam' or her parents. A note on the door from Sam tells Kaitlin not to go looking for a reason as to why this is the case, but that they will meet up one day. Kaitlin enters the strange house and tries to find out what has happened.

Gone

Uncovering the story is the point of the game and is achieved through exploring the house and interacting with objects; normally ones with text or pictures on. Certain objects will prompt entries into a Sam's narrated audio journal, which offers more perspective. The story and progression are linear, but hidden well enough to promote a genuine feeling of exploration. The plot is about Sam, with a few hints about the parents along the way. Although Kaitlin would already know certain facts already, it is not long before the player and Kaitlin are discovering new information at the same time.

Disclaimer (and Spoiler): I apologise for this spoiler, but it may be necessary. One of the prominent themes of the story is homosexuality and players uncomfortable with this subject will be uncomfortable with Gone Home. I personally felt that the subject was handled matter-of-factly enough and was neither condemned nor condoned. As Kaitlin is a silent protagonist, players are free project their own feelings onto the subject.

Many a light shall be turned on

The Game
A somewhat recurring theme of 2013, the gameplay can be neatly summed up as: a linear exploration title with a strong focus on story and atmosphere. The player can move and interact with objects, picking items up or altering them in some way; turning on a light, opening a door, etc. Targeting objects with the reticle reveals an option, and interacting will then perform that action. Once or twice there are puzzles to solve, but these are no more complex than "find the combination to the combination lock".

The fully voiced narration of Sam's journal is updated periodically upon examining certain items. For example, finding a concert music ticket may prompt a journal entry about going to a concert. Interactable objects can be picked up and rotated to examine and are usually just everyday objections to help build a general picture; occasionally providing some specific insight into characters or events. There is a rudimentary physics engine applying to the objects but is never needed for game progression and just helps with immersion.

The graphical fidelity of Gone Home is surprisingly high, due to its high-resolution textures. Lighting plays a big part in generating atmosphere, but although there is a 'horror' feel to the game there are no fear elements nor action sequences of any kind. As a PC game it comes with a robust options menu, including an FOV slider. It is a short game and I did not encounter bugs/errors of any kind.

Examining objects reveals the details

Wrap Up & Negatives
As mentioned already, steady FPS will not be a common experience. I did find it detrimental, but not overly so; in terms of 'immersion building', rather than gameplay. Considering this is caused by an extremely high texture quality it can be overlooked since those particular textures go far in creating the mood and atmosphere.

Like other similar titles, this is not much of a 'game' and is certainly a brief experience; taking me about 75 minutes to complete. Although more interactive than such games as The Stanley Parable and Dear Esther, I personally would have preferred more puzzles. Given the low retail price and the size of the development team this is to be expected.

Personal preference will decide whether the homosexual theme is a negative. With my neutral hat on, I feel that it is handled delicately and is actually more a tale of youth, family interaction and the lies we tell each other. But it will be up to the individual player.


Personally
I liked it, more or less. It could do with a few improvements but out of this recent wave of story-focused exploration games I would say this is the best yet. The Stanley Parable was funny and thought provoking but Gone Home is an exceptionally well-told story experience, which I preferred. The developers should be commended for creating such fleshed out and believable narrative, and competently handling a divisive subject matter.

A solid story-telling experience that excels at a simple idea and a title that will lead the way in this new wave of exploration/story-focused games.

The Stanley Parable

The Title Screen

Introduction
The Stanley Parable is a first-person, exploration game, independently released through Steam's Greenlight system. Originally a Source Mod, this high definition 'stand-alone' remake was released in 2013 and is available for Windows and Mac OS.

Big Disclaimer: This game is an almost unique experience, extremely prone to spoilers. To that end this review will be short and all spoilers avoided.


Plot & Devices

Stanley works in an office all day and although he performs an objectively pointless task, he is happy. Then one day, he notices all his other office co-workers have disappeared. He gets up to explore. 

All gone

That is the summation of the short opening sequence that is the framework for the story. From there, events are unfolded by the player through exploration and interaction with a narrator. Whilst events certainly drive the game, it is not quite accurate to say that the story does. The Stanley Parable challenges how we experience plot as players by effortlessly swapping between fixed and abstract story telling - which is the point of the title.

The Game
Set in the first person, the player can control movement and interact with the occasional button or door. Other than that, there are no controls or mechanics of any kind. In fact The Stanley Parable is extremely light on actual gameplay and by many definitions, would be hard to describe as an actual video game.

So what is the point then? Exploration is accompanied by a narrator, and it is from this interaction the enjoyment is derived. Much effort has been placed into making the narrator feel as genuine and organic as possible. During exploration, the player will encounter choices - directly or indirectly: which door to go through, whether to stay or move on, push this buttons, etc. These choices determine the direction of the story and the events that transpire and how the interaction with the narrator progresses. It is hard to properly explain, but will seem natural when playing.

