AltecApollyon: This Week's Gaming

Been playing alot of this and that this week, since I will only be working part time over the summer. On the iphone 'Pocket RPG' has provided that action-on-the-go kick, along with 'Carcassonne,' alot of it - and that satisfies my gaming-with-friends cravings.

A friend loaned me Max Payne 3 this week, and I've played the first five or so chapters, it's on the Xbox 360 and I can't remember what single-player game I played last on that console (*sob*)

Other than that, I've poked around in 'Poker Night 2' from Telltale Games, which I completely suck at but somehow keep playing, a few hours into a strange indie game 'Capsule' and have now sunk over 10 hours into 'XCOM: Enemy Unknown.'

Zen Bound 2

Zen Bound 2 is a well made, great looking game - if you want to spend your time on your iphone twisting a virtual rope around a three dimensional wooden block....relaxing...sure, but not for me. 

But I'd recommend it...to my mom maybe...

I think again it was the concept that got me, I hadn't heard of anything similar and so I was interested to give it a try. I had just got my iphone and wanted to see what "console specific" games they had on there, especially ones that were making obvious use of the touchscreen.

Monotaur

Monotaur is easy to explain - using tilt-controls gobble up the dots to get a highscore, when your little monotaur is black he can eat black dots and (after a quick tap) he changes to white and then you can eat white dots, but touch a dot while dressed in the wrong colour and FATALITY! Got it? It's like so many other games using the colour-mechanic of Ikaruga.

It's free and it's 8 MB so it's a definite keeper for me. 

It's a pretty good mechanic that keeps gameplay simple and yet rewarding. It's not quite Super Hexagon, but I would really like to see this game on the big screen. Actually, I am playing it at the moment on my iphone now and again, but I think I'll put it on my ipad, it seems better suited.

Pocket RPG

Pocket RPG

I downloaded this the other day because it was free (normally its €4.50 I think) and didn't think much of it - how good could it be? It's probably full of IAPs - for gold and health potions....

But it's not. No IAPs at all - but it's also not an RPG, it's more hack-n-slash à la Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance than Skyrim. That's not a complaint - I'm having fun hacking away and upgrading my character (although you can only do that after you're done a quest, and then when you start another quest you lose your EQ it seems for some reason) unfortunately it's really easy - but maybe that's just the beginning....

The graphics are awesome - they're colorful and sharp and the controls work well. Ill definitely keep it for a while and see where it goes.

Spell Sword (iOS)

I started this game once and didn't get it. I thought it was a side-scrolling platformer, I loved the art style and wanted to play but I was too confused...then I tried it again the other day and loved it. Maybe there was an update inbetween or something - or maybe my brain got an update. Whatever. You're this guy with a magic sword that battles waves and waves of enemies. Think Halo-Firefight but mixed with Super Smash Bros. The magic of your sword is activated by cards you have to collect on the map. This keeps you from camping in one spot. There are different maps to play on, but I think only 4? You gather rupees and spend them to upgrade the potency and duration of the magic, and your equipment (hat, ring, necklace) - the controls are great, attack and double jump. It doesnt get more complicated then that - but you can go to options and controls to move the buttons around - and their sizes to customize your controller experience. There's an IAP but it's quite playable without it. This is a keeper. Get it.

ps. I want this on my OUYA.....PLEEEASSSEEEE (with local multiplayer, online-multiplayer /ghostruns, item trading & 2 more levels......thanks.)

My Beef With Xbox Live

So I have been an Xbox Live member for about 4 years now I think (off the top of my head) and now finally there are some rewards for being a gold member, the free 2 gold games. However, when I went to download Fable 3 the first game offered, I was not able to. This goes back to when I created my account somehow, and I still do not understand how, my account is registered as a Canadian account hence, because I live in Germany, my IP was not granted permission to download Fable 3, which isn't the main issue as I can see that and I am sure that tat could have been settled over the phone. If only the issue were so minor. When I signed back in on Friday last week the Free 2 Gold offer panel had a new addition on my Xbox. "you are expiring, renew your gold" now here is the issue that has me ranting and frankly extremely disappointed at the customer service. I can no longer even open the window although I have gold for the time being. How incredibly money-hungry is that? I have been a paying customer for 4 years and now just because I have not yet renewed my gold I cannot download the games. In fact I cannot even open the panel it takes me to a gold offer. If it wasn't for the fact that I am moving across the globe and would like a way to keep gaming with my brothers I would seriously consider backing out of gold permanently. Incredibly disappointing Xbox.

Impossible Pixel and the Fate of Destiny (iOS)

Pixely speedruns? I up for that, at least on my phone.... but look at the size of those buttons! They cover half the screen.... couldn't they just have decided that the right side of the screen is jump? hide the button? Shrink those left and right arrows, down, make then JUST arrows and about 80% transparent!? You can do better for a jump and run game on the iOS.....deleted.