A Double Fine Production generally means quality and something a little quirky. That is definitely the case with their new XBLA / PSN cutesy role-playing title “Costume Quest. In Costume Quest you play the role of a twin brother or sister (your choice, thank you Double Fine for NOT assuming the players gender) on Halloween night. You go out together and your sibling is kidnapped, it is of course up to you to get them back. So goes the story in Costume Quest.

Gameplay in Costume Quest is a simple affair with the addition of a cute collecting, upgrade and experience system that lends the game more depth. You play either sibling (male or female) looking for the other, as you collect candy and various costumes along the way. The action takes place in third person with cutesy graphics and characters. You also gain a little help, not only with party members, but also with the aid of different costumes and power-ups for each. Off you go around the neighborhood (and other areas I shall not spoil) collecting candy, knocking on doors to trick-or-treat, doing quests and kicking ass in some turn-based tomfoolery.

Prepare to Fight!
Battles in Costume Quest are – as just mentioned – a turn-based affair where the action cuts to the characters battling it out in ultra-stylized versions of the little costumes they’re wearing in the game. This is yet another charm ridden touch by Double Fine and one to be commended. Whatever costumes you are wearing in game dictates the animation of the super stylized versions you will see in the fight sequences, some of these are hilarious, so well worth trying them all out at least once. You can switch costumes at any time in game, other than when you are in battle.

Environments consist of quirky little neighborhood streets, beset with houses done up to the Halloween nines, with parks, sewers and more for the investigating. I won’t give away too many story elements, because the fun of Costume Quest is in discovering the charming story as you go along, later levels are set elsewhere. Audio in Costume Quest is good, though voice acting consists more of grunts and squeals than actual speech. Conversations take place via speech bubbles, so nothing is lost on the deaf or hard of hearing gamer. Needless to say being a Double Fine Production there is plenty of humor to be had.

Female Gamer Angle
As mentioned you get the choice whether to play the brother or sister, so you’re not stuck playing the usual hero brother model in search of his sister (yes I’m looking at you Limbo). As well as the lead character there’s also a plethora of amusing peripheral characters that are part of proceedings, but again, discovery is all part of the fun.

Lesbian Gamer angle
Well this is a game of is she isn’t she, because there are some pretty cute characters in Costume Quest that might one day grow up to be quite the gay lady. Keep your eyes open for Lucy and the suffragette ghost. Oh and let’s not count out playable lead Wren either!

So is it worth getting?
Definitely. Costume Quest is a quirky little wonder, that whilst a little short, is also charming and different. Graphically it’s adorable with peculiar characters and worlds of wonder. The only real downsides to Costume Quest are its length of play (you can finish it in one sitting if you don’t mind a numb bum) and overall simplicity, though the latter may actually be an asset. Essentially Costume Quest is fun with a capital F and that’s what gaming should be about. There may be those who will find the repetitive aspects of the gameplay mechanic to be a little old hat, but these are probably the same people who dismissed Animal Crossing as mind numbing collecting. At the very least, try the demo for Costume Quest, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

U-Haul Rating
Costume quest is the cute girl who loves collecting things. Sure she might have her detractors and your friends might say she’s a hoarder and repetitive at conversation, but you know she’s awesome. You might not be together long, but she’s the cutest girl you’ve dated for some time and you’ll enjoy your time together.

Costume Quest gets the Alice Pieszecki rating. Like Alice, Costume Quest is cute, adorable, charming and has a penchant for dressing up and collecting things. Yes we all remember Alice’s Dana Wall don’t we… and their attempt at Captain Stubing and Julie. Cute and awesome, but too short-lived, just like Costume Quest.

PLEASE let Costume Quest 2 or at the least Costume Quest DLC become a reality!

