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Review: Ayo the Clown

Daniel Waite

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Apr 22, 2022

Clowns are petrifying, horrible, and should never be considered funny. There is a reason they are the protagonists in many horror films, and that’s because they are evil! Subsequently, anything involving clowns usually has me running a mile. However, ironically, here I am reviewing the “cutesy” game, Ayo the Clown.

Developed by Cloud M1 and published by Eastasiasoft Limited, this is a side-scrolling platform title. It’s fantastically colourful, whimsical in nature, and has many levels filled with odd enemies, traps, and collectables. What’s more, it has enormous bosses, it looks great, and its mechanics are smooth and well-thought-out.

Ayo the Clown tells a familiar tale.

I don’t mind a rehashed story. After all, originality is hard to come by these days. Consequently, the plot of Ayo the Clown will feel familiar. There is a love interest, a missing dog, and a sense of danger. Moreover, everything is lost unless a hero steps forward.

So, no new ground has broken here, but let’s not be put off. Ayo’s best friend is Bo. He is a four-legged beast that is as loyal as they come. Therefore, when he goes missing, Ayo knows something is amiss! He must venture beyond his cosy circus and explore a world full of danger. He has plenty of potential but must learn new skills as he goes. Subsequently, he is one clown that must overcome every obstacle while saving his dog and the world.

Ayo has many special abilities. — Use your balloon to soar through the sky.

A healthy blend of old and new.

I enjoy retro gaming, but I cherish the times when the mould is broken. Luckily, Ayo the Clown does just this with its hearty blend of old and new mechanics. Each moderately sized stage is loaded with traps, enemies, secrets, and more. You must complete tasks such as finding chocolate or rescuing balloons to unlock new skills. Now, none of these quests is challenging, but they add a rewarding element to the gameplay.

You’ll learn to soar through the sky, jump, slide, attack, use tanks and helicopters, and more. Each new skill opens up paths that would otherwise remain locked. It was fantastic to expand each stage while searching for every collectable. However, unlike Metroidvania games, Ayo the Clown funnels you to a definitive finale. I loved this, as you were free to explore without the worry of becoming lost.

An excellent learning curve.

I love challenging platform games such as Super Meat Boy and OkunoKA Madness. Yet, sometimes I want a simple life. Luckily, the gentle learning curve and drip-fed mechanics prevent this from becoming overwhelming. On top of this, there are well-explained tutorials to ensure you never go wrong.

Don’t let this simplicity fool you, though, as Ayo the Clown is challenging. You’ll fall to your death, become impaled on spikes, or be slaughtered by monsters. However, this matters not, as there are many checkpoints to be used. Consequently, death is a mere inconvenience in this moderately challenging title.

Tanks are your friend. — Jump in and destroy everything.

Ayo the Clown is an excellent-looking indie title.

I was amazed by how great Ayo the Clown looks and performs. It is one of the best-looking indie titles that I’ve played in a long time. Both its gameplay and cinematic are striking, interesting, and colourful. Furthermore, it captures the tongue-in-cheek nature of the plot perfectly. Alongside this, I adored the interesting and varied stage design. Each world has a unique look with different mechanics. Whether you are climbing vines, smashing walls, or hitting weird switches, it was fantastic.

Each gameplay element is complemented by the excellent audio. The whimsical soundtrack has folksy undertones and was fun to listen to. What’s more, the excellent narration delivers a fairytale-like story. I adored the amazing cutscenes because of Ayo’s many mishaps.

Ayo the Clown has an eclectic blend of enemies. — Darn you robot boss.

Plenty to do, but easy to play.

Ayo the Clown crams in a lot of different mechanics. Subsequently, you may worry that it’ll be complicated. Luckily, though, this isn’t the case. Each ability is brilliantly explained and easy to understand. Furthermore, the action never feels rushed, so this helps the learning curve. Alongside the excellent layout, were responsive buttons that helped further still. In short, this is a user-friendly title that’s excellent for all gamers.

With plenty of collectables, abilities to learn and upgrade, levels to finish, quests to do, and bosses to fight, this is jam-packed. I was impressed with the depth of gameplay and the various bosses you must defeat. Consequently, I never tired of trying each level. This is a game that oozes both longevity and replay value as you’ll play it for hours on end.

Ayo the Clown is an excellent platform title.

The platform genre is saturated. Therefore, you need something special if you want to stand out. I think Ayo the Clown does just that, as it’s an excellent title. Its story is fun, the environments are interesting and vivid; the gameplay is challenging but fair, and it has plenty of collectables. It ticks all the boxes and I recommend you to buy it here! Can you rescue Bo and get the girl? Jump, slide and shoot your way through every level to become the hero you are destined to be.

Review: Tranya T20 earbuds

Daniel Waite

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Apr 21, 2022

0

I love listening to music while out and about. Consequently, getting the right headphones is essential. There is nothing worse than tinny sound, missed tones, or crackling lyrics. What’s more, I’m greedy as I want my accessories to be multi-faceted. I don’t want hassle, and I don’t want wires. So, where does that leave me? Wireless earbuds, that’s where! Subsequently, when the Tranya T20 earbuds fell on my desk, I got straight to work.

These small and sleek earbuds offer a truly wireless experience. Furthermore, they are a Jack of all trades and work well in many scenarios. Thanks to their IPX7 waterproof rating, they repel sweat and don’t struggle in the rain. Alongside this are 4 microphones that pick up every word you say. Moreover, it has fast Type-C charging, bass boost, and a low latency game mode. Now, the quality is good, but they don’t stand out from the crowd. However, you get a lot of bang for your buck and for $69.99 they are affordable.

What’s in the box of the Tranya T20 earbuds?

The accessory is presented in a compact but striking white box. Its sturdy design protects it in transit and is emblazoned with the company logo and key selling points. Thankfully, it’s 99% recyclable, and that’s great for the environment.
The Tranya T20 earbuds. These small but sturdy earbuds have a black, glossy finish and have no logo or distinctive markings. Furthermore, they come in a charging case that offers no wireless charging facility. However, it has a whopping 500mAh capacity to keep you going.
Spare silicone tips. They say less is more, but this isn’t true of the Tranya T20 earbuds. They come with a crazy amount of tips for ears of all shapes and sizes.
USB-C charging cable. You’ll receive a small rubberised standard USB-C cable.
User manual and 1 sticker. The straightforward guide is no-nonsense and matter-of-factly explains the fundamentals.

Technical aspects.

Earbuds battery	50mAh
Charging case battery	500mAh
Playtime	Up to 8 hours
Standby Time	120 hours
Charging	Type-C
Input	5V+/-0.25V
Charging time	under 2 hours
Bluetooth version	5.1
Bluetooth range	10 metres or 33 feet
Driver Type	Graphene-coated Dynamic
Bluetooth profiles	A2DP/HFP/HSP/AVRCP
Audio codec	AAC/SBC
Microphone	4-microphone system

I’ve recently reviewed the excellent ROCCAT Syn Buds Air, and these are my benchmark for excellence. However, these earbuds do well to compete. The Tranya T20 earbuds use a 6mm high-intensity magnetic driver to deliver a generous range of tones and pitch. Alongside this, the bass boost generates an uncomfortable and artificial depth. Consequently, I rarely used this option, as it tends to distort the sound. It wasn’t terrible. I simply prefer a more natural bass sound.