Although an indie production, The Stanley Parable is a fine PC game with re-bindable keys and a surprisingly expansive graphics menu. The game is not graphically demanding, and the style is very typical of Source Engine based games. The narrator is fully voiced and subtitles are available.

Go on, walk through it...

Personally
I definitely recommend The Stanley Parable. Although the game adds absolutely nothing new in terms of mechanics, it is almost unique in its combining of storytelling and player involvement. It's not an emotional tale, but I laughed a few times and found it thought provoking. There is a reason that this small, downloadable game is featuring on many 'Top of 2013' lists.

Understandably, it will not be for everyone, but it is highly likely that the game will at least provide an entirely original experience to new players. I have played many games over my life and this definitely felt a new idea. Add on technically competent and it becomes an easy recommendation.

Set aside a few hours and play it. Like it or not... you won't regret it.

Deadpool

The Title Screen

Introduction
Deadpool is an action-brawler-adventure developed in 2013 by High Moon Studios. Released for PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, it is sanctioned by Marvel and written by a Deadpool comic writer - so is as 'official' a version as one could expect. It features a singleplayer campaign and challenge mode with online leaderboard integration.

Disclaimer: This is an extremely adult title. Much violence, adult language, and sexual themes/references throughout. The only thing absent is drug use.


The First Thing
Unfortunately, my first experiences of this game were not favourable. The PC port felt extremely questionable, the controls in particular. As a third-person, hack n' slashy looking game I wanted to play on my control pad, but only the vertical axis can be inverted. This is bizarre and eventually forced me to swap to Mouse and Keyboard. This was more palatable, but since only some keys and three mouse buttons are available as bindings, was still unsatisfactory.


Plot & Devices
To understand the events of Deadpool, one needs to understand Deadpool as a character: a highly-skilled, human mercenary who undergoes an experiment giving him super-human abilities. He can heal so fast that is essentially immortal, but has been turned insane as a side-effect. One key character trait is that Deadpool knows that he is a comic book character, and in Deadpool he is aware that he is in his self-titled video game. Much of the humour and characterisation is based around this concept.

Deadpool and one of his internal voices

That being said, there is a plot to Deadpool - it's just not that important. At the start, Deadpool phones High Moon Studios and discusses being in a video game. They duly send over a script, and the story beings - without Deadpool actually reading the script. At some point the character Cable shows up to explain about how the world needs Deadpool's help, but Deadpool isn't listening. So, whilst there is a story, it is not a focus and the characterisation of Deadpool and the 'fourth-wall breaking' humour is what drives events and the gameplay.

It should be noted that Deadpool constantly acts very degradingly towards women; sexually objectifying them exclusively. As he is aware of his comic-book nature, this trait has been used by writers as a way of drawing attention to how females are typically inappropriately depicted in video games and comics. However, Deadpool could still easily be taken in an offensive/misogynist way, so it is something to keep in mind.


The Game
Appropriately, the main focus of Deadpools's gameplay is combat. In a style similar to the Arkham Batman games, the majority of encounters consist of groups of enemies, or larger and more powerful foes. The objective is to weave attacks continuously between targets, whilst avoiding incoming damage and ideally prioritising the dangerous adversaries. Landing an attack will add to the combo meter and the different types of enemies the player will have to deal with include : guns/projectile attacks, 'explode on death', shield-enemies, blocking and flying.

Group combat (with an enemy that is providing a shield to the others)

Deadpool's attacks are standard for brawler games : light and heavy melee and a ranged weapon. These three can be combo'd together in different sequences to produce varying attack chains. Successful hits with the gun also build the combo multiplier, and many enemies have head-shot hit-boxes. Deadpool also possess a short range teleport which acts as a dodge and counter. Whilst teleporting the player can not be damaged, but the ability is placed on a short 'cooldown' after multiple use. During combat enemies will occasionally telegraph their attacks and a counter button prompt will appear. The only other form of combat are turret sections where large groups of enemies are dispatched with a stationary gun of infinite ammunition.

During combat Deadpool will slowly charge a "momentum" bar, which when full can be used to unleash a powerful attack. Bars will deplete over time if not in combat, unless full in which case the abilities remain ready. The Upgrade Store will allow the purchase of more momentum attacks, each with their own bar. These powerful attacks are designed to deal with large groups of enemies in different flashy ways.

