Points Addict: 31,000

Some Bully achievements got me over 31,000 points tonight.

Review: Braid (360)

Quick Note: I've been playing Braid off and on for months and just finished it tonight. 

+'s

-ingenious puzzles (some of the best puzzles I've seen in a video game--very well thought out and challenging, but very possible to figure out on your own after much thought)

-simple and tight controls (it's a puzzle game that plays like a platformer)

-'s

-overly hyped story (I still can't figure out how the "twist" happened or how it makes sense

Neutral

-graphic and sound suits the game, but I'm not sure I really liked either

-entire game is extremely artsy and "weird"  (at least in my opinion)

Overall, Braid has great puzzles to solve and introduces several new gameplay mechanics while bending your mind around how time works in the game.  However, I have some allergy issues and might not be thinking as well as normal, but the end of the game (it's biggest draw amongst it's fans) neither impressed me or made much sense.  This is said to be the best game yet via digital distribution only, but it comes off to me as being a better than average artistic-based downloadable game with outstanding puzzles. 

Review: Cabela's Big Game Hunter

+'s

-decent graphics and sound

-awesomely cheesy dialogue work (the main character says things like "It feels like more than a spell since I've been out huntin'" with a very overdone and cliched country accent)

-decent control and shooting mechanics

-'s

-tons of glitches and bugs everywhere (everything from animal behavior to hunting mechanics.  Example: head shots are the best way to kill big game in the game when the reality is that headshots ruin big game trophies--furthermore, what would be perfect kill shots in real life often do not actually kill in one shot)

-frustrating sequences (climbing cliffs, walking across tree brides, etc. ) that I still can't figure out why I failed when I failed and passed when I passed

Overall, this is not a good game by any means.  It's very obvious that the developers didn't place a great deal of effort in polishing this game, and that it relys on the Cabela's name to push products.  That said, I had fun laughing at the dialogue and hunting some big game.  So much so that I'm considering renting another Cabela's game (and getting more points). 

Review: Lost Via Domus

+'s

-interesting story (I can see why Lost is such a big hit)

-decent graphics 

-good voice acting

-good puzzles

-clever use of "previously on Lost" replays after each chapter

-'s

-horrible pacing (the game is way too easy for the most part, but the exploration sequences are horribly and unnecessarily frustrating)

-zero replay value

-the ending makes no sense at all

-very little combat or excitement (plays like an interactive TV show)

Neutral

-It's a lost game-I didn't care about Lost before, and still don't now

Overall, this game is isn't very good, but isn't terrible.  One of the better "points games" I've played yet.  The score is mainly due to the fact that I wouldn't touch this game if not for the points, and wouldn't recommend anyone else do either.   

Review: Jumper (360)

+'s

-interesting combat/combo system

-'s

-poor presentation (graphics, sound, voice-acting, all are lacking)

-incredibly uneven difficulty (the game goes from unbelievably easy in the beginning to almost impossibly hard at the end)

-horrible storytelling (I did not understand what was going on, or care about the characters)

Overall:  This should be played as a points game only (and only rented or purchased for $5 or less).  The end boss is ridiculously cheap, and I finally gave up after about 30 minutes of fighting him. The combat system saves this from being a total failure. 

Review: Mirror's Edge (360)

+'s

-logical puzzle solving is often needed to pass areas

-decent music and unique art style

-'s

-frustrating controls (platforming never feels quite right)

-boring story provides little sense of purpose

Neutral

-graphics are very average

Overall:  Wow, what an overhyped disappointment.  There's some fun to be had here, but controls are everything for platformers, and this games control is frustrating more often than not. 

Points Addict: 30,000

Tonight I passed 30,000 points and Lost via Domus was the reason. 

Points Addict: 29,000

Tonight I passed 29,000 by playing Jumper.