Time for a little tomb raiding, only without the tombs. Gay Girls Who Game take a look at Lara’s new title, the XBLA / PSN / Windows game “Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light”. These two gals are huge fans of the Tomb Raider games, so it’s no surprise they would be expecting this to be good. There’s lesbian connection chat, a Helena Peabody L Word rating and some symphonic Laraaaaa’s thrown in for good measure.

To see the review skip to around 15mins 50secs in.

Gay Girls Who Game take a look at action role-playing game DeathSpank in episode seven (season four) of their show. DeathSpank is a game that doesn’t take itself to seriously and sort of takes the mick out of the genre it is in, at least according to the girls. This game from Money Island and Maniac Mansion dude Ron Gilbert. If you’re looking for a quirky little title with lots of humor and hack and slash cutes, this is the game for you. It’s available on PSN, XBLA and PC (with a Mac release TBA).

To see the review skip to just before 21 minutes in.

From the moment one saw the enigmatic bright eyed boy of Limbo, one could not help but be intrigued at what developer Playdead were up to. Screenshots began to appear, all in black, greys and whites and all with some eery captivating notion embedded in every pixel. What was Limbo and who was this little boy.

The answer is a fairly simple one, this little boy is you, a gaming character of no specific name or address, the silhouette of a tiny hero looking for his sister in an eery, disturbing world. That world is, Limbo, the place between heaven and hell and abode of death (theologically speaking). In gaming terms Limbo is a shadowy world of darkness, of nightmarish and devious creatures and even more evil traps.

From the moment you begin, Playdead Studios Limbo the game lures you in, as you wonder just what on earth this is. Is it a game, it doesn’t feel like a game in its most generic sense, it feels like an interaction, an immersive story in which there is little sound, no orchestration, just you, searching in the dark, your tiny feet crunching on damp grass as strange insects chirp in the distance.

Graphically speaking Limbo is a true dichotomy, for it is bland with its lack of color, whilst at the same time, managing to be one of the most wondrous gaming worlds seen for some time. The misty blacks and greys add to the overall mind-fuck that is this world of Limbo. Playdead Studios have managed a triumph of subtle horror, of simplistic yet intricate world design. Just wonderful.

Sound in Limbo is barely present. There is no overpowering orchestration, no booming explosions, screams, no blood curdling or maniacal sound bites one would usually associate with this sort of genre. There is an aural mood of peace and subtle terror. It is here again where Playdead have excelled themselves as masters of deception, for this mix of a peaceful soundtrack with the abject horror of those moments where a trap snaps shut, or there is a zap of deadly electricity only heightens the mood and atmosphere.

At its heart Limbo is a puzzle title, where one must traverse the eery backdrop for a lever to pull, a boulder to avoid, a jump to make, a switch to throw. Despite this however, Playdead Studios somehow manage to inject newness into the genre, at least for the first half of the game. Herein lay traps so devious Grimtooth himself would smile agog at the thoughtful design and mechanisms herein.

Sadly there is a downside as was just previously touched upon, the game seems an opus of two very distinct parts. For the first 10 or 12 chapters everything is new, it defies the very nature of the puzzle genre. Yes there are traps to avoid and switches to pull, but this is almost done in a magical manner. Then there is a tipping point, where Limbo makes a move away from this wonderful newness and steps back into old genre shoes. An eventuating shame, but not one that ruins the game overall, for those earlier levels will no doubt stay with one for a very long time.

Control in Limbo is as gentle as the masterful art style and subtle soundtrack, everything is simple, there are no insane complicated combination’s. The only complaint regarding control would be that sometimes the “leap of faith” mentality of darkened levels leaves the player feeling duped, as though luck plays a larger part than skill or logical thought. This though is a minor flaw and does nothing to ruin what is a superlative title.

Should you purchase Limbo, despite it only lasting a few hours and costing a rather steep 1200 Microsoft Points? Yes. Support Playdead in there efforts to burst the stagnated bubble of “same old same old” video game titles we are forced to endure month after month. Hopefully if they make another Limbo styled title they won’t change up the overall feel of the game half way through, which is this reviewers only true complaint, well, that and the lack of true ending. Limbo left one with something akin to the feeling felt when one finished Another World as the credits rolled by.. what.. that’s it?! What about those creepy little Lord of the Fly Boys? I want to know more Dammit!

