Archive

Review: Breakneck City

Daniel Waite

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Jan 5, 2022

My video review with footage captured on my Xbox Series X, enjoy!

If 90s gaming taught me anything, it’s that no problem should stand in your way! This was the decade for some of the greatest beat-em-up titles. Therefore, when I’m offered a game that takes inspiration from this era, I jump at the chance. Breakneck City captures the difficulty, vivid art style, and wonderful synth music of the 90s, and I know that older gamers will love it.

Developed by Renegade Sector Games and Eastasiasoft Limited and published by the latter, this is a low-poly beat-em-up title. You must venture through an array of environments, hunting down goons and tackling bosses. It focuses on some well-trodden mechanics and though it isn’t revolutionary; it is fun to play.

Breakneck City treads no new ground.

You may be disappointed that the gameplay lacks originality, but I wasn’t. I loved the nod to a much-loved genre, and the familiar characters you must face. I also enjoyed the ability to play both solo and couch co-op and this expands its appeal further still. The action spans six grimy levels as you face off against many enemies. You will explore city streets, a nightclub, skyscrapers, and more. Each location comprises hordes of goons and a boss who must be stopped, no matter the cost!

You control either Sidney Flintlock or Justine Jacobs who are slightly peeved about their favourite video store. A vicious gang attempts to burn it down in an act of revenge as its owner refuses to sell up. The crime-fighting duo takes matters into their own hands while taking to the street to crack some heads and restore some order.

Use the surrounding environment.

Unlike many of its peers, Breakneck City demands that you use the surrounding environment to your advantage. It was fantastic to throw your foes off a balcony or to kick them down a flight of steps. Further, still, you can swing off poles, break hot pipes and scold them with steam, or ram them over rails. These options added depth to the gameplay as well as a distinct 90s action feel. I adored thinking of new ways to mix up the fighting, and this was helped by the introduction of weapons.

Both heroes can shoulder barge, dodge, kick, and punch their way out of trouble. Yet, there is only so far that this will get you. Consequently, when goons run at you with pipes, knives, bats, and more, you must work out how to disarm them. Fortunately, a couple of swift blows to the face allow you to steal their weapon, and suddenly you become even more badass. Sadly, though, this isn’t the end of the story, as each weapon breaks sooner rather than later. This was annoying as they always broke too soon and this left you wanting more.

Sadly, it’s not perfect.

I enjoyed most things about Breakneck City, however; I was disappointed by some elements within the gameplay. First, was the lack of tools at your disposal! There are stools, chairs, boxes, and more lying around, yet you can’t pick them up. In a situation where you are fighting for your life, I’d grab anything close to hand. However, the two heroes ignore the skull-breaking items and continue to use their fists. Second, the health boost items are sporadically placed, and this causes you no end of issues. You can go for ages with no items available, and then, like a bus, three turn up at once. It was ridiculous and badly thought out.

My final issue falls at the feet of the bosses. I have no concerns that the army of goons can be easily swept aside. Yet, I expect the bosses to put up a bit of a fight. Annoyingly, this rarely happened, and you’d mow through each of them with no challenge. The developers should have made this much harder as it would have added to the longevity and the enjoyment.

Breakneck City epitomises 90s gaming.

Many gamers overlooked the Sega Saturn in favour of the PlayStation One. I understand why, but this fantastic console produced some iconic games with distinctive aesthetics. Luckily, Breakneck City’s low-poly imagery and pixelated finish are both reminiscent of this wonderful machine. You will explore 3D environments that are unique, vivid, and full of surprises. Sadly, though, there are a few issues and glitches, however, these add to the 90s vibe. Luckily, I didn’t experience anything that was game-breaking and I enjoyed everything on offer.

This is a game about high-energy and ass-kicking ways. Therefore, you want a soundtrack that suits the action. Fortunately, the loud and upbeat synth music does just that. Its booming soundtrack demands you keep going while the sound effects make you wince. I loved the classic audio that matches the theme and genre.

It’s all about the timing!

Though much of the action demands manic button-bashing, there is some finesse required. As hordes of enemies surround you, and tougher goons appear, you must get your timing spot on. Luckily, the responsive controls help, and this element adds some difficulty to an otherwise easy game. Furthermore, it was enjoyable pushing your foes around while experimenting with the scenery. I think the developers did a wonderful job of making this easy to learn and this allows you to jump straight into the action.

Sadly, Breakneck City lacks replay value. Once you complete the six levels, there is little reason to return. Luckily, though, each stage is relatively long and there is the chance to play couch co-op, so this adds to the longevity. If you are a completionist, you’ll love the short and easy achievement list. Subsequently, I finished this in under an hour and completed every level in around two to three hours.

Breakneck City is a nostalgia-fuelled title.

Relying on bygone eras isn’t always the best inspiration, yet Breakneck City is a wonderful example that must be played. If you love 90s gaming and beat-em-ups, you’ll adore what’s on offer. Yes, it isn’t that challenging, but it’s fun, full of energy, and looks great. I thoroughly enjoyed kicking ass and I recommend you to buy it here! Will you be victorious, or will the evil gang get their way? Fight through every level and only stop when you have your revenge.

Horizon Call of the Mountain Game Announced for PSVR2

Gaming
News

Sean McCarthy

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Jan 5, 2022

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Horizon Call of the Mountain Game Announced for PSVR2

We are just over one month away from the release of Horizon Forbidden West, the much anticipated sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn. Overnight Guerrilla Games has announced a brand new spin off game for the officially announced Next Gen PSVR2 called ‘Horizon Call of the Mountain’ by releasing a new Teaser Trailer:

Horizon Call of the Mountain, created for PlayStation’s Next-Gen VR hardware, is an upcoming brand-new adventure in the world of Horizon. Embrace a new level of immersion in an unique experience, designed to push hardware technology, innovation, and gameplay.

This new story set in the world of Horizon, will be told through the eyes of an entirely new character. You will also meet Aloy, other familiar faces, and new characters along the way. My eyes are certainly looking forward to learning more about this game alongside the also announced PSVR2 for PS5.

PlayStation News: PSVR2 Officially Announced for PS5

Gaming
Tech

Sean McCarthy

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Jan 5, 2022

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PlayStation News: PSVR2 Officially Announced for PS5

Since the PS5 launched in November 2020, fans of PlayStation VR (PSVR) have been expecting and waiting for the news of the next generation version of PSVR for PS5, many reports suggested that it was being worked on but it was left for the original PSVR to try and work with the PS5 which left many disappointed.

