Genres

These past eight years has seen a great slew of changes in the video game industry. Whether it is the global domination of Call of Duty and Activision’s implementation of a one year release cycle, the integration of online, the creation of achievements and trophies, or the rise of casual gaming; this generation has changed the medium and its landscape in a multitude of ways. But there was one prominent trend that saddened me, and that is the lack of compelling JRPG titles. However, Tales of Xillia gives me hope. The latest entry in the long running Tales ...

After the success of the Bioshock franchise, many have tried to look back at other games involving creator and lead writer Ken Levine. Most roads lead back to System Shock 2, a game that was obviously a deep influence for the team’s later work on Bioshock. For the first time, System Shock 2 has been made available on Steam, a chance for gamers to look back at an important part of gaming history. Despite a few crow's feet, it has managed to age very well.

There's a lot of mixed voices about Disney's Planes, the spin-off from Pixar's 2006 hit Cars. Whether disappointed with the quality of the actual film itself (Planes currently "boasts" a 39 on Metacritic, with a user score lower than that) or if you've got wrapped up in some of the other minor controversies that have come out over the past few months, it's unlikely you're in a rush to go out and by merchandise or games based on the IP.

The king has been murdered by his three children, but not without siring a illegitimate heir. After having an affair with a dragon (who we're assured was in female human form at the time), a child is born. You're that child. The future of the kingdom is in your hands, Dragon Commander.

The Vita is a treasure trove of titles, offering more or less everything you might want to play within only a few taps of your grasp. Real Boxing is the first of its kind though, and is the sort of game you might not know you want until you see it. With a sharp idea unavailable anywhere else on the Vita, you may be able to overlook the fairly constant shortcomings and see your boxer through to the final belt.

If you're a young person, you might not remember what a point-and-click adventure game is. Well, it's a game where you have to point, sometimes even click, and the story takes you on an adventure! They fell out of fashion sometime in the late 90s, but with the advent of portable touchscreen devices, which fit in your pocket, they've seen something of a revival. With this revival comes the remastering of a classic: Broken Sword: Director's Cut.

As one of the larger publishers in the App Store, Gameloft's recent descent into free-to-play monstrosities or thrown-together movie tie-ins been quite disappointing, especially when signature franchises take a turn for the worst (I'm looking at you, Dungeon Hunter 4). So when Gameloft announced Asphalt 8: Airborne a few months back, it was hard not to be hesitant - after all, who wants to install another racing game full of timers, paywalls, and simplistic gameplay?

Like everyone, I looked at Disney Infinity when it was announced and saw only a money grabbing rip-off of Activision's popular Skylanders series. ANOTHER game where I have to buy overpriced toys to unlock some on-disc DLC? Ridiculous.

The combination of endless runner and driving game seems like a natural fit: put someone behind the wheel, and throw them into some gravel-flavored mayhem, upgrading cars and purchasing new rides along the way. It seems so simple: but as Muscle Run proves, a great idea does not a great game make. Despite a few interesting features and an intriguing gameplay design, Muscle Run never quite fills its potential; a fun, but short-lasting mobile experience.

The Wonderful 101 is what happens when you take Nintendo's charm and core-appeal and stuff it into a Saturday morning cartoon format. This is a world where heroes scream the name of their power before using it, in which every ability is mercilessly explained in detail, in which you're the hero and in which you'll die. A lot.