MediaBlog by www.Dee-London.com

Well, it’s not a video game, but it’s something much more unusual- that’s a web browser based strategy MMO (sort of):
www.Ikariam.org
The gameplay mechanics are obviously inspired by Age of Empire. Surprisingly, graphics look even better than the first AOE, though it doesn’t use neither Flash nor other plugins- that’s a purely HTML based game. On top of that you’re competing and/or interacting with other real players. That said, I should warn that the game is not any action or real time strategy game- it’s more like a distraction during a busy day (like emails).
The bottom line is that I was amazed by the nearly-genius concept and positively surprised by the presentation quality.

Ratchet & Clunk: Tools of Destruction (PS3) review

That’s an absolutely brilliant game! Mind you, it’s neither a platformer nor a “childish” game. It’s definitely an epic space adventure. Sci-Fi lovers will appreciate space travels to 18 different locations like planets, asteroid rings and space stations. RPG fans will love the story and exploration. Shooting fans will get a zillion much upgradeable weapons & gadgets. Arty ones will be impressed by visual designs, attention to details and animations. There is something, hmm, a lot for everyone!

Some critics were complaining about variety of game mechanics. Don’t listen to them! This “recipe” is so balanced and tasty that you won’t be able to stop. Dancing a pirate jiggle, devastating enemies with your tornado (literally!), enjoying bird-winged flying with Sixaxis control, finding hidden golden bolts that let you play with different skins, fighting dinosaurs, solving fun puzzles, space battling through asteroid rings, exploring abandoned space stations, experimenting with dozens of weapons in fighting arenas and impressive boss fights- it’s just 1% of what you will find here. What about converting your enemies into penguins? My favourite- throwing a disco ball into a battlefield so all the enemies start dancing! HINT: all bosses dance too! That’s so damn fun!

P.S. Did I mention Pixar level artwork here? :)

Don’t expect hardcore action & challenge here. Instead you will find an atmospheric and stylish adventure.

I will not write about beautiful graphics, interactivity and animations- these are superb and a-must-to-experience! Instead I will share some thoughts after completing the game:

♣ In the beginning I was annoyed by that infamous “story twist”- it ruined the atmosphere for me (though it made all the presentation more logical). In the end that “twist” was more than justified and I became eager for the sequel.
♣ Well, quests seemed to be a bit repetitive (though I wasn’t playing in one sit), but still very pleasing and enjoyable. It’s a shame that I found some of the features only after completing the game- it would make the whole experience much richer.
♣ The ending wasn’t impressive. So it seemed at the first glance. But you are left with option to explore the laboratory- the emails reveal so much about the story and make a solid foundation for a sequel.

HINTS:
♣ Please take your time and browse all the available emails and all the the acquired items (letters, maps, etc) that you can find as attachments
♣ After completing the game, an additional room is unlocked (the always-locked office room that you can see through the glass). And there is one laptop with just 1 email. Read it!

SUMMARY:
It is an atmospheric and very enjoyable game. I didn’t play it in a stealth way neither I did find any real challenges, but that didn’t make this experience less worth the time. In the end, it felt like a good historical adventure BOOK :)

Don’t be put off by the graphics, because the game itself is a gem of creativity, atmosphere and brilliant acting!

First of all, that’s a different sort of game- it is not a pure shooter, because of the weapons (Powers of The Darkness plus, well, all the usual stuff like shotguns, pistols and machine guns). It has RPG elements. Voice acting is terrific!- as well as animations.

Let me put it straight- this game is difficult to describe. But one word would round it all- creativeness. Even the side quests are really fun to complete, not talking about the main storyline which kept me glued to the game.

I highly recommend this game for those who like “different shooters”, good story, atmosphere and some unexpected locations (spoiler: like hell or haunted house)

P.S. There’s a comics book “The Darkness Ultimate Collection” that was released after the game. I recommend this one as well :)

[Edited]
There are rumours that The Darkness sequel is in development. Can’t wait for it!

It’s my first DMC, and it’s my love from the first spoon! That’s more than just a game- that’s the experience.
♣  It’s very, very artistic. The environments is masterpiece of texturing. The graphic designs are so inspired that I often stop playing just to watch around
♣  Character animations are amazing!
♣  Doing combos is so satisfying that the fights never get repetitive- you just want more & more of that
♣  The cutscenes are top notch- like proper 3D animated films
♣  The storyline is very good and touching
♣  Lasting appeal? Well, I’m pretty damn sure that I’ll re-play this game once more (at least). Or at least, it’s impossible to forget it :)
♣  Difficulty. I can’t say how difficult game is on a proper difficulty level, but playing on Human is not too difficult (and recommended for novices :P). So don’t be scared by hardcore fans’ talks about how punishing the game could be. Just take it easy and play the recommended difficulty level.

Though, there are 2 minor negative points:
♣  Camera switches between fixed and controlled modes without warning. But I got used to that and it didn’t annoy anymore
♣  The graphics are gorgeous. However, the graphic engine isn’t flawless
♣  Few puzzles are unfair, so feel free to read some walk-throughs :)

The bottom line is that it’s one of the best games on all platforms and it easily stands in one line with the best games like Gears of War (one of my most favourite games ever)- it’s damn artistic and addictive!