The much anticipated PlayStation 3 exclusive Sorcery releases tomorrow, but we have spent the last week casting spells and taking down bad guys using the PlayStation Move controller. Was the game worth its weight in faerie dust, or should you leave this one in the cauldron?

Read our review to find out.

It’s not everyday that a game is released that forces you to use a peripheral that not everyone has adopted. The PlayStation Move has been around for a while and hasn’t really had that ‘killer game’ yet that would make gamers go out and grab one. Sorcery just might be the game that does that.

In Sorcery, you play as Finn, the teenage apprentice of an older wizard named Dash.  Finn has a great deal of promise as a sorcerer, but he’s impatient and undisciplined.  Dash’s careful and studious approach to magic has left Finn bored and impatient. When Dash has to travel away, Finn decides to look for a wand to practice with. While practicing, his recklessness destroys one of Dash’s potions he was working on and some of the ingredients are hard to come by. Dash’s talking cat Erline, in an effort to scare Finn into a more obedient state, tells him he must travel to the land of the dead to retrieve more of these rare ingredients. While there, instead of being scared straight by the undead, he learns that he’s just as strong of a sorcerer as he thought he was.

While in the land of the dead you learn how to cast spells using your motion controller. A flick of your wrist sends an impulse in the direction your Move is pointed, and this impulse can destroy objects lying around, as well as enemies. Destroying objects like vases nets you gold coins, which will be used to purchase items (more on this later). Be sure to destroy as much as possible because gold is always valuable. The feel for the controller might take a little to get used to, but once you get past the short learning curve, you’ll be blasting things with precision in no time. Learning how to curve your shots takes a little more practice than a dead on shot, but is well worth learning.

The storyline follows you and Erline as you try to stop The Nightmare Queen from casting eternal night upon the Faerie Kingdom. Your sorcerer leaves the picture for some time, and you’ll have to learn new spells on your own. You’ll eventually learn spells that allow you to master the earth, wind, fire, ice and electricity. By mastering the quick change system of spell casting, you can learn combos that can turn a wall of fire into a fire storm with a flick of your wrist. Blast your pulses into this fire storm, and fire balls will shoot out to take out massive numbers of enemies in seconds. The key to being a powerful sorcerer lies within those combos. Learn them well and no number of ice trolls will stand in your way.

Along your journey there will be chests holding treasures and/or items that you will use with the in-game alchemy system. Potions can be brewed that will upgrade your spell abilities, make you stronger, or turn out to be useless. The 56 combinations are varied and the only way you’ll learn all of the potions is by combining the many different ingredients. It takes 3 separate ingredients for each potion. The actual mixing of ingredients also uses the Move controller, and adds to the great overall feel of the game.

Ingredients are obtained from the aforementioned chests or by purchasing them from the Alchemist that shows up from time to time along your journey. He will give you gold for any treasures you may have found along the way, and will sell you items you’ll need for your potions. The potion bottle is by far the most expensive item he sells, and you can’t make a useful potion without one. Careful thought should be made before hastily purchasing things from him. Looking through your inventory, and knowing what you need for a certain potion, should allow you to make wise purchases. The alchemy system is well thought out, and how you develop your sorcerer is strictly up to you. You can upgrade a few spells heavily, or you can evenly distribute the upgrades across the board. The choice is yours.

The enemies in the game vary from undead ghosts, to overgrown trolls that are generally a pain in the butt. Each enemy has its own spell weakness, and knowing which spell that is is the key to success. There are five unique worlds and each has its own set of unique enemies. The enemies are detailed nicely. Ice trolls are a mean looking sort, as most trolls should be. The many different types of enemies gives the game a varied feel.

The worlds are almost all linear, with a few side tracks that can lead you to hidden chests. Leaving the beaten path at times is a plus, and finding all of the chests is no easy task. For you completionists out there, there is no level select and no back tracking, so finding everything on one run through will be a challenge.

The graphics are top notch and the level of detail within each world is nicely done. This is a very good looking game, with no pixelations even on a big screen TV. While it does only play at 720p, the graphics are still great and easy on the eyes. Gameplay also includes some puzzle solving, and the level of detail on some of these might test your brain power.

