Review: Life of Delta

Daniel Waite
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Review: Life of Delta

Life of Delta is a bare-bones experience that somehow works. Its light-hearted dialogue juxtaposes the cruel post-apocalyptic setting. Additionally, the interesting, albeit simple puzzles never test you, but they feel rewarding nevertheless. This straightforward combination makes this a great title if you are new to the genre.

This point-and-click adventure was developed by Airo Games and published by Daedelic Entertainment. Moreover, it has plenty of puzzles and mini-games to complete. Accordingly, though it is relatively short, it is jam-packed with tasks, quests, and miscellaneous objectives.

Life of Delta tells a familiar but dramatic story. 

The plot sadly lacks originality. However, this didn’t bother me too much as you meet plenty of colourful characters. In typical post-apocalyptic fashion, you explore a destroyed and dangerous world. Yet, mankind is extinct and robots now rule the roost. Disappointingly, the roost is pretty shit, so, I’m happy for the mechs to have this small victory. 

You control Delta, a small service robot with a big problem. Unfortunately, his friend Joe has been taken by the “Pigs”, the “Po-Po”, and the “Rozzers”. Furthermore, he literally has been taken by a bunch of pigs. Your mission is to traverse a dangerous world, help fellow robots, and save your best friend.

Straightforward mechanics. 

Point-and-click games vary greatly! Some are brilliantly complex and testing. Whereas others are so basic that you are barely tested. Thankfully, Life of Delta sits smack bang in the middle. With a range of fetch quests to complete, and basic puzzles to overcome, there are some eureka moments. Moreover, the blend of mini-games and whacky characters will keep you going.

Unfortunately, some janky mechanics prevent Life of Delta from truly shining. Furthermore, a lack of guidance regarding the UI was frustrating. I wasted considerable time attempting to access my inventory and locating the perfect hitbox for certain puzzles. Disappointingly, this slowed things down while ruining the sense of immersion.

Had the developers incorporated a minor tutorial and some visual guidance, this problem wouldn’t have existed. It doesn’t ruin the game, per se, but it takes the shine off of an otherwise truly enjoyable experience. 

Life of Delta looks wonderful. 

Where this genre shines is its exceptional environments. Life of Delta rarely disappointed! The opening section allows you to explore a desolate and grim desert. This barren landscape is harsh, empty, and deadly. Yet, it is more welcoming than the overbearing skyscrapers of Megacity. This futuristic city is devoid of character, love, or empathy. Consequently, it is a bizarre setting for the titular hero to be reacquainted with his friend.

Alongside this, the colour palette blends vibrant tones with stark imagery. The burning planes, broken buildings, and destroyed robots are tough to look at. However, it serves as a cruel reminder that the Life of Delta is a sinister and tough post-apocalyptic adventure. 

I loved the visuals, but the audio is better, still. The brilliant ambient sounds add depth and drama to often slow progress. Additionally, the excellent soundtrack is fun to listen to. Subsequently, though there are plenty of low points, the music and the sound effects keep you going.

The controls could have been better. 

Though it performs admirably with a gamepad, it was still problematic to play. A lack of tutorials and visual guidance hinders your performance. Though this is a minor complaint, the issue could and should have been addressed. 

Sadly, Life of Delta is extremely short. If you are a genre aficionado, you’ll have this dusted off in around 4 hours. Furthermore, once you’ve overcome every problem and explored the grim world, there is no reason to return. Consequently, this lacks replay value and longevity. 

Life of Delta is short but sweet. 

Though this isn’t perfect, I enjoyed my time with it. The puzzles and mini-games are interesting, and the characters are colourful. Moreover, the dialogue is interesting and amusing and the setting is fascinating. However, its janky mechanics and lack of tutorial were disappointing. Yet, despite these shortcomings, I love it and recommend buying it here! Will you become a hero? Solve some puzzles, assist some robots, and save your friend.

Review: Ario

Daniel Waite
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Review: Ario

Ario tried to create a unique experience with its blend of themes and genres. However, its story, setting, and core mechanics lack originality. Consequently, most of the action is familiar and this creates an unfortunate, mundane and repetitive edge.

This 2.5D action title was developed by Vata Games and published by Artax Games. Moreover, it has some Metroidvania elements and a swathe of platforming mechanics. Accordingly, there should be plenty to get your teeth into. Yet, this wasn’t the case, as much of the gameplay was insipid.

Ario tells a dull story. 

Ario won’t set the world alight. But I was hopeful that the story would at least be interesting and full of twists and turns. Sadly, though, it is as mundane as the rest of the gameplay. 

Ario’s mother has been taken. Subsequently, the titular hero must step up and save the day. However, his heroic gesture lands him in hot water, and he faces demons and hideous monsters. His life may be on the line, but he learns new skills whilst adapting to his harsh environment. With a little luck, he’ll overcome his foes, save his mother, and prove his worth. 

Familiar mechanics. 

Ario has 12 levels set in a medieval fantasy world. Moreover, the gritty landscape is dominated by Steampunk imagery. This unusual approach was interesting as it broke up the dull nature of the rest of the game. Alongside this, there are different enemies to tackle that have strengths and weaknesses that must be exploited. This minor layer added some tactical nuance to a relatively low-key affair.

The hero’s journey began with him running for his life. However, as time passed, he learned new skills and gained fresh equipment. This was an impressive, albeit well-trodden design that felt comfortable and easy to understand. 

You’ll love to dash, power stomp and shoot arrows and bombs from a bow. Each of these abilities is essential to master, as one must avoid obstacles, leap chasms, roll under doors, and defeat monsters. Additionally, you must overcome an array of bosses who test your patience, memory recall, and reactions.

The fighting is a damp squib. 

When a game claims to be an action experience, you expect the fighting elements to be challenging and high-energy. Yet, except for the boss encounters, the combat is lacklustre and dull. 

Unfortunately, you rarely run out of arrows and your stamina bar replenishes too quickly. Accordingly, you can bum-rush every creature without fear. This lack of risk and reward was frustrating and disappointing. 

Ario looks attractive. 

Though the core mechanics will leave you wanting, Ario does look attractive. The vivid colour palette complements the strange blend of themes. Alongside this, each level has a sense of openness that demands you explore every nook and cranny. Additionally, the animation was smooth, and the well-considered UI made the combat easier.

The audio, on the other hand, was a mixed bag. I loved the use of the Persian language and the use of subtitles. Moreover, the soundtrack was dramatic and interesting to listen to. Sadly, though, the sound effects are appalling. Every enemy appeared to have a respiratory condition and this was ridiculous. The noise of them coughing, breathing, and spluttering was unnecessary.

