Need for Speed: The Run - Demo Review

Need for Speed: The Run shifts you into a underground world of cross country street racing and mobs. I played this particular demo for hour via Playstation +'s program on PSN. The Run was developed by Black Box and published by Electronic Arts for the PC, Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and 3DS. The game released last year November 15, 2011.

The title screen housed the menu tabs of The Run, Challenge Series, Multiplayer, View Cars, Settings, Extras and NFS Store. The controls are from my Dual Shock 3: R2-accelerate, LS-steer, R-look forward/back, R1-change camera, L2-brake, R-look forward/back, R1-change camera, L2-brake, R-look left/right, Square-handbrake, Select-checkpoint, X-nitrous, Triangle-gear up and O-gear down. Controls are vintage Need for Speed. These games all feel and play similarly to a certain extent. The Run is no exception. I would rate the controls good when turning, braking weaving and drifting.

The next action I took was to play some The Run which is the story campaign mode. A long time ago I got the impression that Need for Speed The Run is suppose meld story gamepaly with a driving game. To cut to the chase, no it doesn't. What I got with my hour time was cutscenes featuring Heavy Rain style QTEs when controlling the game's protagonist Jack Rourke. The QTEs weren't bad and reminded me of Heavy Rain (escaping a car being crushed by a car crusher). Yea, that was in Heavy Rain. The story campaign has cutscenes in between missions but lacked substance in the end. Maybe the full game has some captivating cutscenes and QTE gameplay, I do not know.

The early portions of gameplay centers around racing (illegally) against 200 cars from San Francisco to New York. The settings are pretty good in regards to th single player. It did appear like I was racing in a illegal cross country race out of San Francisco to Yesimetee National Park on my way to Vegas. Completing missions earns you XP which can unlock new gameodes, cars, profile images and other stuff that can transfer to competitive multiplayer. Missions range from passing other drivers in a certain amount of time to achieving a specific car position.

I also played some Multiplayer which had Quick Match and a Playlist which features races such as Muscle Car Battles, The Underground, Super Car Challenge, Exotic Sprint Racing and more. The race I played had like 4 other players and took place on a night map called Blue Ridge which was a extremely short race. Understanding menus and selecting cars weren't an issue with multiplayer since everything was presented really well. The multiplayer from the looks of it isn't deep for a driving game. It appears really compact in scope and content compared to other driving games. Just like single player you earn XP and unlocks by performing well in multiplayer. I also played a Challenge Series which centers around earning medals.

Like any Need for Speed game the presentation is going to be good. The music, visuals and production values are all solid. Its an EA game so you know it has the funding backing it. The visuals I did like along with the game's action set-piece moments while racing. The Run really tries to bring a action movie vibe to its gameplay. The music was pretty good and fitted the American setting this game takes place in. Pressing Select brings up a replay checkpoint system much like Forza Motorsport implements. I'm an old school gamer, if you mess up you should pay the price.

Need for Speed The Run seems like another decent Need for Speed game. With that said nothing special stands out. It just seems like another Need for Speed game except this one has some Heavy Rain cutscene gameplay intertwined into its single player campaign. Spec Ops The Line Demo Review

Shank 2 - Demo Impressions

Shank 2 is the sequel to the 2D arcade action beat-'em-up Shank. Shank is the main protagonist who is a former mob hitman who also carries a Rambo-like persona. Shank 2 was developed by Klei Entertainment and published by Electronic Arts for download on PC, PSN and Xbox 360. Shank 2 released February 8, 2012. For this particular Videogames4Gamerz article i played the demo of Shank 2 on my Xbox 360.

The title screen featured many menu options including Campaign Mode, Achievements, Medals, Rebel Intel, Leaderboards, Player Stats, Help & Options, Unlock Game, Quit Game. The Medals section shows in-game medals you can earn like Zombie Killer. Rebel Intel are collectible profiles of people, places and events. Achievements section shows what achievements are in-game and how to attain them. The controls via the Xbox 360 gamepad: LS & D-pad-move/aim, LB-grenades, LT-pounce, RS-roll, X-shanks, A-jump, B-guns, Y-heavy attack, RB-pick-up/drop, RT-grab. The controls are good except jumping. Jumping just felt weird and awkward. Climbing, pouncing, shooting and throwing grenades all felt good.

