Recent reviews by Kriptini

Psychonauts is critically-acclaimed for its narrative, and it's easy to see why. The characters are appropriately lovable and hilarious, and there isn't a single moment where a player wouldn't enjoy their interactions. From a gameplay standpoint, Psychonauts is nothing terribly special; it's 3D platformer-adventure game with a fair share of exploring, puzzle solving, and boss battles, which is a lot of fun barring the exception of a couple frustrating platforming-related problems. Seriously though, Psychonauts is incredibly hilarious, tons of fun, and while maybe not the most graphically-blessed game, is a great experience no matter what type of gamer you are.

It's hard to write a game review for The Stanley Parable because I'm not sure that it's even a game. At its best, it's a witty - though pedantic - narrative that criticises common video game tropes in an environment that is mildly intriguing. At its worst, (and it is often at its worst) it's a boring walk through a drab office building with an incessant narrator and the only motivation to keep playing comes from the possibility that there -might- be something actually interesting behind the next door. There are times when the game can be genuinely funny, but for the most part, you'll be sitting through the experience (and I use that term lightly) with a straight face. The game is structured around giving you different choices throughout the plot (another term I use lightly) that will drastically change the story depending on what you do, but none of these choices actually feels satisfying and although that's sort of the entire point of the game, it's not worth paying $15 for. If you absolutely HAVE to know what happens, just watch a playthrough on YouTube and save your money.

One of the most popular game series of all time, Bioshock definitely lives up to its hype. Combining elements of the adventure and FPS genres seamlessly, Bioshock delivers exciting gameplay as well as a gripping dark narrative. While the engine definitely feels old compared to modern shooter games, I'd say that Bioshock as a whole will withstand the test of time and will be able to be enjoyed for decades as much as it was enjoyed when it was originally released in 2007.

It's one of those games where you load a song into it and you get a different level depending on which song you used (think Audiosurf). The main difference is that, while games like Audiosurf have a kind of gameplay that complements the music you're listening to for maximum enjoyment, Beat Hazard doesn't always hit that mark. I definitely would not recommend this game for the PC, but if you really want to play it, try picking up the Android version, which is much more enjoyable.

Absolutely beautiful game. Good storytelling, immersive gameplay, fantastic engine, this is what all parkour platformers should aspire to be. Depending on the difficulty setting, you can play through it completely relaxed and in an awesome state of zen or give yourself a good challenge. Regardless of who you are or what games you like, you need to give this game a try. When you feel the "flow," you'll fall in love with this game.

An interesting 2D puzzle game that also incorporates a fair bit of action in it. It's also got a really nice sense of humor, a level editor, and an awesome soundtrack. The more creative you are, the more fun this game is.

An incredible hybrid of the adventure and puzzle genres that's both challenging and extremely fun. The best way I can describe it is as a mashup of Doom's level system combined with Portal's mechanics. It's really awesome, and an amazing value for the price. Buy this game.

Quirky and funny at times, but extremely short and extremely limited gameplay. About fifteen minutes into it, the gimmick is over tired and the only motivation one can feel to keep playing is to see how the (lakcluster) story ends. Would not recommend.

It's a super simple arcade-style game where you rotate a triangle around a hexagon to dodge incoming walls. It's super fun and the best part is that no matter how much you suck when you start playing, you WILL get better as you practice more.

But don't play it if you have epilepsy.

UPDATE: This review is out-dated. Take it with a grain of salt. Maybe a pitcher of salt.

Rift is, in a sentence, the best hardcore fantasy MMORPG on the market. It's challenging, artistically stunning, and offers everything you could want in your hardcore MMORPG experience. The diversity of the soul system ensures that your character is never pidgeonholed into a single role; Clerics of other MMORPGS might be restricted to healing, but in Rift, they can heal, DPS, and tank if they so desire. The only thing your character is restricted to is a "calling," but within each "calling" are 9 classes, and at any given time, you can multi-class up to three of them. While it has little to offer in the way of players who enjoy casual or fluff gaming, Rift is truly the #1 hardcore MMORPG of this decade.