I grew up when arcades used to be very popular and there was nothing like coming home from school and spending the afternoon at the arcade. Unfortunately those days are passed use with today’s high-def video game systems and vanishing arcades. Well, Genius has an answer to your prayers for all us hardcore gamers by bringing the arcade-quality control home for use with your PC or PS3. The new gaming arcade stick, Arcade F-1000 is a great way for us hardcore gamers to get that arcade feel while being in the comfort of our own homes.
This great item can be used on today’s games like “Street Fighter”, “Tekken” and even the “Call of Duty” series. Like I said it works with both PS3 and PC systems, even with Windows 8 operating system (Sorry XBOX you miss out here). I have to admit playing with this brought me back to the old days. It delivers the classic arcade feel yet it is so integrated with today’s games that it works so well.
Now let’s get to the details of the actual device. This comes with a standard 4-axis 13-button joypad and supports turbo function, so you have more precise control that an arcade layout provides and helps you get to the next level while playing action and shooting games. I have to admit, I have always been playing games on the PC but this really gives a great transition to crossing over to the PS3 with this arcade stick. What I like most is that it is not a cheap piece of plastic, it has a quite durable and sturdy metal base. It is not too heavy though weighing in at 1.866 kilograms.
The Arcade F-1000 lastly comes with 3 meter cable and 1 meter extension cable if you need the extra room and this really benefited my setup quite well. I remember my old NES controller with its 12 inch wire and we used to have to sit right in front of the screen before the days of wireless. This great item is now available in the US and Canada for the suggested retail price of US$59.99. I think it is worth every penny and will deliver a new or retro video game experience for sure.
Format: XBOX 360
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Developer: Digital Extremes
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Our Score: 1.5 out of 5 stars
I am a huge fan of “Star Trek”, especially the new reboot from J.J. Abrams. When it comes to video game adaptations of films, things never usually turn out well. Unfortunately, “Star Trek: The Video Game” is no different at all. You are able to play as either Kirk or Spock or together as a co-op duo. 2009’s “Star Trek” cast is on-board reprising their voices for the game, including Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock. Despite that though, this the game has poor controls, lacking animation and filled with a whole mess of bugs. While playing, I was just left repeating the same thing over and over…”Was this game ever tested before being released”. I guess with the release of “Star Trek Into Darkness” this summer, they were anxious to get it out there. Unless you are a die-hard Trekkie and need to own everything “Star Trek” as a collector, then I would recommend steering clear from this game.
The game itself was developed by Digital Extremes, who are known for games like “Bioshock 2”, “Dark Sector” and “The Darkness 2”. The story is set after events of “Star Trek” (2009) and is written by BAFTA award winner and “God of War” writer, Marianne Krawczyk, along with close collaboration with the writer/producers of the new “Star Trek films”, Bob Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof. The story is decent but not enough to balance out the negative. You are able to explore new areas on the Enterprise and other ships, as well as never-before-seen sectors throughout the galaxy. I have to admit that I was very curious about how the co-op experience was going to be turn out and I was left very unsatisfied. I felt that it was very annoying, especially having to wait for the character to catch up when in one player mode. On the positive, you do get two different characters to explore, if you can deal with the bugs. I would have been happier to settle with one character backed with really good game play over what we got here.
For XBOX 360, I have certain expectations in terms of graphics and general animation. From the moment this game started, I was looking at Kirk and Spock and I just said out loud “Eww, they look terrible”. The graphics are very poor and not polished at all. I feel like this final product should have been like the first beta for this game before they cleared the bugs and polished it up. Same goes for the controls, which are all over the place and will have struggling to get a grasp on your characters. Also even though we get the original cast returning, there is also issue with terrible lip-syncing. The game clocks in at around 10 hours, which is pretty good for a film adaptation but that is not 10 hours of pleasure, more like aggravation. It is also 10 hours that you will never get back. “Star Trek: The Game” will leave you wanting more and wishing you didn’t just spend $60 on this game. I might recommend to check it out if when it drops to under $20 bucks, just if you are a die-hard fan.
Platform: Xbox 360
Studio: Ubisoft
Rated: Teen
Release Date: October 30, 2012
Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars
When it comes to “Marvel’s The Avengers”, they are the hottest ticket in not only film this year but also anything having to do with media in general. So the release of “Marvel Avengers: Battle For Earth” is not a shock. The game is a head-to-head fighting game where you can put iconic Marvel superheroes and villains against each other. You can choose from 20 classic Marvel characters, each one that is equipped with four unique superpowers. But this isn’t your typical fighting game you have to use motion to fight and trigger attacks using the Kinect. But it is met with mostly mixed results.
