The unhelpful #7 in reviews

The number seven is kind of a big deal both inside and out of the gaming world. It's the number of sages in Ocarina of Time, the number of (arguably) the most popular Final Fantasy iteration, the number associated with James Bond and it's just all around considered by many to be a lucky number- so, yeah, a huge deal.

But I'm starting to think that this dastardly digit gets a little bit too much love. I adore Ocarina of Time, James Bond and FF VII as much as the next person who likes obviously awesome things, but let's take a step back and ask ourselves: how helpful is the number seven when we see it as a review score? EXACTLY! Whatever you said, I blindly agree because you must have said what I expected you to- and the answer for all of you out there scratching your heads is... well, it's not very telling at all when it comes to making a decision to purchase a game or not. As a matter of fact, I like to think of seven as the purgatory of review numbers. "Well, it's probably not as good as you'd like it to be... BUT IT'S NOT BAD! NO SIRRR!"

Now, I wouldn't be a proper video game reviewer if I didn't admit that, yes, the score holds very little weight in comparison to the actual words, thoughts and overall feelings that go into a review. Yes, believe it or not, all of those words before the number isn't just icing on the cake- it is the cake! *insert cake is a lie reference here and then get over Portal* I'd go so far as to say the number is the fork you eat the cake with, because if you like the cake enough, you're going to eat that sucker with your bare hands regardless. Unfortunately, (and I've been guilty of this before) sometimes readers don't want to take the time to read the whole article or any of it at all. They want the quick fix- the easy way out and there's nothing a few pesky paragraphs are going to do to stop them! After ferociously scrolling down and feverishly scanning an article's end, the number is forever implanted into the mind of the curious gamer. Forever having the innocence of preconceived notions taken from the brain. It can be quite an ugly sight indeed as we've seen in the case of Duke Nukem: Forever- keyboards flying into monitors and such.

But the only thing worse than seeing your most anticipated game get a bad score is to see it get a seven. I mean, what do you do with that, right? On one end, you have an eight. A fairly hopeful number that denotes a title with more than just a few redeemable qualities. A game that receives an eight is usually one that's worth buying if you were already interested. On the opposite end of the spectrum, we have the number six. A number that promises nothing to hyped-up gamers who expect everything. Basically, when a game gets a six it might be good enough to rent if you've really been looking forward to it(anything below is most likely a train wreck), but I feel like a six is a failing score in the minds of most.

To put these two scores that are separated by a mere number into perspective, I'll throw out a few titles that received Metacritic ratings in these ranges.

A few titles that received around a score of eight include:

• Sunsent Overdrive(82)
• Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate(83)
• Star Ocean: Till the End of Time(80)
• Donkey Kong: Tropical Freeze(83)

I'd like to think that most of these games are looked at in a positive light with Monster Hunter being an ultra-popular francise in Japan, Sunset Overdrive being an XBone exclusive that has received positive praise, Star Ocean being a fairly classic JRPG on a console filled with titles of the like and Tropical Freeze being considered by most to be a successful addition to the DK franchise. Again, these statements are opinionated, of course, and some people probably hate these titles, but here are the games that scored around a six.

• Sonic: Lost World(63)
• Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures(Wii U, 58)
• Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus(57)
• Pure Chess(61)

That's right, a chess video game beat out a a game that had "Final Fantasy VII in the title." What has this world come to? Now, the scores only reflect the words that were written in the review, but this brings me to the number seven. If games from these two number groupings can be so different in quality and depth what does this say about the number smack dab in the middle of it all? That's right... nothing. Well, okay, it says more than nothing, but in the end it's not much more than "well... it wasn't a complete failure, but it definitely wasn't great. It doesn't let you down to the point of frustration and it doesn't keep you interested for a considerable amount of time. It just...is."

Again, I'd like to point out that the number is absolutely not the most important part of a review-not even close. But, as I've said earlier, not everyone takes the time of day to read what us reviewers have to say, taking away only a number as a sign of everything that's right or wrong with the title it sits so seemingly innocent beneath. The main point is to always read the review. But the super duper main point is not to take review scores so seriously. After all, what's a number when a rental is only a car ride and a few bucks away? The number seven might say next to nothing, but a rental will tell you everything you need to know.

