Review: CyberHive

Daniel Waite
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Review: CyberHive

I’m not daft enough to believe that we are the only intelligent beings in this universe. However, I’m also not a conspiracy nut. Consequently, I don’t believe that aliens walk among us, or do they? Instead, I believe that somewhere out in space, there are beings just doing their thing. CyberHive plays with this idea as you explore uncharted areas of space.

Developed by Blazing Planet Studio and published by Samustai Ltd, this is a sci-fi adventure colony builder. On top of this, it has resource management, research, and rogue-lite elements. Therefore, it’s a tactical game that requires you to plan ahead while spinning many plates.

CyberHive is deceptively simple. 

As you start CyberHive, you’d be excused for feeling overwhelmed. The opening data dump is a thing of nightmares and could be extremely off-putting. Yet, I urge you to battle through the pain. Why? Because it is nowhere near as complex as it appears. In fact, as you get hands-on with it, it quickly becomes an enjoyable and manageable experience.

CyberHive has a loose plot that comprises multiple events and many subplots. You are the commander of the Melistar (“The Star Bee”). This ship is home to a queen bee and her army of workers. Their task is to survive, expand, and thrive. But, the discovery of an ancient artefact gives their life more purpose. With a mission to undertake, the colony scours the universe, battles its opponents, and makes new allies.

The UI in CyberHive is simple and easy to understand.
Be wise and get those bees working.

It’s all about the resources.

The core concept is as simple as it comes. Effectively, you must manage resources to expand your colony. However, you must balance growth with food. If you run out of food (energy gel), it is game over! Moreover, the bigger your colony, the more resources you must have. Therefore, it is a fine balancing act and one you’ll fall foul of repeatedly. To survive and expand, you must search for biomaterial, spare parts, crystals, and energy gels.

Each of these elements is key to your success. The biomaterial is used to research an array of technologies. Whereas the spare parts upgrade your ship. Both are important as they improve productivity and the efficiency of your hive. Finally, crystals and energy gels are intrinsically linked. Without crystals, you can’t produce food, and without food, your bees will die and it is game over. 

As I said, it is a fine line between progress and survival. Subsequently, every plan must be considered, and every gamble is a risk. Yet, with great risk comes enormous rewards. Accordingly, you must occasionally chuck caution to the wind if you wish to succeed.

Every chapter is full of game changing decisions.
Choices, choices.

Many aliens and lots of events. 

What is so fascinating about CyberHive is its non-linear plot. With many branches to this interesting story, it is easy to get swept up in the moment. This is then complemented by a vast amount of events to enjoy and many aliens to encounter.

The aforementioned resources are mined, scavenged, or stolen during each of the events. You must send worker bees to derelict ships, asteroids, and more. Alongside this, you’ll rescue refugees, transport goods, or become a pirate. Whatever you decide, you must live with the consequences. Sometimes the impact is felt immediately, and other times, slow-burning ramifications manifest themselves during revenge attacks from deluded aliens. 

Talking of extraterrestrials, there are so many that I can’t remember them all. Most of these greedy asshats are only interested in their survival. Sadly, this somewhat undermines your mission. I mean, how can you find secret artefacts and trick people if they are only interested in themselves? Sadly, these selfish beings are hostile and all-out warfare is the consequence.

This is represented by a basic mini-game. Your enemy’s fire rockets toward your ship and you must blow them up. Seems simple, right? Well, it is, but there are some tactical elements to remember. The more bees you have present in the barracks, the more missiles you have to fire. Furthermore, the more bees in the power room, the stronger your shields will be. However, placing your workers in these areas isn’t always wise. If they are sitting idly awaiting a battle, they can’t gather resources. Consequently, you must judge when to hunt for goods, or when to prepare to fight.

CyberHive is a simple pixel affair.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Graphics do not make the game! CyberHive isn’t a modern-looking title, nor is it polished. Instead, it’s a simple pixel affair that works wonderfully with the theme. Its fixed-screen perspective and excellent UI are great to look at. What’s more, I loved the rich and varied colours that enhance the Sci-fi vibes.

The futuristic and alien ideas continue with the tinny electronic audio. This dated but effective approach is reminiscent of 80s space-inspired TV programs. With its camp feel and clichéd style, it was both brilliant and absurd.

Be sure to mine every resource to strengthen your hive.
Mine those resources and make your hive stronger.

Straightforward controls. 

Though the initial data dump is intimidating, the straightforward controls make it easier to play. With well-labelled and single-use buttons, you’ll know exactly what you are doing. What’s more, though the tutorial is somewhat confusing, it does well to explain the fundamentals.

Longevity and replay value are core principles of CyberHive. Thanks to its non-linear story and masses of events, the action remains fresh. On top of this, the rogue-lite element adds a layer of risk that keeps you on edge throughout. 

CyberHive is a brilliant indie title. 

My opening experience with CyberHive should have stopped me from continuing. Its poorly executed data dump is off-putting and simply ridiculous. However, a little patience made all the difference. By giving it a chance and working through the opener, I discovered a brilliant indie title. It is tactically wonderful, comprises fascinating lore, has interesting events, and the aliens are imaginative and disgusting. What’s more, it oozes originality while testing you to your limit. Subsequently, I loved it and I recommend you to buy it here! Can you expand your colony and balance the well-being of your creatures? Gather resources, improve your technology, and find every secret artefact. 

Review: Out There: Oceans of Time

James Refelian
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Review: Out There: Oceans of Time

Out There: Oceans of Time falls somewhere between being an unforgiving rogue-like adventure and a point-and-click visual novel with some key decision-making. Unfortunately, it isn’t clear which one it wants to be. At times you find yourself trying to enjoy the story but ignoring it because resources won’t manage themselves.

Gameplay

In Out There: Oceans of Time you’re mostly thrown into the deep end of this vast space saga. What passes for a tutorial is really the prologue with a few text boxes hurriedly explaining what everything does. It’s a lot to take in and even more to remember. Unnecessarily complicated systems of resource gathering, development, and management make it difficult to navigate the core aspects of the game. This is disappointing as there is a good story underpinning it with even more impressive visuals.

The game sees you as space-faring survivors trying to work out what’s going on as you emerge from a deep cryo-stasis. This is set against the backdrop of great evil taking over literally everything. So, you begin hopping your ship to one of the countless systems to explore, gather resources, and ultimately arrive at various objectives. There you will be met with a lot of text-based dialogue as the story unfolds. This all sounds relatively straightforward, but it is resource management that seems to be the biggest foe in Out There: Oceans of Time.

To do anything, your ship spends resources. Only in certain locations can you replenish those. However, it’s rarely clear if you’ll get what you need, and if you do, whether your equipment will last, and you’ll get enough. Gathering any main resource negatively impacts another and so rather than focusing on the adventure, you find yourself obsessively worrying about just staying functional. This can get frustrating as one wrong move and it’s game over. There isn’t even a simple save solution to make that outcome anything less than frustrating.

What is phenomenal is how vast this game really is. There are so many planets, so many of which you can land on and explore. This can lead to interactions with possibly the most diverse range of unique alien designs I can recall. Depending on how well these interactions go (you must learn a language along the way which reveals more of what these dialogue choices are with the more that you participate in) will determine how successful your trades or resource gathering is. You move your away team along different tile paths where you can interact with things along the way. These can be as simple as collecting items, or text-based choices in a choose-your-own-adventure format. There are also things that will harm your crew so healing and effective management are key.

Art and Graphics

Art from sheer scale, Out There: Oceans of Time has some wonderful designs. The ships, and especially the aliens, all feel very fresh in a genre that has some pretty big heavy hitters when it comes to design aesthetic.

It’s a delight to see so many weird and wonderful designs that make the game’s universe feel very alien. No two aliens feel the same and none of them feel like they’re cookie-cutter templates from the genre. In fact, the most generic characters seem to be humans, and for once in a sci-fi medium, it’s nice to see. For example, the alien language you have to learn along the way, at first, it’s a total guessing game what you’re saying, and I love that there aren’t a ‘universal translator’ and humans aren’t literally everywhere.

Everything from the planets, to space, to the animations and cutscenes, are all beautiful to look at and you can certainly spend a lot of time looking at them… provided you have resources and aren’t too busy worrying about them!

Is Out There: Oceans of Time worth playing?

The lack of ability to save whenever you want, tied to an incredibly complex resource management system is unforgiving. I can see why people find Out There: Oceans of Time to be a game they just can’t get on board with. Try and stick with it though, the story is great, the visuals are better and if you’re lucky enough to have enough resources to fully explore, you won’t regret it. Out There: Oceans of Time is a challenging rogue-like, story-driven adventure and while sure, it isn’t perfect, it isn’t a total write-off.

