The Talos Principle Review

The Talos Principle is a puzzle game similar to Portal wherein you have to solve rooms of increasingly challenging logic puzzles. What differentiates The Talos Principle is the layer of existential themes about the nature of reality and what it means to be human. Didn't expect that, did you?

Gameplay wise The Talos Principle is quite simple, small rooms are cordoned off each with a challenge to solve within. Your reward is a puzzle piece that when combined with other pieces allow you to access other areas of the game with even more puzzle rooms. The overall objective becomes clearer as you progress but it does start with being an agent of God. Where it goes from there is quite mind blowing and ultimately up to you to discover. Every once in a while as you progress through the game you'll hear the voice of God as he encourages you and seeks to commune with you once you've satisfied the specific number of puzzle piece requirements (don't ask). He only asks one thing, do not enter the mysterious tower in the center of the world. The only other piece of the narrative is relayed through computer terminals in each new area, each one has notes you can read and eventually an unknown entity begins to speak with you through these terminals allowing you to respond as you see fit.

The Talos Principle is a weird game. On the one hand it's a fairly straightforward and enjoyable enough puzzle platformer akin to Portal. On the other it's this interaction with a few different figures, all of whom have very different views on the world. It's these interactions, be it with God or the voice in the machine, that elevate this game beyond a simple puzzle game. They are genuinely brilliant interactions that force you to question things about your life, it psychoanalyzes you and argues with you on questions such as faith, purpose, humanity, human nature, etc. These are lofty and impossible questions and that's what makes those interactions so fun.

The Talos Principle is an exceedingly clever puzzle game that is plenty fun on it's own but the philosophical questions it poses push it over the edge. The way it forces you to meditate on some of the harder questions about the reality of our existence and human nature are very lofty for a video game. The two things don't meld well at all and really the puzzle aspects feel like something to do while the game poses these big questions. The Talos Principle never melds together it's to diametrically opposed pieces and feels like two distinct game, but it's still two very entertaining pieces regardless of whether they fit together or not.

(4 out of 5)

Cradle Review

Originality is difficult, it's easy to fall into cliched tropes because they're reliable. There's a reason they are cliched, they've been used time and time again, sometimes even to great effect. It's also difficult because seemingly everything has been done before, or at the very least you can trace anything back to a familiar idea.

That long introduction is necessary for a game like Cradle which on it's surface seems very familiar
but quickly reveals itself to be something quite special and has a story and a world that has stuck with me long after I completed it. Cradle starts with the biggest trope of all, amnesia. You have no idea who you are or where you are. I hate this trope. And yet Cradle uses it to great effect, it's a way to introduce the player to this bizarre world, a way to make everything seems alien, and to make discovery that much more rewarding.

I want to focus on the world of Cradle which I found to be one of the most intricately detailed and fully realized I've ever seen. Questions start spinning around your head as soon as the game starts and the most satisfying thing about the game is that everything is explained. That is, if you have the patience to sift through everything in the game world to learn everything. It helps that Cradle's world is fascinating and I was eager to learn more but if you don't have the patience to read every little thing in the environment a lot of the appeal of this game will be lost on you. The game boils down to an adventure game as you find items and solve small puzzles. But it's the intriguing world and the thousands of questions you'll find yourself having that keeps you engaged. Who is this robotic woman sitting on your workbench? What are these numbers displayed on certain things? What happened to the world? Where is everybody? Who am I?

If it wasn't for such a fascinating world the games questions would be less interesting to pursue but I'm happy to say the games mystery's are compelling and so are the answers. The games tone also helps create an atmosphere of increasing dread as the truths of this world are revealed. Finding the items you need to progress can be really unintuitive as you desperately search for a single small items in a large incredibly cluttered room. Even distinguishing between what is a texture on the ground and what is a legible item that will help flesh out the world can be difficult. Their is also an uninteresting puzzle mechanic that repeats a few times and feels like padding and also tonally disparate with the rest of the game. It's the one real criticism I have with the game are these odd challenge puzzle room sections.

Cradle is a game I want to envelop myself in, I want to read books set in this world, play sequels tot his game, just spend hours examining everything I can about this wonderfully realized world. It's a shame then that some of that lore is needlessly obscure and these out of place puzzle rooms spoil an otherwise fantastic exploratory adventure game.

