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Jan 2 - Everybody's Gone To The Rapture (PS4)
Jan 11 - very DOOM (PS4)
Jan 21 - The Last Guardian (PS4)
Jan 27 - Pokémon Sun (3DS)
Feb 9 - They Breathe (PC)
Feb 15 - Gravity Rush 2 (PS4)
Feb 19 - Gone Home (PS4)
Mar 11 - The Little Acre (PS4)
Mar 22 - Gravity Rush 2: Raven's Choice (PS4)
Mar 27 - Mega Man (3DS)
Apr 2 – Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney (Android)
Apr 4 - Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)
Apr 6 - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask 3D (3DS)
Apr 15 - Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
Apr 15 - Rhythm Thief & the Emperor's Treasure (3DS)
May 18 - Mega Man 2 (3DS)(also Oct 5)
Jul 7 – Persona 5 (PS4)
Jul 9 – Puyo Puyo Tetris (PS4)
Jul 27 - Final Fantasy (Vita)
Aug 18 - Sonic Mania (PS4) (Sonic, Normal ending) (Aug 26 -Sonic, True Ending)
Sep 11 - Everybody's Golf (PS4) (Credits after beating Rank 6)
Sep 18 - Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (3DS)
Oct 7 - Vib-Ribbon (Vita)
Oct 8 - Yakuza 0 (PS4)

Oct 17 - Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (3DS)
Well a DS copy obviously but I played it on my 3DS. I hammered through this in the last few days. A mad story befitting the premise and also befitting a game that shares some staff with Ace Attorney. The characters are fantastic too, my favourite might actually be Canabela and his over the top dancing. The gameplay was interesting but was close to overstaying its welcome. Great stuff all around though.

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I like how the nature of the ghost powers is part of the plot.

I may be in the rare group who like the last twist. I wanted to know who Ray was since about the midpoint of the game.

I listened to that podcast over the last two days too. I'm now starting to think of the early days of Cane and Rinse as Cane and Rinse: The Sweary Sessions. I hadn't listened to anything from that far back in a while and was taken aback by hearing Leon swear simply because I'm too used to the show being clean.

I love a good fuckin’ swear-up I do.

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(Jan) Quantum Break - XB1.
(Jan) Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag - PS4.
(Jan) Adr1ft - PS4.
(Jan) Dear Esther - PS4.
(Jan) Virginia - PS4. (platinum).
(Jan) The London Heist - PSVR
(Feb) Flashback(2013) - PSN.
(Feb) Rain - PSN.
(Feb) Lara Croft & TGOL - PSN.
(Feb) Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II - PS3.
(Feb) Far Cry Primal - PS4.
(Feb) Bayonetta 2 - WiiU.
(Feb) Sniper Elite 3 - PS4.
(Mar) Life is Strange - PS4.
(Mar) Nier Automata - PS4.
(Mar) Halo 2:Anniversary - XB1.
(Mar) Guns, Gore & Canoli - PS4.
(Apr) Alien Breed Ep.3:Descent - Xbox 360.
(Apr) Horizon Zero Dawn - PS4.
(May) Battleborn - PS4.
(May) Diablo 3:RoS - PS4.
(May) Deadpool - PS4.
(May) The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing - PS4.
(June) Killing Floor 2 - PS4.
(June) Mirror's Edge: Catalyst - PS4.
(June) Mass Effect:Andromeda - PS4.
(June) Nex Machina - PS4.
(July) Rise of the Tomb Raider - PS4.
(Aug) Zombi - PS4.
(Aug) Injustice:Gods Among Us -PS4.
(Aug) Shadow Warrior 2 - PS4.
(Aug) Valiant Hearts - PS4.
(Aug) Uncharted:The Lost Legacy - PS4.
(Aug) Lara Croft & The Temple of Osiris - PS4.
(Sept) Game of Thrones - PS4.
(Sept) EVE:Gunjack - PSVR.
(Sept) Bioshock(Survivor difficulty) - PS4
(Sept) Eagle Flight - PSVR.
(Oct) Destiny 2 - PS4.
(Oct) Day of the Tentacle Remastered - VITA.
(Oct) Halo 3: The Master Chief Collection -XB1
(Oct) Knack - PS4.

