It's too bad there wasn't more entries, I was actually eager to see what indie games people would write for. But the competition was still fierce! Joe's choice was a pretty interesting game that I never heard of and would actually like to try out.

Thanks for the pick, and I appreciate the comments about the review. It was really weird how long it took me to crank this one out, but I guess I wanted to make sure I said the right things. Got the code, and I'll checking this out.

Both these reviews were pretty slamming, which is annoying as it means I need to exhort more effort than I’d ideally like to. I’ve read both reviews a couple of times, and I still don’t have a clear winner in mind, so I guess I’ll ramble at a word doc and see what emerges.

Mellowed-out Pick uses several clever hooks to drive his introduction. The comparisons with simmering cult favourite Rastan was clever; the eventual reveal that Volgarr is not just a shiny tribute but is harder that an infamously hard game was brilliant. Check you out with your centred HTMLing to showcase your point. La de da, indeed.

This continues to be the thesis of Pick’s review, comparing Volgarr to the artificially-bloated challenge of games of old, then discussing how this issue is side-stepped, leaving only a healthy dose of difficulty. It’s a strong point that’s well made throughout the body of work, citing solid examples of new and old that doing nothing but wonders for his tone’s creditability. This is important here because when he says that this game is hard in an even handed way we, the reader, need to know that a/ he’s not just some Farmville player struggling at a title that isn’t simply press X to win and that b/ he’s versed well enough in the old ways of challenge bloating to expunge it from the title. It’s as exceptionally strong case made.

So, I really like Picks review. But Joe’s works, too. In a strange twist of fate, he offers a review for a similar game, and delves into what makes Blood of the Werewolf work. It’s a tidy effort, emphasising some of the same traits that Pick did – the fair-handed challenge aided by infinite lives, for instance – but perhaps lacking some of the continuity of his rival. Still, it’s chocked full of good examples, the admitted surprise of how well the title works when the werewolf mechanic is removed works especially well.

So, both fine reviews and it’s only when offered up in direct comparison that Joe’s effort seems a more formulaic attempt; eulogising the game for the majority, working in the cons in the last few paragraphs, the whacking the conclusion. Other little niggles continue like an awful food analogy – didn’t we ban them from site in the same fashion as that one overly innocent mild curse only Jason seems offended by? As a standalone, the review’s pros vastly outweigh the few cons, but Pick’s writing is seriously watertight. It’s a perfectly made argument in favour of Volgarr.

So well done to Joe for a sterling effort, but congrats go to Pick for his winning entry. Expect to see your steam code siting in your inbox by the end of play today.

Here's my review, by the way.

I just realized your deadline is on Black Friday. This may be unachievable for me now, but we'll see.

From what I understand, affect is mainly used as a noun when dealing with psychology or psychiatry. It basically means "the mood someone (usually a client or a patient) appears to exhibit."* I'm not sure if there's another noun usage for affect, but the definition above is what most articles I've read seem to indicate.

*I minored in psychology, so I used affect as a noun quite a bit in college.

You sure it's not affect? I actually held off responding for a whole day to look for examples on the web... and now I'm just confused.

Well, regardless, thanks for enjoying the review. The game had a very good, basic idea that was fumbled during its second half when trying to explain stuff. It's something that really bugged me because horror movies and/or their sequels tend to do this a lot by explaining why some things are possible.

Good going to darkstarripclaw and congrats to overdrive!

Woo-hoo! Thanks for the win and I'm glad you liked the review.

It's over a month late, but here it is! I wanted to have this out a couple of weeks ago, but HG, RoG, and my blog have been keeping me busy. I still have a reader review for Uncharted I'm currently sitting on as well, hopefully due out soon.

Anyway...

THIRD PLACE
Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure - 3DS - darkstarripclaw
What I like about this review is that it tells me pretty much everything I need to know about the game. My main qualm with it is that it could stand some tightening throughout. There are a lot of repeated phrases and several statements that could be reduced down. Other than that, it's a good right up that tells the audience precisely what they're getting into.


