To the Moon (PC) review

The Indie game word is full of developers with clever concepts and unique ideas about what a game can and perhaps should be.  Enter Freebird Games, which specializes in using oft-maligned middleware program RPG Maker to develop what they call “immersive interactive shows.” You can check out some of their earlier work for free on their website, but this review covers their most recent work, and the only one for which they charge: To the Moon.

Diablo III (PC) review

Originally released in America in June of 2000, the last proper Diablo title took the world by storm and maintained a dedicated fanbase for nearly a dozen years. It’s already been reported that Diablo III sold over 3 million units within the first 24-hours, branding it as the fastest selling computer game of all time. Was it worth the frenzied hype or should this one be pitched back into the catacombs?

Disney Universe (PS3) review

Disney has a long history with plenty of classic films, both animation and live action, to its name; this rich history lends itself beautifully to crossover games.  With Kingdom Hearts being a long-running success story that has to be shared with Square-Enix, it’s no surprise that Disney Interactive saw fit to try an in-house cross-over title, albeit with a decidedly different feel.  What we got was Disney Universe.

Binary Domain (Xbox 360) review

As previously mentioned, it has been widely held that Japanese game development has struggled to stay relevant in recent years. Perhaps it should come as no surprise, then, when those studios create something designed to appeal to western audiences. Enter Binary Domain, a third-person squad-based shooter with a cover system similar to the Gears of War series. The team over at Sega has put a few new spins on the typical stop-and-pop gameplay the genre is known for, but will it be enough to continue nursing the game design renaissance that seems to have begun overseas?

Feature: Tempus Chronicle Kickstarter campaign

Kickstarter, a website designed to allow creative people to solicit funds from their target audience, has gained a lot of notice in the video game community of late.  Whether it’s Tim Schafer using his history of successful games to convince fans to give him money to make a new point-and-click adventure game or Monkey Paw Games asking for funds to make a special retail package of Class of Heroes 2,  the site’s gaining gaming headlines at a breakneck speed.  The latest project to catch my eye is touted as an episodic RPG on Facebook called Tempus Chronicle.

The Baconing (PSN) review

 

Although the title does not make it immediately apparent, The Baconing is actually the third game in the DeathSpank series, and is sometimes referred to as DeathSpank: The Baconing as a result.  Seems the first two titles were popular enough that Hot Head couldn’t resist more DeathSpank goodness.  This title follows on after one of the endings of Thongs of Virtue, so I highly recommend you play the first two games before tackling this one.  If you’re interested in the series, please see my reviews of the first and second games for the basics.

DeathSpank: Thongs of Virtue (PSN) review

When Hot Head set out to make DeathSpank, they realized fairly early on that one game just wasn’t going to cut it.  In a display of bizarrely blind faith in the IP, they began work on the sequel before the first game was even released, enabling Thongs of Virtue to follow only two short months later.  This is a DIRECT sequel to the extent that you shouldn’t even CONSIDER playing it without having played the first game.  So if you’re just getting into the series and want to know more, please read my review of the original DeathSpank here.

Bastion (Xbox 360) Review

Is Bastion a safe haven or the end of the world?

DeathSpank (PSN) review

What’s in a name…roses supposedly smell nice and all of that, so does it matter?  I suggest it may depend on how bizarre the name is, and I think we can all agree that DeathSpank certainly qualifies on the high end of that scale.  It grabs your attention and makes you curious.  At least, I guess it must if you’re actually reading this.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (XBox 360) Review

Dragon Born or Dragon Dung?