Gaming Report: June

A screenshot from Proteus, showing at Rezzed

Hello, hello! So, just a few updates on a couple of reviews I've written recently and a coming plug for a few further articles. Unfortunately I've recently fallen victim to a very slow case of the internet so I haven't managed to play that many new games - so if the head of BT is reading this: Sort it out! I've been trying to download Resonance for bloody ages now. Ok, sorry I'll be quiet....

Or not. Anyway, irritating internet speeds aside, and despite what I just said, I have actually been playing quite a few games this month. First of all some plugs for reviews gone out this June. Ys Origin was actually released right at the end of May, but I got my review up after the release date in June. Its a really playable hack and slash like the other later Ys games and, as with Oath in Felghana which I'd covered a few months before, its well worth any action RPG-fan's money. Not quite as good as Oath in my opinion, but still an incredibly fun game. The review is posted on Rhythm Circus, here's the link:
http://www.rhythmcircus.co.uk/uncategorized/ys-origins/

Secondly, and discounting my review of Dark Scavenger, which I've reposted below (another really great game), I've just this weekend had a review of Spec Ops: The Line posted on Critical Gamer. Another very good game. The Line however is incredibly interesting, but mostly due to its story and character rather than  gameplay and definitely requires further discussion. Anyway, here's the link: http://www.criticalgamer.co.uk/2012/07/06/spec-ops-the-line-review/

[A little note: I thought the score of 7/10 was correct as the game is quite generic in some cases and the gameplay is not particularly exciting but, if your (if anyone is) reading this, I strongly urge you to buy and play this game. Its story, script and setting are all pretty incredible and unique. I just wish they'd done more with it and not relied on endless shooting.]

You'll be pleased to know we're nearing the end of the plugging, just one more thing.
This Saturday I attended Rezzed, the PC gaming convention set up by Eurogamer and Rock, Paper, Shotgun. The show had several big games including Farcry 3, Aliens and Boarderlands 2 as well as a whole bunch of really great looking indie titles, including the serene explore-em-up Proteus, pictured above. My coverage of the day will shortly be going up on Riddim Circus, so keep a look out and I will no-doubt pester here once it's posted, along with some further thoughts up here on Three Headed Monkey. Overall though the day went really well, I enjoyed many of the games they had on show and the talks were very interesting indeed. Hopefully a more detailed summary to come....hopefully...

In terms of games I'm currently playing the most interesting has been Alan Wake, which I've been meaning to play for quite a while. Similar to The Line, Alan Wake's gameplay is a bit repetitive and simply requires you to shoot the life out of numerous very generic looking people. However, the story and script are really charming and fun. Riffing on the sort of trashy spook fiction you'd find in an airport WH Smiths, the story is both notably cheesy and actually a little bit scary.

I've just completed the third chapter which has introduced possessed objects - meaning that you have to defend you're self against flying pipes and so on. Cheesy but incredibly good fun! Also, the game has an uncanny similarity to Deadly Premonition which is one of my favorite games for the 360. Seeing as DP was in development for nearly 300 years I'm thinking that Remedy may have been trying to make a Western (mechanically and graphically superior) equivalent of Access Games' shlcoky masterpiece (especially considering the original principle was for Wake to be a sand-box game too). That said Alan Wake was also in production for several lifetimes too, so it doesn't seem fair to pass judgement without further research. Maybe its just another unexplained mystery!