Like most fighting games there is a wide variety of game modes including Co-op, Campaign, Arcade, Challenges, Versus, and Tournament. Concerning the fighting system, it is decent and definitely not the worst I have ever come across, there is your typical use of Super Attacks, Velocity Boost, Breaker, or Frenzy to battle your opponents. On the plus side that didn’t make it a total bust for me, there is tons of extras to unlock as you go through the battles like unlocking unique outfits and collector cards.
The character line-up avaialble for “Marvel Avengers: Battle For Earth” is Black Widow, Captain America, Doctor Doom, Dr. Strange, Hawkeye, Human Torch, Iceman, Iron Man, Loki, Magneto, Phoenix, Queen Veranke, Scarlet Witch, Spider Man, Storm, Super Skrull, The Hulk, Thor, Venom and Wolverine.
I did enjoy getting a chance to control both the heroes and villains of the Marvel universe using my movements but it did get a little tiring. The capturing of my movement was also quite accurate. The graphics are also quite impressive with some sharp shading. I mean it is not super high-def but I feel that that was the angle that they were going for, more of a comic book look and not so polished. In the end, this will surely be loved by energetic kids under the age of 12. Adults might enjoy playing but will most likely loose interest after a short while.
Product Description: “Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth” is the ultimate superhero brawler. It features 20 different characters, including Avengers such as Iron Man, Hulk, Captain America and Thor, as well as other fan-favorite Super Heroes and Super Villains from the Marvel Universe. Players will use motion gameplay to execute explosive super attacks, unleash devastating special moves and play with friends or against the AI in a wide variety of game modes.
Format: iPad in HD, also available on iPhone
Last Updated: Mar 21, 2012
Version: 1.01
Price: $1.99
Sliced Bread Games LLC
Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars
What’s the best thing since sliced bread? Well, the new game “Sliced Bread” for your iPhone and iPad, could be the correct answer. Even though it is extremely similar to the popular “Fruit Ninja”, I feel the game offers enough to make it stand alone on its own. I feel it is different since it feels more welcoming while throwing in some impressive game play and graphics. If you are looking for a quick, fun and easy game to play “Sliced Bread” is a little slice of heaven.
In this game you are able to enter the kitchen and test your slicing skills. Your goal is to slice up many various baked good including bread, bagels and pastries while avoiding the angry fruit. I enjoyed that fact that you can not only slice certain objects once but numerous times as well to make it even more challenging. This is really a fun and addicting game that will easily take up countless hours on your iPad.
The game included two modes Extreme Baking mode and the non-stop Pastry School mode. Extreme Baking is what you expect…just a non-stop timed all-in race to slice as much as you can. The school is a more structured mode with ability to use items you earn to assist. You are even able to “Remodel Bakery”, which gives the allows you to choose different backgrounds. The game definitely has reply value, which is a plus. Lastly, you can also battle your friends or the global scores in either Game Center or OpenFeint leaderboards.
Platform: Xbox 360
Release Date: April 3, 2012
Distributed by: LucasArts
Price: $449.00
Star Wars R2-D2 Console: 4 out of 5 stars
Kinect Star Wars: 3 out of 5 stars
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…. OK enough of that. The Star Wars Limited Edition Xbox 360 is really well done. When I finally got it and started to open it the nerd in me was very excited. Being a long time Star Wars fan and that my other 360 was broken there was no doubt in me getting this.
It comes with the Xbox 360 Console which is custom themed to R2-D2. The Kinect Sensor is the first white one of its kind on the 360. The wireless controller is gold and themed to C-3PO. The controller is detailed very nicely. A 320GB hard drive is the largest available on the 360. It also comes with two games Kinect Star Wars and Kinect Adventures.
Hooking everything up was pretty easy. Upon turning the 360 on for the first time the console made its first R2-D2 sound. The console will make R2 sounds when you turn it on and off from the console or open and close the tray from the console. If you use the controller to power on/off the console it will not make the R2 sounds.
Now on to the Kinect Star Wars game. It starts off with C-3PO and R2-D2 and recently recovered Jedi Archives. Listening to the two droids go back and forth with each other like they do in the movies gives a good feeling of being immersed into the Star Wars Universe. You have several different modes you can select from.
