Darkseed

Developer: Cyberdreams
Publisher: Cyberdreams

Launched in the same year as the first Alone in the Dark, Darkseed was considered at the time one of the scariest games ever made and though the game seems to have faded into relative obscurity, it still ranked 7 on Gametrailers' 'Top 10 scariest games ever'.

So, do I think the game is scary? I'd have to say 'meh', it's got some nice ideas and concepts and the visual designs by H.R. Giger (the man who designed the aliens in Riddley Scott's movies) are pretty unsettling, but truth be told, I never found the man's art particularly scary, unsettling yes, but not scary, anyway I'm getting off-track here.

You begin the game as Mike Dawson, a successful writer with an awesome 80's pornstache, having recently moved in to a mansion, he's plagued by nightmares, visions and constant migraines, while exploring his new home he discovers clues about a parallel dimension left there by the previous owners, believing this to be the source of his issues he sets out to find as much information as he can, questioning locals, going to the library, exploring the mansion, etc.

The plot may not win any Oscars but I like how the first half of the game works almost like a murder mystery, it's pretty neat going to town and meeting the locals, checking the libraries' records and at one point digging up a body in the cemetery, to spice things up you have three in-game days to get to the bottom of all this, otherwise a monster will burst out from inside our main character (Whoa! Just had an 'Alien' flashback).

This timer feature was pretty unique for the time but I felt it's very poorly utilized, you'll have to meet and talk to characters at a specific time and if you get there too late you might have just created an unwinnable situation without even knowing it (don't you just love those?) and trust me, this sort of thing happens very often.

During the second act of the game you'll get to explore the H.R. Giger themed parallel universe, but honestly, I thought it was pretty boring, there's hardly anything to do there other then solve puzzles and trying not to get killed, to be fair this world might have been scarier if I couldn't save my progress at any time I wanted or if the character animations weren't so jerky.

Graphically, the game was touted for its High-resolution graphics (a whopping 400p) but they haven't aged well and neither have the sound or the laughably bad voice acting, it's not that they were bad for their time mind you, it's just that none of these have aged well, despite the game's issues there is some fun to be had, but unless you grew up with Darkseed I don't think most people will enjoy it.

Trivia: Did you know artist H.R. Giger demanded the game ran at an uncommonly high resolution? I'm guessing he wanted the player to appreciate the intricacies of his creature designs

Pros:
- Clue gathering in the real world is fun and engaging
- H.R. Giger's art style certainly makes the game stand out

Cons:
- Too many unwinnable situations
- Parallel world is kinda boring
- It's a bit hard to be scared when I can just quick-save at any time
- Graphics, sounds and voice acting haven't aged well 
- I kind of feel the game's only claim to fame is H.R. Giger's work
- How many times have I said 'H.R. Giger' in this review? Somebody should make a drinking game out of that.

Final Grade: D+

The game's cover is just awesome, put it on a shelf with the cover facing outwards and I guarantee you that people will notice it, with that said, the 'face' in said cover is removable, I'm not really sure what's the point of that, specially seeing as how it has this tendency to sink if the box is empty.

My version claims to be a 'special' edition which includes a hint book, but honestly, I don't think there is such a thing as a 'normal' edition, I certainly never saw one. The hint book is actually pretty useful, it doesn't straight out tell you everything, but it does make things a LOT easier, definitely a mandatory read if you're stuck. As for the manual, it's actually pretty good, you have a short biography of Giger's work (for those playing the drinking game: bottom's up) and some backstory as told by the perspective of our main character.

Overall I quite like this packaging, it's a shame the box' 'face' isn't glued on or anything but that's a pretty minor complaint.

Packaging Score: A-

Darkseed (Halloween Special)

Developer: Cyberdreams
Publisher: Cyberdreams

Launched in the same year as the first Alone in the Dark, Darkseed was considered at the time one of the scariest games ever made and though the game seems to have faded into relative obscurity, it still ranked 7 on Gametrailers' 'Top 10 scariest games ever'.

So, do I think the game is scary? I'd have to say 'meh', it's got some nice ideas and concepts and the visual designs by H.R. Giger (the man who designed the aliens in Riddley Scott's movies) are pretty unsettling, but truth be told, I never found the man's art particularly scary, unsettling yes, but not scary, anyway I'm getting off-track here.

You begin the game as Mike Dawson, a successful writer with an awesome 80's pornstache, having recently moved in to a mansion, he's plagued by nightmares, visions and constant migraines, while exploring his new home he discovers clues about a parallel dimension left there by the previous owners, believing this to be the source of his issues he sets out to find as much information as he can, questioning locals, going to the library, exploring the mansion, etc.

The plot may not win any Oscars but I like how the first half of the game works almost like a murder mystery, it's pretty neat going to town and meeting the locals, checking the libraries' records and at one point digging up a body in the cemetery, to spice things up you have three in-game days to get to the bottom of all this, otherwise a monster will burst out from inside our main character (Whoa! Just had an 'Alien' flashback).

This timer feature was pretty unique for the time but I felt it's very poorly utilized, you'll have to meet and talk to characters at a specific time and if you get there too late you might have just created an unwinnable situation without even knowing it (don't you just love those?) and trust me, this sort of thing happens very often.

During the second act of the game you'll get to explore the H.R. Giger themed parallel universe, but honestly, I thought it was pretty boring, there's hardly anything to do there other then solve puzzles and trying not to get killed, to be fair this world might have been scarier if I couldn't save my progress at any time I wanted or if the character animations weren't so jerky.

