Added: 01.07.2015 0:50 | 0 views | 0 comments

Ronin is a stealthy, cyberpunk-themed action platformer starring an assassin with an axe to grind. Taking some cues from Kill Bill, slick tracksuit and motorcycle helmet included, you infiltrate enemy compounds to pinpoint the location of five targets who left a stain on your past. Marred only a little by control flubs, Ronin is a brief but entertaining ride, packed full of gripping covert infiltrations and plenty of bloodshed.

As video games have often taught, it is a lot of fun to play as a lithe assassin, and Ronin is no exception. Here, you clamber up walls and dive through windows; you stick to the shadows, dodging traps and enemy eyesight; you crawl on ceilings, swing from a grappling hook, and slide down ventilation shafts--all the while sinking your sword into anyone who stands between you and your goals. The locomotion of your vengeful assassin is intuitive and fun. Hopping over platforms and rooftops is smooth, and ending your brisk sprint by bursting through a glass pane to knock down a dumbfounded security guard and plunge a katana into his back is a sinister thrill that never gets old.

But as fancy as your moves may be, it takes only one bullet for enemies to end your violent jaunt--so, naturally, you need to kill them first. Ronin employs a turn-based combat system, which makes for a rather dramatic gear shift from the methodically paced sleuthing. However, the combat is steady and challenging, and is a joy to boot. The game pauses the moment you enter battle, which offers a chance to scan the area and get your bearings on the fight ahead. Enemies train their laser sights on you, forcing you into a situation where you must escape harm. Using your mouse or analogue stick, you create a jumping arc line to evade incoming fire indicated by a red laser sight. Leaping into a guard knocks him over, which momentarily stuns him, occasionally giving you the chance to deal a finishing blow. Every action moves the battle forward one second, which is important to note, as enemies can call in lockdowns unless you can stop them within a 10-second time limit.

You have access to all of your abilities while in combat, and your mastery of them can mean the difference between a successful dodge and getting blown to bits. The tense battles have you swinging through the air on your grappling hook or bouncing from wall to ceiling like Spider-Man. Knocking down or killing an opponent earns a point that goes into a handful of unlockable skills. After collecting enough unused points, you're granted a limit break, or one free move to use however you wish, from leaping to quickly finishing off a nearby enemy.

Unfortunately, the controls aren't always as sharp as your helmeted assassin's blade.

Worse, however, and far more aggravating, are the mistakes made due to button prompts that change depending on the situation. For example, one button is typically used in order to enter doors, but the given prompt sometimes changes if you're near someone, such as a civilian--whom you typically try not to kill. So, after getting it stuck in your head that a certain prompt is used for entering a door, you may feel a tad perplexed as to why your assassin is suddenly dealing a death blow to a civilian standing just off to the side.

This happens because Ronin allows for multiple button prompts to enable you to tackle many enemies at once while in combat. During exploration, typically only one particular button is used. But when there is suddenly another possible target, the button might swap with another (for example, from A to B), sometimes allowing the aforementioned unfortunate situation to occur. It can happen in combat as well; an accidently thrown sword will quickly teach you to take battles more slowly and stay mindful of the button prompts. It isn't a damning problem, but it is jarring, and can often lead you to reload your last checkpoint.

Minor control issues don't keep Ronin down. Though the game can be finished in around six hours, it provides enough intense moments to keep your attention locked through every second. There is also a new-game-plus mode if you're hungry for more and looking for some tougher action. Enjoyable and captivating, Ronin proves that revenge is a dish best served cold--and sometimes hanging from the ceiling.

Added: 30.06.2015 18:00 | 16 views | 0 comments




Uncharted voice actor Nolan North has seemingly outed a sequel to The Last of Us.

During a panel at Metrocon 2015 (via NeoGAF) North responded to a fan question about future projects after Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, to which he replied: "Not yet, I know they're doing The Last of Us 2." However, Troy Baker, the voice actor for Joel in Naughty Dog's post-apocalyptic hit, denied knowledge of such a sequel. "I know nothing," he said during a panel at Indy PopCon (via Eurogamer). "I don't know if we're gonna do another one or not. If we do, then I trust Neil [Druckmann] and Bruce [Straley] and everyone at Naughty Dog to tell a story that needs to be told."

Added: 30.06.2015 11:00 | 4 views | 0 comments

During its E3 2015 Direct, Nintendo used muppet versions of Shigeru Miyamoto, Reggie Fils-Aime, and Satoru Iwata in little sketches between announcements and gameplay demos. They were delightful.

Now, Nintendo has released a video of Shigeru Miyamoto visiting Jim Henson's Muppet Studios. The video, which you can watch below, is essentially six-minutes of Miyamoto fanboying out.

It's sweet to see Miyamoto discussing the Muppets and Jim Henson's studio with the same kind of reverence that many video game players would have for him and his creations. Clearly, the muppets are one of the sources of that quintessential child-like delight that Miyamoto's game's inspire.

"I've admired Jim Henson studios for a very long time," Miyamoto says during the video. "When I was young, I didn't want to be a puppeteer, but the person who makes the puppet."

"So the fact that we were able to do this together is just great for me. I never even dreamed that one day my own puppet would be made by the Hensons."

During it's E3 Direct, Nintendo revealed more about the new Star Fox game for Wii U. The game

Added: 30.06.2015 11:00 | 1 views | 0 comments

During its E3 2015 Direct, Nintendo used muppet versions of Shigeru Miyamoto, Reggie Fils-Aime, and Satoru Iwata in little sketches between announcements and gameplay demos. They were delightful.

Now, Nintendo has released a video of Shigeru Miyamoto visiting Jim Henson's Muppet Studios. The video, which you can watch below, is essentially six-minutes of Miyamoto fanboying out.

It's sweet to see Miyamoto discussing the Muppets and Jim Henson's studio with the same kind of reverence that many video game players would have for him and his creations. Clearly, the muppets are one of the sources of that quintessential child-like delight that Miyamoto's game's inspire.

"I've admired Jim Henson studios for a very long time," Miyamoto says during the video. "When I was young, I didn't want to be a puppeteer, but the person who makes the puppet."

"So the fact that we were able to do this together is just great for me. I never even dreamed that one day my own puppet would be made by the Hensons."

During it's E3 Direct, Nintendo revealed more about the new Star Fox game for Wii U. The game