Human Resource Machine (Wii U) - Review

Human Resource Machine is available now on the Wii U.

I didn't expect this game to be as tough as it is. I think I jumped to this conclusion because it's on the Wii U and I primarily see that as a machine for kids (don't shoot me, I still love it). Oh how wrong I was. 

In Human Resource Machine you play as a cute little dude/dudette who goes to work for a big corporation. Your supervisor will set you tasks which you then must complete to finish the level. These tasks start off simple enough - you just move stuff from one side of the room to the other. But they soon become much more complex, with you needing to only take certain things to the other side and leaving the others behind. 

Now this sounds simple, doesn't it? What's so hard about just sorting through some mail or whatever? Well yeah, doing this manually would be much simpler, but in Human Resource Machine you don't sort things manually. Instead you basically write a line of code for your little employee to follow. Now, I'm not a coder nor have I ever dabbled in any form of coding, so I found this really quite difficult. I found it really hard to wrap my head around the code required to hit some of the goals for each level. I was fine when it was just move that from here to there, but the minute it started asking me to leave zeros behind I started getting lost pretty fast. 

And that's where Human Resource Machine really falls down. It's cutesy art-style leads you to believe that this is going to be a much simpler game than it is. I found myself getting incredibly frustrated with it, fairly early on which is incredibly disappointing. My partner however is an analyst and he whizzed through it with ease, laughing at how hard i made it look. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this game feels too tough for the casual puzzler it appears to be - it should have been more serious looking in my opinion. The graphics definitely attract a younger audience, but I fear my son would break the Wii U pad in frustration with this game. 

The touch screen works really well for this game (which is also available on Steam) so much so that I wonder whether it may be ported to iOS or Android. I think it'd be a good game to while away the commute with, but maybe not if you struggle as much as I did. I don't really know who to recommend this game for, definitely not kids or the more casual puzzle players. But at the same time saying people who code will love it seems silly too - if you code for your job do you really wanna come home and play a game that basically sees you writing code to complete menial tasks?!

5/10 TRY IT!

A code was provided for the purpose of this review.

March to the Moon (XBLIG) Review

March to the Moon is out on the XBLIG marketplace for the very fair price of just 80MSP.
A vertical shoot 'em up akin to Space Invader this game is a LOT of fun. Shoot through wave after wave of increasingly difficult enemies to level up and unlock more items.
This game does have RPG elements, which for me make it a lot better. I love games that see you having to invest in your character, to play to your strengths. There are 12 different skill classes to choose to level up in this game so there is a lot of variety available for everyone! This game is infinitely playable, create character after character if you so wish with different classes to see what works best for you. Unlock clothes to customise your character. For a game that has simplicity at it's core, I think these elements really bring something special to the game.
So the game starts with you offering to clear out a basement of rats. See to these and you are treated with wave after wave of them. Rats that shoot you, bats, goblins, alligators, cows, pigs and chickens are all going to be slaughtered as you March to the Moon.
This game is pretty difficult, but not so much so it becomes dull. It is VERY addictive and every time I died I found myself furiously tapping the 'a' button to start again as soon as possible.
Now this kind of game can get very repetitive. March to the Moon steps away from that by offering a 'reset' button at the ned of each difficulty setting. This adds more story and new one-liners to the previously seen levels. It does re-use the four previous settings but as I say it doesn't really feel repetitive.  Hitting the 'reset' button also expands your already huge skill set tree.
Getting the balance of your skill tree right is of paramount importance in this game. Put your experience to use in the wrong way could result in a lot of restarts. Another awesome feature of this game is that you can press the RT button to get your experience back once you've learned from your mistakes. Your character truly evolves with the game.
This game is pretty large in scope. There are 8 levels in each of the four worlds and then three difficulties to battle through, making 96 stages of vertical shooting goodness.
This game for me is a must-buy. I don't really know of anyone who could say this game isn't fun and afterall isn't that what we want from our games?

8/10 BUY IT!

A code was provided for the purpose of this review.

