The FIFA franchise has been so strong for so long, one could be forgiven for thinking that there’s very little left to review each time the latest version is released. As soon as it comes out, it rocks its way up to the top of the charts and peers down at any rivals from afar without feeling in any way threatened by what they have to offer. Is it the same this year? Well, developers EA Sports are arguably facing their stiffest competition yet in the form of PES 16 and so what, if anything, have they done in their…

Pro Evolution Soccer and its makers, Konami, have had a bit of a rough ride in recent years, always having to play second fiddle to the bigger, bolder, brassier EA’s FIFA offerings.  The lesser developer may well just concede defeat but Konami aren’t like that – every year’s FA Cup sees so-called giant slayers reign supreme and Konami have clearly set their sights on that title.  So, how well have they done with PES 16 when comparing against FIFA 16?  Do either of them deserve to be, ahem, relegated? The early word from the critics about PES 16 is that…

If you’re a fan of the Metal Gear franchise, then you’ll be familiar with the complex plots; the latest instalment, the fifth, Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain, unsurprisingly, doesn’t veer from this tradition. There may be people and previous events you thought you understood based on previous instalments, but there are further twists and revelations here which will test your understanding and your mettle. You don’t need to be familiar with the franchise in order to enjoy this one, but it’s fair to say that it will help. Anyway, bring it on, I say. The graphics, nay cinematography, voice-acting…

Recently I was able to get my hands on the private beta for Duelyst, a tactical, turn based, multiplayer, strategy game by Counterplay Games.  In short the game features beautiful art and surprisingly detailed animations.  There are hundreds (if not thousands) of spells, minions, and equipment.  Most of which are more than just cards and come to life as detailed characters or objects on the battlefield.  Throw on top of that one of the most thrilling soundtracks that will bring you back to the battlefield just so you can get hyped by the music, even if you’re getting your butt…

You could have colored me surprised this morning when I read that adult women represent the largest gaming demographic. Oh stop it, not because of any sexist thoughts on my part, but maybe because of some clichéd ones. At first I guessed the study that came up with the results was from some unrepeatable source, but nope I was wrong on that front too. This study came from The Entertainment Software Association, which is (in case you didn’t know) the trade association for the video game industry and the body that organizes E3, the biggest expo in the industry. So…

Who are you and what are you working on? My name is Janice, I’m a (musical)theatre actress and a singer, majored in university in both Theatre and Mediastudies. Growing up as a kid with the SNES and the Playstation, one of my dreams has always been making my own game(s). Some of my favorite games include Star Ocean, Xenogears, Suikoden, Breath of Fire, FF7/FF8/FFT, Lufia and Seiken Densetsu. I’m currently working on a polished-up version of Escalia. Before that, I was working on Startide. Janice – President of JENBO Productions Why did you want to become a game…

The XBOX 360 was, and is, iconic for so many reasons. It’s the first console, in my opinion, that gave us true multiplayer and online functionalities. It became the obvious choice for those who wanted the best ‘connected’ experience. Then came along the beginning of 8th gen gaming… Then came the big question: XBOX One or PS4? As an XBOX 360 gamer, I thought that it would become an easy choice, after all, both consoles would be evenly placed, right? Wrong! The choice became somewhat harder after seeing the 2013 announcements. After all, the PS4 looked better in more ways…

Who are you and what are you working on? I’m The Dink. I mean, that’s my internet name anyway. You can call me Joe. I always have a project in mind but right now I’m primarily a student with a nearly full-time job so that keeps me busy and mostly unable to pursue my hobbies/enjoyment/dreams.   What is Half-Off Hero? It’s my entry for the IGMC this year! It’s an Adventure, Visual Novel, RPG, with a comedic storyline. At least I’ve been told it’s funny? Humor is subjective and all that. Of course, it’s more than that too I…

Who are you and what do you do? My name is Lucas Schuneman and I’m a working voice actor in the Chicago, IL area. How long have you been voice acting, and for what mediums do you voice acting for? I started looking into voiceover in 2007, took my first workshop in 2009 and got my first “gig” in 2010 (which was for Disciples III: Renaissance). I would consider myself a character voice actor since the crux of my work can be heard in video games… but I’m also heard in anime, cartoons, trailers, commercials, audiobooks and promotional videos.…

We all have our preferred gaming platforms and while consoles were busy stepping up their game (no pun intended) PC’s and laptops were doing the exact same thing. Companies like Xidax and Alienware have taken PC gaming to the next level. It’s not just about the PC you own, however. You need the right tools in your tool box and the right accessories to enhance your gaming experience. There’s a slew of accessories out there and sometimes they don’t always hit the mark. That’s why I’ve developed this list that includes some of the best accessories for laptop and PC…