But overnight Sony PlayStation finally announced the next generation version of the PSVR experience alongside the first game planned for it, Horizon Call of the Mountain, a spin off from Horizon Forbidden West. PSVR2 will look to utilise the power of the PlayStation 5 console and the new VR kit has some impressive new specs:

Visual Fidelity: For a high-fidelity visual experience, PS VR2 offers 4K HDR, 110-degree field of view, and foveated rendering. With an OLED display, players can expect a display resolution of 2000×2040 per eye and smooth frame rates of 90/120Hz.
Headset-based Controller Tracking: With inside-out tracking, PS VR2 tracks you and your controller through integrated cameras embedded in the VR headset. Your movements and the direction you look at are reflected in-game without the need for an external camera.
New Sensory Features: PS VR2 Sense Technology combines eye tracking, headset feedback, 3D Audio, and the innovative PS VR2 Sense controller to create an incredibly deep feeling of immersion. Headset feedback is a new sensory feature that amplifies the sensations of in-game actions from the player. It’s created by a single built-in motor with vibrations that add an intelligent tactile element, bringing players closer to the gameplay experience. For example, gamers can feel a character’s elevated pulse during tense moments, the rush of objects passing close to the character’s head, or the thrust of a vehicle as the character speeds forward. Additionally, PS5’s Tempest 3D AudioTech makes sounds in the player’s surroundings come alive, adding to this new level of immersion.
Eye Tracking: With eye tracking, PS VR2 detects the motion of your eyes, so a simple look in a specific direction can create an additional input for the game character. This allows players to interact more intuitively in new and lifelike ways, allowing for a heightened emotional response and enhanced expression that provide a new level of realism in gaming.

Currently this is all that has been revealed, we do not know what this kit looks like just yet nor do we have pricing or a release date for this or Horizon Call of the Mountain, but PlayStation appear set to ramp up the run to the release of this so I would expect more information to follow soon.

Whilst PSVR had little interest for me with the PS4 generation, I have to admit now that we are into the new generation of consoles and being so impressed with the PS5, the next gen of PSVR has more of my attention but absolutely will depend on the games and experiences available for it.

For more on the announcement of the PSVR2, check out the Official PlayStation Blog

Review: Clockwork Aquario

Alex Chessun

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Jan 5, 2022

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When Clockwork Aquario was canceled in 1994 in the midst of the Street Fighter 2 craze, its designer Ryuichi Nishigawa – Wonder Boy creator and co-founder of game developer Westone – would be forgiven for thinking that it would be the last we’d ever hear of the company’s final foray into the arcade market.

It is said that life comes in cycles and although it took 27 years, a recent clamoring for retro titles brought about the re-release of two of Nishigawa’s more famous titles (including Monster World IV), and ultimately led to indie publisher ININ reaching out to him to see if they could revive the long lost project in Aquario. Incredibly, the near-finished assets still existed – even after Westone’s liquidation in 2014 – and ININ went through the painstaking process of manually reproducing any missing files, and releasing it to current platforms.

This is akin to discovering a treasure trove of gold on a long-lost pirate ship and is nothing short of a gaming miracle, but as a game that usurped Duke Nukem Forever for the longest recorded development period (Clockwork Aquario’s 27 years to Duke Nukem’s 15) you might assume that it’s too good to be true, that this must just be a clever marketing ploy from a small opportune publisher, after all – how could a great game ever fail to see the light of day?

Luckily, the fact that it was made for the arcades meant that the 2D action-platformer was already based on the timeless pick-up-and-play formula, that’s to be enjoyed in short bursts and repeat playthroughs. It’s the original candy in the candy store.

It’s also designed like one with a brilliant vibrant colour design and sprite animation that jumps off the screen at you as you run across its levels, making you none-the-wiser that this title’s development started in the same year of the original Playstation’s release. A 16-bit poppy soundtrack that swings between Sonic the Hedgehog and Michael Jackson-inspired tracks combines well with the aesthetic, which imparts bop-inducing grooves and motivates you to continue which the sometimes-punishing difficulty can otherwise make difficult.

Each level also includes a mini-boss that either drops enemies on your head or raises them from the floor. I call them ‘mini-bosses’ but they are actually far more difficult than their larger counterparts as you can’t spam a button to defeat them.

Enemies come in a variety of different shapes and sizes and provide a fun combo gameplay mechanic by allowing you to daze, pick up, and then throw the enemy. It is with these combos that jewels spawn to fill up a ‘one-up’ meter which, when full, provides an extra life to your character. It initially seems trivial, as you read that the easiest mode gives you 9 credits (which essentially allows for 36 hits before you need to start anew), but as it’s so easy to fall into a poor run of form even on the easiest difficulty, these extra lives are essential to your progress.

This difficulty is partly due to the zoomed-in camera that has enemies appear from the screen’s periphery at quite a speed, but also because the game has a tight collision detection that makes indecision your biggest enemy in the little space you have to maneuver.

Picking up enemies ala Super Mario Bros 2, you can create combos that can help you keep your health, and lives, up

That is, of course, until you’ve played the levels enough to know where to avoid receiving damage during the largest waves of attacks, as the game itself is only 5 levels long (with a main boss at the end of each) which unfortunately bears the game’s biggest fault – its brevity – and unless you wish to repeat the exact same levels but with fewer lives on a harder difficulty, there is little motivation to bring you back and try again.

Disappointingly, while the combo system and platforming action can be strung together for satisfying periods during the scrolling 2D map sections when it comes to level end bosses that have a fixed area, the formula fails to provide any kind of challenge, with each boss giving you a different assortment of objects to throw, but then also leaves itself open to spamming the attack button to whittle their health down in a matter of seconds.

Getting hit by an enemy takes half of one of your lives but brilliantly, changes your character’s design and running animation. The above robot’s animation is done so well, you kind of want to get hit just to watch his broken parts jostle around as he runs….

Aside from said bosses, the majority of the other issues with the game stem from what is absent from the port with a lack of any extra features that might legitimately enhance the title. There is a multiplayer mode that allows co-op (which was also possible in the original), and there are 3 difficulty modes but there is nothing that might extend a complete speed run longer than 15 minutes at the very most.

Further replayability is also lost with the lack of online scoreboards, but while it might be asking too much to be expecting a game to have features that were never intended, it would have been nice to at least have some structure in the main menu which lists all the features like an open directory without any rhyme or reason.

This gaming miracle is more than just a historical footnote to marvel at from afar with a neat combo system and gorgeous 2D aesthetic that makes it a must-play for platforming enthusiasts. There are also some nice touches such as a remixed soundtrack and some notes from the developer which are all gravy and should most definitely garner the publisher some well deserved praise, but even so, it’s still a shame more effort wasn’t made to add more playable content, even if a lower price point attempts to soften the blow.

Film Review: The Matrix Resurrections

Sean McCarthy

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Jan 4, 2022

0

This has probably been one of the hardest films I have chosen to review and it after seeing it on its release I needed to time to process the experience because it left me feeling in a way, I honestly had not expected nor imagined I would feel. I had many questions heading into this film and somewhere answered and some were not. The problem for me is that some of those answers left me asking one question after I had seen The Matrix: Resurrections.

That question sadly is “Why did I not just see Spider-Man: No Way Home for a second time instead?” and it is one I am still asking now two weeks after seeing The Matrix: Resurrections. I did not enjoy this film and going by social media that is a feeling shared by far more than those who did enjoy the film. When it was announced that the series was being brought back after the original trilogy was resolved which left many fans either satisfied or disappointed. Now 20 years since The Matrix Revolutions closed that trilogy, I was intrigued to see how this universe could be refreshed for a whole new generation because I always felt it could as a fan of the original films, the video games and the animation and books that followed the story of The Matrix.