Reasonable, but dated controls. 

The control system was as uninspiring as everything else. Though it worked well enough, it lacked an intuitive approach. Moreover, there was no finesse, making it dated and clumsy. 

Each stage has branching pathways that can be explored. However, a lack of direction and collectables ensures minimal desire to return. Additionally, the action never changes and a lack of character progression undermines both replay value and longevity. 

Ario was disappointing. 

There were moments when I enjoyed Ario. Yet, they were unfortunately fleeting. Most of the action was dull, and the story was uninspiring. However, I liked the setting and the Persian language. Disappointingly, I cannot recommend this, but more information can be found here! Can you save your mother? Learn new skills, explore strange lands, and defeat every demon.

Review: Juicy Realm

Matt Cooper
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Review: Juicy Realm

Juicy Realm blasts its way onto console. Does it flourish or leave a sour taste in the mouth?

The Fruits of Labour

Developed by SpaceCan Games and published by X.D Network, Juicy Realm has finally made its way to the PlayStation 5 system almost 6 years after its initial pc release. Juicy Realm is a roguelike twin stick shooter set in a world where fruit have become animalistic type creatures, threatening the very way of life. You play as one of four characters, (more characters become available later) each with his/her own unique weapons and abilities. Whether it’s PonPon who has an auto regenerating shield and a stun power or Alpha, who can revive himself only one time, the game has done a great job at giving you varied classes from the start.

Story-wise, the plot is as simple as can be: fruits across the world have turned into creatures and it’s up to you to save the day and the planet from these fruit abominations. That’s as much as you’re going to get if you’re looking for story, but this game doesn’t rely on the story to capture the imagination of the player. This is the type of game that relies on its gameplay and presentation to sell itself to you. And this is where Juicy Realm truly grabbed my attention.

The Apple Of Your Eye

Astonishingly made by just a two man development team at SpaceCan, the visuals of this game are truly something to behold. Each area of the game is vibrant and beautiful, whether it’s the forests at the beginning of the game or the harsh desert of the later levels. Each randomly generated level oozes colour and style, making each level truly unique for the player. The characters and enemies are gorgeously animated and glide across the screen during fights, making it a true spectacle when you are facing waves of enemies. Upon completing an area, the text bubble showing area complete bursts onto your screen in a puff of smoke; a small but memorable touch for me. Enemy projectiles are bright and colourful, making them easy to spot, with death animations for both character and enemy beautiful in their style. SpaceCan have done an incredible job with the presentation in this game; it’s among the best I’ve seen in terms of the scale of the game and size of the development team. A wonderful achievement!

The UI is simple and sleek, not taking up too much space on your screen, which is vital for a game like this where you’re on the move constantly. With the levels being randomly generated upon each run you take, the map system is a lovely touch at the top right of your screen. With red skull symbols warning you a boss fight is coming up or a blue question mark for a mystery area, I really felt in control of my journey and could plan my route accordingly to make sure I was fully prepared for each zone.

Go Bananas

Of course in a roguelike shooter like this, gameplay either makes it or breaks it. Being a twin stick shooter Juicy Realm excels in fast-paced combat. Movement is sleek and responsive with the dash button a vital tool to escape tight situations. Each character comes with their own health and speed, creating different approaches required for the player. The game offers you an auto-aim option which is welcome for newer players in this genre but can feel too easy for veterans. The gunplay itself is fairly bog-standard and nothing I would say that is revolutionary, but it does what it sets out to do and allows the player to mix up gameplay styles. The volume of guns in the game is also something to behold, with well over 70 guns available to unlock and use throughout your runs. Some are wickedly overpowered, such as the keyboard that shoots keys, while some are even more outlandish, the chick bomber being my personal favourite. Secret areas of the game offer random powerups to be purchased via the lucky drum, (a humorous take on a washing machine) allowing you to gain fruit companions to help you fight the waves of enemies or health points to help you gear up before the big boss fight.

The special abilities each character gets are unique and varied, allowing the player to test out different builds on each run to find which character suits them best. Boss fights are a particular highlight for me as each boss felt different due to the bosses’ abilities and health. The game also supports online and local co-op which is a great option for a game in this genre. Often in roguelikes I can feel overwhelmed and underpowered with the permadeath mechanic, so it felt great to play with a friend and blast our way through. Local co-op is a dying breed it seems in this generation of games so it’s worth celebrating the effort SpaceCan have put in to create this mode. Co-op is especially welcome considering the short length of the game; runs can be completed in as quickly as 20 minutes.

Sounds Fruity

Often in smaller scale games like Juicy Realm, the game relies on its musical score and sound design, with mixed results. Created by the development team, the music in the game is fantastic. The music really helps create a retro futuristic vibe to the whole game and it is to be applauded. Music ebbs and flows, depending on the situation with it ramping up during gunfights. For me the music for the boss battles is a particular highlight for the score.

The sound design on the other hand is a different story. The design itself is serviceable and acceptable but what makes it muddled and bizarre is the volume itself. On the default settings I played on, the gunshots and ability audio cues were so loud they overwhelmed the music itself. Too often I was fighting enemies enjoying the music only to be drowned out by the gunfire. A truly bizarre choice and one I recommend changing as soon as you load into the game. Conversely, enemy abilities at times can be harder to hear which is irritating and annoying; you can ill afford to be staring at one place on the screen looking for where each projectile is coming from.

Verdict

Juicy Realm offers a roguelike with a truly unique setting. SpaceCan have done a fantastic job creating this crazy world with stunning visuals and beautiful enemy design. While its short length and bizarre sound design choices at times hinder the game, it’s still a blast, especially when played with a friend. Considering this is SpaceCan’s first attempt in the video game space, it’s exciting to see what they can come up with next. Let’s hope it’s as fruity as this one!

Review: Pepper Grinder

Dawid Wisniewski
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Review: Pepper Grinder

A visually and mechanically fantastic platformer that unfortunately ends too quickly. All in all I had a great time with Pepper Grinder. From the music to visuals , being art style and character design. The art style reminds me of almost a pixelated adventure time , cute , charming and recognisable. This is also true for the level design , you can see exactly which part of the scenery will react in a certain way to your oversized pepper grinder.

The game starts with the main character waking up on a beach, finds a huge drill and you gain control. That’s it, that’s the only story you get apart from the very end boss. Which leads me to the one noticeable negative. Lack of a story, that being said you can see things appear in the levels and the backgrounds that fill you in on the world. Just not as much to hint at why our character is even there.

