News: Humble Bundle 7 Gets 3 New Games

That's right, even more reasons to buy the thing you already had SO many reasons to buy!

You too can receive an email just like this one by signing up at www.humblebundle.com

Despite already boasting the likes of Legend of Grimrock and Closure, the folks over at Humble Bundle clearly felt that their latest-offering could do with an extra helping of brilliance (it is Christmas, after all). Thus, for the next five days, you can get your hands on not only these great games, but three extra titles too. These bonus games, as mentioned in the earlier article, are locked behind the average price barrier (which just happens to be $6.52 at the time of writing), but anyone who already bought the bundle gets them absolutely free regardless of the price you paid. 

So what are you getting? Let's begin with Offspring Fling - this one-man creation perfectly emulates the look and feel of the great puzzle platformers of yesteryear. Featuring over 100 levels, an art style reminiscent of the SNES era, and some of the cutest pixelated critters you ever did see, it's already worth more than the asking-price. Next up there's Cave Story+, the critically-acclaimed 'Metroidvania' homage. A true platforming-adventure echoing the style of 8-bit classics, while injecting just the right amount of modernity, with a soundtrack that is, quite frankly, aural gold. Finally, and perhaps most interestingly, we have The Basement Collection; an assortment of Flash games created by none other than Edmund McMillen (yes, he's certainly getting a lot of coverage in this particular bundle). The collection features Meat Boy, Aether, Coil, Spewer, Triachnid, Grey-Matter and Time Fcuk, along with a whole mess of unlockable content. If you haven't heard of some of those titles then don't worry, I haven't either, but since they're from the mind of the man who gave us Super Meat Boy and The Binding of Isaac I'm eager to check them out.

So Humble Bundle 7 gets even better and frankly I can't think of a single person I couldn't recommend it too. More great games have been added to an already fantastic collection, and you've only got a few days left so please do get at it. It'll certainly be a little while before another package like this comes along so I'd encourage everyone to take advantage while you can. Expect more reviews of the Bundle games in the coming days. 

Review: Snapshot

World Press winner or Facebook profile pic?

Imagine how useful this would be in real life

If I were to list the modern trends I find most frustrating then obsessive photography would have to be near the top. These days, everyone and their mum seems to find it necessary to assemble a digital catalogue of their daily goings-on, with budding photographers the world over force-feeding us countless, frozen captures of their lives on a constant basis. Perhaps in an effort to satirise our snap-happy society, Snapshot--the latest in the long line of puzzling-platform-puzzle-platformers--is entirely-focused around a magical camera, with the ability to store real-world objects inside photographs, and re-distribute them about the world as you please.

This wondrous ability is one that, as you might imagine, can be used in all sorts of inventive ways and Snapshot makes great use of its core mechanic, quickly building up from straightforward crate-stacking to reflex-based mid-air photography, throwing a wide range of hazards and tricks in your face as the game progresses, and even incorporating the laws of momentum to create some truly devilish late stages. The difficulty curve is an important factor of any puzzler, and I'm pleased to report that developer Retro Affect succeed with aplomb in this respect, the game ratchets up the challenge at a fine pace, and no two puzzles out of the near one hundred on offer are ever quite the same.

Along with an impressive number of levels, the game features acres of replayability for those who care to indulge. Each level has stars to collect, a hidden item to photograph, and a par time to beat. I wish I could tell you what all of this unlocks, if anything, but the secret items are, at times, concealed amongst the narrowest of pixels, while the par times are very tough to better, often demanding absolute precision from the game's less-than-absolutely precise controls. In any case, I personally haven't felt a strong enough inclination to seek everything out, but this stuff is there and suffice it to say, it's a completionist's dream (or nightmare, depending how you see it). Whether or not you'll summon the desire to seek these secrets out and grind out lightning-fast times is perhaps besides the point; the designers must be commended for including so much relevant content.

Look at all those lovely medals to nab and secrets to collect

Unfortunately, it isn't just the puzzles and par times that'll dish out a dose of frustration. The controls can hardly be labelled poor but in this sort of game, where pinpoint accuracy is often required to complete the more intricate stages, and the slightest misplaced jump or photograph will lead to certain death, it's a real shame that the controls so often fail to live up to the game around them. The system itself couldn't be more intuitive; guide your little robot Pic about with the keyboard while flying the camera around the world and snapping pictures with the mouse. It's a fine example of smart design, and testament to the talent at Retro Affect, but it simply isn't refined to a high enough standard here. The annoyance I felt each time the mouse decided to seemingly triple its sensitivity as I sought to carefully rotate a photograph to the correct angle, or the anxiety I'd experience just before the last jump of a level in case I hadn't quite judged it right and fell to my doom wouldn't have been so bad if it didn't occur so often. 

As you can imagine, there's a fine sense of injustice and frustration after you've spent time solving a level's puzzle, particularly some of the more difficult stages that require some very tight timing, and then find yourself in a fail state and forced to restart the whole darn thing after one little mistake that you don't really feel was your fault. It's an unfortunate issue that one feels could've been solved quite easily with an undo button or checkpoint system. Luckily, each level is a relatively concise, bite-size chunk; it never really takes too long to redo one's progress, especially after you've sussed the puzzle, and there's usually a wide choice of available stages to jump into, so if anything gets too frustrating you can always come back to it later. This stuff helps to hide the game's issues, but not erase them, and it simply has to be said that your temper will endure some gratuitous trying times throughout your Snapshot experience.

Visually, the game can be taken in one of two ways. On the positive side, I could mention the way it reminded me of classic Kirby, with a simplistic, yet colourful and tidy composition. The environments are hardly original, but pleasant to traverse and there's enough variation in design to keep things from getting too stale. It's a somewhat refreshing change of palette in a genre dominated by obscure styles, like the harsh monochromatism of Limbo or Closure. On the other hand I can say that at least games like those, and even more colourful fare like Braid or Fez, have looks that ooze personality, granting them the distinction of a memorable identity. Snapshot unfortunately falls victim to a look more reminiscent of an online flash game than the hefty competition it's up against, with the game's charming tunes similarly cute and polished, but quickly forgettable.  

Some of the trickier levels include snapping objects in mid-flight and re-directing them

Shall we discuss the story? ... Did you enjoy that discussion? Simply put, there's only the faintest scrap of plot meat on this game's bones, and you can more or less see why; just as with the sound and music, the designers frankly didn't seem to be focusing their efforts on giving this game much more than its puzzles. Okay, that's a little harsh; there are a few cut-scenes that go some way to tying everything together, but let's not kid ourselves, the focus here is almost entirely on gameplay, and seeing as how this thing is a video game after all, we have to be grateful for that much. I'd be the first person to tell you that even these days, not every title needs a rich, expansive universe with engaging characters and award-winning writing, particularly games like this. It's simply a shame that the developers appear to have made little to no meaningful effort in compensating for the game's absence of plot, the result being a wholly, for lack of a better word, ordinary experience; deficient in any particular charisma or personality.