So, for me the question was never “why we had a new Matrix film on the big screen” but more how it would come back and how the original story could move forward enough to make it work in 2021. Naturally it also had to answer how it has brought back two main characters who died at the end of the last film with both Neo and Trinity shown in the trailers alive and well but back in the Matrix once more. To be fair to the story, their return was not only explained and justified but it made a lot of sense but the cost of it sadly led to why this film just threw me completely out of any immersion and left me not just disappointed but a little angry too.

That anger came in the form of the self-awareness that either made you wink back at the obvious attempt of the writing to acknowledge the criticisms of the original films or if like me, cringe in your seat and eyeroll for a good portion of the film. Being “Meta” is not always a bad thing especially in a film series based on enslaving humanity by making them believe the digital world their minds are in is the real world but here it just went so far past the “on the nose” limit for me personally. I can accept that Neo, now back to being Thomas Anderson has been made to believe that he is a video game designer responsible for creating The Matrix trilogy of games whilst believing he is still recovering from a mental breakdown where he believed The Matrix was real….like I said, you do give them some rope on this one. But where I had to draw the line was the moment, they mentioned Warner Brothers who wanted to make money from having a new Matrix Trilogy of games and Anderson being forced to work on them because “they will make them without you” anyway.

I was immediately thrown out of the story and the all the nods to what folks complained about with the original films just stuck out far too much to be able to get back into the story and highlighted all the elements of this new film that failed to work for me as well. Maybe it was a mistake to rewatch the original films before seeing Resurrections and remembering what I did love about them because I was made to feel stupid for doing so thanks to the film mocking “bullet time” on more than one occasion and the part of the film and story where this could all be allowed, as Anderson’s “Game developer team” discuss the original “games” with most of the winking to the audience taking place here, just carried on far too much.

There was also no wow factor to any of the fight scenes, and having watched this in IMAX 2D, none of it just blew me away as it had done previously and certainly not helped by the change in filming style of quick cuts instead of long set pieces for the action which though the fights are not boring, they just left me rather flat as did the musical score that just lacks what the original films in the series had. The story itself comes down to the love between Neo and Trinity more than anything else, though it has a twist to the end that you can see coming from the halfway point in the film, and for all the story does explain there are still elements clearly left hanging to justify another sequel.

Despite not really enjoying nearly three quarters of the film, it does have some redeeming elements such as the new cast which certainly refreshes the character line up. Neil Patrick Harris is just superb in his role as The Analyst, the therapist working with Thomas Anderson, and he has a great sinister edge to his performance that leaves waiting to see what this character’s next move will be. Jonathon Groff as a returning Smith with a new look which isn’t explains satisfactory was a return, I felt was not necessary, whilst Groff brings a new take on the character, the story featuring Smith once again just fell flat for the most part. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as “Morpheus” for me is the weakest element just as having a returning Smith, having a “Morpheus” back just for the sake of having a constant reminder of the original character but not being the original character, it just does not work for the story makes it perfectly obvious that Neo only needs Trinity so by the end of the film, new Morpheus is forgettable.

The highlight is most definitely Jessica Henwick, who many may recognize from Colleen Wing from Netflix’s Iron Fist show in the role of Bugs, and her action scenes and introduction to the universe is absolutely the best part of Resurrections and gives me hope that the, should there be one, next Matrix film and story may work far better than this mess of exposition and recreating an origin story for two characters in Neo and Trinity that already served their purpose. This is a story that spends too much time passing commentary on the reception of the first films as well as trying to be so meta and self-aware of how bringing the film series back after so long will have fans reacting to it.

Overall there is enough that should this be the start of a new trilogy of Matrix films that the issues with this reintroduction could be fixed and a focus on new characters to drive the story could produce something good for fans but Resurrections has too many failings to justify a recommendation to go to the cinema and pay ticket prices to see it rather than watching it on home on your streaming service of choice, US had the chance to see this on HBO Max for example. I came away not enjoying it as much as I hoped to, perhaps summed up by what felt like a middle finger salute to the post credit scene of MARVEL MCU films as well with a right at the end of the credits scene that was simply lifted from an unfunny scene earlier in the film with a very unfunny joke that neither teased what could be next or helped send those who waited and hoped for something more home happy.

So, the answer to my question of “Why did I not just see Spider-Man: No Way Home for a second time instead?” is simply….I wish I had.

Review: Kona

Daniel Waite

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Jan 4, 2022

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2022 is going to see many released titles receiving their “Next Gen” updates! This is a wonderful thing, as anyone who has made the leap will finally reap the rewards. The latest game to receive this treatment is Kona. A previously listed Game Pass title, I had the pleasure of looking at it in 2020. Roll on nearly 2 years and let’s see what’s changed!

Developed by Parabole and published by Ravenscourt, this is a walking simulator with detective and survival elements. It combines ideas from Blacksad and Alan Wake, with elements from Firewatch and The Long Dark. You’ll experience puzzles and problem solving alongside survival mechanics and an immersive open world.

Kona offers an open world with a linear storyline.

The world of Kona is a cold and mysterious place that is beautifully representative of the Canadian wilderness. It uses everyday survival mechanics of health, temperature, and stress, and this juxtaposes the supernatural moments in the plot. You must explore the surrounding environment while picking up clues to assist your investigation. Furthermore, the action is brilliantly supported by a warm and distinctive narrative that describes each scene as it unfolds.

Kona takes place in the 70s in a snowy town called Nord du Quebec. This quaint place was once a thriving location, but recently things have taken a turn for the worse. You control a private investigator known as Carl Faubert. He arrives in a deserted Nord du Quebec with no idea of what’s happened and an eerie suspicion of sinister activities.

The gameplay revolves around Carl’s investigations and your ability to find clues, solve puzzles, and manage the survival mechanics. It beautifully blends detective and survival skills with a free-flowing point and click adventure. To this end, it will appeal to fans of many genres.

Don’t venture too far.

The beauty of Kona is the freedom to explore as you wish. Yet, the central plot demands certain events happen before you can progress. This was wonderful, as you could venture into the wilderness without losing focus on the story.

If you wished to take in the Canadian landscape, you can use your flashlight to explore the snowy world. However, you must be aware of your stats and the wolves that vie for your blood. The cold can be tackled with fires or entering buildings. Whereas wolves can be shot or distracted by meat. Furthermore, stress is debilitating and accidents, upsetting moments, or tough situations make things worse. Therefore, calming your nerves is essential, and beer and cigarettes are the cure.

Everything was perfectly balanced, and no element felt overwhelming or out of place. Subsequently, the intricacies between realism and fantasy were enjoyable. Consequently, it lacked the expected cliched moments and the acting never ventured into the realms of absurdity.

Kona is much improved on the Series X.

One of my original complaints was the buffering issues, as the game would take between 3 and 20 seconds to load the environment. Unsurprisingly, this was unacceptable and made the original unbearable. Fortunately, however, this problem has been rectified, and this makes it much improved and more immersive. Therefore, it was easier for me to overlook its other shortcomings.

Kona is an older game and its graphics are of distinctly “Last Gen” quality. Yes, they have received a modern polish, but they are dated, nonetheless. This was evident in the textures of the landscapes and buildings. Sadly, it was distracting and I would have hoped for a better finish.

