The original Portal was nothing short of a digital masterpiece, with its brilliant combination of minimalist design and dark humour offering gamers something that was fresh and original at a time when the industry was its most stagnant. Within mere days of its release it became the primary selling point of The Orange Box, surpassing even the long anticipated Half-life 2: Episode 2 in popularity. Naturally this unexpectedly strong reaction lead to the development of a sequel, but with so much of the game’s success tied to its originality would it really possible to make one that didn’t feel stale and repetitive? We’re any other developer at the helm I’d say no, but this is Valve and they take the time to do things right. Even if that sometimes means waiting half a decade. Read more »

The original Another Code: Two Memories (Trace Memory in North America) was a technical masterpiece that showcased the true potential of the then fledgling Nintendo DS, but failed to deliver the gripping experience adventure fans were looking for. The story itself proved to be quite good, but the puzzles it was built around were extremely simple and lacked both challenge and originality. Rather than immediately following up with a sequel Cing decided put the series on hold and instead developed the critically acclaimed, Hotel Dusk: Room 215. It wasn’t until 2009, four years after the release of the original, that they would finally return to the series with Another Code R: A Journey into Lost Memories for the Nintendo Wii. A game that unfortunately was only released in Japan and Europe. Read more »

In an empty Junkyard on the outskirts of town, two figures stand alone in silence. The first a slender, young redhead; the second, a vile blue-skinned assassin, brandishing a golden shotgun. It’s clear what’s about to happen and you want to help, but there’s just one problem… you’re dead. Welcome to the world of Shu Takumi’s latest magnum opus, Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective. Read more »