The 4 microphone system ensures that every phone call is crystal clear. Accordingly, I had no complaints when using them in party chat or when speaking to friends. I experienced nicely balanced audio when music or sound effects were playing. Finally, the IPX7 waterproof rating ensures these earbuds are perfect for outdoor use. I experimented with them in the rain while running, and they never faltered.

The Tranya T20 is jam-packed with features. — That’s a lot of features for the price.

Are the Tranya T20 earbuds worth the investment?

I was pleasantly surprised by the audio and build quality of the Tranya T20 earbuds. What’s more, they contain some high-end tech which is great for the price. Alongside this, they are comfortable to wear, easy to use, simple to connect and have a great 40-hour battery life at full charge.

Thankfully, the earbuds are compatible with both Android and iOS devices. To connect to either OS is easy, so you’ll be up and running immediately. Moreover, you can switch between twin or single-mode with ease. Consequently, you can enjoy your music solo or with another.

If you are on the lookout for an all-around accessory that is inexpensive and truly wireless, then look no further. I liked everything about them, except the bass boost. However, this mode isn’t required. Therefore, I recommend that you buy them here. The Amazon link for the Tranya T20 earbuds can be found here!

Summary.

The Tranya T20 earbuds are a nice and inexpensive audio device that ticks many boxes. They have their limitations but they are fantastic for the price. With plenty of features and fast Type-C charging, you won’t be disappointed with the end product.

_{(More information on Tranya products can be found here!)}

The Tranya T20 earbuds receive the Movies Games and Tech Silver Award.

Review: Cat Café Manager

Natosha M

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Apr 20, 2022

0

Have you ever wanted to work in a café or maybe you already have? How about would you ever like to run a café not just for humans but for cats too? Then Cat Café Manager is a game that will please you as it allows you to partake in the role of a manager running a café for cats and the friendly people in the village, Caterwaul Way.

However, this job isn’t going to be super easy as it may appear. There are some problems that may come our way as time goes on. Yet our grandmother wouldn’t have left this land to build a café, for us to take over if she didn’t think we couldn’t run it. So as long as we hire reliable workers to help us, buy plenty of brilliant items to bring comfort and interest to the restaurant, learn new recipes to serve the guests and the cats that visit, and lastly keep an eye on everything going on in the café and in the village, well then the game will be a piece of cake!

Graphics and Sound

The visual aspect comes off as a 2D-style game with a soft color palette and cartoonish style design. It’s absolutely great on the eyes, not too bright or too plain. Plus, after watching the screen for hours working on the task and chores required to be attended to during the game, the scenery and style of the entire game’s design are very relaxing and easier to look at for a long amount of time. Even the characters all have a cute and adorable appearance to them, with their own unique and quirky mannerisms. This includes the cute kitties that will be roaming the land and the café.

Now for the music that plays, it’s a lively tune. During the game it’s a mix of cheerful and comforting, that feels like a perfect background sound for this game. The music doesn’t really have a different tempo or change in the song or tune playing. It’s a song that plays and stays constant throughout. The same goes for the actions and sound effects made by the characters, cats, and many other things in the game. It’s very simply done and not too complicated in the sound department.

There is one thing I’d like to mention about the graphics when everything is in action. The game was fine as it started, a bit slow loading to play the game each time, but nothing too bad. However, when I finally got further into the game I noticed that issues began to show, such as the game began to slow down in different parts and the selector object or popup images weren’t showing up. For one example, when I tried to pet a stray cat, the selector wouldn’t appear and I didn’t know what cat I was choosing. I believe it’s due to things happening at the same time, and it occurs a few days later in the game as more visitors enter.

Final Thoughts

Cat Café Manager is a wonderful game with such a cute visual appearance and is easy for anyone young or old to enjoy. There were a few things that stood out, which for me stood to be slightly negative. The first is the limitation in moving the character from facing one way or controlling a camera to view the area a bit better from the back to front sides of objects and the building. Don’t get me wrong, you are able to move in all directions with no problems, but the view is always facing forward and just feels a bit odd, and hard to clean areas that can’t be seen.

On top of that, when you pet the cat, it’s like petting the floor or air sometimes. It’s hard to get the cat accurately at times and ends up looking like the cat is enjoying the kind petting, but also that you petting the air. Another feature I felt was tricky to get used to is the controls to select where or what you want to do in the menu option. It takes some time to get a hang of it or to accurately select the option you want. Lastly, I didn’t mind the few days of getting rated a D for the service as we aren’t able to do much till we obtain and meet new people who come into the café. There is no other way to get past this as it’s gonna take time till we obtain money for objects to buy, new material to use for building, and meet the new guests to provide us with these items. Therefore, the game is always going to start by giving out daily D ratings, either that or I’m just not getting a hang of the game?

Nevertheless, these issues don’t really destroy the enjoyment of the game. Most can be small potatoes compared to other problems many larger games normally have. So I don’t doubt the joy in the game and its entertainment value, as it still is playable and works as it should. Plus, after playing it for a while the gist of how to do things get easier to use.

Finally, there is so much to achieve and learn as days go on in this game. Much to be done and very easy to do. The game is filled with unique characters to meet and befriend, as well as cats that you will get to pet, feed, and befriend also. It’s a game that any cat lover or gamer who enjoys an easy and simpler tycoon, simulated, and the sandbox-style game would love to play.

Review: Jessika

Luke Maguire

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Apr 20, 2022

0

An interesting premise with poor execution.

Jessika begins with you as a detective and Jessika has committed suicide, but her father contacts you and wants to find out why she did it. So, it starts as an interesting concept with potential. Although it just ends up being about shock factor and plotlines that are quite bad. The story tackles heavy themes like abuse and racism. Yet it never compelled me to care more or try to relate to the story. The actress for Jessika was quite good giving a believable performance.

How we figure out the story is through videos Jessika has left behind. We put in keywords and videos around those keywords will appear. However, it doesn’t feel like a detective game with such a simple premise. Not only that but some of the keywords are quite awkward to find especially at first as you’re just guessing. You do this all from a desk looking at a laptop, which would have been better if the screen acted as yours but the frame of the laptop is still there.

You will get messages from co-workers and random emails as you’re figuring out what happened to Jessika. It often breaks the pacing and kills the tension that was building up when a co-worker tells you how great their ramen is while you try to figure out a suicide case.

After finding the videos, it’s painfully boring most of the time listening to Jessika. A lot of her stories are uninteresting and then some are very radical, which I can only assume is for a shock factor. The translation is pretty bad for it as well. Randomly words will be misspelled and the subtitles tend to be ahead of Jessika’s voice. It just comes across lazy particularly with a game so story focused.

Jessika was a disappointing attempt at an interesting concept with poor plot lines, translations being messy, and getting messages that just ruin the pacing of the story. Overall Jessika is a poor game that really could have done something decent with a better story or dialogue.

Review: Before We Leave

Alex Chessun

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Apr 20, 2022

0

Colony/civilization simulations always tend to be a little bit dire, don’t they? Disease around one corner, death around the next – in what can often be as much a stress-filled crapshoot as it can a satisfying skill-based challenge.

Approaching the stage from the opposite perspective is Before We Leave, a colony-building sim that provides a deep resource-based system of its own, but with a disarming and laid-back atmosphere that makes for an appetizable and very pleasant experience.

The visuals are soft and vibrant, and a calming soundtrack with an ambient guitar track carries you along like a leaf in the wind as hours pass without you realizing.

An indepth tutorial helps this along as you are taken through the very typical resource management gameplay loop step-by-step, explaining the detailed interfaces at a friendly pace, conveying the task easily and making the game seem very approachable.

