Retro City Rampage DX

Buzz Aldrin's Space Program Manager

As we know, borders exercise an irresistible appeal on man. Since Odysseus got lost beyond the Pillars of Hercules of explorers there have been many, but few as iconic and courageous as astronauts. As well as an unparalleled human endeavor, the space race was also a battleground between the two great powers of the second half of the twentieth century, the United States and the Soviet Union. At stake were considerable scientific and geopolitical dividends, still debated by those who fear or propose a militarization of Earth's orbit. Slitherine allows us to relive those years in a game, Buzz Aldrin's Space Program Manager, which bears the name of the second man walking on the moon. An important patronage, which is reflected in the extreme accuracy lavished by the developers: I got to meet them some time ago, and believe me, they are really passionate about the topic.

In this sense, the variety is worthy of an encyclopedia of space flight. It must be said, however, that all the missions work in the same way: the components are searched for up to a certain level of reliability, the astronauts and mission directors are chosen and then we leave, hoping that nothing will go wrong. The strategic challenge of SPM consists, therefore, in balancing the risk of a launch that is not perfectly reliable with that of being beaten over time by the competition, if we sin of pavement. A decidedly focused title, therefore, which finds its raison d'etre in fidelity to the theme but, considered from a purely playful point of view, it lacks excessive repetitiveness and suffers from a poorly ergonomic interface. Explicitly dedicated to those who have Neil Armstrong's poster in their bedroom.

Platform : PC
Price : € 27.99
Genre : Razz-o-matic
Rating : 7.7

Claudio Chianese

Terraria

Terraria is a pleasant persecution: every time I think I have finished playing it forever, a new version appears for another platform. I played the original on PC, shortly after the Minecraft explosion, convinced that it was only a clever operation to take advantage of Notch's success. In hindsight, net of Re-Logic's cunning, Terraria is much more than a vulgar two-dimensional imitation. Indeed, in the light of recent years, we can say that Terraria boasts several imitators and has in fact launched a new current of gameplay. Now, after being converted to all consoles that ever existed, including the Virtual Boy and the Gig Tiger, Terraria lands on PS4 and Xbox One.

For me to give an objective evaluation to the new Terraria is difficult, also because, having also found it on Nokia N-Gage and WonderSwan, I start to get a little tired of the formula. If instead, for one reason or another, you missed the previous versions and want something to do on the new consoles, Terraria can give you tens (or hundreds) of hours of two-dimensional exploration. Bonus points for the PS4 version which, thanks to Sony's ecosystem, allows cross-play and cross-platform multiplayer with Vita and PS3.

Platform : PlayStation 4, Xbox One
Price : € 18.99
Genus : Weed
Rating : 8

Fabio Bortolotti

Retro City Rampage: DX

With Retro City Rampage: DX Brian Provinciano, factotum of the city (pixellosa), tries to remedy the many naivety accomplished in the first "drafting" of this title, published in 2012. The designer has decided to respond proactively to the many criticisms, highlighting and removing, as far as possible, the rotten. It is a pity that a coat of white, a little grout and a lot of good will are not enough to fill the obvious structural gaps. The metropolis falls apart from the foundations: the problem is in the head, not in the heart.

And to say that the game starts with a bang, mixing metavideoludic and cinematographic references. After a spectacular robbery, masterfully orchestrated by a jester, there is room for a temporal paradox, a DeLorean and a scientist. From there, a small-scale version of Grand Theft Auto V takes its first steps, just to contextualize everything and give you a rough reference. We wearily move from one mission to another, while the palate and eyes fill with citations and cameos, allusions so tactless to the point that they are annoying and pleonastic. There is no room for subtleties in this parody of Bagaglino, ostentatious and coarse satire.

In addition, one yawn after another, without a start or a stroke of genius. Any interest gradually diminishes, extinguishes over the medium and long distance, as if someone had watered the cocktail beyond belief, depriving it of any flavor. Compared to the past, it is appropriate to say, frustration does not appear any more: there is no lack of checkpoints, in case of failure you are not forced to repeat the process from the beginning, returning sadly to the lair. The roofing system, the Achilles heel of the gunfights, has been distorted for the best and streamlined in all its components. The game, joypad in hand, now works, but it is not enough.

There is talent in Brian and his team, but all the energies are lavished at random, without a specific goal or a well-defined direction. The time spent in Retro City Rampage: DX is not of quality, net of frills and jokes. There is so much quantity, but little rhythm, abundance of disorder and intermittent genius. Stefano, who has previously reviewed the Nintendo 3DS edition on these pages, is not of the same opinion and, although in contrast, there is room for both judgments.

Platform : PC
Price : € 8.99
Genre : GTA Wannabe
Rating : 5

Lorenzo Baldo