Age of Enigma - The Secret of the Sixth Ghost PC Review

Age of Enigma: The Secret of the Sixth Ghost features a captivating storyline with a diary of events to trace your evolution throughout the duration of the game, spellbinding gameplay combining point-and-click, puzzle solving and mini-games and players can choose from casual or adventure mode. 

In Enigma, you play as Ashley, a woman on the cusp of realizing her potential as a medium. Ashley is plagued with nightmare about a mysterious house. She receives a letter with the address, and key to that house. Ashley heads to the house despite not being completely sure why. There she discovers that she must help six ghosts complete their individual journeys into the afterlife.

For all intents and purposes, Enigma is a straightforward point and click adventure game. You’ll spend virtually all of your time searching for items around the environment in order to solve puzzles. There are two different types of puzzles in Enigma. There’s your standard fare adventure puzzles such as combining items to gain access to new areas and so forth. These range from rebuilding a small totem to trimming a bonsai tree to match a photo. In addition to these environmental puzzles, there are also logic based puzzles. The logic puzzles are pretty clear-cut as well, to the point that one of them is basically Sudoku.

A level where you have to play the Piano!

Both of these types of puzzles exist into two different types of settings: the house and the eras in which the ghosts were alive. Each ghost is bound to this world because of something they did while they were still alive. So you’ll be tasked with gaining their trust and then traveling into the past to fix what they did wrong. None of these puzzles, environment or logic, are particularly difficult, but the game does have a hint system. Like many point and click games, you keep a journal in order to remember what you need to do next. This is also where you get your “hints.” But these hints don’t leave much to the imagination. With the logic puzzles, you can also get help in the form of “Jokers.” Each puzzle has up to two Jokers that can be applied and they simply make the puzzle easier. For example, with the Sudoku puzzle, using a Joker will fill in a row with the correct numbers. If you still find the puzzle too difficult, you can just "skip" the puzzle.

Beautiful Art in 2D!

The graphics in Enigma are a mixed bag. On the one hand, the cartoon feeling is nice. There’s a real pre-90s cartoon art style to everything. It’s colored richly and the environments are well detailed. The environments are actually quite diverse too, as you will be traveling from the Azteca Empire to the Egyptian pyramids to feudal Japan. Each environment is very distinct and well drawn. The animations, on the other hand, aren’t so nice. While there are a few ghosts that are actually animated, most characters simply phase from one motion to the next. A character may be standing, and then his arm will fade from by his side to pointing to a room without any actual animation.

There are some fun puzzles here. There’s one in particular in which you must search for buried treasure. It really harkens back to older point and click games. But Enigma took me less than three hours to beat, and for as short of an experience as this is, there should be a lot more stand out puzzles. Also, I get the distinct feeling that the game is supposed to be creepy, if not downright scary. Ashley’s heart will beat hard sometimes. The music also tries to set the mood. And let’s not forget that we’re dealing with ghosts, but the problem is that the game isn’t scary as it should be.

Age of Enigma: The Secret of the Sixth Ghost is a far ahead from a decent game. There’s nothing broken in it by any means. What I like the best about this game is that, through its diverse characters, it teaches you some moral lessons (like honesty and truth) and how much it matters in one's (prosperous) life. Go and play this game. You'll not get disappointed, for sure!

PROS: Colourful cartoon style graphics, Captivating storyline
CONS: Too short game length, not so scary as a horror game


SCORE: 8/10
GENRE: Adventure
DEVELOPER: ValuSoft, Casual Box Studio
PUBLISHER: Big Fish Games
PLATFORMS: Windows, Mac OS X


CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS GAME FOR FREE!!! (OFFER EXCLUSIVELY FOR IGS READERS)


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Free Emulator Downloads

Here is the best emulators for you. Download them for FREE and play console games on your PC, Mac or even Linux!!!


Nintendo DS
NO$GBA
DeSmuME

Nintendo Wii
Dolphin

Sony PS2
PCSX2

Sony PSP
PCSP



Microsoft Xbox
Xeon

Java
KEmulator Lite
[Note: It requires Java Runtime Environment installed. Click here to download JRE.]


Android
Coming soon...

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Anime 101 - The Ultimate Guide

Call it Shojo, Shonen, Seinen, Josei, Kodomo, or Sentai – the fact remains that all these words bring us to anime, or as the dictionary defines it, from a sci-fi background, anime has now gained such popularity that it’s applied to every genre and every theme there is.

History is Good!

Dragon Ball Z, Digimon, Pokemon, Mobile Suit Gundam… do these names mean anything to you? If not, go turn on Animax and  you’ll know what I’m talking about. Go on now… What you just saw is called anime, whose popularity is mostly credited on the efforts of one man, Osamu Tezuka – often called a “legend” and the “God of Manga” (Jap Comics). He’s almost entirely responsible for the immense success anime’s seen since the 1970s, in-genre. It was largely due to his contributions that robot anime such as Gundam and Macross became instant classics (remember those shitty robot games you played on those ancient 8-bit gaming consoles?) and were accepted into mainstream Jap culture.

The now-forgotten name of anime was Japanimation, a term mostly used during the 70s-80s. What most people don’t know is that anime originally started off as an inspired Jap version of the Disney cartoons, but differing in the number of clichés it employed, as well as unrealistically cute beetle-eyed heroines, and a diabolical madman usually bent on conquering the world \ universe.