As is standard for colony-sims technologies unlock as you farm and refine resources, which allows you to create new buildings and vehicles to facilitate more of the same, and with the ability to slow or stop time completely, you can do this without the threat of running out of resources due to slow decision making. That’s essentially the long and short of the entire game, and while that might not seem like a lot, there are plenty of things to create and ways to monitor your progress within this mechanic, which – at least initially – gives the impression of endless possibilities in your explorable solar system.

It might not look like much in a screenshot, but exploring in a seafaring ship makes want to put a parrot on my shoulder and wear eye patches.

When you eventually do reach another planet, however, you might start to wonder what the end game looks like, and well – there really isn’t one. In a sense, colonizing one planet and you’ve colonized them all as there are no social or combative elements in the game or any threat of failure, which means that your job is to spread your populace like a pollution-producing virus across planets in much the same way each time, the only difference being the availability of resources on each one.

Establish trade routes to ship resources to continents *lacking* resources.

Despite scorching the earth and creating an inevitable smog that San Francisco and Beijing might be jealous of, the tranquility of the game partly lies in the fact that there is almost nothing that can upset the status quo – other than a space whale – as you and you alone are in control of your fate. There are no competing factions or civilizations that you need to placate or interact with and death due to poor living conditions is non-existent.

So safe is your carefree populace that their mood can only be affected by being near a polluted area or by not being provided with enough luxury items – not even taking away their homes and all their food just for giggles turns their smiles upside down.

Sadly, they barely also interact with the world around them and are almost completely unaware of each other in a social sense. Left-wing and right-wing political views would be as unfamiliar to them as a hospital, as children are somehow amusingly created en-masse at schools, assuming you have created enough housing for them.

It’s a shame that you can’t influence the population once wheeled of the factory line, as without it, your linear progress rarely differs playthrough to playthrough. Your populace’s names and even their emotional state is shown, but with wooden peg-like avatars and very basic behavior you often forget that they are even human.

Alma may or may not have been part of my ‘Can I kill my own population?’ pet project, but she was smiling all the same.

Their lack of human-like characteristics is relatively minor in the larger scheme of things and won’t likely bother you when you’re uncovering new continents with the game’s great visualization of a 3D hex tiles being put together piece-by-piece like a puzzle on-screen as you sail around the world, nor will it bore as you completely change the landscape and design great-looking settlements, but there is a bit of an empty feeling that creeps in when its open-endedness – of expanding solely for expanding’s sake – becomes apparent.

There are alternative scenarios that extend the game’s replay value that instills some urgency to achieve certain goals in certain timeframes, but it unfortunately still lacks the social or combative systems that would make this game more than just a surface-level simulation with tremendous ambiance.

Despite Before We Leave removing almost all threats of failure and most gameplay variety, its wonderfully relaxed atmosphere and highly accessible gameplay are still a cut above the rest, making this colony-sim a worthwhile spin for those who want to play god from their armchair, but without any of the stress.

Review: Submerged: Hidden Depths

Daniel Waite

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Apr 20, 2022

0

https://youtu.be/7LeUf5h4J9k

Survival is mankind’s strongest instinct. Yet, when you are facing an all-powerful foe, all hope is bound to be lost. Consequently, you’ll turn to your family for support as you try to overcome the heinous obstacles in your path. Submerged: Hidden Depths captures this solitude and despair in its melancholy, but peaceful story.

Developed and published by Uppercut Games, this is a relaxing but sombre adventure title. It is the sequel to Submerged the award-winning game. Subsequently, it has strong foundations that evolve in this instalment. A word of warning, however, this won’t be for everyone because of its lack of combat and slow pace. Yet, if you love moody music, playful cutscenes, and simple puzzles, then this is definitely for you.

Submerged: Hidden Depths has a simple story.

A gift is supposed to be a wonderful and heartfelt thing. Therefore, you wouldn’t expect one to turn you into an outsider. This is what happens to Miku and Taku, the sibling protagonists in this tale. Miku was gifted a special power that causes flowers to grow from her arm. People are scared of this gift and banish the pair from their homes. However, they shouldn’t have acted so rashly. This ability overcomes the black roots that are threatening mankind. Consequently, the pair must work together to find seeds to destroy the plants and save the world.

This is about the crux of the story. Once the opening scenes play out, there isn’t much acknowledgement of its existence. Yet, this wasn’t a bad thing as the action focuses heavily on the siblings and the situation. I adored the bond between the pair and the jovial moments they shared. Their relationship juxtaposes the melancholy world you explore, and it was a bittersweet experience.

Much of the action is a blend of Kevin Costner’s Waterworld and the game The Falconeer. I make these comparisons because there are distinct elements of despair, destruction, and loss. Alongside this, there is a large and sparse world to explore, with undertones of fear and isolation. In short, it’s not a laugh a minute, but it is endearing and you’ll adore the lead characters.

Memories linger until the seeds are destroyed. — Destroy the seed and remove the memories.

No combat, no violence, just exploration!

Adventure games rarely ignore combat mechanics. However, Submerged: Hidden Depths does just that. The developers have created an ultra-relaxing title that has no fighting or violence at its core. This may confuse or disappoint some, but I found it to be refreshing and brave. Moreover, this ensured the other key elements took centre stage.

At the heart of the gameplay is exploration. You sail a decrepit vessel between islands, lookouts, relics, and more. It is an essential tool that allows you to search ruins and progress the story.

Alongside the vast ocean is a ridiculous amount of collectables to find. There are ship pieces to alter your boat’s appearance, flowers to collect, animals to tag, and diary entries to find. These snippets of information were wonderful as they drip-fed the lore of the land. This was an excellent idea, as it added some much-needed depth.

Submerged: Hidden Depths has some stunning creatures to find. — One of the many stunning creatures you’ll find.

Puzzles and seeds.

The aforementioned black roots can only be overcome with Miku’s gift and by collecting enormous seeds. I admit it was a bizarre idea that I never understood. What’s more, it was rarely challenging to achieve. Consequently, I spent my time wondering if the action would ever become harder.

This lack of a challenge sadly leeches into the puzzling moments, and this was frustrating. I could accept the lack of combat and the other simple elements. However, I expected the puzzles to test me. At best, you’re searching for any collectables or hidden paths. At worse, the answer is given to you on a plate. I get the relaxed vibe, but I think it went a little too far.

Submerged: Hidden Depths looks nice, but it has issues.

As you begin your journey, the vivid colours and azure ocean are noticeable. They stand out like a sore thumb amongst the destruction before you. What’s more, there is a vast emptiness that’s haunting, yet alluring. All these elements combine to add to the sombre and melancholy atmosphere. On top of this, there is a fascinating blend of landmarks to visit and islands/buildings to explore. Subsequently, you won’t tire of exploring this dank world.

However, it’s not perfect! There are many visual glitches in both the cinematic and the open gameplay. Alongside this, it’s hard to identify steps and ledges and this makes it tough to navigate tight spaces. Unfortunately, this impacts the gameplay, and I wished it was better polished.

The graphics were problematic at times, but the audio was perfect. Its sombre tones set the mood while highlighting the protagonist’s plight. With a lack of spoken dialogue, I was amazed by how emotive it was. The use of tone and pitch brilliantly deliver poignant moments and I adored it.

Slide, swing, and jump between the islands in Submerged: Hidden Depths. — Slide your way across the map.

Easy to understand controls.