The LEGO Group is celebrating 90 years of play

Andrew Edney
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The LEGO Group is celebrating 90 years of play

To celebrate 90 years of play, the LEGO Group and Rankin have teamed up to create special portraits of 90 LEGO® fans aged 1 – 90 years, to showcase the ageless nature of LEGO play.   Hundreds of fans shared their stories of what LEGO play means to them to be with a chance of being photographed by Rankin, best known for his iconic celebrity portraits including the Spice Girls, David Bowie and The Queen.   The portraits can be viewed here https://www.lego.com/90-years-of-play/90-builders as will also be displayed in Manchester, Glasgow and various London locations.   

The line-up includes LEGO lovers from around the country, from 8-year-old Boaz and his Grandpa Paul, who says LEGO play has come a long way since he was little, to 11 year old Elijah who enjoys creating fantasy worlds and 45 year old Kev Gascoigne, of Fairy Bricks which donates LEGO sets to children’s hospices and hospitals.  They feature alongside LEGO designers including Matthew Ashton and Amy Corbett, plus familiar faces including Model Ellie Goldstein; Glow Up Judge Dominic Skinner and former England footballer and BBC podcast host Peter Crouch.  

Former England footballer and dad of four, Peter Crouch, says “LEGO play has always been in my life. From a young age I’d build football stadiums – little goals, bricks to make the lines around the edge of the pitch and mini-figures as players for the match. 

Now, as a dad of four, LEGO building is firmly back in my life and everywhere in our house. My kids love to build – it’s something they’ve all been into at one point or another. LEGO Ninjago is very popular in our house, some of the things the kids build are so intricate, it really amazes me how it captures their attention. I try to get involved but they normally send me away – I’m definitely better with my feet than my hands!”

Vicky Ryan, who features in the line up alongside her son Kaelen, adds, “LEGO play is at the heart of my relationship with my son Kaelen. I loved LEGO sets as a child and passed that love onto him from an early age. We have developed an amazing LEGO town in his bedroom where we have created fantastic scenes of chaos and mayhem and while away the hours chatting whilst we build”  (HOLDER: update once 9 shot finalised )

Photographer Rankin said, “I’ve captured some playful photography in my time, but this campaign has been a truly special one to be involved in. There aren’t many brands who have stood the test of 90 years, have fans across all ages and which still manages to excite and inspire people across the world to be creative every day.”

The 1-90 portraits can been seen on outdoor media in cities around the UK and at lego.com for the next two weeks. They form just one element of a whole summer of celebration for 90 years of LEGO play with other highlights including:  

  • Celebrating the role of play in the lives of world-renowned creatives such as Alicia Keys, Yotam Ottolenghi and Peggy Gou
  • Bringing LEGO fans and families together for an exciting look behind-the-scenes of LEGO HQ with LEGO® CON
  • Recreating iconic LEGO models with the LEGO Classic 90 Years of Play, and two new sets that reimagine original classic themes: the LEGO® Lion Knights’ Castle and  the LEGO® Galaxy Explorer, which were revealed through a touching reunion of LEGO families.
  • A ‘What Brick Are You?’ quiz available on LEGO.com, LEGO social media channels and LEGO Life
  • The (re)opening of the world’s biggest LEGO store in Leicester Square on The LEGO Group’s 90th birthday itself, 10th August 

90 years of play 

Ninety years ago, a Danish carpenter crafted a line of small wooden toys in his Billund, Denmark, workshop. His first collection had a modest 36 items that included cars, airplanes, and yoyos, all carefully crafted to help local children learn about the world.

Twenty-six years after Ole made his first wooden toy, his son Godtfred patented the LEGO® brick we know today, with its interlocking tube system offering endless creative building possibilities.

Since then, the LEGO brick has become both one of the World’s biggest brands and most popular toys, even being named ‘Toy of the Century’ in 1999. The humble brick has formed the basis of over 18,000 LEGO products, received the Hollywood treatment in THE LEGO MOVIE™, helped children learn about robotics and coding through LEGO® MINDSTORMS®, and inspired hours of playful digital adventures in over 180 LEGO video games. 

The name derives from the Danish ‘Leg Godt’ meaning ‘play well’ – and the LEGO Group’s mission is to ‘inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow’.  New research from the LEGO Play Well Study shows play as not only fun, but also integral to childhood development, overall happiness and family wellbeing.

LEGO play continues to grow in popularity, with famous fans, including David Beckham, Ed Sheeran and Joe Jonas & Sophie Turner, helping reach new audiences year on year.  

Family values have always been at the heart of the LEGO Group, which is still headquartered in Billund, Denmark, where Ole started making his first toys. To this day, it is still owned by Ole’s family with grandson Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen recently passing the helm to his own son, Thomas Kirk Kristiansen. 

Thomas Kirk Kristiansen, Chairman of the LEGO Group said, “when my great-grandfather founded the company 90 years ago, he recognised that play could change the lives of children – it brings families together and helps children develop skills that can enable them to reach their full potential. He only had a small workshop, but he had big ambitions to ensure as many children as possible could experience the benefits that play brings. Whether 1932, 2022 or on our 100th Anniversary in 2032, we strive to continue this legacy by helping all families, wherever they are in the world, to play well.”

Innovative play for all 

Keeping the LEGO brick remains at the heart of everything The LEGO Group does, 2022 marks a year of driving further innovation through play. 

Most recently, The LEGO Group announced the launch of LEGO City Missions, a new digital storytelling experience that puts children in charge of creating their own builds, using imagination and creativity to solve exciting missions. Launched with three new sets based on animal rescue, space exploration and police detective mysteries, children are given inspiration for core model builds, which they can then build and rebuild again and again. 

In April, The LEGO Group and Epic Games announced that they are entering a long-term partnership to shape the future of the metaverse to make it fun and safe for children and families. Together they aim to build an immersive, creatively inspiring and engaging digital experience for kids of all ages to enjoy together and empower them to become confident creators in a safe and positive space.

In a year that sees women’s sport in the spotlight, The LEGO Group is a national sponsor of the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 which is currently taking place, as part of its commitment to champion inclusive play and ensure children’s creative ambitions aren’t limited by gender stereotypes

Follow the hashtag #LEGO90years or visit LEGO.com/90-Years-Of-Play to join in the fun.

Review: Gravastar Mars Pro speaker

Daniel Waite
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Review: Gravastar Mars Pro speaker

I’ve been lucky enough to cover plenty of headphones and earbuds. In fact, I recently looked at the Gravastar Sirius Pro earbuds, and they were fantastic. However, now I get to explore the advantages of Gravastar’s incredible Bluetooth speaker range. I am, of course, talking about the Gravastar Mars Pro speaker. This exceptionally beautiful and user-friendly device looks amazing on your shelf or desk while delivering top-quality sound.

It has been designed with Audiophiles in mind and will not disappoint this group of sound perfectionists. This Bluetooth 5.0 speaker has been created to work alone or with another Gravastar Mars Pro speaker. If you take the plunge and use two simultaneously, you’ll experience a rich and immersive sound that will blow your mind. However, a solo speaker is also a fantastic investment that won’t disappoint you. What’s more, it looks incredible, with an array of light features, and produces a wonderful range of tones and a bone-shattering bass line.

Don’t mess with the futuristic speaker.

What’s in the box of the Gravastar Mars Pro speaker?

  • The futuristic theme begins with ostentatious packaging. The sizable box is silver and adorned with weird imagery and key information. Immediately, it screams open me, so that’s what I did. The device is housed snuggly between two pieces of polystyrene. This was disappointing as it’s hard to recycle. I believe a cardboard alternative would work just as well.
  • The Gravastar Mars Pro speaker. This spherical speaker is heavy, well constructed, and made from zinc alloy. It comes in a range of colours and special editions, and I choose the standard black version. On the underside of the speaker are extendable claw-like legs that perfectly balance the accessory. Furthermore, the feet absorb minor shocks to prevent damage and maintain audio quality.
  • USB-C charging cable. This device has an exceptional battery life of around 15 hours. However, when the power runs low, you can charge it with ease thanks to its universal USB-C port.
  • Aux cable. Perhaps you have an older device with no Bluetooth connection. Worry not. By plugging in the Aux cable, you’ll be able to create a wired connection. 
  • User manual. Understand the basics with this small but in-depth guide. 
Check out the rear of the speaker.
So much detail from every angle.
Vivid LED lighting.
A simple user manual.
The USB-C charging cable.
Create a wired connection with the AUX cable.
Striking and futuristic packaging.
The branded protective packaging.
The full package.

Technical aspects. 