Perhaps if the gameplay were just a smidgen tighter, if the look were a tad more striking, if the game just had a bit more of something about it, then a recommendation would be far easier to make. That's not to say I can't advise you check this one out; it's perfectly enjoyable and if you like these sort of games then there's literally hours of brain-teasing fun to be had, the presentation is simple but not at all bad, and in spite of a few troubles, the gameplay itself is more than adequate. On the whole, Snapshot is quite honestly a fine video game, but not a special one. An abundance of content helps to recompense for the game's dearth of character, and if you desire nothing more than a light-puzzler with fairly tight controls, smart mechanics, and a whole lot of stuff to do then it's hard not to recommend Snapshot. Simultaneously, it's not hard to recommend a whole host of games that more or less do what it does, but better.

News: Humble Bundle 7

Great games, great cause, Grimrock, what else do you need?

Head over to www.humblebundle.com to buy now!

Well, it's that time of the year and what better way to treat yourself or a loved than with a bundle of great games, soundtracks, a documentary, and a donation to a good cause all wrapped up in one. We're now onto the seventh numbered Humble Bundle, and it's one of the best so far; a veritable stocking full of goodies to keep any gamer more than occupied over the holiday season.

For anyone unaware, a Humble Bundle is a collection of games--usually indie games but sometimes otherwise--music albums, or eBooks. Mostly games though. It's the games we care about here. This collection is then offered on a pay-what-you-want basis for a limited time, with certain games or extras being locked behind an average price barrier, and more content usually added over time. Not only that, but all of the money you choose to donate can then be distributed, again by you, however you like amongst the developers, the Humble Bundle operators themselves, and various charities. Pretty awesome, right? I know!

So, back we go to this particular bundle and let's take a look what's inside. For now--since the bundles usually grow over time--we have six games, five of which include their respective soundtrack, and the award-winning documentary Indie Game: The Movie, along with its soundtrack. Two of the games are locked behind the average price barrier which is around $6 at the time of writing. You have until the end of December to buy, and any donations over $1 grant you Steam keys for all your games. 

This is Grimrock. It's worth more than twice the average price of the Bundle. Purchase justified.

Speaking of the games, let's take a closer look at those on offer. We've got what I would, so far, deem one of the highlights of the package in the form of The Binding of Isaac plus its Wrath of the Lamb DLC; a surprisingly deep, top-down, roguelike game from Edmund McMillen (co-creator of Super Meat Boy) and friends. The game has a fantastic art-style, a sick sense of humour, and countless loot-filled, randomly-generated dungeons to plunder. The fact that the DLC is included here is more than a welcome bonus since it includes a shocking amount of new content that expands your Binding of Isaac experience in the best possible way; more goodies to find and more bosses to fight. Up next there's Snapshot, yet another of those 2D platform-puzzlers that garners cries of "Ooh that's clever!" from anyone who tries it. I've not played much so far, but it's cute, clever and convivial, with a nicely-managed difficulty curve and some smart mechanics. Closure, winner of the 2012 Indie Game Challenge, is in fact yet another of those puzzle-platformers. Yet with an eerie, monochromatic art-style, almost 100 challenging puzzles to solve, and some very unique light manipulation techniques, this one looks a little bit special. The last of the games that isn't locked behind the average price is Shank 2, Klei Entertainment's sequel to their smash-hit, side-scrolling stab-em-up. New weapons, fresh multiplayer, and plenty of brutal shanking ensure that if you enjoyed the first game, you'll find lots to love here.

The two 'bonus' games are Legend of Grimrock and Dungeon Defenders with its DLC. The former; an old-school, grid-based dungeon crawler with beautiful graphics and some inventive puzzling. The latter; a multiplayer-focused, tower defense action RPG, and yes I agree these long-named sub-genres are getting rather silly nowadays. Suffice it to say that all six of these games seem more than worth your time, every one of them has received some degree of critical acclaim and I think they're all worth a try. The only thing left to discuss is Indie Game: The Movie; it's an award-winning documentary, highly relevant to the Humble Bundle, charting the efforts and toils of several independent video game developers including the likes of Phil Fish (Fez) and Edmund McMillen. Frankly, I'm no movie reviewer but it's an incredibly well-assembled piece of film that should be of great interest to anyone with a passion for the game industry, offering an extensive look behind the scenes of indie development and shedding some humanising, and at times harrowing light on the creators themselves.

So there you have it, Humble Bundle 7 is available now for a very limited time, and I'd encourage every gamer to treat themselves or a friend to a few extra Christmas presents. I'll be playing each of the games and reviewing most over the coming days, but frankly I can already recommend a purchase. Supposing you were to pay the average price, the games you're getting are exceedingly good value for money, with the movie and soundtracks being welcome and valuable additions themselves. Not to mention that if you buy early, you'll receive any additional games absolutely free of charge, and I'm sure the bundle guys are feeling pretty generous this time of year.

Round 2: Fight!

Let's play some games!

Well, it's as simple as that really. After a far-too-lengthy yet eventful absence, I have returned. I'm ready to game, write, and... well that's about it actually; gaming and writing are the only two things that really matter to this blog. Before we get started though, I have to own up to what I've done. I've been away from the site for nearly half a year and we can't just pretend like nothing happened, so let's do this.

So, you know how this sort of thing goes; first I issue an apology, followed swiftly by a smorgasbord of excuses. Thus, I am genuinely sorry to have been away for so long, I feel that I have let myself down along with anyone who reads the blog. It was, and remains my aspiration and intention to eventually do this sort of thing professionally, and personally I'm very disappointed to have gone over five months without posting a darn thing here. The reasons are many, but primarily I've spent much of the second half of 2012 relocating to a new country, studying, and writing towards other projects. However, even reasons like those cannot excuse such an extensive absence, I simply wasn't managing my time effectively and plan to correct that forthwith. Frankly this little blog is very important to me and I've missed it in the time I've been away. I would happily apologise more thoroughly, but I feel that actions speak louder than words, or perhaps in this case words speak louder than... different words. Basically I plan on writing a lot to make up for lost time. Got it? Cool.

Fortunately for all concerned (that's you and me), I've still been gaming away during this period of truancy and have a lot to talk about. I'm making no promises but remain very optimistic and determined to post plenty of content over the coming weeks/months/units of time. Some of it will most-likely be incredibly outdated at this point; there's a Rayman Origins review I've had sitting in draft for almost a year, but as long as I'm happy with my work then quality content is quality content so I'll stick it up on the site. I'll try to keep the majority as relevant as possible though.

