Forums > Contributor Zone > Review of the Week Sept. 16 - 22: When life hands you demons, make demonade.

I wanted to have this one Tuesday night, but life kept getting in the way. I've been delayed constantly for a wide variety of reasons, ranging from "I need to play a game for an upcoming review" to "One of my friends hasn't been heard from for a while, and someone needs to check on her" (she's fine, thankfully)... At least I got to watch some nice horror movies.

Boar was a decent throwback to the Aussie movie Razorback. Really, it's more of a modernized version of that film, except with Nathan Jones in a major role. Boar is a bloody, albeit by-the-books natural horror affair, one that's kinda fun to watch with a few brews. However, it's nothing spectacular (it also has Bill Moseley and John Jarratt, which is a plus).

Spring is one of the few romantic horror movies I've enjoyed. It features a man who loses both of his parents and gets in trouble with the law, resulting in him taking a vacation to Italy. Once there, he meets with a mysterious woman who occasionally transforms into a monster against her control. Instead of running scared, he sticks with her and attempts to either find a cure or see their relationship to its possibly bitter end. It's a pretty well directed piece, and one that's not all blood, guts and tension all the time.

I rewatched Slumber Party Massacre, only because I've forgotten what happened in that movie. It's an okay slasher, I just wish they had stuck with the original idea to make it a parody of slashers instead. The second movie seems to be more balls-out comedy, so I'll have to actually watch it.

Finally, Mirror, Mirror is a pretty predictable Carrie knockoff, except with a demon-possessed mirror in lieu of psychokinetic abilities. A goth girl gets picked on by the preps in her school, while the creature dwelling in her antique mirror manages to literally seduce her (like, there's a scene where she makes out with the mirror). It occasionally goes out of its way to maim and kill her tormentors in a variety of ways, including stabbing them with broken glass or scalding them to death with hot steam. Eventually, the girl becomes a mere pawn of the monster, and her only friend seeks to stop the thing and hopefully liberate her. The most astonishing thing about this movie is that it has three sequels, one of which marked the debut of actor Mark Ruffalo (Mirror, Mirror II: Raven Dance). I've read that they get progressively worse with each installment, so I'll likely be skipping those nightmares.

Enough rambling, time for judgment:

Emp - Interstellar Space: Genesis
This is a good review that could use another once over, because there are rough patches throughout it (extra words, typos and the occasional phrase that could use some smoothing over). The intro is also a bit long, but does a fine job of communicating your passion for the 4X genre--one category that constantly beats me senseless and intimidates me. The best part about this review is you give us a rundown of your playthrough while deftly detailing its main features. It makes for a compelling read, especially for someone like me who doesn't play many strategy games. It's like I can experience the game without actually playing it.

Honestgamer - Island Maze
Puzzle reviews are usually like "here are the mechanics and the features... it's a functional game, so it's okay/good. Bye then." This one doesn't fall into that category, thankfully, and allows you to give some due criticism to its flaws. Your take on gating is sound, as its a mechanic not everyone is going to enjoy it. You give the game some other great criticisms that let everyone know this isn't a very good puzzle game, because most of them are functional and it's difficult to actually bring any good well thought out complaints against them. Well done!

Vgc2000 - Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
A fairly good review and rundown of a mediocre game, though it relies on the reader knowing about The Lost Vikings. You do a decent job describing the game, but you don't really bring up stage design much, aside from level themes. I know the game is repetitive, but what kind of obstacles are we facing here? Otherwise, this review gets the job done well, remains to the point and doesn't overstay its welcome.


THIRD PLACE
Pickhut - Bouncing Hero
This review captured the frustration, insanity and entertainment of the game very well. I came out of it knowing exactly what to expect of this product, and understood why it's at least a decent title. This one's quick and to the point, plus it also gives excellent examples for just how hectic it can be. I don't have any major crits for this one, really, so terrific work!

SECOND PLACE
Honestgamer - Untitled Goose Game
This review is great because it paints probably the clearest picture of how the game is played, and is backed up with excellent examples. I'm glad I got to have a little taste of what this game offers without getting a full, spoiler-ridden rundown. Also, it's not another "functional, so good/okay" puzzle game review, but one that reinforces the notion of relaxing mechanics and rewarding mayhem.

REVIEW OF THE WEEK
Overdrive - Din's Legacy
I tried to play this game antecedent, Din's Curse, and ended up giving up on it way early because it reminded me too much of Fate (although Fate is really a super dumbed-down hack 'n slash, and far below what Curse offered). This review may have inspired me to at least give Curse another try, and maybe play Legacy while I'm at it. Anyway, much like EmP's review, this is written in an enjoyable, semi-blog format that gives you details while also recounting experiences from your playthrough. I dig that, because it provides a clear picture of what to expect from the game without anally describing all of the little mechanics nuances. Good stuff!

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That's all I got.

The only thing my milkshake brings to the yard is a subpoena.

YEEEAAAAAAHHHHHH! Thanks for the win. Good to occasionally pick one up now and again. Makes me feel like I STILL GOT IT!!!

It was a good week for competition, too. I'd read a couple of the others submitted for this week and liked them, so I figured it'd be a tough one to place in, let alone win.

I'm not afraid to die because I am invincible
Viva la muerte, that's my goddamn principle

Thanks for the topic and critiques, Joe, and I'm glad your friend is okay. Good job snagging another win, overdrive, and thanks to all who made this another tough week to place!

"Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." - John F. Kennedy on reality

"What if everything you see is more than what you see--the person next to you is a warrior and the space that appears empty is a secret door to another world? What if something appears that shouldn't? You either dismiss it, or you accept that there is much more to the world than you think. Perhaps it really is a doorway, and if you choose to go inside, you'll find many unexpected things." - Shigeru Miyamoto on secret doors to another world2

Thanks for the placement! It's the first review I touched in nearly a month, so I was a little bit rusty, so glad you liked it. Congrats to OD's RotW nab and everyone else for participating this week!

I head spaceshit noises.