Harvester Review

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Harvester is the epitome of what a good, horror point and click game should be.

The puzzles in this game while difficult, are fairly creative and enjoyable. Some of the tools you need are hard to find, and it can get a bit frustrating at times; However, the game does have tips, and once you figure out the solution it really feels like you've accomplished something. The gameplay is standard for the point and click genre, but there is some combat thrown in. HERE'S where the game gets a little nasty.

The combat is terrible. It feels clunky, unresponsive and boring. This would be forgivable if it were sparse, but during the last third of the game it's almost the only thing you do. In fact, the entire last third of the game is probably the weakest part, simply because of all the combat and that the area you have to trudge through is feels very disjointed.

The atmosphere is fantastic. I really felt alone while I explored the town, and the fact that there is no clear goal from the start made me feel all the more involved. I was really interested by the town of Harvest, and I really wanted to learn more. In fact, the story is a big part of why I kept playing. Along with the fun puzzles and creepy environments, the story really pulled me in. I was interested in the world of Harvest, and I wanted to see the mystery unfold.

Character interaction makes up most of the first third of the game, and its done very well. All of the characters are unique and memorable in some way, from the meat obsessed father of your bride-to-be, to the school teacher who punishes disobedient children with a baseball bat. Some characters will die, some characters will evolve into something much more sinister.

Though the graphics are dated, the world feels like a lot of detail was put into it, and I couldn't help but feel creeped out every time I stepped into the mortuary. The soundtrack contributes to this feeling, with tracks ranging from a relaxed radio tune to a tense nighttime heist.

Throughout the story, you are forced into more and more uncomfortable situations; Maybe you start by scratching a car, but soon enough you'll be burning down a diner. After every task you complete, you are able to talk to the townsfolk and witness their reactions to what's happening around them. I felt immersed in the world and interested in what everybody had to say.

"Though the graphics are dated, the world feels like a lot 

of detail was put into it"

The cheesiness does show through sometimes, though; But when it did, I couldn't help but laugh. This game mixes humor and horror perfectly, allowing for some scenarios that other games don't.
For instance: There is an armed gaurd (who happens to be missing both of his legs) you talk to at a few points during the game, and you soon find out that he controls a group of nuclear missiles that could cause a holocaust. If you continue to talk to him, he will accuse you of being a communist. If you do not persuade him that you are not, in fact, a "pink-blooded commie", then he will shoot you in the forehead and then accidentally set off all of the missiles (with gore out the wazoo, of course).
Its scenes like these that help to keep the atmosphere campy and fun despite the serious undertone of the game, and I feel that it makes it one of the most memorable point and click games that I have ever played.

Average game time will differ depending on the person. Some people will skip most of the dialogue and rush through the game, while others (such as myself) prefer to "smell the roses", so to speak. I personally recommend playing it at a moderate pace, because if you go through it too fast you might miss some of the great scenes and fantastic writing. It took me about nine hours to play through the game at a fairly slow pace, talking to all the characters and examinating all of the objects. It is possible to beat this game in around five hours, but that's if you're really rushing.

All in all, this is one of my favorite point and click games of all time, despite the lazily implemented combat and bugs. So if you can stomach the gore and enjoy some campy horror every once in a while, than I would highly recommend this game. I can guaruntee that if you enter with the right expectations and an open mind, you won't be disappointed.

JOIN THE LODGE

 ~Rowan L. (guest blogger)

Bioshock Infinite Review

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Bioshock: Infinite is the third installment in a series of first person shooter games based upon exploring destroyed utopian societies. First, we saw Rapture; An underwater society built by a Russian  philosopher who sought to create a paradise of freedom and prosperity. Then, we saw Rapture through the eyes again, but this time through the eyes of one of its inhabitants. Now, we are viewing a new world; the only difference being that this one is still alive. You get to experience firsthand the horrors that play out in the beautiful floating island of Columbia; The question is, is it worth the dough?

Let me start off by saying that I will not reveal any spoilers in this review. I love the story of Bioshock: Infinite and I want all of you to be able to experience it yourselves.
 But now that we're on the subject, lets talk about the story. This game's story appears mediocre at first glance: "Guy finds floating city, guy must find girl and give her to some shady businessman who in return promises to "wipe away" his debt. Pretty simple, right?
 Wrong. The game's plot gets very interesting further on in the game. It also gets extremely complicated, but never enough to make your head hurt. Bioshock: Infinite also balances story pacing and game-play wonderfully, spacing out the story segments to allow for action, and vice versa.
Again, I won't talk too much about the plot, because I don't want to give anything away. However, I will say that the narrative is very well written and engrossing from start to finish.