Limbo by Playdead Studios is a wonderful title featuring a fresh approach to how sometimes less is more. There is no dramatic soundtrack, no masses of textures and color to make the eye pop, there is just style, meets craft, meets art. Limbo is a wonderful title that only stumbles ever so slightly by changing the overall feel halfway through and forcing us to endure a few “leap of faith” gameplay moments. If you love gaming, at the very least download the demo, then prepare to purchase Limbo.

U-Haul Rating
Limbo by Playdead is the cute / quiet babydyke you crushed on at school. Complicated, beautiful and subtle. You will definitely want to hire that U-Haul and move Limbo on in. The first half of your time with Limbo though will be the best, fresh, new and exciting.

Limbo gets the “Stendhal Syndrome” L Word Rating here at Lesbian Gamers. Remember when Bette Porter starts crying at the beauty of the art before her, left agog at its ethereal wonder? Well that’s pretty much how the first hour or so of Limbo might make the more tender-hearted gamer feel. It is beautiful yet terrifying and it is definitely art meets game design. Now go wipe your tiny white blinking eyes.

Time for some “Mmm Brains” as Gay Girls Who Game review / chat about Zombie Apocalypse on XBLA. The multidirectional zombie shoot ‘em up by Nihilistic Software sees players controlling one of four zombie outbreak survivors… hmm this sounds familiar… You can check out Gay Girls Who Game take on the Zombie Apocalypse in episode 3.16 – that’s season 3 episode 16, or if you like nice round numbers, that’s episode 60 all up at AfterEllen or below.

Chair Entertainment and Epic Games bring us Shadow Complex a 2.5D shooter in a fully three-dimensional environment. Sure you can only move in two dimensions, which seems a step back to retro times, but heck, this is pretty good. Of course Shadow Complex has its own baggage for the gay gamer, given it’s based on the work of Orson Scott Card. On the upside, though that is the case, Star Trek author Peter David did the story for the game. You can check out the Gay Girls Who Game Shadow Complex review and thoughts in episode 3.14 – that’s season 3 episode 14, or if you like nice round numbers, that’s episode 58 all up at AfterEllen or below.

Shadow Complex is essentially an old style side scrolling platformer wrapped up in new graphics with a cool story. Rather than going full 3D the developers of Shadow Complex opted for what’s known as 2.5D, that is to say, the world itself is in 3D, but the player character only ever moves in two dimensions (up, down, left, right with no depth field). There is something magical about modern games utilizing this older styled technique and when it’s executed well, as it is here, it can be a gamers dream.

The story of Shadow Complex is loosely based on the workings of Orson Scott Card (Oh don’t worry, we cover this point further in), with his book Empire stated as the basis. After a small level introducing the story in which the Vice President of the United States is killed, you take over the character of Jason Fleming (who looks suspiciously like Nathan Drake from Uncharted and is voiced by Nolan North who also voices Nathan Drake). Jason is out on a first date with new love Claire and ends up on a rescue mission (to save her of course as to do it the other way around would tear a hole in the very fabric of space time and consume the Earth). This is the start of the story and we’ll press it no further so as to remain spoiler free, suffice to say, it’s good… very good.

Gameplay is old school. To say this title ‘borrows’ from various old school gaming classics is really downplaying the significance games like Super Metroid, Castlevania or Impossible Mission (Amiga version) have had here (amongst others). Simplicity on the surface is only a façade as the simple button presses for shoot, jump, swim etc may seem easy, but these are added to by the overwhelming size and scope of the Shadow Complex you must map and explore. Completist’s will be in their element as new areas open later on in the game when new – more powerful – weapons and skills for our hero Fleming are gained.

