Akerman's Arcade Asylum
Written by wangmin on January 18, 2010 11:47
An overview of the some of the new offerings on the LIVE Marketplace and on PSN
In the first of my bi-weekly columns rounding up the world of downloadable content, I take a look at the most interesting titles to recently hit the console marketplaceNot sure what to buy? Check out the impressions belowLook carefully, wildcards could appear at any time!
Matt Hazard: Blood Bath and Beyond: (XBLA and PSN)
After a poorly received full release, Matt Hazard arrives on the marketplace looking for some positive exposureWhile the main title was never going to compete with the behemoth release schedule last year, the series certainly feels more at home in downloadable form.
If Hazard co-managed to bypass your interest the first time round, then this side-scrolling shoot 'em up could hold some ingredients for successThe series' recognizable satire and game-related humor is here in abundance, and does provide some petty laughs as it points out a number of gaming clichés in the name of funDialogue is mostly text based this time, with the main characters discussing how they can't afford audio after the failure of Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard last yearThey're cheap laughs, but it's good to see that D3Publisher aren't wallowing in their own self-pity.
Environments are vividly colored and extremely varied, as Hazard quest's to save his character's legendary status and to defeat the General Neutronov, who has reincarnated all of the chirpy protagonist's enemies one last timeThe journey will take you through lush jungles, Japanese temples and the Wild West, as you stumble across many classic gaming influences and level designsIf you haven't played the demo, it's worth doing so just to see the Mario-inspired platform section.
With twitchy gunplay, there's no way this title is going to live up to the technical astuteness of Shadow Complex and many other downloadable side-scrollers, but there is enough light-hearted jesting and intrigue to make it worthy of release.