Review - Zeno Clash

Zeno Clash

ACE Team

Windows (Reviewed), XBLA

Action, FPS, Fighting, Brawler

April 21, 2009

The Preamble

In the downtime between GTA V and Pokemon X/Y, which I'm still working my way through, I was able to play a couple smaller games. 

I knew Zeno Clash was going to be weird, but I didn't expect the weirdness to enchant me as much as it did. While the game isn't perfect by any stretch, it explores some new areas in FPS mechanics that we don't see very often, and blows your mind with one of the strangest stories I've ever experienced in the the medium of video games.

The Overview

Zeno Clash is an FPS brawler where you play as a Ghat, making your way through the world of Zenozoik. The game is designed in a very linear way, but it works for this kind of game, as it is very similar to the campaign of a fighting game. 

As you make your way through the Zenozoik, you encounter groups of enemies that you must defeat in order to move the next area. The combat consists of a mixture of fist fighting, ranged weapon, and blunt weapon combat, all from the first person perspective.

As Ghat, you are a child of the great Father-Mother, which is a bizarre, bird-like, hermaphroditic single parent who has raised all of the children of the community and stands as the apex of the group. We learn early on that Ghat has discovered a dark secret of Father-Mother, and decides to leave the village and community as a result. 

Father-Mother

The story then unfolds as you play from Ghat's perspective, fighting your way through the villagers, the Corwid of the Free (an especially strange group that live out in the forest), and countless other Zenozoik oddities. With the help of some flashbacks, and the discovery of an ancient character called Golem that helps you in your journey, you unravel the real secret that Father-Mother is hiding. 

Golem

The Good

• The story and world surrounding the characters is completely bonkers. I can't think of another game that makes me feel like I'm watching a David Lynch film as much as this one. I loved it. The creativity of the designers really shines in this game.

• The game looks really good. With great support from the nearly 10 year old Source engine and wonderful creative design by the developers, the game holds up against the test of time on a visual level. 

• Sure the world is cool, but possibly the most impressive part of this game is the mechanic they put front and center, the fighting! Hands down the best FPS hand-to-hand combat I've encountered in a game. The attacks are weighty, combo-ing feels amazing, and timing is crucial.

The Bad

• It's hard to criticize a small budget indie game like this one too much, but if I have to, I will complain about the length. This is short game; I finished it in about 3.5 hours. That being said, there is a sequel out now for those that are hungry for more.

• Even though linearity makes sense for a game like this, I think adding some non-linear gameplay for the player would have done nothing but add to the enjoyment to the game.

The Conclusion

Zeno Clash is a creative indie marvel that I think anyone with an appreciation for something staunchly outside of the box will enjoy. It sells for ten bucks on Steam normally, which might be a bit steep for a three hour game, but it goes on sale often, and I would highly encourage people to take a look when it does. 

Review - Grand Theft Auto V

Grand Theft Auto V

Rockstar

Xbox 360, Playstation 3 (reviewed)

Action, Adventure, Open World

September 17, 2013

The Preamble

Grand Theft Auto releases have been making a big splash for years now. I remember waiting in line with my friend's parents (my parents wouldn't let me get it :P) back when I was a teenager to pick up Grand Theft Auto III, and the mind blowing moment of diving into Liberty City for the first time. My friends and I would stay up to the wee hours of the night, getting up to 5 stars and trying to escape police, searching for the coolest car in the city, and of course, needlessly turning innocent civilians into roadkill.

It's been 12 years since Rockstar wow'ed us with this landmark release.

This is what GTA has been for years, and it continues to be that today, but with so much more. With each release the game worlds and narrative strategies evolve, making for something bigger and better than the previous game. This release is no different as far as massive hype goes, in fact, it has turned out to be the highest grossing media release of all time. It's funny how that works out: The most controversial franchise of our generation is also the biggest money maker the industry has ever seen.

In the first 24 hours, GTA V sales amounted to 800 million dollars. After 3 days, they had breached a billion.

All of that aside, Rockstar has yet again brought a truly impressive beast to the table with Grand Theft Auto V. All of the things you loved about past GTA titles is back, but it's been improved, and paired with a plethora of new activities in a region that is the biggest we've ever seen in a GTA game. Perhaps the most noteworthy is the new and unique narrative approach that has been presented, where you are given dynamic control over three different main characters. And to put a cherry on top, we are also given the most comprehensive and polished approach to GTA multiplayer we've seen yet.

