Catherine | Review

By: Ryan Seiler
Originally posted at Project-Blu.com on September 4, 2011 
   
In recent times, game developers have played it safe. Sequels and shooters are the way to go if you want your multimillion dollar game to be a surefire financial success. So, if you’re a game studio that thinks outside the box, releasing a genre-bending new IP into this sea of sameness is a great way to get noticed. A pink box with a pair of perky tits on the cover doesn’t hurt, either.

Atlus, the makers of the Persona series and Demon’s Souls, is well known for their bravery and ability to pump out new ideas on a seemingly continual basis. And unlike other Japanese game studios, they always faithfully localize their games to whoever wants to experience them. When Catherine first came onto the scene in early 2011, the developer, synonymous with the abstract and weird (at least to western eyes), initially hesitated on a North American release. The studio was worried it wouldn’t sell in America due to it being a combination of Qbert, a dating simulator, and A Nightmare on Elm Street. The idea that anyone would even try to make a game like this is almost unheard of, but after all is said and done, this is one of the most unique, captivating and enjoyable games yet this year.

Dead Space 2 | Review

By: Ryan Seiler 
Originally posted at Project-Blu.com on July 17, 2011    

Isaac Clarke, the unfortunate engineer of Dead Space, makes his return, along with a horde of necromorphs, a new marker, and the all-powerful plasma cutter in Dead Space 2. Visceral Games's first installment in the franchise was an instant blockbuster and kept the already minuscule survival horror genre alive. Does its sequel stand up to Dead Space's standards or surpass them entirely?

Red Faction: Armageddon | Review

By: Ryan Seiler
Originally posted at Project-Blu.com on June 28, 2011 
 

There’s something entrancing about knocking things down. From the time we’re babies until the day we die, destruction seems to be engrained in our psyche. Setting up a room full of dominos or building a sand castle will never be as entertaining as watching them succumb to the force of gravity after a light poke or an overzealous stomp. The Red Faction franchise has built its legacy on that very fact; destruction is fun.

My first encounter with the Red Faction games was Red Faction Guerrilla, an open world, go-anywhere, destroy everything any way you want kind of game. Although flawed in many ways; the story, graphics, or presentation for example, the gameplay was solid and was a blast to experiment with. Two years later, Volition Inc., the minds behind Red Faction, released the next installment to the franchise, Red Faction Armageddon. Made from the same engine as Guerrilla, Armageddon has stripped much of what its predecessor is known for, in light of a more streamlined linear venture with little variability or adaptability in gameplay. Do all the new changes enhance a previously flawed game? Or do they ruin the fun for everyone?

Killzone 3 | Review

By: Ryan Seiler

Originally posted at Project-Blu.com on June 8, 2011

The Helghast are back and more bad-ass than ever in Killzone 3. SONY sunk a lot of money into it's favorite shooter and it definitely shows. Likewise, Guerrilla Games has learned from it's past mistakes and has finally made a game that is as good as it looks.

To be honest I had never played a Killzone game until after Killzone 3's release. To see what all the hype was about, I went out and bought Killzone 2 so that I would at least have some backstory when playing its sequel. I wasn't very impressed. Sure the graphics looked mind-bogglingly good, but the controls and story were decent but felt sloppy. After completing the game I wasn't expecting much from Killzone 3. But after completing Killzone 3, well, let’s just say I went out and bought the first Killzone the next day and I am contemplating getting the PSP spinoff game Killzone: Liberation as well.