When Should A Game Be Episodic?

Image courtesy of TelltaleGames.com

Time is getting shorter for everyone. As technology progresses and entertainment becomes easier to obtain, it becomes much more difficult to portion out time for everything. So it's a natural progression for television shows, which are broken down into episodic chunks, to become more popular since they are easier to digest over small, broken out periods of time. Even games are moving in this direction. The popularity of episodic is on the rise, with talented developers like Telltale Games making engrossing stories that players can pick up over time. However, the trend is starting to move towards games that don't necessarily need this type of broken out form. So when is it right for a game to be episodic?

A Mixed Bag of Puzzles and Mayhem - The MonsterBag Take Your Time Review

Quick Note: The Cartoon Network style graphics hide a simple, yet violent, puzzler. Great for players looking to play something in quick bursts or those who enjoy puzzles, but be ready for the difficulty spike with the last few levels.   

Despite what many fans (and detractors) may think about the lack of big titles on Sony's handheld, the PS Vita is the perfect playground for smaller, independent games that are great for pick up and play sessions. MonsterBag joins this pantheon of games that fit so well on the Vita, though it falls just short of the greatness many more before it have reached.

The Light in the Darkness - The Child of Light Take Your Time Review

Quick Note: Between the beautiful painting style graphics and the solid JRPG battle system, Child of Light hits all the right notes for any fan of a JRPG. Plus, it's short play time and simple play style makes this the perfect game for anyone curious in the genre. Child of Light is the perfect JRPG for pretty much anyone.   

My favorite games have always been predominately Japanese RPG's. From starting with Pokemon and moving into Final Fantasy, the turn based battle systems and magical abilities have always been something I have been drawn to. The 90's and early 00's were the golden years for JRPG's, with hundreds of hours worth of great story telling, interesting characters and amazing combat. That all seemed to stop with the last generation. Sure there were a few gems, but the glut of JRPG's seemed to stop, especially with the large franchises like Dragon Quest, which was almost completely absent, and Final Fantasy, which fell down a hole known as Final Fantasy XIII.

To fill in the void, smaller, shorter JRPG's that fit better into a busy schedule have been popping up, and none of them are better than Child of Light. Built by a small team within Ubisoft Montreal, Child of Light takes the traditional story, combat and exploration of JRPG's and makes it fresh and enjoyable again.

Heartfelt History Brought to Life - The Valiant Hearts Take Your Time Review

Quick Note: Old school adventure game steeped in real history, Valiant Hearts is great for anyone looking to relax and learn at the same time. If you're jonesing for deep action and fast paced game play, look elsewhere, but this game is proof of how a fun game can be entertaining to the point you don't even realize you're learning something.   

History is such a large and vast subject that it is so hard to dive into without skipping entire sections of it or glossing over details. So making a game aimed at one specific historical event is a daunting task for any studio. However, Ubisoft Montpellier has pulled it off with Valiant Hearts by focusing on the characters affected by the Great War while presenting the game in such a way that you learn something without even realize you're being taught.

One Has Walked Through Mordor - The Shadow of Mordor Take Your Time Review

Quick Note: Shadow of Mordor feels like the first true next generation game. The story is interesting and the lore deep, but the excellent combat and unique Nemesis system really brings the game to life. If you like open world games and combo heavy combat, look no further than this gorgeous game.  

Ever since Peter Jackson's films The Lord of the Rings franchise has become infused in main stream audience. Any large fantasy film or TV series has been compared to it, and with good reason. With so much face time, it's interesting that the franchise can't seem to nail video games. Too many of them try to be like the books/movies, which often leads to fans having their hearts broken because the games just can't live up to the original source material. By crafting an original piece using the lore and world of The Lord of the Rings, it seems that Monolith Productions and WB have nailed the perfect balance of crafting a story that will cater to fans expectations without living in the shadow of the source material and make a great action game. 

Nintendo, Please Bring SNES Games to the 3DS Virtual Store

Will this only be a fantasy? Image courtesy of Primagames.com

I have held off for quite some time on buying a Nintendo 3DS. There wasn't anything wrong with the 3DS per se, but there wasn't a truly compelling reason to buy one other than Pokemon Y and X when they released. I like Mario just fine and I'm interested in trying out some other games, such as Bravely Default and Kingdom Hearts 3D, but for the longest time the PS Vita simply had the games I wanted to play. It still does. I can count on two hands the games I want to play on 3DS, yet I need to setup a spreadsheet for all the PS Vita games I can't wait to play. 