I started up Campaign Mode where you had to get Shank outfitted with gear before playing. You can select Heavy Weapons for Shank like the machete or his famous chainsaw. Ranged Weapons include throwing knives or pistols (not in demo). Munitions include grenades and molotovs. Most of the weapons are graded on speed, damage and stun. Some weapons are graded on other aspects such as tactics and splash. After you pick Shank's weapons of destruction you have a option to switch his look. I left it default and a nice looking cutscene featuring Shank on a bus in what looks like South America.

It doesn't take long before a group of Militia enter the bus and piss Shank off. Next thing you know Shank cuts off a Militia guy's arm and gameplay immediately ensues. Before i knew it i was kicking some serious ass with Shank in a beautiful 2D jungle setting. I was pouncing Militia troops, throwing grenades and slicing them with my machete. Much of the level featured minor platforming and a area with a big meat grinder where you can throw enemies into. Militia enemies ranged from normal grunts to big fat guys and the final bossfight with Razor which was pretty entertaining. I collected a "Primo" Bio which was 1 of 24 collectible intel in Shank 2.

The gameplay was decent but what really stood out to me regarding Shank 2 was the visuals and animations. Let me just say they are top-notch stuff for a arcade 2D game. The visual and art pops out of the screen. Shank and his animations were really impressive. The jungle setting look visually stunning. Every Militia member featured nice texture work and detail. The comicbook style cutscenes which tells Shank 2's story also popped out of the screen. The sound design and music while not as good as the graphics was decent.

Shank 2 was a good demo. Its not a groundbreaking 2D brawler by any means. However its sure is a sight for sore eyes. Thanks for reading.
Assassins Creed Revelations Review

Katana Land - Demo Impressions

Katana Land is a 2D action platformer featuring ninjas and heros with katanas. Sounds good huh? Kablammo Games is the developer to this Xbox Live Indie Game (XBLIG). Katana Land released February 3, 2012 and retails for 80 msp.

I guess i'll start at the title screen. You have Play, Medals, Options and Exit. Medals are like in-game achievements. Some look like ninja star embalms. Others had names like Speedster, Ranger and Lightning. Button layout for Xbox 360 gamepad: LS-move/climb, LB-compass, Start-pause, RB-projectile(throw), Y-interact, X-attack/charge attack/ air attack(with A), B-block and A-jump. Katana Land has too many buttons that do too many functions for a game like this.

This is a 2D action game. You really shouldn't have to block and perform air attacks to defeat the ninjas in the demo. Maybe later you will need all of those moves. But judging from the demo it just seems like too much work and takes some of the fun away (which should be mindless fun in this case). Its not, you really have to think when you do air attacks on ninjas. The full game of Katana Land has three playable characters but only Katana Kid "Hero of Katana Land" is available for the demo.

When you start the demo you can see a overview map. It sorta looks like a world map you can see the path you have to take in the game and all of the levels. You immediately start out playing the tutorial (which you can't skip). The old man at the start of it guides you and tells you how to perform attacks, sneak and use your compass. Th tutorial was tedious.You can't get hit many times in Katana Land or your heart containers will empty fast. Asides from the tutorial the gameplay is pretty good. Hacking/slashing and throwing shurikens never gets old. Back in the day i mean like back in the late "80's" i played games like Kid Niki and The Legend of Kage.

Those games above were 2D action platformer games similar to what Katana Land is. So in a sense this game  reminded me of some of those old school games i played as a kid. Visually this game is really good looking. The imaginative art design of the world and characters was impressive. At times the sound design seems lifeless. I just expected more sound effects while i played the game. It just seemed quite and lifeless at times. The atmosphere is there and its pretty good for most of the demo. Its an indie game and it does what it has to do which is keep the player entertained.

Katana Land is a decent 2D action platformer game featuring ninjas, heroes, demons and monsters. It has a really nice visual flavor and fun combat gameplay. Try it out on XBLIGM. Thanks for reading. Click here

Brand - Demo Impressions

Brand is a 2D hack'n slash indie game that can be found on Xbox Live Indie Games Marketplace (XBLIGM). This swords & sorcery themed adventure game was developed by Nine Dots Studio and released February 2, 2012 and retails for 80 MSP. Its clear to me after playing so many XBLIGs i can spot a quality title just by playing a short demo. Brand is quality so there is our start.

