Friday 21 December 2012

Reprisal Review

Reprisal Universe's aptly named indie strategy Reprisal takes you and your tribe through a number of different levels demolishing other tribes and spreading throughout the land. As you help your tribe flourish you can use various totems for special effect such as raining down thunder and lightning or expand your territory. The objective of each level varies and gets increasingly difficult as you progress.

While you can't actively control your fellow tribesmen and women. You can tell them to make homes, war or go to a selected point. These all have their own gains, as you might expect. And while you don't choose where they build their houses by creating land appropriately you can effectively give them a push is the fit direction.




Once you complete all of the campaign levels there are additional challenge modes, which as you might have guessed, provide you with a challenge. On top of this there is also skirmish mode that means you can simply try to take over all of the land without being tied down to a specific campaign level.

Overall there isn't much to be said about Reprisal apart from it is an enjoyable and quite addictive strategy game. I full recommend it.

Score:89/100



General Information

Game Name: Reprisal
Genre: Strategy
Developer: Reprisal Universe
Bundle: Indie Game Stand



Monday 17 December 2012

Chester Review

Chester is a game I have had for a while but never tried. It was free for signing up for Indie Game Stand when it first launched. Think of Indie Game Stand deals in individual games at with the usual bundle norm of letting you choose the price. I for one think it is a great site.




Anyway Chester is a 2D platformer with a twist. Quite a cool twist as well I may add. It lets you change the appearance of the level at anytime. Each appearance gives you different advantages such as slower enemies or other benefits. On top of this you can change characters at anytime as well. Sick of playing regular Chester? Then switch to Bit Chester who has different abilities. Oh and did I mention the element system? In true rock, paper, scissors tradition each Chester has an element: fire, water and grass. Each has a strength and a weakness which means you attacks do less or more depending upon the enemies element. Throw into this ultimate attacks that are upgraded through a minor RPG element. As you defeat enemies with the various Chester's you also gain XP and when you get enough that Chester levels up and it's abilities increase. All in all this well put together 2D platformer has a lot to offer throughout its 4 main stages and 4 difficulty levels with tonnes of collectables to boot.




As you journey through the world of Chester you will find yourself in various different levels with different environments from blueprints to sketch. Each has you going in search of the fabled cupcake at the end of the level. The level design is great and challenging but not impossible plus the wide range of characters add an extra dimension to the entire game.




Chester has real charm in it's humour and clever artwork that, while in a heartbeat can change, really defines the Chester Universe. Chester is fantastic and I heartily recommend this brilliantly fun and addictive indie game to anyone.

Score: 95/100

General Information

Game Name: Chester
Genre: Platformer
Developer: BBG Games
Bundle: Indie Game Stand




Monday 10 December 2012

Cave Story+ Review

Cave Story+ is a Humble Bundle game, from the Humble Indie Bundle 4 to be exact. This is one of those games that you don't expect to be as good as it actually is. The concept of a robot boy goes on a platforming adventure sounds rather boring and generic but what Cave Story+ provides is a fresh and thoroughly entertaining and challenging experience.


As you travel through Cave Story+ you can not only acquire new weapons as you progress through the story but you also upgrade your current ones by collecting some triangles that are dropped by enemies. These enemies can range from fluffy cute but deadly white creatures to something that resembles a fly. Thanks to Cave Story+'s unique art style all of these wonders look new and like nothing ever seen before. Anyway, the weaponry ranges from a machine gun to rockets to a ninja throwing blade type weapon. Each of which as multiple levels that change how powerful they are along side their animation as well. More to the point when you max out you machine gun you can jump and fire downwards to basically fly around all the levels. Amazing just for that one ability.


Boss fights. Need more elaboration? Fair enough. Well Cave Story+ has amazing boss fights. From giant robot fish to island hearts you will be forever surprised by what the next boss fight is going to be. These boss fights are not only wickedly cool but can be really hard as well. But not hard in a "how do I do this?" kind of way but a "if I do this next time I can totally win this!" way instead. The boss fights are always something to look forward thanks to how enjoyable each one is.


The story of Cave Story+ while making very little sense is actually really fun to play though. I have little idea how the creator came up with such a wacky world but I sure am glad they did. While you play as your little robot dude you will come across a large number of characters both good and bad that all bring something enjoyable to the game. Whether that be by being funny, silly or just plain weird there is not a single character I would do without.


This is one of my very favourite games from any Indie Bundle. The fact that you can fly by shooting the floor already sets it ahead of the pack but ontop of that it brings a great adventure with an amazing art style and lovably crazy characters. I just want a second one to play now.

Score: 96/100




Green Man Gaming - Load, Play, Trade !

Monday 3 December 2012

Puzzle Agent Review

Puzzle Agent is a point and click adventure game with a twist. It incorporates various puzzles into the story and as you complete each one you move forward in the story. Now you might be asking, "isn't that what most point and click games do?" and well you would be mostly correct. However, Puzzle Agent does it in, and with no other comparison, a Professor Layton style. By this I mean that the puzzle are often very abstract (even for point and click games) but makes some sense in the game world. For example having to do a jigsaw in order to find a clue or working out how many many gnomes some birds can carry. Now if these sound rather odd then you'd be correct, but, that is part of Puzzle Agents charm. It seems like a nonsensical story about an FBI agent who goes to bring a rubber (I refuse to call them erasures...) factory back on line but it becomes so much more.




In Puzzle Agent you play as Agent Nelson Tethers and overall I thoroughly enjoyed the voice acting of all the characters in the game. In fact the entire performance and execution of the game was very good. I can only fault it on the way it ends, it is very abrupt. But I guess that is why there is a sequel. The puzzles are enjoyable and some are very challenging brain teasers and while, like I said, they may seem abstract to an outside they make sense in the game. After finishing each puzzle you are given a rating depending on how many attempts it took you or how many hints you ended up using. Hints are gathered by finding chewing gum in the various areas of the game and it can get quite addictive just trying to find all the gum in itself.




The animation reminds me of old flash games but make it feel very close to the original material that, I must admit I have never read, after finishing the game I am intrigued to try. I am looking forward to playing the second game and continuing the story of Agent Nelson Tethers Puzzle Agent.

Score: 85/100