100 Word Review - #T22 - Ninja Reflex: Steamworks Edition

Not so much testing your reflexes as much
 as your patience in some cases.

Ninja Reflex: Steamworks Edition

Genre - Casual, Indie

Metascore - 57%

Developer - Sanzaru Games

Other Games by Developer - N/A

Tom's Playtime - 1.4 hours

If this is what it takes to be a ninja then I should've been sneaking my way across the city years ago. Ninja Reflex is exhaustively a collection of six mini-games controlled with the mouse, each vaguely mimicking a weapon or technique stereotypically associated with ninjas. While the gameplay itself is solid and competent, there isn't much replay value as it's all the same games but harder and the only reason I've clocked up so much time is to play it in 10 minute sessions every few days or so, which keeps it fresh enough to not become mind-numbingly tedious.

Tom's Score - 5/10

100 Word Review - #39 - Microsoft Flight

I'd make an awesome pilot.

Microsoft Flight

Genre - Free to Play, Casual, Simulation

Metascore - 66%

Developer - Microsoft Studios

Other Games by Developer - N/A

My Playtime - 1.8 hours

The gameplay of the Microsoft Flight Simulator games hasn’t changed much in almost 10 years – take off, fly, land. They have now included missions and geocache hunts, of which there are new ones added every week. There isn’t much content in the base game, with only 5 missions and 2 planes, although more can be added through some rather pricey DLC. Some of the visuals are terrible even at the highest settings (see screenshot), and as there isn’t much to do while flying in a straight line for 15 minutes apart from messing around, you do tend to notice this often.

My Score - 5/10

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 - #29 - Sideway™ New York

The constantly shifting PoV can get old pretty fast.

Sideway™ New York

Genre - Adventure, Indie

Metascore - 71%

Developer - Playbrains

Other Games by Developer - Madballs in Babo:Invasion

My Current Playtime - 0.8 hours

‘Sideway^TM’ is a game that I was really looking forward to playing from the moment I saw the gameplay trailer. The graphics looked great, the gameplay looked interesting and it looked like an all-round fun platformer. After playing it, however, the graphics and the point-of-view shifting game mechanics get a bit much, sometimes even downright confusing. The ‘hip-hop’ soundtrack, which I admit is not my cup of tea, seemed weak and repetitive. The keyboard control scheme leaves a lot to be desired, so it’s another gamepad necessary game. Despite these flaws, ‘Sideway^TM’ is a passable, yet highly polished indie game.

My Score - 5/10

100 Word Review - #20 - inMomentum

There's a reason this game has an epilepsy warning

inMomentum

Genre - Racing, Indie

Metascore - 62%

Developer - Digital Arrow

Other Games by Developer - N/A

My Current Playtime - 0.8 hours

My head hurts, and I’m sure it’s from playing this game. It’s not often I’ll start by mentioning the visuals, but they’re just so completely mental. ‘InMomentum’s single player is a fast-paced run through an area with floating platforms, as you collect gems to open the exit gate. It kind of reminds me of the time trial levels from ‘Mirror’s Edge’. The multiplayer takes the form of a multi-lap race with awesome power-ups. The game isn’t helped by the awkward control scheme, switching the usual controls for shooting and jumping. And when do you ever use the ‘Alt’ key? Seriously...

My Score - 5/10

100 Word Review - #17 - From Dust

I made this lovely river all by myself!

From Dust

Genre - Simulation, Adventure

Metascore - 76%

Developer - Ubisoft Montpellier

Other Games by Developer - N/A

My Current Playtime - 2 hours

In ‘From Dust’ you are a deity that has the ability to pick up sand, water and lava to manipulate your surroundings in order to allow your followers to make settlements and move to the next area. You work against persistent tidal waves and volcanic eruptions that make this game just too hard too early on. In the end, I just started to mess around with the environment, changing the paths of rivers and whatnot – this was a lot more fun. It’s like a cross between ‘Lemmings’, ‘Black and White’ and ‘Sim Earth’, but nowhere near as good as either.

My Score - 5/10

100 Word Review - #K6 - Toki Tori

 Probably really good as a commute timewaster

Toki Tori

Genre - Indie, Casual

Metascore - 80%

Developer - Two Tribes

Other Games by Developer - EDGE, RUSH

Kris' Current Playtime - 3 hours

This is a game that I bought one day because I was bored and it was very cheap. I didn't really expect much out of it and to be honest it isn't going to be winning an innovation awards any time soon. Having said that, it does add a new dimension to what is essentially Sokoban puzzles. It's quite good for whiling away some time but I think is better suited to the platform of it's roots; mobile. Having this game on Game Boy Colour or your iPhone makes sense. Your super beefy gaming rig PC however? Not so much.

Kris' Score - 5/10

100 Word Review - #K4 - VVVVVV

8-bit retro style never gets old for me

VVVVVV

Genre - Action, Indie

Metascore - 81%

Developer - Terry Cavanagh

Other Games by Developer - N/A

Kris' Current Playtime - 0.8 hours (on Steam)


I orignally played this as a flash demo and fully enjoyed it without realising that it would become a full (although both short and long) game. This is another one of those "twitch" platformers that rewards you for bouncing through obstacles for 5 screens without going wrong. The game is short because the world isn't particularly large. At the same time the game is lengthened by the fact that you end up repeating sections over and over. I don't mind a challenge in a game but for me there was too much of the "try, fail, try" playtime stretcher.

Kris' Score - 5/10

100 Word Review - #T4 - Jolly Rover

Nowhere near as likeable as Guybrush either...

Jolly Rover

Genre – Adventure, Casual, Indie

Metascore – 71%

Developer – Brawsome

Other Games by Developer – N/A

Tom's Current Playtime – 2.2 hours

As an adventure game, you have to count yourself very lucky to not be compared with 'Monkey Island'. Unfortunately for 'Jolly Rover', it's trying to be Monkey Island so hard that the comparison is very easy to make, and it does not come out favourably. As far as the genre is concerned, 'Jolly Rover' is par for the course, with the closest thing to a unique selling point being the magic spells you can perform at arbitrary intervals. 'Jolly Rover' is adequate at best, not delivering anything groundbreaking and it didn't manage to compel me enough to actually finish it.

Tom's Score – 5/10