Genres

Over years of continuous evolution and changes in animation’s concepts and techniques, anime has undergone a tremendous change not least of which is its numerous genres and sub genres – most of them weird, true to Jap style. Common genres include action, adventure, children’s stories, comedy, drama, erotica, medieval fantasy, horror, romance, and science fiction. Many of these are further divided into the following sub genres:

• Shōjo: Animé \ manga targeted at girls (Fruits Basket, Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pichi)
• Shōnen: Animé \ manga targeted at teenage or young male adults. (Dragon Ball Z, Digimon)
• Seinen: Animé \ manga aimed at young women (Gokusen)
• Josei: Animé \ manga aimed at young children (Doraemon, Hello Kitty, Keroppi, Pokemon)
• Bishōjo: A term that can be used to describe animé featuring pretty girl characters (Magic Knight Rayearth)
• Bishōnen: Anime that features pretty and elegant boys and men (Fushigi Yūgi)
• Sentai: Refers to any show that involves a superhero team (Cyborg 009)
• Robot \ Mecha: Animé \ manga featuring robots or androids (Mobile Suit Gundam, Mazinger Z)
• Post-Apocalyptic: Animé dealing with a post-apocalyptic world (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Trigun, Akira)
• Harem: A genre where several girls are fascinated by a single boy (or sometimes, multiple boys) – (Ranma 1/2, Love Hina)
• Reverse Harem: Wherein several boys are fascinated by a single girl (or sometimes, multiple girls) – (Ouran Host Club, Fruits Basket)
• Ecchi: Contains sexual humour (Love Hina, Oruchu-ban Ebichu, He Is My Master)
• Hentai: My favourite kind of animé! While most people use the term to refer to pornographic cartoons, in Japan, the term used to refer to the same material, is typically Poruno or Ero.
• Shōjo-ai \ Yuri: Refers to animé \ manga that focuses on love and romance between female characters. It is often replaced by the term Girls’ Love (GL)
• Shōnen-ai: Animé \ manga that focuses on love and romance between male characters. The term Shōnen-ai is being phased out in Japan due to its other meaning of pederastry (sexual relations between men and younger boys), instead replaced by the term Boys’ Love (BL)

How To Recognize Animé 

Animé lovers are often asked the same questions many times over: “Why do characters have these big cute eyes?” or “Why are they so brightly coloured?”. Apart from the obvious reason of Japs being a race of gay fucktards, this common style for a majority of artists is credited to the influence of Osama Tezuka, who found that large eyes allowed his characters to show emotions vividly. As if that wasn’t bad enough, characters that are surprised will perform a “face fault”, in which they display enormously overstated expressions. Angry characters may exhibit a “vein” effect, wherein lines representing throbbing veins will appear on their forehead. Angry women will sometimes summon a sledgehammer from nowhere and strike someone with it (usually in the head), leading to the concept of Hammerspace (extra-dimensional space that stores an infinite amount of all kinds of stuff, readily accessible by comic characters). Male characters will develop a bloody nose around their female love interests (as an indication of sexual arousal). Humiliated characters will invariably produce a massive sweat drop. Another notable feature is the over-coloured hair (usually ranging from very light blue to shocking pink or purple), which goes to show that Japs have absolutely no taste. No wonder they got nuked.

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2012 Video Game Release Dates

January

• Silent Hill HD Collection (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Soul Calibur V (PS3, Xbox 360)
• NeverDead (PS3, Xbox 360)

February

• The Darkness II (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Grand Slam Tennis 2 (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Inversion (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
• Twisted Metal (PS3)
• Test Drive: Ferrari Legends (PS3, Xbox 360)
• SSX (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Syndicate (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

March

• Mass Effect 3 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
• Ninja Gaiden 3 (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Mario Party 9 (Wii)
• Ridge Racer Unbounded (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
• Street Fighter X Tekken (PC, PS3, Xbox360)
• Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (PS3, Xbox 360)
• The Sims 3: Showtime (PC)
• Dragon’s Dogma (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

April

• Prototype 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
• Armored Core V (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)
• Risen 2: Dark Waters (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
• Alan Wake (PC)
• Aliens: Colonial Marines (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

May

• Brothers In Arms: Furious 4 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
• Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (PC, Mac OS X, PS3, Xbox 360)
• Spec Ops: The Line (PS, PS3, Xbox 360)
• Silent Hill: Downpour (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Max Payne 3 (PS3, Xbox 360)

June

• DarkSiders 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
• LEGO Batman 2* (PS3, Xbox 360, Mobile)
• Scrolls* (PC, Mac OS X, Linux))

July

• Diablo 3 (PC, Mac OS X)
• Hitman Absolution (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
• Prey 2 (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
• Starhawk (PS3)

August

• Metro: Last Light (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
• Overstrike (PS3, Xbox 360)
• StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm* (PC, Mac OS X)
• DOTA 2* (PC, Mac OS X)

September

• BioShock Infinite* (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
• FIFA 13 (PC, PS3, Xbox360, Mobile)
• Halo 4 (Xbox 360)

October

• Grand Theft Auto V* (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
• Tomb Raider (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
• The Last Guardian* (PS3)

November

• Assassins’ Creed 3* (PS3, Xbox 360)
• Call of Duty 9* (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
• Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance* (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)

December

• DarkSiders 2 (Wii U)
• Metro: Last Light (Wii U)
• Guild Wars 2* (PC)
• Stalker 2** (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
• The Last of Us* (PS3)

* indicates unconfirmed date
** possibly canceled/pushed to 2013

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Always Remember Me PC Game Review

Winter Wolves Game Studio is a name that any dating-sim fan has heard of. Their resume is quite extensive, with titles such as Love and Order and Planet Stronghold. Their latest title, Always Remember Me, tells a story about a young couple in love whose relationship is almost severed by an accident. Amarantha Fitch now has to worry about getting her fiance, Aaron Cowen, to remember her, as he suffers from short-term memory loss due to amnesia. Of course, it’s up to the player if they want the couple to be happy together again, or if there’s another man who can alleviate Amy’s heartache. The task seems daunting, but Winter Wolves is capable of pulling off a good title.

With just about any dating or life-simulation game, the story is one of the more important factors in determining how much the player will enjoy it. Always Remember Me‘s story reminds me a lot of some of the story arcs you’d see on a popular soap opera. After a car accident, Amy is presented with some devastating news. Aaron, in an act to protect her from getting injured, got struck, and now has trouble remembering anything that happened to him in the past few years, which includes Amy, as you learn that she has only been with him for those few years. Once you are given some reign on how to go about your day-to-day life, many opportunities make themselves available. Amy can choose to follow her heart and aid Aaron in recovering his memories of her, or find solace in the arms of the cute doctor or one of her close friends. Random events when visiting key locations at certain times offer some background into the relationships Amy shares with her friends. You have a broad set of people you can interact with from the very shy ice shop co-worker Lawrence to the creative jokester Hugh. Not to mention the doctor, Eddy, who cares for Aaron, Aaron’s father, and a rather sly ex-girlfriend Abigail. There are two endings for each guy (a normal one and one achieved by maxing out the corresponding attribute) plus the bad ending where Amy winds up alone.

