Sound Shapes PS3 Demo Review 7/10

    The Sound Shapes PS3 Demo starts off by introducing you to the controls and the goal of the game. In it’s favor, both are pretty simple. You use one button to roll into a faster moving ball and the left analogue stick to move in the 2D plain. You can stick to many of the “Sound Shapes” that you traverse and you must avoid the red ones. At the end of the level you reach a record player which completes the level. The idea of the game is that you make music as you play. The way that works exactly is hard to explain in text, though the Sound Shapes Demo does an excellent job of doing so in game. I will try to explain it just as well.

    The levels are broken up into smaller segments that fit your screen. Once you reach the end of the segment, the game seamlessly switches to the next segment of the level. You can freely go back and forth if you happen to miss a sound orb. These sound orbs are placed in a horizontal order and when the beat reaches that orb the sound is added to the track for the rest of the level. At the beginning of the game there are no sounds. It’s silent until you get your first sound orb. Once you’ve gotten that it’ll play every time the rhythm loops itself back to that part. By the end of the level you’re experiencing the entire song and it’s quite exhilarating. It does feel as if you created the song yourself.

The circles are the added sounds. The grey bar is the beat moving across the plain.

    A game like Sound Shapes will live and die by it’s soundtrack. In the demo you only get to experience 2 of the songs. This was enough to determine the quality of every other working part, but left me wondering what the rest of the soundtrack was like. I didn’t expect to be able to play any more songs, but a video showcasing small bits of the rest of the soundtrack would have been nice. The Sound Shapes Demo could have even touted itself by listing how many songs you’ll get to play.

    While playing the demo, I often questioned the replayability of the game. Other music games like Guitar Hero have higher difficulties and scores that extend the life of the game. In the Sound Shapes Demo there was only one difficulty and after playing the first two levels, perfect completion didn’t seem like it’d be a challenge. I don’t think Sound Shapes needs these things, but for longevity it does need something. That’s where the Community feature comes in. Sadly, I have little idea what the Community feature is. They don’t let you experience any of it in the demo. All that’s given is a short explanation that basically says it’s where you download player created levels.

    The Sound Shapes Demo also shows off the level editor where you can create your own level. It reminded me of LittleBigPlanet. It was simple to use but offered the opportunity for challenge if you wanted to make a masterpiece. Again, this portion of the game interacts with the Community Feature, but the demo didn’t allow me to figure out how exactly. Obviously, I’m pretty sure that if I make a level I can then upload it to the Community server where other people can download my level and vice versa, but it would have been nice to see exactly how that happens. Both the level editor and the Community feature seem to be big parts of the full game, but were mostly absent in the demo.

Coooooooooooool

    The music is the main draw of the Sound Shapes Demo but the graphics are quite the treat and complement the beat through and through. I loved the bright colors that saturated the plain as I rolled through. It brought about a sensation I would imagine people have when they go to a rave. Some of the shapes in the world pulsate with the beat which nods the attention back to your awareness of the music. Small things like this remind you that Queasy Games, the developer, knows what it’s doing.

      One thing that’s unique to PSN games is that sometimes when you buy it on PS3 it’ll unlock it free for the PS Vita as well. That also holds true in the opposite order. This is definitely a bonus to purchasing the full game but I wasn’t able to find this information anywhere in game or on their website. In the Playstation Store it shows that both items are separate purchases. After purchasing the PS3 version, I found out that indeed the PS Vita version unlocked with it. I was still left wondering how they interact though. I imagine they are the same experience on both platforms but can I transfer the same save file back and forth? These questions certainly held me back from making the purchase.

    The Sound Shapes PS3 Demo receives a 7/10. It was a very strong experience but failed to really solidify itself as a must buy. The demo should have included a tease of the soundtrack, a trial of the community feature, and further information about what a purchase would include. I really enjoyed what was there, but with all the questions I had, I was sitting on the fence as to whether I would buy it or not. Luckily, the scales tipped in the games favor because it happened to be on sale for only half the price. If not for that, I probably would have debated too long and eventually forgot about the game.

    I would wait for another sale unless you already have a PS3/PS Vita Combo and it has a transfer save file feature. If those two variables ring true then I’d purchase this game for $15 easily.

- lvl 99

Dust: An Elysian Tale Xbox 360 Demo Review 10/10

    After playing the Dust: An Elysian Tale Demo, I’m left with a very positive first impression. The demo introduced me to the world of the game, quickly threw me into spectacular combat, and then politely said it’s goodbyes. It didn’t waste my time. It didn’t repeatedly ask me to stay. It was a simple meet and greet that leaves me walking away with a smile on my face.

    The first thing you’ll notice about the Dust: An Elysian Tale Demo is the gorgeous artwork that comes to life on screen. At the end of the demo a bullet point list tells how all the artwork is hand painted. I couldn’t think of a better way to describe it myself. In a world of increasingly realistic experiences it’s nice to have a game like this to come back to. It’s 2D world is full of vibrant sprites that never leave you wanting more even though you’re only moving in the x and y directions. Much of the fun to be had in this game is the visual explosion of colors and characters as the main character, Dust, flies around whirling his magical sword. The demo had some tricks up it’s sleeve as it dimmed the lights in sections accenting specific hues. I can see how the developer could easily treat the player by adding in weather effects like rain or lightning to further the enjoyment to be had in the game.

(Screenshots don’t really do this game justice in the visual department. You’ll have to try it for yourself.)

