Demon Turf Neon Splash is a stylish platforming game developed by Fabraz and published by Playtonic Games and it’s a sequel to the original game, Demon Turf. I myself have never played the original Demon Turf game, but was eager to jump into this world simply because of how vibrant it looked. While playing through it, I was thoroughly impressed with the platforming, worlds, and art-style. While it isn’t perfect, I highly recommend anyone who is a fan of platformers to check out this game.
Gameplay
Since this game is a platformer, the main attraction is the gameplay, and I’m happy to say it delivers! It strikes a fun balance while delivering creative levels, challenging platforming, and plenty of collectibles. Each level contains flying lollipops to collect, vinyl’s which unlock remix levels, and for all you speed runners out there, time goals to strive for.
Levels always throw something new at you, one of my favorites being sticky walls and surfaces which allows you to only jump, not run. One of the best features was two checkpoint flags, allowing you to create your own checkpoints, not having the game decide them for you.
I love the visual design of the character, and the animations for doing moves such as dashes, rolls, etc. The game just knows how to have fun, which is something the developers should be proud of. The game doesn’t take itself too seriously, it knows what it’s trying to do and it does it very well.
Graphics and Score
I think what most platformers needs are fun worlds to be in and this certainly has that. The graphics are so vibrant, infused with color, inviting the player to explore and enjoy. The contrast of 2-d characters and 3-d worlds work very well, giving the game a unique look. Many of the sounds and visual designs in this game reminded me heavily of Splatoon, including the color trail left behind by the player showing you where you’ve been.
The soundtrack is outstanding as well, the up-beat electronic music fits so well with the style of the game.
Demon Turf neon splash is a platforming tropical paradise!
Closing Remarks
Platforming games can be hit or miss, especially since so many of them have been made. To make a good one, you need style, character, and a world ripe for exploring. Demon Turf Neon Splash nails it, delivering a fun, challenging, and rewarding game, all for an insanely low price!
With Fathers Day coming up, you might want to look at a bundle from Pants&Socks.com.
Online retailer PantsandSocks.com is the perfect place to grab your pants and socks. It allows pants and socks to be bought as gifts, one-offs, and on subscription. The subscription model is proving popular with customers ordering pants and socks on repeat every 1,2,3, 6, or 12 months. Each subscriber gets 20% off each order, the equivalent to every 5th pair of pants being free.
BOSS 3 Pack Men’s Trunks
BOSS 3 Pack Men’s Trunks. A three-pack of expertly crafted trunks by BOSS. Made in stretch cotton with a breathable and flexible feel, these signature trunks are topped with an exposed waistband featuring the BOSS logo. The straight fit and regular rise are ideal for building everyday looks.
Calvin Klein 3 Pack Camo Crew Connor Men’s Socks
Calvin Klein 3 Pack Camo Crew Connor Men’s Socks. Camo print combined with stripe and solid make the perfect commercial fun pack/ Combed cotton/ 168 ndl.
The Calvin Klein Socks and Boss Pants the Date Night Gift Set costs £50.40 and has full-on style and class. With 3 pairs of pants and 3 pairs of socks, it will stock up drawers for a few dates.
The term “Early-Access” gets a bit of a bad rap. There are all sorts of negative connations floating around this section of gaming, and rightly so. Many gamers have had the rug pulled out from under them and been left with the sour taste of broken and unfinished products that will never improve. However, it looks like Oaken just might break that mould.
You Messed With the Wrong Tree
Set in the world of Oaken, you begin as a hero known as the lady, who journeys to save the great oak. This monumental tree is home to all manner of spirits who are linked through the voice of the tree, called the oak song. Looming darkness is causing the loss of this voice, and so you fight the darkness in order to save the great oak.
It’s a by the numbers story that never really went in any kind of a unique direction. If I’m being honest the story might as well not have been present. It may be a tad harsh, but the narrative was quite bland. I didn’t care all that much about the world or its inhabitants. It was simply a matter of moving from battle to battle.
Getting around in Oaken is done by way of a branching and randomly generated world map. You choose which branches you go down, although you won’t know exactly what you’re up against until you’ve made your choice. There are some indicators though. There are seven kinds of situations you can find yourself in. Including regular battles that net your new cards, or refuge spots than can give you new wisps, or heal some of the fatigue you may have racked up along the way. Regardless of choice, there’ll be a reward. The best rewards however, must be fought for.
Watch Your Six
While the story may have been a bit disappointing and forgettable. The actual gameplay was great. Oaken is a strategic turn-based deck builder in which you take control of a hero who has command over spirits. The battlefield is a grid made up of hexagonal cells in which you move and fight. You and each of your spirit troops have six lines around you, with the front three lines being the “frontal arc”.
However, this frontal arc is much more than just an indication of bearing. It’s a field through which you can attack, and defend. If an enemy attacks you head-on, you will automatically counterattack, dealing half of the damage received. This goes both ways though, meaning that if you head into every skirmish guns blazing you’ll always be punished for it. This is where Oaken’s most important mechanic comes into play. Spacing and placement.
If you manage to position yourself appropriately and attack from behind you can deal some damage with no consequences. But this means keeping in mind where enemy troops might be in their next turn. Sometimes going for that opening can leave you more vulnerable than you started out. There are also battles where time is not on your side. When every enemy spirit has been summoned, their spawn point begins to inflict fatigue on you. Removing one point of HP every turn. This keeps you from dragging your feet and maintains some pace.
It’s all about weighing risk and reward. Do I attack head-on, in a race against the clock? Or do I try and out-manoeuvre my opponent to possibly save some HP? This kind of gameplay made it feel like chess, where every move requires some thought or planning to an extent. The moments where I could manage to take out multiple enemies in one move using placement, skills, and spells were extremely satisfying. As things progress, employing strategy becomes so much more vital. Especially in big boss battles against other heroes that can both attack and summon troops of their own.