So the premise of the game is simple at heart, its a platformer that uses a comically large drill bit to traverse every level. Of course as the levels go on , the game throws in more mechanics, types of terrain and several types of enemies. Through out each level very are coins to collect, vases to break and secret passages to find. There are two currencies in the game , coins which you find every where, but have close to nothing to do with and then you have Doubloons of which there are 5 hidden in every level. With these you can buy a golden key for 10 to unlock a secret level in every world, or you can use them to unlock different hair and cape colours for your character. Finding these is fun and luckily they appear on your HUD in order, so you can see roughly where you missed that one sneaky spot.

Every secret level was unique , every world had a new awesome design and implemented exciting mechanics. The difficulty rose up at a good pace, and at this point I need to mention, this is a controller game. The movement is fluid , never had an issue with it and the button layout is simply intuitive. Back to the difficulty , it was paced very nicely , as soon as I got one mechanic perfected , the game threw another. at the end of every world , roughly 5-7 levels you will get to a boss. All of them have awesome designs and once again they all have a unique mechanic to defeat it that go hand in hand with whatever you dealt with in the levels leading up to it. Although there was one level, the second to last level in the game that really tested my skills and I must say I spent more time on it than any boss fight before that

It’s a real shame that the game is this short, took me just under 4 hours to complete every level and that with taking my time to collect as many secrets as I can. How ever the game gives you a time attack option if you decide to replay a level. At last there are stickers you can buy from each worlds shop keeper a long side sticker pages which act as backgrounds. They don’t really do anything but let you create your own screenshots with quite a few tools at your disposal.

I want to keep this review short, as this game is definitely worth the little time it offers. As to the price it may be a little too much for 4 hours of gameplay at £12.72 / roughly $14 on steam. But if you have the money to spare or see the game on sale I would highly recommend experiencing what this title has to offer.

The game is available on steam and Nintendo switch 28 March 2024

Review: Interstellar Plunderer

Jorge Castilho
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Review: Interstellar Plunderer

Interstellar Plunderer: A Swashbuckling Ride Through Space with Roguelike Charm

Do you like loot? Do you like roguelike games? How about Star Fox? If any of those questions is yes then I have a game for you, Interstellar Plunderer! Arcade-style space shooting, roguelike elements, and a dash of spaceship customization, a space pirate dream.

Developed by Cozy Frog Games, this indie game offers a thrilling, somehow repetitive, experience for those seeking a quick adrenaline rush through the vast infinite of the cosmos.

The story is a familiar spacefaring yarn: you, a daring pirate captain, scour the galaxy in search of plunder. You’ll blast your way through generated sectors, each teeming with enemy ships, hulking space stations, and the occasional boss. While the narrative itself is forgettable, the focus is the fast-paced action and the thrill of the chase.

Interstellar Plunderer embraces the core tenets of the roguelike genre. Each run begins with a basic ship and throws you into the fray. Death is permanent, forcing you to start anew with the always few credits you managed to accumulate. However, these credits allow you to unlock permanent upgrades between runs, gradually empowering your future ventures. This creates a captivating loop: each run becomes a stepping stone towards a more powerful ship, allowing you to delve deeper into the ever-changing sectors.

Shooting Your Way Through the Stars

The core gameplay revolves around piloting your ship and engaging in frenetic dogfights. Controls are responsive and intuitive, allowing for smooth maneuvers and precise targeting.  Dodging enemy fire and unleashing a barrage of your own becomes a dance of skill and strategy.  Enemy variety is decent but will soon be all the same, with basic fighters, heavily armored cruisers, and agile interceptors keeping you in combat mode all the time.

Weapon choices are plentiful, ranging from deadly lasers to slow-but-powerful torpedoes. Experimenting with different loadouts adds a layer of strategic depth, allowing you to tailor your arsenal to specific enemy types or your preferred playstyle. Plus, there’s loot scattered around that gives you a temporary power-up, juiced lasers, super-shields or a ship that handles like a dream!

The Importance of Loot

Loot is the lifeblood of Interstellar Plunderer. Destroying enemies and exploring space stations showers you with credits and resources. These resources are used to upgrade your ship’s hull, shields, and weapons between runs, progressively turning your vessel into a formidable force. Additionally, you can acquire consumable items that offer temporary advantages like hull repairs or damage multipliers.

Aesthetics and Audio: A Retro Trip

Visually, Interstellar Plunderer embraces a retro aesthetic. It goes for a cool, old-school vibe where Spaceships and “space stuff” are all blocky and colorful, just like classic arcade games. Don’t expect mind-blowing graphics, but the simple style fits with the fast-paced action. The soundtrack is pure 80s synth-wave awesomeness, totally matching the space pirate theme and pumping you up for epic space battles. Somehow reminded me of the Sega Mega Drive era, and that’s always cool.

Interstellar Plunderer is a solid roguelike experience offering a satisfying blend of space combat, loot collecting, and ship customization. The core gameplay loop is undeniably fun, but repetitive elements and a lack of a deeper narrative might deter players seeking a more expansive experience. However, for those seeking a quick and thrilling space adventure with a dash of roguelike charm, Interstellar Plunderer is a worthwhile journey.

I’m sorry but I have to get this off my chest. The more I play, the more it looks like the Gummi Ships missions from Kingdom Hearts 2. Okay, I said it.

In Conclusion:

If you’re a fan of arcade-style shooters, roguelikes, or simply enjoy blasting your way through waves of enemies in space, Interstellar Plunderer is a game worth checking out. It offers a polished gameplay experience with a charming retro aesthetic and a strong focus on loot-driven progression.  However, be prepared for some repetition.

Review: Isonzo

Laurence Wall
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Review: Isonzo

Brush off those history books, because it’s time to travel back to war-torn Europe in Isonzo: Italian Front. Prepare to storm the battlefield in your role of choice or ready your defenses for the oncoming onslaught of rifle fire. Learn some history about the locations and battlegrounds of the Great War, and the real-world weapons soldiers used to defend their country. The bugle has sounded troops: it is time to go to war.

The first thing you will be struck by when you load up Isonzo is the overwhelming sense of over a hundred years of history pressing down on you. Recreating the Great War is no easy feat, and while this title certainly isn’t perfect, it truly forces you to consider what the conditions were like for the soldiers who died fighting for their countries. Whether it’s the little stories that accompany the match loading screen, informing you of the fighting that occurred in that particular setting, or even the brilliant weapon descriptions that flesh out every gun, rifle, and even spade, it’s an immersive experience, that’s for sure.

In addition, the lengths Blackmill Games go, to nail that fighting experience is greatly appreciated. The slow painful push of creeping up the hills and crawling through the trenches to gain an inch of ground upon your enemies is very entertaining. The game wants you to keep low, and use the terrain to your advantage. Sprinting across the open fields and into enemy territory is a death sentence without a doubt. Teamwork, tactics and battle strategy are your friends here. Flank your opponents, call in airstrikes or tactical smokescreens and flush those troops out of hiding so you can pick them off one by one.