The Overview

The game begins in North Yankton, where two of the three characters you play are pulling off a bank heist. This is where you get an introduction to the mechanics of the game, but it also sets the stage for the real story, which takes place in Los Santos, ten years later.

The characters you take control of are Michael, Trevor, and Franklin. It's hard to give too much detail here without giving things away, but I will say that each character has their own distinct personality and mini-story arc, as well as a master arc which intertwines the three characters stories. The magic here lies not within the individual stories, but in how each of them cross paths, allowing you to play from multiple perspectives, while progressing the overall story.

Gameplay wise, we are given a smattering of just about every game type you can think of. The bread and butter of course is third person, cover based shooter mechanics. But in addition to this, you are given, essentially, a racing (both car and boat) game, flight simulator, tennis game, golf game, as well as tons of other stuff. 

The Good

• The multi-pronged storytelling approach Rockstar took with this game is unprecedented in an open world game like this. Switching between fending off the cops, setting an explosive to open the bank vault, and manning the helicopter to escape, all while working toward the common goal of pulling off a bank robbery is a truly special experience to behold. It didn't take long for this mechanic to win me over in a big way.

• Heists! What an awesome construct to have in GTA, especially when you're playing three different characters. There are planning, preparation, hiring, and execution phases, and they are all a blast. Going through these steps to pull off a grand crime, especially when the payout is massive, is super fun and satisfying.

• Rockstar has an eye for detail that is unmatched. From the character animations, to the dialogue, to the dynamic weather in the environment, the world feels like it is a real living and breathing entity.

• As far back as I can remember, Rockstar has superb dialogue in their games, and GTA V is no different. Each cutscene is a treat to observe and the characters that you meet throughout the story are always unique and amusing in their own way. The characters and dialogue truly stand out in this game.

• While I personally don't feel the map compares to Skyrim's, like some say, Los Santos is immense in this game. It's completely open to you as soon as you get past the initial heist mission, and as I mentioned before, it is chock full of things to do. Driving, flying, parachuting, property purchasing, scuba diving, and more. There's no shortage of stuff to do in the massive open world Rockstar provides in this release.

• While I had some issues with picture quality on my monitor, it didn't stop me from being awe struck by the visuals in this game. From the skyscrapers in the city, to the mountains in the wild, to the depths of the ocean, the visuals are truly a sight to behold in this game. More so than any GTA title that has come about before.

• I haven't had a chance to spend too much time with this yet, but the GTA Online feature seems to be something Rockstar spent a lot of time on, and has consequently made a fun, unique multiplayer experience in Los Santos. There are skill progressions, gang mechanics, property acquisitions, heists, and more to enjoy with your friends online. This is something I plan on spending more time with, and perhaps will have another write-up on.

The Bad

• I'm not saying I'm in love with Niko Bellic, but I liked him more than any of the characters you play in GTA V. That's not to say that they don't make for a good story, but on a personal level, Michael, Franklin, and especially Trevor are all pretty despicable. If it isn't from being a ruthless asshole, it's from being a pathetic coward. Of course I don't expect characters in GTA to be saints (no pun intended :P), but it would be nice if they had at least some admirable qualities from time to time.

• Grand Theft Auto games always push the limits of censorship and GTA V is no exception. Minor spoiler here, but there is a mission where, as Trevor, you needlessly torture someone in a overly brutal fashion. While I understand that this kind of thing is more a satirical commentary on the uselessness of torture, putting the player in the shoes of the torturer is pretty ham handed. To me, this felt like it was a little too far, but it begs the question, how far is too far?

• I mentioned this earlier, and maybe I've just grown too accustomed to PC graphics, but the console graphics really let me down here. I think it was partly due to the monitor I was playing on, but the textures looks pretty horrible to me, and hardly did the game justice on a visual level. Only a few hours into the game, as much as I was enjoying it, I couldn't help but wish they had waited to release this on next generation hardware.

• Along the same lines as the above criticism, if Rockstar couldn't wait to release on next gen systems, then at the very least release it on PC! It is baffling how much better GTA IV looked and played on PC vs. console, not to mention the amazing mods that have come out for the game. I really wish Rockstar would give it's PC audience some love and actually release their games on PC in a timely manner and not wait years like they typically do.

The Conclusion

Is GTA V the game of the year? Probably for some, but not for me. That being said, is it an impressive feat of gaming? Absolutely. Any fan of the GTA franchise, or open world games in general, will be thrilled with this game. Rockstar does some really neat things in this game, things that haven't been done in other games, and for that I praise them. For those gamers out there that want to have their eyes opened to a new approach to storytelling and open world gaming, I couldn't recommend this game enough, but fair warning, make sure you have a strong stomach, because Rockstar doesn't pull any punches in this one.