(Oct) Neon Chrome - VITA.

Statik (PSVR)

This is the wacky, Heath Robinson-esque puzzler for PSVR, where you're trapped in a lab and have to solve puzzle boxes attached to your hands



It's a genius game, both in implementation and the fact you have to be one to finish it (I used a walkthrough for the last three puzzles). I have to mark it down because some of the puzzles aren't suitable for colourblind people - this isn't too bad as they aren't used extensively, but has the effect of making you wonder, "Is this a colour thing I'm not aware of?" for every single puzzle you then get stuck on. So that was frustrating.

If you like puzzle games and have VR, this is excellent though.

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06/01 - Titanfall 2 (Xbox One)
08/01 - The Binding Of Isaac: Afterbirth+ (Steam)
09/01 - Sorcery!: The Shamutanti Hills (Android)
15/01 - Donkey Kong Jr. (3DS)
15/01 - Mario Kart: Super Circuit (3DS)
15/01 - Warioware, Inc: Mega Microgame$! (3DS)
16/01 - Donkey Kong (3DS)
27/01 - Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike - Online Edition (PS3)
10/02 - They Breathe (Steam)
10/02 - Undertale (Steam)
28/02 - Nioh (PS4)
20/03 - The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild (Switch)
06/04 - Fast RMX (Switch)
09/04 - Graceful Explosion Machine (Switch)
17/04 - Mr. Shifty (Switch)
01/05 - Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch)
22/05 - Injustice 2 (PS4) (Story Mode)
25/05 - Double Dragon (PS4)
25/05 - Double Dragon II: The Revenge (PS4)
26/05 - Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone (MAME/RetroPie)
26/05 - Super Double Dragon (MAME/RetroPie)
29/05 - Injustice: Gods Among Us (Steam) (Story Mode)
20/06 - Yellow (Android)
22/06 - Double Dragon Advance (MAME/RetroPie)
24/06 - Injustice 2 (PS4) (All Characters Level 20)
26/06 - Injustice 2 (PS4) (All story + Battle Simulator endings)
27/07 - Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 (PS4)
01/08 - Splatoon 2 (Switch)
02/08 - Tacoma (Xbox One)
02/08 - Tacoma (Xbox One) (1000G)
31/08 - Double Dragon Neon (Xbox One b/c)
31/08 - Double Dragon IV (PS4)
06/09 - Prey (PS4)
12/09 - The Binding Of Isaac: Afterbirth+ (Switch)
13/09 - Destiny 2 (PS4)
14/09 - Blade Runner (1997, PC)
18/09 - The Room (Android)
20/09 - The Room Two (Android)
21/09 - The Room Three (Android)
28/09 - Marvel Vs Capcom: Infinite (PS4) (Story Mode)
02/10 - Dishonored (Xbox One)
03/10 - Dishonored: The Knife Of Dunwall (Xbox One)
05/10 - Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches (Xbox One)

19/10 - Dishonored 2 (Xbox One)

There's been something of a theme running through my gaming of recent weeks. Where the Dishonored series is concerned, I think I'm coming to something of a conclusion; I really enjoy the pace and focus of the shorter stories versus the sprawling narrative of the main series titles.

Levels like the Boyle Mansion masked ball and the Clockwork Mansion (what is it about mansions, eh?) allow Arkane to showcase their level design, mission design and darkly-twisted sense of humour. Too often though, I find myself caught between exploration (to gather resources and flesh out the world) and stealth (avoiding enemies and skirting around/over the world) in a way that leaves me feeling slightly dissatisfied with both.

I realise that's not a particularly informative observation, but it's something that bothers me much less in recent Deus Ex games (HR or MD), for example, and not at all in Prey, where a stealthy playstyle was entirely situational. Limiting playstyle by skills or by a morality scale is something that figures into all these series, but I think I'm encouraged to be more flexible and creative in how I play the moment-to-moment in Prey, BioShock, the original Deus Ex, and System Shock than in Dishonored.