        IGMC 2015 games will be judged following the same guidelines the official judges do. (Presentation, Gameplay, Engagement, Bugs/Glitches, and 2015’s Twist: Growth)  My score has no effect on the actual scores the game’s receive but just represent my own thoughts on the games.  Let’s take a look at today’s game… Escalia Background Information:  A turn based, RPG, made in RPG Maker VX Ace by the developer JENB Productions. Presentation:  From the start of the game you can tell Escalia is going to be a pretty one.  As you sit on the main menu the characters travel throughout…

Who are you and what are you working on? My name is Razelle; on the internet I just use the last name Lockwood to keep any semblance of privacy intact. Although,  I’ve never met anyone with my name in my everyday life or even online. Grist of Flies is the first game I’ve released publicly, but I’ve been working on two other games off and on, one which will be an episodic story that I plan on finally unveiling sometime this September.   What is Grist of Flies? GoF is a RPG that focuses on battle strategy instead of dungeon crawling…

It is hard to put a price on your childhood. All those times spent happily whiling away the hours with your favourite toy is worth more than money, right? Well, a couple of decades on, and you might look at it with a different perspective. Those retro games and toys that gave you so much joy in the past are now worth a fortune. Some of them are going for thousands of dollars. Seriously, the toys that cost you about a pocket full of change fifteen years ago are now that in demand. Furbies were incredibly strange creatures. They spoke…

Who are you and what are you working on? I’m just a guy from Georgia. A complete nobody in the world of game development who saw a contest and thought: “Sure, why not?” Game making has always been more of a hobby than anything for me, and I get much more enjoyment out of making something because I want to, as opposed to planning ahead commercially. Currently I’m working on another non-commercial game, which (like all of my previous projects) will probably never see the light of day or come anywhere close to being finished. What is Reminisce? Reminisce means “to…

        IGMC 2015 games will be judged following the same guidelines the official judges do. (Presentation, Gameplay, Engagement, Bugs/Glitches, and 2015’s Twist: Growth)  My score has no effect on the actual scores the game’s receive but just represent my own thoughts on the games.  Let’s take a look at today’s games… Reminisce Background Information:  A side scrolling adventure game made in Game Maker by the developer Jesse. Presentation:  The beginning scene starts out with a couple lines of text and some music but then as the game starts the music cuts out.  The only sounds you’re left…

       Starting out as one of the most buggiest, unplayable, piles of garbage that Steam has seen in recent years, Orion attempted to give us dinos to shoot long before Ark: Survival Evolved was ever a thing.  But it’s been years since its initial release and the devs have put quite some time into making it better.  The game has sold over two million units thanks to those changes, so what is it like now?  Well let’s see… The Core Gameplay         Orion: Prelude features several game modes but the focus of the game, as far as the player base is concerned, is…

The business sim is a genre which is under filled and under demanded, in my opinion, and that’s why you don’t see many developers rushing out to make games based around this area. The business sim genre struck its prime within the 1990s, and then things went completely quiet, with poor to mediocre releases. However, things are about to get a lot more exciting. Creating and managing a theme park fits beautifully into the business sim genre, and we’ve seen some great past examples including, Theme Park and Rollercoaster Tycoon. If you enjoy the mixture of creating and management, then…

        Square Enix delivered quite a surprise when they took over Sleeping Dogs and turned it from a GTA clone to something great on its own.  The story was interesting, the gameplay was very smooth and engaging (jumping off a motorcycle and shooting the gas tank in slow motion as it went under a police car never felt bad), and as odd as it was to be driving a car from the right side instead of the left as American’s like myself are familiar with, the driving was very well done.  Which made sense for United Fronts seeing as their previous games…

        With the release of The Banner Saga 2 not far around the corner it might be a good idea to refresh your minds on what made the first Banner Saga good, and what could be improved upon in the second.  For those who haven’t played the first one it’s definitely worth picking up, and seeing as how the saves from the first game carry over into the second it would be a good idea to play though you don’t have to if you want to just skip to the second game.  So let’s take a look… The Core Gameplay         The Banner Saga is…

Who are you and what are you working on? Hi! My name is Mickaël “Ylzor” Didier, I’m a French indie developer. I’ve released two games so far, one being Save Point for IGMC 2014, and the other being GUILT for this year’s IGMC. This means both of them were made within a month, and they are free! What is GUILT? GUILT is a Stealth/Horror 2D game focusing heavily on its story and atmosphere. You play as a woman who wakes up in a dark forest and you’ll have to find a way for her to get out of it.…