Graphically, the game was touted for its High-resolution graphics (a whopping 400p) but they haven't aged well and neither have the sound or the laughably bad voice acting, it's not that they were bad for their time mind you, it's just that none of these have aged well, despite the game's issues there is some fun to be had, but unless you grew up with Darkseed I don't think most people will enjoy it.

Trivia: Did you know artist H.R. Giger demanded the game ran at an uncommonly high resolution? I'm guessing he wanted the player to appreciate the intricacies of his creature designs

Pros:
- Clue gathering in the real world is fun and engaging
- H.R. Giger's art style certainly makes the game stand out

Cons:
- Too many unwinnable situations
- Parallel world is kinda boring
- It's a bit hard to be scared when I can just quick-save at any time
- Graphics, sounds and voice acting haven't aged well 
- I kind of feel the game's only claim to fame is H.R. Giger's work
- How many times have I said 'H.R. Giger' in this review? Somebody should make a drinking game out of that.

Final Grade: D+

The game's cover is just awesome, put it on a shelf with the cover facing outwards and I guarantee you that people will notice it, with that said, the 'face' in said cover is removable, I'm not really sure what's the point of that, specially seeing as how it has this tendency to sink if the box is empty.

My version claims to be a 'special' edition which includes a hint book, but honestly, I don't think there is such a thing as a 'normal' edition, I certainly never saw one. The hint book is actually pretty useful, it doesn't straight out tell you everything, but it does make things a LOT easier, definitely a mandatory read if you're stuck. As for the manual, it's actually pretty good, you have a short biography of Giger's work (for those playing the drinking game: bottom's up) and some backstory as told by the perspective of our main character.

Overall I quite like this packaging, it's a shame the box' 'face' isn't glued on or anything but that's a pretty minor complaint.

Packaging Score: A-

Scariness Rating:

For a game that was touted as one of the scariest titles ever, I was pretty disappointed, admittedly there are some very creepy scenes like the baby doll package, but I these aren't all that common, not to mention some of them might have been scary once, but by today's standards they're kind of cheesy. Two and a half screaming Monroes.

Halloween Feel:

I guess it boils down to one question: Is 'Alien' a Halloween movie for you? For me, it kind of is and it kind of isn't due to its strong sci-fi feel. Two and a half Jack O' Lanterns.

Fatal Frame/Project Zero

Developer: Tecmo

Publisher:  Tecmo/Wanadoo/Microsoft Game Studios

As someone who's never been comfortable with scary movies and games that deal with ghosts and spirits this title was an addiction to me back in my teens in 2002, a very scary addiction that had me facing my fears, even after finishing it I still dreaded the day I went back and replayed it.

Well, ten years later I finally replayed it and... it's actually not nearly as scary as I remember, the game takes you to the abandoned Himuro mansion where supposedly a series of gruesome deaths occurred back in the 1930's and where you brother disappeared a few years ago, so off you go to look for him and try to uncover what really happened there, though game wastes no time in telling (or rather showing you) that the mansion is haunted.

While exploring the mansion you'll quickly realize that the developers were masters at making the player feel unease, there is no music in the game save for a few cutscenes, instead you're constantly hearing your footsteps and white noise, the footsteps I can handle fine, but the white noise is handled in a way that is freaking unsettling, it's like a mix of wind, voices in the background and no sound at all, adding to all this is the fact that your only source of light for the most part is your trusty flashlight, with can be controlled with your right stick, though everytime you move it, the shadows move as well, it certainly adds to the tension of the game. (and while shadows like this are common in Xbox games, they're certainly impressive for a PS2 game)

Right near the start of the game you'll come across a magical antique camera with the power to exorcise ghosts (yeah I know, it's silly, just go with it) this will be your only weapon throughout the game and I found this to be a double-edged sword, the combat is fun and nerve wrecking, when you use it you switch to a first person camera, meaning your field of view is limited and you can't walk, run or strafe while using it and to top it all off it reloads slowly, however, you can upgrade the camera and you'll quickly learn the best methods to exorcise the ghosts, by the time I reached the halfway point of the game, I had so many upgrades on that thing I could practically tutor the ghostbusters, though to be fair, some of the ghost designs are really creepy, aided by the fact that the character models look great for the hardware.

Speaking of  'halfway points' this game is short... like really short, depending how you play it'll probably last you between 6-8 hours, of course you could get lost or confused by one or two puzzles in the game, though personally I found them all to be pretty accessible, I never felt the need to look up walkthroughs for them. The developers try to add replay value by adding a battle mode and a higher difficulty setting once you finish the game, but I completed all challenges in the first in under an hour and I finished the latter in just 7 hours, so they don't add that much to it.

Overall the game is still pretty good, it's not nearly as scary as I remember but it's still genuinely creepy, it's nice knowing that I finally conquered a fear, but said fear is part of the reason why I used to love the game, maybe if the game didn't make me feel like a ghostbuster I wouldn't still be scared, who knows?

Trivia: Despite the game's tagline of being 'based around a true story', this has actually been put into question, the series' own producer has gone on record to say that it's actually based on two urban legends, moreover, the game was never really advertised as being based on a true story in Japan.

Pros:
- Creepy atmosphere, enemies and "soundtrack"
- Shadowplay and character models look pretty good for
- Puzzles are challenging but not frustrating
- Combat is fun and easy...

Cons:
- ...Perhaps too easy, it kills a lot of the scares
- You could practically finish the game in one day

Final Grade: B

I like how the game gives you three different covers for the box, manual and the disc, personally my favorite is the one on the manual as I feel it fits the game's mood better, but I can't deny that the boxart is a bit flashier and as a result it might've attracted more sales.

