Trials Fusion Review

I have a love hate relationship with the Trials franchise.  I absolutely love finally nailing a run I've been attempting over and over again.  I love the feel of smoothly landing on a steep downhill and carrying the momentum into a massive jump.

But there is no game that I have sworn at or been more angered by.  Trials can be a truly frustrating experience.  From missing a gold medal run due to being off by a fraction of a millimeter when approaching a specific ramp to attempting a hard transition over one hundred times in a single run, Trials can bring out the worst in me.

For the most part Trials Fusion is more of the same.  This is a good thing.  Fans of the series will feel right at home.  The new futuristic environments are a welcome change.  It seems like there's always something interesting in the background and the Tron-like tracks and buildings make for a welcome break from the dirt trails and pavement of usual Trials fare.

Here, a biker explores various Instagram filters.

Some of the tracks in Trials Fusion are brilliantly laid out.  The early tracks flow with a satisfying smoothness and later tracks seem to have a good pace of difficult sections and easier obstacles that give the player a chance to catch their breath.

The difficulty ramps up in a similar manner to other games in the series.  I always get to a point, playing through Trials courses where finishing the course means a bronze medal and nearly (or over) a hundred restarts along the way.  Though frustrating and the source of all my seething hate when being attempted, this is one of the reasons I play Trials and getting better at these insane courses is extremely satisfying.

What doesn't work for me are the added features.  The quad bike is a nearly meaningless addition.  It does feel weighty and therefore different than the normal motorbikes but the difference is slim and the few times it is used amount to little more than an extended skill mini-game.

I love the mini-games in Trials but the few available in the base game leave a lot to be desired.  Most are neither inspired nor fun.

The least successful addition is the new trick system.  This seems like the exact method of how not to create a trick system.  I understand what they were going for with a physics based system and I like the idea but it fails in execution.

The system does not work.  Some of the time the game does not recognize my input and the trick never starts.  If the trick does start, sometimes the game doesn't recognize the trick took place.  This was especially frustrating on one skill game level that has you perform tricks before you hit the ground.  It seems like half the time I performed a flip version of a trick, the game wouldn't see it and the trick would fail.

The good news is, there are only one or two trick tracks per section so like the quad bike, they amount to little more than an extended skill game.  I would have loved for the trick system to be button based.

The other mark against Trials Fusion is that it still feels like its in a beta state.  Some of the "Garage" screens will fail to load such as changing your rider's gear.  These screens will sometimes load without issue and sometimes just result in a wait cursor.  Similarly, when playing various tracks, the screen where you can choose what bike to use will be black.  You can still choose the bike but you do not see anything other than the bike's name.

The Factors

I only have an hour factor:

Great.  An hour may even be a little too long to play Trials Fusion.  It can take a while to get through a few of the hard tracks and an hour does give you plenty of time to trudge through a lot of resets when needed as well as download and try out a number of user made tracks.

I only have ten minutes factor:

Perfect.  Trials Fusion is well suited for a quick jump in and play.  A few easier tracks can be knocked out in ten minutes or a few skill games can be attempted. 

Kid walking in factor:

Great.  Very tame music and dialog paired with colorful visuals make this a great game for kids to watch or try themselves.  Trials Fusion is a great builder of hand-eye coordination for young and old alike.

Significant other factor:

Great.  Competing for a highscore on any given run or racing head to head on a multi-player track, Trials Fusion offers plenty to satisfy multiple users.

Final Verdict:

6/10 - The graphic and scenery changes are nice and this is still a Trials game but the bugs and the terrible trick system keep this game from being great. 

Developer link

Eric Hutchinson: Pure Fiction

Here is a quick music review for a change.  Something I've been listening to and loving lately.

Every song on this album is a catchy hit-worthy tune with heartfelt lyrics and melodies that seem specifically designed to put a big smile on your face.  I honestly love every minute of this album.  These are optimistic songs that sound oddly familiar the first time you hear them and sound like sweet home cooking the hundredth time.

Pure Fiction

And there's not just radio friendly toe tappers.  Though songs like "Tell The World" and "Forever" could chart in any top 40 list from the last fifty years, Eric returns to his RnB sound (and lyrics) for "Love Like You" and his singer-song writer sound for the two acoustic jams that end the record.  There's not a dull moment among them.

If there's one criticism, it's that the songs are too short and there's not enough of them.

Fable Anniversary Review

I love the Fable franchise.  Even with the quirks of Fable III that I disliked, the third installment was still fun to play.  I absolutely loved the first Fable so I was excited to play this new version of the old classic.

Fable Anniversary is a good game.  It's pedigree shines through.  The mechanics are solid, the world is enchanting, and the new graphics add a layer of modern beauty that was missing from the older version.

