Alex Decker
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GameSpew Latest Reviews
In summary, Small Radios Big Televisions is a game that I wanted to enjoy, yet the entertainment never materialised. For every instance of elation, there are three, if not more, occurrences of frustration, annoyance and downright anger. Whilst the story may indeed be interesting, the fact that it is difficult to experience as a whole means that I cannot recommend the game on this merit alone. This is especially true when gameplay is as vexing and as unenjoyable as it is here. I hate to use the phrase, but Small Radios Big Televisions is the embodiment of style over substance, providing a beautiful world that warrants exploration, yet does not provide the tools or the desire to do so. The handful of hours that it will take to complete the short story are simply not worth the effort of doing so, and can be spent much more enjoyably on almost any other title released this year.
In summary, Rogue Wizards is a great game, even if it is marred by a flat story and an almost game-defining series of difficulty spikes. Fortunately, the game manages to avoid this unflattering label by instead defining itself through its predominately tremendous gameplay, tense moments of apprehensive combat, and a simple yet aesthetically pleasing visual design. Fans of the genre should definitely give Rogue Wizards a play, as it will without a doubt scratch that dungeon-crawling itch. Even individuals who have never particularly given the genre much attention should also consider giving it a try. I, myself was such an individual and now, many hours and many tales of battle later, am fully converted.
In summary, Alone With You is a game of two halves: one of brilliance and the other of redundancy. The game comes across as being unsure of what it really wants to be and how it wishes to be portrayed. Whereas its story is heartfelt, engaging and intriguing, the game’s characters are not. Although the game’s beautiful art-style and atmospheric soundtrack immerse the player within the experience, its gameplay detracts from the experience and removes the immersion entirely. Alone With You is an unusual game, something which stems from its unbalanced mix of components. The game’s story is undoubtedly its strongest feature, and its presentation only adds to Alone With You’s sense of place. Unfortunately, everything else is not quite up to their high standards. Playing Alone With You, you almost get the sense that the game could’ve better served as a movie or a novel, with its gameplay feeling frequently obsolete. However, as a final product, Alone With You is still very-much worth investing in due to the fantastic story it tells and the game’s palpable world. It’s just a shame however, that these features of the game weren’t simply left alone.
Demetrios – The BIG Cynical Adventure is a fairly underwhelming and disappointing experience. The game’s story is senseless, lacking any feeling of coherence or logic. Similarly, Demetrios’ gameplay is derivative of better point-and-click adventures and does little in the way of trying to differentiate itself from the masses. Moreover, whereas its animated artistic design is certainly the highlight of the game, it is largely wasted on annoying and irritable characters that do little to encourage attachment and are for the most part underdeveloped. The main character, Bjorn, is the epitome of everything that is wrong with the game. Although interestingly designed from an artistic standpoint, the character himself is foolish, irksome and uninspired, which in turn represents the game’s story, characters and gameplay respectively, and encapsulates my entire experience with the game. That said, some fans of the point-and click genre may find some joy in the largely uninventive puzzle design, but the vast majority of other gamers will want to find other experiences to occupy their time with. There are better games out there to be played and there are certainly more enjoyable point-and click titles to experience.