Review - Dust: An Elysian Tail

Dust: An Elysian Tail

Humble Hearts

PC (reviewed), Xbox Live Arcade

Action, Adventure, RPG, Platformer

August 15, 2012 (XBLA)
May 24, 2013 (PC)

The Preamble

Here's one I left off of my "I'm Back!" post. Which is strange since it's actually the one I finished most recently. At any rate, after so much shooting (Last of Us, Metro: Last Light, Saints Row: The Third) I needed some RPG goodness, and why not throw some platforming in there.

Dust: An Elysian Tale is an action-RPG, originally released back in August 2012 as a Xbox Live Arcade exclusive. I heard loads of good things at the time, but for one reason or another, didn't get a chance to play. Luckily, the developers have been hard at work porting it to PC, which was released in May of this year.

The Overview

Dust: An Elysian Tail takes place in a world called Falana, inhabited by a plethora of anthropomorphic animals and monsters. You awake as Dust, a blue animal (fox?) out in the middle of the forest, accompanied by a living, floating sword, as well as a small wombat by the name of Fidget. Dust has no recollection of who he is, how he got here, and what his purpose is. So, of course, your quest leads you along that path of self discovery and unraveling of the past.

It's not a bad story, but it's nothing extraordinary. The mix of the strange anthropomorphic creatures and, at times, obnoxious voice acting, makes for a fairly cringe worthy storytelling experience. On the upside, the combat is pretty fun, at least for a while. And the developers kept it kid friendly, so gamers of all ages will be able to safely enjoy the game.

As for the game itself, Dust is a mix of action RPG, beat-em-up, and metroidvania all clumped up into a single game. While the RPG elements lack a bit, and the combat can get old after a while, it's still a well made game in a lot of respects.

The Good

• The game is really beautiful. Vibrant colors and fluid animations make for one of the more aesthetically pleasing indie experiences I've had in quite some time.

• There's a surprising amount of content. I spent 15 hours with the game and didn't really even near 100% completion. There's a lot to explore, and many hidden treasures to find.

• While the voices got on my nerves a bit, the writing and voicing overall is well done. It's not the most compelling or unpredictable of stories, but it's also not bad. Assuming it's aimed at a somewhat younger audience, which I think it is, I was impressed by the story arc.

The Bad

• While the gameplay elements that are present are good, there simply isn't enough here to keep you interested for the entire game. You learn a few abilities initially that end up being your bread and butter for the entire game. 

• While new abilities are unlocked throughout the game, they are purely used for accessing different areas of the map (e.g. sliding, climbing walls, etc). There isn't a single modification to the combat mechanics after the first 30 minutes of the game, making combat extremely repetitive.

• The RPG elements are very weak. Outside of the levels and stats, there's no skill progression and loot is extremely basic. If they could have added some combat skills to learn as you go, it would have improved this game a ton. I mentioned above that there's a lot of exploration and treasure to find, which is true, but the treasure is almost entirely gold and food (to restore health), which makes the hunt far less interesting. Where are the phat lootz!?

This is about the extent of character customization.

• I allude to it in The Good, but the voice acting leaves something to be desired, to say the least. Some of the voices are fine, but others are annoying almost at a Claptrap level. This is a good example of a time to go the Nintendo route, and make the characters mumble, with accompanied text for the player to read.

Fidget... One of the most obnoxious characters I've encountered in a while.

The Conclusion

If you're looking for a game with exceptional art, Dust is a game you should check out. If you're looking for a unique action RPG experience, that will keep you engaged for the entire game, I would look elsewhere. The game has a ton of potential, but falls flat in too many aspects. Hopefully we'll see some improvement if sequel comes along.

Review - The Last of Us

The Last of Us

Naughty Dog

Playstation 3

Survival, Horror, Stealth, Action

June 14, 2013

The Preamble

Well, I want to start this one out by apologizing to the console gaming audience out there. As I was just looking back through the blog archive, it seems as though, outside of Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney, I've reviewed and discussed nothing but PC games on this blog.

Well, today we're venturing into the depths of the PS3 exclusive space, taking a look at The Last of Us. This title comes to us from developer Naughty Dog, famous for their work on the Uncharted series.