Brand has main menus of Story, Buy Now, Options, Tips, Credits and Exit. The button layout for Brand via the Xbox 360 gamepad: LS-move, Back-map, Start-pause, X-quick attack, Y-heavy attack, A-jump, B-dash attack and LT and RT-block. Brand is a action hack'n slash game that takes place on 2D levels. The controls are adequate while jumping, blocking and hacking away was pretty effective on monsters. I really didn't have any gripes with the controls.

The story of Brand is about a Sword you have to upgrade given to you by your commander. To upgrade this sword you must acquire gold from defeating monsters. After you have slain enough monsters in either Necropolis, Castle or Mine districts you can go back to the Blacksmith for upgrades. You can refine, strengthened or sharpen your blade. You shouldn't get confused as to what to do next since there are objectives you can keep track of. Other sections of Brand's worldmap include Mage and Chemist sections.

Brand has an impressive presentation for an indie game. The visual artsyle creates a lore of its own practically. The in-game graphics as well the comicbook style cutscenes exude quality. The writing was acceptable, nothing special. I really liked the animation system while hacking away at monsters in 2D. The protagonist as well the monsters moved with some good fluidity. Monsters ranged from flying to walking to just laying there shooting goo at you. The level design in some of the areas were decent. You had to search for levers to access more of the area while battling monsters.

The combat in Brand was visceral but not perfect. If your not perfect with your block timing the monsters can and will take a big chunk of your health off. I like how you can jump in and out of levels after you acquired enough gold to upgrade your sword. Although i didn't get to enhance my sword in the demo it is possible with special materials you can collect. The music was decent and the sound design good. The atmosphere was pretty engaging in the demo and makes you want to keep playing. Maybe i should just say Brand is addicting huh? You can also play as your avatar which is a nice perk. Who doesn't like looking at themselves kill monsters?

Brand is a quality XBLIG judging from the demo. It has fun addicting hack' n slash gameplay with an interesting world to explore filled with monsters. Thanks for reading. Check it out

Scarygirl - Demo impressions

Scarygirl is 2D action platformer that puts you in the role of the orphaned Scarygirl. I originally played Scarygirl on my Playstation 3 as a Minis title. I even reviewed that title on one of my other sites. The demo version is the arcade/console title which i played on my Xbox 360. To make a long story short the console arcade version is much different than the Minis and handheld versions. Scarygirl was developed by TikGames and published by Square Enix. Scarygirl is available on XBLIG and PSN. It has a TBA Q1 release date for the PC.

The Menus in Scarygirl included Start Trial, Look at Collection and  Onion Bowl. Onion Bowl is a combat tutorial section which was effective at teaching me Scarygirl's abilities. The controls via the Xbox 360 gamepad: D-pad-change hook attachment, LS-move, LB-scary mode, LT-block, RT-grapple, Y-heavy attack, X-light attack, B-roll and A-jump/glide. The controls were solid. In combat grabbing and juggling enemies with Scarygirl's whip and hook was precise. Using the grapple and glide abilities to traverse the 2D levels was seamless.

Scarygirl's story is told at the beginning of the demo. Scarygirl was abandoned at sea but rescued one day Blister the octopus. The cutscene is told through comicbook cutouts and voiced narration. One night, Scarygirl had a dream about a mysterious man who hunted her. Soon the nightmare she meets a mysterious guru-like Rabbit who says he can help her find out who the man is. From there the gameplay starts nears Scarygirl's home in a haunted island setting. If you need a visual of how Scarygirl looks and the world this game is played on think Tim Burton's Nightmare Before Christmas.

The gameplay is pretty good in this arcade game. You have to use combat which is done primarily through Scarygirl's hook. You can modify her hook by collecting gems and fish from slain enemies. Gems are this game's currency. The stores are creatures who inhabit the levels. There is also a creature who can fill up Scarygirl's heart containers for a price. As far as modifying her hook goes those are done with attachments. Some attachments for sale were Anchor, Fan, Feather and Fish. Scarygirl also has a special Rage meter that fills up overtime while defeating enemies. When activated Scarymode kicks in and she dishes out the final judgement like the grim reaper.

Her attacks morph into a giant dark shadow that looks like a monster.The platforming is decent. You have to use Scarygirl's whip/hook to grapple illuminated objects on poles and other places. She can glide pretty far too. However most of the time your just hitting hedgehog enemies with her hook. There are areas where the path splits which was neat for a 2D game. There were two levels in the demo one being a dark haunted forest and the other Old Man's Mountains which is a bright sunny canyon/mountain setting.

