Review Round-up: Week ending 12/14
On the second week of December Destructoid’s reviews brought me, one sweet RPG called Ys.
Okay, that’s about as far as I’m going with turning this weeks review round-up into some sort of Christmas jingle. But feel free to keep the lyrics going in the comments below.
As for the rest of the reviews… well you can tell it’s the second week of the last month of the year. The releases are slowing up, to keep the holiday blockbusters at the top of everyone’s Christmas lists, but there’s till some fun to be had — especially on the PC side of things.
Oh and Peggle 2 is here! Who doesn’t love pachinko on Ecstasy?
Assassin’s Creed: Pirates (Android, iPad, iPhone [reviewed on an iPhone 5])
Developer: Ubisoft Paris
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: December 5, 2013
MSRP: $4.99
Assassin’s Creed: Pirates is a very silly game, but it’s a great distraction if you’re left wanting more after Black Flag. With a host of content, tons of customization and fast-paced combat, there’s hardly a dull moment in Pirates. The fact that there’s no money-grubbing microtransactions to ruin the experience is the cherry on top.
Read the full Assassin’s Creed: Pirates review
Peggle 2 (Xbox One [reviewed], other platforms TBA)
Developer: PopCap Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: December 9, 2013
MSRP: $11.99
Peggle 2 is ultimately the same basic concept as the original set of games, but it’s still most definitely worth playing if you’re a series fan. PopCap could have done so much more than they did, especially when you consider the generational leap, but the good news is Peggle fans will eat this up and fall in love all over again.
Read the full Peggle 2 review
Doki-Doki Universe (PS3, PS4 [reviewed], PS Vita)
Developer: HumaNature Studios
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Release Date: December 10, 2013
MSRP: $14.99 (Cross-Buy across all platforms)
Doki-Doki Universe is a very odd, very cute, and very simple game. There isn’t a whole lot to it, so don’t go in expecting a deep and rewarding adventure title. So long as you don’t mind spending an afternoon helping a tiny snowman bond with his father, Doki-Doki will be more than adequate.
Read the full Doki-Doki Universe review
Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians (Mac, PC [reviewed])
Developer: Threaks
Publisher: Reverb Publishing
Released: August 6, 2013
MSRP: $14.99
Rig: AMD Phenom II X2 555 @ 3.2 GHz, with 4GB of RAM, ATI Radeon HD 5700, Windows 7 64-bit
Despite the praise for BeatBuddy‘s incredible art and sound direction, the title as a whole does not stand out as a must-play experience otherwise. The foundation for a great game is built here, but the gameplay ranges from passable to dull. Though it is never an overtly bad experience, the gameplay lacks any truly enthralling aspect to propel the player through. With a forgettable narrative, the only thing that really shines here is how BeatBuddy takes a song and really plays with it, both musically and physically within the environments. For some, that may be enough.
Read the full Beatbuddy: Tale of the Guardians review
Samurai Gunn (Mac, PC [reviewed], PS4, Vita)
Developer: Teknopants
Publisher: Maxistentialism
Released: December 10, 2013 (PC) / TBA 2014 (Mac, PS4, Vita)
MSRP: $14.99 ($11.99 until December 17th)
Samurai Gunn will no doubt have a more limited audience due to a lack of modes, but for those of you who appreciate a deep fighting game, you’ll get hours of competitive entertainment out of it. Every time I play it I feel like I’ve mastered a new piece of the physics engine, or a new nuance to wall-jumping. It’s one of those games that keeps on giving years later due to a solid foundation, so long as you have the company to enjoy it with.
Read the full Samurai Gunn review
Ys: Memories of Celceta (Vita)
Developer: Falcom
Publisher: Xseed
Release Date: November 26, 2013
MSRP: $39.99 ($59.99 Silver Anniversary Edition)
Falcom’s decision to take ownership of this entry, to create a more cohesive narrative amongst the series, has once again delivered one of the finest experiences for both the series and the platform it’s landed on. Ys: Memories of Celceta is not a system seller, but it’s a game worthy of buying if you own a Vita and easily one of the best RPGs of the year.
Read the full Ys: Memories of Celceta review
X Rebirth (PC)
Developer: Egosoft
Publisher: Egosoft
Released: November 15, 2013
MSRP: $49.99
X Rebirth might be worth grabbing in a Steam sale in a couple of years, after 100 patches and with a dozens of mods that create an entirely different game. That game could be fun if you are into modding. As it is right now at launch, X Rebirth is simply a broken, flawed, and almost unplayable mess. It’s a shell that has potential, but it’s not a working game on its own. Stay far away from it for now, and maybe in a few years it could be worth the time of dedicated fans.
Read the full X Rebirth review
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- SteelSeries H Wireless Headset
- Roxio Game Capture HD Pro