The graphics may not be perfect, but the audio is! The blend of music, silence, sound effects, and narration create an atmospheric title. There are few games that deliver audio to this standard. Subsequently, this makes Kona’s shortcomings that bit more disappointing. If the other layers were as good as the audio, this would have been a phenomenal title.

Easy to control.

It’s easy to grasp the fundamentals thanks to the clean UI and the first-person perspective. Set out brilliantly for use with a controller, so you won’t struggle to master the commands. Therefore, it was easy to explore the world and use every survival tool at your disposal. Thanks to the improved loading times, the game feels smoother and more responsive.

Though the finale is fantastic, and the build-up to the end game well thought out, there are no alternative endings. Sadly, this hinders both the replay value and its longevity. Moreover, this was impacted further still because of the linear storyline. Unfortunately, there are limited reasons to return, unless you are a completionist.

Kona: Jack of all trades, master of none!

Blending genres and elements isn’t a bad thing unless it’s detrimental to your identity. Kona doesn’t know what it wants to be, and this undermines the final product. It has so many great moments and is worthy of your time. However, it could have been much better if it focused on one style. I enjoyed it and I recommend you to buy it here! The “Next Gen” update has improved the visuals, and it will appeal to fans of many genres.

Review: 7 Years From Now

Kara Phillips

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Jan 4, 2022

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This wholesome yet heartbreaking tale from PQube follows the story of Haruto Soraki. A high school student who is on a journey to recount the last seven years of memories he lost. With nothing but a gentle reminder and a promise he made, his journey feels hopeless. But upon visiting certain places and encountering familiar faces, it all begins to come flooding back. But it’s not an easy journey, uncovering the past of the town you’re visiting.

7 Years From Now is available on Nintendo Switch, Steam, Apple and Android

Let’s begin at the beginning

7 Years From Now was originally released in 2017 for both Apple and Android. But in Summer 2021, it came to Nintendo Switch with it’s pixelated charm. Upon first playing it, it definitely feels like a mobile game – but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s got a certain charm to it, which I think is reflected through walk cycles (or lack thereof) and general character interactions. I found myself to quickly adapt to how the game functions and the controls were very easy to pick up.

Essentially this title involves a lot of reading. There isn’t much to do besides follow simple instructions given to you by other characters and engage with what they’re saying. There’s no mighty quests to embark on, no epic battles to engage in. It’s a very simple concept of talking to every single person you meet in order to gain an understanding of who you are. And how you got here.

Take it one day at a time

The story is divided into chapters, which are bitesize chunks so it’s fairly easy to pick up and complete a few before putting it back down. The game as a whole has over 40 chapters so you aren’t going to blitz through it either. With such a story heavy idea, it would be a shame to condense it into a few large sections. I really enjoyed the chapter element of the game as I felt like it was way easier to track my progress. It also makes it easier to digest the content you’ve just engaged with. As I have already mentioned, this game is extremely text heavy so prepare yourself for that. The topics covered can also get quite heavy so regular breaks are needed to just relieve the weight.

You’re given a timeframe right at the beginning of the game of five days. You have five days to explore your area and recount all the memories you possibly can. It feels as though these days fly by when you begin, but I assure you nothing is what it seems. It’s a perfect example of not taking what you have for granted. Which is a particularly important lesson to learn. You seek help from those around you, and rely on honesty and truth to progress. I found 7 Years From Now to rely a lot on important life lessons which embedded themselves neatly into the content of this title.

Be sure to utilize the knowledge of NPCs

Final thoughts

As a whole, 7 Years From Now is an oddly charming yet extremely melancholic journey. When you think you’ve got somewhere and finally recapped a memory, you take two steps back and are back to square one. It’s an honest account of our protagonist, Haruto, and his thoughts and feelings when trying to understand how he got in this position. It’s frustrating, grating, lacklustre, but it’s also charming and heartwarming. You never know what to expect next, which is what makes it an engaging game.

Review: Aeterna Noctis

Vasilis Tatsiopoulos

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Jan 4, 2022

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It’s nice going into a game without having prior knowledge about it. Usually. However, if the game is Aeterna Noctis, I advise you against it. This is a tremendous game, a huge, sprawling metroidvania that’s hard as nails. Typical games of this subgenre take some 10-15 hours to finish. Not this one, though. In what is quite probably the biggest map ever seen in a metroidvania experience, Aeterna Noctis has you trekking around many different places, fighting a lot of enemies, unveiling secrets and jumping around, for tens of hours. Really, you will need more than 30 hours just to finish this game. If you want to see everything, well, you’re looking at around 70.

It’s impressive, then, how the gameplay doesn’t get boring. There’s a lot going on here, with a complex story about fallen gods and demons, ghostly knights, the king of darkness, gothic castles and with many gameplay ideas and mechanics to enjoy and master. Aeterna Noctis focuses on platforming more than you’d expect it to, making you overcome intricate obstacle courses and solve jumping puzzles. The thing is, the difficulty level is on par with some of the hardest 2D platformers out there.

It’s the kind of difficulty that makes you want to scream in agony after 30 tries, doing the same thing over and over, dying because you can’t do a perfect run. The same thing is true of boss fights, that are evoking Dark Souls vibes. It’s a shame that both the platforming and the fights are frustrating. Don’t get me wrong, the design is fantastic. The enemy patterns, be them bosses or simple mobs, are distinct, clear, fun to learn and to exploit. The enemy types are a lot, more than expected really, the weapons in your arsenal are enough, the skills too, and the overall progression is felt.

The platforming puzzles are great, too: cleverly designed, very hard but clear in direction and just a lot of fun. Sadly, the controls are not up to the task. The jumps are not responsive enough to tackle such a high difficulty, and some of the more complex features are a bit clunky. For example, late in the game, the skills you acquire start to stack, to be used in quick succession. You have to jump, throw an arrow, teleport to it, all in a few seconds. Again, these are excellent mechanics. You have to be in control of the timing, height and duration of jumps and dashes, and most challenges are tough but fair. However, more times than should be allowed, you will turn around without wanting to, you will lose a jump for a millisecond because of the slow response and, in general, you will get annoyed.

The worst of it all? There’s a prominent bug that erases some of your progress. Meaning, you will manage to overcome a hard part of the game, a boss or a particularly difficult ascent on a tower, and then you’ll lose the last checkpoints, and you’ll have to do it again. This happens a lot, mind you, and you can’t manually save, so there’s that. Normally, the checkpoints are frequent and correctly dispensed, but this bug absolutely destroys your soul every time it occurs.

Visually, Aeterna Noctis is a delight. You will explore flaming caverns, moonlit castles, crystal caves, underground molten steel factories, eerie caves and you’ll meet dwarven blacksmiths and bearded oracles, talking in a made up language. The backgrounds are very interesting, filled with details and life, the character design is fitting and well-made, with only some parts giving off a less atmospheric vibe, like the character portraits in dialogues that are not on par with their models. A problem arises with the foreground clutter: some environments are so detailed that’s it’s hard to distinguish the platforms from the gaps and traps.