MaterialsZinc Alloy
Product Dimension7.5″H x 7.1″L x 7.9″W
Weight5.55 lbs
BluetoothV 5.0
RGB Lights6
Touch Volume ControlYes
True Wireless StereoYes
Battery lifeUp to 15 hours
Output Power20W
Transmission range10M
Power supply5V/2A

I’m in awe of the design and LED light display. However, my biggest concern when buying a speaker is the audio quality. Fortunately, the Gravastar Mars Pro speaker is exceptional. Because of the built-in exclusive DSP audio algorithms, you experience a truly mind-blowing sound. With deep and gut-wrenching bass, accurate rich mids, and crisp highs, it will amaze you. Further to this, the ability to connect 2 speakers enhances your audio further still.

I’ve owned speakers that sound great at one volume, but awful at another. Thankfully, the Gravastar Mars Pro speaker doesn’t suffer this affliction! No matter the volume, its deep bass resonates through the dual speakers and passive bass radiator. Consequently, it performs perfectly while delivering crisp sound.

Stop that speaker in its track.

Touch controls and LED lights. 

You can rest assured that you’ll experience true wireless sound thanks to the Bluetooth 5.0 connection. This low-latency option has a great range, a quick pickup, and a low energy draw. However, the aforementioned Aux cable provides an alternative arrangement to cover all bases.

So, we know the sound is incredible. Moreover, it has a great battery, and it’s easy to use. But what about its looks? Well, in short, the Mecha Sci-Fi theme is jaw-droppingly good! With a brushed metal finish, interesting and chilling claw feet, and mesmerising LED lights, this has phenomenal aesthetics.

The weighty design and zinc alloy spherical case are well built and robust. Furthermore, the speakers are housed safely within the body to prevent unnecessary vibration or issues. The feet can be adjusted with ease and give the speaker an unusual alien-like appearance. Undoubtedly, this will be a conversation starter, especially when the LED lights begin to shine. 

Thanks to the large array of settings, you can customise the look to your liking. The lights can be extinguished, remain one colour, flit through a random selection, or pulse with the beat. I chose the latter option as it looked incredible and was responsive to every song. 

Finally, the touch-sensitive controls make it easy to adjust the volume. Located at the top of the body, you can increase and decrease the sound with ease. This was a feature that wasn’t entirely essential, but I’m glad it was included. Not only does it look great with the LED light display, but it adds to the futuristic theme.

The Gravastar Mars Pro Speaker looks great in any situation.
The Gravastar Mars Pro speaker looks striking.

Is the Gravastar Mars Pro speaker worth it?

Bluetooth speakers are two a penny these days. However, buying one that looks amazing whilst delivering exceptional audio quality isn’t easy. Thankfully, the Gravastar Mars Pro speaker breaks the mould as it ticks every box. Not only does it produce phenomenal sound quality, but it can be enhanced further by connecting it to another speaker. Moreover, the exclusive DSP audio algorithms offer an unrivalled experience.

If you then consider the build quality, unusual Sci-Fi design, and LED lights, you get a speaker that is a real conversation starter. Further to this, the exceptional battery life and user-friendly design make it the perfect device for your home or when you are out and about. It is for these reasons that I recommend you to buy it here!

Summary.

Gravastar has created a mind-blowing accessory that is out of this world. Not only does it look great, but it is a market leader with its exclusive technology and masterful design. If you are in the market for a head-turning speaker, you need to look no further. 

(More information on Gravastar can be found here!) 

The Gravastar Mars Pro speaker has been awarded the Movies Games and Tech gold award.

Review: Neon Blight

Lee Fairweather
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Review: Neon Blight

Neon Blight is a game I was genuinely looking forward to playing. I first noticed it during the Steam Next Fest, where its distinctive cyberpunk art style immediately grasped my attention. The gameplay also appeared to be very reminiscent of Enter the Gungeon, and it was shaping up to be an all-around great time. This is why it’s all the more disappointing that it turned out to be an utterly broken mess.

Neon Blight was developed by newcomers Bleeding Tapes, and published by Freedom Games. Inherently, it is a top-down bullet hell roguelite shooter, but also features shop management undertones. I have a lot I want to say about this title, but to be up front with you, I’d suggest you avoid this game for the time being.

Bugs

Before we get into the meat and potatoes of this review, I want to highlight the issues I faced while playing Neon Blight. During the first 3 hours of my playthrough, there were a number of instances where my game would freeze, or simply terminate altogether. I stopped making a note after the 15th crash due to the staggering frequency in which they occurred.

Outside of these, I also encountered my fair share of bugs and glitches. Some of these were bizarre, but fundamentally harmless, whereas others were outright gamebreaking. Here is a short list of some of the issues that I experienced:

  • Being stuck in various out of bounds areas.
  • Being randomly warped to areas of the game I hadn’t yet unlocked.
  • Enemies getting stuck in walls, and somehow managing to still successfully attack me.
  • AI pathing resulting in characters getting stuck on terrain.
  • Customers stealing items that I had put up for sale.
  • The entire storefronts cosmetic system being completely broken.
  • Placeholder text being used in dialogue boxes.
  • Text missing entirely from dialogue boxes.

I’m not sure if this is a curse with cyberpunk themed games, but its honestly baffling that these issues got past the QA department. Though, having worked QA before, it seems as though not much internal testing was done at all. It took me less than 15 minutes to discover the first gamebreaking bug, and that was simply by playing the game normally.

Early Access?

Bleeding Tapes and Freedom Games, the latter of which I have a fairly high opinion of, should be embarrassed calling this a fully fledged release. Nobody would have batted an eye at this if they simply put this out as an early access title. After all, that is exactly what the EA system is setup to do for a product. Alas, it was released as a finished project, and that is both laughable and insulting.

Update: As of this review, Bleeding Tapes have put out a number of updates to try and fix some of the issues. While they have managed to patch out some of the bugs, a lot of them still persist. I was initially going to rate this game a 2/10, but as it stands now I’ve bumped it up to a very generous 3.

Story

The story follows the former police officer Lara in her attempt to start a new life as a gun store owner. However, in order to start her new life, she seemingly has to confront her old one. She decides to become a rogue gunslinger to discover the truth surrounding a mysterious event which transpired 15 years earlier.

Truth be told, the game did a stellar job of piquing my interest. Why did the former cop turn into a gun store clerk? Why did she leave the force to begin with? Who is this mysterious entity that has compelled her into action? I wanted answers to these questions, and I was eager to see how it played out.

Then, unexpectedly, and very awkwardly, the entire story was dropped almost immediately. I honestly have no idea if this was because of a glitch I caused, or if it was a mishap on the developer’s side. Either way, it is yet another example of the abysmally poor state this game is currently in. I hope Bleeding Tapes implement this story properly at some point, as I really do think it has potential.

Gameplay 

When I wasn’t experiencing endless crashes, Neon Blight managed to be fairly enjoyable top-down shooter. There are a diverse number of weapons at your disposal, all of which have their own qualities to them. These range from semi-automatic pistols, all the way up to high powered sniper-rifles. They also come in ballistic, energy or plasma variations, which further alter the way they operate.

Running around and dodging out of the way of incoming attacks felt seamless and smooth. However, the speed at which you can move around reduced the games difficulty by a dramatic amount. Outside of one very late game boss, Neon Blight never felt like the bullet hell game it was hyping itself up to be. Unsurprisingly, I lost more progress to crashes than I did to the games challenge level.

Every item you find in the game can be sold in your shop to make a profit. You can use those profits to buy new weapons, upgrades and character buffs when exploring out in the wild. This seems like it would be a nice change of pace, but it never really felt necessary to do at any point in time. On top of this, the management systems aren’t fully functional. Needless to say, this led to even more aggravation on my part.

Art

The art direction of Neon Blight is a partial redeeming factor of the game. The city of Eden for instance has an astonishing amount of detail to it. The luminous neon lights mixed with the bright colours and dark undertones make for a wallpaper-esque spectacle.

Outside of the city, there are a fair number of other locations to explore. These range from forest biomes to winter wonderlands, and even abandoned factories. These locations are effectively the different dungeons in the game. In truth, they are baron and empty. Nevertheless, I’ll give the benefit of the doubt to Bleeding Tapes here, as I suspect this is in an attempt to be less cluttered for the bullet hell gameplay.

The character designs are rather plain and simplistic, but do come across as a nice homage to the pre-NES stylings. Their blown-up counterparts offer a more detailed look at them, though admittedly, most of the designs are somewhat forgettable.

It really is a shame that the game didn’t do more with the dystopian cyberpunk aesthetic. While this thematic is currently the ‘in’ thing to do, it’s clear that Neon Blight could have created a fairly interesting spin on it.

Audio

Neon Blight has an pleasantly ambient soundtrack. The composers, which I believe comprise of at least 3 different artists, have managed to create a vibrant 80s synth-based OST, something that is synonymous with the cyberpunk thematic. There are a couple of tracks in the game which sound almost incomplete, but those are, thankfully, pretty sparse.

