Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment Review

By Jordan Boyd

Overview:

Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment fits right at home on the Nintendo Switch. It retains so much of what made the original Shovel Knight great while giving players an entirely different character in the Shovel Knight universe to control, alongside a challenging new campaign.

The game is about Specter Knight’s quest to gather the Order of No Quarter, the group of knights you face off against in Shovel Knight’s campaign. The game acts as a prequel to Shovel Knight. While you hunt down the eight knights you’ll be given small gameplay sections that’ll reveal Specter Knight’s background and how he came to serve under The Enchantress.

Fans of Shovel Knight’s lore should be pleased with Specter Knight’s short but sweet tale of loss, tragedy, and redemption. The game has a good balance of drama and comedy throughout as well that keeps things interesting. If you’ve played any of the other entries you should feel right at home with this one.

If you don’t already know the developer, Yacht Club Games, has planned on releasing three campaigns based on the Order of No Quarter. The first was based on Plague Knight, the second is Specter Knight and the third upcoming campaign will be King Knight. Each knight was voted on by the game’s Kickstarter backers. 

Gameplay:

Specter Knight’s powers are many, and more unique when compared to his predecessors. Specter Knight can run up walls for short periods and he can use enemies to launch himself towards hard to reach areas. Learning to execute his movement and abilities is tough, but extremely rewarding experience. 

The game is challenging but it never punished me enough where I got too frustrated. Completing the campaign unlocks new game plus mode. In this mode Specter Knight’s “Will”, another name for his health, is replaced by a very long “Darkness” bar, or a long mana bar that acts as a timer dropping continuously throughout each level, as well as when you use skills and every time you get hit by enemies. It requires a ton of micromanagement and players looking for an even tougher challenge after the main campaign should be very pleased with this additional mode.

There are red skulls to collect in each mission that allows the player to buy skills that can be used on the fly like healing, time slowing, strong attacks, etc. The game also has a cool way of showing players how to use these skills, when you buy them you start a tutorial that shows you how to use that said skill. 

The game also features a challenge mode that puts your skills with Specter Knight to the test. The mode also allows you to go back and fight each boss. It didn’t take me too long to complete the challenge mode in its entirety but it’s a good distraction for any completionist.

The only issue I had with Specter Knight is fighting his sometimes uncooperative mechanics at first. Specter Knight always launches himself towards an enemy when he’s in the air, there’s no neutral air attack. This caused me to accidentally kill myself on many occasions throughout my time with the game. It’s a small gripe and it ultimately made me change up my playstyle throughout, but it was still frustrating sometimes nonetheless.

“Specter of Torment is a testimony to the potential of the Nintendo Switch.”

Story:

Specter Knight, in my mind, is the most reminiscent of the classic Metroidvania NES classics when compared to each knight. He’d fit well amongst the ranks of the Belmont family. From his overly large scythe, his costume and overall demeanor, Specter Knight almost feels like he should be hunting Dracula instead of the Order of No Quarter. 

The campaign took me around five to six hours to complete, it’s much shorter than its predecessor but still a ton of fun. Your game time will rely heavily on your skill with Metroidvania titles. It’s even better on the go with Switch since you can just hop right into missions from the game’s tiny hub world, the Tower of Fate. 

Verdict:

Now, how does this title stack up on the Switch? It’s great. Shovel Knight was released initially on PC, 3DS and Wii U in 2014, so it fits right at home on Nintendo’s newest on-the-go console. It’s a joy to play there. Each level is filled with vibrant colors, enemies, and bosses. It looks beautiful on the Switch’s 720p screen and equally as good on the television. You wouldn’t be wrong experiencing Specter Knight’s campaign in handheld, TV, or tabletop mode. 

It’s refreshing to see Yacht Club Games in full support of the Nintendo Switch and I’ll be eagerly awaiting King Knight’s campaign as well as whatever the developer might be doing next on the Nintendo Switch. 

Specter of Torment is a testimony to the potential of the Nintendo Switch. At an asking price of $10 for the standalone version, it’s great for fans of the series and those looking to give it a try for the first time. Shovel Knight can also be purchased with  Specter of Torment and Plague of Shadows included for $24.99. There’s never been a better time to jump into the world of Shovel Knight and it’s made all the better by the Nintendo Switch. 

