QCF: Rayman Legends

acky colors, unintentionally subliminal adulterated themes, offbeat animation, and ridiculous character design; these are the hallmarks of the French cartoon culture. French cartoon have this unique approach with seizing certain demographics or markets to give way to license that would capitalize best in that field. The older demographic has Tintin, the younger crowd has Marsupilami, and gamers have Rayman.

Ubisoft enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance of sorts with Rayman after releasing the revamped throwback Origins back in 2011, but perceiving an ideal sequel seemed a bit ham-fisted when Origins is lauded for being charmingly simple, how do you improve on something like that? Make it a Wii U exclusive and use the shit out of that newfangled gamepad, that’s how! Though the wind shuttered out slightly from beneath Nintendo’s sails when Ubisoft decided to lift the exclusivity of the title and delay it, leaving curiosity to clamor over just how unique or definitive the Wii U version would be.

Dunking several hours into the wild platformer, the latest title to feature the floating torso with hands and feet is has set the standard on being both the model example of an improved sequel, and a must-own for the Wii U library.

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QCF: Infintity Blade III

This Review was Freelanced by Rob Rich; you can find his other work here

here are always a few games that become synonymous with their platforms. Not just because they’re exclusives, not because there are plenty of “this console only” titles out there, but because they exceptional exclusives. Infinity Blade is one such game, and it’s one of the biggest (if not the biggest) names in iOS gaming. The first was a tale of revenge against a seemingly immortal tyrant told over the course of centuries, and it blew minds thanks to its use of the Unreal Engine to create some truly amazing visuals--on a phone, no less.

The second continued the story of Siris and his crusade against the Deathless, and dressed the visuals up a bit, but the big change was a more impressive scope and variation to the enemies and environments. Infinity Blade III is the wayward hero’s final stop as he attempts to make up for his past and put an end to the reign of the Deathless for good.

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QCF: Gone Home

amily; most everyone you know has one, and while they all bring myriad of attachment or emotion, there’s one central theme that’s consistent with everyone who has one, or wants one—belonging, feeling like you’re a part of something, bigger than yourself. It’s a bond that remains constant, no matter how far you go, or how long you’re gone, it’s always insinuated that you have a permanent membership to that club you call a family. While the sense of belonging is interchangeable with the sense of bond, the harsh reality is that even family can fall victim to unstoppable force that works to claim everything in its path--time.

Katie Greenbriar arrives to the welcome of silence and difference of lieu of the fantasy Americana she expected from the past that she had left behind—This is Gone Home, and it is one of the most worldly experiences you’ll encounter in the deceptively humbling form of it being some dumb, yet engrossing video game.

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PPR Presents Play Play: DuckTales 2

apcom and WayForward brought back the Duck with the bucks, and while the game holds up in its own little ways, too few have ever been able to check out the rare sequel that released late within the NES’ lifespan. George and Ser bring you the latest Play Play, where we tackle the elusive DuckTales 2, and discuss why it’s a shame that a lot of people haven’t played it.

Rate and subscribe to us iTunes today, follow us on our new Twitch page, subscribe to our YouTube, mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, and be sure to stalk us on our social network pages while you stop by at our Forums and register as well!

PPR 77

ur first show since we got back from PAX, we’re still playing catch up with video games and well, life for that matter. Andrew, James, and George get together to discuss some video games like Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn and Tales of Xillia, along with fake GTA V reviews, DickWolves, Mighty No. 9, and drunk white girls. The Oculus Rift steals the show topic; from theories to concepts, romanticizing the possible mass-market success of the device could radically change video games, or creep James out since he’s a big diaper-baby and all, who knows.

Rate and subscribe to us iTunes today, follow us on our new Twitch page, mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, and be sure to stop by at our Forums and register as well!

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QCF: DuckTales Remastered

s binary as the term “remake” would suggest by definition, the reality can actually elicit a variety of responses, anywhere from positive to “this is horse-shit.”  I’ve mentioned nostalgia quite a number of times and the sensitivity that revolves around applying it when you’re remaking a game versus re-releasing it.

The dilemma of mishandling swings both ways, you either desecrate the source material and kick the loyalists right in the childhood, or you over coat your product with the rose-tinted sugar of reminiscence that panders down memory lane instead, isolating your audience from the youngsters who’re late to the party, and just don’t get what the fuss was all about.  There are certain exceptions to this scenario, where the experience is so brilliant that they’re regarded as a timeless treat to everyone who plays them—to be completely honest, DuckTales is not one of those exceptions; and that what makes DuckTales Remastered amazing…WayForward recognized that the sacred cow wasn’t beyond the flaws of time.

The studio famous for injecting whimsy and charm, made subtle tweaks to an admittedly aged but solid formula, and in the process, adapted a twenty-four year old gem into a game that appeals to everyone in today’s video game generation.

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QCF: Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs

hen Amnesia: The Dark Descent was released in 2010, it was a breath of fresh air into an industry that had seemed to have lost its way with horror titles for a while. Its unique tension and combat free gameplay gave the player a sense of helplessness that hadn't been experienced before. Paired up with undeniably scary set pieces this created a cult indie game that took YouTube by storm. The reaction videos to this terrifying game really hit a nerve and cemented The Dark Descent as a game every horror fan should experience.

Now it's three years later and the anticipation for this sequel has grown. Teamed up with Dear Esther creators The Chinese Room, Frictional Games is presenting us a follow up with a lot of pressure on it's back. A Machine for Pigs is this title and depending on your stance on what makes gameplay engaging, you'll either be loving it or hating it. However, one thing you unfortunately won't be is scared.

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PPR Presents Lime Light: Tempo

unny that we would be doing Lime Light on more than one 32X game year…no really, it’s actually hilarious—the opportunity to do this one was just too good to pass up. One of the exclusive titles for Sega’s Mushroom-shaped add-on is one of the reasons most Sega owners would even install the 32X, and it’s from the same people that brought us Bonk, Air Zonk, and Gungrave…We’re streaming Tempo.

Tune in around Wednesday evening, September 11th, at 5:45 PM pacific time and join us in the chat on our Twitch page, getting down with the phat beats and animation so Japanese that you’ll be shouting “Nanja korya!” at all the colors coming out of your interwebs screen.

Watch live video from PressPauseRadio on www.twitch.tv