Not too long ago, I played through Lollipop Chainsaw. It was mediocre at best, but its humour and short length offset its failings just enough for me to play it through to completion. While Bayonetta in many respects is a better game, I don’t think I’ll ever get past its halfway point. What gives?
Great. Another zombie game. We don’t already have enough of those yet, right? While I’m more than tired of the zombies in video games and other forms of fiction, I’m willing to let my fatigue slide if a particular piece of media brings forth a new twist on the trope. From Plants vs. Zombies cutesy tower defence, to the human drama of The Walking Dead, there’s still room for growth.
ZombiU draws heavy inspiration from Dark Souls, while making great use of the Wii U GamePad’s defining features to create a survival horror experience unlike anything out there. Though it has its quirks, and the overall gameplay may turn off some, it’s very cool for what it is.
Up to this point, this match made in fighting game heaven has been anything but. Having lost many of its potential fans through the on-disc DLC debacle, and a myriad of gameplay issues (among other things), this seemingly sure-fire hit has been the biggest bust in the genre for quite some time.
With that said, fighting games always evolve. From Street Fighter II to Super Street Fighter II Turbo, it can take a few iterations before perfection is found. Capcom is hoping that they get it right the second time with Street Fighter X Tekken Version 2013, which is a free major patch being introduced tomorrow.
Call me stubborn, but I’ve been a staunch believer in the fact that nothing can top the Mario Kart franchise. Besides the fact that it created the genre, the vast majority of kart racers haven’t even come close to matching the series’ quality, regardless of which version of Mario Kart you put under the microscope. While I’ll always have a spot in my heart for the franchise that started it all, Sonic All-Stars Racing Transformed takes a serious run at the crown.
Striking while the iron is hot, here’s my Kickstart Guide to Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition! Unlike my Universal Fighting Game Guide stuff, this is game-specific and a bit more simplified so that even beginners can gain a quick knowledge boost. Definitely worth a read if you’re looking to level up in the world’s hottest fighting game.
Check out my Kickstart Guide to Super Street IV: Arcade Edition on Splitkick!
Just over a year ago, I reached the milestone of #1 ranked Rose player in Canada on Xbox Live. While this was met with no fanfare beyond any created by me, it’s still an accomplishment I hold near and dear. As someone who can still vividly remember losing 20+ straight matches online when I first started playing Street Fighter IV, it’s a testament to how far I can go in a game if I put in the time and effort to get better.
Though I haven’t played the game with much vigor (or much at all) in 2012, I just crossed another milestone.
My love affair with the turn-based strategy games began after the original XCOM faded into obscurity. Advance Wars and Fire Emblem were my introduction to the genre, and for the most part, the only games in the genre I play. Not for a lack of desire, but for a lack of options. Sure, there are a lot of indie strategy games on PC/iOS, but when the big-budget strategy game market shrunk to nothing, the only real standout to me was Nintendo. Even then, neither of their strategy titles have lit up the sales charts or help revive the genre.
I’m not sure what compelled 2K Games to push ahead with a new XCOM now, but I truly appreciate the fact that they did. XCOM: Enemy Unknown is not only a fantastic turn-based strategy game, but easily one of the best games I played that came out in 2012.
The best girlfriend ever got me the Rocksmith guitar bundle for Christmas. Since then, I’ve been shredding the six string in hopes of someday not sucking at guitar. If you have ambitions of learning, this might be worth looking into. Head over to Splitkick to read the full post!
The original Dead Island trailer – as amazing as it is – ultimately did much more harm than good for my perception of the game. After watching it, I had high hopes that it would have more emotional weight to it than your run-of-the-mill zombie slaughter-fest. Then the preview coverage ultimately revealed that the contents of the trailer had virtually nothing to do with the actual game. Feeling burned by the misleading ad, I refused to buy or play this until it hit the bottom of the clearance bin. Maybe the trailer did little to reflect the final product, but that’s not to say the final product is bad. In fact, I’m actually really impressed with how the game came together.
Alan Wake isn’t short on ambition. This survival horror title bookends each of its chapters with drama that could stand up against a television thriller. It’s during these points when I get really jazzed about the game.
And then it falls apart when I actually have to play it.
In Third Person 