Recent reviews by Vision

Just one more match... ONE MORE

Bastion is an action role-playing game where you take control of "the Kid" as he tries to discover what caused the catastrophic event that starts the game off.

The gameplay consists of using two selected weapons from a varied arsenal. This naturally creates a plethora of playing styles and strategies to explore. As you progress through the game, you unlock more game systems: from various challenging effects that make the game harder and reward you with more experience, over a forge that lets you upgrade your weapons to various boons in form of a distillery and plenty more. Enemies come in only few forms, which is one of the few weaknesses of the game, but this is compensated for by placing them in carefully planned combinations and strategical positions which make for fun and engaging combat.

The game is set in an intriguing and dismally empty world that is depicted in a beautiful, vibrant hand drawn art style. Often times you can't help but just be in awe of the artistic talent on display. Another great strength is the exceptional soundtrack that always creates a seemingly perfect atmosphere. This is accompanied by a similarly impressive narrator, who delivers the story in a captivating one-of-a-kind fashion. The story is interesting and keeps you moving forward, exploring the often times troubling pasts of your companions. This all culminates in what is one single awe inspiring scene that on its own makes the game worth playing.

The short length of the game might be seen as a weakness, but one could argue that it benefits the game more than it hurts it, as it allows the story to flow at an appropriate pace without the gameplay becoming repetitive.

This game shows very clearly how much love and passion the developers put into it and I can't help but feel respect for them.

Dear Esther is an excellent demonstration of the immersive storytelling virtual worlds can achieve. It combines magnificent visuals, a subtle, yet powerful soundtrack and stellar voice acting to tell a very touching story that explores darker themes like regret, grief and loneliness. It does so with a certain ambiguity which leaves one to ponder and theorize about the meaning of what has been witnessed long after the end. It is an impressive experience, but one I imagine not everyone can enjoy.

Gone Home is a masterpiece of storytelling.

It is not what one would expect from a first person game. You arrive home just to find it empty. Your goal now is to find out what has happened. The plot is delivered through belongings and audio recordings you find. Slowly but surely you start piecing together the scattered parts of the storyline to uncover the mysteries of the empty house. It is astounding how the game manages to bring such memorable characters to life with means as subtle as drawings, notes, magazines and object placement. The suspenseful, dark and eerily quiet atmosphere along with the carefully contemplated if rare audio pieces amplify every other element of the game. Everything seamlessly blends together to form a deeply touching and unforgettable experience.

It is not a game for everyone. You may not even be able to call it a game. However I for one and glad and happy that we have such a variety of amazing experiences available to us. It may be short, but quality will, in my eyes at least, always triumph over quantity, the former of which is a quality Gone Home definitely does not lack.

"It seems that perfection is attained not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to remove." - Antoine de Saint Exupéry

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a charming adventure and a testament to the beauty of simplicity. In the few hours of gameplay it achieves amazing heights and explores a variety of themes. The gameplay consists of controlling the two brothers to solve platforming puzzles. What makes is special is the cooperation between the two characters and the interesting mechanics that evolve from that synergy. The short length of the title is in may ways a strength, as it allows the simplistic gameplay to be fun without ever getting boring or tedious. The plot sets the two brothers on an adventure through the visually stunning world with a very charming atmosphere. The sights are simply breathtaking and and the variety of visual themes is very impressive. The characters in the game never speak a word of English, but nontheless manage to express the entire story in a very impactful manner. The musical score is simply fantastic and adds a whole dimension to the experience. The most amazing feat this game manages to achieve, however, is the emotionally convincing portrayal of the bond between the brothers. It is a masterpiece on every level and shows how much potential video games have for storytelling.