The manual is decently sized with 34 pages, but very few are used to give you background information, the first page tells you about the mansion and near the end you have 4 pages giving you character descriptions (shouldn't these have been placed on the beginning?) the rest of the manual is comprised of some very lengthy tutorials, they're all in the game as well, but sometimes it's nice to have them on hand, especially during combat.

Overall, not the greatest packaging, but not too shabby either, I like the artwork and I like that the manual focuses on the game, not legal info, but it shipped have come with a few extras.

Packaging Score: B-

Fatal Frame/Project Zero (Halloween Special)

Developer: Tecmo

Publisher:  Tecmo/Wanadoo/Microsoft Game Studios

As someone who's never been comfortable with scary movies and games that deal with ghosts and spirits this title was an addiction to me back in my teens in 2002, a very scary addiction that had me facing my fears, even after finishing it I still dreaded the day I went back and replayed it.

Well, ten years later I finally replayed it and... it's actually not nearly as scary as I remember, the game takes you to the abandoned Himuro mansion where supposedly a series of gruesome deaths occurred back in the 1930's and where you brother disappeared a few years ago, so off you go to look for him and try to uncover what really happened there, though game wastes no time in telling (or rather showing you) that the mansion is haunted.

While exploring the mansion you'll quickly realize that the developers were masters at making the player feel unease, there is no music in the game save for a few cutscenes, instead you're constantly hearing your footsteps and white noise, the footsteps I can handle fine, but the white noise is handled in a way that is freaking unsettling, it's like a mix of wind, voices in the background and no sound at all, adding to all this is the fact that your only source of light for the most part is your trusty flashlight, with can be controlled with your right stick, though everytime you move it, the shadows move as well, it certainly adds to the tension of the game. (and while shadows like this are common in Xbox games, they're certainly impressive for a PS2 game)

Right near the start of the game you'll come across a magical antique camera with the power to exorcise ghosts (yeah I know, it's silly, just go with it) this will be your only weapon throughout the game and I found this to be a double-edged sword, the combat is fun and nerve wrecking, when you use it you switch to a first person camera, meaning your field of view is limited and you can't walk, run or strafe while using it and to top it all off it reloads slowly, however, you can upgrade the camera and you'll quickly learn the best methods to exorcise the ghosts, by the time I reached the halfway point of the game, I had so many upgrades on that thing I could practically tutor the ghostbusters, though to be fair, some of the ghost designs are really creepy, aided by the fact that the character models look great for the hardware.

Speaking of  'halfway points' this game is short... like really short, depending how you play it'll probably last you between 6-8 hours, of course you could get lost or confused by one or two puzzles in the game, though personally I found them all to be pretty accessible, I never felt the need to look up walkthroughs for them. The developers try to add replay value by adding a battle mode and a higher difficulty setting once you finish the game, but I completed all challenges in the first in under an hour and I finished the latter in just 7 hours, so they don't add that much to it.

Overall the game is still pretty good, it's not nearly as scary as I remember but it's still genuinely creepy, it's nice knowing that I finally conquered a fear, but said fear is part of the reason why I used to love the game, maybe if the game didn't make me feel like a ghostbuster I wouldn't still be scared, who knows?

Trivia: Despite the game's tagline of being 'based around a true story', this has actually been put into question, the series' own producer has gone on record to say that it's actually based on two urban legends, moreover, the game was never really advertised as being based on a true story in Japan.

Pros:
- Creepy atmosphere, enemies and "soundtrack"
- Shadowplay and character models look pretty good for
- Puzzles are challenging but not frustrating
- Combat is fun and easy...

Cons:
- ...Perhaps too easy, it kills a lot of the scares
- You could practically finish the game in one day

Final Grade: B

I like how the game gives you three different covers for the box, manual and the disc, personally my favorite is the one on the manual as I feel it fits the game's mood better, but I can't deny that the boxart is a bit flashier and as a result it might've attracted more sales.

The manual is decently sized with 34 pages, but very few are used to give you background information, the first page tells you about the mansion and near the end you have 4 pages giving you character descriptions (shouldn't these have been placed on the beginning?) the rest of the manual is comprised of some very lengthy tutorials, they're all in the game as well, but sometimes it's nice to have them on hand, especially during combat.

Overall, not the greatest packaging, but not too shabby either, I like the artwork and I like that the manual focuses on the game, not legal info, but it shipped have come with a few extras.

Packaging Score: B-

Scariness Rating:

The game may not be as scary as I remember, but that doesn't mean it's not scary, some of ghosts like  the girl with the broken neck are the stuff of nightmares! Three and a half screaming Monroes.

Halloween Feel:

This is a bit hard to gauge, while the game can be legitimately scary and ghosts are usually the amongst the traditional Halloween creatures these aren't really your common specters and neither is the Japanese mansion for that matter, however, if you're the type of person who watches movies like the Ringu (the original Japanese version) during Halloween, then this is probably the game for you, two and a half Jack O' Lanterns.

Castlevania Bloodlines

Developer: Konami
Publisher:  Konami

As the first Castlevania game to grace a Sega console you'd think bloodlines would've attracted more attention, but instead the game seems to have fallen into relative obscurity and that's a damn shame because I've always felt this was one of the better entries of its time.

For starters, it was the first uncensored Castlevania to have been released in the west and the game wastes no time in telling you how 'mature' it is by having showing you a pool of blood in the Title screen.

As you start the game you can choose between two characters, the first being the whip-wielding John Morris (who?), he plays like a cross between Castlevania IV and the original Castlevania, on the ground he can only whip forward like in the NES games, but, when jumping, he can whip in seven directions (he can't whip straight up), at first I thought this design decision was kind of weird, but I assume it was done to promote the player to make a better use of the sub-weapons which have actually been upgraded in this game, now each sub-weapon performs two attacks though one of them will consume more hearts.

