Archives for 2014

It’s my least favorite month to do the monthly release list — NOVEMBER! It’s the “let’s release all the games so we can get in on that sweet, sweet Christmas Cash on Black Friday!” month of releases. It’s all here — a Halo release, YACOD (yet another Call of Duty), shooters galore, sports games, and Nintendo’s big Marque Release. It wouldn’t be November without ’em! With that said, on to this month’s releases:

Week of November 4th
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
The Wolf Among Us
Rocksmith 2014

Week of November 11th
Pro Evolution Soccer 2015
Shape Up
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
Assassin’s Creed Unity
Halo: The Master Chief Collection – And here it is, the first salvo in the “should Tony get a PS4 or Xbox One” debate. Halo. Sure, I’ve played all of these games before. Yes, my online skills have atrophied to the point of embarrassment. I still want to get some of that Halo Haloness and I can’t get it anywhere else. Decisions, decisions.

Week of November 18th
Rabbids Invasion
WWE 2K15
Far Cry 4
Grand Theft Auto V
Dragon Age Inquisition

Week of November 25th
Minecraft Xbox One Edition – Here is salvo #2. The kids go cuckoo for Minecraft and moving over their worlds from the 360 seems like a no-brainer.

Week of November 4th
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Bioshock Infinite: The Complete Edition
The Wolf Among Us
MotoGP 14

Week of November 11th
Payday 2: Safecracker
Pro Evolution Soccer 2015
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
Assassin’s Creed Rogue

Week of November 18th
Rabbids Invasion
Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom
Escape Dead Island
MXGP 14: The Official Motocross Videogame
Dragon Age Inquisition – Xbox 360 Standard Edition
Far Cry 4
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Week of November 11th
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric

Week of November 18th
Watch Dogs
Super Smash Bros. – At least we have the Wii U and can play something next gen!

Week of November 4th
Harvest Moon: The Lost Valley – When there’s a new Harvest Moon, you should know the drill by now: Wherein a new Harvest Moon is released, I am bound by tradition to link to one of my favorite posts: my Harvest Moon review.

Week of November 11th
Tetris Ultimate
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the OOZE – Is there a reason ooze is in all caps? That must be some really serious OOZE…
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal

Week of November 18th
Adventure Time: The Secret of the Nameless Kingdom
Pok̩mon Omega Ruby РI have a feeling the buttonmashing household will be procuring between one and three copies of Pokemon this month.
Pokémon Alpha Sapphire

Week of November 25th
Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

Week of November 4th
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare

Week of November 11th
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
Assassin’s Creed Unity
Shadows: Heretic Kingdoms

Week of November 18th
Escape Dead Island
Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault
Dragon Age Inquisition
Far Cry 4
Construction Simulator 2015

Week of November 25th
Geometry Wars 3 – Salvo #3 — who needs an Xbox when I can get Geometry Wars on the PC?!

Week of November 4th
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
MotoGP 14
The Wolf Among Us

Week of November 11th
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
Assassin’s Creed Unity

Week of November 18th
Rabbids Invasion
MXGP 14: The Official Motocross Videogame
Dragon Age Inquisition
WWE 2K15
Far Cry 4
Grand Theft Auto V
Little Big Planet 3 – Salvo #4 — I really think the kids would love Little Big Planet. Like love love it. Tell me I’m wrong.

Week of November 25th
Akiba’s Trip: Undead & Undressed – Salvo #5 — you can’t find this kind of high-quality entertainment on that big green box.

Week of November 4th
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare Day Zero Edition
Bioshock Infinite: The Complete Edition
The Wolf Among Us
MotoGP 14

Week of November 11th
Payday 2: Safecracker
Pro Evolution Soccer 2015
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

Week of November 18th
MXGP 14: The Official Motocross Videogame
WRC 4: FIA World Rally Championship
Escape Dead Island
Dragon Age Inquisition
Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2nd
Little Big Planet 3
Far Cry 4
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Week of November 25th

Week of November 4th
The Wolf Among Us
The Walking Dead Season 2

Week of November 11th
LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham
Minecraft

Week of November 18th
Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2nd

I’m sure I’ll be picking something up this month. What are you picking up this month?
(Note: As always, all Amazon.com links have our affiliate code embedded in them. If you purchase something through our link, we get a little commission. It’s appreciated.)