As far as Scarygirl's presentation goes its good for a arcade style 2D platformer. The visuals are lead by a really good art design. I want to play Scarygirl on Halloween for its art design alone. The music and sound design was decent enough. The combat was good along with its platforming. The demo doesn't seem to have any real glaring weaknesses. I guess that just about does it. Thanks for reading.

Swords & Soldiers - Demo Impressions

Swords & Soldiers is a pretty little neat strategy game. Its a 2D real-time strategy game featuring cartoonish Vikings, Aztecs and Chinese warriors. From my understanding Swords & Soldiers been out on the Playstation 3 (the system i played the demo on) since Sept 28, 2010. However the demo released just a few weeks ago. The latter had me confused for a minute but i'm good now. Ronimo Games are the developers and publishers to this 2D strategy game. You can play Sword & Soldiers on your I phone, MAC, Wii, PC and Playstation 3 right now.

The main menus screen showed Single Player, Multiplayer, Options and Credits. When you select Single Player the menus break down into Campaign, Skirmish, Challenges and Trophies. One of the trophies was called Rickrolled, Had to point that out. You can select which Character class you want between, Viking, Aztec and Chinese.I choose Viking for my playthrough of the demo. As far as learning the nuances of Swords & Soldiers the text based tutorial does a good job. I learned all the basics. For instance which units did what like Golddiggers mine for gold so you can build up your army.

The atmosphere is that of a comical one. The voiced dialog is funny along with the visual art design and animations. Swords & Soldiers isn't a serious game even though its a strategy game. You can add different units to do battle against enemy forces before and during each level. There was always a small humorous story that leads up to battle. The first battle had to do with a barbecue party. The level  was called Beef with Neighbors "Defend the Holy Grill". Gameplay is layered in this strategy game. It is a 2D game which is odd for a strategy game. However Swords & Soldiers pulls it off.

You can use mana for magic attacks and health magic on your troops while engaged in combat. The demo has a world map that shows various battle grounds that are levels. You can move and choose which level you want if its unlocked. The demo is over 20 minutes. Blackbeard was one of the bosses i defeated in the demo. If you beat the campaign you can unlock Challenge Mode. The visuals are pretty good in this game. The art design and texture work displayed a wintery fun wonderland. The music was pretty good throughout the demo as well the voice acting. Just a fun little 2D strategy game all around.

Swords & Soldiers took me by surprise by its fun gameplay and stellar presentation. I understand its just a demo but what i experiences was really good. Thanks from reading.

The Darkness II - Demo Impressions

The Darkness II is set two years after the original game featuring the Darkness wielding mob boss Jackie Estacado. For the record i played The Darkness II demo via my Xbox 360 for this particular videogames4gamerz article. I must say overall the demo really did a good job at selling me this game. Reason being that in The Darkness II i managed to feel more like a badass then in the first game. The Darkness II is a action game developed by Digital Extremes and published by 2K Games for the PC, Playstation 3 and Xbox 360. The game releases February 7, 2012.

The title screen menus shows Start Demo, Options and Quit.The controls via the Xbox 360 gamepad: LS-move/strafe, D-pad-change weapon, LB-Demon Arm Slash/Melee, RT-Fire, A-jump, B-swarm, Y-gun channeling, LT-iron sights and Back-objectives. One huge improvement that i noticed was the control scheme in The Darkness II as compared to the first game. It was practically seamless duel wielding guns while using both your Demon Arms like picking up car doors and flinging them at enemies. So basically you have two demonic arms and two guns (potentially) that you can use. All four at the same time. So kudos on the controls they made me feel like a real mob killing machine in the demo.

The beginning of the demo shows Jackie Estacado being crucified by one of the game's main badguys. The evil mastermind is trying to siphon Jackie's Darkness powers out of him. The only way to fully get Jackie's Darkness powers is if he verbally relinquishes them. At any-rate the demo has like three small cutscenes in between gameplay sequences of Jackie's crucifixion. The last scene shows Jackie escaping to save Aunt Sarah from the badguys. There are also gameplay sequences with visions of Jenni in The Darkness II demo. I'm thinking the story should be at least equal to the first game or if not better.