The huge world is beautiful, the music is fitting if forgettable. This is a dark metroidvania, inspired mostly by Hollow Knight -and doing it justice. It’s the kind of game that will terrorize you with its extreme difficulty, but will make you stand up and shout when you overcome a hard obstacle. Fittingly, there are some souls-like mechanics: you collect something-that-is-not-souls that’s used for leveling up skills and getting perks, and when you die you need to go find your corpse to regain what you had. It’s basic, it works, but it’s brought down by a boring skill tree that’s only serviceable.

There’s zero hand holding here, too. You will be thrown in the sprawling world and not know what to do and where to go, even though there are some helpful pointers. I am not saying this as criticism; it’s fun to get lost in such games, and this one nails the feeling. There are a lot of secrets, you will find many, many distractions that beg to be explored, you will get immersed and lose yourself in this dark world. It’s a well-designed map, very complex and memorable. The only real problem is found in fast traveling, that’s done on specific points which are too sparse and result in needless backtracking back and forth, getting through dangerous traps and huge enemies to find a dead end and going back, and then finding a key and going back again. It’s frustrating.

All in all, Aeterna Noctis is great. A game that’s sure to impress and delight its audience, the people who are looking for a very hard, huge metroidvania. It needed more polish to truly shine, but even as it stands it’s quite surprising, incredibly big, hauntingly beautiful, atmospheric and fun in a specific, agonizing way. If that’s what you want, you can’t get wrong with Aeterna Noctis. Just arm yourself with patience and you’ll experience an incredible game.

Review: Asterix and Obelix: Slap them all!

Daniel Waite

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Jan 3, 2022

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Review: Asterix and Obelix: Slap them all!

Gaming used to be a simple affair. However, these days, you can lose yourself in vast, beautiful worlds while completing an array of challenging missions. So, when a game takes a step back and offers a more basic approach, my ears prick up. Asterix and Obelix: Slap them all! Recaptures the beauty of side-scrolling beat-em-ups while maintaining a humorous and stylised approach.

Developed by Mr. Nuts Studio and published by Microids, this is a stunning beat-em-up title. Utilising the wonderful imagery and one-liners from the cartoon, you’ll quickly fall for its charms. It’s fair to say that this doesn’t break the mould, and there are better beat-em-ups on the market. Yet, this one is a stunning example of the genre, that it is worthy of your time because of its artistry.

Asterix and Obelix: Slap them all! relies on its name.

If any other title offers as little as Asterix and Obelix: Slap them all! does, I would be scathing in my review. However, I fell for its wonderful story, fun action, and excellent levels. The developers failed to explore any new mechanics, instead; they relied heavily on the duo’s much-loved status. You may worry that this may make for a tedious experience, yet its short levels offer enough to keep you interested throughout.

This solo or couch co-op game asks you to explore 6 acts each comprising a number of chapters. You’ll explore England, take on the Normans, head to Spain, Corsica, and so on. The array of locations sounds fantastic, but in reality, they all play similarly, just with a different look. To mix things up, the developers have created mini-games that ask you to grab food for a celebratory feast. This was a welcome distraction from the button bashing, but it doesn’t add any further challenge to the gameplay.

Hordes of enemies.

If you tackle this solo, you can select between either character in an instant. Asterix loves nothing more than to grab his opponents and spin them at great speed. Obelix, on the other hand, uses his vast weight to steamroller his enemies. Each has a unique set of skills and both can easily batter the unrelenting hordes of Romans. Sadly, no matter the difficulty level you select, the game never really challenges you. This will frustrate hardcore players who want to get stuck in. Yet, if you like a more casual experience, you’ll love what’s on offer.

The action takes place across two modes; adventure and Freeplay. Both utilise the same maps and missions, yet the aim of the latter option is to get the highest score. This never appealed to me, as topping the leaderboard was a pointless endeavour. You were never rewarded for your hard work, and no new levels or cosmetics were unlocked. Subsequently, it reeks of padding out an already low content title.

So, Freeplay was out of the question, but the adventure mode was great if you loved the cartoon. Much of the action is taken from existing chapters of the franchise, though there is an exclusive act designed for this game. This was a great choice from the developers and something that will incentivise fans to keep playing.

Asterix and Obelix: Slap them all! looks amazing.

I’ve already stated that it’s not the best beat-em-up ever released, but it looks incredible. Its hand-drawn imagery, smooth action, and nod to the original cartoon are great to observe. I drooled over the vivid imagery and the wonderful comic book clichés. It was fantastic to see Paf!, Tchac!, and more appearing in every brawl. If you love cartoons, or you are a bit of a geek, you will adore every fight that unfolds. Furthermore, it has been polished within an inch of its life! With so many characters on screen and such vivid imagery, I expected it to be flawed and problematic. However, I was wrong, as I experienced no frame rate issues or bugs.

The charm offensive wasn’t limited to the graphics. No, the audio got in on the action as well. The excellent music complements each location while adding energy to each chapter. Yet, its brilliance is sadly tainted by the repetitive and slightly annoying sound effects and one-liners. Each action has an associated sound clip that quickly becomes tiresome, especially if you rely on one method of attack. I soon became disinterested, and this was a shame as the cinematic and music were delivered to a high standard.

Button-bashing at its best.

Beat em-up titles rely on quick reactions and a combination of mashed buttons. Asterix and Obelix: Slap them all! demands you button-bash your way through every chapter. Each character has its own set of attacks, but the approach and delivery are exactly the same. You will smash your way through each stage utilising special commands that are earned through an array of combos. Subsequently, you must avoid being hit while bashing your foes to power up the strongest attacks. Luckily, the hectic action never overwhelms you thanks to the responsive and well-thought-out controller layout. Furthermore, the fundamentals are easy to understand and every approach can be mastered with ease.

If you aspire to top every leaderboard and never tire of repetitive action, you’ll experience a small amount of replay value. However, if neither of these things appeals to you, then one playthrough will be enough. Luckily, though, there are a lot of levels to tackle, an array of mini-games to overcome, as well as some fantastic cinematic to observe, so it does have some longevity. Moreover, a large and challenging achievement list will add hours to the base game.

Asterix and Obelix: Slap them all! does just enough.

Asterix and Obelix: Slap them all! could have been so much more. Unfortunately, the developers played it safe while relying solely on its good name and die-hard fans. Consequently, it didn’t reach its potential, and this was frustrating. With phenomenal imagery, excellent music, and flawless gameplay, it could have been brilliant. Sadly, though, there are better examples in the genre and they overshadow and outperform this on many levels. I enjoyed it, but I accepted its shortcomings. Therefore, I do recommend it, and it can be purchased here! Can you stop the Romans from invading the world? Team up or play solo as you battle your way across the globe!

Review: Alexio

Daniel Waite

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Jan 2, 2022

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Hardcore titles have a niche audience that loves sadomasochistic gaming. Many genres have dipped their toes into this shark-filled pool, but platformers consistently produce rage-inducing experiences. Alexio is my latest controller smashing review that had me hating life, biting my lip, and generally regretting becoming a reviewer.

Developed by Duck Team and published by ChiliDog Interactive, this is a brutally difficult retro platforming game. You must venture through a dated and colourful world full of obstacles and enemies. Furthermore, you will collect power-ups, grab coins, visit a shop, and leap over untold amounts of spikes. It treads no new ground, but it retains some charming retro mechanics and aesthetics.

Alexio is cute, but looks can be deceiving.