John can also swing from ceilings with his whip, similarly to Super Castlevania IV, though this time you're not restricted to only doing this when the developer wants you to.

You can also play as the spear-wielding Eric Lecarde (who?), he plays almost exactly like you would in Castlevania IV, meaning you can attack in all directions, though, instead of swinging from ceilings he has a vertical high-jump attack, so he's pretty overpowered when compared to Quincy, one thing I loved about Eric, is that when he dies, his spear falls right on top of him, OUCH! 

In fact, this game is pretty violent when compared to relatively tame Castlevania IV, you'll be decapitating Harpies, walking by tortured and bloody corpses and all this is definitely enhanced the music which is some of the best I've ever heard on the Genesis, though it goes for a different feel then previous games, instead of trying to aim for an Orchestral soundtrack, it plays to the system's strengths in its synthesizer.

Another oddity about this game is that for the first time in the series, you'll be playing outside Romania, yes, the first level starts you off in Dracula's Castle, but from there on you'll visit Greece, Italy, France and Germany and while the level design is excellent, I've always felt that some of these levels don't feel very Castlevania-y, this applies specially to the munitions factory stage.

Graphically the game looks pretty good for the hardware it's on, everything is well animated, there's a good use of colors and some of the bosses use pre-rendered graphics, but it never quite reaches the detail of its SNES counterparts.

Overall the game takes a few liberties with the formula but I feel it works to its advantage, I like that you have two characters to choose from (even if one of them is overpowered) and the improvements made to the sub-weapons, however, the game is relatively short and the graphics could've used more detail

Warning: The Pal version of this game, Castlevania: Generations is heavily censored, all of the blood and decapitations were removed. Even Lecarde's spear doesn't fall on him when he dies, instead it just flies away never to been again.

Pros:
- Two characters to choose from
- Improved Sub-weapons
- Great Soundtrack
- First Castlevania to have been released in the West uncensored

Cons:
- Too short
- Graphics could use more detail 
- Some of the levels don't feel very Castlevania-y 

Final Grade: B+

I like the artwork for this the character running while monster are looming over him, I don't quite get why John Morris looks like he's pushing 50, but that's a minor nitpick when compared how good everything looks, specially the countess who looks like she's ready to kill you while still showing a bit of cleavage.

Unfortunately, this is the Majesco re-print line which took place in the mid-to-late 90s. The publisher was trying to save money by reducing the quality of the packaging in their games. As a result, gone are the useful shock resistance plastic boxes and the color manuals. Instead we get  these flimsy cardboard boxes and manuals printed in black and white on poor quality paper and that's a real shame too because the manual's contents are awesome.

In it you'll find some of the game's backstory, but the real appeal is seeing just how much fun the manual itself seems to be having, it doesn't give you instructions, it gives you the 'Rules of the bloody road', you don't start the game, instead you 'begin the hunt' and my personal favorite: You don't receive instructions on controlling you character, instead you must 'Control the horror'.

Whoever wrote this must've been having the time of his life! It's just a shame the materials used for this are so poor, I would've gladly given the packaging an A, instead it'll have to settle for a B.

Packaging Grade: B

Castlevania Bloodlines (Halloween Special)

Developer: Konami
Publisher:  Konami

As the first Castlevania game to grace a Sega console you'd think bloodlines would've attracted more attention, but instead the game seems to have fallen into relative obscurity and that's a damn shame because I've always felt this was one of the better entries of its time.

For starters, it was the first uncensored Castlevania to have been released in the west and the game wastes no time in telling you how 'mature' it is by having showing you a pool of blood in the Title screen.

As you start the game you can choose between two characters, the first being the whip-wielding John Morris (who?), he plays like a cross between Castlevania IV and the original Castlevania, on the ground he can only whip forward like in the NES games, but, when jumping, he can whip in seven directions (he can't whip straight up), at first I thought this design decision was kind of weird, but I assume it was done to promote the player to make a better use of the sub-weapons which have actually been upgraded in this game, now each sub-weapon performs two attacks though one of them will consume more hearts.

John can also swing from ceilings with his whip, similarly to Super Castlevania IV, though this time you're not restricted to only doing this when the developer wants you to.

You can also play as the spear-wielding Eric Lecarde (who?), he plays almost exactly like you would in Castlevania IV, meaning you can attack in all directions, though, instead of swinging from ceilings he has a vertical high-jump attack, so he's pretty overpowered when compared to Quincy, one thing I loved about Eric, is that when he dies, his spear falls right on top of him, OUCH! 

In fact, this game is pretty violent when compared to relatively tame Castlevania IV, you'll be decapitating Harpies, walking by tortured and bloody corpses and all this is definitely enhanced the music which is some of the best I've ever heard on the Genesis, though it goes for a different feel then previous games, instead of trying to aim for an Orchestral soundtrack, it plays to the system's strengths in using its synthesizer.

Another oddity about this game is that for the first time in the series, you'll be playing outside Romania, yes, the first level starts you off in Dracula's Castle, but from there on you'll visit Greece, Italy, France and Germany and while the level design is excellent, I've always felt that some of these levels don't feel very Castlevania-y, this applies specially to the munitions factory stage.

Graphically the game looks pretty good for the hardware it's on, everything is well animated, there's a good use of colors and some of the bosses use pre-rendered graphics, but it never quite reaches the detail of its SNES counterparts.

Overall the game takes a few liberties with the formula but I feel it works to its advantage, I like that you have two characters to choose from (even if one of them is overpowered) and the improvements made to the sub-weapons, however, the game is relatively short and the graphics could've used more detail

Warning: The Pal version of this game, Castlevania: Generations is heavily censored, all of the blood and decapitations were removed. Even Lecarde's spear doesn't fall on him when he dies, instead it just flies away never to been again.