The SFX are another saving grace for Neon Blight. The guns, which are arguably the most important part to this game, have all been given their own unique sound banks. This allowed things like the ballistic and energy weapons to sound different from one another, all while remaining immersive and punchy.

All in all, the audio and sound design teams genuinely make you feel like your John Wick in his titular series. Unfortunately, the other departments faltered so spectacularly that it feels as though their work has gone to waste.

Conclusion

Neon Blight is an above average game which is currently plagued by countless issues, bugs and crashes. The top-down shooter gameplay, when functioning, is smooth and enjoyable, albeit repetitive. The store management systems are a nice idea, but have been implemented in a very mediocre fashion. While the art style can be absolutely gorgeous at times, it didn’t utilise the cyberpunk aesthetic enough. However, the OST and sound design are genuinely great additions to an otherwise poor game.

Neon Blight could easily be a 6 or possibly 7 out of 10, however, due to its myriad of problems and drawbacks, it barely manages to scratch a 3. Hopefully Bleeding Tapes continue to release patches and get this game where it deserves to be. But for now, I’d strongly recommend avoiding this game until a later date.

Review: DNF Duel

Jonah Ehlers
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Review: DNF Duel

Bright colours, flashy moves, vague lore, and a surprisingly solid roster of characters. These were the ingredients chosen to create DNF Duel. An extremely fun and moreish fighter from Arc System Works.

Newcomers Welcome

The first thing about this title that really struck me was how simple the command list was; especially when compared to mainstream games of the genre like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, and most of all Tekken. In DNF Duel you only have a handful of inputs you need to know, that when combined allows for more diverse and lengthy combos.

Firstly you have standard attacks. These are simple jabs, kicks, and leg sweeps that are most effective when used to start a combo chain. Then you have a set of skills and MP skills. Skills are special moves that can inflict solid damage, and reliably keep combos going. Some maintain a target’s position in mid-air, while others launch them. Certain skills can do damage from above continuing a barrage on downed enemies, or trigger AOE attacks.

MP skills then take this one step further and use mana points to pull off even more powerful moves. All it takes to pull them off is a directional input and a press of B for normal skills and A for MP skills (Provided you’re using a controller).  Some skills don’t even need directional inputs. Just an B or A input and voilà. This is the same across the board for everyone. However, the outcome is the main difference. 

A couple of examples of this are: Ghostblade’s [←+A] MP Skill, which sends forth his ghost to deal damage and put pressure on an opponent while he closes the distance and/or sets up his own attacks. Or Berserker’s [←+A], which grabs your opponent, and recovers some HP, while inflicting damage. Every character might have a different move suited to their archetype, but the input required to execute these skills can be as easy as hitting a button or two. 

This made DNF Duel one of the most beginner-friendly fighting games I’ve seen in a long time. The ease of inputs makes it so that even the most green of fighters can do some flashy, albeit simple combos from the get-go, and gain some confidence. It’s a really easy game to pick up, which newcomers will surely appreciate. However, it takes a bit more to master this fighter. 

Deeper Than It Looks

Mastery of DNF Duel, much like any good fighter is highly dependent on good spacing, and utilising your skills in order to extend combos and keep the pressure on your opponent. Knowing which skills to use and when can reap some serious rewards. And luckily the entire cast of this title is a viable choice, partly due to its simplified controls. But mostly due to a varied moveset across its roster.

The Ranger whose ranged capabilities, make him an obvious choice for experts at zoning. Or the Crusader, who is a master of locking an enemy in a combo with his ability to form a wall behind them. I could not for the life of me find a overtly weak link among the playable characters. There are definitely standouts though, like the aforementioned Crusader, the Berserker, Swift Master and Troubleshooter. However, after some practice, and learning a few tasty combo strings; any and everyone is a threat.

This title also adds a couple of extra layers of depth to the combat. Resource management is important in this title. Especially when playing online or against more difficult AI. Your guard is finite. You can only block for so long before your guard is broken, and you’re completely vulnerable to a thrashing. Similarly, your MP skills use up mana, and once all points are depleted your character becomes exhausted making them unable to use any MP skills until it recharges. There were a couple of moments when I first started playing where I was exhausted without even realising it. I hit [→+A], and just watched my fighter stand there like a dunce before catching some hands. It was then I realised keeping an eye on that gauge could be the difference between victory and shameful defeat. 

Taking and inflicting damage also has a little bit of extra depth. Regular damage results in a section of your HP bar turning white. This white damage can be recovered over time. But take enough damage and some becomes red, which is permanent. Your MP skills though, will always inflict red damage. Furthermore, they will eat up any latent white damage. Making a combo of regular moves/skills and finishing things off with MP skills, a lethal combination. This incentivises aggression and making good use of your abilities.

However, when you’re the one with white damage and an unrelenting enemy after you, there is another option. Converting the white into red in exchange for some extra MP. This conversion mechanic also cancels most attacks. This can help turn the tables after you’ve whiffed an MP skill, became exhausted, and are at risk of falling victim to a combo. Or it can simply be used to extend a combo. It’s an advanced risk/reward mechanic that adds an interesting element for more experienced players.

Give Us an Edge

Speaking of turning tables, another important element of combat is Awakening. When your HP drops to a certain point you can access an all-powerful and spectacular attack that can do some serious damage, either putting yourself and your opponent on more equal footing or outright winning a seemingly lost fight. It’s a mechanic that’s become a standard in the genre and provides some drama and theatrics to a fight. 

Combat in DNF Duel is enjoyable, easy to grasp, and beautifully animated to boot. However, there is one aspect that I felt was a bit lacking. Defence. Aside from spacing, blocking and dashing you’ve not got many defensive options. Especially when an enemy has you locked into a combo. The guard gauge is quite generous, so good timing can save your skin. However, I’d appreciate at least one additional way of getting out of a combo. At the very least a delayed wake-up to throw an opponent’s timing off, and allow for some punishment.

Narratively Bankrupt, Rich in Gameplay

The story mode in this game is paper-thin. About an hour long for each character if you don’t zoom through the dialogue. It provides some equally minimal and vague lore about the world and then you fight someone. Every main fighter has inside them “Will” which gives them access to “Wonder” which are portals to other lands where they’ll find another fighter with some will they can absorb. Simply put, Will is an excuse for them to fight. Eventually, they use the accumulated will of everyone they’ve fought in order to awaken an ancient warrior. I’ll let you guess what happens next.

The general plot remains the same for everyone. The only differences are who fights who and where they do so. Although to be fair, most people don’t decide to play fighting games for their campaigns. There are a good amount of options outside of story mode. You can train, with a nice variety of settings. In arcade mode you fight an 8-leg tournament. A survival mode in which you use points accumulated in the fight to give you an edge in the next battle. Including an increase to your attack/defence or replenishing lost HP. 

All of these offline options are great and all, but they also make for good preparation. A chance to find your character, practice combos, timing, as well as learning the strengths and weakness of other fighters. This is all vital when it comes to the real challenge. Online play. Which is also great. Finding a match in lobbies was quick and easy, things run smoothly, and I met some really skilled, and friendly players too, which is always a treat when you’re getting your ass handed to you. Things only got a little slow when it came to ranked matchmaking, sometimes finding a match took a while. Thankfully, you can play any of the offline modes while you wait so you can get some last-minute practice in.

It’s… Beautiful

DNF Duel is an absolutely beautiful 2.5D fighter on top of it all. The animations are exceptional. Your moves and abilities have so much spectacle stuffed into them, from the beams of cosmic energy to fiery explosions. I was really impressed by the quality of visuals, the use of colour and dynamic camera work. This combined with the simple control scheme makes it so that enjoying some flashy combos is a constant. From the most basic skills, down to your earth-shattering Awakening attacks, I cannot stress how good this game looks. And how truly and wonderfully absurd some of these people’s skills are.

DNF Duel is fun, it’s a spectacle, it’s easy to learn, and a bit trickier to master. Its deceptive simplicity may not be for everybody, and its story may as well not have been there. But overall, it’s a good time.

Review: Rayland

Daniel Waite
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0
Review: Rayland

Light manipulation puzzles aren’t a new concept. As such, they can lack originality and may be overlooked. However, I urge you to reconsider, as these puzzle titles are fun and will test you. Rayland is one such game that is simple to look at, easy to pick up, but quickly gets out of hand.

Developed by Noaka Games and Eastasiasoft Limited and published by the latter, this is a futuristic puzzle title. With light manipulation at its core, you must think outside of the box and often many steps ahead. As mentioned, you will be lulled into a false sense of security, as the action is deceptively simple. However, as you progress, you must contemplate many moves to arrive at a successful conclusion.

Rayland asks you to think outside of the box to solve each problem.
Combine the lasers and solve the puzzles.

Rayland doesn’t tread new ground. 

