I am having more fun watching someone play to the end on YouTube than I was playing AC3 lol

Two Worlds II - Both the main game and the pirates of the flying fortress expansion, I'll do a paragraph on each because they have some major differences. Quick overview of the mechanics - these are more like The Witcher than Skyrim, except you have more flexibility to customize your characters style than in the Witcher. But the game play follows a set script. I picked this up on Steam for like 80% off a couple of weeks ago.

Normal game - OK, the first thing I notices was the writing and voice acting was horrendous. Additionally, so is the sound mixing, so it is often hard to hear the dialog unless you crank up the sound, and even then the background noises can make it hard to hear. Eventually the writing started bouncing between abysmal and mediocre, and some of the voice acting is OK. The story is patchy and the game is kind of buggy. Also the quests are hand holding (show you where you need to go exactly on your map, even if it is a find something quest). For all its flaws, it is not unplayable, but neither is something I would play if I had a better new game at the time.

POFF - This game has MUCH better writing and voice acting. You start this game as a high level character, but even though you are the same character as in the first game you start as an archetype, but can customize some and can customize more as you level. The writing still isn't what I'd call good, but it is decent, and the voice acting seems much more professional. Also, your character comes across as entirely different because of the voice acting. The mixing, however, continues to be quite bad.

So, I'd probably give the first one a 5ish and second one a 6ish. If you like the Witcher, and Skyrim, and games like that but don't have one to play right now, this isn't horrible, but it is definitely flawed.

I guess I'll throw in brief reviews of the 4 Zeldas I've played this year though it's been a couple months, in the order I played them.

Phantom Hourglass (DS, played on emulator)

I went in with very low expectations, knowing that this was one of the worse rated Zeldas in the series.
Though controls are dumbed down a lot and you control everything with the supposed stylus (no D-Pad possible), in my case point and click with the mouse - it works really well and what they've done with some of the items/physics is borderline genius. Boss fights are very creative - however they're so easy that it's a bit forgettable for the most part. The world is pretty big for a 2D game, many hours of exploring and fun. The side quests aren't as good/interesting though and the main problem with this game for many people is a temple you'll actually have to do over several times, only with small twists, the obstacles/puzzles remain the same. I actually went online and looked if I was missing something, as going through the same rooms and doing the same (long) puzzles didn't seem right, but somehow it was intended (what were they thinking?). The boat traveling isn't awesome but it's still fine and refreshing, I quite liked it and think Wind Waker fans will as well. The music is good but not as memorable as the bigger titles. Puzzles are quite creative and fun to do, but definitely a bit too easy for experienced players. Dungeons are a bit short. Well worth playing for fans of the series. I was actually very positively surprised by this game.
8


Spirit Tracks (DS, played on emulator)

I won't say that much about this game because it's extremely similar to PH in gameplay.
The main story, quests, items and dungeons are fine. The puzzles though are even easier than PH. This has really gotten to a point where they give massive hints to the solutions and at times you'll immediately know what you're supposed to do before you even start doing it. For example in earlier games like Link to the Past or Link's Awakening, hints (if any at all) would be more in a form of cryptic riddles and you could be stuck for hours and suddenly get the "A-ha!". This is no more and it just isn't challenging.
The method of traveling in this game is the worst by far I've ever experienced in a Zelda game. We're basically talking constantly traveling for several minutes, in a linear path where you can't do anything but shoot down randomly appearing enemies and you're just waiting to "get there" with no challenge at all. This was so tedious for me that I actually didn't want to do any side quests at all in this game, which is a first. Again, items/weapons and (except one of the late ones), most fights are really cool in this game as well, though still not very challenging. Music in this game is excellent and has to be mentioned. The overworld theme in Spirit Tracks is possibly my favorite song from just about any video game and it helps the traveling become a lot more enjoyable. I am in the minority of people who definitely prefer Phantom Hourglass over Spirit Tracks though. I think this is a great game for first timers and a must for people who own a DS. I decided to buy this game for my 9 year old nephew and my sister says he loves it.
7.5


The Wind Waker (Gamecube, played on Wii)