Between combat, the player can expect some light platforming. Deadpool can double jump, and platforming failing will not kill the player; offering a teleport prompt instead. Although the character of Deadpool is immortal, for the purposes of combat he is not. He does have regenerating health, but it takes about 15-20 seconds of not taking damage to activate. He takes no falling damage, but can die in battle. Death will return the player to the most recent checkpoint

The upgrade store

Throughout the game the player will acquire 'DP points', either through combat, chests or collectible tokens. The combo multiplier increases the number of DP points and functions as a reward for skilful play. These DP points are then used to obtain upgrades and new weapons from the 'store'. Weapons fall into the three categories : ranged, swords and "items" (such as grenades or land-mines). Each weapon has its own upgrade tree, unlocking passive bonuses, extra combos, finishing moves and momentum attacks. Player upgrades are also purchasable in the form of health/momentum return during combos, additional health and an extra teleport. Upgrades critical to progression are handed to the player at the appropriate moment in the story.

Predictably, the art style draws from Deadpool's comic book origins. Cutscenes are handled in-engine, but some reflect the meta aspect of the character by being poorly edited (by Deadpool himself...). The soundtrack is heavy rock/metal in keeping with the character and the sound effects are suitable, if a bit plain. Deadpool is voiced by Nolan North and has excellently written/voiced dialogue throughout the entire game. The overall technical competence of the title is a little questionable at times, however.


Wrap Up & Negatives
There are a few aspcts Deadpool that are not quite right and my main criticism is with the quality of the PC port and game in general. I encountered many bugs, most notably : AI behaving absurdly, Deadpool getting stuck on the floor and objects failing to be interactive (particularly chests). The PC port is fine graphically but the control scheme is ineptly implemented and a few moments of brief FPS dropping.

The difficulty curve is all over the place. Combat alternates between being trivial and very difficult. In particular enemies with machine guns can pose significant challenge. My advice would be : get the upgrade that heals on every 10th hit as soon as possible. The enemy variety is also extremely poor and fighting the singular larger/tougher enemies combat turns into a routine of stab-teleport-stab-teleport, with the occasional running away to regenerate. On top of this, the checkpoint system is really unfair sometimes, requiring the re-playing of up to 10-15 minutes of gameplay.

The "running away from large enemies to regenerate" combat tactic

The upgrade system feels totally pointless, but as that is referenced as such by Deadpool himself I can perhaps forgive that. But still, I never felt the need to buy any items or different weapons, which I can't decide is a failing of the game or my own playstyle. I feel the combat will be the biggest negative for some as it is quite repetitive. The teleport ability and frequent set-pieces do help alleviate the monotony, but there are definitely moments where it feels routine.

The usual caveat with humour/characterisation-focused games applies : if you do not like the title character, or this type of humour, then you will find that a large negative. If unsure, check out the trailer I have linked at the end.


Personally
Deadpool is an interesting game to critique. On the one hand, the actual gameplay is pretty uninspiring, and has its fair share of bugs and PC implementation issues. But in the end I more or less enjoyed my time with it because of the excellent Deadpool characterisation. I personally like the style of non-sequitur/meta humour and I was left with an overall positive impression. It's a shame that high-budget comedy games are something of a rarity at the moment.

Should you buy it? Well my advice would be... watch the official launch trailer : YouTube. If it makes you laugh, and you like brawly/beat em' up games, then definitely try Deadpool. If you're focused on gameplay and/or do not find the trailer funny, then give this title a pass.

Oh, and Steve Blum playing Wolverine which he does in the show Wolverine and the X-Men? Brilliant

Rayman Legends

The Title Screen

Introduction
Rayman Legends is a 2D platformer released in 2013 for PC, PlayStation 3 & 4 (2014), Xbox 360 & One (2014), Wii U and PS Vita. A sequel to Rayman Origins, it is developed and published by Ubisoft and features a singleplayer campaign/challenges that can also be played locally with up four players.


The First Thing
Rayman Origins was released without DRM (except Steamworks) as sort of an apology to PC customers. It was therefore a nasty surprise this time to discover Uplay insisting on downloading and installing an update to itself (not the game). Mandatory updates to games are almost justifiable, but with the increasing number of publisher's own launchers things are starting to become unacceptable and even a little insulting.

But...

...then I started playing. And Rayman Legends was so outstanding, even from the start, that it almost made that initial Uplay disappointment acceptable. Everything about this game screams style, elegance, fun and improvement. These days you never know how a sequel is going to pan out and Rayman Legends shows how it is done.

Nap time for the Rayman team

Plot & Devices
Following directly on from the story of Rayman Origins, the Teensy Wizard has survived and returned - bringing the Nightmares once again. Woken from their sleep by Murfy the Greenbottle, Rayman and friends must set out to free the captured princesses and put a stop to the Teensy Wizard and his dark copies.