A simple game needs simple controls, right? Absolutely it does and thankfully Submerged: Hidden Depths is as straightforward as you can hope for. With an excellent UI, highlighted button commands, and basic instructions, you will not struggle to master this.

The story lasts between 4 to 5 hours with another 3 or so are needed to mop up the loose ends. Furthermore, there is a ridiculous amount of collectables to find and a reasonably large world to explore. Consequently, there is some longevity and replay value.

Submerged: Hidden Depths is relaxing but lacks challenge.

I was desperate for Submerged: Hidden Depths to jump to the next level. Sadly, though, it rigidly sticks to its guns, and that was frustrating. Yes, it’s relaxing and rewarding when you collect every seed. However, I wanted more. It’s a great game, but it wasn’t for me, sadly. All things considered though, I recommend you to buy it here! Will the siblings save the world or is the damage already done? Sail the ocean, find the seeds, and destroy the black roots.

Review: Winter Ember

Daniel Waite

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Apr 19, 2022

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Revenge is a dish best served cold. However, it’s also an all-consuming power that will control every aspect of your being. Consequently, you must be strong-willed, disciplined, and willing to see your plans through. Winter Ember focuses on this dark emotion in its cruel and melancholy plot.

Developed by Skymachine Studios and published by Blowfish Studios, this is an isometric stealth game. It’s set in a seedy and sinister Victorian world and relies heavily on dark shades and moody music. What’s more, it utilises crafting and RPG elements as well as an expansive landscape to explore. I found it to be unnecessarily cruel at times, as well as being disjointed and perhaps a little too adventurous with its core mechanics. In short, it doesn’t get everything right, but it’ll appeal to many gamers, nonetheless.

Winter Ember tells a familiar tale.

Wanting to seek revenge for wrongdoings against your family has been done a million times before. Yet, if it’s done well, we can overlook the well-trodden story. I admit I admired Winter Ember and its rich plot and sinister world. At first glance, it was captivating, and I found the sombre mood to be endearing. However, this does somewhat wear off as the game lingers on.

You control Arthur Artorias, the only surviving member of a powerful and rich aristocratic family. After the dust settled and the crimes were “forgotten”, Arther started to piece together his plan. Subsequently, he trained to become a thief and an assassin! His new skills allow him to discover the truth and right the wrongs of the past. As I said, it’s not the most inventive of tales. Yet, it works well with the setting while providing some much-needed depth to the gameplay.

Your prey won't know what hit them. — He never felt a thing.

Wonderful stealth mechanics.

Unsurprisingly, the stealth mechanics in this stealthy title are incredible. There is something truly fascinating about hiding in the shadows and pouncing on your foes. Fortunately, Winter Ember captures this essence perfectly within its gameplay. Each area you visit has items that you can hide behind or within. Whether it’s a chest to dive into, reeds to crouch behind, or crates to stand on top of, it has it all. Furthermore, you can extinguish flames to enhance the shadowy world that is essential to your success.

This lowlight setting is supported perfectly by the clever use of line-of-sight mechanics. Therefore, most of the landscape is hidden behind a “fog of war”. Consequently, the map will only reveal itself when your line of sight is clear. Thankfully, this also applies to your opponents, so if you can’t see them, they can’t see you. I adored this deadly game of cat and mouse as it brought out the inner assassin in me. However, the slow and steady approach won’t be for everyone! Winter Ember requires an awful lot of planning and patience and the occasionally snail-like pace can be unbearable.

This being said, if you like a slower and methodical title, then this will be perfect for you. You’ll enjoy searching manor houses, peeking through locks, peering through windows, and clambering over rafters. All in all, it creates an absorbing and sneaky game that demands a calm and well-thought-out approach.

Enemies will block your attacks. You must be wise and overcome their defences. — Use your skills to overcome their defence.

From sublime to disappointing!

Games rarely divide my opinion as much as Winter Ember has. When it got everything right, it was phenomenal. Unfortunately, though, it got too many elements wrong. First, there is the badly synced cinematic that also juxtaposes the Victorian setting. This was stylish to look at, but it simply didn’t work with the grimy world that’s been created. It reeked of a lack of direction and watered-down the end product. Second, the RPG elements were poorly implemented. New abilities and character improvements were actioned with skill points. These collectables were found in locked areas and were awarded for success in quests. However, the style of the game ensures that there is little benefit as you improve each of the 70 skills. It was a shame as the potential is plain to see! Somehow, the execution of these ideas wasn’t seen through and it undermines the action significantly.

Though I found these areas to be lacklustre, the crafting and theft elements were great. As you wander the streets, you’ll gather resources and steal valuable items. These can then be used to make an array of arrows and to earn you considerable sums of cash. I loved the selection of ammo on offer as each executes a unique task. Whether it was to take down an opponent, melt ice, extinguish fire, activate switches, and more, they add to the complex and puzzling moments. Cash, on the other hand, is used to bribe people, buy favour, and purchase items from the black market. I found this to be balanced, fair, and an excellent way to ensure you kept searching for goods in every room you entered.

Winter Ember was confusing to navigate.

I expected that Winter Ember would be dark and gloomy as well as atmospheric. However, what I didn’t expect was it to be a pain in the arse to navigate. Consequently, exploring each of the claustrophobic hideouts, houses, and city streets was frustrating as hell. Hindered massively by its isometric viewpoint and grainy imagery, it’s a real turnoff. What’s more, the map is appalling and identifying ways to progress is challenging. I believe the developers had good intentions with their simple UI, but it backfired horribly. Subsequently, a bit more direction would have helped to overcome the many graphical issues.

It’s not all doom and gloom, as the audio is fantastic. There is a real sense of danger and grit within each of the songs. Alongside the atmospheric music were the realistic sound effects. I adored the swish of the sword, the twang of the bow, and the clunk of locks being picked. There is also an array of soundbites that add a human element to each of your foes.

Winter Ember is cold and dank. — Don’t let the snow stand in your way.

Strange controls.

I love when a developer focuses on a simple control setup. However, if it’s too basic, it causes confusion and frustration. Winter Ember falls into this trap as it overlays several commands onto the same button. Accordingly, you’ll make irreversible mistakes. Whether you try to roll, but fall from a great height instead, or fail to stealth kill someone, it has a significant impact on the gameplay. What’s more, the buttons weren’t as responsive as I’d have liked. Sadly, this causes more issues, as your foes will spot you and kill you. I expected much better and sadly, this didn’t deliver.

Thanks to its slow and methodical approach, this oozes longevity. But your patience will be tested to the limit as you’ll die repeatedly. This shouldn’t be a problem, but checkpoints are sparsely located and losing all progress will make you scream. I admit that I played this sporadically as the constant fear of death reduced the enjoyment considerably.

Winter Ember has potential.

There was such potential for this to be phenomenal, but it fell short. Yes, the stealth elements, audio, and longevity are fantastic, but everything else is lacklustre. Consequently, I spent more time groaning than I did having fun, and that’s not good. Winter Ember left a bitter taste in my mouth as I expected so much more. Sadly, I don’t recommend you to buy it at this time. However, more information can be found here! Will you put your new training to the test? You should, as revenge is on the cards if you are patient enough.

Review: GameSir X2 Lightning.