Campaign Story: The bulk of the content in the game. You are a padawan learner and you go through the Clone Wars. The voices at times do not match with the animation. The voice acting is not the greatest but it is not bad either. When it comes to the lightsaber battles it is almost like a turn based RPG. At first your enemy will attack you and you have to block then once you build enough stamina you go into a lock where your weapons clash together and you have to break the lock by doing one several different options like Force Push, Kick, or Head butt you opponent. After successfully doing so, you can now attack your enemy. This gets repeated until one of wyou go down. Now I must say that the Kinect did capture the movements pretty decently. Also the nerd in me I used my Master Replicas Lightsaber hilt to give it more of a Jedi feeling for me. This did not affect the Kinect at all regarding being able to read my movements. Depending on what hand you use for your Lightsaber the other is used for your force moves. You can force push or grab and toss your enemies around. Not all enemies can be affected by the force. One thing that does ruin the experience is the use of cut scenes. While playing you are constantly put into a cut scene where you have no control over your char. It does this pretty often and does get annoying.
Pod Racing: This is done really well and one of the better mini games available. The controls work great and you have to hold your arms up as if you were in the podracer itself. When you pull your arms back your racer slows down and applies the break. Thrust your arms forward gives you a burst of speed. Turning can be a little bit tricky but once you are used to it you should not have any problems. The story is geared more towards a younger audience but is fun none the less.
Rancor Rampage: You are the rancor and everyone else is your meal. Nom Nom! This mode is very entertaining and a lot of fun. You are a rancor on the loose and you can pretty much destroy anything in your path. You can also eat the poor people that are running around. What is also fun is you can pick up people and throw them, you do get added bonus the farther you can toss them.
Duels of the Fate: This mode takes you through a series of Lightsaber duels. This is pretty slow and not as exciting as one would hope.
Galactic Dance Off: Who of us would not want to dance with Slave Leia!! Well after this you will not be 100% fulfilled. Even though the story line may not make sense it was indeed fun if you can get past that. I mean I can’t see as Leia having fun and smiling while Jaba’s captive. Yes in the game it does seem like she is having a good time, but as I said if you can get past that part the play is fun.
Format: iPhone
Version: 1.2
Price: $1.99
Coastal Amusements, Inc.
Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars
“Sea Wolf” is a remake/reboot of the classic Midway 1976 arcade game. The news isn’t all good though, this update has quite a few problems on the iPhone. The game play is decent but I had a big problem with the controls and the stability of the game itself. The controls are mostly motion-based but I found that it was too restricted and didn’t allow total control. Also when you have to shoot the planes coming at you, you need to use your finger on the screen and end up blocking your shooting view.
In the game you take control of a World War II submarine and your goal is to sink enemy ships with torpedoes and also shoot down enemy planes with your turret guns. Overall the game is definitely easy to just pick and jump right in. It does have a lot of action and levels to play. But the weak color design makes the game feel very repetitive after a short time.
Version 1.2 was recently updated to address bug fixes and stability but I feel that there is still some major bugs hiding away. During game play, I have experienced the game constantly crashing and when you resume playing the graphics are all scrambled. This forces you to have to start a new game and entirely lose your saved state.
Developer: Klei Entertainment
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platform: Playstation Network
Genre: Beat ’em up, Side-scroller
Mode: Single-player, Local cooperative
Rating: Mature
Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars
Up, Up, Down, Down, Left…….AWWWW I just bludgeoned that guy with a fish!!!!
If Rambo, every Jason Statham character created, Dutch from Predator and the characters from Contra, Double Dragon and those forgettable guys from the Final Fight series, had a baby, that baby wouldn’t be half as badass as SHANK. This side scrolling mass of testosterone, steroids and good old fashioned guts has gotten my palms sweaty, my neck muscles close to tearing and my need for carnage fulfilled.
I didn’t play Shank 1 prior to this review but you can be damned sure I will after. The storyline is simple: Bad Guys have kidnapped someone close to you and placed even more bad guys in between you and them. Your job? Slice, shoot, maim, stab and kill said bad guys, with an arsenal of weapons ranging from knives and guns to chainsaws and fish?? Yep. I pummeled a random dock working henchman with a large sea bass. And you know what? I felt good about it. I worked my way through these sloshy, blood-soaked levels in ways that Stallone & Schwarzenegger would stand slack jawed and peeing.