The Longest Journey does its name justice. It is an epic adventure from beginning to end and it never gets tedious or boring like a lot of adventure games tend to do when they try to forcefully increase the playtime. The setting is unique, intriguing and creates a great atmosphere. The plot is original and inspiring and shows what adventure games can do when they're done right. The brightest aspect of the game, however are the characters. From the heroine to the minor characters, they are all wonderfully designed with a certain integrity that makes them incredibly powerful. They bring the story to life and make for a truly memorable game. This could not have been done without the excellent writing and voice acting. The only argument I have against the game's excellence is the pacing and execution of the lest stretch before the finale, which compared to the rest of the game seemed rushed. It seems as if the development team was not able to give this segment the attention and devotion that it deserved. It is a small issue barely worth mentioning however, since the rest of the game shines brightly.

If adventure games are your thing, this is a must-play.

Papers, Please is a prime example that a game does not need a big budget to be great.

Who would've though stamping papers in a border checkpoint box could be fun? The game has a very original concept and it does an amazing job of making a very mundane task appear thrilling and exciting. You start out as an immigration officer working in a border checkpoint of a communist country. The pay is abysmal and you have to provide for your whole family. When money's short, do you take bribes to keep you family fed and warm, or do you sacrifice their well-being for your own moral high ground? The game is full of such decisions that have long-lasting effects. The game starts with a simple task of checking entrant's passports then starts adding more and more rules to remember. Making more than two mistakes means you get fined, which can quicly drive you bankrupt. These challenges only make the gameplay more compelling though and you start to develop a sense of pride for your job. The constant narrative implications your actions have make for a very thrilling experience from the beginning to end.

The retro visual style of the game fits perfectly and adds a certain atmosphere to it that enhances the narrative setting. The soundtrack may be small in quantity, but the few tracks set the communist theme amazingly well.

The only real issue I had while playing this game was the repetitive nature of the gameplay, which I started to notice towards the end of the game. It is but a small blemish on an otherwise wonderful experience however.

Engrossing mystery thriller with unfortunate gameplay weaknesses.

Alan Wake is an immersive experience filled with mystery. Its greatest strength is definitely its plot. It captures its audience by presenting an interesting premise and questions that need answers, which ends up being the main driving force of the game. It did a fantastic job of keeping me interested throughout the game. The story is complemented by (mostly) well written dialogue and some (not all) well constructed characters. The issue I have with the plot is its ending, which contains no real closure or catharsis, which I imagine is due to a possible sequel. Another strength is the atmosphere. The dark tone of the game is achieved by a meticulous attention to lighting and a carefully picked soundtrack. It all blends together to form a dark engrossing mystery.

Unfortunately the gameplay is its greatest weakness. It is thrilling and exciting at first, but quickly turns into a tedious routine that just stops you from exploring the storyline. The formula never changes: shoot the "taken" with light, then shoot them with weapons, rinse and repeat. The game does try to add some variety by adding elements of platforming, puzzles and even the illusion of exploration. Gameplay is in and of itself not bad. The problem with it is that the gameplay sections are too long. They're so long that whatever fun you had killing the taken dissapates very quickly. This is unfortunate, because I believe if those sections were made shorter, the game would feel a lot more immersive and connected.

Simply one of the best games ever.

Bioshock Infinite is officially a first person shooter. The shooting mechanics themselves are quite well done and combined with the vigor system provide for interesting combat. Unfortunately the shooting sequences become quite repetitive and even tedious at times and ultimately pale in comparison to other parts of the game. Infinite is a first person shooter, but the shooting is nothing special and nowhere near groundbreaking.

The setting is a unique city in the clouds - Columbia. It is a rich and vibrant city that feels alive. It provides some of the most beautiful visuals which are breathtaking and awe-inspiring. The more you explore Columbia though, the more you uncover the dark truth that lies at its heart. Themes like racism, slavery and oppression are prevalent throughout the whole game.

However, the single most important part of Infinite is its story. The plot is simply amazing in every aspect, carefully crafted to deliver the most impact it can. It makes in large parts the other aspects of the game seem irrelevant. Most of the time I just wanted to continue with the story and not bother with anything else. On top of that Infinite is graced which what I perceive to be one of the very best endings in a video game.

So while Infinite is not an outstanding first person shooter its amazing plot, writing and characters render its weaknesses void.

The gripping and mysterious plot makes Broken Sword one of the best adventure games out there.