Daniel Waite

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Apr 18, 2022

0

Mobile gaming is big business. Now, I’m not talking about Nintendo Switch, as that is a whole different beast. No, I’m discussing the likes of xCloud from Microsoft and Google Stadia. The latter sadly didn’t take off, but xCloud is massive! Subsequently, where there is demand, new products come to the fore. Recently we have seen a meteoric rise in gaming clips, for example, the MOGA 2.0 gaming clip. Alongside this, you’ll see a full range of third-party Bluetooth controllers. Yet, I’m not here to discuss these either. Instead, I want to look at the GameSir X2 Lightning device.

iOS users were bitterly disappointed when Microsoft focused its soft launch of xCloud on Android devices. However, a subsequent full rollout in specific countries allows Apple users to enjoy the benefits of this streaming service. Therefore, these consumers are going to want and deserve the best gaming experience and the biggest bang for their buck. Consequently, this is where the GameSir X2 Lightning device comes into play. It’s lightweight, easy to set up and good to look at. So, let’s wait no longer and see what’s on offer.

What will you play on your GameSir X2 Lightning device? — Stylish and simple design.

What’s in the box of the GameSir X2 Lightning device?

The accessory comes in a flimsy and lightweight cardboard box. It is bright and simple to look at. Furthermore, it has all the key selling points and is emblazoned with the company logo. Thankfully, it is easily recyclable and I applaud the manufacturers for their efforts.
GameSir travel case. This basic but attractive, tough case is black and burnt orange and will easily protect the contents. It’s stylish, well made, and lightweight.
The GameSir X2 Lightning device. It is nestled within the protective case and is secured by elastic cords. It’s robust, bright, and easy to use.
Accessories box. This holds the instruction manual, spare analogue stick covers, and several stickers. Like the outer packaging, the box is red and is also recyclable.

Simple but effective packaging. — The clean and simple packaging

It comes with a handy carry case. — The clean and simple packaging

Technical aspects.

The GameSir X2 Lightning is compatible with an iOS device that uses a lightning charging port. What’s more, it will comfortably house any phone between 100mm and 173mm in length. Therefore, many Apple devices are suitable for this accessory.

Thanks to its hard-wired approach, latency is a thing of the past. Unlike its Bluetooth peers, you won’t experience lag or connectivity issues, and this was phenomenal. Alongside the plug and play functionality, is the ability to charge your device through the additional lightning port. This was an excellent decision from the manufacturer as you need not worry about your battery life.

The button layout is as important as potential latency issues. Luckily, the GameSir X2 Lightning excels here as well. The smaller than normal buttons are comfortable to use, easy to locate and feel nice against your thumbs. What’s more, the bumpers are perfectly placed and the L3 and R3 analogue inputs work well.

The GameSir X2 Lightning is usable for an array of streaming services. — Which service will you use it for?

Is the GameSir X2 Lightning device worth it?

If mobile gaming is your thing, then I’m sure you’ve done extensive research. You’ve already identified the simplicity of the MOGA 2.0 gaming clip, or the brilliance of the Razer Kishi. Yes, there are other devices available, but these are the most popular alternatives out there. However, the MOGA clip is inexpensive, but it requires a separate controller, and that’s just clumsy. The Razer Kishi, on the other hand, is excellent but expensive. So, where does that leave us? The GameSir X2 Lightning, that’s where!

It is inexpensive, well built, comfortable to use, and allows you to charge your device. Furthermore, it has a handy carry case, is lightweight and it will take a beating thanks to its robust design. On top of this, it has a spring-loaded clip that comfortably adjusts to house an array of iOS devices.

The simplicity of its design and the sleek buttons make it a great option for mobile gaming. I adore its clean look and no-nonsense style. Moreover, its plug and play functionality is user-friendly. Subsequently, it can be mastered by the biggest of technophobes. It’s a fantastic bit of kit and I recommend you to buy it here! Improve your gaming experience with this mobile, low latency and inexpensive controller.

Summary.

The GameSir X2 Lightning device stands out from its peers because of its design and price point. It’s easy to set up, comfortable to use, and robust. It’s an excellent and affordable alternative to the Razer Kishi and a wonderful accessory for Apple gaming fanatics.

_{(More information of GameSir products can be found here!)}

Review: Tape: Unveil the Memories

Jonah Ehlers

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Apr 17, 2022

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Sins of the Father

In the small town of Antumbria, Spain in 1997, Iria, our protagonist, finds an old videotape from her father. An acclaimed director of horror films who, as it turns out, had disappeared years ago. She watches the tape, discovering a message from the missing man. This leads her down a rabbit hole to find out what happened to him, and eventually what dark secrets her town and family share.

After watching the tape and experiencing somewhat of a quick and unwitting interdimensional trip, (I struggle to describe what else it could be) Iria finds herself in a deserted hospital. But things are not quite right. Why is she alone in this place? Why are benches and chairs floating in the air? And why is a monster made out of film reels stalking her?

Before you land up in the hospital, a quick perusal of Iria’s home reveals that her father’s passion for horror had passed down to her. Her room is filled with books, magazines, and films in the genre. Tape: Unveil the Memories is packed with references to and spoofs of classic horrors, Like Caroline’s Baby (Rosemary’s Baby) and The Gleaming (The Shining). These references carry over to this pocket dimension, along with some of her father’s work. His screenplays, storyboards, and film equipment are strewn about the place, making this a nexus for both father and daughter.

The mystery of her missing father went a lot deeper than I was expecting. Taking some drastic and dark turns that really threw me for a loop. I enjoyed the way the story was told. Through notes, storyboards, and correspondence that when viewed alone made little sense, but all came together to form a tale interweaving Iria’s memories and her father’s secrets.

Use Your Time Wisely

This place she finds herself in is constantly guiding her towards the truth of her father’s disappearance. At times, it even seems like her father is actually the one guiding her. As you explore you come across more tapes, these begin to change from one-sided messages to more of a dialogue. Her father even answers her directly through certain recordings. Doors open as she finds certain items, and the layout of areas changes to lead her to the next piece of the puzzle.

However, her hand isn’t held the entire way through. This place completely ignores the rules that govern time and space. Your first clue, of course, is the levitating furniture. Often your path is blocked because of this, or secrets are hidden behind puzzles that require you to disobey the laws of time and space yourself.

Your tool to accomplish that feat is an old video camera that once belonged to Iria’s father. It may have just been a regular old camera in the real world, but here, it holds some very interesting power. It can freeze and move certain objects forward and backwards through time. It’s a cool mechanic that initially sounds like it can lead to some trippy and innovative gameplay moments.

However, there were many puzzles that never really lived up to that promise. These were often disappointingly simple and straightforward. Rewind a couple of things to unblock a doorway, or piece together a broken item of interest. As the game progresses the puzzles get slightly more interesting, but not enough of them really went that extra mile. Luckily those few that did, made for some creative moments. Such as one puzzle that had you fast-forward a falling vanity table in order to get the mirror to ground level. This enabled you to then crawl through to the other side, into the same room, but with slight differences.

You Again?

Although the puzzles do make up a good chunk of gameplay, there’s also a fair amount of slow and monotonous sneaking around. I mentioned earlier, that as you explore this fever dream a hulking mass of a creature pops out of walls and slowly patrols rooms to provide a bit of danger to your quest. You’ll then need to use cover and avoid red beams of light from its three lens-like eyes to go about your business.

This creature matches the straightforward feeling of the weaker puzzles. It will essentially walk back and forth slowly, making it laughably easy to avoid it. As a consequence, whatever sense of fear you may have had at first quickly disappears. There’s not enough variety in this portion of gameplay and the beast showed up a little too often. At a certain point, you feel more inconvenienced than anything else.

