Review: Journey

Journey

PSN

Publisher: Sony Santa Monica
Developer: thatgamecompany

Release Date: 13 March 2012

What is there to say about Journey? Sometimes a game comes along that does more than just raise pulses. While plenty of games can excite and have players mainline adrenaline with bombastic set-pieces and summer movie production values, few games try for other feelings. Many games are all about the cinema experience and aping movies. Games exist that cover the science fiction genre, the pulp action genre, the noir genre. There are not any that aim to reproduce poetry or the Zen-like calm of mediation. Auteur gaming studio thatgamecompany has always broken away from convention. While they have only created three titles, each has brought the company closer to creating “art” than “games.” Journey, their third title, pushes buttons gamers may not realize that they have. Journey is something more than mere “game.”

Journey begins

Review: AMY

Amy

PSN (reviewed), XBLA, PC

Publisher: Lexis Numerique

Developer: Vector Cell

Release Date: 17 January 2012 (11 January 2012 on XBLA)

The key to any good survival horror game is the terror and fear that they produce. Characters in situations that are far beyond their control and horrific monsters are the order of the day. But the truly special horror games don't put us in control of highly trained police officers, mercenaries or other folks that can handle this sort situation. No, the special ones put us in the shoes of average folks forced to do the extraordinary to survive. Silent Hill did this (more than a few times), Siren does this and so does Alan Wake. Amy tries, but is is encumbered with so many faults that it isn't worthy of being mentioned with the best of the best.

Stars Lana and Amy

Review: ilomilo

ilomilo

XBLA

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Developer: Southend Studios

Release Date: 5 January 2011

Best friends do everything together. Play-dates in the park, fishing, trips to the fair. All these things make memories that should last forever. But what happens when memories are fading and best friends begin to forget. Taking these surprising themes and mixing it with cutesy art and mind-bending puzzles, ilomilo is fun little DLG (downloadable game) for XBLA.

The strange world of ilomilo

Review: Bastion

Bastion

XBLA (reviewed), PC, Chrome Browser

Publisher: Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment

Developer: Supergiant Games

Release Date: 20 July 2011

What would you do if you woke up and found that your entire world was in ruin? Floating above a destroyed world, all you know is that the world is gone, and moving forward is the only way to set things right. Thus begins Bastion, Supergiant Games' first entry and a show piece of Microsoft's “Summer of Arcade” promotion. The crowded XBLA scene has plenty of fun games, so what does Bastion do to stand out? Only everything.

Welcome to the end of the world

Review: Costume Quest

Costume Quest

PSN, XBLA, PC

Publisher: THQ

Developer: Double Fine

Release Date: 19 October 2010

Halloween is a special time of year, especially for children. Thoughts of candy, jack-o-lanterns, candy, costumes, candy, creepy parties, and candy dominate the month leading up to the special night. You know, this kind of Halloween. The talented folks at Double Fine used this magical holiday to set up a grand adventure that children and adults can enjoy. The DLG (downloadable game) Costume Quest brings us back to a time when Halloween was a night where anything could happen.

Spooky times ahead