Digitally Downloaded

Review: Frozen Synapse (iPad)

2013-05-20T13:00:00.000+10:00

Frozen Synapse is compelling now as it was when it was released on PC two years ago. Within this game is some very valuable lessons that many much bigger developers can learn - sometimes keeping things clean and simple results in greater depth.

Review: Color Commando (3DS)

2013-05-20T11:00:00.000+10:00

Much like WayForward and Gaijin Games, Goodbye Galaxy Games has been one of the few independent developers to support Nintendo consoles despite waning developer interest (both from independent and corporate sectors) in the Big N. After receiving average to above-average reviews for its past three DSiWare games (Flipper, Flipper 2, and AceMathician), Goodbye Galaxy Games is continuing to support DSiWare with Color Commando, its most recent game.

Interview: The brain behind Frozen Synapse

2013-05-20T08:00:00.000+10:00

Frozen Synapse is by far one of our favourite games here at Digitally Downloaded. In fact it's a game that we've been raving about for literally years and some of our most heated staff competition have been in moving the little soldiers around the blue environment for short-and-sharp skirmishes.

Now with the iPad release we've been hooked in all over again. We've also sat down with Mode 7 joint managing director, Paul Taylor, to have a brief chat about the game, Mode 7's future plans, and what it's like to be behind one of the most popular tactics games released in recent years.

One answer really did stand out for me in this interview: when I asked if there were any plans to bring Frozen Synapse to other consoles following the Vita release later in the year, the response was "if we find the right partners." Given that both Nintendo and Microsoft are courting indies, we can't help but think it would be wonderful if an independent developer with access to a Wii U or Xbox 360 dev kit were to land a port of this game as a project. We want to play it on our TVs as well as on the go!

The full interview:

The weekly discussion: What's the most complex game you've ever played?

2013-05-18T08:00:00.000+10:00

Sometimes we just want to play Candy Crush Saga, but at other times most of us like deeper and more involved experiences.

And some developers and publishers go right over the top with providing deep and complex experience. From the strategic depth of a Paradox Interactive game to the insane RPG systems of a game like Mugen Souls.

These games are niche by default, but for people that get into them they are incredibly engaging experiences.

So the question this week is, what is the most complex game (for any reason) that you have played? More importantly; did you enjoy it?

Happy gaming!

EA is not supporting Nintendo's Wii U; how the heck did that become EA's fault?

2013-05-17T19:37:00.001+10:00

Some would call it "doom and gloom" reporting. I personally call it click baiting, but yep, Nintendo's corner of the Internet did indeed explode with the news that EA has formally pulled all development from the Wii U console.

Review: Metro: Last Light (PC)

2013-05-17T14:00:00.000+10:00

Metro 2033 was an interesting game that had a lot of really good ideas, but plenty of rough edges as well. Metro: Last Light is 4A Games' followup adventure featuring Artyom, the protagonist from the first game. Metro takes place in a post-nuclear Moscow where survival is challenged in a variety of ways. The air is no longer safe due to radiation, mutated creatures roam the surface and the worst in human nature presents itself repeatedly. Metro: Last Light is heavy on atmosphere, which helps to carry it past some gameplay shortcomings.

Going after the casual gamers is all the Wii U needs

2013-05-17T11:00:00.000+10:00

The storm of gloom has been really rolling in on the Nintendo front as of late. Anyone who even marginally pays attention to the daily games news has undoubtedly read that Nintendo won’t be holding a major press conference at this year’s E3, and many are interpreting that as a sign of weakness. Additionally, there are the persisitant rumours of more third party titles not releasing on the Wii U and that Wii U development kits are supposedly “collecting dust.”

Preview: Fuse (PS3)

2013-05-17T08:00:00.000+10:00

Fuse has really surprised me. I’ve played it twice now at media events, and I’ve gone from not being interested in it in the game in the slightest to really, really looking forward to getting stuck further into the game come release day.

Final Fantsy X-2 HD Remastered is looking good

2013-05-16T15:00:00.000+10:00

There has been a lot of coverage for the Square Enix remastering of Final Fantasy X, but a lot less for Final Fantasy X-2 which was an unexpected but welcome surprise addition.

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Review: Persona 4 Arena (PlayStation 3)

2013-05-16T13:00:00.000+10:00

Persona 4 Arena took its sweet time to release locally because Atlus decided in its infinite wisdom that this game of all games is the one that was going to pioneer region locking on the PlayStation 3. With this game, the follow up to one of my favourite RPGs and Anime of all time, I was forced to wait an obscenely long time for even as my Japanese and American buddies were getting stuck right in. To quote an old Australian meme “Not. Happy. Jan.”

Review: Sid Meier's Ace Patrol (iPad)

2013-05-16T11:00:00.000+10:00

Sid Meier really does have a midas touch and when 2K Games calls him in, people should pay attention. Despite 2K’s shaky history on the iPad, Sid Meier’s involvement in Ace Patrol has provided one of the finest tactics games yet made on the platform and here is a game that is essential for any strategy fans with iPads.

Trailer: Gran Turismo confirmed; whoop!

2013-05-16T09:50:00.000+10:00

The king of hardcore racing simulations is back. Sony has confirmed the development of Gran Turismo 6.

