Torchlight, the Diablo-like role playing adventure game, is coming to Xbox Live Arcade in February or March during the Microsoft House Party 2011 promotion.  Previously only available on PC, this could be a breakthrough title to watch.    At the moment no PS3 version is planned – which makes sense because Microsoft is going to be the publisher for the XBLA version.

As for what will be different from the PC version – here is what creator, Runic Games, had to say:

“The UI is COMPLETELY overhauled from the ground up. Nothing works the same. All new art and navigation. The concept of item ’slots’ is done away with – you just have a number of items you can hold ( 50 – ignores stack counts ). Potions and scrolls stack up to 99. Potions ‘auto pick’ the best potion to heal you or regen mana. You don’t have to think about it or map it. We iterated on the UI a ridiculous amount.

Continue Reading at Platform Nation

Game Review: Raving Rabbids: Travel In Time
Release: November 21, 2010
Genre: Adventure
Developer: Ubisoft
Available Platforms: Wii
Players: 1 – 4
MSRP: $49.99 US
ESRB Rating: E – E10
Website: http://rabbids.us.ubi.com/travel-in-time/

The Rabbids are back and they have a time travelling wash machine this time. Join them as they explore a museum and jump back to important events in history – the Titanic sinking, the discovery of fire, the building of the pyramids, etc., you get the idea.  Ubisoft touts this as an adventure game, but there is no story here.  This is a collection of mini-games structured around a museum “hub world” – so don’t expect a plot line as in “Rabbids Go Home”.

As you make your way into the museum your “adventure” begins by selecting a bathroom stall as your save slot.  From there the game begins.  The museum is sectioned off with force fields making you finish certain mini-games before unlocking the rest.  Don’t worry – even though it appears like it will be a long progressive series of mini-games to unlock the next one in turn – that’s not how it works.  Playing through the first couple areas literally unlocks everything else in the museum.

Continue to complete review on Platform Nation

Crime Lab: Body Of Evidence Review (DS)

Game Review: Crime Lab: Body Of Evidence
Release: November 2, 2010
Genre: Adventure
Developer: City Interactive
Available Platforms: Nintendo DS
Players: 1
MSRP: $19.95 US
ESRB Rating: T for Teen for Alcohol and Tobacco Reference / Mild Language / Violent References
Website: http://city-interactive.com/

By -Holiday- I think he means Suspension.

Step into the life of Nichole Bonnet, an FBI agent whose last case was plagued by information leaks to the press.  Under suspicion from internal affairs, her boss and her fellow workers, she needs to prove herself and clean up her reputation within the FBI.  This proves difficult as she investigates a new string of murders and once again, the press is publishing detailed information about her case.  Do you have what it takes to clear her name, save the next victim and catch the killer?

Continue to the complete review on Platform Nation

Game Review: Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper (Xbox 360)
Release: April 27, 2010 (US)
Genre: Adventure
Developer: FrogWares / DreamCatcher Games
Available Platforms: X360 & PC
Players: 1
MSRP: $29.99 (XBox 360) / $19.99 (PC)
ESRB Rating: T for Teen: Mild Blood, Mild Language, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
Website: www.sherlockholmes-thegame.com

Dreamcatcher sets the atmosphere of the game as follows:

“1888, London, district of Whitechapel. A series of particularly horrible murders takes place in this district of the East End of London where atrociously mutilated prostitutes’ bodies are found. The police are unable to find a serious lead and the murders increase creating a real psychosis.

Sherlock Holmes starts looking for clues in the dark and sinister alleys of Whitechapel in order to follow the macabre trail of the one the press now calls Jack the Ripper. During a frightening adventure, Sherlock Holmes will try to bring out the true identity and the motives of the one who hides behind this scary alias.”

In this game you play the part of either Sherlock Holmes or Dr. Watson during different parts of the game, depending on the task at hand.  Examining crime scenes and getting information from citizens is all very straight forward as the interface will highlight all the items that you can interact with and will not let you go astray.

Find my complete review of Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper on Platform Nation.