The tutorial starts off with a bang as Jackie who is now the mob boss of the family being attacked at his restaurant. During the tutorial you learn how to duel wield pistols. The aiming felt weird because Jackie was being dragged and the angles you had to shoot everybody from were odd. Even though the auto-aim was sufficient. Some of the guns i used throughout the demo were the Defender shotgun, M1911 pistol and Micro Uzi. You can combine any two smaller guns in duel wield mode which was nice. As far as shooting and aiming go it was good. The auto-aim was pretty strong however.

As Jackie unleashes his Darkness powers for the first time after two years he hunts down the guys who shot up his restaurant. Making your way through the New York streets, buildings and down through a subway ultimately resting at a crashed subway train site. When i first saw the new footage of The Darkness II i originally disliked the artstyle. My tone changed quickly after playing the demo. The Darkness II incorporates a semi realistic comic book art and color design. Its like playing a graphic novel in real time. Aside from the good visuals the voice actors are top notch as well. The music helped create a nice atmosphere that brought the city to life.

The gameplay in the demo was solid. I learned how to use the slash with the Demon Arms and Demon Dash technique. You can practically pick up and throw any object at enemies with the Demon Arms either stunning or killing them. You can also perform brutal finishing moves with the arms which nets you Dark Essence. Dark Essence is like XP in The Darkness II. You gain Dark Essence from eating hearts and killing enemies. Collectibles are scattered about the game like Relics and Talent Shrines are where you upgrade Jackie's powers using Dark Essence. I first bought the talent "Eat Hearts" and a few others throughout the demo. There are many talents you can buy (around forty). Some include Black Swarm, Gun Channeling, Ground Pound, Heart Health, Expert Grabber and Combat Belt.

I performed some brutal gruesomely finishers in the demo like Anacnda +30, Wishbone +30 and Head Whip +30 Dark Essence points. The servants of The Darkness are back aka the Darklings. These guys cracked me up in the demo. He peed on enemies after he killed them, and farted too. They look like little demons and talk in a British accent to Jackie. If nothing else they add some comedy relief to this dark demonic gory action game. The demo lasts between 20 to 30 minutes.

I was originally on the fence about The Darkness II but after playing the demo i no longer am. The presentation screams quality and the atmosphere is thick. Its gonna be a good game. Thanks for reading.

Plugemons: Part 1 - Demo Impressions

Plugemons: Part 1 is a beautiful 2D platformer developed and published by Bionic-Thumbs for Xbox Live Indie Games Marketplace. It released January 13, 2012 and retails for 80 msp. Plugemons: Part 1 puts you in the role of a Plugemon, a socket tail ball morphing guardian who must liberate his people from evil machines.

Immediately what grabbed me about this game was its colorful vibrant artstyle and captivating sound design. Quality was apparent early on even before actually playing the game. Quality is one of the more important aspects i look for whenever i play any Xbox Live Indie Game. The reason being i played some games on XBLIGM that were so bad i didn't even want to actually write about them. At any rate the opening cutscene shows us the "why" as to why you're playing Plugemons: Part 1.

The opening cutscene shows a huge spaceship crashing down into Plugemon's home planet. The evil machines only goal is to pretty much destroy everything and anybody in their wake. The gameplay starts off with the protagonist Plugemon making a miraculous escape down a hole where he meets his mentor. The mentor basically tells Plugemon he is from a line of special Plugemon guardians who's sole purpose is to protect and liberate his people from all evil.

From there the gameplay starts pretty much. The first section is clearly a tutorial to this 2D platformer. You learn the basics like morphing into a ball and collecting lightning bolts that power machines up. Collecting red lightning bolts are few and far between but power up special machines that are used to complete stages of the world map. Platforming using your electric socket tail to swing from electrical sockets and jumping on trampolines to reach platforms was the norm. Dangers include saw blades on the ground (died too many times from those). The screen filled up with blood when you die which caught me by surprise considering this is such a charming and "cute" game. After you beat the tutorial level you're now considered a Plugemon guardian and start level 1-2.

You can play 4 different levels in the trial version which was nice of Bionic-Thumbs. As far as platforming and gameplay goes it wasn't as fun as i thought it would be. I died alote because of the controls and the animations. Keep in mind i beaten games like Demon's Souls (platinum trophy) and Dark Souls by myself. When or if i complain about dieing in a game alote its not my fault all the time. For instance when i died in Dark Souls i would never complain i always felt it was my fault or something i did wrong. However with Plugemons: Part 1 it didn't feel like that. It felt as if i was dying from some unexplained force that was out of my control.