(4 out of 5)

Her Story Review

Her Story puts a spin on every aspect of itself. It's a video game were you don't play a central role in the story. It's crime fiction in which the events have long since taken place. Its interactivity is limited to navigating an old PC with ancient and half broken programs. It's a game that requires extensive note taking outside the game to follow along and solve the mystery. It's a game without an ending, you simply decide when your satisfied and walk away. And finally the entire story is told through live action video clips with a single actress. Her Story is wholly unique, that term gets used far too often when it's entirely untrue, it's entirely true in this case and it makes Her Story a fascinating and potentially frustrating experience that anyone who loves games should try.

You spend the entire game sifting through video clips and taking notes (in the real world) trying to piece together the story. The program you are using searches a database of these clips through keywords. Any word uttered by the woman in the clips can be searched, searching for the word 'was' is going to turn up tons of videos and be pretty useless. But the name of a month, a person she mentions, a particular item these sorts of clues may lead to clips that start putting the story together for you. The note taking you'll undoubtedly do is to keep track of characters, dates, and things that seem suspicious or contradict you'll want to search later. And that's it, that's all you do. You type in your searches and then you watch the video clips. But it's this sense of really putting this story together that is so engaging. With zero help or hints you have to put together the story and decide where to focus your interests, it feels like being an actual investigator. The game begins to elevate beyond the computer screen and a meta-game of sorts start playing out within yourself, are you following the right clues, are you being lied to, how can you factual prove any of the things that are being said. When you are three pages of notes in and your frantically flipping through them trying to link things together and replaying the same video clip trying to read the actress facial expressions and body language for any sort of clue that is when you realize you're playing something that likes of which has never been done before. And it's awesome!

But it's not entirely positive, since there's no help whatsoever you may hit a wall several times or simply end up going in circles missing some key piece of information that will help you reach some understanding or at least point you into a new line of thinking. The issue with criticizing this aspect of the game is that it's not the games fault, it's your own. You, the player, has not put the pieces together, you are the ineffective investigator. You feel like you've failed but you put the blame on the game when it's all your fault. In that way the game can be frustrating but I feel like it's part of the experience and unless you give up it's just a hurdle that once finally crossed is immensely rewarding.

Her Story is a difficult game to talk about, their isn't much to it and any enjoyment stems entirely from personal experience and the story so any real breakdown of the game results in spoilers of the story or just of the potential experience. Suffice to say I adored this game and I wish more experimental games like this existed. You can easily get lost in the experience of Her Story, the game is a catalyst for the experience you will have, how obsessive, frustrated, satisfied you'll be. Her Story feel impossible to review, it's the most subjective experience you'll have with a game since how much you get out of it is entirely based on you.

(Just Play It)

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture Review

Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is a profoundly sad game and that's not necessarily a bad thing in fact it's that aspect of the game that saves it. Because while the central mystery of why or even how everybody has disappeared in this sleepy little English village is the driving force of the story it quickly falls to the wayside when you catch glimpses or more accurately echoes of the lives people had in this town. The game is what has become known, facetiously, as a walking simulator. Basically it means that your interactions with the world are limited, in this games case it's limited simply to opening doors, turning on lights, and listening to radios and telephones with messages on them.

The games story is told through mysterious balls of light that wander around certain areas of the village leading you to points of interest. Once you get close enough silhouettes of light appear depicting moments in the lives of the people who lived in this town. These scenes and the stories they tell are the real strength of the game, phenomenally well voice acted and written, these people and their interactions feel real and relatable. Each area of the game, there are 6 in total, you follow a specific character; they may drift in and out of other characters stories but each area tends to focus on one character and their final days in the village.

The thing that ties all these little scenes and characters together is the focus on relationships. Not just of a romantic nature but familial, friendships, or even with god. I guarantee at least one of the characters or one of the relationships depicted will strike a chord with anybody who plays this game. And these are complicated stories, their isn't the happy one, or the tragic one, they are all messy. Everybody shares the same moments of sadness, regret, hope, fear, joy. This game was an amazing experience, one of great joy and at the same time, sad reflection because it forces you to think about similar moments in your life.

The truly wonderful thing about Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is that these are topics video games don't ever delve into and it's a game like this that reminds me why I love this medium so much. It's the only interactive storytelling medium and that is such a powerful device that it's astounding more games don't take advantage of it. But that's a topic for another post. Everybody's Gone to the Rapture is not what I was expecting, it sets up a big mystery about a potential Rapture that; minor spoilers: is quite dissatisfying. But instead serves up this incredibly poignant interweaving story of people and their relationships. I loved every second of Everybody's Gone to the Rapture but not for any of the reasons I thought I might.