Of course, all this might not be immediately obvious. One thing Isonzo could do is to have a more integrated tutorial that teaches you about working together and utilizing the different combat roles. Usually, I’m not too bothered about tutorials, but in this case, I think it would certainly help. Upon loading the game, you’re plopped onto a big title screen with a few options. It doesn’t ease you into the experience. But then again, if you’ve ever played an FPS title, one could assume most people already know what to expect.

Another thing, that would have been a useful inclusion, is the addition of a story mode that takes you through the events of the Italian Front, one battle at a time. Learning that story from 1914-1918 would lend a lot of context to the fighting, and make the experience more meaningful. Not everyone cares about the story here, but I think when recreating something of such historical magnitude, this is pretty vital. Moreover, practicing against the computer is something that would prepare less experienced players for the real, more intense battles that begin in multiplayer. Getting spawn-camped by a sniper on a ridge who knows every possible spawn location isn’t exactly immersive.

That said, the maps that are included are great and surprisingly expansive. Whether it’s towering snow-capped mountains, riddled with twisting, confusing ice caves, or flaming pock-marked fields littered with the blasted rubble of demolished houses, the visual storytelling is wonderful here. Barbed wire snakes across the vistas and dramatic terrains can be your salvation or your demise. While the graphical quality and textures might not blow you away, it’s certainly nothing to be sniffed at. The key here is the realism of the locations and the weapons. That’s what sells this experience.

This isn’t to say that Isonzo is without flaws. For starters, many games can be extremely one-sided, leading to a frustrating experience, especially when you’ve just started. I can see certain players leaving early in the experience due to this steep learning curve. The path to unlock all the weapons is also a little bit of a grind, with the starting selection of weapons being pretty lackluster. This lack of variation leads the classes to feel a little…samey.

And while I appreciate the attention to detail regarding reloading and the firing rate of weapons, it can feel painfully slow at times, (especially when you accidentally cancel your reload twice in a row and subsequently get snuck up on and bludgeoned to death.) Bullets here are lethal… I mean that’s obvious, but I really mean lethal. One bullet from a rifle is instant death. One well-placed bullet from a handgun, bye-bye. And while I again appreciate the realism, it can be brutally punishing at times, when you get sniped from someone you can’t see, (there’s no kill-cam.)

But petty complaints aside, Isonzo is a rather well-rounded experience. If you can gather a little team, and form a squad, then that’s the way to go here. You’re in for a treat. If you’re playing alone, it’ll be tough, but you’ll still have a good time. Immerse yourself in history, imagine the actual people who went through the grueling trials of combat, and the experience will be more meaningful. Whether it’s the vibrant landscapes or swelling soundtrack, Isonzo has a little bit for everyone. It can comfortably take its place as a real contender in the historical FPS genre.

Review: Metal Mind

Josh Blackburn
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Review: Metal Mind

Metal Mind makes me feel very old. Not because my reflexes have slowed and I can’t dodge like I used to. Not just because of that, anyway. No, it’s because part of being an adult is having a constant conveyor belt of responsibilities. That makes roguelikes a bit tricky. It’s hard to take a break from the dishes or cleaning the house, when you know you’re just going to be greeted with a stream of failures. It’s why roguelikes live and die on how they feel. They need to sink their hooks in right from the get-go.

That means not just excellent combat but an interesting world or some sort of gimmick. Unfortunately, that’s where Metal Mind falls down somewhat. It has a few interesting notes in the core gameplay loop but that’s sort of all it has. It serves to remind me how crucial the surrounding elements are to a roguelike. Every death has a percentage chance to make the player drop the game, and it’s those elements that shrink that percentage. Metal Mind isn’t a bad game, but to truly damn it with the finest praise, I could describe it in one word: competent.

Metal Mind - Roguelike Combat

Chrome Cranium

Most of Metal Mind’s gameplay revolves around the fact that we’re a little robot. We’re assembled and booted into the world to fight back against the AWC, an organisation that doesn’t like our robot friends having intelligence. They’re rounding them up and, presumably, crushing them into cubes. Being a robot makes us wonderfully modular. Our head, core and engine can all be swapped out freely, though better gear is heavier, slowing us down. It’s not a bad system; the different skills and types of gear (and weapons) provide a decent smattering of different playstyles. As you pump money into upgrades, you unlock a steady stream of new ones too.

Our metal man progresses in a way that’s reminiscient of something like The Binding of Isaac. Each level comprises a series of connected rooms and when you charge into them, a horde of enemies will spawn and the doors will lock. You gotta shoot ’em all to escape. The shooting itself isn’t too bad, with a couple of gimmicks. Rather than ammo, you have ‘heat’. When it gets too high, your gun overheats, which can cause special new effects depending on the gun. Like the Corgi gun, whose single shot turns into a spray when overheated. The downside is the gun locking up to cool down, so you need to balance heat against the special effects. Not bad stuff.

Metal Mind - Roguelike Combat

Steel Skull

I do have a couple of big issues with Metal Mind, though. Movement speed, for one. It’s largely based on the weight of your gear, but even with low weight, it’s still painfully slow. One of the earlier enemies are fast moving dogs, that nick at your armour constantly as you try and outrun them. Much more frustrating, however, is the aiming. There are two modes: auto-aim and magnetic targeting. It’d be fine if they stayed in their lane, but magnetic targeting keeps snapping to enemies anyway. It feels awful to have your character suddenly spin ninety degrees. It also keeps targeting invisible – and impervious – enemies, which frequently caused me to start shooting into the wall.

These problems would seem more surmountable if Metal Mind had more of a reason to press on. The story presence is so light it would fit on a post-it note. Hell, the final boss is a giant, unsmiling machine with interchangeable giant hands. I would like to know more about that, but Metal Mind is tight-lipped. It doesn’t have much going for it visually, either. It’s not bad looking but it’s not particularly interesting to look at either. It’s a series of boxy, grey environments filled with fairly similar enemies. It’s crying out for some sort of uniqueness in design, but all the tweaks have gone into the main gameplay gimmicks.

Metal Mind - Roguelike combat

Metal Mind – Mind Over Soul

They aren’t bad gimmicks. Our modular robot and the overheating system are nice, but they’re just evolutions of an inventory and ammunition. In the end, I found I tended to gravitate towards the same guns and gear each time. Stripped of its gimmicks, Metal Mind feels very repetitive. Each run is against the same enemies in the same room types. With only four levels in total, you can reach the final boss without encountering anything new from run-to-run. That’s a death knell for a roguelike.

