"Sniper Elite III," "Muramasa Rebirth" and More [GAMES ROUNDUP]

Since Sniper Elite III has the summer basically to itself among shooters , it’s lucky that the World War II-based slaughterfest is more than up to the task. The breezy thrill ride lets you line up perfect shots and pop skulls in the name of freedom. The game is out on both current and last-gen consoles, making for equal-opportunity long-distance death-dealing. There is plenty of action over on the Vita front as well, with the old-timey Wii game Muramasa getting, well, reborn in the remake Muramasa Rebirth. But it’s not all good news. The stinker Z-Run, an endless runner on the Sony handheld, is one to avoid like a bite from the undead.
Reviews by Phil Villarreal. Phil is an author, blogger and Twitterer. Publishers provided review copies.

Muramasa Rebirth

(Vita, $30, Teen)

Muramasa: The Demon Blade was one of the few third-party high points for the Wii. The stylish 2009 action-platformer was one of the rare non-Nintendo games on the system that didn’t cater to motion-gimmick party games, and because of that it struggled to find its audience. Now the overlooked gem has been remade and can be found just where it belongs: The Vita, which in the past year has become a magnet for hardcore Japanese oddities.

You juggle several characters in the side-scrolling samurai slasher, managing timing of attacks, defense and leaps to pull off stylish combos. You’re punished for being boring and utilizing the same go-to attack, making weapons vulnerable to breaking and stinging you with attribute drops. The story is nonsensical and silly, but the combat manages to stay fresh enough to keep the momentum flowing. In what seems to be an almost weekly occurrence, Vita owners have yet another exclusive stunner on their hands.

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Sniper Elite III

(Xbox One, PS4, 360, PS3, $50, Mature)

From out of nowhere, the Sniper Elite series has managed to usurp the crown of arcade-style combat sims. While Battlefield and Call of Duty have committed fully toward ensnaring the multiplayer market and Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy shooters have taken long breathers, the campy Sniper Elite III stands virtually alone (along with the Wolfenstein reboot) as the go-to spot for easy-going Nazi splattering. Set in the African World War II front, you creep behind enemy lines to take out key targets and provide cover for allies.

The presentation happily celebrates its gore, following potential killshots from your barrel, through the air and as they pierce appendages and organs in slow motion. The effect is repeated ad nauseam, but is so satisfying that it never gets old. The varied mission structures, minimized aimless wandering and urgent storytelling dynamics make this the equivalent of a B movie you know you should probably stop watching but just can’t.

Z-Run

(Vita, $9, Teen)

Even though the Vita, which has had a tough time claiming market share from the 3DS and smartphones, has a ton of amazing and unique software, it’s got its share of stinkers as well. This horrid mess is exhibit A of how some facets of the handheld gaming industry haven’t adapted well to the iOS/Android paradigm. An endless runner in the vein of Temple Run, it would barely be worth your time as a tacky free-to-play download, much less something you need to risk $9 on.

As your character pumps his arms and legs, you swipe the screen to guide him away from, past and through zombie swarms. I like the Vita’s touchscreen, but it feels sluggish and ineffective, at least in this game, compared to smartphones on which I’m used to playing endless runners. Expect more shamed head-shaking than moments of accomplishment, especially when you look through your transaction history and remember you wasted so much money on this.