That's where the shorter DLC campaigns, The Knife Of Dunwall and The Brigmore Witches, come into their own for me. The reduced number of areas really seems to pull focus towards the game's strengths, and make for a much tighter story. Gone are the missions that take away your gear or abilities; used to provide variety, but I find them more frustrating than refreshing. Perhaps the issue is that my glacial pace of play stretches a 12 hour narrative out to something more than twice that. Nonetheless, the short campaign retains a sharpness that I much prefer. I think Minerva's Den is a good comparison, though (as mentioned above) I feel that BioShock fares much better than Dishonored in the longer form.

I wanted to put this observation up here now, because I fully intend to bounce onto Death Of The Outsider and that should be a good test of my feelings right after finishing Dishonored 2. One thing I can be sure about, however, is that the immersive sim itch I've had for more than a decade now is only growing stronger.

That's a very interesting take on Dishonored I dont think I ever head anyone talk about it like this, because yeah to me Dishonored is the weakest out all these games you mentioned(not counting prey because I havent played it yet) I play all these games like Stealth games but Dishonored which is the game most slanted towards stealth that should be the one I enjoy the most is the one I enjoy the least. Something to think about as I have also not played any of the Dishonored standalone content only the first full game.

This is exactly my situation, Todinho. As far as gaming genres go, stealth would be my favourite (I know, considering it a genre is a little weird.) That's why I wrestle so much with why I don't enjoy Dishonored more.

Worth noting that, although Death Of The Outsider is a standalone game, The Knife Of Dunwall and The Brigmore Witches are DLC for the first game. They are included in the Game Of The Year Edition and Definitive Edition though, in case you, or anyone else, is looking to try them out.

Mark of the Ninja is best stealth game.

(More seriously, I think that game gets the balance between fighting and sneaking just right. The combat is fun, but not very deep, which tilts you towards exploring the stealth options as they're more rewarding to play. But it never goes full on 'if you're spotted you're basically dead'. Also: the way it depicts the range at which the noise you're making can be heard is spot on, and I'm surprised hasn't been copied to death by now)

I would certainly agree with Mark of the Ninja being the best 2D stealth game I've ever played.

02/10 - Dishonored (Xbox One)
03/10 - Dishonored: The Knife Of Dunwall (Xbox One)
05/10 - Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches (Xbox One)
19/10 - Dishonored 2 (Xbox One)

That's a serious diet of Dishonored. And you might go straight into Death of the Outsider?

Yeah, at most I may wait a couple of weeks to play Death Of The Outsider on Xbox One X, with the "enhanced" patch.

Sad to see that (perhaps after Nels Anderson's departure) Klei haven't seen cause to develop Mark Of the Ninja further. Though that does mean we got Invisible, Inc., so there's only so disappointed I can be.

Great point about the sound visualisation, Flabyo. It's part of why I generally prefer third-person stealth to first-person. I find the perspective substitutes for real-life peripheral senses in a way that I don't get from first-person stealth games. True nowhere more so than in Mark Of The Ninja.

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19 Jan: Contra (arcade on PS4)
19 Jan: Contra (arcade on 360)
19 Jan: Super Contra (arcade on 360)
19 Jan: Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition (360)
07 Feb: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Wii on Wii U)
01 Mar: The Little Acre (PC)
12 Mar: Chibi-Robo! (GC)
26 Mar: Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)
09 Apr: Gone Home: Console Edition (PS4)
16 Jun: The Witcher: Enhanced Edition (PC)
18 Jun: Nex Machina (PS4)
12 Jul: Puyo Puyo Tetris (NS)
29 Jul: FIFA 17: The Journey (XO)
01 Aug: Life Is Strange (PS4)
03 Aug: What Remains of Edith Finch (PS4)
13 Aug: The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - Enhanced Edition (PC)
22 Aug: Double Dragon Neon (PS3)
23 Aug: Double Dragon II: Wander of the Dragons (360)
24 Aug: Double Dragon IV (PS4)
27 Aug: Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection: Mortal Kombat (360)
31 Aug: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (NS)
02 Sep: Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection: Mortal Kombat II (360)
28 Sep: Bayonetta 2 (WU)
12 Oct: Grim Fandango Remastered (PS4)