Thanks again for visiting and reading, and all that's left to say is watch this space!

Review: The Walking Dead: Episode 1 - A New Day

The Talking Dead?

Plants vs Zombies vs Some Moody Humans

At this point, you'd have to be pretty far removed from society to be unaware of The Walking Dead in one form or another. Robert Kirkman's Eisnar Award-winning zombie comic series, thanks in no small part to AMC's hugely successful TV adaptation, has quickly become the most popular go-to source for post-apocalyptic fiction fans worldwide. The question of whether or not the slower-paced, character-driven nature of The Walking Dead's universe could translate to a video game began to be posed, and Telltale stepped up to answer. Thus came the first in a line of episodic adventure games. Or, maybe action adventure? Then again, there's an awful lot of dialogue too, but there aren't really many puzzles. So, I'd say what we've got here is a Role-Playing, Action Adventure, Post-Apocalyptic Interactive Story. Thank heaven for sub-genres, eh?

Yes, I did say "Interactive Story" and no that shouldn't be read as "This isn't a video game", it should simply serve as a note of guidance regarding the real nature of this title. A New Day has almost everything you could expect from the recent line of action-oriented Telltale adventures, and for anyone unfamiliar, allow me to break it down; the game is completely driven by its story. It endeavours to present you with superb writing, well-developed characters, and a captivating narrative, and expects these to be your primary motivators, your reasons to see the game through to the end. This game is its story. It's a story that can play out in all sorts of ways, depending on you, your decisions and the actions you take. Yes, our old friend "Moral Choice" makes yet another somewhat indifferent guest appearance on this particular episode, naturally his buddy "Branching Storyline" stars alongside him. Many, Telltale included, have touted the game's huge sense of choice and consequence, and while we'll have to wait a little while to see how these choices really affect how things play out in the long run, there's plenty of reason for any fans of moral dilemmas to get excited. Without spoiling anything, there are no less than five major decisions throughout the first episode, by which I mean choices that impressively impact the way it unfolds, and encourage a great deal of replayability for those who want to see the various paths the story can take. Replaying the game is probably something you'll want to do, especially if you want to see some value for your purchase, since it's only around ninety minutes long, if you take your time.

The chunky outline art-style is heavily-inspired by the comic, and looks wonderful in motion

Impressively, A New Day's choice and consequence system extends beyond those major decisions. Almost every action you take and nearly everything you say seems to have an effect one way or another. Be hostile to those you meet, and perhaps they'll be less inclined to help you. Ask how a guy's family are doing, and he'll remember that you took an interest. It's hard to really say how much each individual line of dialogue truly affects proceedings, but the game does a decent job of making you choose your words carefully, allowing you to incite both friendship and enmity in those you meet depending on the things you say, and the way in which you conduct yourself. For now, we can only hope that Telltale make good on their promises and truly do reward players with some genuine repercussions in later episodes. If the first is anything to go by, we can certainly indulge in a little optimism for the future.

Choice is all well and good, but there's something far more important that must always go hand-in-hand with it, a question you have to ask yourself any time one of these opportunities presents itself and you, as an embodier of a role, as a director of the action, or simply as a guy or girl playing a video game, must answer the question, "Do I care?" It's not hard for games to force us to make choices, we make them all the time, "Should I pick up this shotgun?" "Shall I fight as Ryu or Ken?" "Man City or Barcelona?" "Squirtle or Charmander?" Choice is everywhere in video games--albeit presented in very different ways--but making us care about the choice enough to pause for thought, giving us a compulsion to deliberate over our actions and consider their consequences; that's the tricky part. I'm happy to say that, at least from a personal perspective, A New Day gets more right than wrong, but results and impressions will naturally vary from player to player. It's an entirely subjective matter and will depend solely on how well you can resonate with the characters, how much you care about the story, and the mindset with which you approach the game. It's clear to see that your choices will have visible, tangible effects in the world, and if that's enough to compel you then you'll enjoy this game. If you're one of those who require something more, you might find it a little trickier to engage with A New Day. The story isn't exceptionally well-written, most of the characters never really have the space to develop since there are simply too many of them and not enough time to know them all. Plus, well, you're part of a fractured group of survivors in a zombie-ridden world; the nature of this genre, combined with the universe in which the game is set, coerce the plot in a very obvious direction along a well-worn path. Thus, the choices you must make are predictable, and you can expect very few surprises from A New Day.

So, this is pretty cool right here

As I said before, this game is its story, thus I won't spoil any of it here. Suffice it to say that this is fairly traditional zombie fare, or to be even more specific, this feels like an episode pulled straight from the TV show. Not one of the most memorable or impactful ones unfortunately, and considering its relatively short run-time, it's almost baffling how the episode manages to feel so cluttered, as though one too many zombie clichés have been crammed in. I can appreciate Telltale's willingness to draw-in players with this opener for the series, and demonstrate their moral choice system as much as possible, but perhaps they were a little overeager. It saddens me to say the game reached a point where I couldn't help but bemoan the lack of originality, as I stumbled into yet another of those tired scenarios you can find in virtually every zombie movie ever made. These scenes are clearly meant to have an emotional impact, but by the later stages of the game, it's hard to really care about things you've seen done much better elsewhere many times before. The genre naturally places limits on drama; there are only so many situations writers can conceive in such circumstances, A New Day conclusively proves this concept with an almost embarrassingly "zombie by numbers" plot. However, that's not to say the story isn't without its merits. Your character meets a little girl very early on in the game, and the relationship the pair share serves as a fine emotional hook to drive the plot along, and is easily one of the game's strengths. Whether you want to take on the role of father figure, or be an insensitive jerk is entirely up to you, but I'd wager most players will at least feel a bond with the girl. I found myself going out of my way to check up on her at any opportunity, and experienced genuine dread at the prospect of her coming to even the slightest harm. At least a couple of other characters have enough weight to them that you'll feel at least some degree of emotion towards them, and most of the scenes, despite being a little old hat, are very stylishly presented.

It's fair to say that dialogue makes up a good 75% of A New Day, but when you're not chatting away, there's a decent little bit of game to play. Telltale have experimented with more action-oriented adventures for some time now, with varying degrees of success (Yes, Jurassic Park sucked, but Back to the Future was alright!), but here, finally, there's plenty of evidence on display to suggest they are becoming masters of their craft. Quick-time events aside, the action scenes are very nicely done, often instilling a startling sense of panic as you race against an on-screen timer to play your part in the drama. The game never transforms into full-on third-person shooter, but you'll do your fair share of zombie-killing, and the encounters with the undead serve as welcome adrenaline-shots between the low-key dialogue and "puzzle" sections. I say "puzzle" because these "puzzles" really aren't puzzles at all, they're much more "puzzling" than puzzling, if you know what I mean. In traditional adventure game style, everything can be solved by clicking all over the screen until something happens, not that you'll really need to resort to such antics, since everything is fairly obvious and in plain sight. There's no combining socks with apples to fish a diamond necklace from the bottom of a well here; it's all very straightforward. As stated, time and again, A New Day is so much more about its story and characters above all else. The story must keep moving, and if you were forced to dwell in areas too long, backtracking from room to room searching for objects and clues, it really would break up the narrative. This will undoubtedly serve as a point of contention for some, but I think in this case the game certainly benefits from a more simplistic style, with the action and dialogue exchanges more than making up for any puzzle-deficiency.

