Categories
Debaser Uncategorized

Castle of Illusion

The HD remake of this game was a recent offering on PS+ – I’m not sure if it’s still available – and I’m sure glad I gave it a whirl. Although I’m well aware of the original, I don’t think I had ever played it, and so never had any particular attachment to this. The first thing that really surprised me is how gorgeous this game really is, even on PS3. I was expecting something like the recent Ducktales remake, which looks fine if rather basic and flat, but here we have something that is quite lush, with a painted look and great use of shadows. The gameplay is nothing special, but I’ve always had a soft spot for platformers, and so I’ve had fun playing this, mostly to see what all of the levels look like. 

Categories
Debaser Uncategorized

Stick it to the Man

This is the PS4 offering from PS+ this month, and I’ve been having a blast playing it (I think I’m almost done). It’s basically a modern take on the point-and-click adventure genre, and so the game is all about encountering characters and solving puzzles, which amount to you finding items, and then giving them to the proper character. What’s great – and weird – is how it plays. You manipulate the level by moving platformer style, but to interact with characters and things, you have a psychic tentacle floating out of your head. With this, you can read people’s minds – with the “thoughts” being voiced from your PS4 controller – and you also use it to pick things up, or even to swing up on hooks found throughout the levels. Add to this a cool illustrated aesthetic and some fun dialogue, and you get yourself a pretty great package. And hey, it’s fee, so there’s no reason not to try it at least.

Categories
Debaser Uncategorized

Outlast

Outlast is the latest free PS4 download we get through PlayStation Plus, and I was quite looking forward to trying it out. The one thing that had me worried though was how long I’d last, considering I sometimes have a hard time playing game that stress me out (stuff like Condemned, Dead Space, etc.) So far, I have jumped a few times, and it’s getting to a point where I’m just wondering how much fun I’m really having. But I do quite like that it’s not a shooter – you don’t fight (for the most part), and instead run and hide. And the fact that you’re walking around looking through a camera – and often using it in low-light mode – adds to the creepiness. I’m not done with it yet, but not sure if I’ll be able to play it to completion.

Categories
Debaser Uncategorized

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

I was very much looking forward to playing this, and how great is it that it’s actually free right now if you’re a PS+ member. I first sat down with the plan to just start the game and get a feel for it, and two hours later I was still playing. I love everything about this game, from the lovely surroundings to the camaraderie that you feel coming from the two brothers to the weird controls – the idea is that you control both brothers simultaneously, using one analog stick for each. This not only creates an interesting dynamic, the clumsiness that ensues actually makes sense in the context of what is happening in the game (these 2 brothers traipsing along on their quest). This is absolutely one of my favorite games to have come out in 2013, and so I’m adding it to my big “Favorite Media of 2013” post – I’m replacing The Last of Us in my top 5 with it.

Categories
Debaser Uncategorized

Don’t Starve

I was really excited about getting to play this on PS4 – and yes, yet another freebie for PlayStation Plus members. I haven’t played that much yet, but it’s pretty interesting so far, although I still am not doing great at all. But I think I’m finally getting a handle on what it is I need to do to survive, so let’s see if I can last longer this week. Oh, and killer aesthetics too.

Categories
Debaser Uncategorized

Urban Trial Freestyle

image

This is also currently free if you’re a PlayStation Plus member – for Vita – and I really got addicted to playing it yesterday. I didn’t think I’d be into playing a “trials” game – I seem to remember trying Trials HD (different series) on XBLA, and not being interested in dealing with the difficulty of it. But here, I’m having fun, and it’s probably because even if you crash, restarting from the last checkpoint is extremely fast, instant really. Great game to have on a portable, and it looks great too.

Categories
Debaser Uncategorized

DMC: Devil May Cry

This is currently free if you’re a PlayStation Plus member, so I’m finally getting around to playing it. Even though this is not usually a kind of game I seek out – combo fighters – I had been wanting to play it because it’s from Ninja Theory, and so I expected good things – I really do love Enslaved, a game I feel is greatly underrated, especially if you love adventure games. I’ve put in about an hour in DMC, and I’m having a blast so far. I don’t mind the new “emo” Dante, and yes, I loved the quip about the white hair being gone – fuck that white hair. I’m looking forward to playing more of this.

Categories
Debaser Uncategorized

Oddworld: Stranger’s Wrath HD

I downloaded the Vita version of this recently as it was free for PS+ members (and I think it still is). I love the Oddworld games, but had never played this one because the Xbox is the only modern console I never owned. It’s certainly quite different from the platform puzzling you usually get in an Oddworld game, presented as a 3rd person actioner, with lots of zooming in to first-person to use your crazy-ass crossbow. I haven’t played much yet, so I’m still not sure if I’m really digging it or not – I find the controls to be a bit frustrating at times – but I do like revisiting this world, with the wacky touches you see throughout (like your ammo taking the form of tiny critters). But isn’t it about time we get a brand spanking new Oddworld game, not just another HD remake?

Categories
Debaser Uncategorized

Grid 2

I played this for the first time this morning – it’s currently free if you’re a PlayStation Plus member – and man, was I ever having trouble driving, probably due to the fact that all my racing of late has been in Need for Speed Rivals, which is very arcade-y in the way it plays. Here, it’s more sim-like, but not to the extent that Forza or Gran Turismo is, so I’m having trouble finding the balance between speed and taking it easy on curves and tight corners. It also felt really shitty to play the opening race of the game – it just throws you in immediately on start – and after having a miserable run and coming in dead last, being told I was amazing. I now have a better handle on things though, and have won some races. This is my first Grid experience, but I’m a big fan of Codemasters’ Dirt series. Graphics look good too, although now that I’m playing racing games on PS4, it just can’t compete.

Categories
Debaser Uncategorized

Killzone: Mercenary Beta

This week if you’re a PS+ member you can download and play the multiplayer beta of Killzone: Mercenary for Vita. I’m not much of an FPS guy – much less Killzone, of which I think I’ve only played a bit of the first game – but it’s pretty impressive to see what they’ve been able to do on the Vita. I’ve played a few matches, and although I’m getting killed tons (as expected), I’m still having a lot of fun playing through it – it all looks fantastic, and runs smooth as silk (the controls). This has convinced me that I’ll want to get the full game when it comes out.