Top marks to the developers for creating an uber-cute title that lulls you into a false sense of security. Subsequently, you control a fluffy duck called Alex, who makes you feel warm inside. However, SPOILER ALERT… this feeling quickly dissipates, as you soon despise Alex for the fluffy asshat that he truly is!

Alexio has a stupendously stupid story that demands little Alex undertakes a dangerous journey. He has turned six and his dad drops the bombshell that he must find his monobrow if he is to become a ‘true drake’. Undoubtedly, this is the most exciting thing ever to happen to a young duck and Alex jumps at the opportunity. Sadly, this immature fool fails to realise the dangers ahead as he must venture through meadows, lakes, mountains, woods and more en route to an ancient temple.

One-hit kills, mostly!

I’m very hesitant when playing anything that has a one-hit kill philosophy. I have neither the patience nor the desire to die repeatedly while edging closer to the finish line. However, many gamers love this challenge, and Alexio will be an attractive prospect. You begin every level with limited lives and some basic powers. Alex can jump, lay down, and fall through platforms. If he touches spikes, gets hit by projectiles or any enemies, he will die instantly. Furthermore, matters are made worse, as checkpoints are sporadically placed on every stage. Death returns you to the last save point, and if you fail, you must start the level again.

The developers have upped the old-school factor by introducing a password system in lieu of a save file. Therefore, you must hunt for the four-letter word on each level in order to continue from that point! This main seem a bit annoying, or downright absurd, but I loved this long-forgotten mechanic. Subsequently, I applaud Duck team’s audacious nature and their nod to retro gaming.

Luckily, though, there is a small light at the end of this extremely long and dark tunnel. Power-ups are found throughout each stage and these offer some protection. You will have the ability to shoot, hover, double jump, and more. Thankfully, these new abilities unlock areas of the map and allow you to take more than one hit. This was a small mercy and helped to make a tough game just a little easier.

Alexio is old-school and vibrant.

I love a good pixelated title, and graphics rarely bother me these days. Yet, I still want variety and clarity between enemies and the landscape. Sadly, Duck team didn’t get this quite right, and Alexio suffers because of this mistake. Enemies blur into the background thanks to the limited colour palette. This is made worse still as many of your foes hide underground, or behind blocks and trees. This made a tough game unbearably difficult and will be a game-breaker for many players.

If you can overcome these shortcomings, you’ll love the vibrant worlds and variety of landscapes. Exploring each of the different areas was interesting, even if it was rage-inducing and brutally unfair along the way.

The cute factor is enhanced by the deceptively upbeat audio. The chirpy soundtrack and annoying sound effects never stop, and this makes you angrier still. Your eyes and ears tell you that you should be relaxed and happy, but the gameplay doesn’t play ball. It’s a bizarre mix that matches the era and theme perfectly while making you enraged.

Loose controls.

Difficult gameplay isn’t a new idea, nor should it put you off entirely. However, there is an expectation that the controls won’t make the action harder still. Sadly, Alexio has got its control system horribly wrong, and this detracts from the other great elements. Moreover, it’s not responsive, and this causes you to die repeatedly. Therefore, when a game is as hard as this one is, I expect it to play like a well-oiled machine. Sadly, though, this is clunky and hard to master.

If you love this genre, then you will aspire to complete every ball-breaking level. Yet, I can see that costing you many controllers and a considerable amount of time. Luckily, there is some replay value and its difficulty adds to the longevity. Consequently, it’s good value for money, if not a little torturous.

Alexio won’t appeal to all.

Duck team has done a wonderful job of creating a challenging and cute to look at title. Yet, the shortcomings with the controls undermine much of its potential. If this element was improved, you’d have a game that is tough but fair! But, in its current format, it’s a step too far and will appeal to a very niche market. I enjoyed it, even though it kicked my behind many times, so, I recommend you to buy it here! Can you find Alex’s monobrow, or will the game defeat you?

Review: World War Z

Brendan Freeman

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Jan 2, 2022

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Zombies have been at the forefront of pop culture in the last few years. Since The Walking Dead and a little game series called Left 4 Dead. But since Left 4 Dead there have been very few squad-based games taking on zombies. Enter World War Z. You lead a squad into escaping from the clutches of zombies.

World War Z was developed by Saber Interactive and published by Mad Dog Games. They released World War Z in 2019 on almost all platforms. I was provided with a free copy of the Nintendo Switch version to review.

Way back when Left 4 Dead 2 came out I sunk hours into it. I loved playing with others while attempting to escape the zombie horde. World War Z tries to recapture that feeling, but unfortunately, it falls flat. Now, it has all the ingredients to make it a great successor to the beloved series. But the main issue is that it has no player base.

But the main issue is that it has no player base.

A game that focuses on multiplayer cooperative gameplay needs to have a large player base to support it. Unfortunately, the multiple times I’ve tried to play online was met with no other players. So I was unable to test the main feature of where it shined. So what does it offer that Left 4 Dead doesn’t?

Weapons and classes can be levelled up. By levelling up weapons they come with new attachments which can change their utility in combat. For example, you start with a silenced pistol which allows you to stealthily take out zombies without alerting the horde. Which can make the early game very easy. But you can upgrade it to a stronger version which can either be silenced or more damaging. It’s a great addition to the format, which gives you the sole reason to replay the levels.

The graphics are pretty average and not very detailed. This extends to the zombies which look very generic and have very few details to make them look like zombies. There are stronger classes of zombies which have unique designs such as the Hazmat zombie which explodes with bile when killed which inhibits your vision. But honestly, the game looks no better than Left 4 Dead 2 but that title had its own visual style.

Zombies which look very generic

The only reason I would keep coming back to play more isn’t the story or lack thereof. But the level up feature. Even then it’s not a very deep feature of the game and does not give you much of a reason to replay it.

I did manage to get a game online and it makes the game so much better. The AI won’t complete missions for you such as collecting supplies. But when you play with others they can wait near the next mission point and progress faster. But if you don’t get into a game with others it can be much better.

It feels like this genre needs a breath of new life to it and unfortunately, World War Z is not the answer to our prayers. Hopefully soon Valve will grace us with Left 4 Dead 3. World War Z is missing the core piece to even be considered worthwhile, a large enough player base to sustain the multiplayer mode. And with a tired plot doesn’t help it either. And it also doesn’t bring anything worthwhile to the genre. Because of this it only gets 5 out of 10.

Review: Evil Genius 2

Daniel Waite

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Jan 1, 2022

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Dastardly villains always appear to lead a great life. They hide in monstrous mansions, have beautiful partners, and drive expensive cars. Therefore, it’s easy to see why people fantasise about running an evil empire. In 2004, Evil Genius was released on PC, allowing everyday gamers to run a criminal empire. Roll forward 17 years and its sequel Evil Genius 2: World Domination finally makes its full release.

This is a sandbox world domination title that was developed and published by Rebellion Developments. This massive game utilises multiple layers and approaches within each of its four campaigns. Furthermore, it offers DLC and an eclectic blend of villains, minions, and Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Evil Genius 2 allows you to be creative.

