November 24 – November 30

Section: 

Don't get too excited by the long release list this week. It may be wide, but it's about as deep as a pothole. This is what I always think of as "stocking stuffer" week, time where companies shovel out a great volume of stuff to stock store shelves both real and virtual.

That might not be a bad thing, though. Word on the street has it that there's a Steam sale just a few days away. If true, that's going to get my attention, as there's a number of things from the past year that I would normally have picked up, but that I waited exactly for a Steam sale to cover.

But, back to the week at hand. I'm giving my nod to Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions. I, admittedly, know absolutely nothing about this game, but the original Geometry Wars was the first Xbox Live Arcade game I owned and I played it obsessively for weeks. A week after I picked up the game I bought my first HD television, and I stared at the colors on screen as though I'd had a significant dose of consciousness-altering medicines.

For nostalgia reasons alone, Geometry Wars 3 gets my nod for Game of the Week.

PC
- Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions
- If My Heart Had Wings
- Luna: Shattered Hearts: Episode 1
- Reverse Side
- Space Salvager
- Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon
- Joe Dever's Lone Wolf HD Remastered
- Emergency 5 - Deluxe Edition
- Wings of Vi
- Rugby Union Team Manager 2015
- Foresight

PS4
- Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions
- Aqua Kitty: Milk Mine Defender DX
- Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed
- Speakeasy
- Thomas Was Alone

Xbox One
- Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions

Xbox 360
- Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions

PS3
- Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions
- Boxing (PS1 Classic)

Wii U
- Penguins of Madagascar
- Thomas Was Alone
- Mario Pinball Land
- Mighty Final Fight

Vita
- Aqua Kitty: Milk Mine Defender DX
- Pocket RPG

3DS
- Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth
- Penguins of Madagascar

Comments

All over Geometry Wars 3!! Played 2 for more hours than I can count.

No love for Aqua Kitty huh? I'm intrigued by Pocket RPG for Vita.

It might be time for me to give Geometry Wars a try--I have never played the previous games.

it's may be wide but it's about as deep as a pothole.

A perfect description of Geometry Wars.

Akiba's Trip got robbed! Conspiracy!

Too soon?

What is Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon? Anything 40K catches my interest.

Nevin73 wrote:

What is Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon? Anything 40K catches my interest.

War game.

Aw, I was expecting a kitten simulator.

Time to experience Thomas Was Alone in all its PS4 1080p glory!

Oh, and your boldening the text for all platforms Except the PS4 is clear evidence of GWJ's bias against it.

But seriously, Pocket RPG for Vita looks interesting.

Well, Elysium, you promised. I thought we had trained you by now that anything with "Shin Megami Tensei" or "Persona" in the title would at least get a shoutout. And maybe if it was a slow week—so slow that you described it as a stocking stuffer week and had to scrape the bottom of the barrel and lean on nine-years-past nostalgia for a single title to catch your eye—well, maybe in that case you might give a Game of the Week nod to the first Persona game to release on a Nintendo platform, one that's a mash-up of that beloved franchise and the well-regarded Etrian Odyssey series. It's even been receiving almost universal critical praise from a variety of outlets. Instead, you don't mention it. At all.

But hey, 2005 was cool, wasn't it? Remember Microsoft points? And the blades menu? And how we were still learning what the "bumpers" were and what happened to the black and white buttons? Good times, man. Good times.

it's may be wide but it's about as deep as a pothole

You obviously don't live in Montreal, where the potholes are Dragon-Age-Inquisition-sized.

Louis

ClockworkHouse wrote:

But hey, 2005 was cool, wasn't it? Remember Microsoft points? And the blades menu? And how we were still learning what the "bumpers" were and what happened to the black and white buttons? Good times, man. Good times.

When the very idea of a free-form digital avatar used in a gaming console was still just a twinkle in Peter Moore's eye.

Gravey wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

But hey, 2005 was cool, wasn't it? Remember Microsoft points? And the blades menu? And how we were still learning what the "bumpers" were and what happened to the black and white buttons? Good times, man. Good times.

When the very idea of a free-form digital avatar used in a gaming console was still just a twinkle in Peter Moore's eye.

He had to wait a year. A WHOLE YEAR. Poor sucker.

LarryC wrote:

Akiba's Trip got robbed! Conspiracy!

Too soon?

Akiba's trip got exactly the amount of recognition it deserves.

Persona Q got robbed though.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

But hey, 2005 was cool, wasn't it? Remember Microsoft points? And the blades menu? And how we were still learning what the "bumpers" were and what happened to the black and white buttons? Good times, man. Good times.

Yikes! Out for game-of-the-week blood?

How much is GeometryWars 3?

MaxShrek wrote:

How much is GeometryWars 3?