Breakfast tacos not included.

There are issues.  My first few days of game-play were halted several times my freezes.  The game would freeze so completely that even returning to the Xbox home-screen was not an option.  As of this writing, a patch has been released and these lockups have been reduced significantly.  I have experienced another single lockup in the last three or four hours of playing though.

Though I do fear another freeze while playing, other than that, Fable Anniversary is a joy to play.  There is a significant nostalgia factor here as the voice recordings are all carried over from the old release but even outside of that factor, the fluid fight mechanics, collecting every weapon and piece of armor, and the story itself all keep me coming back for more.

The only significant issue I have with the modernization aspect is some of the interface options the developers used.  Fable needed an interface overhaul.  The original was a maze of pages but this version isn't that much better.  There is a lot of detail that Fable Anniversary needs to give the player but I feel navigating through that information still could have been streamlined.

The Factors 

I only have an hour factor: 

Perfect.  An hour gives you enough time to not only complete a few quests, play some pub games, and talk to people but it also gives you time to enjoy the scenery.  Fable Anniversary is a very pretty game and I found myself enjoying the view on more than one occasion.

I only have ten minutes factor: 

Okay.  There is some progress to be made in a ten minute session but not much.  You may be able to complete a quest or even a couple of the shorter quests but Fable Anniversary is a video game best suited for slightly longer play sessions, around thirty minutes or so.

Kid walking in factor: 

Great.  Fable is modern family friendly and about as raunchy as a live action Disney film.  There are some adult situations such as drinking and a brothel but nothing that I feel steps over the line into indecency.  This is an RPG so there will be cartoon-like killing but the game is simple and comic enough that older children (around 9 and over) can play without much help.

Significant other factor: 

Good.  No multi-player but provided you both like this style of game, multiple save slots allow two or more players to work through the game at their own pace, making their own moral decisions.  Of course, this also means a single user can play the game as good or evil without one save overwriting the other.

Final Verdict: 

8/10 - A fully patched Fable Anniversary without the game stopping bugs deserves a fairly high score.  The original Fable is still a great game and although there are some questionable interface decisions, this version makes the world beautiful.  Overall, Lionhead have made a great game better.

Developer

South Park: The Stick of Truth Review

There are two things that you should know about South Park: The Stick of Truth.  First, it is hilarious.  I rarely laugh out loud due to intentional humor in a video game but this game is actually funny.  Second, it's a really good RPG.  While it pokes fun at the genre and at itself throughout, the combat and gear mechanics work really well.

The combat in SP:TSOT is timing based.  This is similar to the Mario and Luigi RPG games on the DS or 3DS.  When you attack or defend, pressing the right button at the right time will have a significant effect on the amount of damage given or received.  Performing these moves correctly will be the difference between winning and losing battles.  This may be a turn off for some but personally, I love the mechanic.  Every battle keeps you engaged.

The humor in this game is top notch but it is crude.  There are swear words and scatological jokes at every turn.  This is a South Park game so you wouldn't expect anything different.  Farting is a major game mechanic and still funny after several hours of gameplay.  Interspersed with these base references though are references to modern pop-culture and of course, several references to video games.  Every game mechanic seems to not only work but also be a parody of a game mechanic seen in other games.

The Factors

I only have an hour factor:

Great.  Other than the opening tutorial missions which took over an hour, the gameplay can be broken up as you need it.  An hour of gameplay will net you a few story moments and a good number of battles, enough to probably move up a level. 

I only have ten minutes factor:

Not great.  This is an RPG so it is meant for slightly longer sessions.  You may hit a battle or two if you only have ten minutes so your time won't feel wasted.  That said, I don't feel this would be the best use of your time if ten minutes is all you have.

Kids walking in factor:

Be very careful.  This is an adult only game.  Nearly every other line contains a swear word and these words will pop-up randomly such as the F word when entering a battle.  The graphics are South Park based animation so there is no real gore factor but I did encounter the occasional cartoon nudity.  So this is definitely a headphones only, after bed-time game if you have kids in the house.

Significant other factor:

This game does allow for multiple saves but other than that, there's little in The Stick of Truth for multiple people to enjoy at the same time.  Also, keep in mind you are essentially playing the nerdiest version of a South Park show that is possible.

Final verdict:

9/10 South Park: The Stick of Truth is a great game.  It's funny and it is a very well made RPG.  If you are a fan of the show and if you've ever enjoyed a role playing game, this is a must buy.     

The Walking Dead (Season 1) Review

This is what a modern adventure game should feel like.  I have to admit to being a fan of the TV show and adventure games in general so there is a level of bias here.  Still, if the execution was flawed, this game would have suffered significantly.