Behold, the emotional power of a little girl in a cute cap 

The game runs perfectly well, for the most part, but I did encounter several issues with the audio; at times it would break up, go out of sync, or simply not play at all. Unfortunately, I'd be remiss not to cast light on some of A New Day's other difficulties. Naturally, linearity is to be expected in a game like this, but Telltale unnecessarily force this lack of freedom right down your throat in some pretty unappetising ways throughout. Upon reaching a house, I attempt to walk around it only to hear my character's inner monologue: "Maybe I should check inside that house first before carrying on!" Upon reaching the denouement of the story, invisible walls force me to talk to every character in the area, in the order the game wants. There's one major decision in the game where you're asked to choose between action A and action B--yes, this is as spoiler-free as it gets, people--yet I chose to simply wait out the timer and ignore both options A and B, a choice that the game let me make. Later on, when presented with an almost identical scenario, a scenario where logically I could very easily repeat my expression of neutrality and ignore actions A and B, the game refused to allow it, treating me to a game over screen after I thought I'd made my decision. A choice system is surely intrinsically flawed when the game seems to pick and choose your degree of freedom in whatever manner it feels. I can readily accept that, especially in a game that offers so much choice, it would be both selfish and unreasonable to demand more options, but all I ask for is a little consistency. There's also a few issues with characters seeming to forget the choices I made; a man referred to me as the girl's father despite having informed him, only moments before, that I was her babysitter; a woman thanked me for rescuing her son when I'd done nothing of the sort. These are minor gripes, but they all break immersion, the antithesis of a video game's intentions, and could all have been solved with a little more care and subtlety.

Faithfully interpreting a cult phenomenon in any medium is never an easy task, and Telltale must be commended for giving it a damn good try. The atmosphere, the emotion, the sense of small victories in a desperate struggle for survival: all are aspects of the Walking Dead universe that they have captured and presented as a video game almost effortlessly. It's a shame then that in their pursuit to maintain the comic's spirit, Telltale forgot to add any of their own. They appear to have tried too hard in some respects, and not hard enough in others, resulting in a curiously bittersweet melange of solid yet formulaic storytelling, entertaining yet wanting gameplay, and emotive yet vacuous characters. There's a lot to love and a lot to hate about A New Day. On the one hand, it does almost everything one could have expected from a Walking Dead adventure game, on the other, maybe that's not quite enough.

For the purposes of this review, the PC version of the game was played.

Review: Shadows of the Damned

One hell of a game.

Meet Garcia Hotspur, this is how he says hello

The terms ‘Supergroup’ and ‘Dream Team’ can very rarely be applied to the game industry, but they were the only words on my mind when I heard of the combination of forces that had been assembled at Grasshopper Manufacture. You’ve got the unmatched creativity and wit of the enigmatic Suda51, the arguable godfather of Survival Horror - Shinji Mikami, and Silent Hill’s musical mastermind Akira Yamaoka; their powers combined could only lead to one of the greatest games of our time, with unbridled innovation, stellar gameplay, and a top-notch soundtrack to boot, surely? Well, maybe not quite. The result of their collective talents, Shadows of the Damned, is a great game that does a lot more right than wrong, but isn’t quite the seminal masterpiece some of us had, perhaps a little optimistically, hoped it might be.

Of all the plaudits I could throw at Grasshopper Manufacture—and there are many—the one thing I admire most about the company is their creativity. Games like Killer7 and No More Heroes didn’t redefine genres but brought so many fresh ideas, off-the-wall hooks, and such an exceptional brand of humour that they felt like whole new experiences when compared to their rivals. Shadows of the Damned perhaps strays a little closer to the line of familiarity, feeling more or less like most other third-person shooters out there, but still retains enough charm, wit, and outrageous nonsense that serve to make Grasshopper games completely unique.

If I was making a case for "Why this game is cool", this'd be Exhibit A

The game opens at a pretty blistering pace and refuses to let up till after the credits roll. The scene is quickly set, our hero Garcia Hotspur loses his girlfriend to Fleming, the foul-mouthed, six-eyed Lord of the Underworld, and like any good boyfriend and proud demon hunter, Garcia, along with his buddy Johnson, must battle the hordes of Hell to save her. Thus begins a roughly 6-8 hour journey, or 'road movie' to cite the game's grindhouse stylisation, across the realms of oblivion, shooting a whole mess of demons, lighting up a host of goat heads, and collecting an awful lot of strawberries. Yes, as you’ll remember from earlier on, this game is made by Grasshopper, and despite SotD’s relative conformity when compared to their other titles, the developer’s taste for wonderfully obscure touches has rarely been more evident.

Garcia Hotspur, more or less a Mexican Dante drenched in tattoos, has the right to go down as one of this generation’s best new heroes. He’s a cocky, self-assured, supernaturally talented demon killer who loves what he does and is damn good at it. The guy could happily kill ‘hell monkeys’ 24/7, and a few times early on in the story his unwavering confidence might surprise you. We expect these sorts of protagonists to be fearless, but Garcia takes it to whole new levels. He’s the sort of supercool personality you can only find in video games and 80s action flicks; the ultimate badass who sees the ugliest, nastiest thing in the world speeding right at him, and doesn’t even flinch. At the outset of the game, he’s a character you may struggle to relate to, throwing out some pretty corny one-liners and cringeworthy innuendo; but as the game goes on, and his buddy relationship with the other central character Johnson begins to grow, you really may begin to love Garcia Hotspur. Speaking of Johnson, the English-accented, curiously cowardly flaming skull, who also acts as your weapons, motorbike and torch, provides plenty of the game’s humour, and is similarly one of gaming’s standout characters of recent times.