Pros:
- Two characters to choose from
- Improved Sub-weapons
- Great Soundtrack
- First Castlevania to have been released in the West uncensored

Cons:
- Too short
- Graphics could use more detail 
- Some of the levels don't feel very Castlevania-y

Final Grade: B+

I like the artwork for this the character running while monster are looming over him, I don't quite get why John Morris looks like he's pushing 50, but that's a minor nitpick when compared how good everything looks, specially the countess who looks like she's ready to kill you while still showing a bit of cleavage.

Unfortunately, this is the Majesco re-print line which took place in the mid-to-late 90s. The publisher was trying to save money by reducing the quality of the packaging in their games. As a result, gone are the useful shock resistance plastic boxes and the color manuals. Instead we get  these flimsy cardboard boxes and manuals printed in black and white on poor quality paper and that's a real shame too because the manual's contents are awesome.

In it you'll find some of the game's backstory, but the real appeal is seeing just how much fun the manual itself seems to be having, it doesn't give you instructions, it gives you the 'Rules of the bloody road', you don't start the game, instead you 'begin the hunt' and my personal favorite: You don't receive instructions on controlling you character, instead you must 'Control the horror'.

Whoever wrote this must've been having the time of his life! It's just a shame the materials used for this are so poor, I would've gladly given the packaging an A, instead it'll have to settle for a B.

Packaging Grade: B

Scariness Rating:

Just like Splatterhouse, the game may be bloody and the creatures may look threatening, but they're the ones getting slaughtered, not me. One and a half screaming Monroes

Halloween Feel:

You'll be fighting skeletons, Frankenstein's Monster and Dracula in old decrepit castles but you'll also be visiting places like a Greek temple and a German weapon's factory while fighting machines, so it seems for every Halloween themed place and enemy you find, you'll also come across something that completely takes you out of that feel. Two and a half Jack´o Lanterns.

Deathsmiles

Developer: Cave
Publisher:  Aksys Games/Rising Star

This has to be the best SHMUP I've played in years, originally I was a bit wary of the game as this was my first bullet hell SHMUP and my first game from Cave, I was expecting to get my ass kicked, but instead, I found a game that is actually very newbie friendly, with a nice scaled progression and three difficulty settings that will appeal both newcomers and pros, I also liked how the game doesn't punish or insult you for playing at a lower difficulty.

You have four playable characters, all of them with different attack patterns, familiars, speed and gameplay tactics, there are no powerups in this game but don't worry, these girls carry enough firepower to level a small nation.

You're also given an infinite amount of continues, so if you just want to see the endings you'll probably be done with the game in an afternoon, however the point of Deathsmiles, isn't to beat the last boss as much as it is to rack up the highest score (if you use a continue your score it reset).

The game's scoring system is pretty clever, every monster has a base value and you get extra points depending on how you kill some of them, but the real objective is to increase your score multiplier which isn't all that easy considering some of your moves will decrease it.

We're pretty lucky though, the western release of Deathsmiles came will all of the original Japanese DLC included on the disc, granting you a total of SIX gameplay variations and a fifth playable character for some of them.

Lastly, I would talk about the story, but really, the game forgets it even has one, there's no intro cut-scene or dialog, you just start the game by shooting everything sight, though somewhere near the end you get some small snippets of dialog, yet, somehow, you have two endings per character, that's certainly a weird passing, if you really want to know what the plot of it all is, you'll just have to read the manual.

Overall the game is fun, flashy and very artistically creative.

Pros:
- Difficulty level appeals to both beginners and veterans without punishing or rewarding either side
- All of the Japanese DLC is included on the disc
- Great Artsyle

Cons:
- The story feels like an afterthought
- Not everyone will feel comfortable with playing as underage school girls

Final Grade: A+

(This review is for the Pal edition)

I'm usually not fond of Anime, but I have to say, I'm a big fan of the box art, it's colorful and will stand out in any shelf.

The game's manual isn't too bad, it gives you four pages of background information and character descriptions, not great, but in this day and age I'll take what I can get, however, apart from the game itself you also get two extra discs, these are the soundtrack and a disc with some wallpapers, a Deathsmiles themed calendar, that sort of thing.

Warning: The original packaging comes with a soundtrack disc that has its songs in a format unrecognized by older stereos, however if you email Rising Star with proof or purchase they'll mail you a new CD free of charge.

Packaging Grade: B+

Deathsmiles (Halloween Special)

Developer: Cave
Publisher:  Aksys Games/Rising Star

This has to be the best SHMUP I've played in years, originally I was a bit wary of the game as this was my first bullet hell SHMUP and my first game from Cave, I was expecting to get my ass kicked, but instead, I found a game that is actually very newbie friendly, with a nice scaled progression and three difficulty settings that will appeal to both newcomers and pros, I also liked how the game doesn't punish or insult you for playing at a lower difficulty.

You have four playable characters, all of them with different attack patterns, familiars, speed and gameplay tactic and there are no powerups in this game but don't worry, these girls carry enough firepower to level a small nation.

You're also given an infinite amount of continues, so if you just want to see the endings you'll probably be done with the game in an afternoon, however the point of Deathsmiles, isn't to beat the last boss as much as it is to rack up the highest score (if you use a continue your score it reset).

The game's scoring system is pretty clever, every monster has a base value and you get extra points depending on how you kill some of them, but the real objective is to increase your score multiplier which isn't all that easy considering some of your moves will decrease it.