Aside from the rough gameplay i must say this game is flat out gorgeous. The fantasy world pops out of the screen and comes to life. The use of colors and art direction was full of imagination which constantly kept my eyes glued to the screen. The stellar visuals are coupled with stellar music and sound design. I swear if it wasn't for the rough gameplay Plugemons: Part 1 would be a primo indie game. Practically the entire presentation screams quality which is hard to come by with many XBLIGs.

Plugemons: Part 1 is a good platformer with some rough around the edges gameplay. However the visual and sound design are top notch stuff and i would say check the game out for those two factors if nothing else. Thanks for reading.

Xbox Live: Indie Trial Game - Parasitus: Ninja Zero

Parasitus: Ninja Zero is a 2D action adventure videogame developed by Heart Attack Machine for Xbox Live Indie Game. This game reminds me of metroidvania i swear. The first thought that came to my mind while playing Parasitus: Ninja Zero is how much it reminds me of the older Castlevania and Metroid games.

Presentation is based around 16-bit visuals coupled with lots slashing and gore. The music helped create a sense of atmosphere that was pretty impressive. The story regarding Parasitus: Ninja Zero i have absolutely no idea if there even is one. The protagonist looks like Simon Belmont Castlevania except he is wearing a trenchcoat and bandana. Might i add he swings a ninja sword also. Videogames such as Parasitus really don't need a story since its so over the top and filled with action and gore. I might add a story couldn't hurt either.

There is a tutorial gamemode that is playable. I skipped that and went straight to the main portion of the demo. The controls were as follows RB-block, A-jump, X-attack. As you progress through the various stages in the trial game you can unlock magic and special moves when you press RB+Y. The controls are not the best and lag quite a bit when trying to time jumps over spike traps. The controls are good considering the old school style of gameplay that this game is built around.

You make your way through the dangerous castle that is Parasitus: Ninja Zero you will encounter monsters. For intance, giant gargoyles, zombies, giant bats and killer wolves are around. Each enemy brings a different dynamic whether its attacks or from item drops. If you look at the top left corner of the screen it shows your health bar, score and lives. This is an old school style game you get three lives and a set number of continues.

The visuals are 16-bit goodness. If you played any 2D side scroller adventure games from the 16 bit era thats what Parasitus: Ninja Zero looks like. There is something so nostalgic about 16-bit graphics. The background and forground setting was a ruined castle with the moon cascading light from the sky. The color pallete and character models looked impressive. The monsters were designed with imagination and creativity as well.

Hands down the most memorable thing after playing this game is "WA, WA, WA, WAAAA"!!. That is the sound the ninja protagonist makes when he slices and dices monsters. Its not annoying but instead original imo. The protagonist grunts adds character to this videogame more so than the music did. The music was mostly creepy tunes.
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Xbox Live: Indie Trial Game - Trailer Park King

King is the main protagonist and Joe Dirt lookalike. Presentation wise  this game doesn't take itself serious which is smart. Act 1 - Welcome to the Trailer Park is where you first see King shooting a squirrel with his  shotgun.

The story is told through comicbook  cutscenes with voice dialog. There is a curser on screen that you can use to interract with objects. The trailer park itself has an assortment of trailers. There is King's trailer, a girl's trailer next door, hospital, shop, diner and bar. There is also a arcade way at the top of the trailer. The map outside shows a bobblehead version of King that you can control. Back to King and his date with Zamboni. I go to the shop to buy some flowers than meet Zamboni.

While on a date and taking a restroom break King runs into Truck and Skinny. Truck is Zamboni's brother and wants to beat up King in the restroom. King fights Truck but loses badly. He gets kicked out of the T-Diner and goes home only to see Truck dead in his trailer. You guessed it, Trailer Park King is a mystery game who would of guessed it! The trial versions of these indie game's don't last long but i was able to play alittle longer.