Can't say I'd battle the hordes of Hell for her myself, but Garcia digs the eye thing

As with a lot of Shadows of the Damned, in the early going the relationship between our heroes seems a little odd, as though you’re jumping into a TV season halfway through and catching a particularly rough episode, but as the game progresses everything begins to feel a lot more natural. The chemistry between the pair grows more and more over time, and the voice work behind the duo must be commended, along with the writing on the whole. For a game that gleefully throws so many awful d--- jokes at you, it sure does manage to seem cleverly written at times. And for every line of corny innuendo, there’ll be another of genuinely exquisite humour. As an example, you’ll occasionally stumble on storybooks scattered about this hellish oblivion, and, in a somewhat detached break from the action, you can elect to hear Garcia and/or Johnson read the story aloud, throwing in their own colourful commentary as they go. Normally I doubt I’d be able to muster the patience to put down my controller and listen to a game read me a story, but after hearing the first one, I couldn’t help but seek out and enjoy every other book in the game. The stories themselves are amusing and again, very well-written, but it’s the way our protagonists read and remark upon them that really brings the humour to life. Little touches like this, along with the countless hit-and-miss one-liners the pair trade throughout the game, lead to an obscure but highly entertaining double act between Johnson and Garcia, and by the end of the game they feel like much deeper, well-developed characters than you could have imagined at the outset.

So the story, characters, and general aesthetic are solid, but how does it play? Well, maybe this is the part where Shadows of the Damned starts to break down. The game is much more run-and-gun third-person shooter than anything resembling survival horror, and the actual act of shooting, while perfectly competent, never quite feels particularly satisfying. The over-the-shoulder perspective and controls are taken straight from the likes of Dead Space, and the guns themselves are certainly well-designed, with a variety of increasingly powerful weaponry unlocking as you go, granting a sense of progression to proceedings. All the ingredients for excellent gunplay are here, but in practice it just doesn’t quite live up to expectations. The guns lack that sort of punch you’ll find elsewhere, the shooting itself never seems as fun as it should be, and even the boss battles, for all their grandeur, rely on traditional and tired mechanics that seem unbefitting of the studio’s aspirations of innovation. It’s as though there’s some intangible piece of third-person action, some sprinkling of magic that games like Gears of War 3 and Resident Evil 5 have been privy to, but Shadows of the Damned missed out on. Unfortunately, it seems like one of those games that just isn’t too great at being a game. So much of the overall package is brilliant, from the story, to the sound, to the writing, with all of these aspects demonstrating a fastidious nature in the game’s development team. Plenty of Shadows is so well made, that I can recommend it regardless, but the part where you have to sit down and play this game, for all its variety and genuinely smart design, remains decidedly underwhelming. It’s an unfortunate truth that simply can’t be ignored.

Shooting isn't great, but it sure looks pretty

So how do goats and strawberries factor into all this? Well the game plays with the dichotomy of light and dark in some varied, if rather simple ways. Areas blanketed in darkness are much more dangerous, as the enemies therein will be invincible, and Garcia will gradually lose health if he spends too much time in the dark. As such, the only natural solution is to light up the area by any means necessary, which usually means shooting one of the numerous goat heads dotted about the place with a special light shot—goat heads of course being the Underworld’s primary light source. Once an area is illuminated, enemies can be defeated and Garcia is relatively safe. As the game progresses, the idea evolves a little and enemies will do their best to keep you from turning on the lights. The game never becomes especially difficult, but certainly ramps up as you approach the finish line. The use of darkness is a simple mechanic that complements the overall experience, and the variety doesn’t stop there. Shadows of the Damned is a very linear game, but there are a decent amount of puzzles along the way, a few are unique and relatively complex, most are simple, and many involve locked doors that can only be opened by force-feeding strawberries to demonic baby faces. Just re-read those last few words before carrying on, make sure you got it. Yes, it’s as simple as keys and locks, but with a garish Grasshopper touch that makes one of the oldest systems in gaming just that little bit more enjoyable. The strawberries and other items are never hard to find; this isn’t Resident Evil, you won’t be hunting down countless keys and crests, or pixel-hunting every area, and there’s almost no backtracking in the game to speak of. So the puzzles aren’t exceptionally hard or tedious, but they do a decent enough job of keeping the levels varied. On top of all that, there's even several other pretty special tricks—that I won't spoil—that Grasshopper employ to keep the experience fresh, and prevent the game slipping into the old trap of becoming one shootout after another.

Visually, the game is a little hit, a little miss. On the technical side of things, it runs with a solid frame rate, and there are no glaring graphical issues to speak of. Characters and enemies are mostly very well-designed, if not graphically spectacular, with the bosses being the real stars of the show. And the game successfully captures and conveys its grindhouse inspirations to a standard that many other titles have failed to reach. On the downside, aside from a few notable exceptions, most of the environments in SotD are bland and forgettable.  Of course, it would be unrealistic to expect Hell to be full of vibrancy and colour, but perhaps more could have been done to make each level look and feel distinctive. There are several standout areas in the game that certainly fulfil that description, with some levels and sequences feeling very carefully-crafted and visually exciting, but it’s a shame that the same can’t be said for the rest. There were simply too many occasions where I found myself wandering grim, dimly-lit webs of city streets. On the flip side, I can do nothing but hurl bundles of acclaim with both hands at Akira Yamaoka and the rest of the sound design team. In a similar manner to Silent Hill, the audio really drives this game, and it’s evident that a lot of attention went into every voice recording, sound effect and musical track. Every voice actor does a wonderful job of paying tribute to the fine script, bringing the characters to life, and injecting yet more personality into the package. Musically, Yamaoka’s soundtrack is fittingly ludicrous, but brilliant, with hardcore punk rock riffs and melancholy guitar solos making notable appearances.

This guy only wants a handshake

The team behind Shadows of the Damned did a lot of things right. They perfectly captured the grindhouse motif; they struck a fine balance between childish gags and savvy self-awareness; and they successfully invented a rich world in which to tell their story, and some compelling characters that you’ll probably remember for quite some time. They made a game with rough edges but a good heart. A game that takes some time to settle in, but once it does, if you can cope with its problems, it becomes almost irresistible. That you should feel so compelled to see it through despite its issues is testament to how enjoyable the majority of it is. It’s saddening that for all the things they got right, there are still a few obstacles preventing SotD from being the true classic it so clearly had the potential to be, but unless you have a powerful aversion to cheeky innuendo, guns with names like the Skullfest 9000 and Big Boner, or the idea of jamming a strawberry right down a demon’s throat to open a door, then you have no reason not to give Shadows of the Damned a try.

For the purposes of this review, the Xbox 360 version of the game was played.

Review: Dead Rising 2: Off the Record

Frank-tastic

Guess who's back?

Upon witnessing the unveiling of Dead Rising 2, many fans, myself included, will recall being unable to hide their disappointment at the severe, almost frightening lack of a certain cocky photojournalist in the starring role. Chuck Greene made for an interesting replacement, and he was certainly a strong enough protagonist to make the original Dead Rising 2 an enjoyable game, but there was always something missing. Chuck’s sarcastic comments weren’t quite as sharp, his ingenious use of magical duct tape was a fine talent, but his refusal to carry a camera was a fatal flaw, and he very rarely, if ever, used the word ‘fantastic’. In short: he wasn’t Frank West. Capcom clearly noticed this too, and to continue their never-ending trend of updating and re-releasing games, decided to give us all the Frank we had been craving with Dead Rising 2: Off the Record. How did they do? Well, it begins with 'F' and rhymes with 'bombastic'.