21 Oct: The Witcher III: Wild Hunt (PC)

Resident Evil 7 (PSVR)

I can't say much about this in context of the series, but I believe it's both a departure (first person) and a return (macabre mansion) from and to the series's roots, with the reviews I've read saying that it's a pretty good reinvention, as those things go.

The game itself is pretty by the numbers as regards putting puzzle pieces together to open doors, stocking up on ammo to defeat bosses. I was pleasantly surprised to see that there aren't that many actual enemies in the game, and it relies on a slow burn and a menacing atmosphere to build tension. It's an interesting juxtaposition of horror styles, as the intensity of the quieter bits build up to explosions of over the top gore.

I played this in VR, and I have to say they did a tremendous job with that. It's an experience not unlike the best of the original found-footage films, like the Blair Witch Project, but even more immediate and 'in the space'. You're really there. It's pretty horrifying creeping through an old mansion with your back to the wall, let me tell you. It's an incredible experience.

February - The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition (PC)
March - Stanley Parable (PC)
April - The Wolf Among Us (PC)
April - Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter (PC)
June - Metro 2033 Redux (PC)
June - Firewatch (PC)
August - Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide (PC)

October - Grim Fandango Remastered (PC) - Yay! And we only had to resort to the Interweb for solutions on three occasions. Although there were two of us.

That’s good going! Definitely a game where co-opping the puzzles can be fun and beneficial.

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02/01 - Hyper Light Drifter (PC)
014/01 - The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS)
15/01 - Owlboy (PC)
17/01 - Sid Meier's Civilization VI (PC)
04/02 - Resident Evil [Remake] (PC)
09/02 - They Breathe (PC)
11/02 - Resident Evil 2: Leon A (PS Vita)
17/02 - Resident Evil 2: Claire B (PS Vita)
23/03 - Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (PS4)
22/02 - Ninja Gaiden: Black (360 - Xbox Original)
26/04 - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch)
29/05 - Nier: Automata - Ending A through E (PS4)
04/06 - The Witcher (PC)
22/06 - Viewtiful Joe (GC)
26/06 - What Remains of Edith Finch (PC)
04/07 - Life is Strange (PC)
17/08 - Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice (PC)
30/08 - Shovel Knight: Spector of Torment (Switch)
30/08 - Uncharted: The Lost Legacy (PS4)
09/09 - Prey (PC)
24/09 - XCOM 2: War of the Chosen (PC)
02/10 - Tacoma (PC)

22/10 - Persona 5 (PS4)

Not nearly as special as Persona 3 and 4, but still a stellar example of the genre.

