Lara Croft Go... reviewed!

A Lara Croft turn-based puzzle game? Count me in!

I have to start this review off by saying… if you think this is… just like “Hitman Go”, you’re sadly mistaken. Both of these franchises were given a turn-based puzzle game, but the delivery is different enough to notice; Square-Enix Montreal gets a well-deserved… thumbs up for both.

I think the way this game was delivered, was smart. You still get the Tomb Raider adventure, but it’s served up in a way that can be appreciated by strategic players in a turn-based way. You aren’t playing through a board game like set up mirrored off of Hitman Go; you maintain what Lara Croft is known to do… raid tombs in hopes of coming out in one piece.

The challenges in this game are presented as a bit more of a successful chain reaction equaling progression (to me). If you mess up something, you will have to go back in a lot of cases and start the area over again, and you don’t just kill enemies of certain areas, you have to be strategic and use them to your advantage.

You also need a good eye in this game, because there are hidden items throughout the various locations that collectively form treasures… so replay value comes into play via that part of the game alone. I think it was cool to have this seek and find element added to the mix, because that’s usually the purpose of raiding the tombs... but you aren't just obtaining a treasure from that point, you're also unlocking clothing like the bomber jacket. So... get to searching!

Visually, I think the game looks nice, and plays smoothly on mobile. The environments have a lot of depth, and they designed it to definitely immerse you as much as they could via this mobile adventure (which hits the mark). I like when Lara is climbing down a rope and you can see her though the holes in the foreground and it’s very fluid (which really caught my eye with this game). The sound quality can also be appreciated in Lara Croft Go, and I even found myself more often than not... playing it with a pair of headphones.

Could you imagine if this were real? Ahhh!

Price wise I’d probably say it should be a little less… than Hitman Go, but… at $4.99 it doesn’t feel like a rip off either (even if $3.99 would be more of a sweet spot). I still found myself getting in a good amount of play time, and would still recommend at this price.

Overall, Lara Croft Go is an enjoyable experience that gives fans of strategy games… a great game worth checking out for a change of pace... whether for the sake of puzzle, adventure, seek and find or all of the above.

Fun factor: 4
Visually: 5
Replay value: 4
Price: 5

"4.5 / 5 Cool Points"

Happy New Year China!

This post is far all of our Chinese fans celebrating the Chinese New Year. Make the most of this year of the Monkey and... game on! Where is the monkey represented here? Take a good look! ;)

Hitman Go... reviewed!

This game is a breath of fresh air.

If you’ve had the pleasure of playing this game… then you may have just sat there and looked at how clean and pretty it looks (yes… pretty).

Hitman Go, doesn’t require much elsewhere regarding graphics, so Square-Enix Montreal was able to really lay in on the visuals nicely for mobile.

Hitman Go is a turn-based puzzle game delivering the feel of the board games some of us would pull off the shelf from time to time back in the day. I enjoyed the time with friends and family, and those board games were a great stepping stone to what I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing here.

The game starts out simple enough… giving you the basic feel of moving Agent 47 from point to point, but as you progress through the maps of the various boards… the duh of the day is that the challenge greatly increases.

This is a game for fans of strategy, and since it’s available on mobile it allows for you to enjoy it on the… Go (pun intended). Your moves are challenged by guards, and even things like rocks that produce sound… requiring you to throw them in a strategic way that doesn’t result in you ending up with the short end of the stick. Some guards move, some stand watch, etc. making you think again and again before you make a move (almost like chess with advantages on some boards if you use them to your advantage). So if you’re up to the challenge of a game that was delivered right… don’t sleep on this one.

Replay value is also there, and believe me when I tell you it’s strong, because there are incentives to completing stages in various forms.

Some stages challenge you to:

•         Complete them with the lowest possible moves
•         Complete them without killing any enemies
•         Collect the Briefcase on the board before completing the level

And… there are also achievements, so you may find yourself coming back again and again to take on challenges that slipped through your hands. So whether you’re trying to get from start to finish without losing, trying to take out the boss character on a game board, complete challenges, or obtain achievements… you get more than enough value with this game at its price point (the music's pretty good too for this type of game).

Overall, Hitman Go is an experience i'd recommend for anyone... even if you aren't big on puzzle games, simply based on the feel of the game because it adds something good to your library (at least for me) via a genre that doesn't usually have this type of delivery. I give props to the puzzle genre though, because the innovation tends to be high... and this game was on target (just like this pun).

Fun factor: 4
Visually: 5
Replay value: 5
Price: 5

"4.75 / 5 Cool Points"

From the Source: EA - Mirror's Edge Catalyst... Closed Beta!

Up for some free running BETA action in this well deserved reboot of a game that... could prove to be one of the better games of the year (if done right)? Check out the details below! It's not so... red now, but that was part of the original charm that won't make or break this reboot.

When I see this reboot, I wonder if it was inspired by the reboot of Tomb Raider. If so... I hope they're inspired to make it just as worthy of going head to head in its own individual way (I feel confident that they'll hit the mark as long as it isn't rushed... because money well invested will pay off)!

Could this be the year of heroines? If so, that's fine by me... bub!