The artwork for the characters are very nicely done. I really enjoyed seeing the beautiful art used in the opening, endings, and backgrounds. Not to mention the cuteness factor of a miniature Amy and friends in the choice boxes. The anime styling of the profiles during normal cut-scenes works extremely well with this title and its genre. The graphics are crisp and very detailed. The layout for all menus (main, dialogue, and save/load) are easy to navigate and don’t look cluttered.

Which brings me to the gameplay aspect of Always Remember Me. The menus are easy to use and the start of the game shows you the basics. As with most dating and life sims, the game is simple to play. Each day is separated into periods of time from morning to evening. Most actions will advance the day, with the exception of shopping and special scenes triggered on random days. The only action that is normally forced on you is when you visit the ice cream shop during the weekday mornings. Each location on the map offers its own set of actions to choose. You can pull some overtime at the ice cream shop, dance at the local pub, or even go home to visit your aunt. Not every action you choose will affect the attributes or affections in a positive or negative manner. Energy and Morale, however, will always got up or down. Both are important, as energy is needed to do a task. If your energy is too low to perform an action, then Amy will go back to her house and rest until it is brought back up to a certain level. Most actions, such as working, will lower it, but watching TV or eating will increase it. Morale keeps tabs on how happy Amy is. In the beginning of the first week, her morale is low, and therefore will impact how successful an action is. Morale is increased by having successful actions and decreased when you fail. Key scenes with any of the potential love interests will result in either an increase or decrease of affection for Amy. The affection levels are important when unlocking the different endings. The four unique attributes (romance, culture, discipline, and creativity) can increase by performing different activities. Each attribute relates to a separate guy.

The opening song, “Remember Me” by Christina Vee, sounds lovely and I really enjoyed the music that played in the background. There was a nice balance to the mood of the music, as it fit the mood of the scene. Upbeat sounds play when visiting the town map, and at certain locations, while rather soft and somber musical chords enhance the depression one would feel during sad moments. The only vocals you will hear throughout the game are during the opening song and whenever Amy succeeds or fails one of her actions. Personally, I would have loved to hear the characters speak and add emotion to their lines.
With the nine total endings, there is a good deal of reasons to replay the game. When I first started playing Always Remember Me, I made it my goal to have Aaron recover his memories of Amy. While I wasn’t successful in that, I did unlock the bad ending. Something that I found really nice and helpful in getting you to replay the game was the fact that getting the bad ending allows you to keep a certain portion of points for both the affection levels and the attributes. This does make it easier to max out the affections for any of the guys you are going after. The bonuses for obtaining the other endings aren’t quite as generous, however. Whether you replay the game because you like to unlock each ending, or you really care about Amy and want to see which of the guys seem to make her the happiest, you’ll likely enjoy going through the story and seeing dialogues specific to each guy.

With a few of the dating sims out there, I normally play through them in one or two sittings, ranging from an hour to three at a time. I played Always Remember Me in short periods of an hour or so and managed to get through the first play-through within roughly four hours. Each extra play-through added, for me, an additional hour or so. The game is perfect for playing in short bursts.
Always Remember Me is one of the better dating/ life simulation titles out there. The story might be reminiscent of an overplayed soap opera story arc, but it is easy to get into. The characters are likable, even the ex-girlfriend, and you’ll find yourself hoping that things work out for Amy. If you are a fan of dating sims and visual novels, this is well worth the playing time. Perhaps Winter Wolves can update the game with character voices, as that is my only real complaint for the game.

PROS: Nice visuals and cute characters
CONS: No voiceover

SCORES: 8/10
GENRE: Dating / Life Sim
DEVELOPER: Winter Wolves Game Studio
PUBLISHER: Winter Wolves Game Studio
PLATFORM: Windows, Mac, Linux

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS GAME FOR FREE!!! (OFFER EXCLUSIVELY FOR IGS READERS)


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Dear Esther PC Game Review

Dear "Dear Esther", I loved you, but your love for contradiction was greater. The poignant, twisted malcontent of your heart washed ashore and promptly lost me in a sea of pretentious profundity. Although you are beautiful, from your haunting cliffs and shimmering shorelines to your glittering caverns and moon-kissed beaches, love is not all about beauty.

- Yours truly

These ambivalent ramblings, although my own, give a taste of what is in store for any gamer adventurous enough to play Dear Esther.

Originally designed and released by University of Portsmouth researcher Dan Pinchbeck in 2008 as a free mod for Half-Life 2, Dear Esther was actually developed as part of a funded academic research project to explore experimental storytelling and gameplay. After receiving critical acclaim for the game, Pinchbeck decided to collaborate with professional artist Robert Briscoe to remake Dear Esther for commercial release under Pinchbeck's studio thechineseroom.

Dear Esther is not a game in the traditional sense but a first-person story full of contradictions and mysteries. The player begins on an abandoned and unidentified island in the Hebrides (an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland) and must navigate a twisted shoreline, climbing toward an ever-present radio tower in the distance. This journey is interrupted from time to time by the haunting, passionate, and sometimes incoherent monologues of a narrator who may or may not be the same as the player. Many of these narrative bits begin with the words "Dear Esther" and are addressed to this unknown woman in the form of a letter. By listening to these weighty and at times contradictory bouts of impeccably delivered speech, the player must try to piece together a tale of love, loss, self-doubt, and redemption.