Beta preview: Anno Online (PC)

2013-05-16T08:00:00.000+10:00

Anno Online was a pleasant surprise for me as a gamer. I'm not that familiar with the genre, and of course, bosses like to be sadisitc when handing out games to play. And, to have even more fun at my expense, this boss didn't go into detail to what it was I was about to play and from that I couldn't develop an expectation, but from the brief time I got to play with the game I found was that Anno Online is a fun Sim City-like game with a lot to offer.

Gorgeous Drive Club PlayStation 4 Screenshots? Yes please

2013-05-15T15:00:00.000+10:00

Most of us here at Digitally Downloaded were pleased with what we saw during Sony's PlayStation 4 announcement, and one of the titles that had us talking the most was Drive Club.

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Brutal Gamer News Wrap 5/14/13

2013-05-15T14:27:00.002+10:00

Rift goes free to play, Wolfenstein continues to impress, the Avengers head into Infinity in Marvel's next big crossover and are rhythm games are back (?) in today's News Wrap.

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Review: Zeno Clash II (PC)

2013-05-15T13:00:00.000+10:00

One of the strangest first-person combat titles in recent years gets a sequel on the PC in a game that's equal parts brawler and first-person shooter.

Review: Poker Night 2 (PS3)

2013-05-15T11:00:00.000+10:00

Telltale Games’ Poker Night 2 is inspired. Amongst the thousands of Poker games out there here is one that has managed to stand out by playing to Telltale’s unique strength - storytelling.

Sidhe/ PikPok CEO on Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo next-gen challenges and being a developer in New Zealand

2013-05-15T08:00:00.000+10:00

Sidhe is the most veteran, most prominent, and arguably most important game developer that New Zealand has ever seen. It's one of the very few developers from the country that regularly hits "highest revenue" ranking lists (for instance, the Develop 100), thanks to its stewardship over some very valuable franchises, such as the Rugby football games.

That sport might not be as big as soccer, but the various codes of Rugby are some of the biggest sports on a global basis and so there is a market for these games, and Sidhe has been able to capitalise on that popularity successfully on consoles.

And yet the studio is quietly transferring its energy to mobile and PC game development, under a new label, PikPok. New Zealand's biggest and most experienced game developer is now, largely, a mobile developer. It's CEO, Mario Waynands, also came under fire earlier in the year when he was accused of promoting "doom and gloom" over the console business - specifically the Nintendo Wii U.

Review: Monaco: What’s Yours Is Mine (PC)

2013-05-14T13:00:00.000+10:00

I’ve always had mixed feelings about stealth games. While I love them, it’s hard to ignore the glaring issues that plague most games within the genre, particularly, the problem with losing. If you’ve played a Metal Gear or Splinter Cell game, you’ll know the feeling of having a well-thought-out plan come crashing down when you come into a guard’s line of sight, or when you turn a corner and accidentally run through a laser sensor. All too often stealth games require absolute precision in planning and execution, to the point where newcomers or less invested players no longer find the genre enjoyable.

Review: Leviathan: Warships (PC)

2013-05-14T11:00:00.000+10:00

When I was a child, my father and I would play Battleship on the weekends religiously. It was an addictive board game and it felt different every time we played. Unlike the board games, strategy video games have never had the sheer amount of replayability, accessibility, and simple enjoyment that my father and I were able to share. Leviathan Wars is no exception.

Review: Soul Sacrifice (Vita)

2013-05-14T08:00:00.000+10:00

There is an intensity to Soul Sacrifice that makes its minimalist plot and single-note theme feel more compelling than it has any right to be. I’m not sure if that intensity was a consequence of the developers being clever with a limited budget (Vita games don’t justify AAA-grade budgets, even the most important of them), but Soul Sacrifice does a lot with very little. And because of that it offers an experience that is impossible to ignore.

Review: Eador: Masters of the Broken World (PC)

2013-05-13T13:00:00.000+10:00

Let’s hear a cheer for Alexander Souslov, the man who wrote the manual for Eador: Masters of the Broken World. These days, most games are content to fob you off with a quickstart guide and a turgid tutorial. That’s not the case with Eador. The manual is extensive, useful and amusingly translated. It even contains a story about a kitten. It’s a happy throwback to a time when the documentation was an integral part of the gaming experience and, perhaps more than anything, it’s a sign that Eador’s developers have poured a massive amount of love and effort into their work.

Review: Clash of Elementalists (DSiWare)

2013-05-13T11:00:00.000+10:00

Anime girls with super-powers knocking each other around arenas? What could possibly go wrong?!

Insomniac CEO, Ted Price, on Fuse, multiplatform releases and the Wii U

2013-05-13T08:00:00.000+10:00

Fuse is a major change in direction and strategy for its developer, Insomniac, and with every change in direction comes risk.

It’s the first time the development team has been exposed to the Xbox 360 platform, and it’s the first major IP that the studio is retaining ownership of. Aside from a small game called Outernauts - coming to a mobile platform near you - Fuse is also the first real time that Insomniac has taken control over its own IP rather than develop on behalf of its traditional partner, Sony. It did that because it now wants to keep control of the IP that it develops, which is something that its new partner, EA Partners, has allowed it to do.

The weekly discussion: Do you do Kickstarter?

2013-05-11T10:26:00.000+10:00

Let's chat about Kickstarter this week! Every week there are more, and more interesting projects launched on the crowdfunding platform.

There's too many games that look exciting on Kickstarter to possibly support, but the question we're talking about this week is; do you support Kickstarter projects?

If you have, which Kickstarter projects have you supported and why?

Happy gaming!