Many gamers know that the Clock Tower series single-handedly inspired many of the greatest horror games ever. In the interest of game preservation, Clock Tower: Rewind is here to offer a modern way to play the original 16-bit classic that was never released outside of Japan, so this is a win on multiple fronts. After almost 30 years, players can experience the Original Mode or the Rewind Mode and all manner of extras like motion comics, interviews, a music player, and more. Should fans of the original series and newcomers alike check out this revitalization of a horror classic? Let’s find out! An Impressive Package That Shows its Age As a massive horror gaming fan, I was excited for the chance to check out Clock Tower: Rewind. I had seen some gameplay of the series over the years and even played a few hours of the Clock Tower 3 PS2 entry, but I’ve never sat down to try the original. This is partly because it was never released outside of Japan but also because I was far too young to know how to import a copy when it was originally released. However, neither of these things is an issue now because Clock Tower: Rewind is widely available on both digital storefronts and in physical form from Limited Run Games. The story stars Jennifer Simpson and a group of orphan girls who the Barrows family has adopted. You arrive at an impressive mansion at the beginning of the game, but things quickly devolve from there. A stalker named Scissorman begins hunting the girls, and it’s up to Jennifer to find a way to escape, leading to one of several endings. The gameplay here is classic point-and-click adventure for better and worse. Clock Tower: Rewind features several new quality-of-life features like a rewind mechanic, the ability to run up and down stairs, and the capacity for Scissorman to actually chase you from room to room (though that’s really more of a benefit for him, I’d argue). These additions help the game flow a little faster, but Jennifer’s movement speed is still fairly slow regardless of whether you’re sprinting or not. Her health is also tied to her stamina, so you’ll need to take breaks if you don’t want to get caught off-guard and instantly killed by Scissorman. The controls translate fairly well to console, though the cursor movement can be a little finicky when you’re trying to select something specific in the environment. Given that the game plays in a 4:3 aspect ratio with either black bars or customizable borders, the somewhat unreliable cursor is even more frustrating since everything is smaller as a result. You can use both the analog stick or the d-pad to move the cursor, but instead of the d-pad warping you to clickable elements like other similar games on console, it just moves the cursor a set distance in every direction. This is all well and good for solving puzzles or trying to use items in the … Read More
The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication Review – A Diamond in the Rough
The horror genre has enjoyed a renaissance over the last two generations, particularly as indie and AA horror games have had their chance to shine on console and PC. As a result, there are many choices, many of which market themselves quite well, but the quality of each experience can vary drastically from one title to the next. The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication falls into the AA horror category, with a lower budget and a lower price point to match. Despite this, the game makes some strong first impressions in its trailer and screenshots. It’s setting and characters are also unique compared to most other horror games, but are these aspects enough to make it stand out from the pack? Let’s find out. Interesting Puzzles and Unique Mechanics Stand Out As an avid horror gamer, I’m not afraid to say that many horror games over the years tend to blur together in my mind. Furthermore, the ones that rely solely on a defenseless protagonist and stealth mechanics quickly wear out their welcome as the terror gives way to repetition and frustration. The true standouts manage to find ways to mix up the horror with puzzles, unique mechanics, some sort of combat, and, of course, a tense atmosphere throughout. In this respect, The Bridge Curse 2: The Extrication makes a strong impression over the few hours, even if the pacing leaves much to be desired. The concept is fairly unique: you play as several characters converging on Wen Hua University after the school has closed for the night. The characters include everything from students to a local reporter, so you get a nice mixture of perspectives. The university’s Da Ren building has a long and dark history, which has led to several ghost stories and supernatural events over the years. The way the game layers these mysteries makes for a compelling story overall as you try to piece everything together. In terms of the story itself, the writing is solid across the dialogue, in-game documents, and lore that you find. There’s no shortage of supporting materials, including an in-game phone for each character that updates with text messages. By default, the game features English voice acting, which is a cut above the quality I normally hear in lower-budget horror games, but it leans a little too much into the B-movie feel for my taste. Granted, the writing is intentionally cheesy at times, but given the game’s more intense moments, I felt like the dialogue and writing undermined some of the horror, even if it did illicit a few chuckles from yours truly. ‘ The audio on the main menu can be adjusted to the original Chinese voiceovers, and I think these sound a lot better overall, but the writing can still inject that cheesy horror vibe from time to time. As I mentioned earlier, the pacing is less than ideal as well. The beginning of the game takes a while to get moving, featuring a stealth tutorial with a security … Read More