SECOND PLACE
Home - PC - pickhut
Apart from a couple of typos ('affect' instead of 'effect'), this is a very well done review. Having played the game, I know exactly what you're talking about. You do great job of balancing your arguments, which backs up your 5/10 rating--a difficult feat to accomplish. I think I liked your descriptions of disappointment more than the first half (not because the first half wasn't well written or anything), probably because they're more in line with what I feel about the game. Anyway, you do a great job of describing the game and telling us why it's mediocre.


REVIEW OF THE WEEK
X-Men Legends II - PlayStation 2 - overdrive
It would be difficult for me not to give this review the win. It's very detailed, gives the audience some background on the Apocalypse storyline, and fills us in with information regarding the game's retelling of it without bogging the audience down with too many details. I also liked the bit at the beginning, where you mentioned that so many games failed to do the source material justice (take that, Wolverine on NES!). Once again, another fantastic RPG review from OD!

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Well, I've got some stuff I need to do, mostly trying to decide if I want to play Geneforge or Devil May Cry.

Hey thanks for the feedback! I realize that my reviews are a bit dry. I'm admittedly more adept at writing a report or a textbook than a fun bit of fiction. I'll try to work on sprucing up my next review while maintaining a high level of information and detail being passed as unbiasedly as possible :)

Thanks for getting this topic out, Jason! And great work, Germ!

Ooph, I guess that line doesn't sound pretty weird, but glad you liked the rest of the review. Mellowing out, eh? I guess I gotta find a game that deserves a good bashing... eventually. Some time down the road. I think.

Okay, maybe I'm kinda mellowing. But thanks for the mention, and congrats to Joe on his RotW.

I figure I'd best get this topic done right now, because then I have to dive into a pile of games and I won't be coming back up for air for quite some time. So, onto the reviews...

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THIRD PLACE: Miracle Warriors: Seal of the Dark Lord by ThoughtFool1

This was an interesting review for a game I'd never heard about, with some trivia about the early RPG era that also expanded my knowledge. That was nice, and there was some detailed discussion of the game's performance in various categories, but the writing felt a little bit dry and formal in places. That lends it an air of authority, but it doesn't make for an especially pleasant read unless a person is especially interested in the subject matter. It's a perfectly adequate review, so I'm glad to have had the chance to read it, but I would be delighted to see future efforts adopt a slightly more personal tone, perhaps with lively and specific anecdotes. Trimming the length down a bit would also help, though admittedly it would also make for a less exhaustive critique.

RUNNER UP: Necrovision by JoeTheDestroyer

This review had some great imagery, particularly at the start, and played while to its unique subject matter. There were some minor errors throughout in the form of extra words or incomplete thoughts, but overall this was a polished look at what sounds like an interesting game. I didn't read every JoeTheDestroyer review this week, by the way, but it didn't seem fair to exclude him from the running just because he contributed so much great work and I'm lazy. This was my favorite one of those I read, and might have taken the crown if not for the...

REVIEW OF THE WEEK: Dragon's Crown by Germ

This was a pleasant read that flowed beautifully from point to point, with careful word selection. It didn't linger on any points long enough to grow dull, and moved through its points with a comfortable sense of authority. I'd love to see this author stick around to write about other games, as well! A well-deserved win.

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And that is that. There were other reviews, of course, but the above three were my favorites. Thanks to all who participated, and sorry about the delay in getting to this. Keep those reviews coming, folks!

That's alright. I was actually kinda wishing one more person would post so we would be in the same predicament that we were in 25 posts ago. XD

Sorry. It snuck in there without me noticing it. Sorry you had to follow-up to get it added. Feel free to let me know on Chatter also, if a listing request is languishing. I check the forums regularly, but often there's a review draft that needs my attention so I sometimes miss a game listing request.

I don't mean to be the whiny type, but... anyone? It's for EmP's Indie contest, if that helps. >_>

Now that I'm wrapping up my review assignments for the week, I should be able to get to my ROTW topics. I should have one up tomorrow night.

Hahahaha! Thanks for the v, EmP! I enjoyed your commentary on my review as well, especially the bit about pilfering your screens. I mean, they were right there begging to be used again. How could I not use them? Congrats to Pick and Jason for winning.

Turns out, I'm by far the best at retro-judging the tardy RotW stuff other people failed to keep up with. Though I did not enter and therefore did not win this particular week of reviews, does this not make me the greatest winner of all?