Even though the story has no impact, it is a constant influence throughout. The inhabitants of Rayland use energy from the Domus to survive. To transport it, they must use an ancient artefact known as a Reflectus. Accordingly, without your help, the people will perish and your mission will be over. In theory, this sounds like a dramatic and upbeat tale. However, in reality, it is slow, methodical, and plays second fiddle to the action. 

Disappointingly, Rayland doesn’t tread new ground. Subsequently, every mechanic and stage feels familiar and lacks originality. Yes, it is still enjoyable, but I was desperate for a unique and fresh idea. The core mechanics centre on the Reflectus and their light-bending powers. You must pick up each of the artefacts and place them in the path of each laser. By doing this, you’ll reflect the beam and guide the energy around the stage to the end goal. 

Alongside this basic idea, you must twist each of the Reflectus to manipulate the light beam. By doing so, you will solve each problem you face. However, this is just the beginning. As the action wears on, you must contemplate two light sources, aim for multiple goals, or combine the energy beams. As this happens, you must think further ahead and challenge the logical portion of your brain. 

Rayland asks you to plan every move in advance.
What path will you take?

If you get stuck, you are doomed!

As explained, the problems quickly become much harder. Subsequently, failure is all but assured at some point. Yet, unlike its peers, no hint system has been implemented. As a consequence, if you get stuck, you are doomed. Therefore, it would have been better if a small hints and tips section were included, just in case. 

Rayland has a simple but clean style. 

Thanks to the basic level design, the developers could focus on a simple yet clean style. Subsequently, most of the stages utilise a minimalistic approach. With a contrasting colour palette and a futuristic look, this is easy on the eye. What’s more, its lack of complexity enables you to concentrate on solving the problems you face. Though its design won’t wow you, it won’t disappoint you either. 

What impressed me, however, was the excellent audio. With light and airy tunes, it had a sci-fi edge and a relaxing vibe. This was the perfect choice for a game that was slow and methodical. Furthermore, the lack of sound effects was also fantastic. It would have been annoying to listen to inane noises while contemplating a solution. 

The Reflectus are the key to each puzzle.
Twist the Reflectus and move the energy.

The controls weren’t perfect. 

With such a simple concept, you’d think the controls would be perfect. Sadly, though, this wasn’t the case. Mostly, they are serviceable, but occasionally, it is challenging to place the Reflectus on the correct square. Accordingly, this was frustrating and unnecessarily annoying. With a slight tweak to the hitboxes, I believe this problem would be irradiated. Other than this, it was simple to understand and easy to play.

Another shortcoming is the lack of replay value. Once you exhaust every level, you’ll have nothing to do. There are no collectables and there are no additional modes. Consequently, it lacks longevity. However, on the upside, it’s a completionist’s dream and is inexpensive to buy. 

Rayland is good but lacks originality. 

I enjoyed my time with Rayland, but it has its shortcomings. The most obvious of these is its lack of originality. If the developers add some DLC that explores new avenues, then it would be vastly improved. As it is, it’s a fun and challenging light manipulation game that is worthy of your time. Subsequently, I recommend you buy it here! Save the people of Rayland by altering the energy beams and solving the puzzles. 

Review: Newfound Courage

Daniel Waite
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0
Review: Newfound Courage

I’ve played and reviewed countless games and I’ve experienced many unremarkable concepts. Consequently, when one is touching, original, and interesting, I’m genuinely impressed. Newfound Courage is one game that stands out from the crowd. With its original soundtrack, excellent story, and hand-drawn pixel images, it ups the ante for all indie developers.

Developed and published by Cafe Empty, this is a narrative-driven adventure RPG. With minor character improvements and a linear plot, you may worry that it lacks depth. However, its wonderful array of characters, heartwarming story, and interesting environments, more than make up for it. On top of this, it leads the way for the LBGTQ community as it explores the challenges of coming to terms with your sexuality.

Originally released in 2019, the core gameplay has evolved considerably. Previously, Curtis Campion focused on the story and its eclectic blend of characters. Now, there is a more rounded approach with the original mechanics supporting the new combat and RPG character levelling system. As such, it will appeal to a larger array of gamers, and this isn’t a bad thing. Moreover, its niche approach could have alienated would-be players. Consequently, the new elements ensure everyone can enjoy it at some level.

Many of the stages in Newfound Courage will challenge you.
Being alone should have brought them closer together.

Newfound Courage is enriched with lore. 

Normally, I love a game that relies on deep and meaningful lore. However, Newfound Courage packs in so much information that it is at times overwhelming and confusing. Yet, don’t let this put you off, as you can take as much time as you wish to absorb the key moments. Once you get to grips with the fundamentals, you’ll enjoy the deeply fulfilling story and the LBGTQ undertones.

The plot revolves around a young man named Alex and his struggle with his sexuality. His home town is full of bigots and as such, he is ousted and spurned by those he loves. Luckily, he finds refugee in Silverpine where he can start again. Here, he is accepted and begins to make friends, but his heart falls for the wrong boy. Jake does not reciprocate his feelings towards Alex, but he loves him like a brother. However, unbeknownst to them, this friendship is the key to saving their home and banishing the evil that resides there.

Sometimes friendship and help is all you need to succeed.
Are you strong enough to fight without your friends?

A fantastic combination of elements. 

Unlike other adventure games or narrative-focused experiences, Newfound Courage has balanced its approach perfectly. Yes, it is a little lore heavy at times, but its delivery of the story and combat moments are spot on. Then there are the puzzling elements, simple and humorous tasks to complete, and the tongue-in-cheek conversations. There is a small world to explore that revolves around the central vault and the magic within. However, there is plenty to do and many collectables to find. Consequently, it will interest you from beginning to end.

As you progress through the game, the magic and surreal moments take centre stage. Yet, they never undermine the LBGTQ elements or the gay protagonist. Instead, the dreamy scenes allowed the developers to explore some touching and challenging elements. What I particularly enjoyed was the randomness of each situation and the loss of control. During every scene, the hero must help others whilst they come to terms with their issues. This was particularly well written without being pretentious or preachy.

Alongside these strange encounters, you enjoy some basic fighting with creatures called “Sendings”. With the use of a sword and spells, you must dodge and hack your way to victory. Sadly, the lack of complexity won’t impress serious adventure RPG fans, but I liked the change of pace. Its simplicity was easy to understand, and this allowed you to focus on the plot and the characters.

Newfound Courage is wonderfully pixelated. 

With a Sega Mega Drive aesthetics, a vivid colour palette, and hand-drawn imagery, Newfound Courage looks great and is one of a kind. Furthermore, the sprites are well detailed, the environments are unusual, romantic, daunting, and atmospheric, and the animation is smooth. This is one title that promises a unique style and then proceeds to deliver on every aspect of that promise.

I adore great audio as it makes or breaks a game. Jessica Kelly has composed a chilling and haunting soundtrack that is juxtaposed with high-energy and fun tunes. With 20 original tracks and complementing sound effects, it works perfectly alongside the heartwarming, serious, and childish moments.

Much of the dark imagery in Newfound Courage is odd and makes you think.
As the story progresses, the imagery becomes weirder.

Slow-paced and easy to play.

Because of its gentle pace, excellent UI, and well-thought-out and responsive controls, Newfound Courage is easy to play. Moreover, each new element is well explained, and the combat is straightforward and quick to master. 

Sadly, the core game only lasts around 5 hours. This comprises 2 stories that share key protagonists. However, I desperately wanted the action to keep going. There were many eccentric characters, and I wanted to hear their views. If these moments were explored, and the action padded out a little more, the lore-heavy sections wouldn’t have felt so daunting. As it is, the replay value is minimal, but the first playthrough is still worthwhile. 

Newfound Courage is relevant no matter your sexuality. 

Though Newfound Courage will pique the interest of the LBGTQ community, it shouldn’t be pigeonholed. Instead, it must be celebrated for its unique approach, wonderful writing, and marvellous aesthetics. I cherished its viewpoints and its poignant story, and I firmly believe it is relevant no matter your sexuality. This is an incredibly original and well-considered title and I recommend you to buy it here! Take a journey of discovery and acceptance as you fight to find a new home. 

Review: GameDec

Xavier Berry
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0
Review: GameDec

GameDec is an isometric adventure RPG that places players in an interesting role. They are tasked with solving crimes in video game worlds. Players will adventure through multiple locations as they try to piece together what links these cases and ultimately bring it all to an end. With multiple endings and dialog options, Gamedec is something worth checking out, even with its bugs and flaws.

The Graphics on the Switch may not be the best but the game still has beautiful scenes such as this.