The sound track for the game was composed by the award winning composer Mark Mancina. The music ranges from light and fun, all the way to the opposite end of the spectrum with some of the boss battles. The tempo rises and falls depending on your situation, and sets the tone for the overall feel of the game nicely. The sound track is already available on the PlayStation store, and its 28 tracks are worth a listen to.

The PlayStation Move controller hasn’t always been treated with the respect that it deserves from developers. It’s understandable that there are gamers out there that think it’s nothing more than a gimmick brought out by the PlayStation brand to just make a buck. The problem hasn’t been the Move itself, but the lack of a great game utilizing it.

Sorcery is that great game.

9

The creators of Warhawk bring us another third person shooter. Did Dylan Jobe and Lightbox Interactive create a successful sequel, or should this title be lost in space?

Read our review to find out.

Incognito software released Warhawk back in 2007 to decent reviews. While it was a multiplayer only game, it still went a long ways in creating a great overall experience. Developer Lightbox Interactive was born in 2009 with Dylan Jobe coming over as president from Incognito. SCEA Santa Monica Studio has partnered with them and have developed their latest release Starhawk.

The first thing you’ll notice with Starhawk is that it’s not multiplayer only. Instead of a couple of simple tutorial levels, you are given a full on campaign mode, as well as 5 co-op levels. While not all that lengthy, it’s still worth the 5-6 hours you’ll need to play through it.

The Starhawk universe is set in the distant future, out in the far reaches of space where factions battle over a rare and dangerous resource known as Rift Energy.  In this galaxy, colonies of humans, called Rifters, explore a scattering of planets, known as the Frontier, in attempt to mine this energy to make an honest living, but find their way of life threatened by the Outcast, a ruthless species of humans who have mutated into psychotic monsters due to exposure to this very same Rift Energy.

Caught in the middle is Emmett Graves, a hired gunslinger ostracized from society because of his own exposure to Rift Energy, leaving him partially mutated, but still able to retain his humanity.  Always around, and mostly always orbiting above you, is your ally in space Sidney Cutter. The story plays out almost like an old west style movie, with the exception of alien worlds and space travel.

The story is well written and easy to follow. It is told through cut scenes between levels with graphics that are comic bookish. It’s an art style that looks great and fits the overall feel of the game. The plot and characters are well thought out. Some of the best narrative comes from in-game chatter between Emmet and his buddy in space, Cutter. Cutter seems like an old cranky feller that fits the old west styling of the game. He acts as your tutor and over-seer. Before each level starts, Cutter will let you know where the Outcasts will be coming from, and in the order of their appearance. This gives the game almost a real time strategy feel to it. That’s not a bad thing, as strategy becomes paramount to survival, and requires more thought than just pointing and shooting.

Starhawk introduces the new-to-the-series Build and Battle system. As you play through each level, taking out bad guys will earn you rift energy. This energy fills up an incremental meter at the top of your screen, and each full piece of energy can then be spent for calling down objects from a drop ship. These objects range from a simple defensive wall, which multiples can be linked together, to landing pads which can spawn warhawks. Strategy becomes necessary if you want to get through later levels, as the difficulty increases as you progress along. Items are dropped and assembled at a speed that is incredibly fast and efficient.

Once you’ve made it through the campaign, and we strongly suggest you tackle that first, you may want to grab a friend and play some co-op. Co-op allows for up to 4 players, either through 2-player split screen between two systems, or with 3 other players from across the Globe. Co-op is basically a horde mode, where you’ll have to survive 6 rounds of incoming outcasts and keep your rift harvester from being destroyed. There is a repair tool on each level, so you may want to locate it before installing your harvester at the beginning of the level.

The rounds begin only after you install that harvester, so taking a look around at the map is probably in your best interest. there are also rift canisters scattered around each map, so finding them before beginning the round is a good idea as well. Each round gets progressively harder, and each round also adds different types of incoming troops. One other useful tip: enemy snipers can’t hurt your harvester, so leaving one off in the distance will keep your current round from ending, and gives you a chance to hit those rift canisters again.