The game presents a ‘What If’ scenario, the sort of thing history channels insist on churning out in some vain effort to show off their 'wacky side'. In this case, we discover what might’ve happened if Frank had been at the centre of the Fortune City outbreak. The original game’s story is official canon, where Off the Record's is just for laughs. This gives the developers license to go a little wild with the plot, something that they perhaps don’t take full advantage of, with most of the story being very similar to DR2. However, there’s still enough new twists and turns here to make it worth seeing all the way through, with the finale in particular a real highlight. Those who missed out on Dead Rising 1 or 2 might not appreciate every wink and nod, but the story is more than competent enough to stand on its own. Meanwhile, the very concept of a ‘What If’ video game does inspire some contemplation, and I can't help but wonder how some other franchises could incorporate the idea, it’s unquestionably something I wouldn’t mind seeing more of.

Ever wondered how Frank might've handled the Fortune City outbreak? Here's your answer

Off the Record is, unsurprisingly, very much like Dead Rising 2, and I won't assume that all readers are fully-versed on Dead Rising 2, but to go in-depth on that game would be treading over old ground, and there's plenty else to discuss with OTR. Hence, I’ll draw up a simple summary of the original game: there’s been a zombie outbreak in the glamorous complex of casinos and malls known as Fortune City, and you’re trapped right in the middle of it. Naturally, you slaughter a preposterous number of zombies, use duct tape to unite axes with sledgehammers, and explore this faux Vegas on the hunt for needy survivors, the truth behind the outbreak, and elusive boxes of the much sought-after drug Zombrex, daily doses of which can keep zombification at bay for the infected who are yet to turn. In the original Dead Rising 2 Chuck needed Zombrex to save his young daughter Katey, this time around Frank needs it for himself. If you have any experience with DR2 then plenty of this game will seem pretty familiar, but just like Frank's hairline, some things have changed.

So let’s move on to the new content, aside from the aforementioned story changes, Frank’s presence marks the return of the much-loved photography mechanic from the first Dead Rising, working just as well as before, with the added bonus of a camera that requires no battery changes, allowing Frank to be as snap-happy as he pleases. There are a few new psychos, one of which in particular will please long-time fans, some suitably ludicrous additional combo weapons, and plenty of new, physics-defying skill moves for Frank to utilise. A whole new area has been added to the map in the form of ‘Uranus Zone’ a fittingly over-the-top, futuristic amusement park that perfectly complements the rest of the Fortune City spectacle, being more or less what you would expect if Disney World’s Tomorrowland were to be rebuilt in Las Vegas. On the multiplayer side of things, the game’s co-op has been updated and improved, allowing Player 2 to jump in as Chuck Greene, and the poorly-received Terror is Reality competitive multiplayer has been removed altogether. I doubt many will miss it. Plenty of smaller bonus touches have been added too, including some clever management of save slots for the first time in the series, and the option to add a custom waypoint to the map. Only little things, but they all come together to make Off the Record feel like a lot of attention and care went into its production.

Typical gameplay screenshot

Then there’s sandbox mode, a feature that Dead Rising fans and detractors alike have long yearned for. Fans of the original Dead Rising will remember its ‘infinity mode’ where players could roam the Willamette mall and do as they pleased, but this feature was plagued by some awful design choices: constantly depleting health, inability to save, disabling of the camera, it simply wasn’t what people wanted. I’m happy to say that Off the Record’s sandbox mode is exactly what people wanted. It boils the game right down to its core ingredients, allowing you to freely roam Fortune City with no time limit, no story, and no need to save any of those pesky survivors, because they’ve all gone insane and will attack on sight, along with the psychos, naturally. The sandbox can be a refreshing alternative to the fast-paced, time-centric story cases, and it can be a lot of fun, and almost disturbingly relaxing to jump in and while away the hours slaughtering some zombies, inventing your own stories and missions as you go. The developers even threw in some singleplayer and co-op challenges to complete for bonus cash, with more unlocking as your kill tally rises, giving the mode some semblance of progression and objective for those who need it.


Sandbox mode is exactly what the series has been crying out for, doing a fine job of demonstrating why people love Dead Rising, and showing off the huge potential these games still have. Without the confines and stresses of the main story, like that time limit constantly playing on your mind, the game becomes an exercise in childish delight as you run about the place, gleefully smacking zombies over the head with all the toys of Fortune City. The mode grants a sense of freedom that complements the core of the game perfectly. There's a lot of detail in the world that you finally have the opportunity to notice, plenty of places to explore, and countless areas you'd likely miss or rush past in the story, with sandbox mode lets you see them all. For the first time in a Dead Rising game, you feel unconstrained, granted all the time in the world to use every comical item you encounter, to try on all those silly outfits, to fully experiment with the combo weapons, and to actually relish in the fun of killing some zombies, rather than rushing through them in pursuit of your next mission. Sandbox mode is reason to buy the game alone, a pure indulgence in fun, hopefully pointing in a promising direction for Dead Rising 3. Plus, all your cash and experience can be carried over to story mode, and vice versa. A common criticism of the franchise has been the unforgiving nature of the game, and the way that most players feel compelled to restart their story time and time again, in order to grind up enough levels to take on the game’s later challenges. Sandbox mode addresses this as well as anyone could ask for. Stuck on a boss in the story? Jump into the sandbox for an hour or two, boost your Frank up a few levels, and then dive back into the main game to show off your new skills.

The sandbox challenges often have inventive objectives, with amusing results

Dead Rising 2: Off the Record is a surprising package. What some might have expected to be little more than a quick re-release, has turned out to be by far the best Dead Rising game to date, combining all the finest facets of its predecessors and delivering one of the most polished and enjoyable zombie games you'll find on any system. There’s not exactly heaps of new content here, but there’s enough to justify OTR's existence, and make it a markedly different, and much better game than the original. Every single addition and modification has comprehensively improved the experience, with sandbox mode in particular being a gratefully welcomed addition, and perhaps heralding a brighter future for the series. Unfortunately for those who still aren't quite sold on the Dead Rising formula, this isn't the huge overhaul you were waiting for, and plenty of the old issues remain. The controls remain less than ideal, the time limit of the story continues to frustrate, and there are still many blatant improvements to be made if these games are to ever fully realise their potential. Many criticisms have been levelled at the franchise, and while Off the Record isn’t going to convert many of the cynics, it’s clear to see that Capcom Vancouver understood the problems people had, and has worked to address at least some of them, whilst preserving the parts of Dead Rising that made fans fall in love in the first place. The developers did the best job anyone could have realistically expected of them, and Off the Record is a game I can wholeheartedly recommend to almost anyone, from fans of the franchise to Frank West first-timers. 