I used the word competent before, in an effort to be diplomatic, but the truth is that, much like its protagonist, Metal Mind is lacking in soul. It constructed a reasonable gameplay loop and then left it at that. The fact that it has fatal flaws, like the aiming, is almost tragic. There are little pockets of fun when the gameplay all clicks together but the chosen genre makes it a slog to get to them. The roguelike elements being nothing but flat stat boosts make Metal Mind simply a slow march to inevitable victory. In such a saturated genre, I’d recommend wearing out your walking boots elsewhere.

(Metal Mind’s Nintendo Page)

Review: Lawn Mowing Simulator

Daniel Leal
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Review: Lawn Mowing Simulator

Background

Lawn Mowing Simulator is developed by Skyhook Games, a UK-based developer with experience in developing simulation games. Simulation games differ from many other genres of video games in that they are designed to be as realistic as possible and to simulate certain activities such as playing a sport, running a farm, or creating a rail network. While other games can often be stylized, both in terms of gameplay and graphics, simulation games are usually very realistic (although there are some exceptions). Lawn Mowing Simulator aims to recreate the fun of mowing lawns through playing a videogame.

First Impressions

Lawn Mowing Simulator has nice bright menus that are at first sight appealing to look at. However, once you try to traverse the options you’ll see that the menus are clunky, hard to navigate and that there are too many options. The menus aren’t intuitive at all, and a simpler design may have been a better option for the developers. I also noticed ads for DLC in the menu which shouldn’t be the focus when you are deciding what mode to play on your new game. The overly complicated menus that try to sell you more content when you haven’t even got into a lawn mower for the first time result in a confusing experience where the player may feel overwhelmed with options and game modes.

To be fair to Lawn Mower Simulator, there are free play modes, a career mode, and more, so whereas the game could have just had a free play mode and let the player experience the gameplay primarily through that option, the addition of a career mode is an ambitious choice. There are also 20-30 minute long ‘contract’ modes, where the player is given a contract to cut grass in a certain area. The wealth of game options is a asset to Lawn Mowing simulator it’s just a shame that the menus are so clunky.

Gameplay

The experience of mowing lawns in Lawn Mowing Simulator is a realistic experience as simulator games often are. The player starts off in first-person mode before they get into the Lawn Mowing machine and the way the game feels at this stage, means you may have been expecting to pick up a rifle and start a first-person shooter campaign, but this is lawn mowing, and the games primarily about cutting grass. Once you sit in the machine, the player can switch to third-person mode. Then you get the engine running and can start to drive the Lawn Mower over to a grassy area. The Lawn Mower doesn’t cut grass automatically, you have to press the X button to begin cutting grass. It’s not as satisfying an experience as core gameplay mechanics in other games.

In Resident Evil 4 it is the satisfying shooting and hitting targets that makes the game satisfying, in Zelda:Ocarina of Time, it is Z-targeting, and the resulting combat that makes the game so good. Unfortunately, cutting grass in Lawn Mowing simulator isn’t the amazing gameplay element that it could have been. Cutting grass in Lawn Mowing simulator is serviceable, and I’m sure the game has its fans, but it doesn’t make for a really fun experience, probably similarly to what cutting grass is like in the real world.

Sounds and Visuals

As a simulation game, Lawn Mowing Simulator recreates gardens, parks, and outdoor areas quite realistically. That’s the game’s aim and the graphics look ok. Each blade of grass is depicted. However, the graphics look really dated. They would look bad for an Xbox 360 game, let alone in 2024. Textures are muddy, graphical elements ‘pop in’ regularly, and it doesn’t look good. However, it’s a colorful game, and there are many shades of green. In terms of sound design, there are nature noises that play while you are mowing lawns, and the sound is well done for what is needed. However, there is no soundtrack while playing (at least that I came across). Again the sound and visual design is servicable, but not great.

Conclusion

Overall, I’d say Lawn Mowing Simulator is a serviceable simulation of what it is like to mow lawns. While this is not my kind of game, I can see why others would value it and become addicted to it with its wealth of game modes. However, the menus are clunky, DLC is offered as soon as you start the game, and the graphics are poor, despite doing their job. Any game’s value comes down to its gameplay elements and unlike the great titles out there, the core gameplay elements of Lawn Mowing Simulator are not satisfying, or addictive enough to make this game worth my time. As far as simulation games go, Lawn Mowing Simulator is an average title and should be avoided unless you are passionate about mowing lawns.

Review: BlazeRush

Robert Gillespie
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Review: BlazeRush

Have you ever wondered what Mario Kart would look like if it was inspired by Mad Max? Look no further than BlazeRush, a wild arcade racing game developed by Targem Games. If that name doesn’t sound familiar, it should. They developed the popular, multiplayer, combat car game Crossout. With a title like that under their belt, it shows that these developers understand what makes a good car-focused game, and BlazeRush is no exception.

Otherworldly Racing

Let’s start off with the futuristic, yet old setting you’ll be racing in. The environments range from overgrown grassy temples, to frozen industrial ruins. You’ll see this presented in the background and on the walls surrounding each track. There’s not too much going on in terms of detail, but it’s just enough to immerse you in the setting and to keep you focused on the race at hand.

Unlike Mario Kart, the tracks you race on are floating. I found that this design helps to keep your eyes on the track, since there will be a lot to focus on and watch for. There will be randomly placed jumps, tight corners, and even missing chunks of track segments to avoid. You also have to watch for the falling item pick-ups that will be vital to your success (more on that later).

Adding to the worn and dilapidated atmosphere of BlazeRush is the game’s explosive sound design and effects. Rockets, gatling guns, jet boosts, etc. all have tangible and gritty sounds that transform the feel of every race. If the weapons manage to find their mark, cars will explode in fiery detail, leaving trails of smoke all over the track. It makes for some great, “OMG!” moments, and trust me, you’ll be saying that a lot. Plus, you’ll be headbanging to the game’s electric soundtrack throughout as well.

Modes, Modes, and More Modes

BlazeRush nails the overall otherworldly feeling it’s going for, and the gameplay compliments it well. To start, you’re given the choice of two different modes. The first one is called Adventure and is where you’ll be spending most of your time in the game. Adventure consists of three game modes including Races, Survival, and King of The Hill. These levels each have their own unique challenges and subgoals, such as getting first in races or scoring the most points in certain objectives.