The later rounds will have some airborne Outcasts coming in, so be sure to have plenty of anti-aircraft weapons lying around your harvester. Beam Turrets are very effective against enemy warhawks. If you create your own warhawk and leave it unattended, the Outcasts have no qualms with stealing it and using it against you, so always keep a close eye on those things. They aren’t called Outcasts for nothing. Grand Theft Warhawk should be punishable by death, and it’s up to you to make sure it is.

After testing the Build and Battle System in campaign and co-op modes, you should be ready to jump right in to the multiplayer portion of the game. This is where Starhawk truly shines. All of the basic MP modes are available to choose from. Zones, CTF, TDM and straight up DM are all awaiting you. The community features for the game take this to the next level with clan support, leaderboards, and the ability for users to create Player Hosted Tournaments.

Starhawk’s gameplay does an incredible job of mixing so many different aspects of war into one game. Whether you are wanting to dogfight in space, go toe-to-toe in hand to hand combat, or mix it altogether in one epic battle, the choice is yours. With up to 32 players in one match, battles can truly be on an epic scale. Customizing a map rotation for a group of your buddies is pretty simple and is probably the best way to enjoy the game.

Light Box Interactive and Santa Monica Studio have created an excellent title that should make all Warhawk fans want to move on to the in-spirit sequel Starhawk.

8

The Walking Dead makes the jump from comic series, to TV series, and now to video game series. Does it make a successful transition to an interactive form, or is it just a dead game walking?

Read our review to find out.

The Walking Dead, a five-part gaming “series” set in an apocalyptic zombie-riddled world and based on a comic of the same name, guides you along and through the harrowing survival story of a few rather unfortunate people. It’s quite a bold attempt at an interactive and unique storytelling style that holds your hand, yet gives you freedom in the moments, and with the people, that really matter. The style of play could be considered “Point-and-Click Survival Horror Adventure”. Granted it’s not fully any of those, but the genre mash-up does it the most justice.

Due to the story and character-driven nature of this game series (and the comic), I am choosing not to reveal certain things in my review of Episode 1. Reviews of Episodes 2-5 will dive more into character development, but for the sake of beginning an adventure fresh and new, it’s best to let you initially discover the world and characters. You’ll thank me later if and when you decide to play The Walking Dead.

Your main character is a convicted criminal who ends up, tragically, in the midst of a group of survivors that range from very young to quite old. Each person you meet comes with special and important conversations replete with moments where decisions need to be made. These decisions you make in conversation and in action will have an effect on how everyone in the game world sees you, and it’s quite refreshing and rewarding to know that something you say or do will reflect on your relationship with someone until the end of the adventure, or at least until the end of your life or theirs…

Gameplay is very point-and-click styled, with the option of simply moving about a small-ish environment, looking for visual cues that point out interactive bits or people around you. There are a few quick time events, but few and far between, and they tend to be well-placed and thought out. A few of them are even critical decisions of life and death. It’s really quite well done. Combat is also spaced out, else another zombie mow-down game would be upon us. It’s handled in a way that really makes you feel like a survivor on the run with little hope unless you stick together with those around you that value their lives and yours. Interdependency is a term you’ll become familiar with when playing The Walking Dead. It’s how a survival-horror adventure should be, and I can’t wait for the next episodes; seeing what decisions, people and events are waiting for me in this starkly-realized modern world will surely be exciting.

The graphics are presented with a comic-shaded effect that lends itself well to the bloody nightmare all around you as well as the stark contrast between light and dark areas. Lines stand out on the hand-drawn faces of the well-animated people you interact with. Brows furrow, eyes dart back and forth, and real emotion is portrayed quite well; not exactly LA Noire-quality, but effective enough for gleaning emotional cues. That’s all that matters in the end. The characters in The Walking Dead emanate emotion and life, and sometimes you’ll catch yourself looking at a person’s face and not the words at the bottom of the screen. That’s always refreshing and it lets you get lost in what’s happening in front of and around you.