Nintendo's fighting franchise ventures into portable pummeling

Ever since I played Street Fighter IV on the 3DS, I've felt a strong sense of unease when it comes to fighting games' presence on handhelds. To put a genre that is characterized by precise button pushes, knee-jerk reactions and a general bias toward competitive play on such a... fun-loving system, seems foreign to say the least. Not to mention the close quarters button layout and circle pad are hardly conducive to the quick and calculated movements required by such games. In this, Nintendo faced its biggest challenge with the newest Super Smash Bros.

I say biggest when really I should be saying only. You see, for all three of you who don't know what I'm talking about, Super Smash Bros. is a largely popular fighting game franchise that has a character roster made up of Nintendo's most recognizable icons. It's the Avengers of video games if you will and a title that has significantly grown since the N64 era. Its gameplay is simple enough and has players taking control of their favorite characters to knock their opponents off of a Nintendo-themed stage in a sort of king-of-the-hill style fighting game. Saying this game sells like hot cakes would be giving hot cakes way too much credit. So, next time you see a hot cake stand, say "Hey, those delicious hot cakes are selling faster than the newest Smash Bros."!

Regardless of that possibly over-exaggerated intro, "Super Smash Bros. for the 3DS" managed to take the difficult task of putting such a beloved franchise in the palms of our hands and successfully recreated the familiar experience most of us have come to cherish.

Fighting is still the ferociously goofy back and forth it has always been with more items, characters and stages than ever. Every now and then a finger slips and you might hit the wrong button or the circle pad might not be  as smooth as you'd like, but the general feel of the game isn't lost due to this. In fact, the controls hold up much better than what I had expected after hearing the game was coming to the successful handheld. Again, it's not the same experience as using a separate controller, but one you'll feel at home with after playing for an hour or two-and this is coming from someone who demands to play with a Gamecube controller.

It's like all the old men of gaming came here just to punch each other in the face!

If SSB for the 3DS could only be commended for one thing though, it would have to be the vast amounts of content put into such a small cartridge. Not only have familiar modes like multi-man smash and home run contest returned, but new ways to play have been brought to the table as well, the most notable of which is Smash Run. In Smash Run, players will choose a fighter and run around an enemy infested world for five minutes to collect the most powerups he or she can. These powerups boost anything from your attacks to even your jumping ability. The engaging part of this mode is the types of enemies you'll run into along the way. Bad guys from a slew of Nintendo's franchises will make appearances here and do their best to beat you down. At one point I was fighting a Goomba, Gastly from Pokemon and a Redead from Zelda. When the five minutes are up, you and three other contestants will compete in some way or another by way of foot race, battle or team battle from what I've seen. The winners pull in loot like trophies, gold and custom moves(which I'll explain later). Although Smash Run might not appeal to the most hardened smashers, it is one hell of a melting pot for everything Nintendo. I mean, if Smash Bros. itself wasn't enough of a fanservice, Smash Run really drives home that point and will have you saying "Wasn't that the dude from..." every step of the way.

Some of the other new modes include Trophy Rush and Target Blast which have you hitting a giant bomb into numerous floating targets. To be honest, this mode feels like a bit of an Angry Birds ripoff, but it's fun for a few hours nonetheless.

You know... for all of you who dreamed about fighting a giant Goomba with Fox McCloud.

Now, the big draw to Smash Bros. is the basic fighting mode. Although each iteration offers new modes and we love getting that content, chances are, we're not going to be playing that years later. For most of us, the only thing we'll care about in 2018 when the next Smash is announced, is the one-on-ones, free-for-alls and team battles. However, even in this familiar game option, we have quite a bit of freshness. There are now 49 characters to choose from(10 more than its predecessor), 15 of which are newcomers. Being someone who usually plays one or two characters when the newest Smash releases, I was pleasantly surprised to have my attention torn between no less than 10 characters at a time. The fighters span from gaming's biggest icons with Mega Man, Pac Man and Sonic to newer additions such as Pokemon X and Y's Greninja and Fire Emblem: Awakening's Robin, so this Smash certainly isn't short on variety. Unfortunately, some Brawl fighters and even a Melee veteran failed to make the return. Wolf, Snake, Ice Climbers, Lucas, Squirtle and Ivysaur were the unlucky few to get the axe, but might be seen as DLC if Nintendo's decision to release downloadable racer and stage packs are any indication of Smash Bros.' future. Last, but not least, players can create their very own Mii Fighters. These fighters come in 3 varieties and have the same look as the Miis Nintendo fans familiarized themselves with at the start of the Wii's life cycle. This'll give players a chance to really be a part of the battle. However, one of my biggest gripes with the roster comes from the inclusion of these silly little lookalikes.

