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Not enough of a contrast to make Effie interesting, though. If you’re a 3D platforming addict who needs a fill right now and you’ve played everything else, it may be enough to fill the time, but otherwise, it feels like there are plenty of other games you could be playing instead.

Overall the story hooked me, and while the gameplay wasn’t too impressive, the visuals and presentation helped push me through the beginning of this unique story. I do have a soft spot for the film The Untouchables so I might be a bit biased, but I would recommend this game for fans of the episodic adventure genre. It’s not as polished as a Telltale game but the story is unique and I’m intrigued to see where it will go in episode 2.

Outside of the two minor caveats, Spy Chameleon is easy to pick up and play and is great for the casual Xbox One gamer, or someone who has ten or fifteen minutes to kill at a time.

Considering how huge my backlog is and how many games I start only to never finish, though, I can't say I mind the brevity all that much. There's something to be said for showing up, doing your thing, and leaving, rather than trying to artificially inflate a game's length without adding anything new. Nihilumbra is proof positive that a game can be short and still be indispensable, and if you like platformers, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

The only reason why Funk Of Titans did not receive a failing grade is due to the fact that it does what it is programmed to do. No glitches or problems that hinder gameplay (what little of it there is) and everything works as it was intended. If this game had been free to play, I probably would have dismissed many things and given it a higher score, but at $8.99, this is one you can definitely skip.

For this entry into the series, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate is a fun ride and will take you some time to accomplish. It also looks good, especially for being on a handheld, and will provide you with more of the Belmont history than you could find on Ancestry.com, just don’t expect your brain to think the words Castlevania while you play it. If you know this going into the game you will find yourself enjoying this adventure more for what it is, instead of what it isn’t.

And to be fair, even if progress was lost, and despite some of the cheap deaths I encountered, Deadlight’s checkpoints are extremely lenient and well-spaced. I was never really stuck for long re-doing any section of the game, and I certainly felt like the experience was more about the overall journey than navigating overly tough bits of platforming or combat. And really, that’s what makes Deadlight stand out to me more, the fact that it takes horror and shoves it into a 2D space, and does a pretty good job of it. Deadlight looks absolutely gorgeous in motion, and I adore every bit of it that involves me ducking through open windows into abandoned motel rooms, houses, warehouses, and just seeing the absolutely wrecked world surrounding it all. It feels and looks like you’d expect a post-apocalyptic world to be, but all within a 2D space, which is unique enough to make Deadlight worth your time.

A competent shooter, but just barely. The ideas behind the cover system and the bullet curve are certainly solid, but the rest of the game just doesn't hold up that well.

All in all, I was impressed with Turok: Rage Wars. The previous two Turok GBC titles had been less than spectacular platformers, but thankfully Acclaim has turned around with their third entry and come back with an entertaining side-scroller that certainly deserves a look.

It is worth your time and money, as it offers gamers an experience never played before, even with the subtle similarities to "GTA". In the end, this is no "GTA," good or bad, this is Scrapland and in a league all by itself.

Truly one of the most beautiful games I have seen this year.