The plot is once again on the light side but this time effort has been made to explain a little more of who people are and what places/objects are called. There is still no real dialogue, and meaning is conveyed exclusively through animations and tone. The same sense of 'silly' is found throughout, but it never overwhelms.

Rayman Legends continues the demonstration that a game's personality does not need to be tied into a complex narrative/dialogue or deep character progression.


The Game
Most of the gameplay is a continuation of Rayman Origins: a 2D, side-scrolling platformer with occasional 3D-looking elements woven in. Lums and other objects are picked up through touch, crates and enemies are dispatched with physical attacks and wall-jumping and hovering are used throughout. Unlike before, characters now start off with all abilities, including the ability to swim/hover. Instead of an RPG-style unlocking of 'powers', this time more complex platforming is just saved for later levels. There is no lives system and failure in standard levels will return the player instantly to a recent checkpoint. One nice touch is players have the chance to get a heart power-up in the loading screen for each level - if they are quick.

Each Lum will turn Pink if collected in the indicated sequence

Collecting Lums is still important and is tied into a reward system of sorts. Pink Lums are worth double, and instead of the Lum King now Lums will turn pink in order if collected as indicated. Total Lum count will unlock new playable characters and the player will receive a Lucky Scratch Card if enough Lums have been collected from a level. This scratch card always rewards with either: more Lums, a Rayman Origins remastered level, a collectible pet or a Teensy.

Instead of rescuing imprisoned 'electoons', each level now has eight Teensy prisoners and a queen and king Teensy. The king and queen are behind hidden challenge doors, with the other normal Teensies are scattered throughout the level. Collecting Teensies is necessary to unlock further content. The singleplayer campaign is divided into five zones (with a bonus music-zone after story completion). As the player progresses through the campaign short, time-challenges will appear for previously completed levels; which will reward three more Teensies if completed successfully. Each zone has two additional 'rescue' levels which unlock additional princesses and the zone ends in a boss; completion of which will unlock a final 'music-themed' level.

One major new addition to the game mechanics is Murfy the Greenbottle. Every few levels the player will be joined by Murfy, and (if playing alone) will use him to interact in some way with the environment. This can be anything from 'moving objects' to 'eating cake tunnels'. On the PC Murfy will automatically snap to a location where he can 'interact'. At first glance it seems like just an extra button to press, but the challenge comes in fluidly weaving Murfy into platforming - especially in the harder, later levels.

Murfy making a guacamole platform for the player
(who, of course, has been turned into a chicken...)

Rayman Origins was not without it's challenges, but they were mostly tied into the singleplayer campaign. The campaign in Rayman Legends still has challenging elements, but now a new section has been created specifically for people who wish to try more skilful platforming. There are four challenges (two normal and two extreme difficulty), two of which change daily and two that change weekly. Each challenge has certain success thresholds to win gold, silver, etc, and performance is compared to other players around the world. Ghosts of other players are incorporated into attempts which is not only entertaining, but can be helpful as they can lead by example. The 'extreme' challenges are aptly named and it is nice for the hardcore platformers to have a dedicated challenge section.

Navigating between levels and other content is now done in a fully-controllable area, instead of a map screen. Paintings acts as gateways to either sub-menus or levels. Aside from the single player campaign the other sections are: collectible pets area, challenges, a football mini-game, levels from Rayman Origins and playable character. Collectible pets and remastered Origins levels are obtained from the Lucky Scratch Cards. The remastered Origins levels are essentially the same but with slight modifications to incorporate new design choices. The collectible pets are a bit pointless but do reward with Lums each day for the player to collect. Fun statistics such as "distance run" and "number of times failed" can be accessed from this menu-area too.

DANGER! 

Visually the game looks the same as Origins, but improvements have been made to tighten up the overall experience. The UbiArt engine still has its strong focus on beautiful visuals, but now there is water rippling, light/shadow effects and even a rudimentary gravity system - much of which is now tied into gameplay. There is a large variety in level design, with some interesting new ideas (there is even a basic 'stealth' gameplay segment). The music is orchestral and appropriate and the moments where the gameplay is tied directly into the soundtrack are especially noteworthy.

Running at a perfect 60FPS/1080p the game felt like a more polished version of the original - if that were possible. As with all platformers, I played with my gamepad and would recommend players do the same. I am not aware of encountering any bugs and an excellent PC game. Rayman Legends brought out my inner completionist and I reached 380/700 Teensies and the end of the 'story' in 18 hours - so plenty of content for those that want it. I could imagine it easily taking another 10 hours to complete all content Rayman Legends has to offer.


Wrap Up & Negatives
No game is perfect, but Rayman Legends comes so very close. Even the Uplay system is ultimately small and mostly unintrusive. I do wish the main campaign levels had a 'retry' button like the challenges, but other than that nothing bothered me at all. It goes without saying that if you do not like platformers, the art style, the music, or fun... then you may not enjoy the game. But that's personal opinion.


