Welcome to the last episode of Nerds Without Pants for 2018! It’s been a heck of a year, and we’re closing things out with our biggest guest to date: none other than Ryan Scott of The Geekbox and The Comedy Button! So strap in, because it’s time for our annual breakdown of the video game industry that we like to call the State of the Generation podcast.
In 2011, I said that Batman: Arkham City was one of the best superhero games ever made. A few years before that, I said that Arkham Asylum was the new standard that licensed games should live up to. Since then, few series have done so. Yet somehow, every Arkham game rises above the rest. Arkham Knight is no exception. It takes some of the best of what was established in the past games and puts it all together to form one of the most gripping games I’ve played in quite a while.
Following Supergiant’s critically acclaimed game Bastion, Transistor comes off as a very similar game, initially at least. Transistor quickly forms an identity of its own, boasting a unique battle system and an intriguing story. I found myself getting wrapped into Transistor’s many layers, whether it was exploring the city of Cloudbank, discovering the motives behind the mysterious Camerata, or strategically managing my abilities to give me that extra edge in combat. Transistor is a riveting and memorable experience from beginning to end.
Even if you only played the demo way back in the ancient days of the mid-'90s, it's hard to forget the thrill of flying in and out of cramped hallways, dodging lasers and missiles to steal a door key and then strafing downward (or is it upward?) back out of the room to safety. Descent celebrates its 19th birthday this month with a straight, bare-bones port on Steam—all 27 stomach-wrenching levels of the original. This particular version has some mouse issues, but a great game is a great game.
If you were given 13 grand, would you use it to make a sequel to an Atari Lynx puzzle game? I can't say that would be my first choice, and I bet it wouldn't be yours either, but could nearly 400 Kickstarter backers go wrong? (I can see Takedown: Red Sabre players are reaching for pitchforks; easy, folks, this is nothing like that. Stand down.) Another adventure in crowdfunding has resurrected one man's decades-long dream, and after playing the final product via Desura, I consider my brain partially teased, moderately amused.
Prepare to have your hopes dashed on the rocks of reality: this is nothing like Rainbow Six. There is nothing good, fun, or entertaining about it. It's not something you should try for any reason. It's so bad that it will take months of patches before it could be merely described as bad.
Old school games are here to stay, thanks to gems like Guacamelee, a fun 2D beat-'em-up/platformer with endearing characters and dialogue and a distinct Mexican flavor. It's filled to the brim with humor and now-ancient video game references to Mario, Zelda, and Metroid that will leave you laughing at how blatant they are. Its setting, music, and modern design choices all work together to make something new enough that you'll forget you're off yet again to save una otra princesa.
With over two decades of experience making games and a record of being independent before indie games were a trend in the gaming world, Spiderweb Software is the hardcore for the hardcore. Makers of such classic series as Geneforge, Avernum, and now Avadon, the company focuses on old school RPG experiences that most publishers and developers have abandoned.. While they primarily focus on the PC and Mac platforms, they recently experimented with mobile development, releasing Avadon and Avernum to iOS and Android with stunning success. It seems classic games are classic no matter what system they’re played on.
Papo & Yo is not a AAA release. There is no bloated budget here, or tacked-on multiplayer, or DLC to be had. Likewise, the game isn’t as polished as most big budget releases. But what it does have – what so few AAA titles have – is heart. This game was forged with a soul.
Element4l is an innovative platformer that focuses on how well you know your physics, as well as your ability to adapt. You have control of the four elements, and the only enemy is your own environment. The four elements are bound together, and are on a quest to shape life. This is no ordinary platform game—you must use logic, reasoning, and physics to traverse through the levels. This is an experimental title that’s wrapped in a wonderful soundtrack, composed by MindTree. This game challenges you to rearrange your reflexes, and figure out which element is best suited to each obstacle.
Telltale’s The Walking Dead surprised many last year, including myself, by telling one of the most memorable stories in gaming. By pairing tense scenarios with incredible characters, the episodic game caught wildfire and became a smash success, winning multiple games of the year accolades. To no surprise, the success of season one means that a season two is inevitable, but in the meantime, Telltale decided to tease us with a DLC that gives us insight on the future of the series.
People are always saying to me that they can’t game on their PC because it’s not powerful enough, or it doesn’t have this, or it doesn’t have that. Well, I’m here to tell you that might not be true. While playing AAA games and other major releases may require hardcore gaming rigs, there are a lot of lower budget indie games available that are cheap and easily playable on the most basic of systems.
Unlike most reviewers, I feel like I had a unique perspective going into Gearbox’s Aliens: Colonial Marines. My fandom of the series only reaches back a few months, when friends recommended that I check out Alien and Aliens. While both movies were great, I didn’t really have the grasp on the series like most that grew up with the franchise. Also unlike most that went into this game, I didn’t have the chance to play it until after the backlash. Reports of the game being horrendous can be found everywhere, and while I agree to an extent, I feel that the majority of this game’s lackluster reception is due to the lofty expectations of diehard Aliens fans. However, nothing can stop Alien’s Colonial Marines from being a generic shooting experience that fell way below the standards of a great game.