Story

GameDec puts players in the role of a GameDec (be prepared to hear this term alot) , A private detective who work between both virtual worlds and the real worlds to solve crimes. After selecting a skin and deciding what their characters name will be, players are thrown into the city of Warsaw and sent on their first case. Players are Tasked with solving the mystery as to why someone’s son is unable to log out of the game world they are trapped in. This case sets the tone for the rest of the adventure and brings in some heavy topics for players to tackle and serves as a good indicator of what lies ahead of them. It is worth noting that GameDec handles heavy topics involving assault and crime right off the bat so the M rating is something to be aware of for those who aren’t fans of these kinds of things.

Players will select a character portrait that fits them best.

Once players solve the initial case, they are cast into a world full of deceit and mystery as things start to take a turn for the worst. Decisions must be made and players must utilize information that they have picked up along the way to help make informed decisions that will impact the way the game ends. GameDec can be finished in around 14 hours but that accounts for just one playthrough. The game encourages players to replay it multiple times in order to unlock the full story that is being laid out. This is definitely a title that needs to be revisited in order to see all sides of the story.

Gameplay + Presentation

Gameplay revolves around players solving a multitude of problems without any combat. As they gather clues and interact with various amounts of NPCs, they can use these points to make deductions during the case. If players don’t carefully investigate the area, then they may miss important information that will change how the case plays out.

Choices play a major role in how key events will turn out

As players solve problems, they are given experience points that can be spent to unlock different skills which in turn unlock certain dialog options. For example, Players may unlock a skill that gives them access to more medical information or are able to use their influence as a detective to get more information from NPCS.

The world of GameDec will have players visiting a multitude of video game worlds that pull inspiration from real world counterparts. Twisted & Perverted feels like an edgy and gritty take on GTA with its inhabitants able to participate in all sorts of things while Harvest time is a take on farming simulators and has a touch of western action to it as well. Each world even has a different HUD to help differentiate themselves from each other and even has NPC’s to help make each game world a little more interesting.

There are a few minor spelling mistakes to be found throughout the game but this doesn’t ruin too much of the atmosphere.

There is very little voice acting to be found in the game, with certain lines and intros being voiced. The voice acting is decent enough but it would have been nice to have more lines fully played out. With all of the dialog presented in the game, it would have been nice to be able to hear the characters put some emotion behind the heavy topics and really hit home when things start to get rough.

Overall, GameDec is an adventure fit for those looking for more of the Cyberpunk setting. The idea of solving crimes as a Game detective seems a little strange at first but grew on me as the story went on. By the end of the game, I was fully engrossed in the characters and even was worried about their well-being. Although there are a few minor complaints, GameDec is definitely worth checking out.

Review: Gravastar Sirius Pro earbuds

Daniel Waite
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0
Review: Gravastar Sirius Pro earbuds

I’m all for excellent audio that comes with oodles of features. However, sometimes, this can be mundane and “sensible”. Manufacturers stick to tried and tested styles without experimenting. Therefore, when I was offered the Gravastar Sirius Pro earbuds, I was amazed. These futuristic and eye-catching earbuds look fantastic and deliver market-leading sound. What’s more, they have plenty of features, are lightweight, and they stand out from the crowd.

Thanks to their 7.2mm drivers and Knowles balanced armatures, you experience balanced audio. On top of this, they are exceptional for phone calls because of their noise cancelling technology. There are also three preset modes to choose from, a robust case to admire, and a reasonable enough battery life. Finally, its design is whacky, futuristic, and has an air of Aliens/Warhammer 40k. So, what are we waiting for? Let’s unbox these beauties and give them a spin.

The Gravastar Sirius Pro earbuds are jam-packed with features and has some unusual extra accessories.
A stylish and futuristic set of earbuds.

What’s in the box of the Gravastar Sirius Pro earbuds?

  • The futuristic style starts with the striking and decorative packaging. This hard-plastic case has a security clip to hold the goods in place. Moreover, it is adorned with faux metal decorations to enhance the theme. Normally, I’d be disappointed by plastic. However, it enhances the presentation while doubling up as a carry case. 
  • The Gravastar Sirius Pro earbuds. These small and lightweight earbuds fit snugly and comfortably within your ear. They come in a range of vivid colours and are marked with L and R for ease of use. 
  • The charging case. This stylish mecha futuristic case looks amazing and is multifunctional. Not only does it charge the earbuds, but it has a built-in bottle opener. Alongside this, its livery is bright, unusual, and eye-catching. Alongside this, it is robust because of its zinc alloy composition.
  • Spare ear tips. Everyone’s ears are different, so Gravastar has provided 3 different sized tips to ensure a snug fit. 
  • Decorative chain. This small but useful chain adds some more metal and a unique look. 
  • USB-C charging cable. A small rubberised cable that charges the case. 
  • User manual. Study the fundamentals of these easy-to-use earbuds. 
The handy and decorative carry case.
Gravastar SSirius Pro earbuds.
Find your extra bits here.
A useful and compact user guide.
The full package.

Technical aspects. 

Bluetooth VersionV5.2
Operation Range10m±
Noise Canceling ModeENC
Charging Time1.5-2H
Battery Life4H±
Weight6g (Single earbud)
Earbuds

Looking great is one thing, but perfect audio is what we all strive for. Luckily, the Gravastar Sirius Pro earbuds deliver as close to perfect sound as possible. With a delicious range of tones and a meaty bass, these are phenomenal for music, movies, and gaming. What’s more, the delivery of the sound is balanced beautifully between each earbud. As such, you experience an unrivalled immersive experience that is truly game-changing. 

Earbuds are more than just an entertainment accessory these days. Now, people want to be able to have pitch-perfect and clear conversations as well. Luckily, this is another area that the Gravastar Sirius Pro earbuds excel. Because of their environmental noise cancellation technology, you’ll have crisp and sharp calls every time.

However, this isn’t the pièce de résistance for this accessory. No, that’s reserved for its preset modes. You can flit from gaming, movie, and music mode with ease.

Input5V=500mA
Output5V=150mA
Charging Time3H±
Battery Capacity400mAh (3 times battery life)
Battery Type Li-ion
Charging PortType-C
Charging Case
With plenty of colours to choose from, you are spoilt for choice.
Why wouldn’t you want these awesome earbuds?

Gaming mode. 

The virtual 5.1 surround sound is like nothing I heard before. The Gravastar Sirius Pro earbuds deliver a truly immersive and rich experience that’ll up your game. Enemy’s footsteps are heard clearly, and shots will ring out all around you.

Movie mode. 

There is nothing like great HD sound, and this is exactly what you get! Lose yourself in the moment as you watch your favourite films on the move.

Music mode. 

Thanks to the deep bass and large range of tones, your music feels alive. Unlike other earbuds I’ve experienced, the noise resonates through your body and isn’t flat or underwhelming.

The Gravastar Sirius Pro earbuds are futuristic and look great.
What’s hiding behind that rock?

Are the Gravastar Sirius Pro earbuds worth it?

Without a doubt, the sound quality is next level. However, what about its other features? Are the Gravastar Sirius Pro earbuds worth it, or are there better alternatives? In short, these are phenomenal, look great, and deliver an exceptional level of audio. Yet, there are other things that you must consider. Luckily, Gravastar has these ticked off as well.

Thanks to Bluetooth 5.2, you have latency-free audio, a larger range, and a low power draw. What’s more, they are simple to connect to for a user-friendly experience.

Alongside these features is a reasonable battery life. The earbuds last around 4 hours on one charge and the case extends this by another 3 or so hours. Fortunately, a handy LED display highlights your charging status, so you shouldn’t run out of juice. 

Finally, the build quality is phenomenal! The earbuds are secured tightly within the case because of a spring-loaded clip. Further to this, the case is scratch resistant and ultra durable. Then, there are the earbuds themselves that are IPX5 rated for sweat and water resistance. This is great, as it gives you peace of mind when using them while walking or exercising.

Summary.

With so many amazing earbuds on the market, it’s tough to get it right. Yet, you can’t go wrong with this amazing and jaw-dropping audio peripheral. The Gravastar Sirius Pro earbuds look funky, are jam-packed with features, and will blow your mind with their preset modes. It is for these reasons that I recommend you to buy it here!

(More information on Gravastar can be found here!)

The Gravastar Sirius Pro earbuds receive the Movies Games and Tech Gold award.

Review: The Quarry

Daniel Waite
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0
Review: The Quarry

I’ve always loved classic American horror. The over the top slapstick humour combined with the “I wouldn’t do that” moments are fantastic. What’s more, the atmosphere is usually electric, and the characters and their relationships are wonderful. The Quarry replicates this with its phenomenal and often suspenseful plot.

Developed by Supermassive Games and published by 2K, this is a cinematic horror title. It can be enjoyed solo or online as you unravel a mysterious and gruesome tale. In The Quarry, your decisions, no matter how minor, alter the plot. Consequently, you must consider your choices and live with the outcomes.

The Quarry will creep you out.