Bag of Tricks
Spirits form the bulk of your cards, and chief among these spirits are powerful beings known as guardians. Each guardian will provide you with cards suiting a different playstyle. Like the wise Enju whose cards as more defensively inclined. He provides spirits such as the HP-rich wardens that protect their comrades and incite enemy aggro to hit them head-on, dealing counterattack damage. Or like my current favourite, Baralais the poet, who provides a card that pushes adjacent spirits away when summoned. If a wall of another spirit is in the space they would have landed, they take damage. This has so many benefits, including providing you with more space, or pushing a friendly spirit into an ideal position to deal some damage from behind.
Combat doesn’t just rely on spirits though. Spells, skills, wisps and trinkets all help to give you an edge. Spells can shield, inflict damage, or grant you an extra move at the cost of some Lumi (the mana of Oaken). Skills can buff hexagon cells, heal, and even push enemies away from you for just one point of Lumi. Wisps provide a wide range of buffs for spirits, such as boosting strength or locking an enemy in place after hitting them. Lastly, trinkets grant passive benefits. Such as Baralais’ mossy cover that grants HP to any friendly troop that gets pushed. Combine this with the many push based abilities in Baralais’ card set and you can pull off some awesome plays.
It was surprisingly easy to get sucked into an extended session. There’s a really satisfying feel to gameplay, and when you begin to delve into the mechanics it becomes clear that Oaken has a lot more depth than you might initially expect.
Give Me More!
Earlier I mentioned that I felt Oaken could definitely be one of the good Early Access titles. However, there’s still some work to be done before it becomes a fact. While I struggle to find many weak points in its gameplay, it is lacking a bit in terms of content. Especially in the number of different kinds of spirits and spells, which are the two most important aspects.
Even the music suffers from this lack of content. However, to be fair the music is pretty good. Its this lovely selection of jungle themed tracks. The soundtrack is wonderfully generous with the pan flute, and it compliments the aesthetic well. The dense amazon art style can be beautiful when it wants, especially the card and chapter backgrounds. There’s an air of lush spirituality to all aspects of the visuals. And it really works in Oaken’s favour.
I think, at the end of the day this title’sbiggest problem is that there’s just not enough of it. However, if future content is up to the same standard as what we’ve got right now, I think Oaken will end up in a very good place
It’s been five years since the last incarnation and an astonishing twenty years since the first, but Syberia is back. Sokal and the team at Microïds recently released Syberia – The World Before (Syberia 4) and what a return to triumph it is!
Gameplay
Syberia – The World Before is a point-and-click adventure game with stunning visuals. During my playthrough, I didn’t encounter any bugs which already put this a step ahead of the third installment! It is important to note though that if you haven’t played the trilogy that came before you will have no idea what’s going on, or why. The recap the game provides really isn’t enough.
The UI builds upon what was envisaged for Syberia 3 and I can’t help but think this is what they intended for the game’s predecessor. The whole interface is immaculate and intuitive and nothing felt like it got in the way of playing the actual game. In that respect, it’s nice and simple.
Each section of the game will see you flipping between the two central characters as the story unfolds. This allows effectively two stories to be told until the paths entwine. This feels natural and never gets confusing between the different sets of characters.
If I was going to fault this game for anything, it would be the use of fixed camera angles. While this was ok in the first two games due to the 2D nature of the backgrounds, Syberia – The World Before is graphically far more advanced and on more than one occasion I missed something or struggled to get into a building because of the fixed camera making it very difficult to see.
Plot
In Syberia – The World Before the story is told from two perspectives. Firstly, that of Dana Roze, a young musically talented teenager in a fictional European country during the 1930s. Then, of course, Kate Walker returns from the previous three games in the present day.
Our new character offers us as players an interesting insight into, as the title suggests, the world before. Specifically, in the lead-up to the second world war and her family’s persecution for being an ethnic minority.
Meanwhile, in the present-day Kate Walker has been imprisoned in a mine and soon learns of her mother’s death. During the day’s work, she stumbles onto a forgotten wartime train in a side cave and finds a painting of Dana. The woman she’s with can’t help but point out the similarities and, after narrowly escaping Kate goes on a journey to discover more.
What follows is an intriguing tale of love, loss, family, and wartime action and mystery. It’s beautifully written and very well crafted. I really enjoyed seeing a new perspective on the world Sokal has created with his team and a different era.
Puzzles
The puzzles in Syberia – The World Before are by far and away from the most detailed, thought-provoking, and enjoyable in the franchise so far. While in places they can be a little easy, for the most part, they are stimulating and visually pleasing.
Relatively early on, for example, you come across a creation by Hans Voralberg and must open it up. This effectively works as a digital multi-step puzzle box and it’s fantastic.
There’s also a good mix of puzzles and actions that need completing before the next part of the story will take place. Some fans may find them to be too simplistic, but I didn’t once feel like I was missing anything.
Conclusion
Syberia – The World Before is a return to triumph after the disappointing Syberia 3. Visually stunning to look at, engaging puzzles and a sensible control system make this game a joy to play. Combine that with a good storyline and you have probably the best entry in the franchise yet. The perfect swansong for Benoît Sokal who tragically passed away in 2021.
Published by Daedalic Entertainment and developed by Zar 21, Velone is an automation/logic puzzle game released on 21st of April 2022. While the artstyle looks amazing, Velone is marred with problems in its core gameplay. It has a lot of potential but sadly most of it are unrealized in its undercooked state.
Velone Release Trailer
Gameplay
My first impression of this game are already tainted by the terrible tutorial after watching a cutscene. It is not done when the player reaches a new mechanic then the game teach you about it. Instead, the game just dumped you all of the game mechanics at the start. Also, each of the logic board buttons are explained vaguely.
Practically, you have to figure things out for yourselves. Well, that is the nature of a puzzle game however, with the confusing and vague tutorial. There are no undo button too. While that is okay, Velone introduce a mechanic where you have a limited amount of energy and each placement of your logic and machinery, drains the energy for a little. If you drained all of your energy, there is a minigame to restore it back. The whole experience is just frustrating rather than fun.
There are also bugs that riddled this game. There are multiple occasion where I boot up the game and there are no sounds for the entire of the session. That bug also occurs when I boot Velone up for the first time. Other than that, when I quit or back off from a level to the main menu then when I return to the level, the design in-progress is gone completely. Usually, the game save your design progress. I don’t know that this is a bug or maybe there is something in the vague tutorial that I didn’t quite understand but, this add more layers of frustration.