I can’t recommend Specter of Torment enough, it’s hard to find anything bad to say about it since it does so much right. It’s a great title to play if you’re looking to play something other than Zelda. If more games like Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment continue to release on the Switch then Nintendo’s home console hybrid has a very bright future ahead of it.   

Urban Empire Review

By Dominic Orlando

Overview:

Kalypso’s Urban Empire is a unique, PC exclusive, strategy game centered not around City Building, but city managing. You'll assume the role of mayor in an early 1800's town where you will plan, build, and manage over the course of 200 years and several eras. The twist, you can't simply do with your city what you please. You must work with city council to gather the votes necessary to advance your policy proposals. This core facet of gameplay makes Urban Empire a game unlike many before it, that deserves at least a glance from veterans of the genre.

Gameplay:

The gameplay will be the main attraction for Urban Empire. As a city builder, even a novice to the genre will notice a lack of depth. While it's understood that city building is not the core tenant of the game, having more fleshed out building mechanics would have put more meaning and motivation behind the players political moves. As previously mentioned, the main attraction to Urban Empire is the political simulation. Instead of giving the player complete tyrannical control like most games in the genre, Urban Empire requires every decision to be agreed upon by a city council comprised of members with varying political ideologies. Want to raise taxes on your citizens in order to improve infrastructure? Put it up for a vote and use one of several strategies to swing the vote in your favor. These strategies at a high level include; appeal, demand, and threaten. Some of these strategies may prove more effective than others, and experimenting to figure out which work is at best fun, and at worst interesting. However, after a few hours you will have established what works and will find it much too easy to manipulate city council to act in your favor. This lack of depth and longevity to the core gameplay makes a great idea start to feel disappointing. There is so much good here, it just doesn't quite deliver in the long run.

Presentation/Performance:

The presentation is about what you would expect from a sub $60 experience. The textures and details that comprise your city are not to the quality of big budget games in the genre, however, everything still looks good. Just don't expect to be blown away by the graphical fidelity.

Performance is also very "ho-hum". When played on a PC that exceeded the minimum hardware requirements, I experienced occasional frame rate drops and persevered through the game crashing twice in just a few hours of gameplay. Nothing here breaks or ruins the experience, just minor nuisances that never ceased. However, this combined with a few odd spelling errors scattered throughout the game left me wanting a little bit more polish.

Summary:

While it may fall one level short of the dramatic scheming in the Netflix hit series House of Cards, Urban Empire's core gameplay is a novel and unique attraction. I am unaware of any other game that supplants the player in the middle of a political landscape. Unfortunately, after several hours these core mechanics begin to lose their luster in what ends up feeling like a game that simply lacks depth, an unattractive attribute of a strategy game. Occasional bugs and lack of polish are visible but don't hinder the experience. Despite these shortcomings, the politically passionate will find much enjoyment in this title and a huge amount of potential is left on the table to elaborate and polish the core idea in a sequel.

Positives:

-Unique idea and core systems that surmise to more than just a God mode city builder.

-The initial frustration is authentic and indicative of a real life political climate, the politically savvy will initially love the systems at play

Negatives:

-Eventually becomes easy to manipulate city council, these mechanics will feel shallow and repetitive after a while

-Can't expand your empire beyond the limited city areas

-Some minor bugs

Verdict: Good

The Final Station Review

By Jerrad Wyche

Overview:

Have you ever wondered what conducting a train during an apocalypse would be like? Then enter the world of The Final Station. You start the game as a jolly train conductor trying to get through another day on the job. Suddenly you’re thrust into a world of danger and intrigue all while trying to figure out what the hell is going on. You explore a variety of cities and towns ranging from eerily quaint utopias sprawling with interesting side stories to distraught and rundown suburbs with disturbing tales of fear and survival. Learning what led to the arrival of such a horrific event is as satisfying as reading mundane relatable events of victims before their unknowing demise. It all leads up to the eventual finish line, the final station.