As you fall deeper into the mystery, what started as a hospital quickly begins to take another form. Holes in hospital walls and floors with film burned edges start to let wallpaper and carpets bleed through, as Iria’s memories begin to overlap. Reality in this place begins to crumble more and more as your own bearings and sense of direction start to become muddled. These make for some interesting visual moments, and combined with the time-bending camera begin to take on an Inception-like style. The visuals, while not initially striking definitely had some stand-out moments. Especially towards the end when everything just goes bananas.

Tape: Unveil the Memories is a game with an interesting idea, but unfortunately just falls a bit short. While the narrative and drip-fed creative puzzles kept me going, it became somewhat of a chore by the end. With some more variety in gameplay, and additional complex puzzles, this could definitely have been a big winner for me. While I wanted to love it, I just couldn’t quite get there.

Review: Time Loader

Natosha M

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Apr 16, 2022

0

Are you ready for a new puzzle game that will keep your mind working harder to figure out problems of the past to prevent disasters in the future? As we play as the little hero, a toy-sized robot who must travel back in time to repair everything that may be problematic that will require a bit of planning to get from one location. Hopefully to repair the issue and have the future come out bright and disaster-free for our creator.

The entire game has plenty of obstacle-style puzzles to accomplish, keeping players busy gaming for hours. Even as cute and small as we may appear, we still are quite mighty and are provided with plenty of awesome weapons and tools to use. Everything must be done accurately or the consequences maybe not be all that great. Even as we get to listen to some 90s music, our main goal is to be a hero and prevent the future disaster that our creator had us travel back in time to fix. So the only question that would be fitting is to ask is if you have what it takes to prevent future disasters in this game, Time Loader?

Graphics

The visual appearance of the game is rather nice! Each location has a beautifully built background of a normal size home. It also is filled with regular-sized items and objects, when traveling to the 90s there will be actual items like a classic Nintendo Gameboy, floppy disc-taking computers, an actual floppy disc, and a few more flashback items of the 90s. As the little robot, we appear similar to a toy in a room of large objects. The entire scene is correctly designed and provides a clear view of that effect. The game makes it quite easy to know which object or location may be accessible and useful during the game.

One aspect of the graphics, which I really adored is that the game didn’t skimp on the timing and realistic effects of the robot or any of the items brought to life. The most fantastic feeling occurs when you use the analog stick to move the robot. The wheels rolling on any surface during the game and the robot’s single-arm raising and being used to grab an object feels amazing! Just as if the player is the actual small robot in the game!

Plus, adding in those realistic visual effects, makes the entire movement and action being done or created while moving the robot feel so real. Especially how difficult it is to actually grab an object and use the controls to throw or do certain actions. I don’t know if I’m unhappy with the difficulty, as it feels a bit real and gets easier to figure out over time. There is one other issue and it’s the loading time. The game takes a bit of time to load from one section to the next. Even if it’s a bit slow, the new tasks during the game popup pretty well and it doesn’t seem to hinder any flaws.

Sound

The music is mediocre for a flashback to the 90s. It’s got a slight upbeat tune which can be an excellent sound to this slightly-adventurous puzzling game. However, the music is so weak in the volume department. Since I do like to listen to something with a bit more rhythm and beat when playing a puzzle game or any game, to be honest. Unfortunately, this game doesn’t provide such loud background music even having the music turned up as high as possible.

There are plenty of obstacles that occur in the same home throughout the game which is easy to hear a bit more of the music, but in other parts of the game it’s very low and light. I just think that it needs a small tweaking in the volume range to be a bit louder. This would make the game so much better if the music was as loud as the robotics voice. I’m glad I can say that the speech in the game is plenty helpful and able to be heard, but the music is even very light on the highest setting.

Final Thoughts

So are you looking to bring an original game, starring a robot as the little hero and tasks that need to be figured out to your daily gaming agenda? Well, this is one that will do just that! Providing such an assortment of obstacles that require planning and perfect timing to get you to move on to the next. It’s not super easy or too hard, maybe the only difficult portion is getting a hang of the robot’s control on the Nintendo Switch Lite. However, getting a handle on the controls and engaging in the challenging part is what makes this game quite amazing and entertaining!

Plus, for the outstanding puzzles that a small robot must be used to solve, it won’t be like any other game. I think that’s a bit part of why I love this game as well as it really puts the brain to work. Regardless, this is a wonderful game, with plenty of puzzles and beautiful background scenes and objects to marvel at while playing.

Review: Hidden Shapes: Animals + Lovely Cats

Daniel Waite

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Apr 16, 2022

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Review: Hidden Shapes: Animals + Lovely Cats

Puzzle games are wonderfully relaxing yet taxing for your mind. They come in all shapes and sizes and can be brilliantly simple or overwhelmingly difficult. Furthermore, they can test each part of your mind with the array of problems on offer. No matter which puzzle style you like, you won’t find anything more adorable than Hidden Shapes: Animals + Lovely Cats.

Developed by YAW Studios and published by QUByte Interactive, this is a minimalist picture puzzle title. It isn’t a game that’ll test your mathematical prowess, nor will it demand hours of logical thinking. No, instead, you’ll tweak the spatial part of your brain as you reconstruct every image before you.

Hidden Shapes: Animals + Lovely Cats is rewarding.

I haven’t played such a relaxing game in a long time. Hidden Shapes: Animals + Lovely Cats is a gloriously simple puzzle title. Its casual approach and minimalist style capture your attention from the start. Furthermore, its beautiful imagery makes it attractive for younger players as well. Consequently, my children were fascinated as we adjusted the puzzle to discover each secret picture.

The game comprises 2 distinct categories and these are cat pictures and an array of other animals. Both options contain 20 puzzles with 2 difficulty settings. The first playthrough asks you to twist each section of the picture to create the foreground of the image. The second attempt, on the other hand, is tougher and more unusual as the background contains more details. However, neither of them is too challenging, yet I found completing each puzzle to be a rewarding experience.

So many surreal images. — So many dreamy images.

Helpful hints.

Though many of the problems lacked challenge, you’ll still need the occasional helping hand. Luckily, the developers are generous as there is a helpful hint system that points you in the right direction. This was an essential tool for any younger players and it will be invaluable to them. Unfortunately, many of the pictures rely on minor details and 100% accuracy to complete them. Therefore, with many strange shapes to look at, it was easy to overlook the discrepancies. Fortunately, though, the hint system allows inexperienced gamers to get on with it with minimal risk.

The relaxing nature of Hidden Shapes: Animals + Lovely Cats is its unique selling point. Accordingly, I applaud the developers for their understated mechanics and easy-to-understand puzzles. However, I yearned for so much more and consequently wished there was a challenging option to push older gamers. Yes, I loved what I experienced, yet I wanted more! I was desperate for it to evolve past the rudimentary twisting of squares and matching of lines. Sadly, that never happened. However, perhaps additional and tougher content will be added to address this later.

The monochromatic imagery is simple, yet striking. — Monochromatic simplicity at its best.

Hidden Shapes: Animals + Lovely Cats is gorgeous.

A game rarely makes me stop and admire what I’m looking at. Normally, I enjoy what I observe, but I don’t see the beauty. However, Hidden Shapes: Animals + Lovely Cats slaps you in the face with its Anime cat imagery and stunning depiction of nature. The game wonderfully blends minimalist monochromatic outlines with vivid and striking pictures. Consequently, the reward for solving each problem was a bright and elegant image that make all the effort worthwhile.

