Battle vs Chess Review

Battle vs Chess takes all of the classic chess game and puts a twist on them. As strange as it may seam, this is a chess game with a story - the battle between heaven and hell. 

And because of that, everything is very stylized. All of the chess peaces look divine, or infernal, depending on your fraction. 

Same goes for the backgrounds. The heaven once are very beautiful with trees, rivers and magnificent buildings. And the hell once have lave, spices and ruins.

Of course, if you don't like that style, you can use normal chess peaces and board.

Battle vs Chess is also has a lot of content. If you are new to the game, there is a fully voice-acted tutorial, that explains the rules of chess fairly good. There are also challenges, that can help you become an even better player.

The game also has two campaigns, one for heaven, and one for hell. Bout of them are eventually more challenges, with some story.

And of course, there is a skirmish mod, that is just a normal, straight up chess game. 

This game also has several multiplayer options - online, LAN and local (on the same PC). I just have to warn you that Battle vs Chess is a Games For Windows Live game, so the online play is threw GFWL.

Another problem with the port, is the fact that you can't rebind keys. I know that not a big deal, because the keyboard is for camera control, and you can do that with the mouse. But still it would be nice to see that.

To top it all off, Battle vs Chess is a very stylized chess game, with a lot of content. If you like chess, you will love this game.

I hope you liked my review of Battle vs Chess  .
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They Bleed Pixels Review

Hi, my name is Nik and today i am reviewing:

They Bleed Pixels is an extremely difficult platformer, somewhere along the lines of Super Meat Boy. The twist is that it has combat and an 8-bit graphic style.

The story of They Bleed Pixels is based on Lovecraftian mythos, so expect some weird stuff. The basics come down to, you are a girl that accidently  gets involved in to some demonic ritual, that gives you nightmares. In them you are this purple thing, with spikes for hands, and thirst for blood.

But really now, who plays a game like that for the story? Well no one, you play them to test your platfroming skills to the limit, and to feel important when you complete a level. And of course, to rage as much possible, in the meantime.

If you are looking for that, this game will deliver. The platforming is very similar to Super Meat Boy, in the sense that you can stick to walls and jump from them, its also just as unforgiving. But Its a bit slower, because of the combat.  

The combat is very violent and over the top, i would describe it as a 2D spectacle fighter. Its all done with one button, and therefore your moves are determined, by your direction and by the button press (hold, or tap). 

The fighting gets really diverse, when you start using the environment  in your combos. You can kick enemies up in to saws, or impale them on spikes. The game really encourage you, to chain big combos together, because of the checkpoint system.

When you kill  enemies, the bar to the top fills up. If you killed them with a  big combo, the bar charges quicker. When its full, you can cast a checkpoint. So if you play better - you can use more checkpoints.

The 8-bit style, suits this game very will, because of the weird nonsense in the story. But if you don't like the 8-bit style, you will hate this game.

I found several annoying things in the game. First - no graphic options just windowed mode. It doesn't even have resolution options.

Second - when you are on 1 health (out of 3), the colors change a bit and the music gets kind of echoey. This can get very irritating, if you can't heal for a long time. 

And third - the ice blocks make you slide, but they make you slide too much ,and you lose all precise control.

To top it all of, you will like They Bleed Pixels, if you like games like Super Meat Boy, or I Wanna Be The Guy, If you don't, this game is not for you.

I hope you liked my review of  .

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Jamestown: Legend of The Lost Colony Review

Hi, my name is Nik and today i am reviewing:

Jamestown: Legend of the Lost Colony is a top-down bullet hell, with a very authentic 16-bit style.

The story of Jamestown is kind of crazy. You are a prisoner who escapes earth, in order to clear his name. You go to Jamestown - a 17th century British colony, set on mars. The colony is currently being attacked, by the Spanish of course, and so you must defend it.

The gameplay is simple, but well polished. You have a primary and a secondary attack, which are ship specific. And every ship has what is called "Vaunt Mode", this makes you immune for a short time.

Of course, bullet hells are all about difficulty, and Jamestown is no exception. One hit, and you die, simple as that. Therefore, you must stay very focused and use your Vaunt Mode very carefully.

The game can be controlled with the mouse, keyboard, or xbox controller. Its usually played best with the mouse, but it all comes down to personal preference and ship choice. 

Jamestown also features local (on the same PC), four player co-op, which can be quite fun, if you can get two, or three of your friends to play with. 

The best, or worst part for some people is the 16-bit style. If you love that that SNES feel, Jamestown probably has what you are looking for. If you hate the 16-bit style, then you will hate this game. 

I personally love it, and so i love how they used it in Jamestown.

The only problem i can think of, is the lack of LAN, or online multiplayer. But still, this is the first game from "Final Form Games", so i can't criticise them all that much for that one. 

To top it all of, Jamestown: Legend of The Lost Colony is a great, top down bullet hell, with a nice 16-bit style.

I hope you liked my review of  Jamestown: Legend of The Lost Colony.

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My name is Nik and i hope you are having a nice day.