I was one of the many who was a bit put off by the "cartoony/childish" graphics when this was released, and not having a GC I didn't get the chance to play it until recently, 10 years after its release.
Well, it was worth postponing the experience because it's a damn awesome game and much better than I ever imagined. It's way more similar to Ocarina of Time than it looks and I'll say you'll almost definitely like it if you liked OoT/MM if you keep an open mind the first few hours. It's obviously more light-hearted and not creepy at all, well except perhaps "The Savage Labyrinth" which is a side quest.
Superb game overall, the sea is HUGE and though I've heard numerous complaints about all the sailing (and needing to change wind direction frequently), I thought it was enjoyable. It's beautiful and very refreshing after having played through Spirit Tracks. There's just a ton to do in this game, there's a massive amount of area to explore and you'll find things to do even in the oddest locations where you won't expect there to be anything. My only complaint about this game would be that there aren't enough dungeons and a significant part of the main quest is repetitive and feels a bit out of place. From what I've heard, 2 whole dungeons were cut from the game due to deadlines and what not (I've also heard they're being put in the HD re-release for Wii U this fall). If you're gonna 100% this without a walkthrough, my guess is 100hours+. I did everything I wanted to and spent about 60 hours. I should mention that this is the easiest Zelda when it comes to fighting, I'd say it's almost hard to die in this game because the enemies do so little damage. I may have died once early on with 3 hearts, but after that, the main quest was a walk in the park when it comes to combat. This takes away a bit of the reward from side questing, now you may get all the heart pieces - the thing is you'll have no use for them whatsoever.
9


Twilight Princess (Wii/GameCube)

I played the GC version of this game on Wii because I'm not a huge fan of motion control plus the runners on twitch recommended it.

So the introduction is a bit slow and it took a couple of hours to get into it, but just wow at what an adventure this turned out to be. It's a big change from Wind Waker in design and general atmosphere, and in my opinion this is near exactly what I think Zelda should be like. I really hope they return to this style in the future, having just briefly looked at Skyward Sword which again introduces a big change (planning to play it this month).
I had heard a lot of negativity about TP as well so I wasn't expecting a ton but I was blown away by how well everything is done. The universe is just so compelling. It's a lot like OoT just even more "mature" and up to date.
I pretty much love everything about this game and I ended up spending about 70 hours on my playthrough, getting everything except one category I didn't find interesting.
I almost wish I was 13 again to experience this game in a more pure way.
Of course, difficulty is again an issue here as with the 3 other games, but I guess we'll just have to get used to easy Zeldas and getting every boss first try (sadly). That said, it's the least easy of these 4 games though it's not saying a lot.
This is right up there with the best Zelda games ever as far as I'm concerned. I hope Skyward Sword is as good and look forward to it, not so much waving the wiimote though
9.5

Thanks for the reviews. I keep debating on whether or not to start watching speed runs of some of the later Zelda games I missed, don't want to ruin them if I ever decide to emulate them or pick up a bargain Wii. Sad how it seems like only yesterday that LttP came out and all of these other Zeldas I think of as "those new Zelda games I'll get around to soon".

I agree with so much on the WW review. It gets very repetitive when you are mining the ocean for the chests and getting the pieces of the triforce is pretty boring. And the fighting is pretty easy, but what makes it even easier is every enemy drops something, and it is usually something you need. So other than rupees since you have to spend a ton of them to get the maps from Tingle, you are always full of bombs, hearts, arrows, nuts, etc (It's been over 4 years since I've played, so not 100% sure there are arrows AND nuts in the game, but whatever).

Also, it is very linear (my biggest complaint with Zelda games after LoZ), especially in the early game. It pretends to be a huge open world, but there are only a few places the boat will allow you to go.

But the best thing is the graphics hold up amazingly. I've said it before, but that is the best thing about cel shading. Go back and play Wind Waker or Viewtiful Joe and they still look great. Can't say the same about masterpieces like Ocarina of Time, which is older, but doesn't age nearly as well.

I had these exact same thoughts not having played a Zelda for over 10 years and actually what happened was, I was watching a speedrun of Majora's Mask and it got to the point where I thought "OMG this game looks amazing" and just had to turn it off to not ruin any more.
After this I've been playing through all the titles I've missed, even the Oracle series for GBC and Minish Cap for GBA. I like to watch the speedruns afterwards to see how it's supposed to be done properly, cool glitches and to catch what I missed during play through. There's an active community for just about every Zelda game streaming runs daily on twitch, which is great. They're just really enjoyable games, even they look drastically different they all have that similar feel to them, as the original creators are always involved in development somehow.

Also I agree that_pope, when playing WW, it still felt like a new game, looked great ran smooth and didn't take anything away from the experience. The style really works that way and since this is one of the best looking Zeldas, it makes you wonder if it really needs an HD remake. The N64 games have started getting noticeably blurry and outdated graphically, which might be an issue if people are used to these modern adventure/FPS games with amazing graphics.