Graphicand Sound
The artstyle looks really nice and slick. It is eerie, mysterious and gives off the vibes of a futuristic dystopian setting. I think that this is cool and I like it. Other than the artsyle, the UI is kind of confusing. Oh and there is ads on the top of the main menu screen. It is a bad look, given that this is not a free2play title. Also, the color pallet on the main menu and the text are kind of blending together. So, it is kind of hard to read. When you play, the logic buttons or command buttons are unlabeled. It has function description but it is small and you have to hover your mouse to know what hotkey to press or what that button do.
For the sounds, this game have fairly generic and stock sound effects. There are cutscenes in this game too but, the voice acting delivery is bad. The game has no music either. So the game is pretty quiet and chill. That is both a pro and con at the same time. On one hand, you will not be disturbed by a music that is playing over and over while trying to solve a puzzle. On the other hand though, the setting of this game that you is a worker in some sort of a energy factory and in Velone, there is no semblance of futuristic industrial background sounds to gave you that feeling that you are working at a factory. So, it takes you out of the whole immersion that the game is trying to build.
Conclusion
There are so many things that feels off during my playthrough. Velone gave an unfinished and unpolished feeling to a lot of its aspects. A lot of the time when I play this game that I feel satisfied to finish a level or closing the game is not because it was fun but it’s because I can no longer to be frustrated by this game anymore.
I genuinely think that Velone is a product that has a lot of potentials underneath its myriads of problem and I hope that the developer can improve much more in their future releases. But for now, I highly suggest that you skip this and play other game and or if you are a fan of this genre, there is a ton of other games has more to offer than this title. Either skip or wait for patches and fix for this one.
Visual Novels don’t get much recognition outside of the eastern market. Many titles don’t even receive localisations, as its incredibly unprofitable for companies to do so. It usually falls upon the community to fund developers into releasing their games worldwide. And although it took 7 years to do so, this is exactly how fault – StP – Lightkravte received a western release.
Lightkravte is a spin-off prequel to the popular fault series. Developed by the pseudo-indie studio ALICE IN DISSONANCE, and published by Phoenixx Inc. I’d like to preface this review by stating I am not much of a Visual Novel player. The limited exposure I have to them include Clannad, Higurashi: When They Cry, Katawa Shoujo and Doki Doki Literature Club. Visual Novel fans may consider this entry level stuff, but it’s the basis I’ll be using for this review.
Setting
Set within the fictional region of Rughzenahaide, Lightkravte mixes elements from both the sci-fi and fantasy genres. The most prevalent force in this world is magic, and it’s used in conjunction with science to make academic discoveries. This has advanced the regions culture to a point where they no longer use currency. In place of money, citizens work in at a job they’ll excel at to best service the community.
There are times when Lightkravte gets a bit lore heavy. It’ll throw random phrases at you which have no meaning, unless you’ve played the other games. Thankfully, the developers have provided its players with an encyclopaedia, so you can read about the terminologies through that. There is a lot of cool ideas to discover here, and it’s worth investing some time to do so.
Lightkravte Narrative
Chapter One Introduction
Our story follows a teenage boy named Khaji Oberg. Born the son of a fruit farmer, he is seemingly destined to take over his family’s business. However, he has very different aspirations in life. Khaji wants to become a professional painter. More specifically, he wants to paint portraits of beautiful women. However, even after practicing every day for 2 years, his paintings are still incredibly bad.
Unfortunately for Khaji, the regional government dictate each citizen’s career choice. They deny his formal request to paint for a living after he garners a 6.9% approval rating. This is his 3rd attempt at trying to become a professional painter, and bizarrely, it’s also his lowest approval rating yet.
Feeling defeated, Khaji turns to his friends for comfort. They cheer him up by booking a meeting with Khrau, the regions most heralded painter. It is there that Khaji learns some crucial information in regards to his painting abilities.
Second Chapter Spoilers
Khrau reveals to Khaji that he suffers from a very rare condition. It prevents him from being able to recognise certain objects and patterns, which understandably effects his ability to paint. Bluntly, Khrau suggests that Khaji take over his father’s farm, and give up on following his dreams.
After spending some time with his friends to recover from this news, Khaji devises a new piece of technology. He theorizes a device which would allow him to embed a picture onto some sort of physical medium. This is where the story takes an unexpected turn, as we now follow him in his attempts to make the world’s first camera.
Story Thoughts
The story has a lot of things going for it. The main character, although overtly perverse at times, is rather likeable. Allowing the audience to read his inner monologues made me feel more sympathetic about his goals and worries. As with most slice of life games, the side characters cover every sort of trope imaginable. I did feel that some of them didn’t get enough screen time, though this is a minor complaint.
The narrative also has a nice change of pace from the generic plots often seen in this genre. While it set in a fantasy world, Lightkravte roots itself in some sense of realism. It isn’t whacky or overly sexualised. It’s simply about a boy who wants to become a painter. And that isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it was a very welcomed surprise!
Normally with Visual Novels, you’ll expect to be able to make choices which will impact the narrative. It was rather disappointing to find out that you have absolutely no impact on the way Lightkravte plays out. If you disagree with the protagonist’s decision, then you just have to shrug and move on. Simply put, you are along for the ride.
Art and Audio
Lightkravte is an utterly beautiful game. The artists have designed each set piece to serve a unique function. This helps to enhance characters, as they become an extension of the locations they inhabit. The environments have a vibrant and warm aesthetic, and it accompanies the anime art style perfectly. The VFX have also have a nice blend of realism and fantasy, and are a great addition to the backgrounds.
All of the character personalities are highlighted in how they are drawn. This is most notable through their clothes, which gives you an insight into what sort of lifestyle they lead. The animations also provide greater context to their motivations, and generally help to make things feel livelier.
The OST has a lot of nice little touches as well. For example, character’s themes match the musical arrangements, and create a further sense of immersion to the story. Although I was a little disappointed in the omission of voice acting, it was understandably omitted due to budgetary reasons.