Munching and groaning, shuffling and gurgling. Gunshots and axe hits, splintering and shattering. These are the noises that any zombie game aficionado will absorb and delight in right away, and the aforementioned are all present in a well-crafted soundscape meant to chill to the bone at the right moments. Voice acting is downright superb. You’ll get attached to people soon after starting to play.

The Walking Dead is a fine-tuned comic adaptation that will leave you wanting more. I promise. That being said, go ahead and jump into the first episode, discover the characters, the world, make decisions carefully and enjoy the survival horror moments and then head on back here for our review of Episode 2, where I’ll delve more into the characters and the story. Stay safe in your adventures…

9

The PS Vita gets its first tactical JRPG. Disgaea 3 has been brought over from the PS3, with all the DLC included plus a few new additions. Did it make a smooth transition, or is should the prinnies be left alone?

Read our review to find out dood.

The Disgaea series is a turn-based tactical Japanese role playing game. Nippon Ichi Software has always been known for anime style art, with entertaining story lines and interesting characters. Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention fits the mold perfectly.

The game opens with the story’s main character, Mao, reading manga. He’s researching ways he might be able to defeat his overbearing, and troublesome father. It seems that his father, who just so happens to be the Overlord of the Netherworld, was messing around with Mao’s video games and deleted his game saves. If that’s not reason enough to want to defeat him, what is?

During his manga research, Mao finds that it takes a hero to defeat the ultimate bad guy. He must then find a hero, and find out what he needs to do to become a hero, without actually being good, or doing anything good. He doesn’t want to be a hero, just kind of get the power….. or something…. whatever….. he just wants to defeat his dad and that’s what he’s got to do.

The story’s central location, from which all other areas are visited, is set in the Netherworld High School. This being the Netherworld, things are backwards from what you might think. Honor Students are the kids that cut the most classes, and the delinquents are the kids that never miss a class. The traditional values of high school are flipped on their head.

Mao is accompanied in his travels by his faithful, and knowledgeable, butler Geoffrey. He also has a small band of slaves, and early on, he meets up with a very weak hero named Almaz. While at the Netherworld HS, you can head into your Classroom and work on your crew. Here you can rename or create new characters. The selection to choose from is vast, but since strategy is key, you may want to think about who you add. You can choose from healers, fighters and magicians, all with their own pros and cons. Striking a good balance takes practice, but makes battles easier. You can name these characters anything you wish, so descriptive names might make it easier to remember what each one does.

Game-play is split into two different areas. The Netherworld High School is for planning and prepping, with places like the nurse’s station for healing, the Netherworld Shop for purchasing new items and the Evilty Scholar who can teach you new skills or evilities, or make the ones you already know even better.

Nurse's Office

The second area of game-play is the battle-map. In Disgaea, characters have a limit to their movement and attack ranges based on level and weapons equipped. Game-play is turn based, with the player being able to dispatch a certain number of their minions. The game board is set-up in a grid pattern using squares for each place on the map. Characters can be stacked and, if using the right combination of characters, become stronger and more effective. You can also throw characters when stacked, and this makes areas that seem unreachable, reachable.

Stacking can be very useful

There are a couple items that can help you on the 3D battle-map:

• Geo Blocks – These cube-shaped terrain-altering objects allow players to manipulate a stage’s rules and approach enemies that would normally be out of reach.
• Geo Panels – These colored panels will appear on the game map and bestow various effects depending on which Geo  Blocks are placed on them. Drop a Geo Block on one panel, and every panel of the same color will share that Block’s effect, which can range from EXP bonuses to unit damage, or even invincibility.

Game-play isn’t fast paced, but is well designed. If you are new to the series, the tutorials do a great job of walking you through the system. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll find that you are picking up speed and the game starts to move pretty quick. If you aren’t new to the series, you’ll be able to jump right in and start battling. If you take the time to learn as much as possible, the strategies become quite complex, and battles are a breeze, albeit a little longer. You can just muscle your way through, which is quicker, but then your characters won’t rank up as fast, and later battles might seem unbeatable.

