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If There Was an Interactive Museum for RPGs it Would be Evoland

5/15/2016

In Evoland, you experience the evolution of RPGs by frequently unlocking new features (e.g. weapons, radar, and a mini-game), technology (pre-rendered environments, 3D, colors), and design elements (e.g. puzzles, combos, and secrets). Cliches are ingrained in every moment. Yet cliches don't feel like cliches, but rather they evoke the warming sensation of nostalgia. The experience is more akin to a history lesson, or a virtual game museum, than a standard RPG, sprinkled with jokes and jabs at moments and characters made famous by games like The Legend of Zelda, Diablo, and Final Fantasy VII.

The experience is short, making this less of a complete RPG and more of a brief walk through time. Essentially, Evoland is a taste of the integral pieces that have been built over the many years. Yet the foundation is so solid it beckons for a story-driven sequel.

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The Walking Dead: Michonne: A Mini Experience

5/10/2016

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The Walking Dead: Michonne, a three episode gaming experience, is the most recent The Walking Dead edition from Telltale Games. It follows a similar structure as the previous titles, yet falls short of emulating their success primarily due being limited in time, depth, and character development.

Pros

Story: The story, although rather short, is compelling and interesting.
Music: As with the previous TWD TellTale games, the music creates an engrossing feeling of despair that is so integral to the series. And it seems, with this iteration, Telltale corrected the awkward audio level mixing (music, voices, SFX) that was often not properly leveled before.
Intro: The intro is reminiscent of a high-quality TV show, and generates a truly episodic feel.
Michonne: A deeper, closer look at one of the most interesting characters from both the comic and the show.

Cons

Short: The game, in total, across all three episodes, is incredibly short. To be fair, Telltale Games warns us of this ahead of time, to properly set expectations. Warning or not, the limited experience restricts the story from properly breathing, meaning that characters and storylines don't receive the detail, and thus, emotional connection, they deserve.
Limited Choices: The game is lacking any real sense of impactful choice, unlike the versions before it.
Animation issues: Some animations are rough around the edges and could benefit from some polish time.
No skipping: The inability to skip the teaser for “scenes from next time”, the “previously seen” edit/montage, and the end credits that follow each episode is a big let down. Consider that many players will experience all three episodes back-to-back, as I did, resulting in the edit for “next time” unnecessarily appearing when you are about to play the next episode. Whereas, compound that with that fact that “previously” is redundant, considering you literally just completed the last episode.

Summary
All in all, Michonne doesn't have the same gritty and dark feeling of previous iterations, which is mainly lacking due to the short experience that doesn't allow for true depth. The game really feels like it is about to take off right as it is ending.

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My Favorite iPhone/Mobile Games Over the Years

5/5/2016

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In no particular order:

• Evoland - Evolve from GameBoy to PS1
• Dragon Quest VIII - It’s 3D
• Venture Kid - Essentially old school Megaman
• Battleheart Legacy - Missing the story element, but a fun action/adventure RPG
• Device 6 - Unique puzzle/mystery game
• Final Fantasy 6 - Classic goodness
• A Dark Room - It will make you question yourself
• Walking Dead: The Game - Deep, dark, gritty, and an emotional rollercoaster
• Zombie Highway: Driver’s Ed - Strangely addictive
• Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions - Classic strategy, tactical RPG
• Year Walk - Like living in an old, dark, European story book where the environments and creatures are as scary as they are bizarre
• Shining Force - Another classic, turn-based tactical RPG
• Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery - Beautiful design with an amazing soundtrack
• Orbital - Incredibly simple design done right
• Kingdom Rush - Fun, silly, and strategic