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Neighbors From Hell 2 On Vacation Review

Hi, my name is Nik and today i am reviewing:

Neighbors From Hell 2 is a comedy, strategy game, that takes the good parts from its predecessor, and improves upon them.

In this enhance simulator, you play Woody - the host of a TV show called "Neighbors From Hell ". His job is to ruin his neighbor's vacation, in the funniest way possible, without being caught.

The game takes place on a cruise, that goes threw multiple tourist destinations. This gives you, a lot of environments, to prank Mr. Rottweiler - the neighbor.

As far as gameplay goes, the game has some good ideas, that are executed really well. On every level, the neighbor has a some tourist routine, that almost never changes. And its your job to find a way to screw with his route.

To make that possible, every map has different objects, that can be used.

For example, on one for the levels the neighbor swings on a rope. So you must find a sharp knife, and cut the rope a bit. Next time Mr. Rottweiler swings on it, the rope will tear and he will fall. 

One of the most important things about Neighbors From Hell, is to do the tricks fast. That is required,  because every time the neighbor falls in to your traps, his rage increases. And the rage decreases, if he has time to  calm  down. If you want the best score, you need to fill up the rage meter. 

Some of the tricks have multiple steps, and you really have to think outside of the box, to make them. But the harder tricks, are by far the funniest.

Now i have to warn you, i had some problems running it on Windows 7, but it was ok after i patched it. Also i have no idea, how it runs on widescreen monitors, because i don't have one. 

To top it all of, Neighbors From Hell 2 On Vacation is a intereesting game, with a lot of replay value and some very funny moments.

I hope you liked my review of Neighbors From Hell 2 On Vacation .

If you did, comment, share with your friends, like me of facebook, or follow me on twitter.

My name is Nik and i hope you are having a nice day.

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Sleeping Dogs Review

Hi, my name is Nik and today i am reviewing:

Sleeping Dogs is an open world action adventure game, similar to GTA and Saints Row.

You play as Wei Shen, a detective who is undercover in the Sun On Yee gang, a branch of the Triads. For those that don't know, the Triads are a criminal organization, based in Hong Kong and of course the game also takes place in there. So your job is to get inside the gang, find the identity of the bosses and take them out. 

The game puts a lot of focus, on grate story telling and excellent voice action, on the main missions.

But you will not be left out, if you want to have some fun, outside the main story line. The game provides a lot of things to do like singing karaoke, cock (rooster) fighting, street racing and much, much more.

Now lets talk gameplay. Guns are kind of a rarity in Hong Kong, so you will be fist fighting most of the time. Sleeping Dogs tries to copy the melee mechanics from Batman: Arkham Asylum  and it does so quite successfully. The light and heavy combos, chain really well with your counter attacks. The combat is not quite as fluid as Batman's, but its still pretty good. 

But the game also introduces environmental kills. What that means is, that you can grab an opponent and use things like fans, spikes, or doors to kill him. That adds a bit more depth to the fighting and it ultimately makes it more enjoyable.

Now the shooting, is the standard third-person cover bases formula, but with a twist. If you slide over your cover, time slows downs. Its not a very big change, but it makes the game more fun, than other third-person shooters.

Now a little grudge i have with the game, is that there is no good way to fast travel. Yes, there are taxis, but they can take you to a very limited list of places. And if you are not very careful, you will steal the taxi, in stead of going in it. 

Fortunately, the driving is so enjoyable, that you will not need a taxi. All of the cars, even the crappie once, accelerate very rapidly and that gives you a real sense of speed. It almost fells like a Need For Speed game.

Now the PC port is kind of a mixed bag. The HD texture pack obviously shows that they made improvements, compared to the console version. But some of the menus can't be used with the mouse, for whatever reason. Still the problem is only in the menus and in the open world part.

To top it all of, Sleeping Dogs is a good game all around. Excellent story, enjoyable fighting and amazing driving, make it the first open world game, of this type, that i have liked in a long time.

I hope you liked my review of Sleeping Dogs.

If you did, comment, share with your friends, like me of facebook, or follow me on twitter.

My name is Nik and i hope you are having a nice day.

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DarkStar One Review

Hi, my name is Nik and today i am reviewing:

DarkStar One is a space combat simulator, that stands as an monument of terrible space games. 

The story, of this disaster, starts with Kayron Jarvis, the main character, getting the DarkStar One from Robert, a friend of his father. The DarkStar One is an advance ship build by Kayron's father. This ship has the ability to "grow", if it absorbs an alien artifact. 

After Robert gives the ship to Kayron, he tells him that his father's death was not an accident, but a murder. And so you must go and find the people responsible. 

Along the way you meet with Eona, a beautiful young woman. She is a perfect example of a  boring character being in a game, just because she looks good.

I could have forgiven the game for the bad story, if the gameplay was good. Is it? No! All of the guns feel equally bad and they all have the same sound effects - like a BB gun.  

And that is a repeating theme in the game. Everything feels the same.