King called the police but they wouldn't come unless King bought the police woman some pizza and beer. So i went to the diner and bought the food came back the game ended abruptly. There is a suspect menu for Trailer Park King that is used to cross off suspects King thinks is innocent. There isn't much pointing and clicking. Sometimes you point and click to make decisions, buy things or use the phone. The game points you where to click pretty much. The artsyle and visuals were decent. The music was good as well. Trailer Park king isn't thought provoking or challenging. You're just along for a fun ride which it executes. Thanks for reading.

Overall i had fun with this little indie game. It has a quirky charm. The visuals match its eclectic presentation. Give Trailer Park King a try guys and gals you might like it. http://gamer-blog.com/dc-online-universe-free-to-play-early-impressions-ps3/

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron - Demo Impressions

El Shaddai Ascension of the Metatron exudes all that is good regarding Japanese gaming. From the wild creative art style to its fast paced Devil May Cry/ Bayonetta esque gameplay. El Shaddai of the Metatron definitely has a identity of its own when talking about Japanese action videogames. The demo itself was good and lasted plenty of time giving the gamer a good idea of what to expect from the full retail game.

You take the role of protagonist Enoch in this action beat em up whose ultimate goal i never had a chance figured out. A few things are apparent however, Enoch can take enemies weapons from them and use them with his powers creating powerful attacks.

There are items, weapons and collectibles to be had in the demo. Flame of Power and Light of the Blessing are defense and health items Enoch collects as he defeats enemies. I played the demo on my Playstation 3 and the Duel Shock 3 layout is as follows: L1-steal weapons, LS-move, Square-attack, R1-guard and X-jump. The controls are good but not in the same ballpark as say a Devil May Cry or Bayonetta. I did like the controls during the 2D section jumping etc.

The demo of El Shaddai Ascension of the Metatron takes you to a beautiful artistically designed world but not only in 3D but also 2D. I cannot emphasize how unique the visuals are in this game. The only downside graphically regarding this game would be the facial detail during cutscenes. Otherwise this game has real pleasing art design thats unforgettable.

The enemies looked similar to Enoch with names like, Ezeka-H or Ezeka-Z etc. I know, kinda weird names but Japanese developed videogames has always had a charming quirkiness about them to western eyes. As Enoch takes damage his armor is ripped from him. The difficulty was challenging especially the boss battles. And yes, i actually had it on the easy difficulty settings.

The combat was fun. Taking away enemies weapons and killing them was addicting. The exploration and 2D platforming levels were fun and quite a challenge. The boss fights were engrossing albeit strange at times. The sound design was decent but didn't stand out quite like the game's visuals. Overall a decent Japanese developed action adventure beat em up demo. Its not in the same league as some of the "great" hack n slash games out, but it definitely has its own charm and character about it. Other articles: DC Universe Beta Review

Bastion - Demo Impressions

This is the type of game that makes you glad you're in this hobby. Bastion is an action RPG centered around a white-haired boy and his quest to save the world. Bastion was developed by Supergiant Games and published by Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment. Bastion originally got my attention when I started seeing high review marks popping up for it. As a gamer my interest was piqued and I wanted to try the demo for myself to see what was so good about it.

The main menu for Bastion shows the normal stuff you see from typical arcade titles. You have Story, Help, Options, Leaderboards, etc. I picked Story and got started. The beginning of the demo shows you, the white-haired protagonist boy listening to a stranger's disembodied voice. The voice basically serves as a tutorial and helps you. Bastion's story has something to do with the protagonist finding and collecting magical crystals to reactivate Bastion. Bastion is a secret mythical piece of land that holds the power to save humanity on the white-haired boy's planet.

Bastion is an action RPG that has more style than most full game RPGS. From the anime painting art style, music and reactive voice narration it became apparent to me why this game been getting such high review scores. The demo does a good job with introducing you to many gameplay mechanics in Bastion. This is a top down action RPG where you must take out groups of enemies with your Cael Hammer, Fang Repeater and Breaker's Bow. All of the weapons are useful and upgradable at Arsenal shops. The shield is very useful as well.

Xbox 360 gamepad controls are as follows: LS-move, RS-defend, A-evade, B-attack, Y-heal, X-attack, RB/LB-cycle targets, RT-secret skil and select opens Pack (items/info,etc). The controls are good in Bastion. Before I knew it. I was evading attacks, blocking, smashing enemies with my hammer evading again and then shooting enemies with my bow and arrows. So yea, the controls are good and the gameplay is even better. As you progress through the demo you find and equip Whirl Wind special ability which is a spinning hammer attack. You just press Right Trigger when you have enough special potion to activate it.