The player uses the keyboard to move forward, backward, right, or left. The player can also swim and must do so at times. While the player has control in how fast to proceed across the island, the path through the game is largely linear, with just a few side paths for exploration that yield only new sights or snippets of narration. There is plenty to see on the island along the way—not just scenery, but abandoned buildings, flotsam and jetsam from beached ships, and a host of other unusual objects and landmarks. Unfortunately, there is no meaningful way to interact with the game world other than panning or zooming in with the camera. There is no "look" function to describe what the player sees, no "use" button to further examine objects that the player finds, and no inventory. Furthermore, there are no puzzles to solve in the traditional sense—the only puzzle is in determining which way to go and in attempting to unravel the story.

Dear Esther is breathtakingly scenic. The island's sandy beaches, sparkling coves, limestone caverns, bubbling watercourses, rustic buildings, wooden fences, and eerie diagrams made of luminescent paint are rendered in the most exquisite detail. It is actually somewhat jarring that the island is so crisp and clear while the story itself is shadowed by so thick a haze. The soundtrack is hauntingly beautiful as well. Piano and strings emphasize important moments, but often, only the wind on the cliffs and the waves crashing against the shore speak through the utter stillness. The narrative monologues delivered by Nigel Carrington are Dear Esther's most appealing feature but also its greatest hindrance. Because they are spoken so clearly with a direct, forceful urgency, they sound meaningful and profound. Yet, on further reflection, it is difficult to judge whether or not these snippets are merely psychotic babblings, admittedly cloaked in book learning and the Queen's English (for example, "Now my [kidney] stones have grown into an island and made their escape."). Still, the voiceovers are part of the mystery and contradiction that make Dear Esther what it is.

Dear Esther's interactivity, although limited, is crucial for a few reasons. First, by traversing the island at the player's own pace, the player can better identify with the game's weighty themes and experience the way in which the island itself is central to the story. Second, each time this short game is replayed (it can be completed in less than 2 hours), the narration changes slightly. This random element allows an astute listener to come to different conclusions regarding the narrator's past, present, and future. Indeed, because the story may begin to make more sense after a couple of passes through the island, playing the game multiple times is recommended. This innovative storytelling technique is what makes Dear Esther uniquely suited to being a computer game and not a movie.

Dear Esther is meant to be an intellectual, emotional, and possibly even religious experience. Whether it succeeds depends in large part on the player's receptivity to its goals and storytelling mode. Gamers who prefer a clearly defined objective are likely to be disappointed. Like a work of modern art, the meaning which the player will take away from Dear Esther will likely be whatever meaning the player attributes to it. Some will be moved by its majesty, and others will mock it as meaningless—the island is wide enough for both perspectives.

PROS: Stunning visuals. A thought-provoking experience.
CONS: Might be too non-traditional for some.

SCORES: 8.5/10
GENRE:Adventure
DEVELOPER: thechineseroom
DISTRIBUTOR: Steam
PLATFORM: Windows, Mac OS X,  Linux

Download/Buy: Dear Esther | Original Soundtrack (OST)

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REQUESTS???

Got any request? Feel free to comment below :)

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The Walking Dead Episode 1 PC Game Review

The Walking Dead is TellTale Games’ latest venture into interactive story telling. As the first part to a 5-game series which will be ongoing this year, Episode One – A New Day, pits you against – ahem – the walking dead in a story inspired by the comics written by Robert Kirkman of the same name.

A New Day places you in the role of Lee Everett, a man who is on his way to jail; leaving the city of Atlanta behind him. You don’t know anything else about Lee, including why he’s on his way to jail, but for the most part, this makes the game work. See, like other TellTale adventures, this is much more of a story medium than an actual game, but more than a simple point-and-click adventure.

As you drive away from the city, you start noticing that something is happening back there, as dozens of cops and armed forces drive past you while the officer driving you insists on telling you about his life. Luckily, you’ll quickly crash – in a great point-of-view shot from inside the car, reminiscent of a crash in the movie Let Me In – causing you to land in the woods where you break free from your handcuffs and experience the zombie madness firsthand. This story takes place at the beginning of this outbreak, which is technically going on before the comic books start, but fortunately A New Day stands on its own and you don’t need any prior knowledge of the canon (or the tv show) to enjoy this game.
The Walking Dead looks great. While the TellTale Games engine is aging, I haven’t found a better game of theirs to use cel-shading to their advantage. Given the Walking Dead’s origin, it just makes sense. You feel like you’re in a comic book. The movements, scene cut-aways, effects, and sound all complement the game. TellTale tends to make their games cartoonized, and while that may have been an issue for some in their previous endeavor, Jurassic Park, it doesn’t bother me here. However, I will say this game is surprisingly bright. Rarely have I ever had to decrease the brightness setting to add a horror vibe to the game. You may want to consider following-suit, since the jump scares may seem out-of-place without it. But this game isn’t necessarily out to scare you. No, it’s meant to introduce you to Lee and the people he meets, and more importantly, create your own Lee.

The choice system in A New Day is simple, but promising for future episodes. There are “difficult” choices you make throughout the game. At certain points you will be tasked with choosing someone to save and someone to sacrifice. Or you might be tempted to lie – careful, though, you might be caught later. If you have hints turned on at the beginning of the game (optional), you’ll be notified when such a decision was made. Personally, this kind of took me out of the experience. I was so immersed in the story, being Lee – my own Lee – and reacting to the people I’ve met, that those points remind me I’m playing a game. Nevertheless, it gives you a clue on how certain parts of the story will play out in the future. However, my largest pet peeve with this is that when you finish A New Day you’ll be shown a custom teaser for Episode 2 which all but tells you exactly how each decision you made will play out. It is counter productive, and not only are you reminded it’s all a game, but it lessens the importance of the choices I’ll make during Episode 2, since I already know what some characters will do. My suggestion would be to not watch this clip, and instead add to the mystery that makes this episode so great: you don’t know what will happen, why it’s happening, and what you’re going to do about it.

The voice work is top-notch in A New Day. The characters sound believable and you easily connect with them; particularly Lee, who wins you over as the protagonist of this story, and Clementine, the young girl who tags along with you. Sound is so important in video games because it places you in the right setting. The zombies sound like what I want them to sound like, but it’s the silence of the game that really works. Early in the game you’ll hear a series of voicemail messages left for Clementine and you’ll be hard-pressed not to be empathetic. Speaking of Clementine, I am happy to say she is not dumb. There are too many games where the young child sidekick is more of a detriment than an asset to the story, but she is quite the life saver. Literally. Sadly, the TellTale engine is showing its age and you will hear breaks in dialog every now and then. It’s not a large problem, but after so many similar games, you’d think TellTale could prevent such an important issue.