Now we’re getting into the thick of release season — publishers stocking shelves with games before the holidays — sports games, Game of the Year Editions, etc. Surprisingly, I don’t see too many games that interest me (with the exception of one day-one purchase). With that said, on to this month’s releases:

Week of October 7th
Forza 5: Game of the Year Edition
Dead Rising 3: Apocalypse Edition – I still don’t know if/when I am going to get a Xbox One, but a new version of Dead Rising is as tempting as anything.
Ryse: Legendary Edition
Project Spark

Week of October 14th
The Evil Within – Bethesda’s new horror game is intriguing, but it’s also coming out on PC which means I’ll be grabbing it during the Steam Christmas Sale, which means I’ll be playing it sometime in 2016.
Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition: Limited Edition – If at first you don’t succeed…
The Walking Dead: The Complete First Season – If you haven’t already played it, you need to. YOU NEED TO.

Week of October 21st
The Walking Dead: Season 2
Need for Speed Rivals Complete Edition
Shadow Warrior – Mortal Kombat called, they want their logo back.

Week of October 28th
Sunset Overdrive Day One Edition
Lords of the Fallen
NBA Live 15

Week of October 7th
NBA 2K15
Alien: Isolation

Week of October 14th
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel – This is Day One for me (unless reviews universally pan it). Borderlands is the only game my buddy Jeremiah and play anymore, so I will be picking this up for an excuse to make him fire up his 360 and join me. Plus Borderlands is the bee’s knees.
The Evil Within
The Walking Dead: Season 2
PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures 2

Week of October 21st
Just Dance 2015
Need for Speed Rivals Complete Edition

Week of October 28th
WWE 2K15
Mx vs. ATV: Supercross
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the OOZE
Assassin’s Creed: The Americas Collection

Week of October 21st
Bayonetta 2
Just Dance 2015 – Not a lot for Nintendo this month, but by all accounts Bayonetta is going to be a heck of a game. With three kids under the age of twelve, I don’t know if I’m the target audience, but I would like to give the game a try.

Week of October 7th
Tenkai Knights: Brave Battle

Week of October 14th
PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures 2

Week of October 7th
NBA 2K15
Styx: Master of Shadows
Alien Isolation

Week of October 14th
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
The Evil Within

Week of October 21st
Sid Meier’s Civilization: Beyond Earth
Spellforce Tactics
Blood Knights
Need for Speed Rivals Complete Edition

Week of October 28th
Farming Simulator ’15
MX vs. ATV: Supercross Encore Edition

Week of October 7th
NBA 2K15
Alien: Isolation
DriveClub
Minecraft – How long will Minecraft be available on a Sony console?

Week of October 14th
The Evil Within

Week of October 21st
Samurai Warriors 4
Just Dance 2015
Need for Speed Rivals Complete Edition
Shadow Warrior

Week of October 28th
NBA Live 15
The Walking Dead: Season 2

Week of October 7th
NBA 2K15
Alien: Isolation

Week of October 14th
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel
The Walking Dead: Season 2
PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures 2

Week of October 21st
F1 2014 (Formula 1)
Just Dance 2015
Need for Speed Rivals Complete Edition

Week of October 28th
WWE 2K15
Mx vs. ATV: Supercross
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the OOZE
Assassin’s Creed: The Americas Collection

Week of October 7th

Week of October 14th
SENRAN KAGURA SHINOVI VERSUS – ‘Let’s Get Physical’ Limited Edition

Week of October 21st
Week of October 28th
Freedom Wars

What are you picking up this month?
(Note: As always, all Amazon.com links have our affiliate code embedded in them. If you purchase something through our link, we get a little commission. It’s appreciated.)

Iron Fisticle asks the question ‘How well can you keep it together with your back against the wall?’ Developed by Confused Pelican this game is a dual-stick top-down carnage fest whose gameplay and visual style hearkens back to the glory days of blowing two weeks’ worth of allowance money in a single afternoon at the video arcade. It is claustrophobic, tense, bombastic, and worthy of a critical look. Button Mashing turns the table and now asks the question: How well can Iron Fisticle keep it together with its back against the wall?

Mechanically, the game is straight forward and familiar. The player controls an armored knight and uses his default battle axe and other various weapon power-ups to carve his way through waves of ever-pursuing enemies, enduring and maneuvering through the levels of the game.

The level design, though modest, is deliberate. The game map consists of only four floors. Each floor contains battle chambers, increasing in total number with each higher floor, wherein the main carnage occurs. Each chamber is a single screen, no panning or roaming around, and has its own structural obstacles which can help or hinder your gameplay: make one false move and you will yelp with horror as you find yourself suddenly cornered; make one smart move and you will mow down your enemies without mercy. Between the patchwork of chambers are different types of connectors which host either a ‘bonus stage’ or a shop for power-ups or nothing at all and you just move right on to the next chamber.