The game is a joy to play.  It keeps you on your toes the entire time and in the end you will not only feel like you have survived something but you will most likely have made an emotional connection with more than one character.

 

The Walking Dead is a modern style point and click.  So you will be walking a character around what are essentially static environments.  If you've had trouble with past games in controlling character movement, I believe The Walking Dead will be a refreshing change.  There were a couple of times the character went in a different direction than I intended but this was never during critical moments.

And there are some critical moments.  I hesitate to call these twitch moments but there are several times you will need to react quickly.  This is a game set in a post apocalypse with zombies.  It is not an action game but it would feel out of character if there were no action moments.  The game does a good job of balancing those tense, think on your feet scenes, with cool-down moments giving you a chance to breathe.

Your choices have interesting consequences.  Multiple playthroughs or having multiple people play the game, choosing different options, is recommended.  These choices range from the seemingly inconsequential such as varying similar replies to a character's question to the critical such as choosing which life to save. 

I only have an hour factor:

Perfect.  The game is told in chapter that are then divided into various scenes.  There are clear divides here so you are never more than a few minutes between stopping points. 

I only have ten minutes factor:

Not very good but this is by design.  Adventure games are not designed to be rushed and The Walking Dead is no exception.  You need to feel for the characters and in order to do that you need to slow down, pay attention to what they say, and learn who they are.  This is the only way you can make decisions based on your knowledge of the people you meet. 

Kid walking in factor:

Mixed.  This is a Walking Dead game so it will have it's fair share of gore.  There's also a number of swear words used, probably a few more than you would hear in a PG-13 movie.  So this may be a headphones or after-bed time only game.  With regard to kids playing it, my own judgement says no kid under 12 should play this.  For kids older than 13, it will depend on the kid.  There are adult choices to be made in the apocalypse and you will need to decide if your young ones are mature enough to make those choices. 

Significant other factor:

Good, especially if you and your partner are into The Walking Dead.  Playing the game feels like living through an episode of the show or an issue of the comic.  The game gives you lots of moments to talk about.

I generally do not like playing adventure games with another person but having two people play the game on their own time and talking about it later can be fun. 

Final Verdict:

9/10 - One of the best adventure games released in the last ten years.  If you are a fan of The Walking Dead or a fan of horror adventure games, I can not recommend this game highly enough. 

Steam Link:

Developer link:

KAMI review

If you've played puzzle games for a while you may be familiar with this type of game but rarely has such a simple concept been presented so elegantly.

Technically, this is a one note game but the note is challenging enough to be rewarding.  KAMI does not penalize you for wrong answers.  You are more than welcome to solve each board in more than the minimum moves but you will feel shame and return to the same board to try harder.  Restarting a level is quick and painless which goes along way to alleviating any frustration which could build over time.

The puzzle concept is fairly simple.  Choose a color, click a differently colored square, turning all similar colored squared which also touch that square into the same color.  The goal is to make the whole board the same color.  As with all good puzzle games, the first few boards teach the basic concepts and the difficulty quickly ramps from there.

When I first started the game I thought the number of boards or levels seemed low but after spending ten minutes trying to solve one of the harder boards, I know longer feel this is the case.

KAMI is divided into two area, the regular puzzles are presented in increasing difficulty.  Each section of the regular puzzles first introduces a general concept in how you solve the type of challenge presented.  The premium puzzles are where the real head-scratchers are and these puzzles can take a long time to solve.  Do not use the hints for the premium puzzles as that ruins the fun. 

I only have an hour factor:

Good.  The time flies while attempting a specific puzzle.  The aha moment will eventually come and it feels great when it does but KAMI is also comfortable with random clicking in the hopes that something works or sparks your thought process.  I have no doubt that most players, given an hour, will complete a good number of stages and feel rewarded for their time.

I only have ten minutes factor:

Awesome.  This gives you just enough time to complete one or two puzzles.  Be careful as you might get stuck and want to push the ten minute mark but I think any time put into a specific stage is not wasted if you return to that same stage later.

Kids walking in factor:

Awesome (and encouraged).  The paper concept is masterfully presented and encourages clicking just to see what happens.  A puzzle game like this is simple to understand even for very young children and there's no wrong answers as they watch the board fill up with a chosen color.

Significant other factor:

Unfortunately, there appears to be only one save as of this writing.  So there's no way to really compare or compete against another user with their own progress on their own save.  Puzzle games are generally a solo experience but it would have been nice to allow for a second or third user's clean sheet to start from.   

Final verdict:

8/10 - KAMI absolutely succeeds at what it sets out to accomplish and with the $3.99 price point, you can't really go wrong.

Steam Link

Developer Link