Conclusion
Lightkravte is an overall enjoyable visual novel. Its unique story is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale genre. The world created by ALICE IN DISSONANCE mixes sci-fi and fantasy perfectly, and the art style and soundtrack are beautiful accompaniments to that. While the characters may come across as a bit tropey at times, they do ultimately service the narrative well. If you haven’t played any of the fault games before, Lightkravte is the perfect title to jump in and try them out.
Decision Red Daze is an isometric survival game that is developed by FlyAnvil and published by Nordcurrent Labs, putting players in the role of a survivor who is trying to see the end of the next day without becoming a mutants next meal. The character art might seem a little strange since they look like little miniature toys but the game does a good job at getting the player encased in its game play loop. The biggest downfall of this is that the loop is extremely repetitive and might not hold everyone’s attention for more than a few hours
Story + Gameplay
Normally these two categories would be split into separate parts but the story for Decision Red Daze is pretty lackluster and barebones. The game centers around players trying to survive an event called “the Red Daze” which has left those infected with a serious case of violent cravings. These creatures seem to act just like zombies with a few minor variations here and there, such as the ability to fire guns. It is up to the player to help secure a base for their small encampment so that humanity might have another chance to see another day.
Decision Red Daze plays in a top-down style that has players controlling a squad that can have multiple people for the player to cycle through incase someone happens to meet an untimely end. The game starts off with a very basic character creation screen. Personally, I would have loved to see a more in-depth system but since players will be cycling through characters and might lose some members along the way, it would only add to the frustration if it was a character players spent hours making. The strangest decision here though is the fact that players can’t even name the character they will be playing as but instead are given a list of names to pick from. Besides visuals, players are also given some classes to chose from that will help provide extra support to their bases. I would recommend players choose the medic as the starting class so they can at least help keep themselves and other survivors along a little longer. Since Decision Red Daze allows players to recruit new members and form a squad, the initial class isn’t as condemning as other games would make it out to be.
Having to select from a list of names might be the most mutant part of this apocalyptic adventure but it may make sense given the fact that players may rotate through characters.
Once players are finished with making a character, the game begins. There are quests players are given to help improve the condition of the base and this is handed out by a character who acts as the tutorial. The game will guide players along the way as they learn how to recruit new characters and enhance their base.
As the base gets upgraded and time passes, there are nights where the mutants will attempt to raid the camp. This is indicated when a player goes to bed so that they can determine how many days and how much work is left until the next wave. While these defense sections aren’t too hard, I still managed to lose a few members of the camp so its important to be aware of what’s going on in the area.
The biggest tip I would like to give new players is to ensure that you have a squad of at least 2-3 people before setting out on an adventure. My first character had the misfortune of experiencing an exploding barrel firsthand and since there was no one else in my squad, the game kind of ended there since there was no one to switch to. This could be a flaw in my understanding of the controls but after searching the menus for 10 minutes, there was nothing indicating that I could continue that save file.
The other issue that players might run into is the fact that characters run through stamina fast. A quick jog from camp to some survivors a few feet away can drain a character’s stamina gauge, forcing the player to return to camp and sleep. This drags out the gameplay loop and makes the cycle of repetition stand out even more.
Conclusion
Decision Red Daze is a game that might not seem much at first, but I found myself putting in more time than expected during my initial play through. While the gameplay loop is very simple and might leave players asking for more, it is easy to get caught up with trying to improve the base just a little more before that next wave hits. The inability to name a character still baffles me though and did not leave a good first impression. While that might seem like a minor gripe, it is something that may bother some while others let it slide.
Benoît Sokal is back with Syberia 3, a game that launched on multiple platforms in 2017. With the events of Syberia 2 behind her, Kate Walker awakens in a strange hospital and teams up with a tribe of nomads to escape common enemies and help them complete their ancestral traditions. There isn’t a vast amount to connect Syberia 3 to the previous two games so if you haven’t played them, you won’t necessarily be at a disadvantage, but it is recommended to play the series in order.
Is Syberia 3 a good game?
It tries to be. Syberia 3 had the opportunity to elevate the franchise in a new generation at the time and missed the mark in an overwhelmingly disappointing way. Graphically the game is beautiful, although shows its age now, and the story is solid. Sadly, this isn’t enough.
Gameplay
Like the previous versions, Syberia 3 plays in the same way. It is a point and click adventure game that sees you take the role once again as Kate Walker. Some of the camera angles are frustratingly fixed in a bad location but on the whole gameplay is smooth. Transitioning from one environment to the next is quick as well to avoid any breaks in the immersion of the story.
The control system is vastly different from the previous version and having spent a good number of hours playing through the game’s story I still can’t decide if I like them. Like the previous versions you point and click everywhere, as you’d expect, but now items and objects you can interact with have different prompts and selecting items to use with them can get a little confusing. Maybe I’m old fashioned… but the controls worked brilliantly before, and I wish they hadn’t been changed.
Plot
The plot for Syberia 3 is solid if not a little simplistic. Kate Walker, having finished her quest to get Hans to Syberia, is rescued by a nomadic tribe and agrees to help them complete an ancestral journey with their giant animals; this is against the backdrop of a shadowy organisation causing trouble, a detective determined to bring her back to New York and crumbling family relationships. There’s enough intrigue to keep you interested but in places things can feel a little slow.
The issue with Syberia 3 is it assumes you remember everything from the first two versions of the game. This is fine if, like me, you’ve recently replayed them all in order. However, first time round there was a thirteen-year gap between releases. If you overcome that, or overlook that, then the plot isn’t actually bad at all and let’s face it it’s a story by Sokal so we expected that to be the case.
My main critique is the voice acting. It’s not up to par with similar games released alongside and somehow seems to make the game feel a lot older than it is. In fact, the previous two games did it better. As well as the poor performances across the board the game is also plagued by a few bugs in this regard. Firstly, characters frequently talk over each other or don’t finish their dialogue. This can be confusing and just gets annoying. Secondly, the animation of mouth movements never seems to align making the whole thing feel like a terrible dub.