     The characters remind me of any assortment of animes that you’ve probably already seen but it doesn’t hinder their quality. Dust is some sort of human fox that sprouts angelic wings for short bursts to double jump. He carries a magical sword, Ahrah, that is also a character. They’re both followed by Fidget, a cute and cuddly flying fox that helps you in battle. They’re all fully voiced. Fidget in particular sticks out because she sounds like your stereotypical anime sidekick, but her dialogue is written and delivered very well. Fidget is also very funny. I found myself smiling at some of the silly things she would say.

    In the Dust: An Elysian Tale Demo you don’t get enough of the story to see where it’s going, but like many open world games, the environment was tiding me over. They created such a beautiful world that I am excited to learn more about it even though the demo was lacking story beats. In it’s defense, I’m glad they let what the demo does best do the talking.

    The music wasn’t anything special. The soundtrack is mostly background, but listening to your enemies get sliced by your sword was quite satisfying. Again, it’s your normal assortment of hack and slash sounds, but they’re very important nonetheless. While playing the game you’re fighting and juggling many characters so the extra emphasis on sonic feedback never hurts. Well, I guess it hurts the antagonists...

    Besides the graphics, the real fun of the game lies in the combat. It’s easy to initiate combos, launch enemies into the air, and no matter what you do it’s going to look pretty. Your skill comes into play when you find yourself narrowly dodging an enemies attack or juggling multiple combos for maximum damage and experience. It reminds me of Devil May Cry because your main attack is with your sword but you can extend combos by using your ranged attack.

    This demo really showed me a blueprint of what demos should be. They should be short and sweet. I was having fun 19 out of the 20 minutes I played. It only asked me to purchase the game twice; once after receiving an achievement and once after finishing the demo. The end of the demo was quite a treat as well. Instead of just blocking my progress and fading to black, I was met by a specialized demo cutscene, and then it faded to black. It was just a little wink that let me know the developer took the extra time.

    Dust: An Elysian Tale receives my first 10/10. As a demo, I couldn’t have asked for more.

    I will be buying this game, but not at the $15 price point. Maybe I’m just cheap, but with all the sales going on recently, and how long ago this game came out, I’d be more comfortable picking it up for $5. It’s replayability could be high with it’s many difficulty levels, but I only see myself playing through this game once. I will be waiting for the inevitable price drop.

- lvl 99

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Xbox 360 Demo Review 8/10

Over the last decade, Sega hasn’t been able to get a regular Sonic game right, but every time they make an All-Stars game they win gold. Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed looks to follow this new tradition. The Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Demo is a straight to the fun test drive that gives the nostalgic arcade racer a new game to get excited about.

Most critics nowadays don’t like “Sonic” games, but that doesn’t mean they don’t like Sonic and the cast of characters that follow him around. The first thing you’ll notice about this demo is the way it takes full advantage of not only the flagship hedgehog IP, but also every other IP Sega has. Every course seems to be tailored after a specific Sega game world. In the demo you get to race on a Panzer Dragoon course and a Golden Axe course. I doubt fans of those games will be drawn to this game just because of a course or character from their favorite game, but regardless it really infuses the world of Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed with unique backdrop and characters. Just like Mario Kart draws from its lush Nintendo library, Sega does the same with equal or dare I say better success.

Just like any great arcade racer you remember continuing countless times, this one follows the same formula. I’ve already said how the roster and courses harken back to the old days. It seems everything else does too. When you first start the Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Demo you’re met with an intense cut scene of the cast racing with power-ups and flashy colors accompanied by a zany instrumental. The colors jump out from the screen and at first, just like the music, it seems to be too much. After playing the demo for about 5 minutes, you quickly realize the whole game seems too much, but then you’re overpowered by the nostalgia of the game, and just as quickly, you buckle yourself in.

In the demo they give you unlimited access to a regular race and a time trial, either of which can be played on an easy, medium, or hard difficulty. These are perfect for a demo, though I found the time trial to be too difficult even on easy. I finally beat the time trial on easy when after about ten tries I found out that you basically had to take the shortcut. I hope that doesn’t continue in the rest of the game.

There was a redeeming factor that could have helped me overcome this challenge that should be looked into further for the full game. In Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed you can level up your characters after gaining experience in the races. I’m guessing that if I would have leveled up in the full game, I would have been able to beat this time trial easier. They don’t give you the ability to toy with the character growth mechanic in the demo, but I hope they put enough depth into it so the game can have even more mileage than it already seems to have.

The racing in the game is basically a carbon copy of Mario Kart. I’m not saying that in a particularly bad way, because they do it well and it’s fun. The way Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed attempts to differentiate itself is in the automatic transformation of your vehicles. This does give the game a distinct flare as you’re forced to adjust on the fly. I’m curious as to how this gameplay mechanic will pan out in competitive multiplayer. I was good at driving all the vehicle types except the planes, and someone may be able to edge me out in a race because of this.

At the end of the demo when I tried to exit the game, I was forced to watch a trailer I already voluntarily watched no more than 30 seconds prior. When demos make you do anything like that, it’s always an annoyance, though a small one.

Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Demo clocks in at an 8/10. It’s a solid demo that does the trick by simply offering you fun. If you’re into arcade racers, the Sega Brand, or just having a good time, then Sega All-Star Racing Transformed is definitely worth the download.

After playing the Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed Demo, sadly, I would not buy the game. The demo is great, but essentially we have played this game before. I would recommend it to die-hard arcade racing fans, but with a backlog like we have, it’s a pretty easy pass.

I would buy this game if it was $15 and I had a child who I could play alongside with. At this point in my life, I have neither of those.

-lvl 99