I understand how it might be interesting to see yourself or your friends or, heck, Elijah Wood as Nintendo showcased in the Mii Fighters reveal, fighting against Nintendo's biggest names, but(to me at least) it feels cheap and out of place. In a game where Nintendo's most lovable characters come together, Miis seem too bland. This is by no means a knock to the idea of Miis mind you. It was a great inclusion that made the Nintendo experience a much more personal one for fans of all ages. But when you have colorful, memorable, beloved icons like Mario, Pikachu and Samus filling the screen at all times, a stick figure-like version of myself is the last thing I want to see on the screen!

Starting roster for the game. Not too shabby although it seems like too many characters to begin with. 

However, the Miis inclusion does bring about a new way to play standard smash battles and that is the customization option. Enabling customization in a match allows Mii fighters to be used and grants all of the fighters an arsenal of moves they didn't normally have. Keep in mind, customizations can only be used while playing with friends, so serious smashers won't have to worry about these custom moves and Miis messing with the game's original feel. I can't commend this enough because not only does it give you more to unlock as custom moves are not automatically received, but it gives everybody a more personal way to play their character. When I found out Mega Man's custom moves were taken straight from other robot masters, my face lit up with joy. To give a few examples, Mario gets a fast fireball that shoots straight, Link gets a giant bomb and Mega Man gets a shuriken to replace the normal metal blade. Familiar characters and newcomers alike are granted a total of 16 optional abilities that can be switched out at will through use of the customization option.

It's in this that Super Smash Bros. for the 3DS and Wii U really separates itself from the rest of the titles. While it might not be everybody's top priority to unlock all of the custom moves, the choice to spice up battles(the meat and potatoes of Smash) in a whole new way is one most people will accept with open arms. However, this additions to how you fight comes at the loss where you fight as Brawl's stage builder mode has been cut from the game. While unfortunate, I do understand the decision as the characters in Smash and how they perform far outweighs the stages.

Speaking of Brawl, one thing many people wanted from SSB4 was a fully functioning online option, something the franchises's third iteration sorely struggled with. If you've played Brawl, you know what I mean. The online not only lagged every chance it got, but had insanely limited options to boot. Thankfully our cries for better online matches have not gone unnoticed-at least...kind of. While one-on-one matches run smoothly for the most part, team battle and free-for-alls do suffer from lag spikes and input delays. Granted, it's an upgrade- but one that doesn't quite feel up to snuff. The real upgrade comes from the amount of activities you can do while online. A betting option will allow players to exponentially raise the amount of gold they have by predicting the outcome of multiple match types. Gold aside, the mode is just plain addictive and has me screaming at my tiny 3DS screen for hours on end when I want to take a break from battles. Conquest mode also gets players involved by pitting fighters against each other on a global scale. For example, the first conquest mode I took part in was Mega Man vs. Mario. Every now and then when I played Mega Man online a banner would momentarily appear on the top of the screen that indicated I was in a conquest match. If I won the match I would receive points toward Mega Man's(my favorite!) overall global rating. During the few days the conquest is up a pie chart shows you how well the two fighters are performing against each other in different parts of the world. While it doesn't win you anything, it is nice to know that the many battles we do is part of a bigger project.

In what world does Mario beat Mega Man?! None, I tell you. None!

There is also a "For Fun" mode and a "For Glory" when it comes to online matches. Basically, if you're the kind of smasher who wants to see the whackiest combination of items and stages and don't care about winning or losing, play For Fun. If you want to be the very best there ever was... and don't care about all the cool new items and stages that can result in your premature demise, play For Glory.

Overall, Super Smash Bros. is an elusive creature that is only seen once with each console release. There's a lot on the line! We want the best experience possible with the most amount of content the game will allow. A fair request from impatient Nintendo fans, no? Super Smash Bros. for the 3DS delivers the new content, creates a better online presence and adds to a roster that was already almost 40 characters large! These enhancements will not go unnoticed by interested buyers, and even though Smash Bros. for the Wii U is coming out in less than two months this handheld title does make for a suitable placeholder. I'll admit, it's not perfect. The controls can become a bit crowded, the online can inexplicably lag and maybe one of your favorite characters still didn't make it into the roster(Damn, you Nintendo! When will Isaac get his time in the sun?!), but it still offers the same experience we've come to expect and love and managed to add a few memorable staples. That's a win in my book. Now excuse me while I get my ass handed to me by some random nine-year old Japanese girl playing Jigglypuff. You know, the one with the pink bow tie on the back of her head.