Story:

The game begins as you suit up for another day of train conducting. It’s been roughly 106 years since the first visitation. An event in which strange capsules crash landed onto Earth. This caused anyone within range of the capsules to be exposed to toxic fumes. These fumes resulted in many casualties that would eventually become zombies. These events led to the governments of the world working together to create the guardian program. A program built to fund the construction of an armored bipedal unit charged with the sole task of protecting humanity from the inevitable second invasion. Soon after the beginning of the game players are faced with witnessing the immediate ramifications of the second invasion. Players must use in-game text, context clues, dialog, and the environment itself to piece together what is really happening to this world. The Final Station offers enough subtle intrigue to keep the player focused on piecing together the story before culminating in a brilliant yet dark conclusion.

“Its atmosphere is disturbingly charming, while its world-building is uniquely claustrophobic.”

Gameplay:

The game is composed of two gameplay elements. The first features players navigating 2-D cities and suburbs with a focus on exploration and inventory management. Once a city has been explored and the train code required to progress to the next section of the game has been found, players then enter the secondary phase of the game. Now the player takes command of his own cargo train. You have two core responsibilities while on the train which include managing your passenger’s vitals, as well as keeping the trains systems and balances in a sustainable condition. Each passenger will come with their own set of health concerns, thus forcing the player to keep close attention to each and every newcomer. If you’re able to successfully transport multiple passengers you’re rewarded with currency you can use to upgrade your guns and inventory. This back and forth relationship allows the game to keep a reasonable pace for the player. Mixing in different responsibilities and locations keeps the player on their toes and never allows complacency to seep in.

Summary/Final Score:

Experiences that mix genres can sometimes be jarring and distort the gameplay in a very forced and uncomfortable manner. The Final Station is definitely an exception to that worrisome inclination. Managing your ammunition while traversing darkened hallways and apartment complexes sets the stage for this haunting and somber experience. Its atmosphere is disturbingly charming, while its world-building is uniquely claustrophobic. If you’re looking for an experience that settles you into an interesting world full of intrigue and mystery, it’s time to dock your train into The Final Station.

For more information about our review scores click here.

Virginia Review

By Jerrad Wyche

Overview:

Virginia is a game developed by Variable State and published by 505 Games. On the surface, Virginia is a walking simulator following the investigation of a teenage boy, but after only an hour or so, the layers of twists and turns unfold, leaving the player questioning every interaction moving forward. 

Gameplay:

Virginia, from a pure gameplay perspective, is super minimal. Players are simply prompted when actions should be carried out via a simple button press. That being said, the prompts are small white diamonds that avoid pulling players out of the experience through constant controller visuals. The game seems to run smooth and for the most part transitions from scene to scene with little to no loading at all. Towards the later parts of the game, however, Virginia tends to have slight performance issues when it comes to transitioning from scene to scene. The game's lack of mechanics actually lead to the player's immersion and allow the story and characters to take the forefront of the suspense thriller. Approaching Virginia as an interactive movie, instead of a tradition video game, can help you understand the lack of gameplay mechanics and enjoy the story for what it is.

“Without a single line of dialogue, Virginia does the unthinkable and enthralls the player in a suspenseful narrative, making sure you never leave the edge of your seat.”

Story:

Virginia follows Special Agent Anne Tarver, a newly appointed FBI agent working on the case of a missing teenage boy. Through twists and turns users are guided through a surreal, intriguing, and surprising narrative. Considering the lack of actual dialog, Virginia relies on character body language and score to direct players along this suspense thriller in the small town of Kingdom, Virginia. It offers players an unreliable yet deeply fulfilling narrative experience. The score in Virginia is utterly astounding and is the backbone and driving force behind the complete experience.    

Summary/Verdict:

Without a single line of dialogue, Virginia does the unthinkable and enthralls the player in a suspenseful narrative, making sure you never leave the edge of your seat. From the opening sequence, that feels like an HBO show, to the last "what the?" moment, Virginia delivers a suspenseful, beautiful, and engaging experience that will leave players questioning what exactly happened in Kingdom, Virginia.

