Capcom

Checkmate

HIGH Bitterblack Isle is a great addition, dripping with atmosphere.

LOW The insufferably slow Ox-driven escort quest to Gran Soren returns.

WTF WHAT THE F*** HAPPENED TO DANGAN?

Monster Mash

HIGH A fantastic collection of the series's best installments.

LOW It's not playable on Vita.

WTF So, exactly who is Lillith supposed to appeal to...?

Readers will know that I am a huge fan of the first game, and even though it had some rough edges, it was a pretty brilliant experience. Unfortunately, Riptide isn't able to match up to that first title. The new character who uses hand-to-hand combat is lots of laughs, but the game itself feels like it was slapped together with very little care and isn't nearly as immersive or as atmospheric as the original.

Bigger, Better, Badder

HIGH A new Monster Hunter is finally available! It's not a dream!

LOW The game’s first few hours are painfully slow.

WTF How many damned carpenterbugs am I going to need here?

I'm currently working on my review of Monster Hunter 3: Ultimate. I wasn't able to put as much time into it as I expected because the bridging software which allows players to transfer data between the Wii U and 3DS has not been available, and apparently will not be until the day of release. Since I'm usually able to catch a few quests here and there on a portable when I'm not in front of my TV, that was an unexpected setback.

I'm trying to make a serious effort towards trimming down my backlog this year, so I decided to give Bayonetta one more shot. I've started and quit the game twice before, but it comes up in conversation so often and in such positive terms that I'd feel like I wasn't doing my critical due diligence unless I gave it a least one more try.

We are reaching into the listener mail bag again! We learn Brad's favorite food, and what game is like Amelie...if Amelie could fly! Also, Special guest Christopher Floyd stops by to talk in his Irish accent. Oh yeah, we also talk about what we've been playing and have a lively discussion about the Steam Box! With Chi Kong Lui, Brad Gallaway, Mike Bracken, Richard "Sexiest Thumbs Alive" Naik, Special Guest Christopher Floyd and Dylan Collins.

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Survival horror games aren't what they used to be. Once upon a time, they were about survival and horror. It makes sense. It's what the genre is called, after all. These titles would encompass qualities of mystery and exploration as the player fought to stay alive with every step. Over the years, they've increasingly become about action, gunfights, and an overload of cheap jump scares. I prefer the former, despite a plethora of the latter.

Jake Muller: Zombie Puncher

HIGH Watching a chrysalis hatch, dreading what's going to crawl out from inside of it.

LOW Struggling to get the cover system to work while surrounded by snipers.

WTF Okay, that is definitely larger than a conventional house fly.

Presented without comment are some screenshots from the upcoming Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for the Nintendo Wii U and 3DS. I think these images from the 3DS version speak for themselves.