100 Word Review - #S5 - Rock of Ages

Nothing can stop the rock

Rock of Ages

Genre - Action, Racing, Indie, Strategy

Metascore - 74%

Developer - ACE Team

Other Games by Developer - Zeno Clash

Stef's Playtime - 4 hours

Marble Madness meets Tower Defence, ACE Team clearly didn't want this title to be pigeon holed. Set up your defences of elephants, catapults, fans and explosive barrels, then roll your boulder down a winding hill towards the enemy's gate while avoiding their defences. Each run allows you and your enemy to add more defences which makes each attempt that bit harder. The very colourful and Monty Python-esque art style really complements this wacky title. RoA is not a game to sit and play for hours but it's great fun to pick up once in a while for a quick roll.

Stef's Score - 7/10

100 Word Review - #S4 - Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter

By the end you may have quite a strong relationship
with your quick save and quick load keys

Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter

Genre - Action

Metascore - 68%

Developer - Croteam

Other Games by Developer - Serious Sam 2, Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter

Stef's Playtime - 9.6 hours

SSHD:TFE is an FPS from a time before chest high walls were invented - your primary method of not getting killed is to run around in a circle and dodge incoming bullets... and lasers... and bulls... and lava! The action can go from calm to incredibly frantic in a instant when 100 enemies suddenly spawn out of nowhere, completely surrounding you. Some of the later fights are hard to the point that they actually feel unfair but finally clearing a difficult room is extremely satisfying. If you find the single player a bit dull there is always the sixteen(!) player co-op mode.

Stef's Score - 6/10

100 Word Review - #S3 - Sol Survivor

Who replaced the laser with a spotlight?

Sol Survivor

Genre - Strategy, Indie

Metascore - 75%

Developer - Cadenza Interactive

Other Games by Developer - N/A

Stef's Playtime - 7.8 hours

Sol Survivor is one of the first tower defence games to get a retail release I am aware of, and while the strategy aspect is sound something just doesn't seem right. The weapons just don't feel like they have any "oomph!". Even the orbital laser cannon feels like a laser pen instead of a WMD. A lacklustre soundtrack doesn't help either. I think the best way to describe this game is "competent but bland". I did enjoy the challenge of fending off waves of creeps but a complete lack of atmosphere really stopped me from getting drawn in. Decidedly average.

Stef's Score - 5/10

100 Word Review - #S2 - Super Meat Boy

Challenging does not even begin to
describe this game

Super Meat Boy

Genre - Casual, Indie

Metascore - 87%

Developer - Team Meat

Other Games by Developer - N/A

Stef's Playtime - 33.7 hours



Super Meat Boy is by no means an original concept in the slightest, but it's polish and charm is enough to make this 2D run and jump platformer stand out. In case you're fed up with easy games SMB is hard... REALLY hard and you will die a lot. Frustration is often converted to elation when you complete the particularly tricky levels. The controls are tight and the platforming flows really well, this along with instant respawns keeps the frustration from getting to controller snapping levels. With 300+ levels in the main game, SMB will keep you entertained for hours.

Stef's Score - 8/10 

100 Word Review - #S1 - Magicka

Remember... don't cross the streams!

Magicka

Genre - RPG, Action

Metascore - 74%

Developer - Arrowhead Game Studios

Other Games by Developer - N/A

Stef's Playtime - 24.8 hours

At first glance 'Magicka' looks like another 'Diablo' clone. But while gameplay is comparable, don't be fooled. Magicka is one of the most original games I have played in recent years. Spells are made by combining up to five elements together or by casting "Magicks" with specific elemental combinations. There is a steep learning curve but it's quite satisfying once you've got your head around the vast number of spell casting combinations. Multiplayer is where this game really shines. With four wizards casting different spells things get hectic. If you're after something different but also challenging I'd strongly recommend 'Magicka'.

Stef's Score - 8/10