Personally
What is there to say? I strongly approve of this game! I find it an outstanding example of sequel-making: take core gameplay that works, add new ideas, tighten up loose areas and don't be afraid to remove elements you think should be. I find it amazing that this was released in just under two-years from Origins.

I have not done Rayman Legends justice in this review, since to talk about every new addition and refinement would take too long. It is the best platformer I have played to date and most likely my top game for the year. It is simply a superb game.

Path of Shadows

The title Screen

Introduction
Created by students at the Pompeu Fabra University, Path of Shadows is a third person, action-stealth game released independently in 2013. It features a singleplayer campaign only and is available free to download from their website: Path of Shadows


The First Thing
Taking into account the price and student developers, I was really impressed by the visuals to the game - in particular the model for the playable character. There are paid games from professional design studios that look significantly worse than Path of Shadows. Maybe not the first impression of a triple-A release, but one of passion and budding skill for sure.


Plot & Devices
The soul of a ninja is brought back to life and imbued with powers over shadows by a mysterious female entity. She informs him that he is there to serve her, and to release her the temple where guards have her imprisoned.

The Ninja

Other than that, there is nothing else to the story. The game is only 15-20 minutes long and the story is simply tool to frame the gameplay. But like much of the game, it's indicative of the shape the game would take if the developers were given got the chance to work on it professionally.

The Game

Path of Shadows consists of three zones: graveyard, village and temple. The objective of each zone is simply to get to the end. The gameplay is never especially complicated, but is more about what it represents: many of the traditional ideals of the original stealth games like Thief. Clear indicators of shadow/light and open levels that give the player choice about how to proceed.

Shadows and light play an important role in most stealth games, but in Path of Shadows they are even more central. The ninja possesses certain magic powers that cost energy; energy which is only regenerated when in shadow. Being outside in light diminishes this energy so a careful balancing act could exist. Despite the short gameplay the compliment of powers is quite extensive. The player can teleport to shadow, create pools of shadow on the ground that slowly shrink (this poo does not recharge energy), summon a raven to show the direction to travel and see the world in a form of x-ray vision. There is no combat, but enemies can be slain if attacked from behind and bodies can be made to dissolve with pools of shadow. Alerted enemies will go for help/pursue you, but can be lost by intelligently hiding in shadows.

Sneak sneak sneak

In a Dead Space style the UI is displayed on the playable character, with the brightness of the glyphs indicating when in shadow and the glyphs on the scarf representing how much energy is available. There is no ability to save and Esc will close down the game. There is a checkpoint system of sorts, in that you can return at any time to a recent check point with backspace but it is inconsistent what this does. It seemed to me that alive enemies would reset, but dead enemies would remain dead (a bug I think).

The art-style is reminiscent of a graphic novel, with vibrant colours and over-inked edges. Shadow is black, and other pools of brighter light are shown quite clearly. Special mention should be made to the ninja, who is drawn and animated exceptionally well for what is essentially an amateur production. The music is not particularly memorable, but appropriate. The voice acting is about the level you would expect from a production like this.

As a PC exclusive I found that frame-rate was consistently way above 60, and mouse control was without problem. There is no in-game options menu (a small pre-game launcher does exist) and the developers do warn that there is a possibility the game may not run on some set-ups - but was fine for me. I did encounter bugs, but nothing too game breaking.

Get back to the shadows

Wrap up & Negatives

This is a student effort and is free; which means that expectations should be lowered, and leniency given. There are quite a few bugs and the length of the game is very short. The voice acting is a little suspect and one wonders whether some of the effort spent in making some of the ninja powers could instead have been put elsewhere like another level...

...but it was free! And made by students. So all this gets a free pass.

Personally

This is a very promising title. You should play it because it costs you nothing and takes 15 minutes of your time. It's even a good game (brief as it is) with nice mechanics and art style. I am not exaggerating when I say it has one of the best looking main characters I've encountered, and mechanics I would love to try out in a fully fledged game. I look forward to playing a bigger release from these devs if they get the chance. Try not to look at Path of Shadows for what it is, but more of a demo of what it could be.

The student team behind Nitronic Rush (my review) went on to launch a successful kickstarter for a spiritual sequel called Distance. They raised $161,981 and from the pre-alpha footage of Distance (YouTube) it looks to be good. This outcome was unlikely to happen without support, and with it brought new talent and content to the gaming scene.