I’ve used the word “game” somewhat loosely in this review. You see, there really isn’t much gameplay in this. Yes, the choice system works, and there are quite a few bits of action, but it’s really all narrative. I argue there is one true puzzle in the game. Well, there are two if you count this ridiculous quest to find batteries for a girl who doesn’t know radios use them, even though said girl is a radio reporter. Setting that aside, the action bits were fun, and you definitely get a few good zombie kills in there. I played on a PC, but I feel like some of the button-tap sections followed by a trigger event could get old on a controller, along with the quick-time aiming.
That being said, what A New Day does, it does well. It succeeds in hooking me into the story with great writing, personable characters, and exciting climax. Though it shouldn’t take you more than a couple of hours to play through, you’ll be tempted in multiple play sessions where you might choose to save someone else. I, for one, played it twice and it’s worth it seeing the game from a different perspective. Unlike a lot of morality meters, the choices in this game aren’t “help this person” or “kill them, ruin their family, and steal everything they have ever owned.” The choices are believable and come down to a matter of how you want Lee to be, and by extension, how you want to see the story play out. You may be learning about Lee Everett as you play the game, but it’s really a choose-your-own-adventure story, and one that will captivate you to play them in sequence as the rest of the episodes are released.

While there might not be much of a “game” in A New Day it successfully makes me want to play the rest of the Walking Dead series. TellTale Games has created a fun, rich story that you add to with each choice you make as you discover more from Lee Everett. However, the style of game will be a turn off to many. It’s slow at times, and if you’re not already somewhat into TellTale Games or point-and-click adventures, I can’t say this title will win you over (unless you’re a huge Walking Dead fan). For what it is, it’s worth the price of admission, and if anything at all, you might enjoy playing this more than watching the show – I know I do.

PROS: Great story followed by excellent voice acting
CONS: Not very interactive

SCORES: 8/10
GENRE: Point-and-click adventure
DEVELOPER: TellTale Games
PUBLISHER: TellTale Games
PLATFORMS: Windows, Mac OS X, PS3, Xbox 360, iOS

Buy/Download

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Sexy Cosplay Girls (Updated Daily)

 

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Which Alienware is for You?

For high-end gaming on the laptop, it doesn't get any better than an Alienware. Let's take a look at the portable gaming options available for you on the iconic Alienware range and what they offer.

In the world of high-end gaming, one needs to stand out unambiguously as the Big Daddy of gaming machines manufacturer: Alienware. As part of Dell's flagship gaming brand, Alienware equips enthusiast gamers with the gaming rigs they desire. Whether it's bring the latest and greatest 3D games down to their knees with multiple GPUs of taking your cool portable machine to a LAN gaming party, Alienware has the right product for your needs. 

Dell's Alienware gaming laptops can be found in the following flavours: Alienware M11x, Alienware M14x, and Alienware M17x. Three distinct form factors for three different gaming scenarios. Let's take a look at which is the Best bet for your gaming needs.

For Casual Gamers (portability)

If you prefer portability over brute force, then the Alienware M11x is the best option for a relatively casual gamer like you. The M11x weighs just over 2-kg and is slightly larger than a 10-inch netbook's dimension — the thing can be easily tucked away in your backpack. It sports an iconic angular design and its body is made up of metal, and there's the hard-to-miss LED glow — evidence enough that any LAN gaming party you visit, the M11x will make heads turn and be the centre of attention. Portable gaming on a PC doesn't get any better than the new Alienware M11x.

Features:

* 11.6-inch form factor, just over 2-kg in weight

* 1.4-GHz dual-core Intel Core i5-2537M processor

* 4GB DDR3 RAM / 750GB 7200RPM hard drive

* 1GB DDR3 Nvidia GeForce GT 540 M (DirectX 11)

* 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium

* Price starts at $999

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For Hardcore Gamers (FPS, especially)

The Alienware M14x, the latest entrant in Alienware's family of gaming laptops. For all practical purposes, and with default configuration upgrades, the Alienware M14x should suffice for most gamers who don't mind gaming on a 14-inch screen with a 1600x900 pixel resolution. The Alienware M14x can tackle most FPS and other latest games at high settings. Games like Crysis 2, Brink, Call of Duty: Black Ops will play just fine. The laptop comes with Nvidia Optimus for automatic graphics switching, and 7.1 channel surround support.

Features:

* 14-inch form factor, weighs under 3 kg

* Quad-core Intel Core i7-2630QM processor

* Up to 8GB DDR3 RAM at 1600MHz / Up to 750GB 7200RPM drive

* 1.5GB DDR3 Nvidia GeForce GT 555M (DirectX 11)

* 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium

* Price starts at $1199

Superdeal: 16% DISCOUNT (Save $230) on Amazon

For 3D Gamers and HD Entertainment

Last but not the least, Alienware's largest gaming laptop in its portfolio, the Alienware M17x. One of the most important aspects of the M17x is its larger-than-life screen size: it measures up to 17.3 inches, with a full-HD 1920x1080 pixel resolution support. Another noteworthy feature of the Alienware M17x is that its first and only Alienware gaming latop that supports stereoscopic 3D games and video entertainment -- Alienware M11x and Alienware 14x currently lack this option.

The Alienware M17x's hardware configuration is in line and superior than the ALienware M14x -- after all, there needs to be a distinction for gamers to be tempted towards this beast. Apart from the screen size, the M17x offers a standard quad-core 2.2 GHz Intel Core i7-2720QM processor, 8GB DDR3 RAM at 1600MHz, up to 750GB 5200 rpm hard drive and 1.5GB GDDR5 Nvidia GeForce GTX 460M graphics.