As far as gay content goes Shadow Complex throws up questions of separating the artist from the art. According to Cliff Bleszinski (one of the big names behind the game and most famous for Gears of War) it is based on the Orson Scott Card novel Empire. Card as you may be aware has some extremely strong homophobic views including same sex marriage as a “potentially devastating social experiment”. Card himself states he isn’t homophobic, despite also suggesting that laws against homosexual behavior should remain on the books. This year (2009) Card joined the board of directors of the National Organization for Marriage.

The complexity of the issue of art and artist is a tough one. To ignore the significance of Shadow Complex as a stand alone piece of digital entertainment that manages to recapture and in many ways recreate the 2.5D video game would be criminal. Given Card’s book Empire is the basis for the game however, this means gamers purchasing the title are essentially lining the pockets of a man who would just as soon see their personal rights stripped away based purely on their sexuality, and herein lay the quandary for the gay and lesbian gamer.

Female characters are few and far between in Shadow Complex, though there is the usual damsel in distress syndrome, as our male hero Jason Fleming searches the Shadow Complex for ‘new love’ Claire. Hardly surprising is it, one day we’re sure some developer will shock the living hell out of us female gamers and reverse this trend. For a game that on the one hand gleefully re-imagines a genre, with regard to female character discourse, Shadow Complex is mired by sexist notions of hero and weak maiden. Needless to say there are no big queers in Shadow Complex, if there were and the game remained true to Cards alleged beliefs they’d probably be undergoing behavioral electro therapy somewhere deep within the complex.

The old skool / new skool fusion is superlative and Shadow Complex stands out – as a game in itself, political issues aside – as not only the best XBLA game so far released, but also as a re-imagining of a whole genre. Epic Games and Chair Entertainment should be patting themselves heartily on the back for bringing life back to this much loved genre. Older gamers will relish the retro charm of this title, whilst younger gamers will be drawn into to the simple yet depth filled wonder of those old skool classics. Regarding the issue of Card’s involvement, the purchase of Shadow Complex should be a personal decision and will be – we would imagine – based on the ability to separate art from artist.

U-Haul Review Status:
If you enjoy those old school 2D titles with maps to explore, limited movement and huge sprawling environments Shadow Complex won’t disappoint. It’s just a shame such a wonderful game is linked to such an allegedly hate filled homophobe like Orson Scott Card. That truly is the only thing that tarnishes this title from being anything other than superlative.

Our L Word rating for this title is Henry getting with Tine. When Henry got with Tina it was a marriage made in hell based on ill conceived reasoning. On the one hand there was Tina a much loved character and on the other her link to Henry made us all growl with disappointment due to the political implications that story had.

It’s not often we review XBLA titles here at Lesbian Gamers, mainly because we don’t get them sent out for review and people are generally more interested in the big hitting premium release titles. So why does a Kingdom for Keflings get not only a full written review, but also coverage on “Gay Girls Who Game”? Simple – it’s a little star and one we thought should shine on you.

A Kingdom for Keflings is a watered down God game. You play a Giant helping a little kingdom grow, in populace and infrastructure. The Giant you play in game is your new Xbox Experience avatar, so it’s essentially a little mini ‘you’, in game. Let’s not beat around the bush here, at a mere 800 Microsoft Points you should own A Kingdom for Keflings and you know what, 800 MS Points is a bargain.

The gameplay in A Kingdom for Keflings is a fairly simple affair, some may even use the word monotonous given its repetitive nature. Whilst saying a game has monotonous gameplay sounds negative, in this instance – however strange – it is not. Like Animal Crossing, The Settlers and the old quirky GameCube title Doshin the Giant, A Kingdom for Keflings hits upon gameplay that whilst full of repetition, remains enjoyable and challenging. Whatever that magic is, this Kingdom is sprinkled with it.

