izigame.me

Outland, the action-platformer by Housemarque, originally came out on the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 over three years ago. It was a good game then, it's still a good game today.
First off let's discuss the port. It's decent, but could be better. For whatever reason the vsync locks at 30 fps, which causes frame-rate judders. The alternative is to turn off in-game vsync and then force it on via your videocard's control panel. I tried this but somehow I still got screen-tearing. Maybe I just suck at computers. Also there's no option to turn off vibration if you're using a 360 pad. Never been a fan of force feedback, so needless to say I didn't like this. The image-quality is a bit too soft as well. It supports resolutions at and above 1920x1080 but I dunno, it feels like it could use some AA, that would make the art-direction really stand out.
Usually when people talk about this game they mention a shump called Ika...ikar...? Oh right. Kid Icarus. Yep that old Nintendo game about Greek Mythology and Eggplant Wizards. Seriously though, the world the hero explores is governed by light and dark(or blue bullets and red bullets). Early on you're given a sword and not long after that, the ability to switch between light & dark(blue & red). When you want to absorb bullets or lasers you should be the same color, when you want to attack enemies you have to be the opposite color. Your color can also affect objects such as floating platforms or spikes. Expect numerous situations to crop up where you have to switch between colors constantly to proceed. This isn't a puzzle game but you will have to think every now and then, at least for a moment.
Switching colors isn't always an option. For example, you might run into a red enemy while area is filled with red bullets. The trick here is to use one of your special attacks. These can include a power strike, a laser, and flashy explosion. Next up are the exploratory powers. Certain powers can be attained to make getting around easier. In typical fashion, previous areas can be explored to find more cash, life/energy upgrades, and concept art unlocks. Fair warning, this is the full extent of the exploration in this game.
Main reason I enjoy this game is it's just so fluid. Back when it came out in 2011 I started the demo thinking "Well...whatever..I guess I gotta try it." I immediately fell in love with its smooth controls, responsive moves, and that wall-jump. There's nothing better than a good wall-jump. So many games these days have them, but they rarely get it right. Outland's wall-jump is smooth, clean, and tight. Just running, jumping, and slashing also feel real good. Exploration is solid as well, though as I mentioned this game is mostly linear, so it's not like you'll miss any huge optional areas if you don't check around. On the other hand, at least you don't have to slash every wall in the hopes of finding a secret. Most of these areas are clearly marked by a cracked wall, a hole big enough to slide through, etc.
There are also a handful of boss-fights. There is a slight puzzle element involved with each fight, and constant slashing won't get you anywhere. One of the minor additions to the PC version is that there are checkpoints during boss-battles. It's a nice gesture, though I figure most people will get stuck at the final boss. The finale doesn't really have any checkpoints either, so you'll definitely want to have all the life upgrades.
Content-wise you should get your money's worth. The first play-through is likely going to take about 5 hours, 6-7 depending on how fast you can collect everything. While there isn't a hard difficulty or anything, there is an arcade mode. Basically this cuts the world up into stages, and your goal is to shoot for the high score. Housemarque did a fine job designing this game with an arcade mindset. There's a time limit to account for and a multiplier bonus that continually rises, just as long as you don't take any damage. The arcade mode is definitely worth checking out. There's also online co-op. Story & Arcade mode are available as well as special co-op challenges. The real challenge however is finding somebody to play this game with. Hopefully you'll have better luck than I.
To sum it all up, Outland's strengths are in its controls, its audiovisual direction, and its focused arcade-like game design. If you go in expecting some Metroidvania you're gonna be severely disappointed. This isn't a exploration-heavy game, and there definitely aren't any sweet rare drops. Outland does well in most everything it sets out to do, so it deserves my every recommendation.