The games mechanics are typical of a side scrolling adventure, with each level ending in some sort of boss like encounter. Each level upped the ante a bit as I progressed through and ended in Adult Swim style, cut scenes that offset the carnage with some gory humor. At one point Shank kills a Great White Shark by breaking its neck and pulling out its jaws with his bare hands, causing the The “Jaws” and Fulci fan inside me to exclaim a joyful, “That-a-boy!” The controls are fairly smooth. No ground breaking changes there. Play time for the game is also typical for this genre, fairly quick.
The game features costume and weapons upgrades and 2 player co-op is heavily featured in the Survival mode. You and that special someone in your life can rack up the bodies together in a single screen mission where you are tasked with protecting supplies from crazy bombing henchmen. With a full arsenal of traps and weapons at your disposal, you divide your time between killing baddies and taking hefty swigs of tequila. You guessed right…that wonderful Mexican elixir has a new use in your life. Its health restoring properties in-game make me wish it were real out of game. I would drink myself into becoming the next Charles Atlas!!
One quick mention here for the music!! Fantastic!! Mixture of Top Gun-like phrasings, with a little every Delta Force score ever produced.
If your a fan of these types of games, consider yourself a fan of this one. However, if you find these button mashing fighting games a bit repetitive, this particular one won’t change your mind.
I really dug Shank 2! It’s well made and brought me back to my younger NES days…minus the blood, gore. and shark killing of course. But boy if I had had this game back then….who am I kidding…. if I had this game back then, my mother would have thrown my Nintendo system into my ceiling fan. SHAAAANK!!!
Shank 2 is available for download on all the good systems… 🙂 Sorry Wii…. 🙁
Developer: Traveller’s Tales
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Platform: XBOX 360
Genre: Action-adventure
Mode: Single-player, Multiplayer
Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars
I really wanted to like this game, honestly. I have played both the “LEGO Indiana Jones” and “LEGO Star Wars” series and loved them both, and I was really looking forward to playing another one in the series. Sadly this one fell short of my expectations.
For the most part the game sticks to the normal genre of the LEGO games franchise with great graphics and characters. However when it came to the most important part of the game, like navigation and interaction with game pieces…that has changed a lot. Gone are the days of the simple click and move. You know how to focus on an object before interacting with it, sometimes having to drag it around. The worst part is having to put LEGO pieces together to build a bridge or set of stairs to move on to the next stage. I spent a good bit of time on the first set of stairs just trying to get the pieces together the way they were suggested to go. I found myself settling on whatever I was able to use to jump up to the next stage. So it became very frustrating overall.
The story it’s self sticks very strictly to the books, which I am sure fans will love. However if you haven’t read the books or seen the movies I could see where a lot of the story line could be lost on you, as well as a vast majority of the jokes. I found the sub par navigation way too annoying and very quickly into the game I lost interest. I wish LEGO had demanded more strict guidelines for continuity, as I enjoyed being able to get immersed in game play with the two previous games in the series. Perhaps I was rather spoiled with the concept of being able to just pick up the controller and jump right in like my prior experiences.
If you are able to get through the navigation challenge and through the game I still recommend it. The LEGO games are adorable, entertaining, and fun for all ages. The ability to even play as a team with others online is a fantastic option, one of which I enjoyed immensely in the past. Then there is the thousands of interactive objects on each map, as well as numerous fun puzzles to get through. As for me I will perhaps attempt it again another time and hopefully then have a better experience with it.
Platform: Xbox 360
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Category: Simulation
Our Score: 3 out 5 stars
Who doesn’t love pets…and games about pets? Ever since Nintendo releases their “Nintendogs + Cats” series, it changed the way people look at these types of games. Combine that with the insane popularity of “The Sims” and should have a winning combination. This game definitely has it fun and cute moments but lacks the want to come back continuously. This latest edition of “The Sims” is also not a major improvement from past editions. It still though has good graphics but also a some lag in a few spots but nothing major. Hardcore fans of “The Sims” should appreciate the expansion of the world and your ability to control new situations, but casual fans like myself might want to spend their time playing games with a little more draw.