Unfortunately, I haven't played any of the Uncharted series, so I won't be able to make any comparisons there. What I can say is that The Last of Us is an extremely well-made game, wrought with emotional struggle, intense stealth-driven gameplay, and a narrative that you will not soon forget.

The Overview

I went into this game knowing virtually nothing about it. I knew that it was going to be survival horror type of game, with strong focus on characters and story and I was excited about this. I had of course seen the critical acclaim for the game, but outside of that, I really didn't know much.

I think that's maybe the best way to play this game, so I'm not going to be very descriptive in the overview of the story here. 

After a brief introduction of how the outbreak occurs, you travel forward in time 20 years after the infection, where society has been decimated and left to various sects of survivors that have declared their independence in some way or another. You play as Joel, a smuggler, devoid of almost all of his emotion as a result of enduring the last 20 years, watching civilization crumble. Through a series of events which I'll leave unsaid, Joel embarks on a journey that will lead him all over the country, forcing him to resolve unforgettable situations and pull him in emotional directions he didn't think he'd ever have to encounter.

The Good

• The story is top notch. From the unforgettable introduction to the thought provoking conclusion, The Last of Us remains good until the last drop. You are constantly excited, yet terrified, to see what happens next. While there are some typical zombie apocalypse tropes, there is a lot of uncertainty throughout the game.

• The character development is immaculate. Well written, well voiced, well animated; you feel like you know them, both the good and bad things about them. The arcs that each character take are compelling and keep you guessing about each decision.

• As far as the survival-horror-action genre goes, I don't think I've come across a game that conveys the true feeling of being a survivor as well as The Last of Us. You have to work your ass off to scavenge supplies, and even if you're good, you are never left feeling comfortable about the quantity of resources that you have. You are constantly tasked with rationing out your supplies and weighing your options every time you encounter an enemy.

• For a console game, the visuals are great. You aren't stuck with the same old grey, bleak, zombie setting. There is a surprising amount of variety in the weather and environment, which makes for a more diverse and interesting experience.

The Bad

• This may be the RPG fanboy in me peaking out, but the low number of skills, and the mundane nature of the ones that are present is pretty bleak. I would have loved a larger variety to play around with, at least some that actually influenced your play style somehow, which seems to be completely absent.

• Maybe it's just me and my lack of interest in stealth games anymore, but there are a lot of segments in this game that are downright infuriating. Retry after retry of tedious stealth gameplay. This wore on me in a big way after a while. Take a look at the 'Extra Note' below for more on this.

• There are some serious issues with checkpoint saving in this game. The game is not very clear about where the checkpoints are and the inclusion of what seems to be 'save anywhere' function always left me very confused when trying to load. There were numerous times I restarted from a checkpoint to find out that half of my ammo was gone and twice as many enemies were present. While this didn't happen every time, it happened enough for me to notice and get very frustrated on occasion. Also, saving is incredibly slow.

The Conclusion

The Last of Us is really quite groundbreaking on a storytelling level. It might be the most cinematic, immersive video game experience I've had the pleasure of consuming. That said, unless you are a huge fan of stealth gameplay, I don't feel like the game offers a lot more than that fantastic storytelling experience.

So I think there are a couple groups of people that would be interested in this game. 

• If you're interested in seeing one of the finest executions of storytelling in gaming, absolutely give this game a go (also, read the Extra Note below). Even if you are sort of zombied out (trust me, I'm right there with you), I still think it's well worth taking a look at.
• If you love tough stealth games, whether you care about story or not, this is worth taking a look at. 

An Extra Note

If you're not a gamer who is a huge stealth fan, and are more interested in the narrative part of the game, I would highly recommend playing on Normal or Easy difficulty settings. I made it through on Hard, but boy was it frustrating at times. If I had to do it over, I would have probably gone with Normal. Anyway, just my two cents on that subject.

Review - Tomb Raider

Tomb Raider

Crystal Dynamics

Windows (reviewed), PS3, Xbox 360

Action-Adventure, Survival, Platformer

March 5, 2013




The Preamble

My introduction to the Tomb Raider games was on the original Playstation, fighting bears and doing cartwheels through massive caves and tombs. I played the first two Tomb Raider games when I was young and absolutely loved them. Since then, I've dabbled with some of the interim Tomb Raider games (Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light), but wasn't sucked in like I had been what I was younger.

I wasn't able to get around to playing the game until now due to the number of big releases during March. But I've finally gotten around to it, and since I waited, I was able to get the game for just about $15. This just goes to show, unless you really need to play a game at release, you're likely much better off waiting for a month or two after the release date to pick up PC games, you can often save a ton of cash.