The moral choice system however, is very underused. I was sad to see that almost none of my choices seemed to matter in the long run, unlike the first two games which took full advantage of that system with the "little sister" dilemma. The first games had multiple endings, whereas this game only has one. Even if the ending is amazingly well done compared to the first two game's endings, I have to take off points for the fact that your choices don't really matter.

Moving on, the game's visuals are breathtaking. The texture quality is great, the anti-aliasing is up to date, the draw distances are exceptional, the skyboxes are stunning, and the game's world feels alive and thriving. You feel immersed as you explore this beautiful land in the clouds, and never feel detached from the experience. Even on the lowest graphical settings, the game still looks up to date. Its graphics are on par with Tomb Raider, and never cease to amaze.

The sound design is also exceptional. The soundtrack keeps your blood pumping as you blast baddies and the voice acting is phenomenal.

The AI is spectacular. Enemies take cover when under fire and Elizabeth feels alive and breathing. When you're not under attack she will lag behind and explore the environment until you're ready move on. She will rest on walls and skip rocks while idle, as well as throwing you supplies and opening "tears" during combat.

Tears are doors to another world, as Elizabeth puts it. And she can control them with the snap of a finger. Tears can prove invaluable during combat as they can conceal friendly turrets, med-kits, cover, and guns as well as other useful supplies.

"Tears are doors to another world, as Elizabeth puts it"

In terms of game-play, Bioshock: Infinite also excels. While the gun-play is not exceptional, the game keeps combat engaging with sky-lines and vigors. Sky-lines allow the player to zoom around the battlefield and get from one place to another with ease. You can launch yourself from sky-lines to slam down on opponents, or you can shoot from above. This is improved upon even further by the addition of being able to control your speed. You can come to a halt, or speed through the clouds with just the press of a button.

All of this makes using the sky-lines feel fantastic and exciting throughout the entire game, not to mention it's pretty useful in a pinch.

And then there's Vigors. Vigors are to Bioshock: Infinite as Plasmids were to the original. In a nutshell, Vigors are abilities that allow you to change combat in many ways. For instance, there's Bucking Bronco, which allows you to launch enemies into the air and stun them while you whittle away at their health bars. Then there's Return to Sender, which basically acts as a shield. All of these Vigors also have alternate abilities which are triggered when you hold down the button for a couple seconds. The vigor "undertow" for instance, has the alternate ability to grab enemies from afar and pull them in close allowing you time to hit them with fire, bullets or whatever you prefer.
All of these Vigors are powered by "salts" which can be replenished by eating certain foods or

A Vigor

drinking certain liquids found around the game. Two Vigors can be hot-keyed at all times, so combinations are possible and useful.

Along with all this, the game offers vending machines throughout the game where you can stock up on ammo, health, and salts as well as upgrade your guns and plasmids.

The battlefields are also fantastic. You will find yourself in the destroyed city of Columbia, flying through the skies on airships and battling through buildings throughout the game. The enemy variety is fantastic and the distinct enemies that you will encounter never fail to remain interesting and fun to fight.

The game managed to capture my interest the entire way through, and I almost never felt bored. The only area during the game in which I felt like I didn't want to play was about mid way into the story and lasted about an hour. Now, I won't spoil anything, but it was very dull and repetitive; However, it didn't last very long and after it was over I was back into the mood of the game. After that sequence, the game didn't lose my interest again.

The final battle was slightly disappointing, because throughout the entire game you expect to clash heads with "Songbird" (a giant mechanical creature that's soul purpose is to protect Elizabeth from anyone that wishes to take her away or harm her), yet you never get to. It's quite a missed opportunity and I feel that zipping around the sky while blasting away at the creatures eyes would have been an amazing experience.

With all of this said, I still think that this game is one of the greatest games of last year, and it is definitely 100% worth your money. Everything feels smooth and polished, the game-play is fun and fresh, and the story is one of the best that has been told this year.

I highly recommend Bioshock: Infinite to anyone who enjoys shooters or story driven games.

-Rowan L. (guest blogger)