        IGMC 2015 games will be judged following the same guidelines the official judges do. (Presentation, Gameplay, Engagement, Bugs/Glitches, and 2015’s Twist: Growth)  My score has no effect on the actual scores the game’s receive but just represent my own thoughts on the games.  Let’s take a look at today’s games… Half-Off Hero: The World Needs Savings Background Information:  An RPG made with RPG Maker by the creator The Dink. Presentation:  The painted art that the game focuses on is a cute yet detailed style that really breathes life into each and every character.  The artist behind…

If you’ve been into games for any amount of time you’ve probably heard statements like, “Video Games Cause Violence” and if you’re anything like me statements like that really get your blood boiling.  This is brought up almost as often as the debate over guns and though that topic is a discussion of its own I do want to look at what sort of impact video games do have on people.  Let it be noted this is, for the most part, an opinion piece.  Everything written is based on experiences I’ve either had myself or seen others go through.  This…

Papo & Yo is a game by the independent studio Minority Media. The story follows a boy named Quico who hides away from his drunk and abusive father in an imaginary puzzle world in which he tries to guide both himself and his friend monster to a better place. Using Quico’s imagination you must solve puzzles with the aide of his friends including a giant monster and a robot toy. The Core Gameplay Papo & Yo is a 3D puzzle game and as such a lot of the puzzles are solved by grabbing and dragging objects around but more often…

There’s been a lot of commotion regarding anything Konami has touched recently.  From stripping Hideo Kojima of his title and team, to canceling Silent Hills, and even an ex member of Konami, Koji Igarashi, becoming a massive success on his own with a genre Konami deemed “dead”.  Konami seems to be digging a deeper and deeper hole in the console gaming world but they may not be bothered by that fact since they seem to want to leave consoles behind.  But what they do have going for them is perhaps one of the most anticipated games of the year, Metal…

A survival horror game where you are trapped on an island with mutant cannibals after a horrible plane crash that separated you from your son.  A beautiful game filled with suspense and scares abundant, at least that’s what was promised to us over a year ago when the game first went into Early Access.  What Endnight Games has done with The Forest since it’s initial release is a matter of opinion and critique, in which I’ll be giving you my thoughts below. The Horror One of the key aspects of this game is the “fear factor” and to that I…

        The Indie Game Maker Contest, 2015 has completed its submission phase.  Any games on the page at this point are final and ready to be played, judged, and enjoyed by the community.  Over the next couple of months as the scores are added up by the judges and games are eliminated down to the final few we’ll be taking a look at some of the games that stand out (or fade away) from the crowd.  I will judge them following the same guidelines the official judges do.  My score has no effect on the actual scores the game’s receive but…

      Orcs Must Die has been an action based, tower defense game in which you try to defend a magical rift from Orcs and other evil creatures.  You can place traps, use spells, and use a list of weapons to defeat your foes.  Each entry in the series has changed the game a little more each time.  The first showed us the core gameplay with an interesting story, the second added multiplayer, and it seems with the newest title in the series, the team over at Robot Entertainment felt it was time to bring the series into the…

        If Starship Troopers was a videogame, Infested Planet would be it.  It’s a game about facing thousands of enemies in every level, likely millions by the end, and blowing them all to smithereens.  You have a small variety of unit types, support buildings, and research facilities and you must use them all to your advantage in order to prevail against the overwhelming odds. Gameplay – Out Numbered A Thousand to One         In most missions you’re given a small squad and a single base and thrown into a map with several alien bases.  Each base can spawn hundreds to thousands…

        I’m a firm believer in the idea that you should get your information from multiple sources and form your own opinion regarding any matter.  I may write reviews and I want you to read them but I also believe you should read and watch other’s viewpoints as well so that you can get a better idea of the product you plan on spending your money on or in the least, dedicating time to.  If you’re going to sink hours into something you should at least dedicate some time into finding out if it’s worth your time.  So…

        Gunpoint from the creative mind, Tom Francis, is a stealth-based, puzzle-platform game.  One that features hacking, jumping, shooting, and a plenty of action based humor.  If falling three stories only to land smack on your face and survive is something you find funny you’re going to love this game. The Core Gameplay         One of the main abilities you have in the game is to hack objects.  Now instead of typing codes and unlocking doors what you’ll be doing here is changing connections between sources and objects.  By this I mean if you rewire a light switch…

        Back in 2008 there was a promising real time strategy game released as a part of the Tom Clancy franchise called EndWar.  It was a good looking game at the time that featured interesting mechanics.  Most notably amongst those mechanics was the ability to give orders to your troops through the use of a mic, as this predated the days where many Xbox owners owned a Kinect.  The feature didn’t always work how it should and the strategy end of things was unbalanced.  If you played as the American faction and put anti air on your…