Diehard Dungeon (XBLIG) Review

 The Uprising continues! Todays release was Diehard Dungeon a dungeon crawling bargain at 80MSP!

Now this game really grabbed my attention as the dungeons are different each time you enter, a lot like a game I am addicted to at the minute, Spelunky on XBLA. I LOVE that you can't just 'learn' your way around as each time you restart it is totally different. It makes the game infinitely playable, how can you get bored when it's always different?
There are also many different endings to this game, so even when you've completed it and feel like that's it really you HAVE to keep going to see what the other possibilities are!
The dungeons don't bring anything too challenging. Small bouncy enemies that are pretty annoying who try and steal your companion crate. A few blade-wielding bad-guys and some bouncy red blobs. There are some traps that bring spikes from the walls and in all the dungeons you have to find the silver key to open the next door. Every so often you'll find a golden key and at the beginning of the game it is explained that collecting ten of these makes you pretty awesome. They are pretty hard to come by though, something that is being patched, amongst other things in a few days.
There are big bosses after you've cleared a few dungeons. These are normally pretty huge and can be difficult to beat. The first one, a giant monkey had me restarting about five times. I was given a ranged weapon which worked brilliantly but I just struggled with my tactics for awhile.
There are some really awesome features in this game that stop it just being a hack and slash dungeon crawler. There is a mini-game when you open a trap door, which sees you granted with extra abilities if you beat it. The chests you find throughout the dungeons, I think are pretty original. Once you click to open them 0,1,2,3 blinks across the screen. Press a again to stop the blink and thats how many attempts you get to get treasure and other goodies from the chest. Again it's just something that mixes it up a little.
As I alluded to before this game is getting a patch very close to release, the developer tells me it should be within days. This patch will 'improve many of the visuals' and do some general bug fixing. Once the game is patched I will post some comments about the improvements. As it stands I don't actually feel like this game is suffering graphically so I'll see what happens when it's patched.
Overall this is another Uprising offering that is totally worth parting with your MSP for. It is great fun, easy to pick and play and changes every time. Unless dungeon crawling isn't for you it is a definite must buy!

8/10 BUY IT!

A code was provided for the purpose of this review.

Sententia (XBLIG) Review

The Indie Uprising continued today with the release of Sententia, Michael Hicks' latest contribution to the indie game market, and what a contribution it is!

'You are a special creature, and you have a purpose; but are you capable of holding on to it? Sententia is an “art game” that explores the challenges we face to keep our imagination alive as we grow. Start your journey through life’s forest as a young creature and build your way through it by solving puzzles, interacting with your fellow creatures, and defending your ideas with your own sententia.'

In Sententia you play as a creature. A cute little green haired creature, depicted as a small child at the beginning of the game. I honestly though the opening to this game was amazing. The conversation between the grandfather, the daddy and your creature was so cute. The grandfather tells the creature what everyone wants to hear...that whatever you want to do, if you put your mind to it you can do it. The daddy comes along and does the typical parent thing, worrying too much about a 'real' job. I think that this is something everyone can relate to, everyone has had a dream that has been laughed at or they have been made to feel ridiculous for. This game is sort of a two-finger salute to everyone that has said 'you can't'. 

The art style in this game is brilliant. Upon opening the game the menu screen took me by surprise. We've all played games that have been totally lacking in any originality, but this game is definitely NOT one of those. The writing used for the menu options is beautiful, and in a market inundated with sparse, operation-only menus this was a pleasant surprise. A little highlighter stroke comes over the highlighted option, a really neat little feature. 

The music, throughout this game is really well made. It sets the mood for the game perfectly and is easily one of my favourite game soundtracks. It's peaceful and haunting at the same time and it is clear to see that this talented developer has other talents too!

The game does have a few little niggles. But not enough to not enjoy the game. There were a few points where I was really struggling to reach blocks to jump onto, and when I did reach them my character just kind of flew on by. These weren't the disappearing blocks that appeared later on but were fairly early on in the game. I persevered, even though at one point I didn't think my 'a' button was going to survive the game. 