ANNOUNCING THE MIRROR’S EDGE™ CATALYST CLOSED BETA

Watch the new story trailer for Mirror’s Edge Catalyst and sign up for the Closed Beta

THE RISE OF A HEROINE
We’ve been dying to show you more from Mirror’s Edge™ Catalyst - and now’s the time. Discover Faith’s amazing journey with this new trailer - from carefree thrill-seeker to true heroine. You’ll also get a taste of what you’ll experience as a Runner: unique free running and combat in the stunning yet perilous city of Glass.

This is just the beginning. In the upcoming months, you’ll learn more about Faith’s story, the world around her, and the amazing gameplay ofMirror’s Edge Catalyst.

SIGN UP FOR THE MIRROR’S EDGE CATALYST CLOSED BETA*Some of you will be able to step into the shoes of Faith before our run towards the May 24 release is complete. We’re happy to announce that a Closed Beta for Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is coming, and you can now sign up for a chance to be part of it.

The Mirror’s Edge Catalyst Closed Beta will be available for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and on Origin for PC. Stay tuned for more info on the Closed Beta, when it’s coming, and other details.Sign up for a chance to play the Mirror’s Edge Catalyst Closed Beta

*REGISTRATION DOES NOT GUARANTEE ACCESS TO THE CLOSED BETA. PERSISTENT INTERNET CONNECTION, EA ACCOUNT, ACCEPTANCE OF (I) BETA AGREEMENT, (II) TERMS OF SERVICE AND (III) PRIVACY AND COOKIE POLICY REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BETA.  GAMEPLAY PROGRESS, ACHIEVEMENTS, CHARACTERS, CHARACTER DATA AND/OR ANY OTHER VALUE OR STATUS INDICATORS ACHIEVED THROUGH GAMEPLAY IN THE BETA WILL NOT TRANSFER TO MIRRORS EDGE CATALYST. BETA IS PRE-RELEASE SOFTWARE, MAY CONTAIN ERRORS/DEFECTS AND IS PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTY.

*CONDITIONS, LIMITATIONS AND EXCLUSIONS APPLY. SEE EA.COM/EAACCESS/TERMS AND EA.COM/EAACCESS FOR DETAILS.

**CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS APPLY. SEE https://www.origin.com/en-us/origin-access/terms FOR DETAILS.

Madden Bowl 2016 Update + Win a Play Session of Madden w/ an NFL Player!

Dizzamn... that trophy is almost the size of one of those old coffee machines! Ummm... I mean, check out the Madden Bowl 2016 update and winner. :p

ERIC BERRY CLAIMS MADDEN BOWL 2016 TROPHY

Zack “Serious Moe” Lane Nabs Madden Challenge Crown and Share of $50,000

February 5, 2016 – Last night in San Francisco, Kansas City Chiefs Safety Eric Berry bested Washington Redskins Tight End Jordan Reed to be named the winner of Madden Bowl XXII, presented by Xbox One. Though Reed had a chance to drive down the field and win the game, Berry’s defense held strong, sealing the victory for the new champ.

Earlier in the evening Madden NFL player Zack “Serious Moe” Lane defeated Michael “Skimbo” to win the Madden Challenge. This year’s tournament has called competitors from around the country to compete online in Draft Champions mode, with “Serious Moe” and “Skimbo” battling for the championship belt and the largest share of the $50,000 prize pool.

After the tournaments, DJ Khaled took the stage to perform some of his greatest hits, which led into a performance by Ludacris. Fall Out Boy took it home, rocking the venue and helping officially usher in Super Bowl weekend.

In addition to all the other excitement, Madden Bowl attendees were able to check out the special superhero mirrors in the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice area, and fuel their night with a special pizza delivery by Papa Johns.

Madden Bowl may be over, but for the remainder of Super Bowl weekend fans needing a ride in the San Francisco Bay area can hop in an uberPOOL for the chance to play an EA SPORTS game with a professional football player.

Game on!

Drama'N'Drablands | 02.05.2016 + From the Source: Final Fantasy XV event details!

If you're in LA on March 30th... lucky you, do NOT miss out on this Square-Enix event! For the rest of you... no worries, it will be streamed live!

(Details below... so mark your calendars)

WHAT:     
UNCOVERED: FINAL FANTASY® XV

WHEN:    
Wednesday, March 30th at 7:00pm (PDT)

WHERE: 
Shrine Auditorium (665 W Jefferson Blvd. Los Angeles, 90007)

ABOUT:   
An event no FINAL FANTASY fan should miss, UNCOVERED: FINAL FANTASY XV will set the stage for the highly anticipated blockbuster launch later this year. Hosted by KindaFunny.com’s Greg Miller and Tim Gettys, this event uncovers everything FINAL FANTASY XV, with major announcements and surprises including the official release date for the game.

Fans can RSVP* for the event at www.finalfantasyxv.com/uncovered, where they can find detailed information beginning Friday, February 5th at 4:00pm (PST). For those unable to attend, Square Enix® plans to livestream the program via YouTube and Twitch.

*RSVP / tickets for US residents only. Square Enix apologizes to anyone that wishes to attend that is not a US resident. If you cannot attend in person, please join us via the live stream and enjoy the show. Also, look forward to future regional activities and events that will be happening in the lead-up to the release of FINAL FANTASY XV, details of these will be revealed at the appropriate time.

Tom Clancy's The Division: Agent Origins

If you want more Tom Clancy's The Division... action, then check out "Tom Clancy's The Division: Agent Origins" (below)!