Bastion isn't a difficult game to master. At times I did drink health potions to keep from dying. You get items and collectibles from killing enemies and smashing the environment around you. Much of the environment is destructible and important in locating collectibles. The Distillery is a place that looks like a bar but is your character's upgrade station. Buying items such as Squirt Cider, Dredrum and Felching Fizz can yield your protagonist +10 Health, +10% critical hit chance and absorb stray fragments ability.

The demo showed me ten levels of progression for your protagonist when leveling him up. After defeating a mini boss and obtaining a special crystal you find Bastion and a stranger there waiting for you. The stranger is the reactive narration of Bastion and he is kinda cool. Anyways, you can talk to the stranger in Bastion about special objects you come across and he will enlighten you on what they are most times. You're pretty much at the end of the demo when you reactivate Bastion and build an item shop of your choice. Yes, you can build item shops and whatnot in Bastion as you find crystals to reactivate all of Bastion's functions. After you activate a part of Bastion the demo ends.

Bastion is fun, its cool and the story seems interesting. The anime graphics and reactive narrative coupled with good music created a nice presentation. Bastion is quality. Check out my other articles on Catherine demo impressions. Thanks for reading and visiting. More articles: Killzone 3 Beta Review

Catherine - Demo Impressions

I'm back! Well sort of anyways. To promote Videogames Source better i figured what better place than my first ever blog. Plus i miss this place. This article was written while playing the Playstation 3 demo version of Catherine. I do understand the full retail game is available. Lack of funds at the moment has prevented me from buying Catherine. Lets get started. Vincent is the main protagonist in Catherine. He isn't exactly an innocent man either.

This is one game that makes you think twice about cheating on your girlfriend or wife. The presentation seems on the quirky side and horror action puzzle gameplay is also involved. Catherine is developed and published by Atlus.Co for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

The demo starts off with a puzzle tutorial. You have to climb a tower to beat the evil spirit and dropping floors that are falling beneath you. The presentation and graphic design is that of hardcore anime. Vincent (while in dream state)is in his underwear and has goat horns on his head. He must get to the top of the mysterious tower before he is killed in his sleep. I know seems crazy. It is.

Stage 1 is called "Underground Cemetery". The latter is a tutorial level at the start of the demo. The controls are "different" and take some getting used to. In the puzzle sequences you must pull and push blocks and make your way up. A mystical door waiting for you at the top with an engraved lionhead on it. You move Vincent around the blocks by using the D-pad.  You can hang on and off ledges of each block. To push and pull blocks you grab with X button and same to let go.

You can use items by pressing the square button. I did manage to collect items as i made my way up the tower. The Mystic Pillow grants you another continue if you die. You can die on Catherine by not reaching the top of the tower fast enough.

There is a wall graph and bar that shows you're progress and how close you are towards the top. For the most part as far as the puzzle gameplay is concerned its fun and challenging. Certain blocks posses certain abilities which makes the player have to be careful when climbing up the tower.

After you make it out of the tutorial your shown Vincent waking up at a diner with Catherine. The anime is particularly good and the cutscenes didn't disappoint. The cutscenes give way to nice in game visuals. The scene was mostly about Catherine feeling pressure about settling down with Vincent. Vincent has commitment issues that much is clear.

The next scene takes place at a bar called the Stray Sheep with is sorta cryptic since Vincent has sheep horns in his nightmare puzzle gameplay sequences. While at the bar drinking with friends Vincent learns about a murder regarding one of his friends. After that your shown a tutorial for the cellphone. The cellphone is an important part of this videogame's gameplay.

There is a karma system attached to the cellphone depending on how you answer (or not) Catherine's calls and messages. The phone is also used to save your progress but that wasn't available in the demo. Katherine takes a seat in Vincent's booth and the last puzzle level of the demo is playable.

I got quite a bit of information from the demo. This is one eccentric videogame. It has a nice atmosphere with really good anime cutscenes. The puzzle gameplay is challenging. The story seems decent. Catherine does have a crazy horror vibe also. Its not just about a guy with commitment issues dealing with two woman. If you're looking for something alittle different try out the demo. It can't hurt. Check out my Bastion article. Thanks for reading http://gamer-blog.com/ninja-gaiden-3-demo-review/