Dead Island Riptide reviews are in, and for a second time running Techland has managed to divide the critics. Considering how rarely this happens nowadays it really is quite the feat.
We’re talking about everything from The Official Xbox Magazine and GameCentral‘s duo of 4/10s to an 8.0 from GameInformer. Then there are the scores in between to take into account, such as the 5/10 from Destructoid and 6.0 from EGM.
Most reviewers point out that even with a two year development period over the original it still feels rushed out and many faults haven’t been fixed. GameCentral in particular notes that “if anything the graphics appear to have gotten worse – although that’s probably only due to the passage of time. Characters still appear as barely animated shop mannequins, and the backdrops look like 10-year-old PC tech demos that haven’t quite been finished.â€
The Official Xbox Magazine meanwhile compared it to an expansion more than a sequel. “When ‘extra swamp’ is your USP, you know you’re in trouble,†they said.
What about the good stuff? Well, like before it’s pleasingly violent and fun can be had playing with others cooperatively online. The melee combat has been improved, plus there are new weather effects. As much as it pains us to say it, if you enjoyed the first one you’ll probably enjoy this as it sounds like it’s a case of more of the same.
A more sensible use of money would be to purchase hack ‘n’ slash RPG Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen, especially if you missed it first time round. It’s a budget re-release of sorts, containing the full game plus an expansion and other extras at a purse pleasing price.
For £13.00 at Asda online, it’s a bit of a bargain. Eurogamer gave it an 8/10. Budget re-release of the year? It’s hard to imagine anything else topping it.
Cult classic Deadly Premonition gets a second chance this week too, in the form of a director’s cut for PlayStation 3. For those who didn’t play it on Xbox 360, it’s a free-roaming psychological thriller. We loved the fact that each character is as memorable as the last, and that for a low budget affair it’s surprisingly ambitious. New features include improved controls, easier to read maps, a prologue and a smoother difficultly level. Isn’t that right, Zack?
Namco’s Star Trek tie-in boldly goes to retail this week as well. Early reviews suggest that the license has been handled with care – the voice acting and story are both pretty decent – but it’s not exactly genre defining stuff. One for the fans, perhaps.
Then on 3DS there’s LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins which Pocket Gamer gave a 7/10. They noted that it compliments the Wii U version nicely, but sadly shares the same issues such as simplistic combat, slow driving and long loading times. The camera is apparently a bit of a nightmare too. Definitely don’t expect perfection with this one.
After a being delayed a week, Injustice: Gods Among Us on Wii U should also now be with us. TheHut has a decent deal at the moment – both Injustice and Batman: Arkham City for £35.98.
The indie uprising continues in the world of downloads. Or at least it would do if Monanco: What’s Yours is Mine on XBLA wasn’t delayed at the very last second. Thomas Was Alone is out now on PSN, at least. Both Monaco and Thomas Was Alone share a similar 8-bit visual style, and have gone down a treat with reviewers.
Monaco has been likened to ‘Pac-Man meets Ocean’s Eleven’ and bagged an 8 from EDGE and a 9 from Eurogamer. Platform puzzler Thomas Was Alone meanwhile gained an 8.0 from IGN, who praised its simplicity and quality of writing.
Here’s the trailer, narrated by Danny Wallace:
Finally, over on Wii U there’s the free to download Rayman Legends Challenges App. This is an apology of sorts from Ubisoft for delaying the almost finished Rayman Legends by six or seven months. That’s joined by Real Bout Fatal Fury on Wii Virtual Console for 900 Points and Mega Man 4 on 3DS Virtual Console for £4.49.
Next week: Soul Sacrifice (PS Vita), Worms: The Revolution Collection (Xbox 360), Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon (XBLA, PSN), Outdoors Unleashed: Africa 3D (3DS) and Around The World In 80 Days (DS).