Give the same to the Path of Shadows guys and let's bring their potential to gaming too. Play it. If you like it, recommend it. I definitely do and will be supporting a kickstarter from this team if we are lucky enough to get one.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

The Title Screen

Introduction
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a singleplayer only, adventure platformer by Starbreeze Studios. Released in 2013, it is available solely via download on Steam, XBLA and PSN.

Disclaimer : Brothers is short and very story driven. Care has been taken to avoid spoilers, but that also means some points may not be fully explored.


The First Thing

Brothers is a good looking game. A really good looking game. Not in fidelity, but in style. The colourful and visually diverse imagery goes far in creating an air of mystery and fantasy about the world. It is a nice example of how visual style can trump realism and makes a very pleasing first impression.

Plot & Devices

In an unknown fantasy kingdom, two brothers live with their father. Their mother was lost to drowning and when the father becomes deathly ill, the two must travel on an adventure to find a mythical tree for the only cure. Along the way they will encounter monsters, wonders, dangers and explore the meaning of life and death.

Little brother, father and big brother

The story is the game and drives every aspect. Since the characters talk in Sim-style gibberish, events are conveyed almost entirely visually. The father coughs, and a local man has a picture of something that looks like a tree. Other than that we are essentially left to fill in the blanks ourselves. It is not a complex story and I never had any trouble working out the essence of what was going on. Character and story progression is mostly advanced through short, in-game cutscenes that blend fairly seamlessly with gameplay.

One should note that although the art style is cartoon-like, the themes conveyed are anything but childish. The story is ultimately about how death impacts life and is explored quite literally at times.

The Game
The control system of Brothers is central to the experience and important to address first. There are four controls (six if you count rotate camera left and right) and they are

• Left thumbstick to move older brother, left trigger for him to 'interact' 
• Right thumbstick to move younger brother, right trigger for him to 'interact'

This can be disorientating and quite often you may find one brother running in an unintended direction. Despite this, the controls elegantly tie into the story's emphasis of two brothers working together through hardship. Each half of the controller represents half of the brothers.

'Interact' is basically 'perform a context sensitive action'. It can be anything from 'hold on to a ledge/saw/end of a pole', to more precise actions. It is a little hard to explain, but the controls feel quite intuitive when thought of as reflecting 'two people working together'. Releasing 'interact' does have implications to gameplay and one of the primary challenges is remembering which controls apply to which brother when performing some of the more complex platforming. Releasing the wrong brother at the wrong time can have fatal consequences. I personally found it helpful where possible to keep the brothers on sides of the screen that match the controller layout.

Standard Brothers puzzles. Working together, and moving with thumbsticks

Although the controls are unconventional, the overall gameplay is very simple and amounts to "keep moving forward". The characters will jump over any obstacle they are supposed to, crouch for any hole and slow down where appropriate. Invisible walls prevent falling off most edges and the only time the player can 'die' from platforming is if they release 'interact' when clinging to a ledge/wall over a great fall. Dying returns the player to the most recent checkpoint and is a fairly generous system. There is no combat, although occasionally the brothers encounter enemies that will kill and must be dealt with in some fashion.

The puzzles are also simple and essentially boil down to discovering how to deal with each situation with both brothers. The puzzles themselves are quite varied and is easier to just list some examples:

• Using both brothers to push or rotate an object aside by interacting with it
• Fending off attackers with fire, and moving both forward inside in the circle of light; using the brother with the torch to 'interact' and wave the torch at the attackers.
• Separating the brothers so one can perform an action that allows the other to proceed.

Its seemed to me that 'solving' the puzzles was not the primary point, but more the experience using two separate controllable entities. I found solving the problems in Brothers satisfying in a different way than standard puzzle games.

Graphically the game is not intensive and the camera is mostly fixed in an isometric point of view. As mentioned before, the art style is impressive and appropriate. The characters travel through a varied landscape and each area shows evidence of thoughtful design. Nice visual touches such as ripples on water or footprints in snow all help add to the feeling of adventure. Throughout the game the player will discover benches where the brothers can sit down and the camera pans to show the overall scenery. As well as indicating the next step of the journey, the benches presents a nice opportunity to admire the visuals.

Puzzles combine art style, story and control schemes

The spoken language is gibberish, but voice tone still conveys emotion. Mostly this works fine when it sticks to short and punchy 'conversation'. The music is not memorable, but plays a huge role in establishing the atmosphere. Sound effects are solid and appropriate too.

It is an excellent PC version with constant 60FPS, (very brief frame slowdown when loading a new area). Although it has keyboard and mouse controls, it just is not that kind of game and that is fine, not all games have to play with them (looking at you, elitist PC gamers). I encountered some small visual bugs once or twice, but nothing worth detailing.