Another issue I found was that a lot of the cast appeared to be American, considering this story is set nowhere near America, it felt a bit strange when Kate Walker was supposed to be ‘on her own away from her country’.
Puzzles
The puzzles have always been a highlight of the Syberia franchise. Sadly, in Syberia 3 they felt a little lacking compared to the previous versions. If you were able to work out the solutions in the previous games, then what Syberia 3 has to offer won’t feel challenging and may feel a little disappointing. The puzzles are varied and can offer some challenge in places.
Conclusions
Overall Syberia 3 feels like the weakest, almost rushed entry in an otherwise solid franchise. Where it fails isn’t necessarily game breaking, but it does leave a lot to be desired for the overall experience. The story, while simple, is good. I would still recommend a playthrough to anyone who really likes point-and-click graphic adventures or the Syberia franchise. Despite this, Syberia 3 had the chance to elevate the franchise in a new generation and sadly, missed that mark.
Following on from the success of Syberia, Benoît Sokal and his team at MC2-Microïds developed the sequel, Syberia 2, and released it in 2004. So, is Syberia 2 a good game? For a game that’s 18 years old at the time of writing it holds up well. It’s a solid point-and-click graphic action-adventure game that continues the story started in the original game.
GAMEPLAY
Like the first game, in Syberia 2, you can’t get stuck or die so there’s no need to worry about repeatedly saving. While this may make it feel like the stakes aren’t high, it places the focus on the actual game itself. More importantly, it means you don’t have to repeat the same sections and the flow of the plot isn’t spoiled as a result. As a point-and-click, gameplay is as you would expect. Clicking around the map will make Kate Walker head in that direction, double click to run. She can interact with the people and the world around her and investigating different objects will unlock new areas, new clues and solve objectives.
The game is relatively slow in its pacing and while in places that can be off-putting, for the most part it’s so that the player can fully enjoy the story and the world that has been crafted.
In terms of user interface players of the first game will feel at home. You have your inventory, your journal and the UI when you inspect and interact with items in the world. It’s all pretty basic but it works well unlike the first game, the mobile phone doesn’t really take that much of a role in this iteration.
Plot
New York lawyer Kate Walker has found Hans Voralberg and, forgetting her life back home, has joined him on his quest to find the mythical land of Syberia. Syberia of course being the last home of prehistoric mammoths. What transpires is an adventure throughout the snowy wastelands of the east as they set out to make this quest come true. Along the way, Hans gets sick and the train that he and Kate Walker travel on is stolen. Kate then needs to go save him and ensure that Hans makes his childhood dream come true.
Puzzles
The puzzles in Syberia 2 are the second biggest draw after the plot. The Syberia franchise is story-driven, but the main gameplay element are puzzles. Syberia 2 is no exception. Most of the puzzles are very logical – for example in one part you must craft a candle, and this follows a logical order. Sadly, some areas aren’t quite so well defined. For example, early on you need the help of a young girl to get a gate key… but she won’t appear with the balloon she needs until you’ve gone through all the dialogue options with every character in that section. This backtracking can be quite exhausting in an already slower paced game.
Issues
Much like Syberia, the modern version of Syberia 2 has a few compatibility issues with modern PCs. This is unfortunate as you would hope that this would have been solved. This isn’t the end of the world as its playable if you resize your desktop resolution first.
Syberia 2 isn’t a game to play if you haven’t already experienced the first instalment. It’s the middle section of a novel effectively, if you don’t read the first act, it won’t make a lot of sense. This is despite the handy recap video the game offers.
Conclusion
Overall, Syberia 2 is a wholly enjoyable experience, even if it is a little slow in places. The puzzles are a good mix of logical challenges and completely complicated challenges. The balance is perfect as they never get so difficult you want to quit playing. One instance though required triggering all dialogue options with all the characters in that area before the next puzzle would start. This did feel like unnecessary backtracking which is a common theme in Syberia 2. It is for this reason that while a solid entry to the series, it isn’t necessarily better than the first.
Video games are getting turned into movies at a rapid rate, with the likes of Uncharted, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Mortal Kombat all-seeing recent big-screen releases. However, when it comes to video games based on movies, the pot shortens, and we think about the Lego franchise and Harry Potter. With this in mind, we’ve gathered together the best five video games with roots in a movie.
King Kong
Peter Jackson’s King Kong was released in 2005, with the game hitting shelves in the same year. There was a lot of care taken with this project, and Peter Jackson personally brought in the talents of Michel Ancel, one of the designers behind the popular 2003 game Beyond Good and Evil. As well as being designed with care, the game managed to secure voice actors from the film including Adrian Brody, Naomi Watts, and Jack Black. The game is a beautiful adventure through Skull Island, and King Kong himself can be controlled during the end scenes.
Ratchet & Clank
We’ve found a loophole for this entry because it’s so good. The PS4 Ratchet & Clank game is based on the movie, which is based on the PS2 game of the same name. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s dive in. All of the greatest components of the franchise were pulled together in this revision, with popular quirky weapons returning. The game mechanics are improved in this entry, but the gameplay is still just as difficult as ever; if you thought this was just a children’s game, think again.
Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
Lord of the Rings was an enormous success, and the fanbase is still phenomenal, with Amazon Prime releasing a TV series in September 2022. There’s no surprise that the movie bled into the video game space, and Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor is arguably the best. It’s well worth playing on one of these 240hz gaming monitors. This open-world game takes you on a gripping journey through Middle Earth, and the unique nemesis system only adds to the game’s appeal.
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape Butcher Bay
Promotional video games typically aren’t better than the movies themselves, but that’s not the case with The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape Butcher Bay. This game was packed full of stealth, FPS, melee combat, and incredible storytelling. The best part about this game is that players can fully immerse themselves in the world, as there aren’t any HUD displays or goal pointers.
Spiderman 2
The true master of the movie to video game releases is Spiderman 2, which executes elements of the movie flawlessly. The web-swinging mechanic we all know and love was introduced in this game, which gave players the ability to explore New York at their leisure. Outside of the gameplay and story, this game managed to bring the movie Spiderman, Tobey Maguire, to voice the web-swinger.