Where it shines
A Kingdom for Keflings is an adorable title and one that is quite genius in its innocence. Unlike other God games, A Kingdom for Keflings is a relaxing jaunt, there is no imminent danger, no incoming disaster or warring nation, there is only peace, the changing of the seasons and tasks to be done. The Keflings – if you haven’t already gathered – are the name of your diminutive townsfolk. You can set your townsfolk to work by simply picking them up and placing them where you would like them to do so. They can chop wood, mine for rock, cultivate crystals, sheer sheep and also deliver different items from certain places to others, thus building up your game resources.

The way NinjaBee have structured A Kingdom for Keflings is nothing short of simple genius. They must be gamers themselves because they clearly understand the law of ‘sometimes less is more’. The game works so well because of its simplistic structure. It’s never bogged down in a multitude of menus, a timer or antagonist waiting on the periphery. It is this ease of play and gentleness that we loved, along with the steady growth of resources in the games structure.

You begin with only a blueprint to work from, using the workshop you build the appropriate pieces the next building needs. The blueprint shows you the position you place the pieces relative to one another in for the structure to be built. Choose a place in your little area and begin. You open more blueprints as you play and also get given new mini tasks by the Mayor as He/ She becomes more powerful as the game continues.

Multiplayer
The multiplayer in A Kingdom for Keflings works seamlessly and offers 1-4 player co-op or 2-4 player multi-player. You can start a multi-player game with ease and meet a friend in game where you can both work together on building up the kingdom. It’s also possible to play the co-op game alone should your friends not be available. Strangely we couldn’t load our single player game and have a friend join, which was a tad annoying given we wanted help in our almost finished kingdom, so if you want help in the future, start a co-op game and save it.

Lesbian Content
The lesbian content in A Kingdom for Kelflings is you. Does it get any better than that? You can be the big lezzie Giant helping your wee townsfolk on the way toward a better life. As far as female characterization goes, half your Keflings are female, given every time you put love into a house you gain two new Keflings and they are inevitably one male and one female. Sure that’s lame, maybe a little popup menu so you could choose new Kefling gender would have been cool, but there isn’t one so we all have to deal with it. Maybe the next Kingdom for Keflings will have this option, you could make an all male or all female society, imagine an Amazonian kingdom, who wouldn’t love that!

On the upside there are no gender restrictions on what jobs your Keflings can do, stick a guy in the silk factory and a girl mining for stones, it makes no difference. Other than looks (the girls all in dresses *shudder!*) each Kefling does whatever job you give them, including the role of Mayor / Leader.

Overall we think A Kingdom for Keflings is an absolute shining star in a universe of much mediocrity on XBLA. It has come out of nowhere as a bastion of all that is relaxing and adorable in the realm of the old style God game. It won’t last you forever, but you will get way more gameplay out of it than some games that are ten times as much to purchase. We would definitely suggest you download the demo and check it out, but be prepared to purchase some MS Points because chances are you will want the full game.

The LG Straight Up Review:
Aww this looks cute! Awww it is cute! And it’s so easy to play. It’s ME in the game! I love this, how cool, there’s no drama, it’s so relaxing! Build this, set that Kefling to work there, get that one to bring that stuff here, get that one mining there, educate that one so they can work there. Man I’m doing the same thing over and over again, but I can’t stop myself! I love this game!

U-Haul Review Status
You see this chick building things, she’s clearly good with her hands. You ask her out, you hit it off, she’s loads of fun… and … ‘she’s good with her hands’, of course you want to move her in, even if you’re essentially doing the same thing with her over and over again. Hire that U-Haul!

A Kingdom for Keflings gets the Lesbian Gamers “Marina Ferrer” rating. Like Marina, A Kingdom for Keflings is strangely addictive and interesting. It’s also smart and fun when on screen. It may all be a little shortlived, but your time with it is well worth it. A real treat.

If you fancy your A Kingdom for Keflings review in video format be sure and check out the A Kingdom for Keflings Review on episode 41 of Gay Girls Who Game.