We're pretty lucky though, the western release of Deathsmiles came will all of the original Japanese DLC included on the disc, granting you a total of SIX gameplay variations and a fifth playable character for some of them.

Lastly, I would talk about the story, but really, the game forgets it even has one, there's no intro cut-scene or dialog, you just start the game by shooting everything sight, though somewhere near the end you get some small snippets of dialog, yet, somehow, you have two endings per character, that's certainly a weird passing, if you really want to know what the plot of it all is, you'll just have to read the manual.

Pros:
- Difficulty level appeals to both beginners and veterans without punishing or rewarding either side
- All of the Japanese DLC is included on the disc
- Great Artsyle

Cons:
- The story feels like an afterthought
- Not everyone will feel comfortable with playing as underage school girls

Final Grade: A+

(This review is for the Pal edition)

I'm usually not fond of Anime, but I have to say, I'm a big fan of the box art, it's colorful and will stand out in any shelf.

The game's manual isn't too bad, it gives you four pages of background information and character descriptions, not great, but in this day and age I'll take what I can get, however, apart from the game itself you also get two extra discs, these are the soundtrack and a disc with some wallpapers, a Deathsmiles themed calendar, that sort of thing.

Warning: The original packaging comes with a soundtrack disc that has its songs in a format unrecognized by older stereos, however if you email Rising Star with proof or purchase they'll mail you a new CD free of charge.

Packaging Grade: B+

Scariness Rating:

This is actually a pretty kid friendly game, the monsters for the most part are pretty cartoony and wouldn't scare anyone... that is until you fight the Baron, that guy is pretty disturbing, for that reason alone, I'm adding a half-screaming Monroe on what is otherwise a scare-free game.

  

Halloween Feel: 

You'll be hard pressed to find a game that fits this theme more than Deathsmiles, hell, the first level is called Halloween Town, do I really need to say anything else? Five Jack´o Lanterns.

Splatterhouse (Halloween Special)

Developer: BottleRocket/Namco Bandai
Publisher:  Namco Bandai

After spending a short time in development hell, this ill-conceived reboot of the Splatterhouse franchise was launched with little to no fanfare and there's a good reason for that: The gameplay is terrible.

You'll spend most of the game fighting the same enemies and using the same moves over and over and the hit detection is just awful... and yet this game became one my guilty pleasures, it's kind of like watching a low budget 80's horror movie, the story may be pointless, dialog bawdy and cheesy but there's blood and guts everywhere and you get to see some pretty gruesome stuff like having your arm ripped off and then picking it up, and beating your foes into submission with it, or how about the part where you ram your arm inside a giant four-legged beast's anus and pull out it's sphincter from the inside? 

This game is pure schlock and it knows it, making it an enjoyably bad game, hell, it even goes as far as motivating you to hunt down hidden nude photos of your girlfriend, Troma would be proud.

The characters and voice acting are all pretty standard stuff with one HUGE exception: The Mask, voiced by Jim Cummings of Winnie the Pooh and The Lion King fame and I can't tell you how awesome it is hearing his constant teases, sex jokes and blood jokes.

Every once in a while the game tries to mix things up by adding some 2D platforming sections, but these are hampered by poor physics.

I'm not sure what to rate this game, it certainly isn't what I'd call good, but it is enjoyably so, I guess it should be rated below average.

Trivia: The game comes with the arcade version of the original Splatterhouse as well Splatterhouse 2 and 3, that alone makes it worth a purchase if you ask me.

Pros:
- Blood, guts and nudity reminiscent of 80's horror B-movies
- The mask is voiced by freaking Jim Cummings

Cons:
- Repetitive, questionable hit detection, repetitive, poor enemy variety, repetitive
- 2D platforming sections feel wonky and glitchy due to poor physics, oh and have I mentioned that the game is repetitive?

Final Score: D

Flashy boxart aside there is absolutely nothing interesting about its package... well I guess there's the ad for some Splatterhouse themed Globe sneakers, that's pretty unique if nothing else.

Packaging Score: C






Scariness Rating:

The game may be extremely bloody and feature some interesting creature designs, but in the end, said creatures are the ones getting punched and having their sphincters forcibly removed, not me. So it's not particularly scary, I rate it two screaming Marilyn Monroe's out of a possible five.









Halloween Feel:

If you're the sort of person that fires up old 80's slasher flicks during Halloween then this is the game for you, the talking mask is the sort of guy Freddy Krueger would love to have a beer with. I rate it three and a half Jack´o Lanterns.

Splatterhouse

Developer: BottleRocket/Namco Bandai
Publisher:  Namco Bandai

After spending a short time in development hell, this ill-conceived reboot of the Splatterhouse franchise was launched with little to no fanfare and there's a good reason for that: The gameplay is terrible.

You'll spend most of the game fighting the same enemies and using the same moves over and over and the hit detection is just awful... and yet this game became one my guilty pleasures, it's kind of like watching a low budget 80's horror movie, the story may be pointless, dialog bawdy and cheesy but there's blood and guts everywhere and you get to see some pretty gruesome stuff like having your arm ripped off and then picking it up, and beating your foes into submission with it, or how about the part where you ram your arm inside a giant four-legged beast's anus and pull out it's sphincter from the inside?

This game is pure schlock and it knows it, making it an enjoyably bad game, hell, it even goes as far as motivating you to hunt down hidden nude photos of your girlfriend, Troma would be proud.

The characters and voice acting are all pretty standard stuff with one HUGE exception: The Mask, voiced by Jim Cummings of Winnie the Pooh and The Lion King fame and I can't tell you how awesome it is hearing his constant teases, sex jokes and blood jokes.

Every once in a while the game tries to mix things up by adding some 2D platforming sections, but these are hampered by poor physics.

