ELI RATES THE GAMES
By KCOW Weekend Warrior and Resident Madman Eli Smith

Indie game developer Benjamin Rivers released a game earlier this year that caught the eyes of a few critics, but really didn’t cause too much of an uproar on the indie games scene. This game is obviously no Minecraft, Fez, or Braid, but it certainly has a charm of its own– an experience that is well worth it for the whopping price of three dollars. This game is simply known as Home.

Home is an interesting game…as you play through the storyline you find yourself discovering a few strange things, among them your own somewhat beaten appearance and signs that people were hurt all over the first area. As you continue to explore, bodies start popping up all over the place. During this whole period your character has no memory, making the signs around you even more interesting. The storyline is nothing overly special; it’s  something you would expect out of a horror game. “Home” is more a game of exploration, and if you make the effort to find additional items you will not be disappointed with the results. You find yourself backtracking through a few short areas you couldn’t get to the first time, because you found an item that might help you out later on, and if you use that item to get to a new area the mystery continues to grow. That being said, this gameplay might be boring to certain gamers who are used to the action packed titles of today. Another thing to keep in mind is the fact that the game is only about an hour and a half long. Despite that fact it may take a few playthroughs to acquire the best possible result, making this game around five hours long depending upon your willingness to try again.

The sounds are rather well crafted for a three dollar game. The game suggests that you turn off the lights and put in a pair of headphones, and provides a lot of sounds that work well with the darkened ambiance. Those who are easily spooked might want to avoid this title, but the horror is subdued by the game’s graphics. “Home”  was created by one  man–an indie game developer who decided to go with a retro look for the game, as the characters and items are all pixelated. The graphics are rather charming, giving the gamers who play this piece some fond memories of the past.

To conclude, Home is a three dollar horror game. People will be turned off by the lack of action and the fact that it is very short, but I encourage you to give it a try anyway. It may not look like much, but the game still gives you a sense of intrigue and is well worth the three dollar price-point. To throw in a little bonus at the end of this review, if you end up buying and playing the game yourself share your own story below in the comments section. It is encouraged to do so at the end of the game, as there are a few branching paths and you must come to your own conclusion with all the evidence you found. Download it off of Steam and tell me what you think below.

Next game review: To The Moon
A fascinating tale following the adventures of two individuals as they grant the wish of a dying man.

ELI RATES THE GAMES
By KCOW Weekend Warrior and Resident Madman Eli Smith

This has been a pretty impressive year for gaming, with Halo 4, Assassin’s Creed 3, Dishonored, and many more. But with all of these amazing games coming out, it can be easy to overlook output from some of the lesser developers.

Today, that lesser known developer is 505 studios, and the game of choice is Naughty Bear – Panic in Paradise. In this game you play as an adorable, stuffed teddy bear who has a bit of a mean streak. The other bears who are now located on Paradise Island do not like you for one reason or another, and that has caused the teddy bear you control (Naughty Bear) to snap. So, in order to get even with the bears who shunned him, he decides to go on a massive and murderous rampage. Obviously, this game’s storyline isn’t meant to be taken seriously.

The gameplay encourages a bit of creativity in the way you dish out your revenge. You can use a number of different objects in the world– including weapons you can hold in your hand, or larger objects that can be shoved into the other bears.  For example, you could choose between killing a bear with a garden rake, or shoving a bear into the fridge. There are many different options. There is even a level of “insanity” with each bear; when other bears see you murdering a bear, it can cause their insanity to rise. Once their “insanity” reaches a certain level, you can push them over the edge and cause them to kill themselves–usually by exploding or beating themselves to death. It’s all rather disturbing, but do not forget that these are only teddy bears. (Nevertheless, the amount of violence might be something to keep in mind if you’re considering buying this game for a child.)  Other gameplay options include the ability to hide in the bushes and wear disguises; however, despite all these options, “Naughty Bear” is pretty repetitive. Each level is a variation on what’s essentially the same thing, scaring and killing bears. Eventually the gameplay becomes dry and somewhat boring, meaning that this game needs to be taken slowly. That being said, there are a number of unlockables available, giving completionists and perfectionists much to do.

The graphics are nothing special; the worlds are mildly interesting, but when you go through it multiple times you find that there is nothing to look at. The game often re-uses areas, and the worlds are rather small and boring.  However, I’m willing to forgive this, as it is a $20 game, and we cannot expect too much detail in a title like this.

The sound is actually an interesting element in this game. When people are within earshot of a trapped or hurt bear, they come to the rescue. You also have the ability to make a “boo” sound effect that can be used to attract or scare enemies. The sounds that these bears make are adorable, and rather funny given the game.

The music isn’t too interesting; it’s happy and joyful when Naughty Bear is not focused on, and twisted and scary during periods where he is focused on. During actual gameplay, background music only appears during scary moments, such as when Naughty Bear makes a kill.

To conclude, this game is a little stale and boring, and would not be worth the $60 price point assigned to major titles. But for $20 this game is well worth playing. It is silly and rather goofy–and despite the fact that driving bears insane and murdering them seems rather horrific, remember that they’re only stuffed animals. However, as I previously mentioned, there are some mature themes behind  this game, and I wouldn’t recommend it for incredibly young children.