Starship Troopers Extermination Review – The Only Good Bug…
Starship Troopers is one of those franchises that you either love or hate, but I personally love it. Some people cannot get enough of the cheesy one-liners and commentaries on the military-industrial complex, while others just see it as schlocky sci-fi and nothing more. Despite this, it’s a name that has stood the test of time. As a massive fan of the original film, I was incredibly excited when I received a review copy of Starship Troopers: Extermination. Finally, a chance to live out my dream of slaughtering endless bugs with my buddies. Of course, there have been plenty of Starship Troopers games that tried to capture the magic and failed, so will this one be different? Let’s find out. Come on You Apes, You Wanna Live (Game) Forever? Starship Troopers: Extermination will no doubt be compared to Helldivers 2, which in and of itself gave off major Starship Troopers vibes. Let’s clear the air immediately: these two games are different and can indeed co-exist. As someone who hasn’t played much Helldivers 2, I won’t be directly comparing the two, but suffice to say, each one brings unique elements to the humans versus bug war. Starship Troopers: Extermination offers both a single player campaign and an online live service multiplayer that supports up to 16 players at once depending on the mode. Let’s start with that campaign. The first chunk of it launched with the game, and during the mission briefings, you get to hear new dialogue voiced by Johnny Rico himself, Casper Van Dien. That’s, unfortunately, the best part of the campaign. While a “chapter 2” of the campaign is coming via a free update later on, the single player missions you get out of the box feel like less than an afterthought. They play out in repetitive environments, with minimal context, and basically have you perform standalone objectives that you’d find in the multiplayer. You do get an AI squad in single-player, but they don’t say or do much. It all just feels like a glorified tutorial, and with how short the missions are, it doesn’t feel like you’re really completing a story. I played the first few missions, hoping it would open up or change in some interesting way, but it’s just the same standalone objectives and a lot of underground caves in the beginning. Certain missions in the campaign can feel harrowing as groups of enemies swarm, but even these numbers pale in comparison to what you’ll see in the multiplayer. I can’t imagine the Chapter 2 update to the campaign will be any better, but I sincerely hope they have some unique mission types in store, because right now I could not recommend buying this game for the single player portion, it’s not worth the entry price on its own. Single player woes aside (though I am still happy they got Casper Van Dien), most people will know Starship Troopers: Extermination for its multiplayer. This is truly where the game shines, and while it has … Read More
To the Moon Review – You’re Going to Cry, I Guarantee It
I’ve played To the Moon thrice since it was originally released on PC in 2011, and I’ve cried every time. It’s funny enough at different parts, but suffice it to say, this game should come with tissues or something because it will tear at your heartstrings. Now that it’s on PS5, I completed a third playthrough of this new port for the first time in years. To the Moon is one of the most impactful video games I’ve ever played, but does it hold up after so many years and multiple generators of heart-wrenching titles? Let’s find out. An All-Time Classic Makes its Way to PS5 To the Moon is a simple game that can be finished in a few hours. It’s also $10, which I think is more than fair for the emotional trauma it will be providing you. The game uses a pixel art style, but don’t let that fool you. It stars two doctors, Eva Rosalene and Neil Watts, who work for Sigmund Corp. This company has revolutionary technology that allows them to create artificial memories. Still, since these memories can conflict with existing ones, they only work on patients on their deathbeds. Think of it as a final wish fulfillment service, and you’ll be on the right track. The game begins as the two doctors arrive at the home of their latest client, a man named Johnny, who has little time left. You soon discover that Johnny’s final wish is to go to the moon, but it’s unclear why initially. You’ll spend some time getting to known Johnny’s caretaker and her kids before finally donning VR helmets that allow the doctors to dive into Johnny’s memories. This is where the vast majority of the game takes place. For story reasons, you’ll move backward from the present and experience Johnny’s memories in leaps from one time period to the next. As the story is the most significant part of the experience here, I won’t say anything more about the details, but I will explain how it made me feel. To the Moon’s story explores themes of grief, desperation, regret, and the complexities of love. It elegantly balances the occasional joke with moments of deep character development or shocking developments. These moments help you better understand Johnny, his wife River, and the doctors. The game could have easily become an emotional anchor, dragging you down into depression. Still, it manages to toe the line by injecting the occasional joke from Dr. Watts, who serves as the primary comedic role. By the end, you’ll feel like you’ve known Johnny and River for years. Exploring their life together, seeing their highest and lowest moments, it’s enough to really feel attached. Johnny and River’s love story is beautiful. Still, like any real-life love story, it’s also filled with times of hardship and tragedy, and it’s laced with a complexity that showcases how deep and effective the writing is throughout the entire story. After so many years apart from my first playthrough, … Read More
Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered Review – The Pinnacle of the Freelance Police
Over the last several weeks, I have been experiencing the excellent Sam & Max Remasters from Skunkape Games. As a massive Telltale fan, it has been incredible to play these early works. As some of the most well-known point-and-click adventures of all time, these faithful remasters have kept everything intact. The first two seasons were fairly similar, but it’s clear from the beginning that Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered is a major leap forward for the series. Let’s find out how much it improves upon the formula established in the first two seasons and if you should see this adventure through to the end. Now This is an Upgrade! Playing through the first two seasons of the Sam & Max Remasters, I couldn’t help but feel like the gameplay and story didn’t evolve enough for my liking. The first season was odd and weird and wonderful. The second season improved upon the pacing, writing, and puzzles, but it didn’t really innovate in terms of scope or gameplay. It’s clear within the first hour, however, that Sam & Max: The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered is the leap I was looking for. This third season is a proper formula evolution and a fitting finale for the dynamic duo. It retains the look and feel of the prior seasons, but it raises the narrative stakes, bridges the gaps between episodes, and expands the gameplay in new and exciting ways. This third season of Sam & Max was when Telltale Games came into their own and developed their unique approach to the narrative adventure genre. The first two seasons could walk, so the Devil’s Playhouse could run. It all starts with the first episode, which immediately throws you into the climax of a showdown between Sam, Max, and a new villain named Skunkape (now I understand where the developer’s name comes from). A new narrator also sets the stage for us, and he checks in throughout the season to provide some context and connectivity between the various episodes. This alone goes a long way toward making the season’s narrative feel cohesive and complete, which I felt the prior seasons lacked. I was actually convinced I had missed something between seasons two and three because of how quickly The Devil’s Playhouse Remastered throws you into the action, but it quickly became clear that the storytelling style has become more dynamic in this third season. For example, as part of the opening scene and tutorial, you find that Max has psychic powers given to him by special toys like a phone, a deck of cards, or a glob of putty. This immediately adds a new layer to the gameplay. In the prior seasons, puzzles were driven by dialogue and inventory items, but now, these powers add a new wrinkle to the mix. Another immediate difference that I noticed was the how dialogue is done through a wheel as opposed to the static text boxes of the first two seasons. You still have your inventory of … Read More
INDIKA Review – Playing Devil’s Advocate
I have played video games since I was old enough to hold a controller. I cut my teeth on the Sega Genesis and my parents’ Apple Macintosh computer. I’ve been a console and PC gamer ever since, and I’ve played thousands of titles over the years. I say all of that because I’ve never played anything quite like INDIKA in all that time. While you can pick apart the elements of INDIKA and categorize its gameplay, once you put everything together, it becomes more than the sum of its parts. It’s wild, weird, funny, and even profound. It’s not for everyone, but is it for you? Let’s find out. A Fever Dream of a Game INDIKA is a third-person adventure set in an alternate version of 19th-century Russia. You play as a nun named Indika, who is a bit of a black swan among the others at her convent. From the beginning of the game, it’s very clear that the other look down on her. As if this wasn’t enough, Indika also hears a voice she’s convinced is the devil himself speaking to her. I told you this was going to get weird. There are a few odd moments from the beginning, but the opening is purposefully simple from a gameplay standpoint. You run simple errands and perform chores for a few other nuns as the devil’s voice waxes poetic and chastises you. You collect points, contributing to a simple skill tree that offers abilities that ultimately earn you more points. From the beginning, the game informs you that these points don’t matter, and they don’t. You won’t get any special endings or secret unlocks from collecting them (or the collectibles you can find), but the presence of the whole system reminds you that you’re still playing a video game at the end of the day. There’s also something surreal about doing something simple like filling up a bucket of water from a well, only to be rewarded but retro-style pixelated coins that wouldn’t be out of place in a Mario title. As the game progresses, INDIKA leans into the surreal and strange nature of its character and the world around her. This alternate version of Russia is bleak and filled with strange side characters. It’s also violent, as she soon crosses paths with a wounded soldier companion who is seeking help. The two become an unlikely duo as the game goes on, venturing through various environments, from a dilapidated village to a canning factory. At certain points in the story, you’ll also see flashbacks that flesh out Indika’s backstory. These are presented in a retro pixelated style and often require precise platforming or simple arcade-style gameplay. They offer a nice variety to the main game, mainly exploration and puzzle-solving. When you combine both pieces, even though the entire experience only lasts about 5-6 hours, you get a lot of variety across INDIKA. I particularly enjoyed the moments when the devil’s voice in Indika’s head becomes overwhelming, leading to strange … Read More
Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story Review – Preservation at its Finest
We’re well past the point where games have been accepted as a form of art. While the greatest paintings, written works, and cinematic masterpieces have all been immortalized and preserved in museums or digital collections, game preservation remains a minimal focus across the industry. Thankfully, developers like Digital Eclipse are showing the rest of the world how it’s done. Their latest release is Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story, an interactive documentary and collection of Jeff Minter’s catalog of titles from his time in the game industry. This type of preservation seems like an easy win, but does Digital Eclipse have the format down, or is there room for improvement? Let’s find out. A Near-Perfect Combination of Preservation and Education Over the last few generations, a few games blur the line between a documentary and an interactive experience. Some seek to tell the story of a historical event, while others deep dive into a specific region’s culture. However, Digital Eclipse has carved out its niche in this genre with games that preserve the history of gaming itself. Jeff Minter’s story isn’t their first title, but it does fall into their Gold Master series of games, and it creates a time capsule within the broader history of gaming. The game’s structure is divided into two parts. The first is a collection that includes nearly every single one of Jeff Minter’s games that are all playable and preserved to capture the moment of time they existed within. Fans of retro titles or Jeff Minter’s work will find this treasure trove with interesting concepts. The only notable omission from the list is Defender 2000 for the Atari Jaguar. Neither Jeff Minter nor Atari have the rights to the title, but the collection still feels comprehensive without it. However, the deeper meat of the experience is the chapters that chronicle the entire history of Llamasoft and its creator. These chapters are organized into timelines that include all manner of photos, cover art, video interviews, and, of course, playable versions of the games. It’s an excellent way to preserve history, allowing you better to understand the context around each game’s release. It also helps inform the design thinking that went into the titles, which makes them unique. This structure makes it easy for both fans of the games and newcomers to experience the full story and what makes the titles unique. Since all these games are from the same developer, you’ll naturally encounter similar ideas and gameplay concepts throughout the catalog. It can’t be avoided due to the collection’s nature, but it allows repetition to set in after extended play sessions. While it’s also part of Jeff Minter’s design and charm, some of the games and their instructions leave something to be desired because it is difficult to understand how to play the game. You’ll find scans of the original instruction manuals and controls for your platform of choice, but even with these things you may spend several minutes being confused each time you try a … Read More
Synth Riders Electro Swing Essentials 2 Review – Back in the Swing of Things
Synth Riders is easily one of my all-time favorite VR titles, rhythm or otherwise. It combines a great list of tracks with unique mechanics and brilliant mapping that always feels great, even on higher difficulties. Like any other rhythm game, Synth Riders has received several song packs over the years. Perhaps the most unique of these was the original “Electro Swing Essentials” pack, which introduced me to this genre that combines the upbeat tempo and brass instruments of swing music with elements of EDM and other electronic music. It’s one of the most popular packs for a reason, but now we have Electro Swing Essentials 2, which offers five new paid tracks and four free ones. Should you swing on over to the store to download it? Let’s find out! Breaking Down the New Tracks First on the list of paid tracks is “Guilty Pleasure” by Jamie Berry, featuring Little Violet. This is the song featured in the track below, one of the best in the pack. It has a great tempo and wonderful use of muted trumpets alongside an upbeat rhythm in the background to keep everything moving. It’s hard not to dance along as you play through this one, and while my abilities max out at “hard” difficulty, this track will get you moving and tapping your feet the whole time. It’s a great way to start the pack. Next is “Boring 20s” by Tamela D’Amico, Wolfgang Lohr, and Ashley Slater. This track continues with the overall energy you would expect from the pack, but I enjoyed it less than the other ones. That’s not to say it’s bad, but the chorus isn’t quite as catchy as the other songs. As a result, the mapping for this track just wasn’t quite as engaging for me, and I think that comes down to the track’s rhythm being less consistent than something like Guilty Pleasure. It’s not a bad song, but it doesn’t quite translate to the gameplay like others in this pack or the prior one. Next is “Magic Man,” featuring J Fitz from Balduin and Wolfgang Lohr. This one brings back the upbeat tempo of the first track in the list while leveraging a consistent background rhythm to keep you moving. The vocals are also unique compared to most of the tracks on Synth Riders, which helps it stand out. It’s yet another example of how this genre can keep you moving while leveraging the game’s “rails” in unique ways that force you to move with the music. The next paid track in the pack is “Let’s Start Again” by Cut Capers. This is the “Odd Chap Remix” of the track, which lends it an Electro Swing feel. Of all the paid tracks in this pack, this one feels the least like a true Electro Swing song. It has some use of brass instruments, and the tempo is about right, but it lacks the unique charm of the other tracks. Last, but not least, is “Rose” by Swingrowers. … Read More