Not only is this the ultimate gaming machine for fraggers and role-players, but it's also one of the best entertainment option available on a laptop. Imagine watching a Blu-ray movie with Klipsch onboard speakers in stereoscopic 3D? There's 7.1-channel surround sound support on the M17x, with high-end display connectivity options (HDMI, Display-Port), just like the M14x. It doesn't get better than this.

If your're buying an Alienware M17x, not only just an amazing gaming rig, you get one of the best desktop-replacement laptops available in the Indian market. Period. Craving one for your living room?

Features:

* 17-inch form factor, just over 5-kg in weight

* Offers a standard 9-cell Li-Ion battery

* 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium

* 3.2 megapixel webcam with dual-digital microphones

* Ideal for a high-end gaming and 3D entertainment system

* Price starts at $1399

Superdeal: 25% DISCOUNT (Save $500) on Amazon        

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Bastion PC Review

With the passage of time, computer graphics have improved a lot since good old pixelated Super Mario games. But, today virtual worlds try their best to imitate the real one. It's where Bastion comes to the rescue and saves us from all this gloomy realism.

Enlisted among the Action-RPG, Bastion is very beautiful with amazing graphics to look at. Jen Zee's creativity and choice of vibrant water colors make the game an instant hook. In RPGs, there's nothing new when it comes to top-down, isometric view. But Bastion goes a step ahead with its distinctive and memorable style. Further, the interruption of the narrator's gravelly voice made at every move you take, adds to the game's uniqueness. The narrator is your guide, critic, mentor and father-figure, all rolled into one. Followed by the narrator like a shadow throughout the game makes Bastion a deeply emotional story to live through.
You are Kid, a white-haired resident from the city of Caelondia, and you wake up on a small piece of land floating high above the earth. The first thing you notice is that with every step you take, you create a world around you. You also come to know that the city has suffered from a great calamity and in this situation, the survivors were told to gather at the Bastion. Here you meet Rucks, our narrator, who's the only survivor to come to Bastion.

You're asked to collect cores that will help rebuild the buildings on the Bastion. These cores can be found on different corners of the world. With varying difficulty levels, you earn fragments on killing the enemies. Later, these fragments can be spent to upgrade your character and weapons. You can earn more fragments by worshipping different Gods in the Shrine and craft your weapons to the perfection in the Forge.
Depending on the progress you make, you may find various types of melee as well as ranged weapons, each boasting its own special skills, that prove useful when you're caught in a bad situation. There are special training areas called 'Proving Grounds' where you can practice all different weapons and master each successfully. If you manage to finish certain achievements with skill, then the Proving Grounds rewards you with experience points and secret weapon skills.
The combat in Bastion is fluid and challenging. Enemies usually have a power-up animation before they attack you. Depending on the situation, you can either block with your shield or dodge them if you were too late. These skills are tested even more in dream-like stages where 20 waves of different enemies are thrown right at you.
Bastion frequently judges you by laying down some tough choices to make as you proceed through the game. A single player will cost you 6-8 hours, depending on how much of the world you choose to explore. And for the gamers who like to pick up their upgrades even after the game is over, Bastion offers a New Game Plus option.
Bastion is a MUST for every RPG fan. So, go ahead and lose yourself in the colors of Bastion.

PROS: Amazing water color style graphics, story and soundtrack
CONS: none!

SCORES: 9/10
Genre: Action RPG
Developer: Supergiant Games
Platform: PC, Mac, Xbox Live Arcade,

Download/Buy: Bastion | Bastion Original Soundtrack (OST) | Bastion + OST edition

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Top 10 Best Nintendo DS Games

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective

Possessed with the charm of classics like The Secret of Monkey Island, Ghost Trick:PD puts player in the shoes of a ghost named Sissel, who learns from a talking lamp that he can possess inaminate objects and manipulate them. By doing tricks while inside of objects, the player goes about preventing the deaths of other innocents and solving the mystery of Sissel's own mysterious death.

Download/Buy

Pokemon: Black and White

Yet another game in the series, Pokemon: B&W comes with more new Pokemons, appearance, leveling system and the battles. However, the evolutions of the powered mutant creatures are very unpredictable in this game. Set in the brand-new Unova region, populated by equally brand-new Pokémon, you won’t see any familiar monsters as you progress through the lengthy story mode. That’s right: no Zubat, no Geodude, no Magikarp. It’s welcome and refreshing for the series, and will reignite the sense of wonder many felt playing their first Pokémon title – after years of encountering the same monsters in the same areas, the decision to start from scratch is a brave one that pays off. You can still encounter classic monsters after finishing the story and trade with other DS versions of the game, but while on your journey to become the Pokémon Master you’ll only see fresh designs. As you’d expect, the new monsters vary from the excellent to the mundane, but there are enough good ones to pick a squad of six favourites.

Download/Buy Pokemon Black

Download/Buy Pokemon White

Preorder: Pokemon Black v2 | Pokemon White v2 | Pokemon Conquest

Radiant Historia

Radiant Historia is a time-travelling RPG set in Vancool. You play the game as Stok, a spy, sent on a mission with the agency of Intelligence. You have the ability to travel through space and time and switch between the parallel worlds. The characters and portraits are aesthetically pleasing and I wound up really liking some of their designs. It kind of reminded me of Brave Story, where you had simplistic character designs but they all worked quite well because they didn't try to make things overly elaborate or had only one big piece of flare. As far as handheld games go though, Radiant Historia has the graphical chops to be compared with some of the great looking games of the past.

Download/Buy

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2

With a strong narrative chocked full of fascinating characters and choices, Devil Survivor 2 sprints ahead with the torch passed on from the first game. When a new website that shows the manner of people's deaths in advance makes the rounds amongst Japanese high schoolers, a trio of students is shocked to witness their own deaths in a terrible subway accident just minutes away. They narrowly escape the carnage, only to find themselves in a worse situation.