Video games based on movies let us step into the world of our favorite movies, which is an element that the games above master incredibly; all you need to do is dust off your PS2 and enjoy.
Films, books, and games set in a dystopian future are nothing new. Consequently, the plot, characters, and artwork can feel tired and well-trodden. Usually, this undermines the experience while impacting the originality of the story. Luckily, however, Athanasy counteracts this with a unique tale, fantastic character development, and wonderful art style.
Developed by Wirion and published by 7DOTS and Phoenix_co, this is a dark and sordid visual novel. Luckily, its short story is filled with interesting choices that alter the course of the game. You may choose to be a hero, a loner, a coward, and more. Whatever you decide, you will experience nothing but doom and gloom. Subsequently, its 1984 inspired dystopia is uncomfortable and a little creepy.
Dark and sinister imagery.
Athanasy has no light at the end of the tunnel.
Unlike its peers, there isn’t a positive ending. Instead, you are treated to different levels of sombre disappointment. Loneliness and failure occur no matter your choices, and oddly, this was great. This sorrowful style works brilliantly with the theme, even if it was a tad depressing at times. Now, I don’t mind a bad or horrific ending, as it keeps you on your toes. However, to have little to fight for was a step too far. I mean, if the future is this depressing, I’m not sure I want to live long enough to get there!
You control Josiah Kaviani, a bright and brilliant mathematician and statistician. He has the world at his feet and he can do whatever he wishes. Yet, he isn’t happy. His mind is considered perfect, but he is lonely and tired of his worthless existence. Sadly, though, this desire to meet someone is his downfall. As he begins his journey, he experiences gory sights and meets nightmarish monsters. His perfect, albeit shallow, existence, is about to be turned upside down and maybe he shouldn’t have pried into matters that were above his pay grade.
Why would you turn down beer?
Excellent characters and a well-paced plot.
Visual novels usually drift off into the realms of over-sexualised Manga/Anime nonsense. Now, I know this market is strong, but it is an instant turnoff. On the other hand, I prefer more depth and grit to my stories. Luckily, Athanasy delivers this on so many levels, because of its many endings and its well-written dialogue. What’s more, the characters are interesting; the relationships have meaning, and the environments are common and feel familiar.
In short, the action resonates with “ordinary” people. However, I understand that the bleak nature of the plot is far from realistic, but the rest of the elements are uncomfortably close to home. Alongside this, you experience a well-paced plot that comprises many twists and turns. Therefore, your choices impact the protagonist and the surrounding world. This, in turn, funnels the story to each of the grim finales. With many endings available, I was glad that each playthrough lasted no longer than 2 hours. This short playtime ensures that you return for more to tackle each unnerving subplot.
Athanasy is grim but captivating.
I adored the writing, characters, and many twists and turns. Yet, it was the graphics and audio that captivated me! I’ve read countless visual novels and graphically, this stands out amongst its peers. Its use of earthy tones and simple animation allows you to focus on the well-structured text. Furthermore, the backdrops are varied, and this adds depth to the sombre plot. You’ll adore the portraits of the protagonists, the intriguing world, and the grim and eerie setting.
This is helped further by the atmospheric music, as the heavy soundtrack is dark, unnerving, and uncomfortable to listen to. Therefore, the slow but well-paced songs complement the writing style throughout. You’ll grimace as the hero’s world crumbles and the sinister music plays. With few positive moments, there is rarely a break in the sombre tones. However, this mattered not, as it enhanced the suspenseful nature of the story.
What the hell is that thing?
Standard visual novel controls.
Expectedly, Athanasy is simple to play. With a skip function, and easy to master controls, you’ll play this with ease. Like its peers, this was great, as it allows you to focus on the plot and little else.
Thanks to the large array of endings and short playtime, this has longevity and replay value. If you love a sombre and dark story, this will keep you going for hours. What’s more, the interesting character development and many subplots ensure that it stays interesting throughout.
Athanasy is a cracking visual novel.
I love a great book and Athanasy is certainly a fantastic read. If you are a fan of sci-fi and 1984-inspired titles, this will be right up your street. Its characters are great, the writing is phenomenal and well-timed, and its artistry is second to none. Consequently, I recommend you to buy it here! Life is eerie, uncomfortable, and lonely. However, why rock the boat?
Do you have what it takes to be a great detective in a murder mystery? If so, then you might find yourself enjoying Chicken Police. It’s a game designed like a classic, black and white movie and includes such a dramatic melody playing in the background. The main goal of the game involves searching through a town called Clawville, where the player takes on the role of two legendary detectives, Sonny Featherland and Marty MacChicken in the search for the murderer.
Every person in this town has something to hide, some require to be interrogated a little more than others. Oh, and by the way, these people in this town are partially animals with human bodies, with their own authentic personalities. Additionally, this game is played as a narrative, so speaking to each character over and over again is a must. Yet, you can still get to engage in a few different ways than just through conversation. Some of these would include searching a location, target practice with your gun, mini-puzzles to solve the problem or figure out the case, and moving objects.
Regardless, most of the game is about speaking and interacting with the other characters. Many of which you interrogate and get rated by how great of a job you do guiding the conversation. It’s not a difficult game to play, but it will get frustrating, tricky, and requires plenty of puzzle-solving detective work. Just review every note, pay attention to each clue you hear, see, or find, and return to the places as they are always altering.
🐔 How was the game? 🐔
Well, to begin the game gave truly fits the vibe of being in a classic, old black and white detective movie. Particularly with the background music, the different scenes that you can visit, and the style as well as the appearance of each character through this limited color game. It was especially interesting to see these talking animal heads on human bodies, and that they move their mouths as they speak and react with some body movements. It would have felt incomplete if they just stood still while the detectives we play as are speaking to them. So I’m grateful that they’ve made the game feel a bit more realistic and relatively accurate.
The only thing I didn’t like is the swaying effect. The game moves back and forth like a rocking boat. I think they did this to make the characters appear like they are moving. However, when it’s searching for an object or trying to put in a combination, the swaying can make you a little sick and be a bit bothersome. Otherwise, the game really appears to play and look great if not including that little issue.