Some of the game feels difficult for difficulties sake. But looking back at the opening paragraph to the game, I understand why. Whilst it may be frustrating in game, this game is pretty much a 'coming of age' game so naturally it's going to involve some challenges. Like everything in life, stick with it and you will get through. I think this is a really nice sentiment for a game to carry.

The bridge building puzzles are where this game really shines. Well made, well thought out, well executed, these little puzzles feature in a fair few of the maps and are really fun to work out. You have to link the bridge together, and the pieces can only be linked to others a certain amount of times. Honestly if Sententia had a mini-game just for this I'd be set for a good while. 

Overall this game is WELL worth the 80MSP. I actually would have entered this in at the higher price point for XBLIG titles of 240MSP. For 80MSP you are getting a cute, lovable but challenging game that can really speak to anyone. It is beautifully made, and I forbid anyone to listen to the music and not have it stuck in their head. There are a few very tiny kinks that, to be honest, I really had to dig deep to find. This game makes a worthy addition to anyones XBLIG library.

8/10 BUY IT!

A code was provided for the purpose of this review. 

Kung Fu Strike: The Warriors Rise Review

Everybody loves a good beat 'em up right? Kung Fu Strike: The Warriors Rise could well be for you then.
Now I'm going to start off by saying this...If you get easily frustrated with games, replaying levels etc. this game probably isn't for you. This game is HARD.
I had read other reviews before starting up the game myself, and I have to admit I found myself laughing at all the people who had found this game difficult. How difficult can a beat 'em up be? Turns out pretty hard.
It starts out easy enough. Plenty of enemies to button-bash your way through. Button-bashing can actually get you through a few of the first levels. I was congratulating myself on not being beaten by a game that had beaten so many others when I hit a brick wall of difficulty. I could button-bash no longer.
Some of the enemies started carrying around sticks. So now I had to learn how to deflect, something which I picked up quite quickly. So I deflected and counter-attacked through the next few waves.
I've got to admit I was still finding this game quite easy. The first point I thought it was getting real tough was the little old guy boss who has glowing purple circles around him. He also regenerated health, so as I was running around trying to avoid his attacks and his purple circles of power he was just casually getting further away from death. He was VERY annoying, and lead to me restarting numerous times. After that the game just kept getting harder and harder. There was another boss a little later on and it was nigh on impossible to get near him, he was RAPID.
I don't think this game is too hard though, unlike a few people, I think that the difficulty level is about right. Games SHOULD get progressively harder, they should be a challenge. Games these days are getting too easy, so it's nice to have to flex your fingers and pump yourself up for an hour of actual challenging gameplay. The bad points about the difficulty of this game though, is that it's not only difficult, but it can be pretty tedious, resulting in some VERY frustrating moments.
This game centres around a young prince, Loh, who is trying to avenge an epic betrayal. Thus begins the 28 stages of the game, fighting through wave after wave of enemies in the hopes of finding the one who caused Loh's downfall. Yeah the story is pretty weak but come on, what beat 'em ups have a really epic story?!
You earn currency when you kill enemies, and every so often they drop baskets of eggs and other food items to replenish your health. Currency can be used to buy more moves, increased HP and so on.  You can also, after awhile, start deploying your own armies to help you with the waves of enemies. This is a pretty neat feature and there is a good variety of armies to choose from. This will set you back some of your hard earned money, so choose wisely!
This game does feature a two-player co-op campaign that was pretty good and made the game a little less challenging. Versus mode is also a feature where you can face off in four arenas. Multiplayer is local only, a big downside in my opinion.
Overall this game is a pretty good offering. It's not going to suit people who are out for an easy ride. But if you've got sick of completing games without breaking a sweat this game is for you. The multiplayer, whilst lacking an online mode for me makes this game a must buy, there is nothing better than wading your way through a load of enemies with your friend. The story isn't all that interesting, but sod it who cares? This game is old-fashioned beat 'em up fun and it reminded me of the old games on the Sega Mega Drive...damn difficult but bloody enjoyable too!

7/10 TRY IT!

A code was provided for the purpose of this review.