Download/Buy

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars

Brought on Nintendo for all GTA addicts, the Chinatown Wars .The touchscreen gave Rockstar new ways to implement criminal hi-jinx like lock-picking with the DS Stylus. At first glance, Chinatown Wars could be mistaken for a return to the Grand Theft Auto series' humble 2D beginnings. The action is viewed from a more or less top-down perspective, and of course you still spend much of your time driving stolen cars and causing trouble with firearms. But the similarities between this superb Nintendo DS game and its '90s progenitors pretty much end there. Chinatown Wars actually has more in common with GTAs III and IV than it does with earlier games, and, remarkably, it even adds to and improves on the formula that made those games so successful. That's a bold statement for sure, but Chinatown Wars really is that good.

Download/Buy

Kirby Mass Attack

Unlike in usual traditional games, the player uses the stylus to command up to ten Kirbys on the screen. One of the great things about the Kirby series is that over the years, it has stuck to its adorable roots with such an upbeat vibe and familiar presentation while trying out new gameplay mechanics to keep things fresh. Kirby: Mass Attack continues that forward trend. This touch-only adventure stars not just one but a whole gaggle of the lovable pink puffs that must be herded through colorful stages in creative ways. Tight controls mingle with a steady stream of clever new ideas to make this one of Kirby's best handheld outings. On top of a slew of adventures, Kirby Mass Attack is the very best example of a stylus-based touchscreen game.

Download/Buy

Inazuma Eleven 2: Blizzard

If you played the first Inazuma Eleven, the sequel is immediately familiar. If you didn't, well, this game isn't aimed at you. Despite a number of tutorials, slowly drip-fed over the opening hours, Inazuma Eleven 2 is hugely reliant on your having gone through the first. The plot makes little sense if you aren't already familiar with Mark, Axel, and crew. Mechanically, Inazuma Eleven 2 is also pretty much the same game. The game has two primary elements. The first has you and your team wandering around regions, chatting to non-player characters, buying up football kits and healing items, and generally advancing the plot. The kids now have access to a tour bus, so the whole of Japan is fair game. There's nothing really surprising to be found elsewhere--each areas has streets, parks, and schools with football pitches--but the concept of touring around the country allows the areas to look more varied at least. The overworld contains restore points that let you pay PP (points earned through playing football) to heal your characters, as well as training points that let you pay to increase a character's stats, such as power and speed.

Download/Buy

The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

This adventure game sets Link, the iconic hero of the Legend of Zelda series, on far-ranging journeys for the usual Tri-Force wrangling. The game provides players with a new story, more puzzles, a new mode of transportation--by train--and a new companion in combat, the Phantom. laying Spirit Tracks brings up similar feelings; it's fun and familiar, basking you in the nostalgia of the Zelda series' well-trodden gameplay formulas while adding enough changes to make it feel exciting again. And while its look will undoubtedly bring up comparisons with 2007's superb Phantom Hourglass, Link's new adventure does away with its predecessor's repetitiveness and pacing issues, making Spirit Tracks the superior of the two Zelda games available on Nintendo's handheld console.

Download/Buy

Professor Layton and the Last Specter

Layton's brain-exploiting adventures might not be for all, but if you really like being mentally challenged, then this game is your ultimate pick. Packed with qualtiy animation and voice acting, the game throws more than 165 puzzles that really ends you with scratching your brain. You should be filled with pride when you complete the game successfully without ever looking over the walkthroughs.

Download/Buy Professor Layton and the Last Specter

Download/Buy Professor Layton and the Unwound Future

The World Ends With You

The World Ends with You tells the story of Neku Sakuraba, an unsociable 15-year-old boy who unexpectedly wakes up in the Shibuya shopping district of Tokyo, Japan. While trying to piece together his rude awakening, he receives a strange text message warning him that he will cease to exist unless he accomplishes a certain mission. Although he barely has time to grasp what is happening to him, he commences his assigned task in the mysterious streets of Shibuya. This portable JRPG differs from its clones. The most innovative feature introduced is the ability to share health with your members while fighting with the enemies.

Download/Buy

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Top 10 Best Indie Games

Bastion

Genre: Action RPG

Developer: Supergiant Games

Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment

Platforms: Xbox 360, PC, Mac, Chrome Web Store

This isometric action RPG game revolves around a Kid, set out on a mission to restore his world after the terrible Calamity that befell it. The Kid has a whole host of items at his disposal with which to tear apart foes and complete challenging obstacle courses that hone the player’s use of each weapon. One feature that cannot go without a mention is the stirring performance of Logan Cunningham, the voice of the dynamic narrator who follows the Kid throughout his entire journey, both berating and extolling the protagonist without end.

Download/Buy: Bastion | Bastion Original Soundtrack (OST) | Bastion + OST edition

Botanicula

Genre: Point and Click Adventure

Developer: Amanita Design

Publisher: Amanita Design, Daedalic Entertainment

Platform: PC, Mac, Linux, iPad

Like Amanita’s other popular game, Machinarium, Botanicula features a point-and-click puzzle design, melted with a hearty bit of exploration. Think of it as a sort of digital hike through a psychadellic rainforest tree. Players are asked to guide the group of protagonists through the tree that is their home and solve various connundrums of the tree’s citizens in order to advance to the next section of the tree. A lot of these puzzles are solved by collecting an item, or series of items – but this is no easy feat. The items are almost never sitting out in the open, and even if they are you will still need to jump througha few hoops in order to get it.

Downoad/Buy: Botanicula

Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Genre: Survival Horror

Developer: Frictional Games

Publisher: THQ, ValuSoft, Frictional Games

Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux

Presented in first person, Amnesia sends players into the deeps of castle Brennenburg, gathering notes of Daniel's past, solving puzzles and avoiding the things that lurk in the dark. All of the actions in Amnesia are set up to mimic real life. For example, to open a door, hold the left mouse button -- grab the handle, essentially -- and then pull or push the mouse, depending on which way the door swings. The same mechanic works for drawers and cabinets: Click, hold, pull. There are a few more ponderous actions, like turning cranks and wheels, which requires players to depress the left button and then move the mouse in a circular motion, as if actually turning the object.