For the characters, there are not just a few animal types, like cats, birds, and dogs. This game includes animals of all types like an eagle, lemur, fox, horse, rabbit, seagull, and many others. They all have their own humorous and quirky qualities, as well as secrets we require to help lead us to solve the mystery. Plus, the findings of certain objects are also very helpful to solve the mystery. Sometimes I did find it hard to see what’s in front of me in the darker areas, but the best thing is that the game really allows you to know which locations are searchable and can be selected. So there is no need to play a guessing game, deciding what is an actual object and what isn’t.
Additionally, there are so many astonishing discoveries as the game presses forward. It also isn’t such a short and easy game to play. It’s packed with new puzzles and you must accurately play the game to reveal a new portion. So it will take time to complete, and I think that is what made this game somewhat more enjoyable.
I also found it interesting how you can choose the fate of the detectives. Guiding them through the game, dialing the phone, finding keys, and just unlocking the mystery. Each new event that occurred, required my guidance. Sometimes it felt very easy to get a hang of and move on smoothly, but at other times the decisions and figuring out a few puzzles can get tricky. I found myself stuck in one chapter a few times, uncertain about what I needed to do or where to go next.
Yet, For the most part, if you investigate every location, speak to every character, and return back to areas you’ve been before, you’ll find your way through this maze of this game. All the clues are kept down in a notebook, and items are found inside the bag we carry with us for easy access. Basically, it’s always available and easy to review what was discovered and how it may play a role in what you need to search for next. Eventually, all of the clues will lead to the final scene and it was a very surprising ending.
🚓 Final Thoughts 🚓
Chicken Police is a very interesting story-style game with realistic characters. It may be a longer game to play for some and others not so much, it all depends on the player. Each move in the correct location allows the game to reveal new content and changes the locations a little bit more. The dark setting reminds me of Sin City and those old classic detective movies or a few shows recreating a similar style in an episode.
Anywho, the game may appear dark, but it’s not a game that was scary to the point that you’ll be killed or deal with those many gory defeats. It practically provides a one-of-a-kind puzzling adventure with plenty of mysterious discoveries and a surprising ending. It really can be quite thrilling to play and to be honest, it was even better than I thought it would be. I couldn’t pull my attention away!
80s horror shows and films were delightfully camp and gory. Thanks to the ridiculous scripts, OTT characters, and brutal moments, they were captivating and amusing. However, modern horror has moved away from this wonderful approach. Sadly, everyone demands shocking and gruesome moments! Unfortunately, the nostalgia of the 80s is lost on a modern audience and this is disappointing. Luckily, though, Evil Dead: The Game bucks this trend while reminding modern gamers what they are missing.
Developed and published by Saber Interactive, this is a third-person horror survival game. Games like Dead by Daylight and Friday the 13th are thrilling audiences. Consequently, how will this old-school inspired title compare to its peers? Well, in short, as a multiplayer experience, it’s deep, enjoyable, and challenging. Disappointingly, the same can’t be said for the often brutal solo endeavour.
Evil Dead: The Game captures the franchise perfectly.
If you are old enough to remember the films and TV series, then you’ll adore what’s on offer. However, for younger players, you’ll need to ditch your modern mindset and go with the flow. This dated experience pits survivors against demonic forces in a gory game of cat and mouse. There are oodles of gore, plenty of weapons, and some weird and wonderful items. What’s more, each match is relatively short and they follow the same core concept.
You and your friends take on the role of Ash and his heroic companions. This band of misfits must work together to defeat the Kandarian demon who is trying to kill them. By working together, you’ll search for pieces of a map, the Kandarian dagger, and, of course, the Necronomicon. As you gather together these ancient artefacts, you’ll fight waves of demonic beings while trying to stay calm. If you are successful, you’ll banish the evil forces while surviving to fight another day. If you fail, the demon wins and you all die. Either way, you’ll adore the smattering of blood, the ridiculous weapons, and the never-ending gruesome encounters.
What could be out there?
A nod to Sam Raimi.
Every element of Evil Dead: The Game is a nod to Sam Raimi. From the tiny and difficult single-player mode to the weapons, characters, and environments of the multiplayer world. This is supported further by the classic one-liners, the old-school clothing, and the fantastic audio. Though the gameplay is rough, I enjoyed it nonetheless. Something is compelling about the suspenseful action, and the harsh reality that soon sets in.
As a survivor, you must scour each stage looking for resources, weapons, and objective items. As you progress, you will fight, work together, and drive audacious vehicles. Yet, as the demon, you begin as a weak and feeble entity. As the survivors become more scared, you feed off their fear and become more powerful. This allows you to possess fearful individuals or inanimate objects. Fancy booby-trapping a chest? Then saunter along and cast some magic. If that isn’t your thing, then worry not! You can control vehicles or trees as you scare the crap out of these unsuspecting humans.
The action was wonderfully balanced, and this kept you on your toes. If you decide to banish the evil beings, you must work together as a team. If you cannot do this, the Kandarian demon will eat you alive and you will fail.
Team up and destroy the demonic forces.
Evil Dead: The Game is rough but camp.
Graphically, Evil Dead: The Game is a little rough around the edges. However, this plays to its TV and film roots. Consequently, the aesthetic works perfectly with the theme. Moreover, its gory nature won’t be for the squeamish. Sadly, its lack of polish causes some gameplay issues. You’ll be trapped in the scenery more often than not. Yet, this shouldn’t put you off, as it’s a minor thing. Yes, it was frustrating at times, but you’ll laugh, dust yourself down, and try again.
The audio, on the other hand, is fantastic. The aggressive soundtrack was combined with horrific sound effects, and this was wonderful. What’s more, the atmosphere is creepie and eerie throughout. Subsequently, you are never at ease and each round has you permanently on edge. I adored the music, but I loved the witty and accurate Sam Raimi dialogue more. The script is reminiscent of the films and this makes Evil Dead: The Game authentic to its roots.
Smile for the camera!
Excellent controls and UI.
