Alwa’s Awakening – game review

Release Date: February 2, 2017
Developer/Publisher: Eldin Pixels
Platforms: Steam
MSRP: $9.99

The land of Alwa has come under control by an evil being named Vicor and his guardians named The Protectors. He sought mystical power and enslaved the people of Alwa. Desperate to take back their land, a heroine is summoned from a different – a normal, every-day girl named Zoe wakes up to find herself dressed as a mage and is called upon to save the world.

Alwa’s Awakening is an NES-inspired action/adventure side-scroller that brings back the nostalgia of the 80’s. The game features many old-school elements and tells an enjoyable story.

Gameplay

While catering to the ever-present retro indie scene, Alwa’s Awakening has that classic metroidvania feel with only a little bit of modernization. The game takes the middle road in both difficulty and in pacing. Rather than feeling like a grand adventure or more commonly like a drawn out game due to limitations, Alwa’s awakening is a good fit for someone who craves the old-school genre without the punishment. There are many respawn points that the player can activate which makes dungeons and simply navigating the map friendlier. Warp points between major locations also favor quick story progression rather than forced backtracking that the genre is famous for. Another thing worth noting is that any sort of item collection or opening of doors is automatically saved which means that should a gameover happen, there won’t be a need to go back and get that key or powerup all over again (Which will probably be very speed-runner friendly).

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Successor to the Xbox One – Prediction

These thoughts are based solely on observations and creative thoughts. None of these conclusions have been backed up by any official statements.

The future of video games is always a fun topic to ponder. From the next big hit to the next generation of consoles, there’s always something to wonder. With the continuous growth of PC gaming, there’s always discussion on how consoles will stand out against powerful gaming computers. After Microsoft’s presentation at E3 2016, an idea popped into my head – I think the XBox One successor will be more of a gaming PC rather than a traditional console.

The Microsoft Company as a whole, including both their gaming and computer divisions, is an interesting case when it comes to modern video games. Plenty of people purchase XBox consoles, but the majority of computer gamers use PCs running Microsoft operating systems. However most PC gamers simply use the OS as a means to an end when gaming – the actual purchasing and playing of games is done most popularly through store fronts, such as Valve’s  gaming platform, Steam. With many AAA games appearing on both PC and consoles, many have forgone the purchase of an Xbox One or a PS4 in favor of a gaming PC simply because it is more versatile than a gaming console. And I think the XBox team might try to get ahead of this by the next console generation.

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Rise & Shine - Game Review

Release Date: January 13, 2017
Developer/Publisher: Super Awesome Hyper Dimensional Mega Team/Adult Swim Games
Platforms: Steam, XBox One
MSRP: $14.99

Rise & Shine combines the action of a classic side-scrolling “run-and-gun” game with shooting-based puzzles and many strong enemies to create a cool blend in mechanics. Whether its using cover to fight space grunts, guiding a slow-mo bullet through a maze or jumping from rock to rock, this game requires both a steady aim and some clever thinking.

The game is impressive at the onset with all aspects of the game feeling quite fresh and exciting. And while many of these aspects do hold up, the amount of gameplay progression regrettably slows down by the midpoint.

Story

The game begins on GamEarth, which has just been under attack from aliens from NextGen (you can see where this humor is going). The first scene shows a distraught young boy in an orange hoodie standing among the ruins of his hometown city. His name is Rise and after witnessing the death of a friend, who is shaped like an alien from space invaders, he comes face to face with a giant city-destroying robot (that is conveniently marked as “lvl 999”). The game then cuts to 1 hour earlier where we are treated to the fateful encounter between Rise and Shine – a mythical and magical pistol with a smart mouth and the power to grant “infinate spawns”

The game is littered with references to classic and modern games, countless instances to break the 4th wall, and the dialogue is campy enough to keep things moving.

