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A popular thought is that video games are mindless entertainment that contain
no artistic value.
Kami* is one title that refutes this notion.
Please note that the review below is for the PS4 version, and may not reflect content/gameplay found in other editions.
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I move my queen and rook in concert, slowly backing his king into a corner. I inch closer and closer, knowing one false move will tear apart my entire strategy…
My heart is pounding.
He’s finally right where I want him. Feverish calculations are made as I desperately try to get into my opponent’s–
Oh, I never considered that before.
A relative calls out a seemingly sound tactical option that escaped my notice. I re-position my queen. Then, I watch in horror as a knight from the corner of the board takes her away from me.
I lose by checkmate.
Such is the way of chess.
You can clearly see how Pure Chess* for the PS4 takes advantage of next-gen hardware. The user interface is sharp, simple and slick. Light reflects off of imperfections in stone pieces and softly filters through clear glass ones.
Included are three locations (Museum, Penthouse and Library) and three chess sets (Staunton, Williams and Checkers) with various visual modifiers. Modifiers range from stone, to glass, to wood. Unfortunately, after a few matches, these options seem a bit bare.
To expand your collection, a number of downloadable chess sets are available for purchase. Their effects can range from turning your board into a park location filled with woodland creatures, or an arena populated by Roman soldiers.
While Chess is one of the most popular and well-known games in the world, many do not know how to play. Pure Chess accommodates new and old players alike by providing a simple introductory training mode.
Other than training, the modes in Pure Chess are:
In general, aside from a lack of customization options, I found Pure Chess for PS4 to be an impressive title.
Conclusion:
The range of features and modes available combined with AMAZING graphics make Pure Chess for PS4 one of the best digital chess experiences to date.
I just wish more was included in the initial package.
Potential Concerns:
A Halloween Chess Set add-on is available as an optional purchase.
Buy Now! (iOS/Free)
Buy Now! (Android/Free)
Buy Now! (PS4)
Buy Now! (PS3)
Buy Now! (PS Vita)
Buy Now! (Wii U)
Also available on 3DS.
How to make sense of it all?
Influent.
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Inventor Andrew Cross spends three years developing the “SanjigenJiten” (a device that scans objects and provides their names in the language chosen), only to have it stolen by a large corporation. To prove the SanjigenJiten is his invention, he resolves to learn
300 new words.
This is where you come in.
Inspired by the gameplay of titles like Shenmue and Toy Commander, Influent* allows you to interact with tons of objects in a 3D environment. Every object is connected to a word in your chosen language.
Languages currently available:
The developer also plans to add several languages in the near future.
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I’m returning to my base after a successful mining run 350 meters down. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of taking too many spears and not enough food. My hunger level is steadily increasing.
65%…70%…80%…
A school of fish begin to stream by. I slice at a few with my knife and eventually eat enough to bring my hunger level down. There’s blood in the water, but no worries. Only a few meters to–
Octodad: Loving father, caring husband…secret octopus.
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Octodad: Dadliest Catch* is a hilarious and heartwarming game with quite possibly the most addictive theme-song known to man.
Nom Nom Galaxy
Nom Nom Galaxy* is the latest entry in the PixelJunk game series, currently available exclusively on Steam. As an Early Access title in an Alpha (before Beta!) state, the game is not fully optimized and various bugs are present.
However, this also means that Nom Nom Galaxy is continually being updated, refined and improved (weekly in this case). Best of all, YOU get to help influence this process.
You can see the game’s development progress here.
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Nom Nom Galaxy combines the gameplay of a title like Terraria or Minecraft with business simulation mechanics.
The fact that this concept is already fun and playable at such an early state leaves me EXTREMELY excited by the possibilities.
It all starts by crash-landing on an alien planet…
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Vessel* is a puzzle game that-like its main character Arkwright-aspires to be more.
Both succeed.
SpeedRunners!
SpeedRunners is an Early Access title currently available exclusively on Steam.
As an Early Access title, the game is not fully optimized and various bugs are present. However, this also means that SpeedRunners is continually being updated, refined, and improved. Best of all, YOU get to help influence this process.
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In a world full of superheroes, an innocent citizen cries for help…Suddenly, SpeedRunner races into view to save the day! No wait-Hothead comes to save the day! Cosmonaut Comrade to save the day? Unic?
Well, no matter…here come four superheros to save the day!
Are they actually shooting missiles at each other?
Hothead launches a shockwave right before Cosmonaut Comrade can pull ahead.
SpeedRunner screams towards a wall wielding a supersonic drill.
Cosmonaut Comrade gets revenge by “hooking” Hothead in mid-air, gaining the lead.
“Oh well,” the citizen sighs. “I guess I’ll have to fix the yard…AGAIN.”
Welcome to the cutthroat-heroics of SpeedRunner.
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After appearing on everything from the PS3 to the iPhone, Joe Danger’s adventure on PC is definitely a ride worth taking.
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Moustache King Adventure: 
Imagine being a child and ordering an ice cream cone. Just as you are about to taste its frosty goodness, a large man with a crown and magnificent moustache walks in and orders the same flavor as you. Yours was the last scoop. Unexpectedly, the shopkeeper gives YOUR cone to the man.
“Who was that, and why did you give him my ice-cream!?” You demand.
The owner replies, “That was the Mustache King, and all must obey the ‘stache of the king.”
“Who made him king?”, You ask quizzically.
“By the laws of our beloved moustachracy, whoever bears the moustache of a king shall rule over all.”
You walk off in a huff, returning one week later with a “mighty, yet untested, moustache” and a determination to become the Moustache King!
Despite its sporadically finicky controls, this introduction (adapted from the official page) tells you all you need to know-MKA is a humorous blast to play.
Potential Concerns:
None to my knowledge.
Alter Ego:
Video Games and the Bible 