What I'm playing this week! Oct 15 - Oct 21

Well it's that time again, I delayed this a bit because I wanted to cover a game that was embargoed. Now it isn't. If you're reading my blog you probably already know what it is...

Anyways, without further ado, here's what I'm playing!

Got paid and decided to pick up Retro City Rampage for PS3/Vita. It's sort of a combo pack, pay $15 and get both. What you need to know about this game is that it is the video game version of Not Another Teen Movie/Scary Movie/Kung Pow, etc. It's bursting at the seams with video game parody. Everything from classic games like Duck Hunt and Metal Gear is sent before the firing squad for your pleasure. It even has tons of movie and generally geeky references like the game's first mission and it's striking similarities to the opening heist scene from The Dark Knight. I hear the phrase "love letter to gaming culture" a lot but I HATE that phrase so instead I'm going to say: if you enjoy the older GTA games (1&2, London, etc), were born in the late seventies/early eighties, and played video games on NES, Atari 2600, Intellivision, Sega Master System, or MS Dos, you will get a riot out of this game. You'll probably laugh your ass off every few seconds. Now, if you said no to those critera above this game will make little sense, many of the (purposely) poor design choices will feel like glaring flaws. It's a total niche title, but I fall very proudly into that niche so I'm having myself a ruddy good time so far.

I was lucky enough to begin a review for the Vita version of Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward from Aksys Games and Chunsoft on Wednesday. It's always awesome to be able to play a game before it comes out and I simply love reviewing so it's the ultimate win-win situation. The game itself is not unique, but rare. There aren't many visual novel/puzzle games that exist outside of Japan (where they are all the rage). This one is a sequel to 999: 9 Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors for the DS. I can't imagine it is a direct sequel, but two of the characters from the first one appear in this as well. As far as gameplay goes its split up into "novel" and "escape" portions. Novels are just where all the talking happens and yes, there is quite a bit of reading. Escape is there you have to figure out how best to escape your current confines. Escape does have several challenges and if you go above and beyond you can wind up with additional gold files in addition to simply escaping. The story itself is downright shocking at times and it really keeps you on edge as the fate of these character literally depends on your choices. There is of course multiple endings, 24 in fact, and there are some terrible ones and some good ones... I'll not spoil any of them for you. Just know what this game really does visual novels proud. It adds new features that I hope will become the standard, no, that should become the standard for these games in the future.

Because I wasn't always able to play VLR (and because Jet Set Radio for Vita was delayed) I bought and played Tales From Space: About A Blob. It's from Drinkbox Studios so I was pretty sure I'd love it, and I do. It's similar to its Vita sequel Mutant Blobs Attack!!! but different at the same time. Since this one is on PS3, it feels differently in a few ways. The first and most obvious difference is you have to hold one of the L buttons down to eat things. This was automatic in MBA!!! and it isn't bad but requires more button inputs. One of the crowning achievements in MBA!!! was its simplicity of controls which emphasized execution. Here in About A Blob that feeling is minimized somewhat. Also different is the blob's ability to "regurgitate" things he's absorbed. I haven't come across puzzles yet that require its use, but I feel safe assuming that this ability was dropped in MBA!!! because of the ability to manipulate puzzles via the touchscreen. It feels the same in that the same humorous approach is seen here as well. I laugh all the time playing this game, and I'm not even that far in!

And that's it! VLR cut such a huge swath of time from my gaming this week as I really worked to get the review up by release day. While that's true it's also because I just freakin loved playing that game. I'm moving on to reviewing Orgarhythm from XSEED Games this week, so alas my VLR time will be cut down, but I plan to put more man hours into this game than the.. uh.. you know... that project from Pretty Woman with all the man hours.

I'm just going to stop talking (typing) now.