Tags
3DS games, adventure games, Blackwell Convergence, Blackwell Deception, Blackwell Epiphany, Blackwell series, Blackwell Unbound, first person shooter, games i have recently played, Majora's Mask, pc games, Phoenix Wright, point and click, Professor Layton, Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, Sniper Elite V2, video games
Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (3DS)
I really like both the Profesor Layton and Phoenix Wright series (serieses?), though I guess I’ve been playing Phoenix Wright games longer. Games with good stories are always more enjoyable, and I did like the combination of games entertaining. It’s been a while since I experienced the courtroom drama of Phoenix Wright, and the familiarity of it was nice. The puzzles in the game were pretty good, though I wished there were more. I think that this game was made for people who are fans of both series (serieses??), since there aren’t really any more of either to play (there is a new Phoenix Wright game on the 3DS eshop, so I may pick it up, I just worry that my 3DS doesn’t have the room for it). All in all, I enjoyed it.
Blackwell Unbound (PC)
In my first post, I wrote about the Blackwell Epiphany, a point and click mystery-adventure game. This is the first sequel, and it goes back to New York City in the 1970s, where you play as Roseangela’s aunt, Lauren. Lauren is a different character than Rosa, and it makes for a different feeling for the game. Lauren is tougher and angrier at her lot – she doesn’t seem to want to work with Joey to help spirits move on, but she’s resigned to it. The story is interesting, and this game can actually be played independently of the first. This game introduces the mysterious Countess, as well as the mechanic of switching characters, so you can play as both Joey and Lauren. This game is where my obsession with the Blackwell series began.
Blackwell Convergence (PC)
This is the third game in the Blackwell series, and I think one of my favourite games featuring Rosa. Rosa is still a fresh spirit guide, and her world remains fairly small. The story carries forward from Blackwell Unbound, and you have to face the Countess again, as a ghost this time. The graphics in this part were improved over the prior games, and appear more multidimensional. The story this time has many layers, and it’s not always apparent what you have to do next. The game also expanded on the switching characters mechanic, allowing for more interesting puzzles. I enjoyed this game too as an interlude for what was to come in the next two.
Blackwell Deception (PC)
I did not like Blackwell Deception as much as the others. I suppose it’s where the story gets going, but I would have liked more episodes before things really got crazy. I liked the ‘casual’ style of the previous games. What I also liked about how the games carried through to each other is through the emails and messages you have from characters from previous games, which mostly give a realistic aftermath to what Rosa does (trespassing and asking difficult and rude questions). I also feel like the character graphics were downgraded – Rosa looks oddly skinny and lacks detail. I’d have liked for more explanation of the finale of the story, or the mechanism of how it worked, but it wasn’t the case.
Blackwell Epiphany
What I have to say at first about the Blackwell Epiphany is that it is a very pretty game. They have put a lot of effort into the appearance of the characters and backgrounds in order to evoke a certain mood. I almost did not buy this game as it was pricier than the others (which came in a bundle), but after finishing the Blackwell Convergence, I decided I wanted to see it through. I did not know it at the time, but the Blackwell Epiphany is the last game in the series. Again, I would have rather had some more episodic content, but them’s the breaks. The game is deeper than it was before, and I’d say more difficult in a way. The stakes are higher, and the twist is interesting and understandable (in terms of motivation), but I feel that the game rushes to its conclusion after that point, and the pace is not very good. I enjoyed the first part of the game as much as my other favourites in the series. I liked how Rosa became a stronger character and grew and accepted what she had to do. I suppose it’s a good enough conclusion, with a hard ending that doesn’t allow for more expansion, but I would have liked to see more.
Sniper Elite V2 (PC, Co op)
So I’ve been occasionally playing the co op campaign of Sniper Elite V2 with my friend Daniel online. It’s fun enough, though a little bit buggy. Ok, a fair bit buggy. You get to play as a LONE WOLF AMERICAN SNIPER type guy WHO WINS THE ENTIRE SECOND WORLD WAR WAR ON HIS OWN, though in Co op, player two gets to be an inexplicable bald man. I’m pretty crap at it to be honest, though when I do make a good shot, the animation where it follows the bullet into the guy is a little startling. I really like playing co op games like this, though it’s sometimes hard to find the time, and it’s hard to know which games are good. Since I got Sniper Elite V2 for free sometime last year, I can’t really complain too much about it. I suppose had I paid the retail price ($32.99 right now), I’d probably be more irritable about its flaws. All in all, it’s a good way to spend a weekend afternoon.
Anyways, my Majora’s Mask copy arrived on Monday and I’ve been obsessing over it since, so I’m going to go hide under the covers and play it til dawn.
Em out