The graphics for the game are well polished. This is a smooth running game that can be viewed in one of three zoom views. You can zoom all the way in for a close look at the characters. There’s a mid-zoom that is great for navigating in a non-battle environment. There’s also a zoomed out view that gives you a great view of a battle map while battling your enemies. You can rotate the view using the shoulder buttons, and when dealing with a 3D battle map, this becomes very useful. The zoom function is utilized by touching either the screen or the rear panel. You can turn off the rear panel functionality, and for those with big hands, this might prevent some frustration.

The music for the game fits it perfectly. It has a nice mix of upbeat tunes that can make the game’s longer battles seem less so. Each character has their own little sound bytes that are entertaining and just might make you like them all the more. The voice acting for the cut scenes, and for those sound bytes, is top notch. All of the audio sounds crisp and clear.

If you played Disgaea 3 on the PS3 and enjoyed it, playing it on the Vita will be just as enjoyable. With several new maps, all of the DLC from the PS3 version, and a few characters from Disgaea 4 dropping by, Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention is worth another purchase for the awesome little handheld.

8

PlayStation Network’s Spring Fever Sale is closing out with Closure, a unique mind-bender in a dark and atmospheric realm. It’s a brilliant puzzle game where you must manipulate light and escape from a mysterious world. Want to know more about this indie game? Grab your flash light and get ready as you head on towards our review.

Closure was developed by a three-man studio known as Eyebrow Interactive . Tyler Glaiel // Programmer, Jon Schubble // Art, and Christopher Rhyne // Music;  they’re winners of the 2012 Indie Game Challenge at DICE, IGF 2010 Excellence in Audio Award and Indiecade 2009 Gameplay Innovation Award. If you are thinking that you have already heard about this game, you’re right. This game was first revealed as a flash game back in 2009; this PSN version is totally new. Just the concept of light and darkness is the same.

You play as a strange demon that closely resembles a spider-like creature. You experience three different points of view from three different humans. The spider-like creature also has its own levels and story. Once you have completed the tutorial, which is so well implemented that you don’t even notice that you were just taught the controls and were made ready to play the game, you can choose what story to play from the start. There are three doors, each with its own story.

You must utilize the light against the darkness to bring out or take out realism. Meaning, if you shine light and see that a wall or floor is up ahead if the light stays on that position, you won’t be able to get across. But, if you bring down the light just low enough for you to jump on and create a path, you’ll succeed. Doors are your ticket out of the level; go through the doors to continue the story.

The controls are simple and effective. The audio is great. You hear sounds ranging from footsteps to the rain pouring along with lightning and thunder. The art of the game is truly amazing. Everything is hand-drawn, and the environments as well as each of the characters deserve praise. They are created with great detail. One can tell that a lot of effort was put into the game and, let me tell you, it paid off.

Each character has 24 mind-twisting puzzles, with there being 72 in total. Ten additional puzzles can be unlocked. The game clocks in between 5 and 7 hours of play time. It all depends on how good and determined you are with puzzles. Another 2 to 3 hours can be spent collecting silver moths, and there are plenty of Easter Eggs to find. Puzzles ramp up in difficulty as you progress, just how it should be. Yet, with Closure, there isn’t a moment that you’ll get frustrated or “rage quit” due to not being able to solve a certain puzzle. You are not being scored or timed, so take your time with the puzzles. Oh, and in case you lose the key to unlock the door or a box in order to reach the other side due to a dark void, simply press the SELECT button and then you’ll restart that specific level and nothing will change or be lost. Everything stays the same. It’s more of a mechanic that lets you learn from your mistakes without being so punishing. If all that fails, then feel free to leave that story and choose a different one. Every time you complete a level, you most likely will feel accomplished. That being said, not many games can make you feel that way, and one would do themselves a great disservice to miss out on this one.

Eyebrow Interactive has done a great job with Closure. If you are a puzzle junkie, this is right for you. Those uneasy yet adventurous feelings of “What will I find up ahead?” and “Should I jump off this rock and hope there’s a platform below?” will keep on bringing you back for more.

8/10