The desire to create a calm and relaxing environment is enhanced thanks to the chilled out audio. The calm music ensures you never feel rushed, and this was wonderful. What’s more, there are no sound effects to distract you from the task at hand.

Hidden Shapes: Animals + Lovely Cats uses many random images. — Kitty tea party time.

Great user-friendly controls.

A simple concept needs a straightforward control setup. Fortunately, Hidden Shapes: Animals + Lovely Cats has just that. You’ll quickly understand the fundamentals and you’ll have it mastered in no time. This was particularly great for younger gamers, as they can enjoy it with minimal assistance or supervision.

I loved everything about it except its lack of replay value. Once you have completed every puzzle and seen every image, there is no reason to return. It was a shame there were no further game modes or challenges to tackle. I believe the developers could have included a speedrun or limited moves option to increase the difficulty. Had this been included, it would have increased longevity exceptionally.

Hidden Shapes: Animals + Lovely Cats is simple but wonderful.

Games don’t always require a complex and in-depth story to be great. This is proven in Hidden Shapes: Animals + Lovely Cats as it’s simple but wonderful at the same time. I adored its minimalist approach, basic controls, and calming audio. What’s more, it’s brilliant for all the family and that’s a massive positive. Consequently, I loved it and I recommend you to buy it here! Can you twist the images and piece together each picture? Join the lines and unveil the secrets in front of you.

Epics of Hammerwatch: Heroes’ Collection Coming Soon

Gaming
News

Andrew Edney

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Apr 16, 2022

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Strictly Limited Games, in partnership with Crackshell and the acclaimed indie publisher and porting experts BlitWorks, is proud to announce the upcoming limited boxed release of Epics of Hammerwatch: Heroes’ Edition. Both critically acclaimed Hammerwatch games and everything you could wish for from the Hammerwatch universe will finally be available in a single, physical collection (of course including all previously released DLC) for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 (PS4). Pre-orders for the Limited Edition and Special Limited Edition will kick off on Sunday, April 17th, at 12 AM CEST (midnight), only at Strictly Limited Games.

The Heroes’ Edition includes the praised indie hack and slash hit Hammerwatch, and its popular rogue-lite sequel Heroes of Hammerwatch – Ultimate Edition. Check out the brand-new trailer to take a closer look.

Hammerwatch:

A hack and slash action-adventure, set in a unique fantasy pixel art environment. Play solo or gather your friends for a memorable online or couch co-op session, in this adventure from the bottom to the very top of Castle Hammerwatch. Then, crawl around the desert in the Temple of the Sun Expansion and try to survive in the two extra modes. Pick your class and kill hordes of diverse enemies throughout unique environments, riddled with traps, hidden secrets and puzzles.

Features:

7 classes to master, each with unique features and skills to unlock to develop your character
Multiplayer co-op fun for up to 4 players, online and local
How tough are you? Pick your difficulty and further customize it with several modifiers
2 campaigns: Castle Hammerwatch & Temple of the Sun
2 extra modes: Hero defense & Survival

Heroes of Hammerwatch – Ultimate Edition:

Heroes of Hammerwatch is a rogue-lite action-adventure game set in the same universe as Hammerwatch. Encounter endless hordes of enemies, traps, puzzles, secrets, unforgiving bosses and lots of loot, as you battle your way through procedurally generated levels to reach the top of the Forsaken Spire. Then, dive into the 3 additional DLCs included: Witch Hunter, Pyramid of Prophecy and Moon Temple!

A screenshot showing a dungeon that's dimly lit, with battling heroes and monsters

Features:

Choose your own style: 9 classes available, all with unique stats, abilities and playstyles.
Procedurally generated levels offer a high replay value and pose a new challenge with each run.
Persistent progression: Your heroes retain the experience and upgrades gained from each run, becoming more powerful as they level up.
Online Co-op: Play with up to 3 friends in online co-op, you can even bring your own heroes to your friend’s game!
Includes all 3 DLCs: Witch Hunter, Pyramid of Prophecy and Moon Temple. With many additional skills, items, areas to explore, 2 new game modes, 2 new classes and much more!
New Game+: Even if you beat the game, the challenge never ends!

Strictly Limited Editions:

Strictly Limited Games is putting together the exclusive Epics of Hammerwatch: Heroes’ Edition, giving the Hammerwatch universe the boxed legacy it deserves, with two unique limited editions, available for pre-order via the Strictly Limited Games online shop.

The Limited Edition is limited to 3,000 copies for Nintendo Switch and 1,100 for PS4, at a price of 29.99€, including a colourful game manual.

The Special Limited Edition is limited to 1,000 copies for Nintendo Switch and 600 for PS4, for 49.99€, including lots of exclusive collectibles from the Hammerwatch universe:

Special Limited Edition Box
Colourful Game Manual
Original Soundtrack
A3 Double-sided Poster
7 Character Die Cut Stickers
Game Logo Patch
4 Background Art Post Cards
Character Group Shot Magnet

Both editions will be available for pre-order on Sunday, April 17th, at 12 AM CEST (midnight) and shipping is expected for Q3 2022.

Review: Sally Face

Daniel Waite

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Apr 15, 2022

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Life is often cruel, unkind, and unforgiving. There is plenty we don’t understand, yet people are still quick to judge. This is compounded further when you are young! You do know not of what the world is capable of, but you must behave and conform to society’s ideals. In short, it’s a minefield of guaranteed mistakes and learning curves. However, what we hope is that our errors are minor and our lessons are great. These ideas and more form the core concept of Sally Face. It is a bizarre title that’s filled with mystery, humour, and some heartbreaking twists.

Developed and published by Portable Moose, this is an adventure puzzle game. Its story is unnerving, creepy, and a little strange. It was originally released as a drip-fed episodic title, but console gamers receive the full shebang from the off. Fans of Broken Sword, Discworld or Monkey Island will adore the tongue-in-cheek writing and the problem-solving elements.

Sally Face is eerie and uncomfortable to play.

The use of taboo subjects is nothing new in the gaming world. In this instance, Sally Face touches upon mental health issues in a non-direct manner. The characters rarely appear “normal”, and the world is disjointed and obstructive. Consequently, the simplest of tasks are difficult to achieve and everyone appears to have an agenda. However, this isn’t a game like Hellblade or Limbo! Both of these titles use mental health in a more direct, yet abstract way. Sally Face, on the other hand, uses its ideas to set the scene while creating an unnerving atmosphere.

The story revolves around Sal Fisher, a boy/man who wears a prosthetic face. This unusual chap moves to the Addison Apartments with his father. On the day of their arrival, they are met by a grisly scene as their neighbour has been murdered. You’d think this would be bad enough. However, the building hides many secrets. Sal must team up with a group of outsiders to solve the many mysteries they encounter. There are supernatural elements, demonic beings, and a power that overshadows the whole community. Together, you must search for clues to thwart the darkness that’ll destroy the world.

Sally Face looks creepy and unnerving. — Sally Face at his finest.

Gruesome encounters.

The story comprises 5 chapters that span Sal Fisher’s unfortunate existence. Each portion of the story is equally gruesome and uncomfortably eerie. Furthermore, it always returns to Addison Apartments and its eclectic community. The majority of the story is told through flashbacks of Sal’s memories. Sadly, as an adult, Sally Face is awaiting trial for the crimes he has committed in his youth. Without ruining the plot, they are all horrifically intertwined and oddly supernatural. However, what they highlight is how strong and essential friendship can be.