When there are many jump scares and multiple enemies to face, the controls can be clumsy and cumbersome. Luckily, Evil Dead: The Game has a well-considered approach. Not only are the controls easy to understand and responsive, but they are supported by an excellent UI. In the heat of battle, it is easy to switch between ranged and melee weapons. What’s more, you can use your inventory with ease, upgrade your character on the fly, and rescue your teammates. I loved the simplicity of the control system and it made the multiplayer option even more user-friendly.
Thanks to an array of survivors or demons to choose from, and an expansive and deep character progression system, this has masses of replay value. Furthermore, if you have a great group of friends, there are some key tactical elements and proper scary moments. On top of this, the tough but short single-player mode will keep you playing for hours. However, it’ll take a lot of patience as the action lacks balance and will frustrate many players.
Evil Dead: The Game excels as a multiplayer experience.
As a solo gamer, I found the story mode to represent the franchise perfectly. But, I was annoyed that it was too difficult as there was a lack of checkpoints. Consequently, when you die, and you will, you lose your progress. If the developers could balance this out, then the solo mode would be much better. If you love multiplayer gaming and the horror genre, then this will be right up your street. It’s brilliantly atmospheric, camp, witty, and charming. I adored the random weapons, the gruesome demons, and the gentle learning curve. All things considered, this is an excellent horror title and I recommend you to buy it here! Will you survive each round and defeat the Kandarian demons? Probably not, but work together, collect the weapons, and die trying.
Spirit Hunters: Infinite Horde is a 2D action rogue-lite game developed and published by Creature Cauldron. Spirit Hunters’ developers seem to have been inspired or intrigued by the success of late 2021 release Vampire Survivors, so much so that they decided to give it their own go.
When I was sent this game for reviewing, it was a very nice coincidence that I had only very recently purchased and played Vampire Survivors, and I had enjoyed Vampire Survivors a lot! As I saw the mostly positive reviews on Steam, I felt that I would once again enjoy my time with this already tried and tested formula. However, I was left disappointed after about 2 hours and hopeless by the 5th. In this review I will be taking a close look at why Spirit Hunters isn’t fun despite being very similar to Vampire Survivors, both by looking at it as a standalone game and comparing it to Vampire Survivors.
Gameplay
Weapons and Abilities
When you start a “run” both in Spirit Hunters your only inputs consist of moving around the map and picking new abilities or existing ability upgrades whenever you level up. The rest of the combat is basically idle and automatic. While Vampire Survivors solves this limited intractability by making the choices meaningful, in Spirit Hunters the upgrades you choose are boring and meaningless. General choices offered are, +1 Damage, +10% range, +20% speed etc. All the upgrades you take feel the same, and this stagnates player’s feeling of progress. Nothing changes when you upgrade an ability to +5 or +15. But this isn’t even the biggest mistake Spirit Hunters makes. The real reason playing around with weapons in Vampire Survivors is much more fun than Spirit Hunters is simple, SYNERGY.
What is Synergy?
In Vampire Survivors, each weapon you pick up has a chance to synergise with other weapons and items, resulting in a new upgraded version of the weapon. This is called evolution. There are so many impacts resulting from this simple decision to introduce evolutions into the gameplay. Let me list some of them; each run is different and exciting, players get to experiment with different combinations, the anticipation of levelling up your weapon to max and finding out a new evolution, different builds where each of them is viable. Spirit Hunters loses so much because none of the items and abilities in the game synergize with each other. Each run feels the same and there is no room for experimentation.
Run example
Now let’s look at the weapons/abilities themselves and how they feel to play. Firstly, in my opinion almost none of the weapons and abilities feel good or useful maybe with one or two exceptions. I would like to explain this point of view with an example. There are a few abilities in the game where you need to aim them by looking at a direction. However, while enemies come from all directions player character sprite can only turn at left or right, making it very hard to aim upwards or downwards, let alone the diagonal sides.
There are other reasons why the gameplay feels stale and restrictive however I will be mentioning those on the Progression part of this review.
The map
Progression
At the end of the run you get to bring over the upgrade materials you collected within the run to the Oracle. Here you can unlock new abilities, characters, maps, and permanently upgrade your character and weapons. There are a lot of things wrong with the progression system in this game, let us look at them one at a time.
The biggest problem comes from the grind. The prices for these unlocks are too expensive once you pass the early game. After a while It takes multiple runs to unlock a single stat upgrade for a single weapon. This expensiveness problem becomes even more unbearable when unlocking new abilities.
Another big issue with the progression system stems for not being able to plan or reset. You can’t see the upgrades and unlocks before unlocking the node before it. So, you basically never know what you’re building towards until you unlock it. There’s also the problem of not being able to try out new abilities/weapons before unlocking them. So, if you were to unlock a new ability and not like it, too bad you’re stuck with that ability in your pool forever since you can’t reset your skill tree.,
Progression Tree
Spirit Hunters has the extra addition of “Pets” which can be found on the map after unlocking them from the progression menu. In a game where variety is hard to come by, pets are a nice addition. While most of them end up being boring stat upgrades again some of them are unique and different.
Unlocking new weapons should’ve been passive as you play the game. Without this there is no feel of progression after completing runs other than making your upgrade material amount go up.
Enemies and Bosses
There really isn’t too much to be said about enemies or bosses. There is some enemy variety to be found but, after a you’ve killed a few different types of enemies you realize that most of them work the same. Unfortunately, this applies for the bosses as well, even the end of level bosses work almost exactly same. I’ll refrain from adding more to this to prevent spoilers.
Boss example
Technical Side
There are couple of problems in the technical side but none of them are game breaking. The game runs smoothly and glitches don’t happen too often. This is pretty good considering the game is on early access.
The characters and enemies have no animations, they are just sprites floating around. Honestly these problems can be fixed in the future this is an early access game after all.
The hitboxes on some of the characters and enemies are weird. Sometimes you feel like you should’ve hit that but you don’t. And other times your character doesn’t take damage when they should have. I’ve seen enemies go through walls a couple of times as well.
The sprites and the environments are colorful and pretty. Sound effects are fine, and music is nothing special.