Super Smash Bros. gets an 8.5 out of 10. who can say no to portable falcon punches?

 

Heart Machine delivers promising preview

Hype is a powerful force. It fuels heated conversation, foretells  joy, excitement, greatness and ushers consumers toward a purchase like moths to the flame. But how often does it mislead the masses and fail to produce on the promises it created in all of the confusion? Some might argue more often than not. One thing's for sure though; nobody wants to play a game that feels nothing like what the countless trailers and gameplay clips showcased. In that, hype can be a dangerous beast where hoards of fans create their hopes and dreams only to be disappointed after a game is firmly within their grasp.

It is with extreme pleasure and utmost disbelief that I tell you Hyper Light Drifter, the new action RPG from Indie developer Heart Machine, does not fall victim to this issue.

I just want to go on the record and let you know that I say disbelief because I have been burned by the hype train more times than I'd like to admit, and there's nothing worse than waiting years for a game only to have it crumble right before your eyes. I'd be lying if I said I didn't fall for the same old song and dance when I saw the first Hyper Light Drifter trailer. But thank the heavens this time it's the real deal! I don't think my little heart could have taken that kind of pain again...

The drifter uses an assortment of weapons to assure safe travels.

This title has been compared to a lot ranging from "Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past" to "Diablo" with the art direction reminiscent of Studio Ghibli's "Nausicaa: of the Valley of the Wind" - comparisons anybody would be giddy to make. But I'm here to say it completely creates it's own immersive, unique feel with the use of gameplay, aesthetics, music and anything else that might make up a video game.

HLD starts off quickly with a title screen that transitions directly into all the fast-paced sword slicey, trigger-happy action seen in the trailers. There is no overarching story to follow or characters that we struggle to remember the names of. It's just smooth, intuitive gameplay from the get go, which feels remarkably personal in its own subtle way. This isn't to say there will be no story, as Heart Machine has given background on the plot, but the playable preview throws you right into the mix collecting weapons, exploring secret passages and figuring out enemy attack patterns.

Movement feels natural and comes in two varieties: walking or a kind of burst dashing that accelerates the protagonist, or "Drifter", with rhythmically timed button pushes. I still haven't fully figured out the dash mechanic, but must say it is a nice way to flank enemies when the numbers aren't quite in your favor. It's also worth mentioning that as the game boots up a message appears to inform players that the game is best played with a controller rather than mouse and keyboard. I played with both and fully agree that the controller feels superior, but both options work just fine. Shooting guns, swordplay and rolling grenades all come as easily as moving. This ease of use allows the players to focus more on the intricate enemy design and environment and less on how to effectively combat foes.

Heart Machine's art department really steals the shows from other indie developers as the pixel art in HLD brings the ever-popular 16-bit style to near perfection.  Ornate designs on stony surfaces tell a story with our imagination, enemies spring to life with a snarl and the drifter begs you to closely travel alongside in the adventure without saying a word; all with the use of tiny, perfectly placed squares! SNES eat your heart out.

Breathtaking doesn't even begin to describe this silently, dangerous world. Calming, yet volatile to a t.

Now, keep in mind, I do realize the irony in this preview being that it is, well... just a preview and one that might build on the hype HLD has already established- but, trust me, it is well deserved. Hyper Light Drifter looks to be everything we could want and then some with a few surprises on top of that.

For anybody interested, the game can be preordered here and the preview that comes with the $25 preorder will be available until Oct. 30. Official release is set for a 2015 as the game was fully funded through it's kickstarter Oct. 12. "Hyper Light Drifter" will be available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Ouya, Xbox One and Wii U, and If the kicksterter raises $1,000,000, an SNES "demake" will also be created.

Have fun, fellow drifters!

Curtain Call deserves encore after spectacular sequel performance

*Note*: Theatrhythm veterans may want to jump to the article's 10th paragraph

Out of all the wonderful traits the Final Fantasy series brings to the gaming world, its music is quite arguably its most influential. From the menacing beats of "Final Fantasy VII's" "One-Winged Angel" to "Final Fantasy V's" carefree "Mambo de Chocobo," the franchise has always used an emotion-rich soundtrack to seat players closely to each installments' protagonists.

While "Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call" might not be the first to use these songs to create a rhythm game that draws in series fans, it is certainly the title that did it best.