Though the narrative isn’t so original, you’ll experience a creepy and spine-tingling story, nonetheless. The well-paced action unfolds across 10 chapters, and each varies in length and level of interaction. As the plot progresses, you control one of the 9 camp counsellors. These hapless teenagers must attempt to survive every ordeal that they face.

The action revolves around Hacketts Quarry and the kid’s school camp it hosts. Luckily, for the children, they are long gone before the brutal and hellish action breaks loose. 9 unique protagonists star in this clichéd and familiar slice of Americana horror. Each of these delinquents is sexually charged, opinionated, and occasionally annoying. However, they love one another and this is what will potentially save them.

As the chapters roll by and the gruesome events unfold, you see new relationships form. After all, when mysterious monsters, hillbillies, and more want to ruin your day, only your wits and your friends can save you.

Each character in The Quarry plays a key part.
Perhaps you should listen to this guy.

I want to be involved!

The Quarry is a cinematic masterpiece. As such, you may worry that it’s more voyeuristic than interactive. However, fear not, as the developers have balanced the action brilliantly. With some captivating cutscenes, a plethora of game-changing decisions, quick time events, and bags of exploration, you are truly spoilt.

The sheer amount of variety and multiple story branches keep you hooked. Subsequently, this is a tough game to put down. On top of this, the characters are excellent, annoying, and wonderfully endearing. Whether you try to save them all, or plot to have one killed, is entirely your choice. Whatever you decide, you’ll adore how it alters the plot and the group dynamics.

Quick time events and exploration.

QTEs are becoming more common. The Quarry uses them alongside the dialogue to alter the course of the story. Thankfully, though, they lack complexity and, as a consequence, are easy to achieve. Whether it is selecting a direction on the analogue stick, mashing the A button, or holding your breath, it’s all straightforward. Then there are the odd combat encounters that are no more complicated than pointing and shooting.

Now you may be disheartened by this, but don’t be. The QTEs are still great and demand rapid reactions. What’s more, it allows you to focus on the story and the characters.

Another key element that has a Silent Hill edge was the exploration. Walking around the eerie woodlands with a dim light was incredibly unnerving. Furthermore, the creepy world has to be thoroughly investigated for clues and tarot cards (more on those in a moment). If you miss information, it can impact your decision-making at a later stage. Therefore, a keen eye and a patient approach are a must.

The opening chapter sets the scene perfectly.
Where it all begins.

What does the future hold?

When your decision can have life-changing ramifications, a little forewarning is a great thing. Accordingly, this is where the aforementioned tarot cards come into play. Each of the 10 chapters has a bunch of these collectables hidden in plain sight. With weird imagery and secret meanings, these magical cards unlock a vision for the upcoming chapter. Of course, you don’t have to look, but this snippet of the future could save a life! Therefore, a sneaky peak is surely not a bad thing?

Though the characters, explorations, and brown pants’ enduring moments are fantastic, the pièce de résistance is the decision-making. Will you choose to investigate eerie noises, or hide inside? Do you help your friends to fight, or do you run and save yourself? Will you keep the gun or sacrifice the weapon? These are just some of the decisions you’ll mull over. No matter how trivial something seems, it is likely to affect you sooner rather than later. Consequently, the interactivity makes you buy into the story and it keeps you hooked throughout.

The Quarry looks incredible!

With cinematic action at its core, The Quarry was bound to look incredible. However, I was blown away by the presentation. For the most part, it is noticeably realistic and extremely lifelike. What’s more, its eerie atmosphere, camera angles, and dim lighting create a creepy atmosphere. Yet, I still have my complaints. Occasionally, the cinematic feel disjointed and badly cut. This is apparent when characters are slightly out of place or the background has minor differences. Further to this, there are issues with the character’s hair and some minor lighting problems. On top of this, the character movement can feel robotic and clunky.

Luckily, these problems are masked by the excellent story and incredible audio. Thanks to the exceptional cast of actors, The Quarry’s dialogue is warm, amusing, sincere, and well-paced. This helps you to hate or empathise with each of the protagonists and this improves the experience considerably. Furthermore, the soundtrack and sound effects are brilliant. The music captures the summer camp vibes as well as the fearful moments. Alongside this, the sound effects are haunting, spine-tingling, and extremely uncomfortable.

Love them or loathe them, but you are responsible for their lives.
Life will never be the same for these partying youngsters.

Responsive and considered controls.

Though the character movement was a bit janky, it didn’t ruin the game. Because of its responsive and well-considered controls, it is very easy to play. The simplicity of the QTEs and the labelling of key items enhance the experience. Playing it isn’t too demanding, and this lets you focus on the story and the unfolding horrors.

With many paths to take, collectables to find, and a multiplayer mode to try, there is longevity and replay value. Moreover, trying to keep everyone alive or kill everyone off is no mean feat. Though each playthrough isn’t incredibly long, there is enough depth to keep you going from beginning to end.

The Quarry is a must-play title.

The Quarry will appeal to a wide audience. With an excellent story, amazing characters, brilliant cinematic, and countless subplots, it’s a must-play title. From the start, you’ll be hooked on its creepiness and this never dissipates. Furthermore, it captures everything that is great about old-school American horror. It is for these reasons, I recommend you to buy it here! Helping to run a camp is supposed to be fun. However, the laughter soon stops when your life is in danger. Work together, or run for your life as you try to survive.

Review: Woowind AP2-P Pump

Daniel Waite
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Review: Woowind AP2-P Pump

We’ve all been there when we’ve tried to drive our car, ride our motorbike or push bike, or kick a ball, only to discover you have a flat. So, what are you going to do? Traditionally, you’d grab a hand pump, look at the analogue gauge, at get to work. However, that is inaccurate, dated, and a pain in the arse. Instead, allow technology to guarantee your pressure while removing the effort. This is what happens if you use a Woowind AP2-P Pump! It is a portable compressor that is powerful, useful, and super accurate.

Alongside these things, it has many uses, won’t break the bank, and is sturdy and well built. Furthermore, it is easy to get to grips with, has some helpful preset modes, and can inflate a tyre in no time. I have recently looked at the Woowind BP188 Mini Bike Pump, and I adored it. However, the Woowind AP2-P Pump has some differences that make it stand out from its peers. So let’s unpack this accessory and take a closer look.

The Woowind AP2-P pump has plenty of nozzles to get you started.
Plenty of nozzles to inflate all your goods.

What’s in the box of the Woowind AP2-P Pump?

  • The compact and robust packaging is simple to look at. Furthermore, it highlights key selling points and isn’t fussy or OTT. More importantly, it protects the contents and can easily be recycled. 
  • The Woowind AP2-P Pump. This sturdy device is tactile and well built. It has a smooth finish to the front and rear, and a gripped area to the side. A small LED sits next to a small cluster of buttons. At one end there is an LED torch, a USB-C port and a USB-A port.
  • An array of adapters. To ensure that this can inflate many items, you are provided with several adapters. These include; a flexible hose, Presta and Schrader valve adapter, swimming ring nozzle, and a ball needle.
  • USB-C charging cable. A small rubberised charging cable is included to charge the 2*2000 mAh Lithium batteries.
  • Carry case. With many bits to keep safe, Woowind has provided you with a helpful carry case. This textile bag comfortably houses each item and is built to last. 
  • A simple user guide. This simple manual explains the fundamentals. 
The complete package.
Four adapters to inflate an array of goods.
A small rubberised USB-C cable.
Keep everything safe in this handy bag.
The AP2-P pump
A simple user guide.
Simple and compact packaging.

Technical aspects. 

The Woowind AP2-P Pump is built with versatility in mind. Not only is it fantastic for inflating an array of goods, but it has a bright torch and is also a power bank. This is unusual but excellent as its multi-faceted approach is handy when out and about. What’s more, its compact design makes it perfect to stow in a car or motorbike in case of an emergency. 

Alongside this, its massive 4000 mAh battery life is a game-changer. Accordingly, you’ll rarely run out of juice and you can top up your phone if its running low.

These things aside, let’s look at its preset modes. With 5 to choose from, you can get to work inflating tyres, beach toys, and balls, immediately. However, a handy custom mode puts you in full control. You may inflate items up to a whopping 150 PSI if you wish. This makes the Woowind AP2-P Pump an excellent tool for anyone with a road bike. What’s more, PSI isn’t the only value it works in. No, instead you can select Bar, KPA, and Kg/cm.

Inflate tyres in no time.
A quick and powerful pump.

Loads of features, but how easy is it to use?

With a large list of uses, you may worry that it’s complicated to use. Well, worry not, as it’s pretty straightforward. Simply attach the required nozzle, set the pressure, and attach it to your tyre, ball, or inflatable. Moreover, a helpful auto-stop function cuts the device off at the desired level.