I'm not sure what to rate this game, it certainly isn't what I'd call good, but it is enjoyably so, I guess it should be rated below average.

Trivia: The game comes with the arcade version of the original Splatterhouse as well Splatterhouse 2 and 3, that alone makes it worth a purchase if you ask me.

Pros:
- Blood, guts and nudity reminiscent of 80's horror B-movies
- The mask is voiced by freaking Jim Cummings

Cons:
- Repetitive, questionable hit detection, repetitive, poor enemy variety, repetitive
- 2D platforming sections feel wonky and glitchy due to poor physics, oh and have I mentioned that the game is repetitive?

Final Score: D

Flashy boxart aside there is absolutely nothing interesting about its package... well I guess there's the ad for some Splatterhouse themed Globe sneakers, that's pretty unique if nothing else.

Packaging Score: C

Final Fantasy XIII

Developer: Square-Enix
Publisher:  Square-Enix
Oh how the might have fallen! I'm not what you might call the biggest fan of the series as I've always felt the quality between entries is somewhat inconsistent, but this has got to be the weakest title since Final Fantasy II.

The game starts you off with a huge battle, showing off its high production values, the graphics and sound are absolutely gorgeous, unfortunately I had no idea what's going on, here you are in this epic fight with resistance fighters and armed security forces and the game doesn't even bother telling you WHY you're fighting, oh sure it says you were being deported, but it's not until the second half of the game it straight out tells you just what the heck is going on.

The battle system is pretty different from the previous games, it's hard to judge whether it's better or worse, but it certainly feels like a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, between the lack of towns, sidequests... or anything really, all you'll be doing for 50+ hours is running in a straight line and fighting, it won't be long before you start getting tired, it doesn't help that you don't even get to use any magic until Chapter III.

The story was pretty standard stuff for a Final Fantasy game, I didn't find it particularly interesting nor did it have any twists and turns that you wouldn't see coming from a mile away and at first I didn't like most of the characters (Sazh was the only one who seemed to act like an intelligent human being), but eventually they started growing on me, though some more than others.

The music is the usual greatness the series has accustomed us to, it has everything from piano solos to full on orchestral renditions and enough variety to fit any mood or scene. I've heard some people criticize the game for using a song by artist Leona Lewis, but honestly, I didn't think it was that bad, if you want to hate on any song in the game then my suggestion is: Hate on the chocobo song, whose bright idea was it to add LYRICS to the chocobo song? Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but I prefer if they stick with the classics.

Some fans will tell you that the game gets better towards the end, well, I can tell you that this is a blatant lie, what they actually meant is that you'll get a needlessly large hub area where you can accept side missions, all of them asking you to kill a boss, but honestly, after 50+ hours of doing nothing but fighting, I couldn't bring myself to finish more than the first few.

The game almost feels like a dungeon-crawling spin-off of itself, but even then it wouldn't excuse the excessive linearity.

Pros:
- Great production Values
- Soundtrack, voice acting and graphics are top notch
- The battle system feels very fresh...

Cons:
- But you spend way too much time on said battle system
- Poor level layout

- No magic until chapter 3

- No summons until chapter 5

- No sidequests until chapter 11

Final Score: C

The cover art is pretty boring, it's just the main character staring in to the distance on a blank background, likely startled by all the grinding she's going to have to go through in this game.

I like that the disc and the manual feature different artwork, not sure why these weren't used for the cover as they are somewhat more interesting then the boxart.

Inside you'll find the manual and a code to register your game on the Square-Enix website, I'm not sure what's the point of doing this though, maybe some sort of used games counter-measure that I'm not aware of?

The manual is the best part of the packaging, it gives you some background information (albeit very vague), short bios of your characters and even some tips and tutorials, it's nothing too detailed or ground breaking, but you know what they say, better to have it and not need it.

Overall, the packaging isn't bad, but it's all very standard stuff, the manual is pretty good, but if you want any extras then you'll just have to pay extra for the collector's edition.

Packaging Score: C+

14th Highest Ranked Player on Twinbee

This is an old record, I think it was recorded either in 2010 or 2011, with that said, it's nice to know I'm still in the top 20 worldwide

Halo 2

Developer: Bungie
Publisher:  Microsoft Game Studios

The first Halo was meant to get you to buy the Xbox and the second game was created to get everyone to sign up for Xbox Live, that's pretty much what it did... and it shows.

The campaign starts out with a bang, the covenant launch an invasion on Earth and you have to do everything to stop it in what is quickly becoming an uphill battle, these initial missions are freaking awesome, they're big, epic and you get the feeling this could be humanity's last stand, you also discover some gameplay changes from the first game like dual weapon wielding which is a pretty cool feature.

Unfortunately it's all downhill from there, once you're done with these chapters the Master Chief leaves Earth and is sent to various other planets, the problem is that the tone mellows down instantly, the missions are just kind of there and I kept asking myself "why am I here? I should be defending Earth", the developers do try to throw a few curve balls at you by introducing a sidestory, on some missions you play as the Arbiter, the leader of the Covenant you fought in Halo, he plays roughly the same as the Master Chief except you're given a very useless cloak device that only lasts for a few seconds and to make it all worse, the Arbiter's missions are excruciatingly boring and long.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the campaign is pretty short and it even ends on a cliffhanger, it honestly feels like the game started on the climax and it didn't know what to do with itself from that point on.

Supposedly the game's strongest suit was the online multiplayer... but Microsoft shut down the original Xbox' servers a few years ago, so if you wanted to try it out... you're screwed.

Of course you could just buy the PC version, problem is, it's only compatible with that abomination known as Windows Vista, so you're still screwed.