Across The Valley Review – Functional Farming
When I think about farming games over the years, my first thought is always Harvest Moon, but my second thought is immediately Stardew Valley. Yes, there are numerous others, and versions that focus on being realistic sims, but there’s something truly captivating about building up your own farm. Harvesting crops, taking care of livestock, maybe even building a life of your own? It’s relaxing and addicting in equal measure, when done correctly. You can imagine my excitement, then, when I heard about a farming VR title for PSVR 2. Across the Valley is here, but does it deliver the farming dream in VR, or would gardening in my backyard be more fun? Let’s find out. The Foundation of a Great Farming Sim I’m honestly surprised I haven’t done more farming in VR. The various responsibilities offer plenty of interaction for a virtual reality experience. Planting seeds, watering crops, tilling the fields, caring for livestock, it’s all there. Across the Valley does bring all of these things to the table, and more, but it does so without much fanfare. The game starts with a simple menu that offers several interactions, but there’s no context for how you came across this farm, or other people to interact with. Settings are pretty barebones as well, only allowing for transportation. This type of movement is helpful for those new to VR, but as a veteran I always look for the option to move freely as I find it far more immersive. That’s not an option here. Even after a few patches, Across the Valley has some bugs that are hard to ignore. The most recent patch fixed an issue where teleportation and snap turning could result in your ending up in a different place than the developers intended when you move around. The solution here was to disable snap turning for the time being. I sampled this prior to publishing the review, and it does fix the aforementioned issue, but the trade-off is that you need to physically turn around in place when leaving an area like the fields. It’s not difficult, but I still am of the mind that free movement would allow for more immersion. Putting that aside for a moment though, let’s talk about those first couple days and weeks of farm life. The game issues tutorials via books placed at teleportation points around the farm. For example, when you head over to your fields, there’s a book near the tools that you can open and read to learn how they work. The same goes for the building that houses livestock like sheep, chickens, and cows. You’ll find a book inside your house too that explains how the upgrade table works, the job board, and the bed. It’s not a bad setup, but the first night on the farm can be a little confusing since you won’t have a grasp of what’s going on. In fact, you spend that first night fumbling around until you fall asleep and then wake up … Read More
Destroy All Humans 2! – Reprobed Review: Set Phasers to Nostalgia
Destroy All Humans! is one of those franchises that offered exactly what I wanted as a gamer during the PS2 and Xbox era: wanton destruction and crass humor in equal measure. There was nothing quite like it, and to this day, I’ve never heard a better off-brand Jack Nicholson in a voice acting role. The remake of Destroy all Humans! in 2020 from THQ Nordic was good, but it brought to light the flaws with the outdated gameplay. With Destroy all Humans! 2 – Reprobed, the sequel gets the remake treatment. Beyond massive visual upgrades and a few quality of life touches, this is the game you remember, through and through. Does it ride the wave of nostalgia to wipe out its flaws, or did crypto not age well? Let’s find out. A Faithful Remake, Warts and All It’s funny that Destroy All Humans 2! – Reprobed opens with a disclaimer specifically about its content. The developers chose to leave the original narrative untouched and present it exactly as it was when it first released. The world is a vastly different place today than it was back then, and a lot of these themes, stereotypes, and jokes hit a lot different in 2022, but I can also respect the desire to keep the source material intact. Personally, I didn’t find anything in Destroy All Humans 2! – Reprobed to be offensive, at least not compared to the likes of Grand Theft Auto or other similar games, but I can also see how some of these elements would be seen in poor taste with the state of the world. While it didn’t personally affect me, the disclaimer is a fair one, and I think it’s completely fair for others to feel differently about the content in the game. In terms of the overall story and humor, I had a few laughs and some of the deeper mysteries intrigued me, but nothing about Destroy All Humans 2!’s narrative really jumped out at me, though I did appreciate the globe-trotting adventure and the variety of locales. From a gameplay perspective, Destroy All Humans 2! – Reprobed combines large open areas with fairly standard mission designs. Kill a certain number of enemies, destroy specific objects, escort an NPC, etc. The bonus objectives allow you to have some creativity, but beyond this, you’ll need to make your own fun as it were by trying out different weapons and combinations with your PK ability. The on-foot combat feels fine, but the boss fights in particular offer huge difficulty spikes that can be frustrating if you’re used to the pace of the normal missions. The variety of weapons keeps things interesting, as does the skill trees for each that let you increase their power or capacity. The other side of combat is your saucer, which is a little unwieldy to control but offers satisfying levels of destruction. You use the left stick to fly and the right stick to adjust your height. Holding the left trigger allows … Read More