Review: The Last of Us: Left Behind (PS3)

In some ways it seems like it's been years since I explored the world of Joel and Ellie in the Last of Us. It was a gaming experience unlike any other and it's one that doesn't quickly leave your mind even after it's over. From moments of heartache to ones where your skin crawls at the thought of a Clicker biting your neck, The Last of Us had it all.

Review: Dustforce (PS3)

Dustforce is the kind of indie game that harkens back to the days of the NES, ColecoVision, and my Commodore '64. The basic game design is one part Ninja Gaiden, one part Miner 2049er, and one part Impossible Mission – you must clean up all surfaces of a level using your character's acrobatics and defeat dust covered enemies in the final room.

Simple character design and visuals run counter to the complex level design which will taunt you to try and beat it with not only a fast run, but a perfect one. Death is a minor concern as you'll always be transported back a bit in your playthrough with a chance to retry before your mistake.

Review: The Walking Dead - Season 2: Episode 1 (PC)

At the close of The Walking Dead Season 1, developer Telltale Games could have been forgiven for moving on to other stories, to shift the focus from Clementine, the small girl that escaped Season 1, to other people trying to survive the zombie apocalypse. After all, The Walking Dead series -- in the comics, the television show, and the games -- has no compunction about killing off major characters to move the story along.

Season 2 makes Clementine the focus and introduces many new characters, accompanied by an oddly upbeat sensibility. At least, if one were to define "upbeat" by horror, horror everywhere!

Video: The Weekly Checkpoint 88

This week Jeff takes a look at what he feels to be one of the more overlooked developers of the 80s, 90s, and 00s: Irem.

Review: World of Warplanes (PC)

One aspect of World of Warplanes that the developers absolutely nail is the feeling of flight, at least on a casual basis because this isn't a flight sim by any stretch.

It makes me wish I still had my three-button Gravis joystick (circa. 1991). It also makes me wish there were more games that nudge up against that part of my brain that releases endorphins every time I think of X-Wing, Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe, or the Rogue Squadron games. Then World of Warplanes makes me wish there was more to do within the confines of the game.

Review: Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (PC)

The whack-a-doodle nonsense of the Metal Gear universe is delivered by Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. Within the first 30 or 45 minutes, cyborg protagonist Raiden guts a towering Metal Gear then "befriends" a (sadly underutilized) robot dog. Why? There's something about child soldiers, private military contractors, Raiden's past life as "Jack the Ripper" and in all likelihood a Ronco product that slices, dices, and minces.

Review: Broken Age - Act I (PC)

Broken Age tells a story of… well, that part’s still up in the air because this is only Part I but more accurately, I don't want to tell you anything about the story.

The game opens with no explanation. Instead Broken Age begins with two characters seemingly leaning back-to-back but separated by time and place. Click on either one, it doesn't matter since players can jump between the space-faring Shay and the would-be monster killer Vella on the fly (to a point). And that’s about as much of the game as I'm comfortable revealing because Broken Age is best left to be explored and be surprised by  and find answers like why Shay is stuck on a space ship or why Vella feels the need to kill the giant Mog Chothra.