Curtain Call is the second(and last Theatrhythm according to producer Ichiro Hazama) to grace the Nintendo 3DS screen, as the first title dropped in 2012 to mark "Final Fantasy's" 25th anniversary. The premise is simple enough as it has the player assemble a team of their four favorite FF characters in order to collect enough "rhythmia" to stop the evil forces of Chaos, a villain who made his debut in the Dissidia franchise. The only way to earn this mysterious power comes from playing and beating the songs in the game, which originate from well-known FF titles like "Final Fantasy VII" all the way to lesser-known iterations like *gasp* "Final Fantasy Mystic Quest."

Songs are played by tapping the screen with a stylus to the beat of each song and on-screen indicators will tell you how to groove. Either you will perform a tap, slide or hold the stylus to the screen. After you understand and are comfortable with the basics of performing the actions, you can start effortlessly collecting rhythmia. Even if you're not that great, players of all skill levels can join in as basic, advanced and ultimate difficulties cater to all skill levels while still engaging each crowd.

 Not only does rhythmia help you rid the world of evil, but it also allows you to level up your characters, obtain rare items and unlock more songs and characters. It's basically a big game of win-win situations as not only are the songs incredible and a blast to play, but they give you the tools to make your experience infinitely more enjoyable.

The more you level up characters, the more enemies you're able to defeat in each song which yields better item drops. These items act the same as they would in any FF game as they can heal, teach abilities to and multiply experience for your characters. It's a nearly never-ending cycle of entertainment as even when your characters reach level 99 they can have their level reset in exchange for more points to equip better abilities. If that's not good enough for you, the option to throw together a new team of all-stars to level up is a great way to experience the game in a new way.

Not since Kingdom Hearts have I been this excited to see Squall and Cloud on the same screen. 

However, even if the combat becomes stale, players are still able to experience songs in two other ways. Songs are broken up into three categories: battle music sequence, or BMS, is the most common and has the player squaring off against recognizable baddies. Event music sequences show cutscenes of the game the song represents and are the rarest in the game, and field music sequences show one character in the party traversing FF terrains, gaining speed and finding treasure the better the song is performed. BMS and FMS yield treasure, rhythmia and experience wile EMS only gives the latter two.

In this, Theatrhythm creates a sturdy base that will keep players furiously tapping their screens for hours. Curtain Call, however, takes this addictive idea and takes it miles further. Not only does it bring more songs, enemies, items, playable characters, environments and general content to the table, but it adds a much needed wi-fi multiplayer feature and quest mode. Wi-fi mode is great as it allows Curtain Call tappers from across the globe to face off with their best teams and exchange information. It also allows players to give each other "inherited" maps which can be then played in the single player portion.

Moogles will occasionally bring you treasure in FMS mode, kupo!

This brings up quest mode. In quest mode, the same four-man squads will travel across a map populated by different songs to eventually beat a final boss. The maps vary in size, difficulty and rarity of treasure drops. So, if you found a map that had you fighting a specific type of enemy that dropped a rare item, you could then transfer the same map to a friend who was in desperate need of said item. This is a great way to bring together players not only for competitive, but cooperative reasons as well.

*Theatrhythm veterans can start reading here*

Without spoiling too many of the game's surprises, there is a ton packed into this $40 game. Theatrhythmers(I had to try) can customize their team, abilities, online profile and even the sound their taps make when they touch the screen. So much was upgraded from the first installment that it's very obvious Square Enix listened to the fans when they made Curtain Call. Songs can even be played differently as the title offers the use of the buttons, joystick and left shoulder button without having to switch any type of control settings. There's a one-handed mode for players bold enough to text and tap! No idea was left on the cutting board for this one!

All returning players will be happy to know that there are several more characters to choose from and almost three times the amount of songs there was in the first game(more than 70 to more than 220). The only downside to this is that some DLC songs from the original Theatrhythm come free in this game , so it will leave a somewhat sour taste in the mouth of those who potentially ponied up an additional $40 in the original game only to realize the exclusive songs they bought now come at no extra charge. DLC options have also expanded in this game as there has already been 50 songs and 7 characters released to Japan so far. There are even songs from outside of Final Fantasy as the Romancing Saga series has received four.

You're never safe in the cold, harsh world of online Theatrhythming!

The only somewhat complaint I could muster up is that songs are somewhat quiet coming out of the 3DS's speakers when there is any type of outside noise. This can make accurate tapping a bit of a pain, but nothing that a pair of headphones can't solve.

Bottom line is, if you've never touched this franchise, download the demo and give it a try. If you like it to any degree, you'll love it in its entirety.If you owned the first and liked it, you probably already have it and agree with most of if not all that I've written. If not, for the love of Mog go pick it up! This is the complete and total fanservice package from Square Enix. Don't let it pass you up!