Yes. Now let's run through some rules.

One review per person (sorry, Joseph) and all bribes openly accepted. See below for this week's top three.

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Third Place
Grand Theft Auto V [360] Jason Venter

Jason Venter – a man with his finger on the pulse of current new gen titles!

It’s a tactic that I’ve come to enjoy from Jason over the years; how he ensures his introductions introduce the kind of gamer he is to the reader. In Disney infinity, he introduces himself as the target audience, so his disappointment in the game is more pronounced. In GTA V, he announces himself as someone who has always been on the fringes of the phenomenon, looking in and wondering what all the fuss is about. Therefore, his admitted affection for the cast and game itself is all the better highlighted. That he was drawn into the game, and played further into the title than he expected is a good indication of personal investment winning over an indifferent party. It’s strong reviewing, but makes the list of negatives seems very petty in comparison. Harsh language and political satire? In my GTA? It’s more likely than you’d think. It’s also makes for a really weak cons paragraph that you start with “Things that make a fellow want to quit”. F-bombs and snide digs against America? It feels like complaining that the rain is wet, and it certainly doesn’t feel like a big enough complaint to make into the review’s leading – and, more damaging, only -- negative. If you’re only going to list one negative about a game, it needs to be more damning than this, or it just comes across as complain about something for the sake of complaining. I think this honestly drags down the entire piece, which is a shame. I’d be very interested to hear yours, Jason, and other people thoughts about this. I can’t decide if this is just an unfortunate oversight or a nice guy Venter moment I can’t get my head around.

Second Place
Mansion of Hidden Souls [SCD] by Pickhut

So, here’s an awkward line:

“…so I guess it's a blessing that Mansion of Hidden Souls barely lasts over an hour your very first try..”

Gibberish/10

Pick attacks the game by offering a summary of its already brief campaign, and does so with an even hand. Yes, the game is made fun of at points, but it’s also given adequate praise when Pick feels it deserves this, highlighting that he’s not just shown up to put the boot in like I totally would have. Maybe he’s mellowing in his old age, but this new ‘fair go’ voice that he seems to be using is growing on me, and by acknowledging that the game has sporadic highs, it adds more weight to the noted lows. I liked the lines about giving up and hitting up a FAQ despite the in game hint system, and for pointing out the abject lack of horror in the horror title. I think I remember this game sitting unsought on the store’s shelf I used to work in, with its 18+ bright red sticker failing to catch anyone’s interest, which was unusual. Seems sometimes the general public have more sense then I give them credit for.

On a sidenote, the Saturn follow up was near the top of my list of wanted games for a long, long time, but I never found it at a price where I was willing to pull the trigger. Bullet dodged – thanks, Pick!

First Place
Silent Hill 3 [PS2] by Joe

Joe’s a mini tourney on his own; trying to decide which of his stuff I liked the most, even before then deciding where to place him within the throngs was a challange. After a lot of thought, I’ve gone with Silent Hill 3, because it’s just a reworded version of mine, which was just a reworded version of Marc’s, which was just a gussied up IM chat between the two of us I feel like it carries his disappointment stronger.

You even use my screens, you bloody hack. The horror film analogy at the start feels apt, because I can agree from experience that the first half is SH3 is horribly off key until you leave the apartment boss battle against Missionary, but you paint that well for the ignorant audience you need assume is reading. The entire point of these sections was to build a relationship with Heather as so then to invest in her revenge quest against the town proper, but it never really pans out. Because these stages are dull. Especially that subway stage which warranted a three paragraph rant from me, but you wrapped up in one. Marc didn’t mention it at all – some authority!. You show a good understanding of the source material, therefore, your dissections on why this outing does not work contains a greater sense of gravity. As such, I declare it the third best SH3 review on site my preferred review of yours that week.

Game: Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage
Platform: PC
Publisher: ORiGO Games
Developer: S-Game
Genre: Action
Release Date: 11/11/13

Added.

Just finished a review for the following.

Title: Volgarr the Viking
Platform: PC
Genre: Action
Developer: Crazy Viking Studios
Publisher: Adult Swim Games (for the Steam release? I'm confused about this)
Release date: 09/13/2013

Added.