Arcade

Blocks for Days

HIGH Upgrade trees with some fun choices to make.

LOW Some odd mission choices that feel like a poor attempt at palate-cleansing.

WTF We still have one-hit kill bosses instead of actual difficulty? Yeugh.

When did the Dream Become a Nightmare?

HIGH The blistering SID-metal half of the soundtrack, courtesy of Machinae Supremacy.

LOW Puzzles that try, stretch, and ruin your patience time and again.

WTF How many precious stones can you fit in one game?!

Without fail, every single person I've ever asked about Damnation said it was utter trash, but the box was so intriguing and the subject matter (Steampunk/Wild West/Civil War/Robots/Magic) was just too much up my alley to ignore. I think I got it for something like $4, and at the time that I picked it up, the clerk literally told me that I shouldn't buy it.

To Sleep: Perchance to Dream...

HIGH The sense of "flow" the flying sections encourage.

LOW Being forced to take human form and walk around levels.

WTF Trial and error boss encounters.

Nothing Inside the Armor

HIGH The first four levels have style for miles.

LOW The final level is boring, and the last boss is infuriating.

WTF The dry-humping piggybacker.

Boxed In

HIGH Snagging a sector pass from a complicated container just as the wormhole starts to pull it apart.

LOW A sector pass container full of explosive enemies and no path around.

WTF Occasionally a crystal in a one-block room will spawn a bunch of large enemies, leading to a clown-car-like effect. Trust me, you do not want to drill that room open.

Welcome back to a semi-regular feature here at GameCritics.com: TouchTalk. While this series was inspired by one of my old features, the Bargain Basement, I've got an all-new focus for an all-new phase in gaming. Rather than highlighting discounted gems in the used section of a retail shop, I'll be reviewing downloadable mobile games and apps that you might want to check out… and maybe some that you'll want to avoid.

Player in Distress

HIGH Cleverly using gems to reach hitherto secret areas.

LOW Dying, dying, dying all the time.

WTF Why is that giant waiter so angry at me?

Before reviewing the new puzzle-platformer Pid, I had an opportunity to talk with Jakob Tuchten, Might & Delight's art director. If you're curious about hearing more on the next game from the studio that released the excellent Bionic Commando: Rearmed, this is the place to be.

Don't Judge a Book by its Franchise

HIGH Finding my first flamethrower. Burn, motha*#@&$!

LOW The first two hours of play before GameFAQs.

WTF Why is so much vital info unexplained?