The Overview

Crystal Dynamics has taken the reins in bringing us a brand new reboot of this classic series keeping the same name as the original: Tomb Raider. A lot has changed since our busty friend was raiding tombs back in 1996. The 2013 Tomb Raider gives us a different look at Lara Croft, as a person, and how she stumbled into this tomb raiding life.

The game begins on an exploratory vessel, the Endurance, where Lara and a group of colleagues are in search of the lost kingdom of Yamatai. After much deliberation with her crew, Lara convinces the group that they should head toward the Dragon's Triangle. As they venture into this mysterious place, they are thrown into a violent storm by unexpected weather, forcing them to crash land on a stray island in the triangle.

This is where the real adventure begins. Lara must find her lost comrades, survive the tumultuous island, and find a way home. You'll utilize Lara's innate survival skills, climbing expertise, and weapon handling to accomplish this task, all the while uncovering the secret that the island holds within.

The Good

• A Lara Croft you care about. While Lara's story arc doesn't provide a whole lot of realism, with the help of spectacular graphics fidelity and voice acting, we're able to see and relate to a much more human Lara Croft than we saw in previous games.

• The graphics are spectacular. Crystal Dynamics' Crystal Engine is downright beautiful. Lara and the environments with all the different particle effects look spectacular. Like BioShock Infinite or Far Cry 3, this was yet another game where I was constantly snapping screenshots for desktop wallpapers. The first thing that popped into my mind every time I started this game up was: "God damn, this looks great."

• A big part of what makes the graphics shine so much are the masterfully executed animations. Lara's movement is as fluid as can be. You can literally see the effect of every change in the environment on her actions. This type of polish and precision with characters and environment animation definitely makes this title shine.

• The voice acting is flawless. The voice acting for Lara is done by Camilla Luddington. While this beauty doesn't resemble a cart wheeling, rock climbing, bow wielding badass like Lara in real life (to me, at least), she does a great job of voicing her character.

Complete and utter badass.

Voice of... complete and utter badass?!

            

• Crystal Dynamics did a great job with the environment and set pieces in this game. Walking out into a brand new area of the map and seeing a great landscape of old structures and ruins to scale and explore is a great feeling. You will definitely appreciate the level design in this game.

• What's a Tomb Raider game without Lara's signature double pistols?? Well, those pistols aren't as prevalent in this iteration of the series, but with the addition of the bow, combat is better than ever. Bow and arrows seem to be extremely popular now for some reason (Far Cry 3, Crysis 3) and Tomb Raider aims to carry that torch a little further. They accomplish it with flying colors in this release. While the double pistols and various other firepower is available for Lara to use throughout the game, the bow is by far the most satisfying, and makes every combat experience a joy to jump into.

• As I mentioned before, the environments are massive and very well designed. There are often times numerous paths to an objective, and the openness of the areas make for a great feeling of true exploration. While most of the exploration isn't necessary unless you want to find the plethora of collectibles that are made available to you, traversing the environment alone is enough fun to compel you to explore every inch of the map.

• So what about the actual tombs?! Well, they're awesome. Just like the large, open areas of the game, the more confined tombs that contain intricate puzzles are an absolute blast to figure out. I just wish there were more of them!

• Minimal HUD and intuitive controls. Tomb Raider properly introduces you to controls by flashing the button indicators on your screen at first, but after a while, they disappear. While this may sound annoying, it's actually not. Less 'gamey' stuff on the screen makes for a far more immersive experience, and you are trained in such a way that the first button you go for in these situations is more often than not, the correct button. Great design in this respect!

The Bad

• What happened to hunting?? In the first mission, you are introduced to your bow by being tasked to take down some deer that are roaming the area. Outside of a couple scripted wolf encounters, you are basically never threatened by an animal again. One of my favorite parts of the old Tomb Raider games is having to deal with bears, moutain lions, cougars, and the like. Unfortunately, there is far more human killing than animal killing in this game.

• Tomb Raider has been transformed more into a third person shooter than a puzzle platformer. While the combat, especially with a bow, is really well done in this game, there's an awful lot of it for a Tomb Raider title. While combat sort of took the back burner in a lot of former titles, for better or worse, it's much more in the forefront in this release. This is fine with me, except for the fact that I was craving more puzzle content (see below).
• The puzzle tombs were great, but there needs to be more of them. These were one of my favorite parts of the game, but there were not nearly enough of them in this release. I remember there being countless platforming puzzles in prior Tomb Raider releases and in this game you can probably count all of the puzzle tombs on your two hands.

