QCF: Axiom Verge

hether you love it or hate it, the renaissance of independently developed indie games is still very much kicked into high gear, and new titles like Shovel Knight and Hotline Miami are keep everyone on notice.

And with indie games still heavy hitting the scene of console gaming, the inevitable swell of side-scrolling love letters coming out of the mix, but none more frequent then the fan-favorite sub-genre that’s fondly recognized by the portmanteau that every gaming enthusiast has come to know: Metroidvania.

While the argument for if whether or not the sizable wave of these games is doing more harm than good to the genre is still up for debate, one particular title has uniquely approached the formula in a different direction. A direction that magnificently caters to both the culture of the titular design, and the fundamental dynamics that drive its appeal; Tom Happ’s Axiom Verge, a title that beautifully integrates what it homages into an experience that you’ll keep thinking about it, even after it’s over.

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QCF: Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

o matter what your standpoint on the matter is, it’s a fact that’s commonly accepted by a majority of modern society; violence is a part of life. Now when it comes to how people come to terms with this is an entirely different story, but I always found the concept of depictions that revel in graphically glorifying it as a point of illustration to be interesting; especially when it worked.

The argument on whether or not the gory aggression worked for Hotline Miami 2 though is a bit muddled, because when it works—it works.

And when it doesn’t, the title rings a bit hollow with a reverberation of pretension.

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GDC 15: Dissecting Narrative Design with Jurie Horneman

f there’s one thing that you can count on GDC delivering year after year, it’s the consistent distribution of new ideas and creative approaches shared from variety of talented game developers and visionaries in attendance.

Programmers and upstarts from around the world strive to share their ideas among their peers in hopes of improving the climate for video games, even when it comes to established philosophies and subjects in the field of design.

Jurie Horneman is one of these people, as he takes the stage at GDC 15 to challenge the climate of narrative direction in gaming, and how developers can be more conscientious with gameplay mechanics resonate with the plot and world of the experience in a way that can overcome the all too common issue of ludonarrative dissonance that currently plague modern gaming.

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PPR Presents Play Play: Transistor

hroughout the wreckage and calamity (see what I did there?) of Cloudbank, bears the stance of one woman, and her indignant sense of duty to right the wrongs of all the injustice that’s befallen her fair city and life.

Listen, it’s no secret, we love Super Giant Games’ sophomore release, Transistor, and while we’ve already reviewed, and talked about it at great lengths on the show, we figure we’d go one step further in showcasing our admiration for 2014’s indie darling in yet another edition of Press Pause Radio’s Play Play.

Come join us, join everyone, oh, everyone, before we all become one.

Mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, leave a voicemail at 469-PPR-TALK, and be sure to stop by at our Forums if you haven’t already registered and post your thoughts about the show. Finally, make sure to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and YouTube, follow us on Twitch page and Twitter, and finally take part in our Facebook and Steam group!

QCF: Five Nights at Freddy's 2

ive Nights at Freddy's is a feverish, effective game that implements point-and-click style gameplay mechanics to help build tension, dread, and sometimes, hopeless rage. Scott Cawthon created a very simple vehicle for a murky plot, imposing mood and ambience and of course, four hell-spawn animatronic animal musicians. Oh, and of course, you can't move.

So here we are, back at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza for a second time. Released with surprising swiftness after the first game (in fact, the sequel was released on Steam November 11, 2014 – over a month earlier than the originally projected December 25), Five Nights at Freddy's 2 brings us back to a familiar setup: sit in this chair and wait uncomfortably for a shrieking robot bunny to startle you to death.

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QCF: Chariot

he concept of royalty truly is a fascinating distinction within humanity’s self-imposed hierarchy over the years. The prestige and responsibility it demands is a balance of finesse and leadership that’s equally important to both sides of the crown—even when that crown might rest upon the head of a self-absorbed, entitled narcissist.

Enter Chariot; a grand mission of tribute to the fallen king, undertaken by his two most loyal retainers, as they drag and push their majesty’s wagon-eered coffin, towards the perfect resting ground for burial so that the matriarch may finally move on to the afterlife.

While the whole thing may sound like a glorified escort mission at first impression, the reality is a delightfully heartwarming test of wits and resilience against the law of physics against a lump on wheels that’s essentially an out-of-body extension of you and your buddy’s skills and abilities—with an added test of friendship thrown in for good measure.

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PPR 90

Sneaking up on whatever you have to do can have its own little reward, and sometimes, it’s probably a big pain in the ass; The art of Stealth is truly a divided camp.

Join Andrew, George, and newcomer Gil, as they go on to discuss the duality that comes with espionage-focused titles, whether it’s the empowering sense of control, or the crippling anxiety from losing said control—the topic gets hit pretty hard and deep.

In addition, the gang goes on to talk about Bayonetta 2, Skylanders: Trap Team, Vegan Bacon, Shadows of Mordor, how gross Ann Geddes is, Sunset Overdrive, Alien Isolation, Ass to Mouth, The Uncle Who Works For Nintendo, household cats, Captain Toad’s Treasure Tracker, and much, much more.

Mail us at our new email Mailbag@presspauseradio.com, leave a voicemail at 469-PPR-TALK, and be sure to stop by at our Forums if you haven’t already registered and post your thoughts about the show. Finally, make sure to rate and subscribe to us on iTunes and YouTube, follow us on our Twitch page and Twitter, and finally take part in our Facebook and Steam group!

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QCF: Five Nights at Freddy's

n the vein of Stephen King’s It or Chucky, Five Nights at Freddy’s takes on one of the creepiest characters from our collective childhood ­ the animatronic robots dressed as cuddly stuffed animals that perform at amusement parks and fun centers. Their dead eyes and jerky movements place them firmly in the Uncanny Valley ­ a bit too life­like for comfort. Why did these things exist?

Whoever thought they were appropriate for children? Even as a little girl I remember shrinking away whenever they “looked” at me (also, people who dress up as statues). These robots are creepy as hell, making them the perfect villains for this atmospheric nightmare game.

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