The majority of the gameplay focuses on a point and click approach with many puzzling moments. Subsequently, the linear plot demands that you search for clues, find objects, and complete tasks. On top of this, there are mini-games to complete and some hidden Easter Eggs to discover. What’s more, the characters evolve and the relationships change depending on each unique situation.

Though each chapter is relatively short, the problems you face are challenging. You must combine memory recall with a logical thought process. Alongside this, you must scour each floor of the apartment building for any items you desire. The supernatural portion of the game is dealt with using a handheld gaming console. This strange tool emits a signal that allows you to interact with each apparition that haunts the building. I loved the simplicity of this mechanic as it reduced confusion and was key to progressing the story.

The doctor wants to help you. — Tell the doctor the truth.

Sally Face is gruesome and striking.

Though the gameplay in Sally Face focuses on a simple 2D approach, it’s still gruesome and striking. The clean-cut character models and mountains of grotesque imagery will make you scowl and wince. Moreover, the brutality of each situation is captured in the fantastic cinematic. With depictions of gore and violence, this isn’t for the faint of heart. However, I loved its horrific ways. What’s more, I liked the basic chapter layout and how easy it was to navigate each area. With a lot of back and forth required, you needed not to lose your way. Fortunately, the developers got this right, otherwise it would have been frustrating.

Alongside the gory nature of the gameplay are distinct melancholy vibes. This was excellent, as it built a strange rapport with the protagonist and his friends. This was captured brilliantly in the sombre, yet emotive heavy metal music. No matter which chapter you experienced, the sad, minor toned songs can be heard. Yes, this leads to depressive undertones, but luckily, the amusing dialogue and puzzle elements keep you busy. What’s more, the excellent sound effects enhance the OTT supernatural elements without becoming tiresome.

The Game Gear is used to find the undead. — Use your Game Gear to find the undead.

Some moments of trial and error.

Sally Face demands that you search for clues and piece together random bits of information. However, what it doesn’t explain is the need to find hidden objects. Consequently, there is a fair bit of trial and error as you solve each puzzle. This was a bit of a surprise as I expected it to follow more traditional point and click mechanics. Thankfully, though, it works well and makes the action a little more challenging. Alongside this, there is a simple to use UI and responsive controls and this makes it easier to play.

Because of the array of mini-games and hidden surprises, there is some longevity and replay value. However, once you’ve discovered every secret, there is little reason to return. Luckily, you’ll enjoy around 10 hours of eerie and creepy gameplay. Subsequently, this is great value for money.

Sally Face is horrific but brilliant.

I always suspected that Sally Face was creepy, but I couldn’t have imagined how horrific it would be. Its gory images, strange story, and cruel twists are captivating. I loved its odd ways, weird characters, and difficult puzzles that are fascinating from the off. I adored it and I recommend you to buy it here! Will Sal’s crimes define his future or will the supernatural world be your saviour?

Review: Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition

Natosha M

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Apr 15, 2022

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Review: Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition

Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition has been remastered and is still one of the top best JRPG games one can play! The story is what really makes this game amazing, it’s captivating and with the brilliantly enhanced, digital appearance the game plays and appears so much better. Even the sounds and music is perfectly balanced and it just makes the entire story come to life!

The game returns me back to the age of the original PlayStation, which had helped me fall in love with RPGs even more, especially JRPG games. A few examples are that of Dragoons and the remarkable Final Fantasy series. There are many more, but those really were my top faves. Even though the graphics back then weren’t as crystal clear or smooth as they are today, I still love to reminisce and play those games as much as I do love to play some pixelated games on a SNES console. Plus, all the unique and brilliant characters to play in this game make it entertaining to see what each can do and change it up each time playing.

The most exciting feature that I haven’t played for a while in more of the recent RPG-style games is that classic pull you into the battle effect. It really leaves you surprised with many or just a single enemy to battle. It’s always a surprise and there are so many unorthodox enemies to defeat. Each with its own unique abilities, which can put up a bigger challenge. However, I always learned to start defeating the easier enemies a bunch of times, till I level up sooner and can fight the harder ones with ease. So it was always a pleasure to fight the battle and not run from them, which aids in future battles.

Visual Graphics

I’ve tried the classic Chrono Cross for the Playstation in the past. However, this game has really been improved, especially for the Xbox One and recent consoles. It really brings a better experience! The action plays way smoother and has a more accurate design in the character’s art. The appearance of the game is brighter in color and is easier to depict everything on the screen without a hazy or faded blur. Honestly making it appear more appealing to anyone’s eyes as they watch what they are playing on the screen.

The action and all-over battle sequence is quite entertaining and has always been a wonderful aspect of the game. It’s improved so much that it’s a bit clearer and easy to see each attack performed or spell cast. However, the speed rate as it plays each action; the battle, movements during the actual game, and the video of the story going forward can still be a bit slower. It may make a new player feel as if the game is a bit slow or not such a high-rated contender in many recent RPG games. On the other hand, if it’s a player from the 90s that may be playing this game or a lover of Chrono Cross, well this game can bring back some excellent memories of the Playstation edition with the addition of a great amount of visual improvement!

Sound

The game isn’t only visually enhanced, but so is the sound and let me say that the overall music is nice and plays smoother as well. It’s a brilliant soundtrack that works well with each portion of the game. A bit more engaging when it needs to be, particularly during battles. While it also has a mystical and fantasy quality that really brings the game to life with every unique change or transition in the game.

Honestly, the music is just perfect! It complements the game perfectly and enhances the player’s gameplay. Adding that additional benefit of feeling the emotion to have the player connect with the story being told and what is being viewed on the screen. The same goes for the sound effects.

Enhanced Features

I really have to applaud the adjustments that come with the controls of the game. I really have to admit the ability to fast forward as a choice is a wonderful addition. I can speed through the long speeches and make the game move at a much faster pace as I play. So it ends up being my turn during the battles and even just in general, the movement around the game.

It has really made the slow parts go much faster, even if it makes for a strange effect. I actually don’t mind too much with the other features, not to say the graphics and sound aren’t excellent but the only really best part for a slow loading and moving game, with a long dialogue when it comes to the story is having the ability to fast forward.

However, there was one thing about the speed. It could be just the game or the additional speed effect with the new enhanced option. I found myself unluckily having to restart because of getting stuck with another character in a tight spot. No matter the moving to go a different way. I can find myself stuck that the only option is to restart from the last saved area or auto-saved location.

Thankful there is auto-save otherwise it would be so sad to restart after defeating so much and having to do everything over again. So there are a few ups and downs, but again it could be just the game itself. It would be wonderful if there was an additional rewind method to use to get back a few seconds from the location I’ve gotten stuck into.

Overall Opinion

Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition has been an excellent experience! An improvement that really makes for even better gameplay. The best part of the remake is that it helps me remember why I loved Playstation and JRPG-style games. Even without the enhanced features, the game is great! On the other hand, I have no negative remarks to add about these additional features to the game. It really makes for more exhilarating gameplay!

No wonder why it’s a big hit, not just among old-time players who played the original game, but even newcomers who are going to play it for the first time. Unfortunately, there may be a few slow bits on how things move, but it still has that great story and is packed with action that any gamer, would really find appealing. Therefore, I found that this game will bring nothing but hours of entertainment, with 40 uniquely different characters to play and a story that unravels as you play and defeat enemies along the way. It’s definitely a game to have in one’s collection!