This extra feature shows that Woowind has a safety-conscious approach. Subsequently, you won’t accidentally overinflate whatever you are working with. As such, you won’t injure yourself or damage the goods. What’s more, the LED display is clear and accurate so it is easy to read and you know the pressure will be spot on.

Plenty of battery life to keep you going.
The large battery lasts a long time.

Is the Woowind AP2-P Pump worth it?

I’ve mentioned my adoration for the Woowind BP188 Mini Bike Pump. However, this is more versatile. Yes, the BP188 is more stylish, compact, and portable, but its uses are comparatively limited. What I mean by that, is, that the larger battery life makes a huge difference. Not only does it get the job done quicker and more efficiently, but it can charge your phone in an emergency.

I loved its tactile case, simple functionality, multi-faceted approach, and the power of its pump. Moreover, it won’t break the bank, which is amazing for such a feature-heavy accessory. Subsequently, it is for these reasons that I recommend you to buy it here! Alternatively, you can purchase it from Amazon UK here!

Summary.

Using a hand pump is all well and good, but they are tiresome, inaccurate, and break easily. Modernise your setup with the affordable and useful Woowind AP2-P Pump. If you want a powerful but compact tyre pump, you need look no further. 

(More information on Woowind can be found here!)

Review: Stranger Things Season 4

Cody May
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Review: Stranger Things Season 4

In 2016, Stranger Things became a world-wide phenomenon overnight, with millions captivated by the 80’s-inspired supernatural thriller. I was one of those people, as Stranger Things was everything I ever wanted to create as an aspiring storyteller. With each season, the stakes have been raised, and the drama has been lifted, but after a 3 year hiatus, did Season 4 live up to the hype?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQEondeGvKo

Welcome Back, Kids.

Fans of Stranger Things have been eagerly awaiting a new season, since the release of Season 3 back in July of 2019. Season 3 was amazing, and fans still had many unanswered questions after some of the dangling plot points. Eleven, Will, Joyce, and Jonathan were leaving Hawkins, heading for the west coast, with hopes of starting a new life, which is where Season 4 picks back up.

With such a long absence, fans expectations were through the roof, as were mine. Season 4 couldn’t just be average; it had to be substantial, making all of our waiting worth it. I’m very happy to say that Season 4 delivers big time with possibly the greatest season of the show’s running.

Kids at Heart.

Stranger Things has always been about friendship, and the bonds we make that follow us all of our lives. As seasons passed, our kids grew up, their interests changed, and some grew distant.

This is something that Season 3 delved into quite heavily, which I enjoyed. Will wanted to remain a kid at heart, playing Dungeons and Dragons in his mom’s basement, not having to worry about inter-dimensional monsters. Eleven was dealing with insecurity in her relationship with Mike, while also longing for the normal childhood that she never had.

In Season 4, these themes manifest themselves, but in different ways. Will seeks acceptance for who he really is inside, and Eleven is learning the hard way what it’s like to be an outcast in high school.

The Friends we made along the way.

Stranger Things has always done a fantastic job at making the audience care about its characters, and that’s no different in season 4. When you see them struggle, you long for the moment when they are able to pick themselves back up.

Steve Harrington gets a special shoutout, as he possibly has had the greatest character development in television history. A couple episodes into season 1 and you think he’s the prototypical TV douchebag, but by the end he redeems himself, and his character has only gotten better as the years have passed.

The stand-out in season 4 for me is Murray. He always seemed to steal the show in whichever scene he was in, keeping everything fun when things seemed dire.

The Monster under the Bed.

With season 4, The Duffer Brothers have escalated everything, introducing darker horror themes, which makes for riveting moments. Vecna, this seasons foe, is just fantastic, and I hope you enjoy learning about his origin as much as I did.

If you’re a returning fan, I think you’re going to love what’s in store for you with this season. If you’re a new fan who maybe skipped the other seasons, I’d highly recommend watching season 1-3 before jumping into 4 as it is vital to understanding Vecna and his motives.

Closing Remarks and a thank you to the Duffer Brothers.

Overall, I had a phenomenal time watching Season 4 with my girlfriend, which comes as no surprise because I’ve loved every season of this stellar show.

I’d like to thank the Duffer Brothers for not only inspiring me creatively, but also for giving me memories I’ll never forget. In October of 2017, my Dad was diagnosed with cancer, and although everything in my life came crashing down, Season 2 launching gave me the incredible comfort that I needed. I rewatched Season 1 & 2 over and over again during that time, and it solidified my love for this show. Now, 8 months after losing my Mom, I find myself missing them both dearly, but again, Stranger Things was there for me, helping me to forget for awhile.

Review: Crypt of the Serpent King

Daniel Waite
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0
Review: Crypt of the Serpent King

Growing up, I loved Dungeon Master. Its simple artistry, the large array of monsters, and claustrophobic levels got the juices flowing. However, these days, everyone wants a vast open-world to explore. Sadly, this ensures that the classic dungeon crawling games rarely get a look in. Yet, Crypt of the Serpent King aims to rectify that with its 4k remastered edition.

Developed by Rendercode Games and published by Eastasiasoft Limited, this is a creepy dungeon crawler. Utilising a simple style, this won’t wow or test you. However, it is great fun to play and has a nice retro charm. Furthermore, there are 3 difficulty settings, some skills to upgrade, and a small arsenal of weapons. Consequently, there is enough about it to pique your interest.

Hack and slash your way to victory.
What you going to do about it… Skeleton?

Crypt of the Serpent King is mindless and trivial. 

Unlike the masterful Dungeon Master, Crypt of the Serpent King requires minimal brain power. Effectively, you are asked to scour 7 unique and randomly generated stages. Accordingly, you’ll never know what to expect and this keeps the action fresh. Sadly, though, the core mechanics are repetitive and this undermines the experience long-term. What’s more, once you unlock everything and max out your skills, it is far too easy.

The simplicity extends to the plot. By this, I mean that it has no story. Subsequently, you are left wondering why you exist in these claustrophobic tombs. Without an explanation, you mindlessly walk around, open some chests, and kill everything in sight. Further to this, you must find keys to unlock a final gate. Once this happens, you’ll face an end-of-stage boss and progress. Unfortunately, this was a bit of a damp squib. The battle was usually underwhelming and far too easy. Even when the difficulty was ramped up, it offered little to no challenge. This can be said for every foe you face. Annoyingly, they are so easy to kill that it reduces the enjoyment.

The 4k remastered edition looks fantastic.
Damn, you are ugly.

Mediocre and repetitive action!

Any joy is well and truly sucked out of this because of its lack of challenge. Every monster has a set of attacks that are easily dodged and countered. This reduces the risk and makes this a run-of-the-mill title. What’s more, once you’ve maximised your skills, you simply avoid every enemy as you hunt for keys. Further to this, once you have the most powerful weapons, you are unstoppable.

What was most disappointing was that the potential was plain to see. With a wonderful range of creatures to slay and the opportunity to create labyrinthine stages, it could have been phenomenal. However, the lack of magic, a nonexistent story, and no unique layers will leave you wanting.

Crypt of the Serpent King looks polished. 

Contradictory statement alert… this dated title looks gloomy, pixelated, but well polished. I adore the work the developers have put into Crypt of the Serpent King. Fortunately, it retains its old-school charm, while the uplift in resolution makes the details pop. Accordingly, the monsters look great, the lava traps are vivid and fierce, and the movement and animation are smooth. Yes, it is aimed at a niche market, but this small group of players will love its appearance. 

The creepy atmosphere is complemented by the eerie audio. Footsteps echo, water drips, and creature’s snarl. Then there is the haunting music to top things off. Being hunted by your foes was terrifying thanks to the daunting soundbites. Consequently, the developers got this spot on, as it was rarely relaxing.

Crypt of the Serpent King has an array of horrendous monsters.
Such naughty snakes.

Move, hit, move, hit. 

From the sublime aesthetics to the underwhelming control setup. If you can remember, move, hit, move, hit, you’ll be victorious in no time. Sadly, this is the extent of the button layout, and subsequently, it won’t test you. Thankfully, though, they are responsive and this helps when it is occasionally hectic. 

With 3 difficulty settings, there is potential for replay value. Yet, for me, one playthrough was enough. Completing Crypt of the Serpent King takes around 2 hours and is the perfect title for completionists. During this time, you’ll be creeped out, witness some weird foes, and you’ll have found a million chests and plenty of keys.

Crypt of the Serpent King should have been incredible. 

Because of its remastered status, I was hopeful that Crypt of the Serpent King would be incredible. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case, as there are too many shortcomings. However, if you are a completionist, this is quick and worthwhile. Yet, for everyone one else, it’s just not good enough and is seriously lacking. I can’t recommend it, but more information can be found here! Hack your way through every dungeon, find the keys, and complete your journey. 

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