Saved the world! Friends forever! I've got the power!

Yeah, the "cinematics" could have been cut a bit more, as the end-game montage and villain-gloating went on several minutes longer than they needed to. But for all the brevity that I wish the story scenes embraced, there's plenty of narrative humor sprinkled elsewhere throughout Blood Dragon -- in the irradiated and cyborg-ized wildlife, in Omega Force's voice-modified chatter, and in the game's pause-menu encyclopedia, which gives frat-boy explanations of weapons and lore.

Not having played Far Cry 3 yet, I can't say how much of Blood Dragon is original implementation, and how much is re-skin. But - with the exception of being tackled by wildlife, which is all kinds of irritating - it all comes across as a seamlessly-integrated, faux-future experience. Blood Dragon also - and here may be another area conveniently inherited from FC3 - really sells the character arc, with excellent pacing of level-ups and weapon upgrades: though you start as an obsolete cyber commando in a hostile nuclear wasteland, you rapidly ascend the game's food chain, becoming predator to Omega Force's prey. With a final level that consists of just blowing the fuck out of stuff while riding an armored laser dragon, the empowerment fantasy is one trope that Blood Dragon embellishes beautifully.

Blood Dragon isn't a perfect video game, nor is a perfect satire of video games; but it does enough right, in both categories, to more than justify itself. It's fun, it's funny, and it should be squarely in the crosshairs of anyone who loves making fun of, and playing, games in equal measure.

Better than: Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard
Not as good as: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
And congratulations, Power Glove: for selling me on (parts of) this totally badical soundtrack.

Progress: Finished campaign, all Adventures, level 30.