Nice reviews. As a huge Zelda fan I agree totally with them. I never understood the hate for TP. It's kind of ironic that everyone hated the cell shading of WW but by the time it was all said and done everyone loved the cel shading and was the disappointed with the more realistic art style of TP.

I am currently play LttP and skyward sword. It pretty amazing how well LttP holds up. Can't say I am a huge fan of SS but its still ok, maybe a 7, controls are super terrible.

Saints Row IV

Enjoyed it, as good as possible choosing the storyline they chose

8.6/10

Amnesia Machine for Pigs

5/10

Not scary, 1 enemy, rushed game, nonsensical storyline, etc.

Did you play the first Amnesia? If so how does it compare?

Yes.

Amnesia 1 >>> in every catergory

New Play Control Pikmin wii

I had a blast its a really interesting combination of RTS and Puzzles and I never played anything like it before. It differs from most RTS games in giving you direct control of a commander who must be with his troops to issue orders so instead of doing a hundred things at once you're trying to get one or two things done before the time limit runs out. You have thirty days to retrieve thirty parts of your crashed ship. Each day last about ten minutes and with careful planning it's possible to get them with a couple of days to spare but a bit of bad luck or poor judgement and you can be in trouble. fortunately at the end of every day you get the option of either saving your progress or going back and replaying the day. It's not a difficult game although on my first play through I screwed myself by not knowing what I was doing on the first few days.
Charming character design animation and sound make the Pikmin really likeable and fun to command.
The shrill whist that gathers Pikmin is bound to start grating your ears after a while. The cameras a bit erratic and the Wii controls were less then satisfactory, I presume the Game Cube version is the better version, But I hardly noticed any of those problems because I was having too much fun. 8/10

If you enjoyed Pikmin, you must get Pikmin 2. Improvements all around on the game.

The Walking Dead

I don't think I've played a point an click adventure since the Secret of Monkey Island Le Chucks revenge. They never really grabbed me I always hated the convoluted puzzles and the twisted logic of the solutions, I have a fishing rod but I need a bamboo pole to get the shoes off the phone line, OK.

Well TWD is a point and click with a few QTEs and a couple of FPS mini games but it throws out most of the stupid illogical puzzles and item combining in favour of a simpler more narrative driven adventure the fun comes in making choices that have long lasting effects on the story not in finally solving a mind bending conundrum. Its still got some of the problems associated with P&Cs though. Items and exits are easy to miss and when your stuck its no fun, the sense of immersion is eroded when people just repeat the same lines over and over. Some times you can see another solution in the background but it's just scenery and you cant interact with it.

The game play might be pretty shallow but the quality of the script, voice acting and animation make up for it you're playing because you like these people and want to see what happens next not for the rush of overcoming a challenge. Now if some one could marry this level of story telling and branching narrative to the sort of game play its fun to just screw around with not trying to make progress it would be a true ten as it is there is just too little fun when your not advancing the story.
I kind of want to play through it again to see how much scope you have change the narrative but I also liked my story and am happy with it. 8.5/10

400 Days

It's more of the same but slightly less satisfying because you jumping between protagonists and there's less character development. Has some nice vignettes though, It's still at its best when it has you making choices that you wish you didn't have to make. The one thing I kind of find odd about it is that getting killed isn't a permissible ending. You couldn't kill Lee off because you were him all the way through but here they could have just had fewer survivors or had the non-player characters at the camp.

I was a bit disappointed with this one. I only played 2 of the characters and haven't found the interest to finish it off yet, but both of them felt like I was making random uninformed decisions without any real context on the character or situation at hand. Some of the outcomes just annoyed me. I'll give it another go before the next season comes out, but it's a common problem with dialogue heavy adventure games that the first season seemed to largely avoid; hopefully the second season does as well.

Did you play Wyatt and Vince? They where by far the worst characters if you ask me.

Damn, I didn't like Black Ops 2 Multiplayer all that much, but I finally played the campaign and it was great.