For more information about our review scores click here.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Review

By Jordan Jarvis

Overview

The Witcher 3 is the capstone of CD Projekt RED’s 3rd person action/adventure Witcher trilogy. Based on Andrej Sapkowski’s Witcher novels, it features a deep role-playing system of mechanics, alongside tense and tactile combat encounters, with a detective mode-style ‘Witcher sense’ that allows for many mysterious investigations. It is set in an expansive, if not sometimes overwhelming open-world, allowing for endless exploration and a massive cache of hidden areas to discover.

Gameplay

Personally I feel that when it comes to gameplay, The Witcher 3 is absolutely unmatched. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t even close to perfect. Especially with a horse that doesn’t know how to find Geralt, our main protagonist, most of the time; or with Geralt’s sometimes stilted character animations (don’t even get me started on how his jump looks). Exploring the world map of this game can become overwhelming with all the hidden areas to discover. But have no fear, seeking out these hidden spots can yield some of the best loot and gear available in The Witcher 3.

With those things aside, the combat is truly the crown jewel of this game. Witchers are essentially monster hunters, and the veritable palette of monster and human opponents you face in this game will keep you on your toes. CD Projekt has done a tremendous job of adapting Sapkowski’s novels into a video game, and the combat is one of the main reasons why. It takes pieces of Witcher lore from the books and converts them into game mechanics that not only deepen the world-building, but also widen the spectrum of important functions for the player to take control of, further engrossing the player in the role-playing elements of the game. Take for example the pre-battle preparations. Geralt can meditate, restoring alchemical potions and character buffs, while also fast forwarding time, possibly to catch a certain nocturnal monster in the thick of night. There are also many sword oils and decoctions that can greatly strengthen Geralt against certain types of creatures. Besides that, the actual swordfighting is quite a pleasure. Dodging and rolling around enemies feels tight, and gives the player an excellent sense of control over combat encounters.

The sheer amount of options keep the enemies guessing: Geralt has two types of sword attacks (light and heavy), as well as signs (minor magic spells), a crossbow for staggering foes, and several kinds of bombs to help with many situations. The diverse skill trees and mutagens (skill modifiers) show that The Witcher’s character building system are equally as important as the combat system. These role-playing elements truly engross the player into the character of The Witcher. With all of these systems running at once you might think The Witcher would crash and burn technically, but you’ll be happy to find that The Witcher 3 is a beautiful game that is able to run at 30 frames per second without many hitches at all.

Story

Those that aren’t familiar with the previous Witcher books and games might have a tough time keeping up with all the characters and settings of this epic. However, CD Projekt has done a great job keeping new players in the loop with subtle nods to previous adventures, as well as a thick tome’s worth of character and enemy glossaries that not only helps newcomers, but can also offer secret advice in how to take down your rivals.

The story of the main campaign bridges many years worth of tales told throughout both the games and books. It includes two characters making their first appearance in the games: Ciri and Yennefer. Ciri is the semi-adopted daughter of the constantly quarreling lovers Geralt and Yennefer. Not only that, but Ciri is the Child Of The Elder Blood, meaning she has blood in her veins from an ancient races of elves, that makes her extremely powerful. Due to her special lineage, Ciri is being chased by the Wild Hunt, a group of very powerful elven spectres which ride their boats and horses through the sky bringing bad omens and misfortune to the people of The Witcher’s world. Therefore, most of the game Ciri is on the run from the Wild Hunt, and Geralt is on her trail, trying to catch up with her before the spectres do, so that he might save her.

The story spans about 40-50 hours and encompasses much of the world map. Throughout, you’ll play as both Geralt and Ciri, meeting new characters and rejoining with old ones. Of course I don’t want to spoil too much, but this is a sprawling, epic conclusion to Geralt’s story that can be greatly enjoyed by old fans and new.

Summary:

Combining all the elements of this game: a world that is fun to explore, a deep combat system, and character progression that draws the player in, I think the Witcher succeeds in almost everything it attempts. Sure it has its shortcomings, but these don’t detract from an epic RPG, the likes of which has never been accomplished before.