Spoiler: show

(Jan) Quantum Break - XB1.
(Jan) Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag - PS4.
(Jan) Adr1ft - PS4.
(Jan) Dear Esther - PS4.
(Jan) Virginia - PS4. (platinum).
(Jan) The London Heist - PSVR
(Feb) Flashback(2013) - PSN.
(Feb) Rain - PSN.
(Feb) Lara Croft & TGOL - PSN.
(Feb) Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II - PS3.
(Feb) Far Cry Primal - PS4.
(Feb) Bayonetta 2 - WiiU.
(Feb) Sniper Elite 3 - PS4.
(Mar) Life is Strange - PS4.
(Mar) Nier Automata - PS4.
(Mar) Halo 2:Anniversary - XB1.
(Mar) Guns, Gore & Canoli - PS4.
(Apr) Alien Breed Ep.3:Descent - Xbox 360.
(Apr) Horizon Zero Dawn - PS4.
(May) Battleborn - PS4.
(May) Diablo 3:RoS - PS4.
(May) Deadpool - PS4.
(May) The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing - PS4.
(June) Killing Floor 2 - PS4.
(June) Mirror's Edge: Catalyst - PS4.
(June) Mass Effect:Andromeda - PS4.
(June) Nex Machina - PS4.
(July) Rise of the Tomb Raider - PS4.
(Aug) Zombi - PS4.
(Aug) Injustice:Gods Among Us -PS4.
(Aug) Shadow Warrior 2 - PS4.
(Aug) Valiant Hearts - PS4.
(Aug) Uncharted:The Lost Legacy - PS4.
(Aug) Lara Croft & The Temple of Osiris - PS4.
(Sept) Game of Thrones - PS4.
(Sept) EVE:Gunjack - PSVR.
(Sept) Bioshock(Survivor difficulty) - PS4
(Sept) Eagle Flight - PSVR.
(Oct) Destiny 2 - PS4.
(Oct) Day of the Tentacle Remastered - VITA.
(Oct) Halo 3: The Master Chief Collection -XB1
(Oct) Knack - PS4.
(Oct) Neon Chrome - VITA.

(Oct) Assassin's Creed Unity - XB1.
(Oct) Batman Arkham VR - PSVR.

Spoiler: show

06/01 - Titanfall 2 (Xbox One)
08/01 - The Binding Of Isaac: Afterbirth+ (Steam)
09/01 - Sorcery!: The Shamutanti Hills (Android)
15/01 - Donkey Kong Jr. (3DS)
15/01 - Mario Kart: Super Circuit (3DS)
15/01 - Warioware, Inc: Mega Microgame$! (3DS)
16/01 - Donkey Kong (3DS)
27/01 - Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike - Online Edition (PS3)
10/02 - They Breathe (Steam)
10/02 - Undertale (Steam)
28/02 - Nioh (PS4)
20/03 - The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild (Switch)
06/04 - Fast RMX (Switch)
09/04 - Graceful Explosion Machine (Switch)
17/04 - Mr. Shifty (Switch)
01/05 - Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch)
22/05 - Injustice 2 (PS4) (Story Mode)
25/05 - Double Dragon (PS4)
25/05 - Double Dragon II: The Revenge (PS4)
26/05 - Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone (MAME/RetroPie)
26/05 - Super Double Dragon (MAME/RetroPie)
29/05 - Injustice: Gods Among Us (Steam) (Story Mode)
20/06 - Yellow (Android)
22/06 - Double Dragon Advance (MAME/RetroPie)
24/06 - Injustice 2 (PS4) (All Characters Level 20)
26/06 - Injustice 2 (PS4) (All story + Battle Simulator endings)
27/07 - Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 (PS4)
01/08 - Splatoon 2 (Switch)
02/08 - Tacoma (Xbox One)
02/08 - Tacoma (Xbox One) (1000G)
31/08 - Double Dragon Neon (Xbox One b/c)
31/08 - Double Dragon IV (PS4)
06/09 - Prey (PS4)
12/09 - The Binding Of Isaac: Afterbirth+ (Switch)
13/09 - Destiny 2 (PS4)
14/09 - Blade Runner (1997, PC)
18/09 - The Room (Android)
20/09 - The Room Two (Android)
21/09 - The Room Three (Android)
28/09 - Marvel Vs Capcom: Infinite (PS4) (Story Mode)
02/10 - Dishonored (Xbox One)
03/10 - Dishonored: The Knife Of Dunwall (Xbox One)
05/10 - Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches (Xbox One)
19/10 - Dishonored 2 (Xbox One)

22/10 - Penumbra: Overture (PC)

After the disaster that was me trying to play Frictional's most recent game, SOMA, for Issue 289, I figured I should attempt their first, Penumbra: Overture. I've had the Penumbra Collection on PC for years now, and was on a bit of a backlog clearance over the weekend.

So, curtains open, daylight streaming in, and with my partner sat next to me for safety, I dove in. It's certainly got the isolation aspect, and creates a pretty good atmosphere, as abandoned Arctic mines go. Thankfully, despite those strengths, I was able to see the game through without trouble.