This game is the first time in franchise history that you will be able to take full control of your pet’s in the game. Since this is called “Pets”, it should also be no shock that you will have the ability to create the perfect pet and control all aspect including personality and look etc. While playing you are able to scroll through the “Live Mode”, “Town Map”, “Buy & Build”, “Landsculpting”, “Mystery Journal”, “Karma Points” and “Challenge”, which typical for your average Sims game. You can to get to chase, dig, tackle and more. You also have the ability to be friendly or mean to your Sims and the other animals. I was pretty impressed, I have to admit, with the features that were included and the aspects that were controllable. This game is quite a bit more than just petting or playing fetch with your pets. You can learn skills like hunting, locating collectibles and also are given career opportunities. I think that the ability to run around the town and are able to go on adventures throughout.
If you have the Kinect for Xbox 360, you will even get more of an added bonus (I wish I did), you can command your Sims and their pets using voice commands. Could be a cool feature. Also exclusive for Xbox 360, is the Limited Edition of the game which comes with exclusive content, including 10 rare and exclusive breeds. These are really cool addition to the game. You can also activate your online pass and connect to the “The Sims 3: Pets Exchange” where you can download other players content and share your own. Overall I wouldn’t call this the best game of the year but it is hardly the worst. Lastly I am a little confused about the rating of the game though, which is “T for Teen: Crude Humor, Sexual Themes, Violence”. I know that “The Sims” is known for its free ability to pretty much whatever but I would think of this game aiming more towards a younger audience. I honestly do not see a 40 year old man playing this all night. If your are thinking about this for a kid, the game play will definitely keep them interested and involved.
Developer: Electronic Arts
Platform: iPhone
Genre: Puzzle
Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars
“Tetris” has always been one of my favorite games. Incredibly challenging but very intriguing. When there was an iPhone version it would have a big shoes to fill definitely with limited controls. I feel that the iPhone delivers with its “One-Touch” controls. I also have been really enjoying the “Marathon” mode, which plays like a classic version of “Tetris”. The new feature called “Galaxy” in which you must place Tetriminos into the planet surface below and clear it out. As you progress in the process you receive power-ups and the ability to earn coins.
If this game looks familiar on the iPhone it should because it has been there before. It was originally released on July 9th, 2008 but on November 30, 2011 it was replaced with this new version. It included the new mode called “Galaxy” but removed the mode “Magic”. The biggest new feature of the game is the addition of the “T-Club,” which is either $2.99 a month or $29.99 for a year membership. The memberships will earn you more coins and lines in your games. I personally would never pay for something like this but who knows maybe people will.
Despite the addition of “T-Club”, I really enjoyed this new update and for those do not own this game it is recommended to pick it up and give it a chance. The new feature “Galaxy” is a lot of fun and challenging as well. I wish they included “Magic” mode from the previous release but maybe it will be put back in future updates. In conclusion for $.99 cents, how can you go wrong!
Developer: Techland
Distributor: Square Enix
Publisher: Deep Silver
Platform: Xbox 360
Mode: Single-player, Multiplayer
Rating: ESRB: M
Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars
First, and above all foremost, this is NOT your “Mom’s” Zombie game. This game is bloody, gory, creepy, and fun as all hell. I wanted to play it the first time I saw the official announcement trailer, watch below. This game has the “scare” feeling you get from BioShock, coupled with good music and sound effects. The scare factor is what I loved the most. If you want to really get into the game, play at night, in the dark, using a Ear Force X41 headset, which I absolutely love. You can hear all of the little details in the background, not just the ones close to you. My roommates had a particularly joyful time sneaking up on me. The game is set in an absolutely spectacular island setting, with blue skies filled with puffy white clouds, and crystal blue waters. The fact that a zombie apocalypse begins here of all places is ironic.
Now before you just punch the heck out of the start button to jump in to the game, make sure you watch that intro. For one thing the song “Who Do You Voodoo, Bitch?” is addictive, but mainly because it sets up the story for you. For example, it explains why you start out by waking up on the floor in a hotel room. You also want to pay close attention to your mini map and the “bread crumb trail” in the beginning or you will find yourself dying several times before you get off the floor of your hotel room.
Game play is smooth and easy to catch on to changing weapons and setting skill points. Just make sure you are in a safe place when you set those skill points because live mode is still live when you go into your inventory, map and skills section. The tutorial is short, and sweet, getting you into the fray pretty quickly. There are loads of places and things to loot, from the numerous luggage left all over the island, to refrigerators, cupboards, phones and even computer towers give you items to sell, modify your weapons; even the zombies sometimes give out health packs!