(5 out of 5)

Daredevil Season One Review

After an embarrassing attempt to bring the character to the silver screen in 2003 Marvel, with the help of Netflix, have crafted the most comic accurate portrayal of one of their characters to date. Daredevil is the first in a series of Netflix shows meant to further expand the studio executive coined, Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thus bringing the number of avenues for the MCU to three, the films, the ABC shows, and now Netflix. While the films clearly deal with the more important characters and world shattering doomsday plots, and the ABC programs handle the ramifications of those plots, the Netflix shows are an even smaller microcosm, the day to day lives of those ordinary people affected by those gods and monsters. The Netflix shows are tasked with exploring what are called the street-level heroes, those who choose to stand up and do something about corruption, injustice or just plain evil that plagues the streets Iron Man normally ignores and Hulk regularly smashes up. 

Daredevil as brought to the screen by Netflix is a giant sigh of relief that these upcoming Marvel shows are in good hands. This series out Batman's every Batman film to date. Daredevil is an unflinching depiction of a crime infested neighborhood, Hell's Kitchen, and what one man is willing to do to save his city. This hero can't fly or shoot energy beams from his hands, in fact Daredevil or Matt Murdock is really only good at two things, taking a beating and always getting back up for more. Daredevil in the comics and thankfully as depicted here is a fascinating contradiction of a man. Lawyer by day, vigilante by night. A man who seemingly believes in the legal system yet when confronted with a verdict he disagrees with takes it upon himself to track down the acquitted suspect and beat them within an inch of their life. To make things more interesting Murdock is a devout Catholic who struggles with doing what he believes is right and just with those teachings of the church. 

The show interestingly focuses on the lead villain almost as much as the titular hero. Wilson Fisk, later in his life known as Kingpin is one of Daredevils greatest villains but as portrayed here Fisk is a sympathetic man. Vincent D'Onofrio's portrayal is vulnerable and terrifying, an unstable man with a dark past but genuinely big dreams for the city he calls home. Charlie Cox also does a wonderful job playing the subtle conflict always brewing beneath the surface of Murdock, it is a stereotypical hero role but there is sadness to him that runs deep and lends itself well to this gritty crime drama. All the other big key characters are serviceable but not noteworthy.

I've mentioned Daredevil is connected to the larger MCU but you wouldn't know it with the amount of brutal violence and focus on dark character drama. The show is incredibly stylistic, shot entirely with natural light the show is dark, literally, every scene is drenched is shadows and stark lighting, it sets a mood that fits perfectly with the character and distinguishes itself from the absolute cavalcade of super hero movies and TV shows. The fight scenes are another distinguishing mark, well choreographed and brutal, these fights are not pretty and punctuated with hero shots. Daredevil and the criminals he fights often miss, fumble and reel back in pain. These fights are visceral and exciting and a few are stunningly well shot, in single shots or inventively edited. Overall the style and tone of the series are a real standout and mark my words, will be recognized come award season. 

Daredevil is a fantastic first showing from Marvel on Netflix, a lowly street hero, a crime lord and the city they fight over are given time to develop and define themselves. 13 hour-long episodes makes this the longest we've spent with any single Marvel hero and it pays off huge. There are more layers to peripheral characters here than some main characters in the Marvel movies. If their are any faults with the series is that the show, like every Netflix show, doesn't know when to cut. With no advertisers or executives demanding arbitrary changes and time allotments the show tends to let scenes simmer too long. In some cases it's brilliant, like when Murdock seeks a priest for confession. Other times it's awkward and leads to pacing issues, but once again this is a problem with every Netflix show so it's hard to lay too much of the criticism at Daredevil's feet. 

At times it felt like Daredevil was spinning its wheels, slowing down to fill time and less for building tension, but in the end Daredevil distinguishes itself with strong writing and a shockingly dark tone. The show builds towards a climatic showdown between two relatable yet diametrically opposed men. Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio are the real draws here giving captivating performances and carrying the weight of the entire season alone, a task it should be mentioned they accomplish handily. Daredevil is filled with thrilling fight sequences, taut drama, and a whole new much darker corner of the MCU to explore. 

(4 out of 5)

Board Game Briefs

Elder Sign is a medium, co-operative game. Set in the Cthulhu Mythos you and your fellow players are investigators trying to thwart the evil gods from descending on a museum filled with ancient mystical artifacts. Players take turns investigating areas of the museum and rolling dice to fulfill the requirements of that area, slowly warding evil and preventing the gods from awakening. Unfortunately this games theme is very light, as there is no board or pieces to speak of. The game boils down to fulfilling the dice rolls on each area and praying for the favor of the dice gods. The game is incredibly random, the rooms are randomly drawn, the evil god for each session is randomly chosen, rewards for successfully clearing areas are randomly drawn. You get the picture.