Wrap Up & Negatives

I feel Brothers is an example of a game where brevity is detrimental. Since this is a very story-driven experience, the shortness of the campaign (two and a bit hours) resulted in a lack of personal investment for me. More time was needed to flesh out character and drama. As the game jumps straight into "mother has died, and now father is sick too. Go quest!", we are given no time to get to know the characters and become emotionally involved in their story. This is what I call 'textbook' emotional story telling: we are being told that the situation is sad, which is not the same as genuinely feeling sad.

For me this then came to a pinnacle with the ending, which I can't discuss much because of spoilers. The game was going through the standard ways emotion is manipulated, but I felt like I was being told what I should be feeling. Perhaps this was furthered by the gibberish language and maybe some actual dialogue would have helped. 

Feel something!

I do not consider the unconventional control scheme a negative (although some might). Whilst it is very immersion breaking to have one brother run continuously into a wall because of a momentary player lapse, the controls fit the game perfectly. In fact Brothers is the only example I can think of where a game's mechanics actually contributes to the story, which is an exceptional accomplishment (I don't count Spec Ops: The Line's "controls are bad because war is bad" thing).

Personally

I find myself at odds with the majority of the reviews which highlight the emotional impact of the title. I found Brothers interesting, but I disagree that this game comes close to the emotional power of say, The Walking Dead. I wonder whether in an age of many emotionless releases, people tend towards over-enthusiasm for titles that moved them only a little. I cried at the end of The Walking Dead (even on a second play-through), but experienced nothing like that here.

Because my reviews split games into components (story, gameplay, etc) I do a disservice to this title. The true worth of Brothers is how well it combines all game elements into a singular experience. That alone would be enough for a recommendation, but the fact that it is also a good game makes it a 'must play' title. It was fun. It looked nice. And I liked it a lot.

Luigi's Mansion 2: Dark Moon

The Title Screen

Introduction
Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon (or Luigi's Mansion 2) is an action-adventure title from Next Level Games. Released in 2013 for the 3DS, it features singleplayer and multiplayer modes. This review is on the singleplayer campaign only.

Disclaimer : Since it is not possible for me to take acceptable screenshots on the 3DS, I have obtained pictures from the internets. I will link to the original source, and I thank those I have taken them from.

The First Thing

Since this is my first game for the 3DS XL I have to be careful not to mix in my first impressions of the device. But it has been a while since I've played a contemporary Nintendo title, and the familiar warmth and appeal of the characters/situation was immediately noticeable; Luigi in particular. Unfortunately, the opening moments of the game were then ruined a little by the incessant interruptions of E.Gadd. Perhaps a less constantly intrusive tutorial concept would have worked better.

Plot & Devices

Professor E.Gadd lives in Evershade Valley, with friendly ghosts whom he studies. However all goes wrong when the King Boo arrives and shatters the Dark Moon; covering the land in fog and turning the ghosts evil. Meanwhile, as Luigi is enjoying a nice sleep he is woken by the Professor and summoned against his will through the television to E.Gadd's secret bunker. From there Luigi will be sent out into the various mansions of the valley to capture ghosts, find missing pieces of the Dark Moon and investigate why this has happened.

Professor E.Gadd & Luigi
from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/

The plot is quite typically 'Nintendo Adventure Game'-esque: something has been shattered, or taken and must be retrieved. The story is not complicated and Luigi's Mansion 2 relies more on its gameplay and characters to keep the pace moving. The effort placed into animating and giving personality to Luigi is especially praiseworthy. Presented as a long-suffering 'everyman', he is resigned to his fate of saving the world, all the while being absolutely terrified of anything unexpected or spooky. Professor E.Gadd on the other hand is a genius, but amoral, scientist; with no qualms about sending others to sort out the mess. 

The story is mostly advanced through direct exposition from the Professor, either between levels or through the DS-Phone device. Since the ultimate villain is revealed to the player from the start of the game, but is unknown to the Luigi and the Professor, we are essentially waiting for the characters to catch up. Occasionally the King Boo can be seen in the background, but it takes the main characters most of the game to deduce what is happening. Despite the spooky subject matter, there are no horror elements to the story or game.

The Game

The core gameplay falls under the vague 'action-adventure' description. Set in 3D, the player will spend a large amount of time exploring the rooms of each mansion; either for quest items, hidden collectables, or just from curiosity. Keys and locked doors usually act to gate level progress, and sometimes the path is blocked by puzzles. The only platforming elements come in the form of simple spring-jump moments, or balancing beams where the orientation of the 3DS is used to maintain balance.

The overall level design is a quite unusual. There are five mansions, or zones. Instead of standard linear progression, the player will return to the same mansion each time. Each new visit usually opens up areas of the mansion, but the player is usually able to revisit all previous rooms. This is often the only way to find all the collectibles, and the Boos in particular, from previously visited rooms. The 3DS lower screen shows a map that shows objectives, as well as access to the current mission log.

