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.   

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.

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