Spelunky | PC, XBox 360, PS3

There seems to be a large crossover between Dark Souls and Spelunky players, and I picked it up after seeing so many recommendations. Easily the best platform game I've ever played, though it's a genre I'm not usually that big on. It's a pretty simple game: you guide your character through four separate areas of four levels each, and face the final boss if you manage to get there without dying. There's no goal other than reaching the exit, though you'll usually want to take things slowly and make sure you don't get hit by a random enemy or trap. There are lots of gold and gem collectibles scattered around in destructible blocks, laying on the ground, in chests or in pots, as well as shops that sell items like climbing gloves, a jet pack, a mining pick, as well as weapons like the shotgun or knife. Each level also always has an NPC called the Damsel that you can rescue by carrying her to the exit, and gain an extra HP, of which you start out with four (most mob hits take off 1-2 HP). There's no time limit to each level, though after 2:30s an invulnerable ghost will spawn and chase you that will one shot you if it touches you. I finally beat Olmec after about 50 hours and hundreds of deaths, even though it only takes about 30 minutes in a thorough run to get there. I'm not sure if that's terrible or average, but the game definitely requires a lot of practice to learn all of the mechanics and techniques to get by.

There are a decent number of secrets that unlock new areas and items, and an achievement system and collection journal that actually belongs in the game instead of being mindless tat added to pander to OCD completionists. If you're in to leaderboards, the game scores you based on the amount of money you earn in the run by collecting gold and gems. There's a cool system called the Daily Challenge, where everyone gets a single shot at the same random seed world and competes for the high score. If you've spent a lot of time in the game, you always have a shot at placing high, and though it's highly unlikely, it's always fun to try. My high score is around 700k gold, which will usually put you in the top five for a daily challenge. There's just enough randomness that even after tons of hours the game will surprise you with a new way to be killed, requiring a constant balancing of risk vs. reward decisions, unlike games like SMB or Dustforce which are much more linear and twitch based.

It's a good looking game, not going for the usual 8-bit dumbed down graphics of most recent indie platformers, and the music is also very cool. I'm always amazed at the quality of some of these indie game sound tracks.

Highly recommend this one!

Just finished The Last of Us.

A truly amazing experience that is consistently brutal yet manages to raise the stakes throughout the game. By the end of the game you feel like you know the characters. It's so rare that I am emotionally invested in a game. The only other games that have made me feel this way are Bioshock, Bioshock Infinite and the Mass Effect series.

More games need to be made like this.

did you play the walking dead? that game had me in tears twice.

I did, and I almost included it in my post but for me it isn't quite in the same tier as the ones I mentioned.

Xcom (iPad)

Generally speaking this is a really solid turn based shooter with some serious flaws. After fighting through the last level and making it to the final room with all my guys there was a huge difficulty spike as the final room is filled with guys who mind controlled my soldiers and wiped my team. Without ever needing mind control defense leading up to the final confrontation I never really thought it was essential until it was too late.

And this is a major flaw that follows the game throughout the campaign, the flow of the campaign is constantly being disrupted because you get to the end of each chapter and then the game springs something on you to research or build that could have been timed better if the game had warned you in advance.

The lack of information also follows the game into its research mechanics. When you research you sometimes have a vague idea of what some stuff might do but most of the choices (like the alien autopsys) do not tell you what items each research will provide. This then leeds you to randomly research in the hopes you will get the gear you need.

I did really like the campaign system. The constant management of the needs of the countries that are part of the xcom program and purchasing upgrades for your squad is really well balanced. The tension slowly builds as you try to manage more crises than you possibly can and the terror meters in the countries rise as you stand by hoping you can make it to the end of the chapter and reset the terror indicators.

The game mostly delivers on its premise but has a few too many filler mechanics for my tastes (interceptor combat is pointless).

7/10

Rayman Legends PS3

If you liked Rayman Origins you will like the sequel plain and simple. If you didn't care for the first one then you can probably skip over this one. There are very few 2D side scrollers anymore that are any good for the new consoles but this game is a blast with a good amount of challenge thrown in to make beating some levels feel very satisfying. They threw in a bunch of extras which include invaded pictures which are like time trials that you need to beat in under 60 seconds to save 1 teenie, 50 seconds for 2, and 40 seconds for 3. These are tough and rewarding to hit the 40 mark on them. They required close to flawless playing to save all of them and the music gets you pretty amped when going through them. There are also a bunch of unlockable characters and also some unlockable worlds from the original game to play. Finally, your character now has a gambling problem as there are scratch tickets you get after beating levels where you always win, but just changes what you win. This one is definitely worth a rental. I rated the challenge a 9 as even though it isn't hard to beat the game, especially if you played the first one, but to do all the extra levels, invaded pictures in under 40 seconds etc is definitely challenging.

Graphics 9.5
Challenge 9
Music 9.5
Gameplay 8.5
Replay Value 9
Story 8

Overall 9

Thomas Was Alone

excellent design, music, story and atmosphere. a bit buggy, the puzzles weren't that difficult, though tedious at times. enjoyable 3 hours.