Evil Genius was much-loved and well received. Its fans obsessed over the gameplay and were begging for a sequel. Sadly, when it was released on PC in March 2021, it was full of glitches and bugs. Luckily, however, the developers have worked hard to rectify the situation. As we welcome the year 2022, the game is much improved, and I experienced few issues.

The action opens with the option of 4 villains and 3 Islands. Each offers a unique game style as well as new challenges, missions, and superweapons. You must build your cavernous base underground with an array of rooms to choose from. Here you will train your minions, research new technology, keep everyone healthy, or kill people to maintain order. It’s standard base-building mechanics, but it lays the foundations for the most interesting elements of the gameplay.

Base-building is fun, but global domination is where it’s at!

Unlike its peers, Evil Genius 2 is a bit of a slow-burner. The base-building stage is interesting as you complete minor quests and start to form your empire. But the latter portion of the campaign is where it excels. You’ll lay traps to stop enemy spies and train your minions in three categories: Muscle, Deception, and Science. Each has strengths and weaknesses and a healthy blend is essential for a well-oiled criminal lair.

Your minions are the footmen who unwittingly help you take over the world. Once you leave the subterranean level, you enter a board game-like interface of the global element. Here, your workers will undergo a multitude of missions to earn gold and wreak havoc. Subsequently, you’ll build a criminal network and recruit powerful minions known as a henchman.

All this hard work rewards your evil empire with the most desirable weapon of all, a Doomsday Device. This is the epitome of any super villains’ plans and leads you nicely into the final layer of gameplay.

So many weird and wonderful rooms to explore.

The Forces of Justice!

Unsurprisingly, your evil plans don’t go unnoticed! Therefore, the further you expand, or the more crime you commit, raises unwanted attention. The Forces of Justice are the secret service that protects Earth from evil menaces, and they are a thorn in your side. However, this interference brilliantly brings every gameplay layer into action.

Your minions must protect the base by identifying suspicious individuals and utilising their specialist powers. This, combined with traps, a well-thought-out base layout, and maintaining order, should keep your devilish plans flowing.

Each James Bond wannabe stops at nothing to thwart your plans, and it can be increasingly challenging to juggle every element. Yet, this difficulty is what makes it extremely moreish.

Evil Genius 2 looks great on a console.

RTS and base-building games are better suited to PC, yet Evil Genius 2 looks and feels wonderful on a console. Its free-flowing camera pans and zooms smoothly, and the imagery is detailed. Furthermore, there is a nice variety of character models to keep you interested. Alongside this, the moments of cinematic are fun, filled with humour, and are a welcome distraction from the action. I experienced no visual glitches, frame rate issues, or bugs. Subsequently, it was a pleasure to look at and play.

I enjoyed the audio and its blend of emotive songs, dialogue, and sound effects. It plays to the clichés of the theme and this adds to the humorous moments. Sadly, though, it fails to repeat the brilliance of Evil Genius and I was disappointed that it wasn’t as atmospheric as the first instalment.

Surprisingly good controls.

If you love the genre, you’ll appreciate using a mouse and keyboard over a controller. Yet, Evil Genius 2 is both easy and rewarding to play with a gamepad. Its excellent UI allows you to navigate the masses of menus with ease. Also, the option to pause the action slows the gameplay while making everything manageable. Subsequently, it’s one of the most straightforward games in the genre that I’ve tackled.

With around 80 to 100 hours of campaign action, this is a meaty and challenging sandbox RTS. With an array of styles, missions, and more to experience, this is a super addictive title. Therefore, it has bags of replay value and its longevity is helped by the large and tough achievement list.

Evil Genius 2: An excellent sequel.

Not every sequel is successful. However, Evil Genius 2 uses its well-laid foundation brilliantly. The well-thought-out controls and excellent graphics make it a user-friendly experience from the off. I loved the choice of islands and villains and this keeps the action fresh. Yes, the audio wasn’t as good as the first, but this is its only shortcoming. Xbox gamers can try this for free on Game Pass, or I recommend you to buy it here! Being good is tedious! Why not build a lair, develop a Doomsday device, and rule the world?

Review: Art Sqool

Natosha M

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Jan 1, 2022

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First off, I’m not impressed by this game. Maybe I was expecting a bit more of a professional skill-building, educational-style art game, which this is not! Nonetheless, it isn’t totally bad if the player is going to use it for a more relaxing, calming, and just doodling program that doesn’t aid to improve or work on building drawing, and painting skills.

Art Sqool as mentioned above is really nothing I was expecting. The game at least does revolve around its name, spelled differently of course, but we all know it means art school. Regardless, I feel it’s so badly designed that the game isn’t as cool or maybe the word I should be using is qool? I do want to apologize, as I know it sounds a bit harsh to judge a game on only a few bad features that I didn’t like. Since I wasn’t expecting the game to be played or appear as-is. Maybe it’s more for a younger crowd or those who don’t really care too much about accuracy, but it isn’t exactly what I would love in a game teaching art.

Now, to be honest, school hasn’t ever been a place I loved waking up early to attend. Some of the courses could be a bit boring, but there were always a few I did enjoy. One of these would include taking art. It helped me improve and inspired me to do more. Consequently, I feel like I still want to express a bit of joy for this game as it’s still something that encourages being creative. However, there are so many negative features that cut the game a bit short of perfection.

Let’s Begin

I wanted to start off by saying that the music and the sound effects, well they are a bit strange. It sounded a little off and not entirely a perfect match for what this game is about. Maybe it was meant to sound cool, but it sounds a bit spooky and awkward. In addition, the two main names of the game were just as strange, professor Qwertz and the character who we play throughout this game, Froshmin. On the other hand, it did rhyme during the game’s main theme song. I guess that makes all of it better?

Don’t get me wrong, I can deal with the unique names of the main characters in the game. For example, the professor is basically the keyboard’s top keys with a z, and a computer-related A.I. and Froshmin to me could be related to Freshman, which I’m guessing would make sense as it is suggesting the first year at art school. So, I have no problem with the unique names, just the music and sound effects could have been done a bit better.

Nevertheless, the game is something I’ve never played before. In return, it made me a bit more intrigued to understand what I’ll really be gaining from playing this game, compared to any other art-style game. Especially when there is a teacher, this is the trained A.I. known as professor Qwertz who is meant to teach you and push you a bit by scoring and grading your work. I’m sure this provides a bit more of a push to challenge the player. However, I wouldn’t pressure myself, as it’s not too hard to get a passing grade!

A Few Arising Problems

Some issues arise with the choice of console. When I was playing the game on the Nintendo Switch Lite, I feel as if the screen size takes away from the enjoyment or possibilities that develop during gameplay. If it was possibly played on the original console with a better screen, especially using the TV as a way to visualize the game, it would most likely be easier to see what’s going on. Additionally, I just found it to be hard to draw on the Nintendo Switch Lite’s Screen as it is very small. Plus, the controls are slightly tricky to operate in such a small window.

Additionally, I found another problem with the camera, in which the player has full control. The camera can be rotated all over freely, which is nice. However, when walking and rotating it together, it ends up being a little difficult. Froshmin, as a good example, was difficult to get him to rotate around to see his face, facing the correct direction. Especially, when moving side to side or back and forward. You still can move him, but it just looks so inaccurate when you want the character to look like he is a real person and moving as a real person does. Another reason the game isn’t perfect.