By completing these levels and depending on how you do, you’ll be given two things: Points, which are used to unlock more cars, and Cups, which are used to unlock more levels in Adventure. There are over 200+ Cups to earn in Adventure mode. It took me around a couple of hours to get up to 100+ cups. At the same time, I also unlocked a large quantity of cars by scoring a lot of points in the levels. This method of unlocking things is perfect for BlazeRush, since it provides a decent challenge for those looking to one hundred percent the game, while not being too restrictive for players who want to hop in and simply do some races.

The other mode you can pick is called Tournaments. This is where you can set up your own custom matches against AI or your friends on a local or online network. In Tournaments, you’re given the choice between four different game modes. These include Races, Survival, King of The Hill, and BlazeBowl.

Races mode is what you’d expect: a straight racing game. You compete with up to 8 other bots for first place, all while dodging and attacking your opponents.

In Survival mode, you have to keep ahead of a giant car-mashing machine that slowly gets faster and faster as time goes on. If you are the last one to survive, you earn 4 points. The round will then repeat until someone earns at least 15 points. 

As for King of The Hill mode, your goal is to stay in front of the pack. By doing so you will earn points every second, and you win by gaining 50 points.

BlazeBowl mode is one of the later added game modes, which has you playing a Rocket League-like football match.

My favorite game mode has to be Survival. Don’t get me wrong, races are fun and all, but it doesn’t compare to the exhilarating challenge that Survival provides.

Engineered for Destruction

BlazeRush features a nice chunk of wild racing machines. These come in three categories: normal cars, tracked cars, and flying cars. Each of these have their own traits that affect how you use them in a race. Flying cars, for example, have a lot of speed, but are a bit harder to control and are weaker to damage. Tracked cars have much better handling and stronger protection, but suffer from lower acceleration. Normal cars fall into a mix of the two.

On top of this, each car has its own levels of acceleration, mass, and handling. This means that no car will feel the same. My personal favorite is Rex. It’s a chunky but sleek looking flying car that has some powerful acceleration to boot. Overall, the diversity of cars available is impressive.

You’re going to need a lot more than just your car to win races though. All along the track, there will be various pick-up items that you can use to shoot, boost, and blast your way to first place. However, the items won’t be sitting on the track. Instead, the items will drop just a few feet from your car as you race. What’s more, these items will spawn at an increased rate behind, and therefore unavailable to, whomever is in first. This helps to keep the races not so one-sided and to keep everyone together, which makes for an engaging and extremely fun experience.

The items come in various forms that can help to either hinder your competitors or push you ahead. There are gatling guns, missile launchers, and even a sonic blast weapon that can push cars off the track. Alongside the weapons are boosts that you can use to give yourself an edge if you’re falling behind. These items, alongside the unique cars, work to make each racing experience all the more enjoyable and engaging, especially if you have friends to compete with.

Checkered Flag

The only gripe I have with the game is with its camera. Instead of going for a third person chase camera, BlazeRush maintains a consistent third person overview camera that tries to keep its focus on all the racers. In my first few races, I actually found myself enjoying the camera perspective. It lets you see all the chaos that unfolds during the races. However, when I started to get better at the game, the camera started having issues focusing on everyone, since I would be too far ahead for it. This meant that I couldn’t see what was in front of me, and it kept trying to yank everyone behind me forward. Don’t get me wrong, I still prefer this type of camera positioning, but it’s just something you have to get used to if you find yourself far out in front.

As far as the game’s content goes, there is a fair amount to unlock for a game of this size, but once you get every car and unlock each Adventure level, there isn’t much else to do except partake in some custom races. Personally, I still enjoy the game despite this limitation. It’s the perfect arcade racing game that offers a lot of replayability if you want to take your mind off things and play some quick sessions with your friends.

Review: Turbo Golf Racing

Daniel Waite
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Review: Turbo Golf Racing

Turbo Golf Racing has been in Early Access for nearly 2 years. However, it has made it to full release and can be enjoyed as part of the Xbox Game Pass service. I previewed this game in 2022, and I wasn’t impressed. I scored it 5/10 as I bemoaned its lack of originality and adventure. Accordingly, will I enjoy the full release, or will it be much of the same?

This action racing title was developed and published by Hugecalf Studios. Moreover, it has a handful of game modes, plenty of customisation options, and loads of stages to enjoy. Alongside this, it is vibrant, well-polished, and enjoyable as a casual experience. Though I still feel it lacks originality, it was competitive and fun in short bursts.

Turbo Golf Racing chucks you into the action. 

This sports endeavour dumps the idea of a career in story mode. Instead, it puts all of its eggs into one fast-paced and adrenaline-filled basket. Though this didn’t surprise me, I would have liked to see more depth. Furthermore, if you love to play offline, Turbo Golf Racing doesn’t cater to these desires. 

You must concentrate on 3 game modes. There is the 8-player racing, a precise and calm golf option, and a time trial. Each of these options utilises the same mechanics, but they test different skills and abilities. The latter unlocks courses while highlighting your skills to a global audience. If you wish to be slow and accurate, the Golf mode is for you. Complete each round with the lowest number of shots and win. Finally, the 8-player racing is intense, fun, and mindless. Accordingly, there is something for everyone.

Cores and power-ups. 

A futuristic sci-fi racing game would be nothing without insane power-ups. Thankfully, Turbo Golf Racing takes this idea and boosts it with steroids. You may customise your car with aggressive and passive cores that match your gameplay style. Additionally, you can find power-ups on the course that can change the way you play. 

With boost pads to race over and rockets to collect, you can sprint ahead and slow down your opponent’s charge. It was this aggressive edge that would drive you mad and make you laugh. There was nothing worse than racing towards the hole when a rocket or other weapon slows you down!

Turbo Golf Racing looks incredible.

Just like Rocket League, Turbo Golf Racing has a simple but polished exterior. The movement is smooth and easy to follow. Moreover, the stage design is intelligent and interesting and the vehicles look amazing. Alongside this, I experienced no glitches or bugs. Accordingly, the developers have used their Early Access phase to iron out any issues.

The audio matches the high-energy sci-fi theme. The loud and exciting tunes are drowned out by obnoxious engine sounds. Additionally, the crash of missiles and strange power-up noises are suitable and interesting. Consequently, it piques your interest immediately. 

Accurate controls. 

Aesthetically, this game was perfect. However, the controls were nearly as good. The well-considered layout is complemented by an excellent tutorial. What’s more, the responsive inputs help to keep you in the competition. Subsequently, this is a great title for newbie gamers. 

Thanks to the cross-play feature and the 3 game modes, this has replay value and longevity. On top of this, it has a season pass with objectives to complete. As such, you’ll become hooked on winning every game and completing each goal. 

Turbo Golf Racing has improved. 