*cough*

Geometry Wars: a short poem:

If My Heart Had Wings / they would be Wings of Vi.
With Luna, Shattered Hearts / are an Emergency.
I only hope to have the foresight / to see my foe's Reverse Side,
In the Shadows of the Labyrinth / for the Mighty Final Fight.
Thomas.
Was.
Alone.

Persona Q!

edit: Well, at least there's this

There’s three different difficulties and some hidden modifiers catered to multiple audiences, so you’re sure to find a challenge setting suitable for you.

Wings of Vi looks very difficult
Or "challenging" as the web site describes.

Welcome back Sierra! I mean... hi there Activision, you certainly look different today.

(Persona Q for me this week. Unfortunately, I still need to get further in Persona 4 before I want to start tackling Q)

Gravey wrote:

When the very idea of a free-form digital avatar used in a gaming console was still just a twinkle in Peter Moore's eye.

If only Nintendo hadn't beaten them to the punch!

JohnKillo wrote:

Persona Q!

Moar like Persona Non Grata amirite

I played about half an hour of Geometry Wars 3 on the PS4 this morning. It's great. No surprise there.

Yeah I haven't touched a Persona game yet, but I'm intrigued by Persona Q based on the positive buzz it has been getting.

But then again, I'm basically the weaboo of the front page staff, so...

Will the characters and references in Q make any sense to someone who hasn't played P3 or P4?

ccesarano wrote:

Yeah I haven't touched a Persona game yet, but I'm intrigued by Persona Q based on the positive buzz it has been getting.

Persona Q peels away the social link and related mechanics which is either a good or bad thing depending on how you feel about the defining mechanic of Persona 3 and 4. As a spin-off it's probably not really indicative of the current state of that sub-franchise, but it might be a good entry point for people who haven't played a Persona game before. I can't say that for certain since I haven't played it yet, but by removing social links from the mix they're effectively streamlining the game and can (hopefully) properly pace the story beats, as the story is free from the light life simulation stuff. Nothing killed the story's momentum better in P3/4 than finishing up your current quest and having to waste time advancing the calendar while you wait for the next story arc to start.

But all the combat and monster fusion stuff is retained, so you should get to experience the "Pokemon for adults" core while also enjoying fun things like insta-death spells and hard as nails bosses within the first 10 hours

shoptroll wrote:

Persona Q peels away the social link and related mechanics which is either a good or bad thing depending on how you feel about the defining mechanic of Persona 3 and 4. As a spin-off it's probably not really indicative of the current state of that sub-franchise, but it might be a good entry point for people who haven't played a Persona game before. I can't say that for certain since I haven't played it yet, but by removing social links from the mix they're effectively streamlining the game and can (hopefully) properly pace the story beats, as the story is free from the light life simulation stuff. Nothing killed the story's momentum better in P3/4 than finishing up your current quest and having to waste time advancing the calendar while you wait for the next story arc to start.

But all the combat and monster fusion stuff is retained, so you should get to experience the "Pokemon for adults" core while also enjoying fun things like insta-death spells and hard as nails bosses within the first 10 hours :D

Hmm...Persona combat without the annoying social links? Now I'm interested. I burned out waiting for the story arcs to start with P4G since I didn't have a strong attachment to any of the characters, except maybe Marie because, like her, the only poetry that I can write is bad poetry.

elgee74 wrote:
it's may be wide but it's about as deep as a pothole

You obviously don't live in Montreal, where the potholes are Dragon-Age-Inquisition-sized.

Louis

Ely lives in Minnesota, so you'd figure he knows stuff about winter, but then, these are pre-winter potholes. They've only just begun the miracle of winter metamorphosis that changes them from shallow divots to competitors for wonders of the natural world.

garion333 wrote:
Nevin73 wrote:

What is Warhammer 40,000: Armageddon? Anything 40K catches my interest.

War game.

You missed some important details just from that first screenshot: HEXES AND TURNS. (I'm now officially intrigued. Someone please bring me to Monsignor Zacny.

Bleh. Persona combat *without* the wonderful social links?

RoughneckGeek wrote:
walterqchocobo wrote:

Hmm...Persona combat without the annoying social links? Now I'm interested. I burned out waiting for the story arcs to start with P4G since I didn't have a strong attachment to any of the characters, except maybe Marie because, like her, the only poetry that I can write is bad poetry.

No, Persona combat is tedious and repetitive. Persona Q brings Persona's character depth and stories to Etrian Odyssey's deep combat and dungeon exploration.

You lost me at Persona's character depth. I know that a coworker is buying this game so maybe I'll just watch him play to see if it is worth a purchase down the road.

Space Salvager is a fun little game y'all.