Ghost Capturing
from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luigi's_Mansion:_Dark_Moon

Combat purely consists of capturing ghosts. This basic formula applies to all encounters: flash the torch to stun, then 'start sucking' with the Poltergeist 5000. The combat variety comes in how the different ghosts behave. Many become invisible, some hide inside objects, some protect their faces making them immune to stuns. When in the grips of the Poltergeist 5000, Ghosts will generally attempt to flee and if
moving in the opposite direction causes the Poltergeist 5000 to start building power. Upon a certain level of power, the player can unleash a small period of great suction. Ghosts have a 'health' number that depletes during suction and are defeated on reaching 0.

The difficulty comes in later levels with the many different types of ghost. The player will have to choose when to 'suck' and when to avoid enemies, since taking damage breaks any hold on ghosts the player has. Enemies telegraph their attacks and more than one ghost can be stunned and 'sucked on' at once, providing additional rewards if successful. The suction function is used for many other elements as well, such as picking up objects, or removing wallpaper/rugs/curtains etc for puzzles, or secrets. The normal torch is also used for opening certain doors by flashing their light sensor. It can also be used to turn critters into gold. The Poltergeist 5000 can 'blow', but this does not really serve much purpose except for a few sections.

As well as the suction and normal torch, Luigi also possesses a rainbow-projecting torch to uncover invisible objects. Upon locating such an object, floating blue orbs appear and must be sucked up quickly in order to permanently reveal it. There are not many indicators that an object is hidden. Sometimes there is a shadow, but most of the time the player either must remember from previous visits or deduce from the surrounding environment.

Many problems are solved with light
from : http://www.eurogamer.net/

The player receives a score at the end of each level broken down by time, health lost, number of ghosts sucked and gold acquired. Each mansion has a series of collectible gems that are hidden away, often behind puzzles. Each level also has a 'boo' ghost that can only be revealed and fought with the rainbow torch. Finding the boos in all levels unlocks a time trial version of the whole mansion. If all health is lost, the entire level must be restarted; unless a hidden golden bone object has been discovered. Each room has many interactable objects that may or may not possess rewards. There are five set upgrades to the Poltergeist 5000 that are unlocked with gold.

The graphical quality is high, with a lot of effort placed into character animations. I would describe the art style as the fairly typical cell-shaded style associated with Mario games. The level environment deserves special mention as much time has been spent on making each room feel complete and nice looking. The sound is excellent, and the voice (limited though it may be) has charm and emotion. The controls felt more or less suitable, although I feel that a button press for autorun is outdated; especially with an analogue stick available. The title is polished and I only encountered two gameplay bugs where I performed a task unexpected by the collision engine.


Wrap Up & Negatives
I started to become annoyed with the level design and how it interacted with the scoring system. Neither is bad individually, but combined they create an atmosphere of obsessive re-visiting. It starts to feel like a grind. It is of course completely optional but the scoring system at the end of each level makes you feel you are not playing properly. Normally I am really quite fond of the "check every cupboard, box, drawer, etc. in a room" style of game but even I found the notion of looking through every room of a house for a 5th time too much.

The scoring system is also vague. Luigi's Mansion 2 handles in-level collectibles quite well, but the requirements for the 'score medals' at the end of each level are hidden. Makes it difficult to work out what aspect you should improve on to get the next medal. Since there are only five set upgrades, collecting gold suddenly becomes a bit pointless 3/4 through the game. On the first playthrough the player will find that levels suddenly end and I found myself purposefully avoiding anything I thought might end the level in order to continue exploring.

I am not sure how I feel about the 'golden bone' life system. On the one hand, I quite like the idea of having to find each level's 'extra life', but on the other hand dying without it forces an entire level restart. Given that a level can take upwards of 30/40 minutes if you are the exploring/committed type, this sorely hurts and is too extreme a punishment. It took me 15 hours to complete, but I had to redo two levels and a lot of time was 'wasted' on re-exploring empty rooms.


Personally
I had a lot of fun with the game. It has so much charm. Although the story and characters are not especially deep, the whole tone is warm and appealing. I thought the cute little 'Greenie' ghosts in particular were fantastic; some of the best characters to appear in a Nintendo game to be sure.

I just wish they'd been a little more creative with the level design. After a while the concept of thoroughly re-checking each available room again became too much for me. The lack of checkpoints and one life may put some players off, but despite all this, Luigi's Mansion 2 was a great game. The indefinable Nintendo charm comes together with solid and enjoyable mechanics to provide a really fun experience. A lovely title, definitely worthy of your time.

Charge!
from: http://nintendo.wikia.com/