For the purposes of this review, the Xbox 360 version of the game was played.

Thoughts: Black Ops 2 and the Future of Call of Duty

Call of Duty, I think we need to talk about where this relationship is going...

Another year, another unabashedly high-octane, explosion-filled trailer for, yes, another Call of Duty game. As someone who lauds originality above all else, and would have happily aborted the concept of ‘constant sequels’ before birth, you’d think I would utterly detest this franchise by now, as indeed many gamers seem to. On the face of it, the games are little more than rehashing, repackaging, and re-wildly-succeeding with the same formula since 2007. This is the series that virtually defines the word ‘divisive’, it managed to bring gaming to the mainstream in a way nobody could have anticipated, and is also, however indirectly, at least partially responsible for some of the most loathsome trends we see today. Sequel fatigue, annual releases, social network integration, market saturation, 'casual gaming', we have reams of detestable crap to thank Activision for, and I’m sure that the longer this whole thing continues, the worse it will become for anyone who truly dislikes the way the industry is headed. Yet, as much as it does pain me to admit, I like these games. They have some alluring appeal that never fails to seduce me. Maybe it’s my lifelong love of action movies coming to bear, my infuriating addiction to maddeningly unbalanced multiplayer progression, or hey, maybe it’s just the fact that, as much as many will strive to deny it, these games are pretty damn good.

I could go on all sorts of rambles about Call of Duty and the state of gaming, yada yada. However, let’s instead keep our focus on the only thing people have been talking about for the past week or so, Black Ops 2. Black Ops was a fantastic game, it, like every Call of Duty, brought its own small iterations to the formula, some additions and some changes. I often like to compare modern Call of Duty to a sculpture or painting, not too far from being a masterpiece at its grand unveiling in 2007, and in the years since the likes of Treyarch and Infinity Ward have delicately added their own small new touches to this sculpture, re-moulded certain parts, delicately changed it here and there, re-releasing it to the public each year. It’s always very clearly the same sculpture, but just different enough each time to keep the world interested and yearning for more. Black Ops was perhaps the first real time the sculpture was unveiled to a collective, resigned sigh. It was in 2010 where perhaps the concept of diminishing returns could finally begin to apply to the global gaming phenomenon. Yes, the game would go on to do fantastically well commercially and critically, but even the die-hard fans began to realise that maybe this Call of Duty thing was getting a little stale, maybe it did play a little too much like all those that had gone before. Modern Warfare 3 did little to ease concerns. There was something of a reluctant acceptance amongst fans of the franchise, we knew we had something great, and still enjoyed the games tremendously, but it was beginning to become clear that the people behind Call of Duty had very little intention of ever truly breaking the mould.

Well maybe that’s about to change. I write this with as much exposure to Black Ops 2 as most people, that is to say, very little. I’ve seen the sole trailer, and read whatever articles I can find. There’s certainly not any real volume of information out there yet, but there’s a surprising amount we can gather from what has been shown and said, and while it would be foolish to get excited already and proclaim Black Ops 2 as some saviour of the franchise, there’s definitely reason to at least indulge in every gamer’s old friend; cautious optimism. Beginning with the obvious; the setting. This will be the first Call of Duty game set more than a few years into the future, opening up all sorts of avenues for an original story, with original conflicts, characters, weapons, and so on. Of course, it isn’t Call of Duty 2142, it’s still a sequel to Black Ops, with the names Mason and Woods playing their parts, so this is, of course, a continuation of that story, but Treyarch have gone so extreme with it that they really do have license to tell a completely unique tale with this game. There’s certainly a lot of potential with this setting. It’s probably the best thing a Call of Duty fan could have hoped for. Instead of trudging through famous battles or history-inspired conflicts with weapons of old yet again, we will at least get to experience genuine original creations, not only in the story, but in the arsenal, which leads me nicely onto my next point. Robots. Robots everywhere. Flying attack drones, tanks with legs, the military equipment shown off so far simply looks fantastic and holds so much potential. Again, the futuristic setting allows Treyarch to play with crazy ideas, and if there’s anything I can commend the studio on, it’s their creativity and attention to detail, so there’s reason to have faith in their ability to craft some pretty unique gear.

Just like Call of Duty, it looks like this tank is walking in the right direction

A new setting, with so much original content could really be the breath of fresh air the franchise needs, and then to top it off, Treyarch only went and mentioned the ideas of a sandbox campaign, and branching storyline. The game will play out in different ways depending on your actions, missions will have multiple angles of approach and objectives to choose between, and the areas of conflict themselves are said to be much more open, bringing something to the table that many would say has been sorely lacking from the Call of Duty franchise; choice. The individual touches that Treyarch are adding may be minor, but together they hold the potential of delivering a freedom to players that we’re yet to see in a franchise that has been such a traditionally linear, on-rails experience.  There’s even talk of objectives that can be failed without causing a game over, having a knock-on effect to the story and introducing the idea of a player’s skill impacting the way his or her story plays out. Multiple ending variations and a plot that changes with the way you play have been commonplace in gaming for a long time, so this is hardly new ground for the industry, but there’s a lot to be said for Treyarch seemingly trying to push the boundaries of what a Call of Duty game can be, being unafraid of taking some risks with the formula, and doing more than perhaps most will have expected of them. The multiplayer side of things also holds reason to be optimistic, with Treyarch vowing to look at each and every part of the franchise’s competitive mode, and rebuild or modify any they see fit. This, combined of course with the whole new futuristic setting and weaponry to play with, may provide hope for those who want more than the usual annual perk-reshuffling and rise in level cap.

Zombies! One of the more divisive aspects of the Treyarch games, but an irrefutably popular feature nonetheless. This time out, the developer seems determined to continue building on the foundations they have laid over the past two games. Zombies was little more than an amusing and unexpected mini-game at first, back in World at War, but the mode became so popular that more maps were delivered, rich with new features. Teleporters were introduced, perk vending machines, George Romero, and more madcap weaponry than you’d find in a Borderlands treasure chest. There’s even a somewhat incomprehensible backstory and ludicrous easter eggs tucked away for the most hardcore zombie fans to uncover. This time around, the team seems focused on really delivering for those fans, and it was only a matter of time before someone said this so here I go: Zombies looks set to be bigger, badder, and better than ever before in Black Ops 2. Ouch. As cliché as that little line was, it doesn’t seem far wrong, Treyarch have not only mentioned new modes, but have gone as far as saying Zombies will have its own fully-realised world. Now what exactly that combination of words means, and how it will actually play out, we can’t be sure, but it certainly seems like due care is being taken to ensure that our co-operative undead-slaying experience will be more than enjoyable than ever before.