Downoad/Buy: Amnesia: The Dark Descent

Gemini Rue

Genre: Adventure

Developer: Joshua Nuernberger

Publisher: Wadjet Eye Games

Platforms: PC

Gemini Rue is a game swathed in mystery and intrigue with more than a hint of noir atmosphere to tie it all together. One element missing from point-and-click games as of late is consequence. Gemini Rue does not hold your hand or push you too far in the right direction. It is up to you to solve this sci-fi epic and figure out just how Azriel Odin and Delta-Six are related. Between all the twists and revelations, it’s hard not to stop and take a look around at the carefully crafted environment as well. This game just has a lot going for it. If you are in the mood for an adventure that takes itself a bit more seriously, and one than pays off in quite an incredible way, Gemini Rue might be just what you’re looking for.

Downoad/Buy: Gemini Rue | Original Soundtrack (OST)

To the Moon

Genre: RPG

Developer: Freebird Games

Publisher: Freebird Games

Platforms: PC

To the Moon might be the most emotionally gripping (indie) game ever made. This is the heart-wrenching story of Johnny, an old man on his death bed whose last wish is to visit the moon. The story is told through the journey of Drs. Eva Rosalina and Neil Watts through his memories.  As the story unfolds and the doctors steadily make their way deeper into Johnny’s memories, they learn about his past, and how he ended up where he is today. Needless to say, you will very likely shed a few tears in this Memento/Up/Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind-influenced game.

Downoad/Buy: To the Moon | Original Soundtrack (OST)

Machinarium

Genre: Adventure

Developer: Amanita Design

Publisher: Amanita Design, Daedalic Entertainmen

Platforms: PC, Mac, PS3, iPad 2, Android, Linux

Machinarium will confound and frustrate you, but it's worth it to experience one of the most beautiful and endearing games of the year. You command a cute little robot who is unceremoniously thrown out of his city with the trash. By pointing and clicking through the bleak steampunkish environment you can return him to his home, reunite him with his girlfriend, and even prevent a terrorist attack. Our hero has the ability to stretch and scrunch his body, making for some interesting puzzle opportunities. There is no dialogue but when the robot encounters someone he knows a thought bubble will appear that shows a short movie of a memory he has. There is a wonderful sense of whimsy despite the chilly atmosphere. The first few scenes are brief, one-screen challenges, but Machinarium soon opens up so that you may have to wander through multiple areas to find a solution.

Downoad/Buy: Machinarium | Soundtrack

Limbo

Genre: Platformer

Developer: Playdead Studio

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios, Playdead

Platforms: PC, Mac, Xbox Live Arcade, PSN 

LIMBO, a black and white puzzle-platforming adventure, puts players in the role of a young boy traveling through an eerie and treacherous world in an attempt to discover the fate of his sister. Turning the limitations of a small Indy game into a strength, Limbo is short but fun, has a memorable art style and is a must play downloadable game. The visuals of Limbo are simple and effectively create an eerie atmosphere better than most AAA video games. The game play is simple but adequately fun, the game physics are great and there are some memorable little game moments found in Limbo. Less can be more which is a lesson that the rest of the industry should learn. Highly recommended!

Downoad/Buy: Limbo

World of Goo

Genre: Puzzle

Developer: 2DBoy

Publisher: 2DBoy, Nintendo

Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, Wiiware, Android

World of Goo is a dynamic puzzle-type game that is deceptively simple in the objective. It does seem simple as described, but the dynamics of the Goo make it a challenge that will make you bang your head, then come back for more. The Goo are little black or green blobs of tar-like material that are constantly in motion. It is like watching ants on blades of grass. They move back and forth, up and down. If you move one, they create a “beam” which is like a girder of sorts. The idea is to stack or shift them and build a structure that can bridge a gap and lead the whole group to the flanged end of a pipe. Once there, the Goo is slurped up like lemmings and deposited into a jar — while keeping count of how many make it to the end. Yes, you can lose some “soldiers” in your mission. There are Goo hazards that will eliminate them and create ghosts. Floating Goo eyes that can be activated back into service — at a cost to your progress. One step forward (to reclaim a Goo ball), and two steps back.

Downoad/Buy: World of Goo

Angry Birds

Genre: Action

Developer: Rovio Entertainment

Publisher: Rovio Entertainment

Platforms: PC, Mac, iOS, Android, webOS, 3DS, PSP

The survival of the Angry Birds is at stake. Dish out revenge on the green pigs who stole the Birds’ eggs. Use the unique destructive powers of the Angry Birds to lay waste to the pigs’ fortified castles. Angry Birds features hours of gameplay, challenging physics-based castle demolition, and lots of replay value. Each of the 63 levels requires logic, skill, and brute force to crush the enemy. Protect wildlife, or play Angry Birds!

Downoad/Buy: Angry Birds | Angry Birds Rio | Angry Birds Seasons | Angry Birds Space

Plants vs Zombies

Genre: Tower defense

Developer: PopCap Games

Publisher: PopCap Games, Electronic Arts (EA)

Platforms:  PC, Mac, Chrome web store, iOS, Xbox Live Arcade, PSN, NDS, Android

Plants vs. Zombies puts a unique twist on the otherwise stagnant tower defense genre by having players fend off the adorable zombies by utilizing killer plants. The action of the main game mode in Plants vs. Zombies takes place in different areas around the besieged home: such as the front yard, back yard, and roof. Conditions range from sunny afternoons to dark and stormy nights, where you can only see by lightening flashes. You have a diverse arsenal of plants at your disposal (though you don’t get to take all of them into battle at the same time) you can use to shoot, explode, and otherwise maim your undead foes.

Downoad/Buy: Plants vs Zombies Game of the Year Edition 

Binding of Isaac

Genre: Action-adventure

Developer: Edmund McMillen

Publisher: Edmund McMillen

Platforms:  PC, Mac, Linux

The Binding of Isaac might be one of the strangest and most polarizing indie games to ever gain this much popularity. Isaac, the titular child, is threatened to be sacrificed by his crazy mother on one terrible day, forcing him to hide out in the basement, where he goes on disgusting adventures using his tears as bullets to fend off monsters. It’s even more disturbing than it sounds.

Downoad/Buy: Binding of Isaac

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