Deadpool Review

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Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: June 25, 2013

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The Dark Knight has shown the gaming hemisphere how to perfect the fusion of comic book hero and game, but he is the lone example. Wolverine and Spider-Man have had respectable entries — Whoa, whoa, whoa, who cares about that lame Parker kid when he never returns my calls? We’re focusing on me! Not an orphaned bat or my BFF Logan. Me. Deadpool, the one and only. — Wait, you’re highjacking my review on my website just because it is your game? — Yes, nerd. I made my own game so I’ll make my own totally unbiased, not paid-off review of the best game ever. — “Best game ever” might be overselling, but at least High Moon Studios nailed your undeniable charm, wit, and forth-wall breaking tendencies. Although they seemed to forget to brush up on your swordplay.
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Killer is Dead Review

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Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360
Release Date: August 27, 2013

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Auteur game director Suda 51 and his team over at Grasshopper Manufacture have spawned some fairly divisive games over the past few years in their twisted laboratory. No More Heroes, Lollipop Chainsaw, and – my personal favorite – Shadows of the Damned all were sang the same chorus from each of their respective crowds. Haters hated because of the sticky controls and questionable replay value while fans clung to the immeasurable style and humor. Your enjoyment depended entirely on how much of one side you were willing to overlook. Killer is Dead is the next demented test tube baby fathered by Suda 51, but instead of being an awkward, endearing, and unique piece of software, it ends up desperately scraping together the most trashy elements of his prior games and compiling them all into an offensively terrible collage of horrendous game design.

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Saints Row IV Review

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Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: August 20, 2013

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Renowned for its lunacy and open-world gameplay, Saints Row: The Third was the game that transitioned the series from “kinda crazy” to full-on “hey we’ve got a dildo bat and gimps” levels of ridiculousness. Following that rambunctious circus act less than two years later, Saints Row IV‘s intentions seem clear: crank the insanity up to twelve and deliver an even stupider package covered in the Saints’ iconic purple hue. However, ratcheting up the zaniness has caused the lever to rebound and swing back in the opposite way.

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Sleeping Dogs Review

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Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: August 14, 2012

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Right off the bat, let me address the elephant in the room: no actual dogs are in Sleeping Dogs, let alone ones that aren’t awake. Strike one. You don’t even play as a dog. Strike two. Just like hockey, developer (and obvious liars) United Front Games were on the brink of striking out and that doesn’t even include Sleeping Dogs‘ hellish development cycle. It didn’t even look like Sleeping Dogs would ever see the light of day and if it did, we all had two possible taglines at the ready: “Dog Crap” or “Let Sleeping Dogs Lie.” Brilliant stuff. But now I am at a loss for taglines because Sleeping Dogs overcame its many obstacles and achieved something far greater than most cynical crystal balls could predict.
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Metro: Last Light Review

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Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: May 14, 2013

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Basically anyone can confirm that subways and metro systems are a drag to be in. There’s always that creepy, probably-a-pedophile dude giving you the death stare while the homeless man three seats away can’t seem to eat his crackers in an orderly fashion. No soul is ignorant enough to be happy while underground. If life is this fucked here before the nuclear apocalypse, then it must be uber-fucked after, right? Metro: Last Light, the sequel to Metro 2033, captures this phenomena, except swapping amputee bums with monsters and Russians with every chump forced to use public transit. After enduring the broken systems of Metro: Last Light, it seems comparable to these underground hell trains. It’s easy to see why it wasn’t named Party Bus: Last Light.
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Clash in the Clouds – Bioshock Infinite DLC Review

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Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: July 30, 2013

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Well, dammit. I already exhausted my spiel on challenge rooms just a few weeks ago for Guacamelee!. Thanks Irrational Games, now what am I supposed to jot down for Clash in the Clouds, the challenge room DLC for Bioshock Infinite? Regurgitating the same superlatives is a feasible option so I’ll do just that: Clash in Clouds is wonderful, combat-focused add-on worth the meager $5 admission fee for anyone who fancied the strategic battles found in the core campaign.
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El Diablo’s Domain – Guacamelee! DLC Review

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Platforms: PS3, Playstation Vita
Release Date: July 23, 2013

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Challenge rooms are one of gaming’s most untapped wells of endless entertainment. Usually set in a collection of rooms, these arenas stretch the main mechanics in a way that didn’t fit into the normal campaign, allowing for a healthy mix of skill improvement and challenge. Batman: Arkham City and Dishonored are a few examples that showcase this extra mode beautifully and have been given long legs because of that. El Diablo’s Domain aspires to achieve the same score-heavy chasing of the previously mentioned games and apply it to the sublime Guacamelee!, one of PSN’s best titles. Satan’s wealth of gauntlets for Juan and Tostada pushes the game’s difficulty to its limit, but provides an addictive level of challenge, making it the perfect way to add-on to an already complete package.
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Hotline Miami Review

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Platforms: PS3, Playstation Vita, PC
Release Date: October 23, 2012 (PC); June 25, 2013 (PS3, Playstation Vita)

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I’ve got a dog mask covered in blood, a room littered with mangled corpses, and I still need to pick up my phone to answer to some more mysterious phone calls about murder. No, this isn’t Michael Vick’s latest twisted fantasy/scandal, it’s obviously a possible scene from Hotline Miami, a PC indie game that has finally arrived on the Playstation Vita and Playstation 3. Sony’s newfound indie push has brought us some great games like Guacamelee!, but titles like the 1980s-inspired Hotline Miami showcase the true innovation behind these smaller developers. Hotline Miami is a demented, wholly unique title that fits perfectly on the Vita (works great on the PS3 as well) and will find a way to get its hooks into you.
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Bioshock Infinite Review

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Platforms: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: March 26, 2013

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Stuck in a near development limbo and hailing from the prestigious Bioshock franchise, there was both fear and cautious optimism surrounding Bioshock Infinite. It always looked stunning, but the long period of silence and lack of actual gameplay footage was quite disturbing. After multiple delays, we finally get the finished version of Bioshock Infinite to judge and see if the long development cycle actually paid off. Somehow, it totally did, combining an extremely engrossing world, tactical shooting combat, and an unforgettable story all within a game with an increasingly grim outlook.

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