Recent reviews by Lightstep

This minimalist puzzler’s name is styled as LYNE, but we’re having none of it. Uppercase suggests someone’s getting all shouty, but Lyne (as we’re calling the game) is as reserved as they come. Lyne’s all about forming pathways between like-colored shapes positioned on a grid — you’re essentially joining the dots, but are restricted to 90- and 45-degree angles. As you work on each puzzle, abstract noises pleasingly chirp away in the background, confirming every connection like a panpipe-playing robot.

It all feels very pleasant, and at first it’s disarmingly simple. Soon, though, the game bares its teeth. Shapes are positioned in a manner that makes successful pathways between them all far from immediately obvious, especially once you realize paths cannot cross. Junction boxes add to the task, demanding you enter them a specific number of times to illuminate all their lights. Failure merely results in a sadly pulsating red outline and the realization you must rethink, experiment, and iterate.

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive took the long way to success. It started off with a number of significant flaws, but with time and some substantial patches, has become one of the most-played games on Steam and one of the best PC games you can play.

As usual, the people who know the game best are the ones who spend every night and most weekends in the trenches, defusing bombs, shooting chickens, and desperately hunting for knives. Also as usual, the people who love the game most are also the ones who have the most complicated relationship with it. Play a game enough, and even if you love it, part of you will probably start to loathe it. In a loving way. If that makes sense.

I've really enjoyed Patricia's semi-regular Steam Reviews roundup series, since they give a glimpse into the minds (and senses of humor) of a given game's most dedicated players. So, I thought I'd dive into the CS:GO Steam page and see what I could find.

Generally speaking: CS:GO players love the chickens, are flummoxed by the knives, are in agreement that Dust2 is in some ways the game's only map, and hate hackers almost as much as they hate being called hackers. And of course, like any good game, for all the complaints most people have, they still can't stop playing.

Mafia II is a superbly told, mature and adult game that will entertain, shock and blow you away time and time again.