Positives:

-Exploration is a blast (and well rewarded)

-Some of the best swordfighting and combat I have ever had the pleasure of playing

-Character progession and game mechanics which allow the player to feel more involved in the role-playing aspect of this experience

Negatives:

-The size and thickness of the game’s world map can be overwhelming to some

-Stilted character animations

-AI can sometimes be pretty buggy

Verdict:

With that being said: I believe this game has gone BEYOND the realm of exceptional, and has achieved the highest honor which can be bestowed in a Controlled Interests Review: IMMACULATE

Uncharted 4 Review

Overview:

Uncharted 4: A Thief's End is the latest entry into the Indiana Jones style, 3rd person action adventure series. It is also likely the last entry in the series from famed Sony developer Naughty Dog. The game's main attraction is an 11-15 hour main story that takes the player across the world in search of, well, treasure. Naughty Dog included a multiplayer mode, but I will keep my focus on the real reason we all bought Uncharted 4, the campaign. 

Gameplay:

No surprises will be found here. You will scale large cliffs and clock towers, shoot plenty of baddies, and solve the occasional ancient puzzle. Although all of these are very fun, don't expect any drastically new gameplay elements in a Thief's End, other than the classic video game rope which can be used to Tarzan swing around levels and scale walls. The rope is a great addition, but it left me wondering why Nate decided it just now would be a useful tool. The shooting in Uncharted 4 is much improved from past games in the series and the introduction of stealth makes shooting more impactful when you decide to use it. While it is valid to claim other games do third person shooting and controls better than Uncharted 4, it is still top notch in A Thief's End. The climbing is not far from what we experienced Uncharted 2 and 3. You will jump, rope swing, slide, and of course have plenty of ledges and bridges collapse under you. The puzzles force the player to dig through Nate's handy notebook for clues on which tile to place where or what location to move a block to. Even though we've seen most of this before, these elements are varied enough throughout the campaign to avoid boredom from over repetition. 

Story/Presentation:

Uncharted 4 opens with a Nathan Drake who has given up treasure hunting for a calm suburban life with fan favorite Elena Fisher. The return of Nate's long lost brother Sam Drake forces him into one last adventure. Sam's absence from past Uncharted games is expertly justified and Sam and Nate's relationship throughout this game feels very natural. This is aided by excellent performances from Troy Baker and Nolan North, which is certainly not a surprise. A Thief's End continues to bring the player across continents in search of Captain Henry Avery's lost pirate treasure. The story of Captain Avery is uncovered piece by piece throughout the campaign and is just as engaging as Nate's story. The parallels drawn between Avery's crew and the Drake brothers is a joy to watch unfold. Aside from a slower beginning, which is needed to fully set up new characters, the pacing throughout Uncharted 4 is superb. The often changing locations, engaging plot points, and variety of gameplay elements make the entire campaign a pleasure to play through. 

Graphically speaking, A Thief's End is not only the best looking game on PlayStation 4, but quite possibly the best looking game ever created. The lush landscapes, jaw dropping views, and hand crafted detail in every last rock and pillar is unprecedented in video games. The game runs at a solid 30 frames per second and at no point left me wanting better performance. In addition graphical prowess, Naughty Dog, as usual, gives us a game that seamlessly transitions gameplay into cut scenes with video production better than plenty of films. I can't help but think A Thief's End may end up being a better movie than Sony Pictures Uncharted movie. 

Summary:

An engaging and thoughtful story, great game play mechanics, and a level of cinematic production value only matched by past Naughty Dog games make this treasure hunting adventure a masterpiece and a must play for any PlayStation 4 owner. 

Positives:

+Outstanding graphical presentation

+Engaging story

+Fun gameplay

+Seamless integration between gameplay and narrative

Negatives:

-Slow beginning chapters

Verdict: Exceptional

Overwatch Review

By Jerrad Wyche 6/8/2016

OVERVIEW:
Overwatch is the new first-person shooter from Blizzard Entertainment. It follows a lineage of well crafted experiences Blizzard is known for creating. Overwatch's uniqueness lays within it's cast of characters and the world built around them.