Overall, the future remains a cloudy shade of grey for Call of Duty, money will continue to stream in, the hype train will continue to roll, everyone will go on having remarkably extreme opinions on the franchise, and these games will keep on coming out, for better or worse. The only question is whether or not the developers will ever take the risks we hope for, and somehow recapture that magic of 2007, or will these games continue to be shovelled out the door with fewer and fewer iterations, dying a gradual, painful death and losing their fans one by one. For now, all us optimists can do is put our trust in the clear potential that Black Ops 2 has. While most of the world waits and expects just another Call of Duty. Maybe this time a few of us might be allowed to hope for something more.

Review: Rise of Nightmares

Some mad scientists at Sega decided to combine Survival Horror and Kinect, the result is... interesting

Just your average Marilyn Manson crowd

Rise of Nightmares is, for lack of a better term, one of the first ‘hardcore’ titles for Kinect. It is also, partly due to the lack of titles out there, but mainly due to its quality, one of the must-haves for any Kinect owner who wants to try some serious gaming with the device and has even a passing interest in the horror genre. The game takes some risks, tells a crazy story, and pushes Kinect and the player to the limits, yet it somehow doesn’t overstay its welcome, never takes itself too seriously, and keeps you entertained and mostly void of frustration the whole way through, provided you succumb to the usual trappings of motion control. Personally I think it’s not only one of the best Kinect titles out there, but one of the most enjoyable horror games in recent memory. It tries to take motion-controls to a new level, and succeeds in enough ways that I can happily call it a success.

This is just how they do haircuts in creepy castles

The story goes for an interesting blend of tongue-in-cheek B-movie horror and typical madcap Japanese lunacy, and personally I felt they pulled it off brilliantly. It kicks off with a bang and never lets up, thrusting players into the shoes of a man searching for his wife in a wonderfully spooky castle in Eastern Europe. Mad scientists, pools of blood, gruesome deaths, and good old torture chambers make notable appearances throughout your journey. Yes, the story wouldn’t win any awards for originality, and is absolutely full of one-dimensional, stereotypical characters, and hilariously poor voice-acting. But I can’t help feeling that all of that is completely intentional, and even if it's not, you won't really mind because it fits the tone of the game perfectly. This was never meant to be a Silent Hill competitor, when you have a game that is built around jumping around the room and punching the air, you need a suitably light-hearted tone to the story, and the developers clearly recognised this. Rise of Nightmares is good, cheesy horror at its finest, with plenty of humour, madness and enough twists and turns to keep you hooked and hungry for more if you’re the sort of person who can appreciate this particular brand of crazy. The story, much like the rest of the game, never takes itself too seriously, right to the end, which works completely to its credit. 

This image alone should be enough for you to decide whether or not you'd like this game

Gameplay-wise, there’s more to Rise of Nightmares than you might think, anyone could be forgiven for watching a few minutes of footage and labelling it some sort of ‘Kinect House of the Dead’, and in more ways than one, that moniker is pretty accurate, but there’s plenty more to the game than meets the eye. Speaking as a regular Kinect user, I can safely say the controls are very responsive and, in some instances, surprisingly ingenious. Movement is handled by rotating the shoulders left and right to look around, and stepping out a leg forward or backward to move in the respective direction. It works pretty much flawlessly—or at least as flawlessly as Kinect seems capable of for the time being—with players able to easily navigate areas once they’ve grown accustomed to this unique control scheme. There’s also a convenient ‘auto-walk’ option, in which one can indulge by holding up their right hand. This lets the computer take control and move you along with much less physical effort. I rarely found myself resorting to this system, the game is linear enough and built in such a way that you'd rarely need the auto-walk, and in fact the option isn't even available for large sections of the game or areas involving puzzles, but its inclusion will certainly be welcomed by many less experienced Kinect users, or people who just want to cut out the movement and get to the action.

Rise of Nightmares doesn't skimp on the gore

And the action is pretty satisfying. Combat is basic, and more or less exactly what you would expect. You’ll collect countless melee weapons throughout the night, from the traditional knives and pipes, to the slightly more bizarre exploding test tubes and shock knuckles, to the destructive chainsaw and meat tenderizer. All the weapons are designed to handle differently and vary in effectiveness against the various enemy types, but most of them don’t really feel too different; with many combat encounters simply involving you swinging your arms around ferociously until everything falls down. You can block and kick, and the combat consistently remains enjoyable, despite being pretty shallow. Of course, if you're using a control scheme that naturally encourages players to fling their limbs about as fast as possible, it must be very hard to create a sense of variety or depth to a game's combat. It's just like House of the Dead, the player is naturally inclined to never stop shooting because really, that's all you can do. So I can't blame the developers for this problem, it's simply a limitation of the hardware that hopefully someone will eventually be able to work around. The combat is still a lot of fun, and definitely gets challenging in the later stages, with the boss battles in particular really upping the ante. Rise of Nightmares treats you to some truly exhausting encounters later on in the game, many of which will have you jumping around your living room dodging attacks in an effort to survive, and, if you're as unfit as myself, leave you breathless. Whether or not the boss battles wear you out, they'll most likely leave you with a great sense of satisfaction. By the time I finally defeated the last boss, I felt like I'd really accomplished something, using my own arms and legs no less, it was a feeling that you'd never be able to get from a traditional controller, and it's the sort of thing I hope to see more in motion controlled titles in the future.

Nothing bad could possibly happen in there, right?

The combat isn't all the game has to offer. Simple puzzles, stealth sequences—don't worry, they work!—and plenty of contextual gestures help to add some variety to what could have been a repetitive formula. The game continuously manages to surprise you, and just when you think you've seen everything it has to offer, they'll throw in another crazy little gesture or weapon or story beat to spice things up. The strongest compliment I can pay Rise of Nightmares is that it takes a lot of risks and manages to successfully pull off what some people would’ve deemed a pretty ambitious task. Making a thoroughly playable, enjoyable and fully functional survival horror game exclusively on Kinect must have been a daunting proposition initially, but Sega have done a fantastic job in realising their concept. It’s not one of the greatest games ever made, it won't win any awards, and it has plenty of issues, but the game is still a blast to play, and in these early days of motion control on Xbox 360, it’s good to see some developers already trying to push the hardware, albeit in some crazy and ridiculous ways. This sort of thing is exactly what Kinect needs. Where other Kinect games hold your hand as much as possible and seem to minimise player interaction as much as they can, Rise of Nightmares goes out of its way to let you be a part of the game in every aspect, immersing you in the adventure with countless gestures and player interactions. For that alone, it deserves commendation. The fact that it’s also a decent, funny game to play is one hell of a bonus.