My 5/10 preview seems extremely harsh. However, 18 months in Early Access appears to have worked wonders. With more game modes and smoother gameplay, it is a joy to play. Additionally, I loved the competitive action and the brilliant aesthetics. Furthermore, it is included in the Game Pass subscription service. Accordingly, I love it and I recommend buying it here! Can you master the racing golf course? Pick a car, choose your skills, and win every hole.

Review: Beat Slayer

Phant0m
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Review: Beat Slayer

” A Gritty game thats always on beat “

This game is fantastic simple fun that takes inspirations from games like hades and hifi rush to a very different level! Hi my name is phant0m and these are my thoughts on the game Beat Slayer!

Visuals

First thing I gotta talk about is the fun and gritty art style. It’s very much a colorful steampunk base mixed with some cool color flourishes to balance a bit of dead grays and awesome brights, the character design is especially awesome since the characters look great! Highly detailed and unique, the level design isn’t as special looking though, although simple it does nothing to peak my interest, neither do the enemies which fall flat just the same.

Gameplay

The gameplay is super inspired by a mix of hades and Hi fi rush, you’ll be fighting on a continuous roguelike mode while hitting and dodging on the even more continuous beat, if you hit the enemies on beat you’ll do more damage and kill the enemies quickly which feels as great as it sounds. It’s fun and super punchy, the weapons have decent variety but I do wish there were more, the skill tree is also super interesting as it truly does make you stronger. The combat is honestly the highlight of the game for me.

Story 

The story is also not bad, the game’s plot follows a simple concept, you are trying to save your brother in a dystopian world where the government is against you, it’s a simple concept, and it would’ve worked well if not for the dialogue, the dialogue loses me on so many instances. I felt that it wasn’t interesting or oftenly the characters stopped talking about important things or what I was doing currently. 

Characters

The characters seem interesting and have quite a few defining traits making them interesting. But they lack any real depth making them bland in the time that i played. They do have cool designs, but not cool enough to be interesting during dialogue or story beats. Speaking of which, the voice actors do a good job of entertaining me, although most of the characters don’t sound different from regular people, they still played their part well enough to show off emotions and fun dialogue, just not heavily immersive.

Music

And The music is really cool, punky and right in rhythm with the combat and world. It’s not an amazing track but it’s good enough to listen and fight during it, there aren’t many tracks but they fill up a good amount of the game. and side note that the game is always consistently on beat, and if you can’t stay on beat they provide an assistance mode that I personally didn’t use, since I could use some rhythm.

Performance

The performance of the game is pretty good, it runs perfectly on my computer, and the controller support is amazing. Didn’t have a single issue in my several hours played.

Verdict 

Anyways if you’re wondering I do recommend this game! It’s super fun, engrossing, punchy and just absolutely awesome. I give this game an 8.5/10 With super minor flaws like the story and characters, but this still absolutely skyrockets to one of my favorite roguelikes out there! Those were my thoughts on Beat Slayer! Thx For Reading! Keep doing great things! You’re good at them. Bye 🙂

Side Notes

This was reviewed on PC which contained an Rx 6750 XT powercolor, and an intel i5 13400f. I ran into 0 crashes or framerate drop issues during my playtime. also the games controller support is amazing, there was 0 problems in connecting my controller and playing.

Review: CipherCraft: Cyber Guardian Introduction

Saim Khurshid
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Review: CipherCraft: Cyber Guardian Introduction

Getting into ‘CipherCraft: Cyber Guardian Introduction’ was an interesting feeling. You could take one look at the title and have little hope for what the simulator could have in store. Sadly, in this case, one can easily judge the book by its cover.

CipherCraft: Cyber Guardian Introduction reveal trailer

CipherCraft: Cyber Guardian Introduction is a simulation game that puts players in the role of a cyber guardian.
The task is that you must assemble computers and battle hackers in a cyber attack simulation.

With a glaring lack of challenge or drive to keep me playing, I found that there is not much in this title.

CIPHER STALE

The game begins with the task of cleaning a room filled with trash. This in itself seemed to be an indication of all that was to come. Once you slowly and painfully pick each piece of random trash into the can, now the game lets you begin.

When the tutorial showed me how to buy parts and told me that I would be assembling computers myself, I was hopeful that some rabbit would be exiting a hat but things worked out in a different way.

Once I placed the purchased items down, a tutorial began, showing me how to proceed and warning of potential mistakes. However, my disappointment set in when the tutorial revealed that the process wasn’t hands-on. Instead it involved monotonous mini-games like stopping the metre on green or rotating objects along certain axes. This reliance on mini-games meant that the game lacked a real fail state. Success depended solely on completing these simplistic challenges. While these mini-games might be suitable for children’s entertainment, they felt out of place in a game centred around complex machinery like computer parts.

CYBER Drag-on

The next step introduced is the software side of things. Which just as the real thing, is all about clicking things and watching them load. Really something if monotony is your thing.

Honestly, I do not know what else to say about this side CipherCraft except that it just is what it is.

Anti- Climactic Hacker

The last big thing hyped up in this letdown of a game was becoming a Cyber Guardian and dealing with the ‘Hacker,’ who’s supposed to sneak into your work and do who-knows-what. But to be honest, by that point, I was so bored that I might have missed some of the story about the whole cyber security stuff. You’re supposed to fend off the hacker, which might sound exciting to some, but I just couldn’t get into it.

Miss of the Century

From the mundane task of lacklustre computer assembly to the cyber attack simulation, ‘CipherCraft: Cyber Guardian Introduction’ fails to engage players with its simplistic mechanics and repetitive mini-games. Even the introduction of the Hacker element, meant to inject some excitement into the gameplay, falls flat due to its lack of clarity and depth.

To put it simply, ‘CipherCraft: An overly long title about cyber security’ doesn’t live up to its potential as a fun PC Shop/Cybersecurity game. It’s disappointing because it doesn’t give players the engaging experience they were hoping for. Instead of being exciting and interesting, the game feels boring and average. It’s a shame because it could have been so much better if it had more depth and excitement.

NOTICE: However, it’s important to know that CipherCraft: Cyber Guardian Introduction is a free Cyber security and computer building game that you can get on Steam. It is set to be a part of a bigger game called ServiceIT. So, until the whole ServiceIT game is out, we might need to wait before making a final decision. Even though the game is boring for now, we should wait to see what changes developers make for the final release. That way, we can see if the game gets better or adds more stuff. So, while CipherCraft might not be great yet, let’s wait and see what happens next.

Review: Outer Terror

Daniel Waite
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Review: Outer Terror

Outer Terror doesn’t break the mould. Instead, it uses tried and tested mechanics and dated 80s and 90s nostalgia to get your juices flowing. Moreover, its moreish gameplay and straightforward ideas make this simple to learn, but a tough game to put down. Accordingly, this is an intense and enjoyable indie experience.