After SOMA, I've come to the unsurprising conclusion that I ought give psychological horror a fairly wide berth. For a man with no imagination to speak of, it doesn't seem to take much in the way of sensory trickery and helplessness to send my mind reeling. That said, Penumbra: Overture was alright, as these things go.

I did grab the Amnesia Collection on PS Plus this month, but I don't think Penumbra has quite readied me for those games yet.

20/1 Uncharted 4 - Moderate
20/2 Deus EX: Mankind
17/3 The Last Gaurdian
23/3 Grim Fandango
June Tales from the Borderlands
26/6 Life is strange
3/7 Shadowrun returns iO
13/7 Horizen : Zero dawn
29/7 Until dawn
11/8 Telltales Game of Thrones

22/10/17 Mass effect: Andromida

Starts & Ends good but what happens in between was disappointing. I seemed to me that many of the best bits of the original 3 games have been though to the wayside. The decisions seamed though away, the interspecies politics gone and a coherent story thread though out the missions nowhere to be seen. It’s not a bad game just a bit Meh

Spoiler: show

06/01 - Titanfall 2 (Xbox One)
08/01 - The Binding Of Isaac: Afterbirth+ (Steam)
09/01 - Sorcery!: The Shamutanti Hills (Android)
15/01 - Donkey Kong Jr. (3DS)
15/01 - Mario Kart: Super Circuit (3DS)
15/01 - Warioware, Inc: Mega Microgame$! (3DS)
16/01 - Donkey Kong (3DS)
27/01 - Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike - Online Edition (PS3)
10/02 - They Breathe (Steam)
10/02 - Undertale (Steam)
28/02 - Nioh (PS4)
20/03 - The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild (Switch)
06/04 - Fast RMX (Switch)
09/04 - Graceful Explosion Machine (Switch)
17/04 - Mr. Shifty (Switch)
01/05 - Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Switch)
22/05 - Injustice 2 (PS4) (Story Mode)
25/05 - Double Dragon (PS4)
25/05 - Double Dragon II: The Revenge (PS4)
26/05 - Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone (MAME/RetroPie)
26/05 - Super Double Dragon (MAME/RetroPie)
29/05 - Injustice: Gods Among Us (Steam) (Story Mode)
20/06 - Yellow (Android)
22/06 - Double Dragon Advance (MAME/RetroPie)
24/06 - Injustice 2 (PS4) (All Characters Level 20)
26/06 - Injustice 2 (PS4) (All story + Battle Simulator endings)
27/07 - Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 (PS4)
01/08 - Splatoon 2 (Switch)
02/08 - Tacoma (Xbox One)
02/08 - Tacoma (Xbox One) (1000G)
31/08 - Double Dragon Neon (Xbox One b/c)
31/08 - Double Dragon IV (PS4)
06/09 - Prey (PS4)
12/09 - The Binding Of Isaac: Afterbirth+ (Switch)
13/09 - Destiny 2 (PS4)
14/09 - Blade Runner (1997, PC)
18/09 - The Room (Android)
20/09 - The Room Two (Android)
21/09 - The Room Three (Android)
28/09 - Marvel Vs Capcom: Infinite (PS4) (Story Mode)
02/10 - Dishonored (Xbox One)
03/10 - Dishonored: The Knife Of Dunwall (Xbox One)
05/10 - Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches (Xbox One)
19/10 - Dishonored 2 (Xbox One)
22/10 - Penumbra: Overture (PC)

23/10 - Year Walk (iOS)

I've had this game for years (walk), but haven't had an iOS device since shortly after picking it up. Thankfully, today, I finally sat down with it, thanks to having access to a friend's iPad. I thoroughly enjoyed its creepy, mysterious vibe and the stark, chilly art and music. It's story heavy, and fairly light on the mechanics front, but there was a really nice build in tension to the narrative, I thought.

Highly recommended if anyone's got a couple of hours to spend on an iPad (or Steam.)