This game get a solid 9.5 out of 10. All of the magic, mystery and intrique from Final Fantasy wrapped up in a neat, soulful, little package.

Minimum strives to maximize the shooter experience

Developer Human Head Studios aptly named their latest third-person shooter "Minimum" for both its simplistic aesthetics and familiar gameplay, and although we live in a time where pixel-perfect graphics and involved storylines reign supreme, this PC title aims to prove that sometimes less is more.

With character models reminiscent of sketching dummies and the same old point and click mechanics we've all grown up with, "Minimum" heavily relies on an unfamiliar game mode and an engaging crafting system to draw players in. The game mode, named "Titan mode", will have teams escorting a giant to their enemies' base. Along the way you will have to balance your time between fighting enemies, taking down the opposing titan, upgrading armor and farming titan resources called "creeps." Now this is where the game turns into somewhat of a MOBA. Not surprising considering how popular the genre has become. The part in a match where teams must farm these titan energy sources is commonly referred to as the "creep farming" phase and has players scrambling to blast away as many of these critters as possible. Human Head Studios also took a page out of the Harry Potter series and created a golden creep that spawns during each farming phase. This unique animal, while not winning you the game, does reward you with far more titan resources than the regular creep. The combination of frantic animals running about on the screen and the advantage that destroying them gives each team makes for quite an exhilarating experience that adds a unique layer to an otherwise simple game.

Titans are the big guys and creeps are the little ones by their feet. Any questions?

However, as creep farming does merit the game some uniqueness, it also gives way to some insanely one-sided matches. To explain creep farming further, the basic premise is the more creep resources, or "souls" as I have brutally come to call them, each team collects the harder the titans are to take down. So, if team A collects 10 creep souls and Team Snicklefrits collects 34, Team Snicklefrits will have a beast of a titan on their side. This means that Team A will have to compensate by upgrading their armor and weapons. If they don't, skill alone will determine very little as far as the victory goes. It's not a huge deal, but it does get very aggravating to play on a team who thinks they're playing death match mode and refuses to farm creeps. Players will also get shot and stabbed in the back quite a bit during the important creep phase as their attention is heavily divided. Needless to say, the creep phase makes for an exciting game aspect that can result in back stabbing, overpowered titans or overpowered players.

Players can upgrade their armor by collecting crystals from fallen foes, creeps and titans. The nice thing about "Minimum" armor is that there are multiple designs that benefit the player in different ways. An armor piece called "berserker leggings" gives the player a boost to damage but also makes the player take more damage. "Knight leggings" give the player a buff to melee attacks. The better players do in matches, the more resource points they receive outside the match where they can buy blueprints to different armor pieces. This way, every player can play the game how they prefer and will only receive the means to make that armor in each match by how well they perform. It's a brilliant way to keep over leveled players from destroying "Minimum" newcomers as they will need to prove their skill in order to obtain what they created. Despite this, players who have played longer will have an advantage, but nothing too overboard. Weapons will also have unlockable blueprints. This will have players coming back for days, unlocking their most cherished combination of goodies to create the ultimate loadout.

Double samurai swords? This guy's got a Ph.D. in baddassery.

Titan mode and the unlockables are the driving force behind this game though, and although it makes for a more than enjoyable experience the rest of "Minimum" is just above passable. The game's music is nothing to write home about but at least adds personality to the cubic worlds. The aesthetic gives off a subtle Lego vibe that some will love and others will hate. The whole blocky look is popular right now, so it has that going for it, but it can be difficult for games to make their own. "Minimum" lies somewhere between successful use of simple graphics and "been there, done that,"

Gameplay variety comes in the form of team death match and a "wave mode" that pits players against fire fighters and dinosaurs. While the modes are fun and let you enjoy more fun with your friends, the true draw of "Minimum" comes from Titan mode. Everything else is the same version of almost every other shooter you've played before, except less unique. Lastly, I must say the themed maps offered in the game are pretty creative, but there needs to be more! This is one case where the developers took the game's name too far.

"Minimum" will set you back $10 on Steam, which is more than fair considering the amount of fun you'll be having. Just remember to invite some friends and don't expect too much from anything except Titan mode. If you take the game for what it is, you'll be smiling every second.

"Minimum" gets a 7.5 out of 10. It's not bringing anything new to the table, but for $10 dollars, fun is all you'll need.