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PSIBO - Game Review

Release Date: October 6, 2016
Developer/Publisher: Toxijuice/Nami Tentou 
Platforms: Wii U, Steam (Pending Greenlight)
MSRP: $4.99

A recipe for chaos: Add 1-part Pong, 2-parts Breakout, and a helping of Space Invaders for good measure.

Following behind Nami Tentou’s title Ping 1.5+ comes another arcade-inspired android game ported to Wii U.  In PSIBO (I’m assuming it’s rhymes with psycho), you’re met with gameplay that combines parts of the 3 games above to create a challenging, chaotic and retro-feeling title.

Gameplay

PSIBO features two game modes. Endless mode is the essence of its arcade ancestry with the goal of achieving a high score. The game also features 36 original levels ported directly from the android version. In both cases, gameplay and controls are the same.

You control a blue paddle that can launch and bounce balls (much like in Breakout) and the goal is to break all of the hexagons at the top. Opposing you is an AI controlled enemy paddle that tries to block your shot back at you (ala Pong). If you miss the ball bounced back at you, it’s returned to your supply, however an alien also spawns and begins firing lasers at you. Taking hits lowers your health (cue Space Invaders) and reaching 0 health ends the game. If you can follow that, good. If not, check out the image below.

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Game Review: Bridge Constructor – ‘Trains’ DLC review (Steam)

Release Date: May 25, 2016
Developer/Publisher: Headup Games
Platforms: PC/iOS (Requires base game in order to play)
DLC MSRP: $2.99/$0.99

Bridge Constructor puts you in command of building bridges as a bridge architect and engineer (note: no certification required). The goal here is to wrestle with physics and put together structurally sound bridges that can support automobiles. It is part design and part puzzle solving. Four years after the release of Bridge Constructor, Headup Games has released a new DLC containing 18 new levels and featuring trains, rather than automobiles, as the vehicle of choice. Welcome to the Choonited Kingdom!

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Indie Game Review: Ecotone (Steam/PC)

Release Date: May 6, 2016
Developer/Publisher: Sundae Factory
Platforms: PC
MSRP: $8.99

“You are not a hero, You will not save the world, you may even not save yourself”– so begins Ecotone, and your quest to travel through an ever-changing world, discovering your own identity as you discover the perils that fill the world in which you find yourself. Ever-evolving gameplay will tax your brainpower and skill, and each new challenge will present you with a mysterious phrase which will give you clues to your own identity, and what lies in store for you. The mechanics of each level you explore will be different: speed chase, puzzle solving, reversed gravity, stop time and more! With three worlds to explore, each containing 15 levels packed with different rules of physics and unexpected traps, players will be tested to the limit in an engaging retro gaming style.

Story

With an adorable shadow character wearing a mask that resembles a Shyguy from the Mario series, Ecotone appears to take place in a world that is a hybrid between cute and nightmarish. It is not immediately clear whether the game is from someone’s dream, their memories, or in some kind of purgatory realm. And even at the end, there is still plenty of ambiguity.

Ecotone consists of 45 levels across 3 chapters. Most require the player to collect 3 glowing orbs in each level. After the trio are collected, the level is complete and the next one begins. At the beginning of each level is a bit of text that titles the stage and serves two purposes: it serves as a small piece of the ongoing story narrative and typically has some sort of a hint about how the level works.

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Teslagrad - game review

Release Date: September 11, 2014 (Wii U)

Developer/Publisher: Rain Games
Platforms: Steam, Wii U, PS3, PS4, PS Vita (Pending)
MSRP: $9.99 (Steam) $14.99 (Wii U) TBA (Playstation Store)
Players: Single Player Only

Teslagrad is a 2D platforming adventure where the main focus is platforming and puzzle solving while using the of powers of electricity and magnetism. The game is the first release for Norwegian developer Rain Games and utilizes the Unity game engine allowing for multiple system ports. For this review I will be using the Wii U port of the game.

I'll tell you right now, this game rocks!  It's definitely worth playing if you get the chance. See my full review over at The Geek Generation.

See The Full Review At The Geek Generation.com