There is one positive note about the camera’s capability. We are gifted the ability to control the camera’s rotation as mentioned above, but also we are allowed close view as if you are seeing the world through the eyes of Froshmin and many other views, from far to close. However, the odd part with the camera rotation again, if you get the view too close, well it distorts the visual aspect of the game and disrupts the gameplay until you fix it. At least you can get out of it, but it just could maybe have been done a little better to avoid such a problem.

What I did find interesting is that the school is designed very creatively and artistically! Including many shapely artifacts and objects throughout the digitally designed environment. So I have nothing against the graphics, but some parts are a little off. Especially, with the doors in the game, these colorful blocks, which you’d probably not realize you can enter till you try, and even the issue of falling down to other designed locations can be a bit strange and even spooky! At least, with the falling part, I found out that it ends up causing you to be graded when you fall off the one location. However, any player, as well as myself, may start off feeling a little confused. Especially, when one is falling from the sky and it’s not a game to cause harm.

I do find myself enjoying the seeking portion of this game. This is the way we build the list of art tools, which is collected to help us the player, make better paintings. So we can move forward with the challenges that the professor wants us to create on the canvas in front of us. While I’m speaking about the canvas, it is quite nice to design something on this game and save it to use for sharing or keeping on the console. However, it is best to have a stylus pen to perfect the art you draw as it will look sloppy and harder to design with one’s finger.

Yet again, the problem that I came across is that it’s not hard to pass! The professor won’t grade these by any means to improve one’s skills. I got an A or even a passing grade with the sloppiest art. So does this game really do much for anyone or is it just for fun? That is what took me to my conclusion of it being just a typical doodle game that isn’t really to push one’s abilities further but to just play with no skills being taught. Not truly educational!

Do I Still Feel the Same?

In conclusion, this game is fun for just the freedom to play as you’d like. However, there are so many portions and features that just don’t work well together or at all! I feel as it could be improved and still be a better game, but for a relaxing and calming, nonsense-style game then it’s perfect, but I prefer a bit more organization, quality and something worth pushing me to be better!

Review: Grim Dawn

Daniel Waite

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Dec 31, 2021

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War is a terrible and needless act! There are always winners and losers, and then there are the innocent bystanders whose lives are ruined. Grim Dawn: Definitive Edition explores this idea within its dark fantasy world and eerie and creepy atmosphere.

Developed and published by Crate Entertainment, this is a wonderful isometric ARPG adventure. Fans of Diablo or Path of Exile must pay attention, as Grim Dawn is a new contender to the throne. Capable of being played solo or with a party of four heroes, this is one game that’ll entertain you for hours.

Grim Dawn highlights mankind’s greed.

No matter the genre or format, I love a great tale that highlights mankind’s greed. Grim Dawn is the latest game to utilise this idea, and unsurprisingly, it’s the catalyst to our end. Cairn is a grimy, dark place that is on the brink of destruction thanks to an otherworldly battle between two spiteful beings. Mankind tried to manipulate these entities for their advantages, but shock, horror, it went wrong. Our error allowed these creatures to enter our realm, and this was one of many mistakes we made.

The evil monsters care not about humans or their world, they simply want to be victorious. They will stop at nothing, and they use us as a pawn in their deadly games. First, there are the Aetherials, who like nothing more than to steal our bodies for their own devious plans. And second, the Cthonians are a destructive bunch who love to kill Aetherials while they are possessing humans.

No matter which way you look at it, mankind is doomed! Grim Dawn opens with your character hanging from a noose. He/she has been possessed by an Aetherial and 3 wily hunters capture you to destroy this beast. Before they can complete their task, the creature leaves your body, and you are left fighting for your life. Here your journey begins as you are taken in and must build trust with this tiny pocket of humanity.

Familiar mechanics that lack creativity.

Whenever I tackle an ARPG, I expect character customisation and an element of creative flair. However, Grim Dawn ignores this staple mechanic. Fortunately, though, this oversight matters not, as it has zero impact upon the gameplay or story. Unlike its peers, you open as a blank canvas with only the option of your gender available. As you level up, you are awarded ability points to spend on each skill tree. This was fantastic, as you could tailor your class to your approach. Furthermore, if you play with friends, you can create a band of warriors that complement each other.

Like others in the genre, this is all about quests, fast-paced combat, and oodles of loot! You must level your character, destroy all-powerful monsters, and arm yourself with absurd equipment. You quickly become absorbed by the madness that ensues as you hack away at your foes while exploring a vast, dank world. Subsequently, the story and its otherworldly entities play second fiddle to the intriguing quests that unfold.

You’ll be expected to listen to NPCs and make decisions from the text-based dialogue. The often depressing and sombre tales leave you with limited choices. No matter what you decide, the outcome is usually as grim as the information itself. It was wonderfully dark as you decided to help one party, kill another, or leave them to their own devices. This side of the game never became tiresome and was a welcome distraction from the unprecedented levels of hack n slash action.

Grim Dawn lacks the polish of its peers.

I’ve spent hours playing Diablo III, and I loved its polished finish and detailed world. I guess this has tainted my expectations of the genre, as Grim Dawn looks understated by comparison. Therefore, experiencing this on a 4K TV was painful, as the lack of details made it difficult to follow. Subsequently, the combat is usually a blur of spells, gunfire, and the flailing of swords. You tap away on your controller and kill the hordes of enemies that engulf you. However, you have little idea of what is happening. This gets progressively worse as you tackle more powerful creatures or attempt to play with friends.

Though the combat is blurry and hectic, the landscape and barren world are phenomenal. The Victorian-era setting is beautifully represented, and the atmosphere is enhanced by the earthy colours and grainy finish. The isometric viewpoint is assisted by the excellent and free-flowing camera. This was an excellent decision, as you can manipulate your viewing angle for the best possible experience.

In a gritty world filled with desperate humans, you need a strong and dramatic soundtrack. Grim Dawn delivers this by the bucket load thanks to its blend of upbeat and slower tunes. Complemented further by its snippets of spoken dialogue, you quickly become swept up in the moment.

Better with a mouse and keyboard.

Unsurprisingly, Grim Dawn is more enjoyable when played with a mouse and keyboard. A controller lacks the required accuracy, and this makes the UI clumsy and counter-intuitive. Therefore, altering equipment, combining items, or selecting submenus was tricky. Luckily, however, with a little patience, you’ll overcome the shortcomings and master the cumbersome controls.

ARPGs are created with longevity and replay value in mind, and this is no different! You’ll explore, gather loot, take on quests, and level up. There is never a shortage of things to do and this is helped further by the multiplayer option. Whether you tackle this solo or with friends, you’ll have a great time.

Grim Dawn: A great addition to the genre.

Creating a classic game in this genre is tough. Diablo has the lion’s share of the market and breaking that monopoly isn’t easy. However, Grim Dawn offers enough to make it stand out from its peers. It’s not perfect, but few games are. The graphics lack detail, the loot system is a little off, and the controls aren’t the best. Yet, these are minor flaws compared to their many positives. I loved it and recommend you to buy it here! The world is ending and survival is your primary concern. Do you have what it takes, or will the warring entities end mankind’s existence?