This arena-based rogue-like was developed by Salt and Pixel LLC and published by Ratalaika Games. Additionally, it can be enjoyed alone or with another player. This cooperative action adds depth to an otherwise well-trodden genre. What’s more, the clichéd comic book art style and the familiar horror gameplay will impress and scare you in equal measure.

Outer Terror focuses on its heroes.

This 80s/90s-inspired adventure has 5 unbelievable and unique stories to enjoy. Moreover, there is an array of sinister monsters to overcome. However, that is not all! You must explore vast maps and tackle enormous boss battles as you try to complete each outlandish plot.

You control one of 10 heroic individuals. These hardcore warriors must explore deadly environments whilst completing an array of tasks. With a never-ending wave of enemies to defeat and plenty of weapons to choose from, each playthrough is never the same. On top of this, each of the protagonists has a special weapon and a list of strengths and weaknesses that must be considered if you wish to be victorious. Though the differences between characters can be minimal, it offers enough variety to keep you focused throughout.

Simple mechanics.

Each playthrough follows a similar pattern. You must choose whether to go it alone or ask a friend to play cooperatively. Next, you must select your character and pick your story. After this, all hell breaks loose as you complete each quest and explore the vast wilderness. En route, you’ll encounter monsters and creatures that will make your skin crawl. What’s more, you will pick up coins and earn temporary XP to improve your character.

As your character improves, you may select from a limited number of weapons. Each slot can be upgraded and once you maximise your potential, you will face an enormous boss. Yet, getting to the boss battle is no easy feat as you will have your ass kicked multiple times. Additionally, the environments can be tough to explore, and each side quest will test your ability and patience. Subsequently, getting to each boss encounter should be considered an achievement in itself.

Upgrades and an arsenal of weapons.

In typical genre fashion, Outer Terror has a list of temporary and permanent upgrades. The latter can be accessed before you start each hellish run. However, affording each of these bonus abilities is a challenge. Unless you work hard, or you are extremely lucky, you will have to grind away to improve your hero.

If that isn’t enough, you can improve your chances of survival as your character gains XP during each playthrough. With an array of options to pick from, you can specialise your skills to match your approach. As such, you can lean towards a defensive build. Alternatively, you can upgrade your weaponry and hope this is enough to survive.

Outer Terror has old-school vibes.

The colour palette, comic book cinematic, and simple pixelated graphics emit an old-school vibe. I adored this dated approach and I enjoyed every cinematic treat. On top of this, the animation is basic but effective and the monsters are laughable and terrifying simultaneously. My only complaint is the monster’s ability to move through buildings. This issue was stupid and unfair. What’s more, it delivers an unpolished finish that tarnishes the end product.

The audio was more rounded and enjoyable to listen to. The soundtrack is aggressive and upbeat. The blend of heavy tracks and synth music matched the 80s theme. Moreover, the loud and uncomfortable sound effects enhance the drama without being OTT or annoying.

Brilliant controls.

Like Brotato and Vampire Survivors, Outer Terror uses a simple control layout. You may unlock usable items and special perks. However, it is a mostly automated title that requires you to avoid your foes and allow the auto shooting to rule the roost. This rudimentary idea may annoy you, but there were some tactical elements. Once you unlock certain tools and skills, you can manipulate different situations to your advantage. I loved this basic idea as it added depth to an otherwise simple approach.

If you don’t mind repeatedly losing your progress, this game will be right up your street. The cruel nature of each playthrough is hard to swallow. Additionally, the unbalanced and expensive upgrades make the action far too grindy for my liking. I’d have preferred a more considered upgrade system as it would have improved things considerably.

Despite its minor issues, Outer Terror is fantastic.

If the developers could tweak the balancing issues, then Outer Terror would be a challenger to Vampire Survivors. However, it doesn’t quite compare and this may disappoint. Yet, if you want a simplified and fun nod to 80s/90s horror, then this is the game for you. I love the aesthetics and the wonderful learning curve. Accordingly, I recommend buying it here! Can you complete each chapter? Choose a hero, explore each vast land, and kill every boss you face.

4 Reasons to Send Gift Hampers to Your Clients

Andrew Edney
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4 Reasons to Send Gift Hampers to Your Clients

Relationships matter in business. To retain client loyalty, you must attempt to express your appreciation for the custom when the opportunity arises. 

For instance, you could send a thoughtful gift at Christmas or when their business reaches a landmark anniversary or receives a prestigious award. 

Gift boxes and hampers are a great way to convey your gratitude and are bound to excite a client once they arrive at their address. 

If you are unsure if it is the right option for your company, here are four reasons to send gift hampers to your clients.

1 – Strengthen Your Personal Relationship

    Sending a generous gift box or hamper to a client is a great way to develop or strengthen a personal connection. 

    The thoughtful gesture will blow them away once it arrives at their address, and they will likely reach out quickly to express their appreciation. 

    It is a powerful way to improve the professional relationship moving forward, as it could help your team form a more personable connection and may help you retain their loyalty.

    2 – Convey Your Brand Identity

    A gift hamper provides an opportunity to promote your brand identity to your clients, which will confirm you are the right company for them.

    Send a gift box or hamper that represents your brand and proves it has exceptional attention to detail.

    For instance, you can create your own gift hampers for many clients by purchasing attractive wholesale gift boxes to house and display various items, such as perishable and non-perishable foods, beauty products, liquor, and more.

    You can choose from various designs that best reflect your branding, such as wood crates, luxury picnic baskets, embossed paperboard guitar boxes, or even Texas flag metal containers, to name a few options.

    Also, you could prove you have excellent attention to detail by including items they might have mentioned they love during a meeting, such as their favourite cookies, drink, or beauty product.

    It will prove you listen carefully and are willing to go above and beyond to make them happy.

    3 – It’s Fun and Thoughtful

    Don’t send an important client a dull gift that will fail to bring a smile to their face. Ditch branded mouse pads and mugs, as they lack thought and imagination.

    Instead, send a fun gift box or hamper with a mix of items that will make them want to explore its contents right away.

    You can trust they will enjoy browsing and sampling the items inside, which could encourage positive word of mouth and many referrals.

    4 – They Will Remember Your Gift

    There is no doubt a quality gift hamper will leave a lasting impression on a client. 

    The fun experience will stand out in their mind, from their surprise when receiving it to exploring and sharing the items with others.

    It is a positive moment they will always associate with your business, helping your brand to become their favourite business to work with each year.

    Don’t allow your gifts to blend in with the crowd. Impress every client by sending a thoughtful, personalized hamper they will love.

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