All of the systems, are just a station and some asteroids, or derby flaying around it. All of the enemies have ten lines, or so, that they repeat constantly. And the best part is, that in this vast galaxy there are five, or six ship types and you are all ways stuck with the DarkStar. So if you are looking for variety, you will not find it this game.

Not to say, that the game doesn't have its moments, but they are very few and far between. Still i have to give them credit for the mission, where you attacking a base on some planet. That required some skill, because the corridors were tight and filed with turrets. 

I almost forgot, the PC port is also bad. The controls are good, but the graphics are not optimized at all. 

To top it all of, DarkStar One is a terrible game, with bad story, god awful gameplay and forgettable characters.

I hope you liked my review of DarkStar One.

If you did, comment, share with your friends, like me of facebook, or follow me on twitter.

My name is Nik and i hope you are having a nice day.

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Mouse and Keyboard Review

Hi, my name is Nik and today i am reviewing my mouse and keyboard.

The Trust Red Bull Racing Full-Size Mouse. 

Apart from the silly name, the mouse is great. Its very ergonomic, so it will never strain your hand. The two side buttons are very light, easy to press and are supported by most games.

The scroll wheel is bigger the usual and its impossible to slip, because of the rubber lining. Also the 1800 dpi rating is good enough for anything you decide to do.

Now the bad sides. The drivers are absolutely useless, so i don't even install them. They change the side buttons from Mouse 4 and Mouse 5, to the left and right arrow keys. And some games, like WOW, don't support the arrow keys for anything other then moving. 

Also after about 2 years, the glue on the left rubber lining, stated to give away and i will have to re-glue it. Maybe its from the heat, i am not really sure. 

To top it all of, this mouse is all it needs to be robust, reliable and comfortable.

A4 X7 G800

This sturdy, waterproof beast is probably the best thing in its price range.

This keyboard has 15 additional keys, but some of them are useless, like G13-G15. They are above "home" and "insert"  keys, so you will never use them. But you will use the once below and around the space bar, because they are in the perfect place.

Another good feature is the rubber on  WASD and the arrow keys. This makes them less slippery then a normal key. And if you dont like them, they keyboard also comes with plastic once, so you can replace them.

They keyboard has one problem, from what i saw for the two years i have it. 

In the top left there are two keys,S and D, that adjust the speed and function of they keyboard. But every time you turn your PC off, the G800 forgets its settings. So every time i turn my PC on, i have to re adjust it. Its not difficult, but its can get very annoying.

Some may say that the smaller space bar is a problem, but i don't think so. Why it may be kind of uncomfortable at first, you will quickly get used to it and it will not bother you.

To top it all of, the A4 X7 G800 is an amazing keyboard, with an amazing price. So i highly recommend it to anyone who wants cheaper PC gaming.  

I hope you liked my reviews of the A4 X7 G800 and the Trust Red Bull Racing Full-Size Mouse.

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Iron Brigade (Trenched) Review

Hi, my name is Nik and today i am reviewing:

Iron Brigade is a mix between third person shooter and a tower defense game. You may know the game as Trenched, but the name was changed, due to legal issues.

The game starts right after world war one, when a strange radio signal, known as "The Broadcast", kills almost anyone listening to it. The survires of the Broadcast are Frank Woodruff and Vladimir Farnsworth, they bout suffer from a "side effect", that maked them incredibly smart. Frank invents a prosthesis, to help crippled soldiers walk again. And  Vladimir invents "The Tube"(the TV), as a way to bring the Broadcast to everyone and conquer the world. And so these two start a war.

Using his legs prosthesis as a base, Frank builds the Trenche. A mobile tank-like mech, that is designed to battle the Tubes, of the evil genius.

So you are a guy that drives one such mech. The problem is that you  can't fight alone, so you must use turrets to support you in the fight. This is where similarities to Orcs Must Die come. But instead of traps, you have turrets and instead of spells, you have cannons.This sound like a solid concept. The question is "Is it done will?".

And that answer is a definitive "Yes", Double Fine has done it again. The guns feel like guns, due to the grate sounds and impact effects. The mechs feel like a more arcady version of MechWarrior. They are not as heavy as a mech, but the are not as agile as a human would be. So the developers have stuck a very delicate and enjoyable balance, between nimbler and slower combat.

As some of you may know, this game got a very late PC port and i have to say its pretty good. It has fully rebindable keys and a fair amount of graphics options. But i have to address the elephant in the room - Games For Windows Live. We all know the problems that come with GFWL, hell some people can't buy them legally. I don't know, It may not be a problem for you, but you have being warned. 

One more thing i'd like to menthone, is the graphics style. Iron Brigade mixes steampunk with the high tech. Your mech usually looks like "The Wild Wild West" meets world war one and the enemies give me vibes of Protoss. Overall its a very unusual and strange style.

To top it all of, Iron Brigade is a good concept, that is executed correctly and it runs like a well-oiled machine on PC.

I hope you liked my review of Iron Brigade (Trenched).

 If you did, comment, share with your friends, like me of facebook, or follow me of twitter.

My name is Nik and i hope you are having a nice day.

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