It features 4 main playlists:
Vs. AI - Practice against the computer
Custom Game - Play private games against your friends
Weekly Brawl - A special game mode that changes weekly
Quick Play - Is the most popular and main playlist/play other players near your level

The hero gallery is a feature that allows you to get familiar with each character and their abilities. All of them are laid out in a digestible and understandable layout. It also lets you equip all of the cosmetic items you have happened to unlock through playing and/or loot boxes.

GAMEPLAY:
Unlike many other first person shooters, Overwatch offers a bevy of play styles and variations in team compositions. Whether you're shooting, shielding, healing, or buffing you always feel as though you're contributing to the team.

Overwatch features 4 main classes with a roster of characters in each:
Offense - These guys are Self-sufficient, High mobility, Decent Damage
Defense - has the Highest Damage Output, Lower mobility, Defensively Played (that being traps/range/crowd control)
Tank - 's offer the Highest health, supreme Damage Mitigation
Support - 's aid teammates with Healing, Buffing, Movement speed

It also features 12 maps with 4 distinct game modes that can sometimes overlap, those being:
Control - Assault - Escort -and Hybrid

The fact that each map offers up a unique game mode adds to the ability to play this game for hours on end with little to no fatigue. Though Overwatch is compared to MOBAs for its emphasis on team composition and objective based multiplayer, it has features making it stand out from the crowd. The ability to change characters at any point during the match allows for an ever evolving meta game and contributes to an overall more enjoyable experience. Taking the time to figure out a counter to a character that has been getting the best of you is half of the fun.

Players are given credit for eliminations for just participating in doing damage to an enemy. This is a brilliant concept that allows players to focus on the objective of the map rather than stacking up kills. Each character in the game feels well balanced or at the very least has a counter to deal with the situation. Every character you play as allows you to learn a new set of skills and entices you to try out different strategies and tactics.

The character animations are of the highest quality and the attention to detail is utterly astounding. The game runs smoothly and the gameplay lobbies transition seamlessly from one game to the next. Performance wise this is easily the best multiplayer experience I have encountered in a long while. The "loot box" system in the game is rewarding enough that the micro-transactions don't feel forced or needed. 

Now by no means is this game perfect. At times the maps can become a little boring and tedious. The game launched with 12 maps which may seem like quite a bit, however the matches are so quick that you end up going through the whole set in a matter of hours.

STORY:
Now Overwatch may lack a campaign game mode to deliver an actual "story", but that doesn't mean there isn't excellent lore development and world-building. The characters offer plenty of unique and interesting dialog between certain combinations.
 
The maps themselves are populated with a true sense of wonder and information. Now though these aren't in the game itself, Blizzard does have impressive animation shorts that give you plenty of backstory on mutliple Overwatch characters.

That being said Overwatch not having a single player campaign really is a missed opportunity. The characters are interesting, the maps are flavorful, and this universe is so enriched in lore. Each character has their own personality and it shines through immediately.

ACHIEVEMENTS/TROPHIES:

The list of achievements are nicely done and feature a blend of level benchmarks and character related accomplishments. They're fun enough to obtain naturally but challenging enough to give a true sense of completion.

SUMMARY/FINAL SCORE:
Though it lacks in a large variation of maps at launch, it offers more than enough replayability through the wide array of characters, play styles, and focus on teamwork.  Blizzard has a track record of providing substantial post release content and the addition of more characters and cosmetic items will only add to this. The big question is: Does this game have enough content to justify a $60 price point? That decision really comes down to the individual. The real issue is that console gamers were locked into that $60 price whereas PC gamers had the option of a $40 version with no additional content or a $60 version with some additional cosmetic items for characters. The latter is the only option for console gamers and this seems a little weird. 

Overwatch is a great multiplayer experience that offers unique gameplay mechanics and a play style that can fit almost an player. The objective based gameplay allows for the team to focus on teamwork and not individual performance. This adds to the overall enjoyment of a purely multiplayer environment where normally single person performance dictates outcome. It may be a multiplayer only game but that doesn't mean it lacks staying power. If Team Fortress 2 is any indication, Overwatch will likely be around for the long haul. 

Positives:

• Smooth gameplay
• Top notch animation
• Variety of playstyles/characters  

Negatives:

• Lack of maps
• Underutilized lore

VERDICT: GREAT