Graphically the game looks awesome given the hardware it runs on, if you up the resolution it almost looks like Halo 3 (not sure if that's a credit to Halo 2 or a demerit to Halo 3).

Trivia: Did you know Bungie spent most of the developing time working on the Engine and at one point had to scrap most of it and rebuild everything in just six months? No wonder the campaign gets worse the further you get.

Pros:
- Amazing production values
- Graphics are some of the best I've seen on the Xbox
- Dual-Wielding weapons is incredibly fun
- The campaign starts out with a huge bang!

Cons:
- But quickly looses steam after that
- Arbitor missions are incredibly boring

- Multiplayer was shut down for the Xbox version

- Requires Windows vista for the PC version

Final Score: B-

The cover Art is a definite improvement over the previous game (not like it's hard to achieve that) and I like how case, manual and disc feature three different covers, the game's manual is roughly on par with the first game, giving you some backstory and enemy descriptions, but it doesn't have character descriptions like the previous one had.

My copy also came with two catalogs, a flimsy little thing advertising the game's soundtrack and a second bulkier one showing off some of the console's best games and telling you how awesome the original Xbox live is (or should I say was?), the catalog is alright, but it's a bit too crammed and chaotic when compared to the one found in the first game, I also would've preferred more pictures.

Packaging Score: B

 (Yes, I own two copies of the game)

The collector's edition  comes with a metal case, a making of DVD, an 8 page booklet that fills some gaps between both games, the same soundtrack catalog as the regular edition and finally, an instruction manual as told by the Covenant's point of view.

I have mixed feelings about this edition, I love metal cases and the manual told by the enemy's point of view is nice touch, but I can't get over the fact that the 8 page booklet that fills you in on some needed backstory should have been present on both editions, the two month trial also feels like a bit of a cop out, it's almost like they're trying to make you yet another sales pitch (even the back of the manual is trying to get you to buy more stuff).

Overall: certainly not the best CE I've seen, but then again, this was before they were all the rage like they are now, regardless, I'd prefer less sales pitches and more halo related content.

Collector's Edition Score: B-

PS4

Name	Score	Packaging
Final Fantasy Type 0 HD	B+	A

Halo

Developer: Bungie
Publisher:  Microsoft Game Studios

One of the most famous franchises in the world, Microsoft Game Studios' cash cow and the original Xbox' killer app, Halo is a lot of things to many people, it feels that for every person swearing it's one of the best games and franchises ever made, there's someone else who calls it overrated trash.

So where do I stand on the games? Well, it varies really, some are awesome, others not so much, but the first one definitely falls in the former category, you take control of the futuristic super soldier Master Chief as you and your crew mates are ambushed by an aliens species known as the covenant and as a result, you're forced to crash land on mysterious ringworld known only as halo.

The controls for this game are the standard fare for both consoles and the PC version (in fact, it actually set the standard for console controls), you lifebar is split between your shield which will automatically regenerate if you don't take any hits for a few seconds and health points which can only be recovered through the use of medpacks, it strikes a nice balance between keeping the flow of the game without forcing the player to scrounge every bit of the map, desperately looking for healthpacks.

What really set this game apart for me from all the rest were the weapons and the enemy A.I. there's a pretty big variety of both and each has have their own unique feel to it, there's a right weapon for every situation, however you can only carry two of them with you, so there's always a bit of advanced planning involved. As for the enemy A.I. it was crazy how advanced they were for the standards we had back in the day, they take cover, help each other, know when to retreat, when to counter-attack, I have no doubt in my mind that this is the greatest unsung feature in the game, the friendly A.I. isn't bad either for the time, but it doesn't hold a candle to the Covenant.

If I had to find a fault with the game that would be the level design during the second act of the game, it blatantly re-uses all of the maps and assets from a previous level and the of course there's the bland looking and confusing environment known as the library, quite possible one of the WORST levels I have ever played in any big budget FPS.

Another thing I always loved about the first game was the way in which the story was presented, everything was handled, you didn't know anything about the Covenant, you don't know what Halo is or who built it, heck, you don't even know much about Earth itself, it leaves the user's imagination to fill the gaps, something I wish they kept in later games.

The Music is pretty good as well, going from guitar solos to Gregorian chants as it tries to fit different moods, though the graphics are definitely early Xbox standards, it resembles more of a late 90's PC game then it does an Xbox game, but I suppose that's to be expected from a launch title.

The PC version includes online multiplayer, but unfortunately, the servers are mostly empty and the few matches that I found were ripe with team killers, so unless you're playing with friends, this mode is probably best if ignored.

Pros:
- Some of the best enemy A.I. of its time
- And the friendly A.I. isn't too shabby either
- Weapon variety is awesome
- Great Soundtrack
- Some of the best level design out there... 
- PC version still has multiplayer

Cons:
- And some of the worst level design out there, namely the Library
- Re-using some of the levels is a cheap way to prolong the game

- Despite having multiplayer, you'll be hard pressed to find a full game

Final Grade: A-

I really do NOT like this game's cover, it's the sort of cover, it's just some very bland CGI poorly photoshoped together, it's the sort of cover you expect to find in a low budget game.

Luckily, you do get some nice documentation to compensate, the manual is one of the best I've seen for console shooter, giving you plenty of background information character and enemy description, it even gives you a short explanation on the MJOLNIR armor, that was a nice touch

Along with the manual you get a pretty decent catalog of the xbox' early line-up, it includes pictures and short descriptions of games like Dead or Alive 3, Project Gotham Racing, Bloodwake, Munch's Odyssey and, of course, Halo.

The cover may suck but for console standards this does feel like a pretty good package.

Packaging Score: B