Elder Sign is a game entirely devoted to its lucked based mechanics. You'll have sessions, as I have, where you'll be tempted to swipe all the components off the table in frustration or where you're pumping your fists as you successfully move from room to room. The only solace you'll find is in your friends as you are all working together, each randomly chosen investigator brings something new to the table allowing for some slight strategy when it comes to choosing which rooms to investigate, but in the end it all comes down to dice rolls. I would recommend Elder Sign for people who like a difficult game and aren't frustrated by pure randomness. It's relatively inexpensive and gives you a taste of what heavier games have to offer without the crazy level of complexities and time investment.
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King of Tokyo is a light, player elimination game. Each player chooses a giant monster inspired by classic films and B-movies and attempt to become the King of Tokyo. All of the monsters are the same and only differ aesthetically, an absolutely essential expansion changes this. The game boils down to a derivative of king of the hill. Players score points by occupying Tokyo but when in Tokyo they cannot heal and all monsters target them, on the same token when they attack they hit all monsters not in Tokyo. This brilliant risk/ reward is so beautifully balanced it propels the game into something really special. To do anything players must roll dice and take the results, be it health, attacks, points, or energy. First player to 20 points or last player standing wins.

Energy is accrued to purchase cards that reward you with special powers, an extra dice to roll, the ability to heal one point every turn, paralyze other monsters, etc. These are the final wrinkle in the game that add an enjoyable amount of crazy that prevent the game from feeling the same every time. The 100% essential expansion I mentioned earlier, dubbed Power Up!, adds even more variety by retroactively making each monster unique, evolving and acquiring new powers each time you play.

King of Tokyo is the perfect contrast to Elder Sign because like the aforementioned game King of Tokyo is entirely luck based, entirely dependent on the results of dice rolls. But the added press your luck element of choosing when to enter or leave Tokyo means the strategy, while simple, is key to winning. In stark comparison to Elder Sign where no amount of strategy can save you from continuously shitty dice rolls. I would recommend King of Tokyo to everyone, it's easy to pick up and play, and exudes a charm that makes the more aggressive player versus player actions you will do to each other less aggravating.

Board Game Briefs

Small World is a light, area-control game. At the start of the game players choose a pair of randomly assorted races and powers, each slightly different for added variety and replay ability. The different abilities effect the way you may play, either going for large land grabs or holding key positions. For example the Giants require one less soldier to conquer spaces adjacent to mountains and the wealthy power rewards you with 7 at the end of your first turn. With 14 races and 20 powers their are hundreds of possibilities. Throughout the game you'll vie for control of the most strategically advantageous spots on the board based on your chosen race and power while reaping the monetary benefits for doing so. The person with the most money at the end wins.

When I introduced the game to my friends I was relieved at how quickly everybody picked it up. The game can seem daunting to casual players due to the numerous tokens and specific rules for each race and power but fundamentally the game is quite simple. I honestly thought, as is often the case, that the person with the most experience, i.e. me, would win. But in fact somebody else won, and won handily. 

Small World is great for those who like a little more strategy in their lighthearted pursuit of world domination. There is enough complexity and variety among the different races and powers that it guarantees the games ability to stay fresh over multiple plays. You may figure out the general strategy of defending positions that net you great benefits but someone may have a race/ power combination that debunks that strategy forcing you to rethink your approach. With an average play time of around 60 Minutes, and easy to teach, simple rules that change only slightly depending on the race and power combinations you decide on, Small World is a great introductory area-control game and one I would highly recommend for just about anyone.

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Tsuro is a light, tile laying, route networking game. In Tsuro you lay down tiles, each with different routes, down on the board and follow the path with your dragon, represented by a token. The theme is pretty light and abstract as the game is supposed to be about dueling dragons but it's reduced to simple tile laying. Each player is a dragon charting a it's route through the sky, players routes can intersect forcing dragons to collide or fly off the board if either occurs those players are eliminated. Last dragon standing is the winner.

Tsuro is what's called an 'opener', pretty self explanatory, but it's the game you play while deciding what game you'll play next or while having a drink or snacks. Tsuro takes no longer than 20 minutes and the more players the faster it goes as players quickly fill up the board and eliminate each other. Tsuro is an odd game to recommend on the one hand, it's light, short, with gorgeous components. On the other hand it doesn't lend itself to many plays. It retails for about $20 and you can get a more robust game that won't get old as fast.