That being said, I've finally snapped. I picked up the New Nintendo 3DS in New Red, and I am a big fan. The screen size is nice. The hardware feels solid and playing Pokemon in 3D for the first time on a handheld literally took my breath away. But there is one glaring misstep that I can not let go of when it comes to the 3DS: The Virtual Console.

Game Length Does Not Drive A Game's Price, Ever

Image courtesy of NEOGaf.

Over the weekend, on Valentine's Day, a YouTube account leaked 16 videos that made up a complete walkthrough for Sony's newest exclusive, The Order: 1886, which will be out this Friday. The total running time for these videos combines at around 5 hours. This leak has kicked off an angry and vitriolic conversation across the web as to whether or not this game should be a full blown, $60 title. So that begs the question: Does play time really amount to the price of a game? 

Square Enix Wants Developers for Old Franchises, Including Gex and Fear Effect

Image courtesy of Wikipedia.

Square Enix has become quite a juggernaut over the years, picking up developers like Crystal Dynamics to increase the company's game library. Now, the publisher/developer is looking for help developing some of it's older franchises. 

Apple is Increasing Game Size Limit

Image courtesy of iTunes.

Apple will doubling the size of games for iOS, which is great news for gamers.

Reports Emerging That Apple is Rejecting Games With Gun Imagery

Image courtesy of Kotaku

Apple is cracking down on gun imagery on the App Store by denying approval for games that have guns in the logo or screenshots to display on the App Store.

Everquest Developer Laying Off Large Number of Staff

Image courtesy of Forbes.com

Earlier this month we learned that Sony is selling off Sony Entertainment Online, which includes developers behind H1Z1 and Everquest. Today, information has surfaced that developer Daybreak, formerly SOE, will be laying off a large portion of it's staff.

Familiar Places With New Faces Makes Episode 2 of Telltale's Game of Thrones Worth The Play

Quick Note: Episode Two ups the action in increases the interactive portions of the game, but suffers from stilted pacing issues. That being said, the new characters are really starting to fit in with the old and Episode Two continuous to ramp the tension up perfectly. 

Months have passed and the second episode of Telltale Game's Game of Thrones series is finally out. Though shorter than the first episode, the brisk pace and great characterization really help make Episode Two feel more like a Game of Thrones episode while also keeping players more engaged with the world.

Netflix is Working on A Legend of Zelda Series

Image courtesy of VG247

For years fans have been clamoring for a good, live action television or movie version of The Legend of Zelda series, and up until today, there has been little hope that it would ever happen. However, it looks as though Nintendo is teaming up with Netflix to make gamer's dreams come true.

Q*Bert is Making It's Return to Gaming With Q*Bert Rebooted

Image courtesy of PS Blog.

Q*Bert, the famous old school puzzle game, is coming to PlayStation platforms.

Halo 5: Guardians to Change With Beta Feedback

Image courtesy of 343 Industries blog.

Halo 5: Guardians beta has been over for a while, but today developer 343 Industries revealed some interesting stats, as well as explaining some of the changes coming from the beta and user feedback.

Atlus Shows Off Persona 5 Gameplay With New Trailer

Image courtesy of Megami Tensei Wiki.

This week has been full of Persona information as Atlus continues it's stream of various Persona games, but the biggest news comes in the form of a brand new trailer for Persona 5.

Sony Sells Off Sony Online Entertainment, Along With Game Franchises

Image courtesy of WIkipedia

As of today, Sony Online Entertainment is no more. Sony has sold off the studio/publisher to investment firm Columbus Nova for an undisclosed amount of money.

Sega Restructuring; Moving Focus to PC and Mobile Games

Image courtesy of SEGA.com

SEGA is downsizing it's American branch and moving the branch from it's current location in San Francisco to Southern California, according to the president and COO of SEGA of America John Cheng.

February Holds Ancient Greek and Sci-Fi Futuristic Adventures for PlayStation Plus Members

Today the PlayStation Plus games for the month of February, and they include the titular follow up to inFAMOUS Second Son.  

Sony Teams with Spotify for PlayStation Music

Image courtesy of PS Blog.

Sony is closing down it's Music Unlimited service in exchange for a brand new program: PlayStation Music. But Sony won't be doing it alone, as the company announced today that Sony will partner with Spotify to create the online music program.