Health is regenerated from eating fruit, energy bars, and drinking energy drinks, or using med kits which are given like an injections. Several friends and I have joked that the med kits are more akin to taking an insulin shot after the number of energy drinks and energy bars one consumes to stay alive. Dying doesn’t kill you in the XP section like most games, or the loot, but it will make a nice dent in your wallet. Sadly returning to the site of your demise doesn’t replenish that wad of cash either, you just want to make sure you loot when you can, especially zombies and safe’s as they give really good handfuls.
You have an option of playing in either Co-Op Mode or Multiplayer Mode and in either mode you play through the story line. The difference is with Multiplayer Mode you can join random other peoples games or they can jump into your game depending on the settings you have changed. I particularly enjoyed the Multiplayer mode because anyone could just jump in your game at any time and help you out. You also learn a lot of tips and tricks from them. Then again if they just annoy you you do have the option to boot them out of your game.
With all games there are of course some issues. For instance trying to take a shortcut over a large hill rather than going around it will sometimes find you stuck, or that gap between the fence and stairs will send you suddenly to your death. I find the game play was so much fun that the little things that annoyed me were very pale in comparison. There are some other little glitches, some of them so easy you can’t help but wonder if the programmers did it on purpose. For instance, with an especially expensive or all around awesome weapon equipped, holding down your left trigger, then holding down Y and then holding down right trigger (so they are all held down at once at the end) you drop your weapon, and a duplicate of it. This is a particularly nice “glitch” when you need more money (duplicate, sell, repeat) or when you want to save on the costly price of repairing your weapons (duplicate and save weapon that is at 100%).
All in all I absolutely LOVED this game. The story line is terrific, even including a rather unique reason how the whole zombie thing began. But I suggest you play yourself and try it out. This is definitely a game I recommend to anyone over 18 (there IS a lot of blood and gore!)
Developer: Spicy Horse
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Designer: American McGee
Engine: Unreal Engine 3
Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Genre: Action-Adventure, Platform
Mode: Single-player
Rating: ESRB: M
Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Click here to view our interview with the game’s creator American McGee.
Click here to enter for a chance to win a copy of the game on Playstation 3.
“American McGee’s Alice” has always been one of my favorite games to date. I have been early awaiting the release of this game…so let’s just say that expectations are very high. But worry though, this game comes through well over expectations. The game takes place 11 years after the first game (like in real life between their releases). Unlike the first game which was only released on PC and Mac format. This game is released on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, so it is the first time it is available on console. If you are a fan of the original you will be greatly appreciative to hear that the first game, “American McGee’s Alice” is included for free on the disc of each game. So fans rejoice, 11 years was worth the wait because this game in plain English..KICK MAJOR ASS!
It’s eleven years since Alice left Rutledge (where we left her from the first game) and she is being taken care of by a child psychiatrist in London. She is still fighting the loss of her family and she starts to lose grip reality and returns to Wonderland. Unfortuntely the Wonderland she knew is gone and it is now a completely different place. This time, though, there’s an bigger question fueling her madness is the truth behind the fire that caused her family to die.
The visuals are stunning. The level design is very smooth and well done. The design isn’t the only thing that got an upgrade though Alice also is now about to double jump using twirls, she can also glide after jumping. She has the ability to shrink on demand to get to those hard to reach spots. I have been reading that some people are having issues with the controls and cameras. I find it to be the complete opposite in fact. I thought the cameras track well and the controls are definitely manageable (I just keep forgetting how to get that damn umbrella to come out).
“Alice: Madness Returns” is also heavy on the action and has some really dark gameplay. Alice has many weapons in her arsenal like the Vorpal Blade (can’t beat the classic hack/slash), Pepper Grinder (machine gun-like) and Hobby Horse (melee smash attack). What I also like about this game is that each hit will turn into a combo when combined with other buttons and dodges. I would have to agree pretty well with the games M rating, it definitely pushes the barriers, but that is a good thing. There are a few minor glitches I found the game, mostly when changing rooms or entering keyholes but otherwise, I didn’t noticing any lagging or freezing. The length of the game is decent and leaves you definitely feeling satisfied. This is a must buy and I can’t wait to replay it again to see things that I missed the first time.
Now like I mentioned earlier the original American McGee’s Alice is included on the disc (unlockable using an online pass at the console store). One thing is though, after playing “Madness Returns” which is so smooth and beautiful, switching back to the original really shows its age. But hey what do you expect…11 years is a long time and games look better today that is expected. Getting to play the original for the first time on a console was really sweet and was a great idea for them to include it on this disc.