It all starts with a box. It’s shiny, and it’s white, and it’s metal. It’s also empty, but it won’t always be this way.
With four episodes under Telltale’s belt, episode five was meant to cap off the season in an appropriate and satisfying fashion. Episode four left off with a huge cliffhanger that set a grim tone for this last episode. If anything, I was worried that the episode might not deliver. Endings are always a touchy subject (am I right, Mass Effect fans?). However, I was glad because Episode Five – No Time Left hit all of the marks that it was supposed to, and then some.
I love super heroes and I love video games so naturally whenever there is a combination of the two, I get excited. Though the results aren’t always favorable, there are a host of games that do our heroes justice. MMOs on the other hand have been a different beast, mainly hitting their stride a few years back with City of Heroes. Last year, DC took their chances in the MMO space with DC Universe Online, which has had decent success. While that game operates much like you would expect, Marvel has enlisted Gazillion Entertainment to helm their super powered MMO. Headed by Diablo creator David Brevick, Marvel Heroes combines elements from dungeon crawlers like Marvel: Ultimate Alliance and the Diablo franchise to create something that has the potential to be great.
By the end of Episode 3 of Telltale’s “The Walking Dead”, I felt like I had been taken on an emotional rollercoaster. Many events happened that changed the scope of the situation for Lee, Clementine and the rest of the group, and I knew going into Episode 4 that it would continue down that path. Knowing also that Episode 4 is the lead up to their Episode 5 finale I hoped that the stakes would be raised in order to provide for a satisfying final chapter. Thankfully, I was not disappointed.
To the Moon created a bit of buzz a few months ago. Originally released in 2011 through the author, Kan Gao’s website, the game acquired a cult following. People who played the game praised it, claiming that it had one of the best stories in gaming. Now that the game is available on Steam, even more players will be able to see if those claims were legitimate. From my time with the game, I can say that it lives up to the hype.
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron is on its way to being just as good, if not better than its predecessor if my latest hands-on with the game is any indicator. 2010’s War for Cybertron left a lasting impression on me, and was one of my favorite games of that year. It finally set the bar for what a Transformers game should be like with the right amount of action, fluidity of gameplay, and the overall production value. Thankfully, Fall of Cybertron continues that trend. The latest demo, which includes single and multiplayer components shows that High Moon has learned from some of its mistakes in the last game and is trying hard to make sure that Fall of Cybertron is a better game overall.
This past Tuesday Sega posted an image (pictured below) on their Facebook page and Twitter feed that puzzled at least a few folks. However, when the dust settled, the consensus was that it was from the NiGHTS series, sparking immediate speculation. Today, Sega revealed that the mysterious picture was teasing the announcement of an HD port of the original NiGHTS into Dreams to Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and PC.
Skulls of the Shogun is a new 2D turn based strategy game from first time developer 17-Bit. Comprised in part of former employees of EA LA (responsible for the Command and Conquer series), the game aims to please fans of titles like Shining Force with a light-hearted presentation and skull collecting. I know those two don't go together but trust me, it will all make sense.
After over a decade of waiting it’s time again to pick up our banners and battle the horrors of Hell in Diablo 3. Many have been preparing for this battle for years; however, if you’ve yet to play a Diablo game before you may want to brush up on some quick tips and tricks before heading to face the vast armies of Demonic Hell Spawn. Fear not fellow travelers, with a few simple tricks and tips we’ll turn you from Noob to Nephalem. I dare say, not even Diablo himself will be safe from your wrath!
City Interactive is delivering some arcade-style shoot-em-up goodness later this year in the form of Dogfight 1942. Originally titled Combat Wings: The Great Battles of World War II, the game had been intended as a retail game. However, along with the name change, the game will now be a downloadable only title that will be available on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and Steam when it's released.
Confirming the rumors that leaked out a few weeks ago, Mass Effect 3's next multiplayer focused DLC entitled: Rebellion is confirmed for release on Tuesday, May 29th (or Wednesday, May 30th for Europe PSN users) for the PC, Xbox 360 and PS3. Best part about this DLC is that it is again free of charge, assuming you already have activated your Mass Effect 3 online pass.
Click. Click. Click. It’s hard to believe that a game that’s entirely based around mouse clicking can be as entertaining, addictive, and all-consuming as Diablo III is. Blizzard took twelve years to deliver the third release of their dungeon-exploring, monster-slaying, loot-hoarding series, and it was entirely possible that this game wouldn’t deliver on over a decade of anticipation. I’m here to tell you that Blizzard did indeed deliver and as soon as I’m done telling you exactly how amazing this game is you can count on me going back in for more clicking, carnage, and loot. Often imitated but never duplicated, Blizzard has given a powerful reminder of who the king of the click really is.