Know this: Iron Fisticle is not a dungeon crawler. Exploration has no place here. Literally. There simply isn’t room for it. The arrangement of chambers is clustered instead of labyrinthine. Your end goal – the boss – is clearly labeled on the map of every floor. The game will even stymie your attempts to wander through each floor (no back tracking!) as if to flush you out into the presence of the floor’s boss. Chambers are not grand arenas nor do they house hidden nooks with super sweet loot. This choking sense of immediacy smothers out any need or desire or thought for exploration.

Iron Fisticle’s narrow, claustrophobic scope is its greatest strength. It doesn’t try to be more than it is, washing out the potency and crunch of the gameplay. It doesn’t try to be anything else, though some extra effort into the presentation would help the game stand out – more on this later.

Indeed, part of the challenge of battling in such a claustrophobic space is trying to maintain both a microscopic and macroscopic view simultaneously. Each chamber quickly becomes clogged with enemies. So, while you are hacking away at the immediate threats you must at the same time keep an eye out for minute openings and empty pockets which you can use to maneuver the mindless mob, and position yourself to best utilize your timed powerups.

There is also just the right amount of types of enemies. The game balances quantity and differentiation very well, prompting you to make realtime decisions in movement based on how much of what is coming at you. Enemies are not in a frenzied rage but are still persistent, so persistent.

A major speed bump to this momentum is the ‘bonus level’. The bonus level switches gears from top-down slaughterfest to sidescrolling jumper. The obstacles and loot are randomly generated and the controls are laggy. These levels are not only pointless but botches up your mojo, your tempo, your pulse. They kill the momentum. They are not very bonus-like: You will see 5X more coinage in a regular slaughter chamber than in the entire run of the bonus level, and the rewards for completing it are also rather piddly. There is very little motivation to take the bonus levels seriously. More often than not, as my veins are still pumping neon adrenaline from playing a previous chamber, I take the first opportunity to perish in a bonus level just so I can move on to the next chamber.

Though the claustrophobia is practically palpable while in the chambers, the game gives the player a gratifying amount of elbow room when it comes to the metagame – another one of the game’s strong points. Once you beat a boss and enter a new floor, that new floor is now available for you to jump to from the title screen – a design that is sure to make any roguelike purist scream to the heavens. Likewise, some of the connectors between chambers are shops where, from four randomly generated items, you can purchase ability upgrades or health. Some of these ability upgrades are permanent, carrying over into the next game. These options – these freedoms – provide an opportunity for players to tailor their experience with Iron Fisticle.

The most important freedom the game gives you is the option to erase all progress data. Because, admittedly, once you’ve maxed out your avatar the game quickly looses steam. You are so tremendously OP that there is little challenge left. So, reset that sucker back to level zero and experiment with your own self-imposed restrictions during another playthrough. Yes. The replay value is subtle but quite tremendous.

Aside from the lame-duck presence of the bonus levels, the only other area of improvement involves the lack of attention to details in the rest of the presentation. Particularly, more love could have been given to the audio which could bolster stronger, more confident gameplay and add character to the game overall. There are times when the game gets delightfully chaotic, a mishmash of activity. During these moments I’d like to hear more from my avatar, something other than the indiscernible grunts when taking damage and disgust when you pick up certain loot. The ‘taking damage’ soundbyte needs to be more pronounced, so I can hear just how much heat I’m taking and can try to GTFO. Hoots and hollars, taunts and jabs, praises to GabeN. Something! The same goes for footsteps. It is just this robotic clunk-clunk-clunk, regardless of the frothy viscera that is smeared all over the floor. Let’s hear some sqishyness!

This may seem nitpicky, but attention to little details like audio and health bar and bonus bank placement can really go a long way. It can ultimately help raise Iron Fisticle above the din and come into the focus of many more perspective gamers – a place where the game belongs.

Held up against the wall, Iron Fisticle does indeed keep itself together. It is unadulterated arcade action but could have been more outstanding with just a little more attention to details in the presentation. It recognizes the focused scope it which it operates and does not overextend itself. Solo or co-op the game is an absolute blast to play, just as were the arcade boxes of old.

So having finally finished Halo 4 (a post or two should be forthcoming [he says trepidatiously]), it’s time to move on to another old triple-A title i purchased at full price over a year ago and am just now getting around to giving it the time of day: Bioshock Infinite. I started BI when it first came out, but lost interest for reasons that elude me now. I was enjoying it and I like the Bioshock Universe but something distracted me and I never went back.

Speaking of going back, I am now in the thick of a horrendous losing streak. I’m afraid to look to see how many it is, as I stopped counting after 8 or 9. I’d like to chalk it up to playing so many games of the new mode, All Random Death Match (another topic for another post), but it’s not that easy, as I was losing games before the ARDM game mode became available. That being said, I anticipate playing at least a match or two this weekend, to see if I can finally get off the shnide.

So it’s Bioshock Infinite and Dota 2 for me. What will you be playing?