The Verdict

Tomb Raider is one of the best games that I've played this year. If I had to pick a GOTY right now, it would be a tough pick between BioShock Infinite and Tomb Raider. Even with it's flaws, this reboot is a must play for any fan of the franchise, or even the third person/platforming genre in general.

To set the hook even further, the price of picking up Tomb Raider on PC has dropped significantly since release. Keep an eye on Steam sales and sites like Green Man Gaming for amazing deals (in the past week I've seen it on sale for less than $20!).

All in all, if you want to see one of the more impressive games of this generation, do yourself a favor and pick up this game!

Review - Mars: War Logs

Mars: War Logs

Focus Home Interactive

Windows (reviewed), PSN & XBLA TBA 2013

Action-Adventure, RPG

April 26, 2013

The Preamble

Mars: War Logs came out of nowhere for me. I woke up on Saturday morning and it was looking me in the face on the front page of the Steam store. After watching the trailer and getting a sweet, cyberpunk, Riddick/Witcher vibe, I was pretty much sold, especially for the very reasonable price of $19.99.

I breezed through the game in six days, spending about 15 hours in game. While Mars: War Logs is certainly no game of the year, it was a fantastic surprise to get a character and story driven action RPG like this out of the blue.

The Overview

Mars: War Logs is set in a futuristic, cyberpunk Mars, rife with conflict between warring water corporations, fighting to take control of the most precious resource on the red planet. 

Thrust into the middle of this is you, Roy Temperance, a mysterious multi-talented badass that is stuck in a POW camp while two of the biggest corporations, Aurora and Abundance, duke it out to see who will control the future of the planet.

Mr. Roy Temperance.

You'll get the full action RPG experience with Mars: War Logs, including many companion characters to meet and fight with, meaningful moral decisions to make in dialogue, a plethora of side quests, three unique skill trees, tactical combat, armor and weapon customization, and crafting. You get the full package!

The Good

• Escape missions are badass. I loved The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay, and the first third of this game brings back that feeling of suspenseful escape in a big way.
• Original setting and story. Okay, it's Mars, which doesn't seem very original on the surface, but the world is surprisingly well imagined. It's steeped in a good deal of lore that you can read through as you explore the world, giving you a great sense of the conflict at hand, and how these water corporations have come to power and shaped the Mars that you inhabit in the game.

Yes, there are massive, multi-mouthed sand beasts to fight.

• RPG elements. Good RPG elements can make or break a game like this and thankfully with Mars: War Logs, they're great. There are three distinct skill trees, a decent crafting/upgrade system, lots of material gathering, tons of side quest content, and a great deal of dialogue mixed with moralistic decision making for the player. It's sort of a mix between The Witcher/Witcher 2 and Mass Effect in regards to RPG elements.

• Interface. So many great games screw this up. The Witcher 2 and Far Cry 3 are just two recent examples; countless others have detrimental, non-intuitive, cluttered user interfaces. Mars: War Logs does not! Fast navigation, intuitive design, cohesive layout... I was immensely impressed with the interface in this game. 

Everyone knows copper pipes are the best.

• Combat. It's a blast. Rigging copper pipes with razor blades and leather grips, then dodging and dancing your way to victory using tactical melee combat techniques is awesome. It feels a little rigid at times (see below), but overall I really dug the combat all through the game until the credits rolled. It's very Witcher 2 like, again with a mix of Riddick in there.

The Bad

• Voice acting. It's baaaaaaaaaaad. Really, really bad. I don't know what these people were doing, or if they have reading problems, or what. The intonations are almost always completely off and lines are misspoken on a regular basis.

• Combat targeting. While combat is good overall, there's definitely some wonkiness to it. Targeting is sort of a pain to manage because of the control scheme, and this results in some minor frustration, especially in harder difficulties.
• Mars: War Logs?? WTF kind of title is that for a game? It sounds horrible when saying it out loud. This has nothing to do with the quality of the game, but come on, that title sounds like shit... literally.

Maybe lumber is a popular resource on Mars? I don't know...

The Verdict

For a $20 dollar game that had absolutely zero marketing and seems to have come from a smaller development budget, I think this game does a lot of things right. Sure, it has it's problems, but I think if you're looking for an action RPG with a fresh and new setting/story, solid gameplay mechanics, and a nice price tag, I'd highly recommend giving Mars: War Logs a go.