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Review: Two Point Hospital: JUMBO Edition.

Daniel Waite

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Mar 30, 2021

Review: Two Point Hospital: JUMBO Edition.

Do you wish you could change the world? To be able to solve poverty or hunger? Maybe you simply want to help the sick become better? If the latter option is your dream, then maybe you can fulfil it in Theme Hospital’s spiritual sequel, Two Point Hospital.

Developed by Two Point Studios and Red Kite Games Limited and published by SEGA Europe, this resource management, business game has been around since 2018 on PC. It’s a well-received title that draws many comparisons to the original hospital simulator, Theme Hospital. This is not surprising, as most of the developers from Bullfrog Productions worked on this project.

Like most great sim titles, this one has released some in-depth DLC that adds; cosmetic and essential items, illnesses, and new locations. The version that I will look at is Two Point Hospital: JUMBO Edition for console. This edition of the game comes with every DLC that has been released to date and this is the most comprehensive way to play.

Two Point Hospital is the game that keeps giving.

Sim games draw in a certain type of gamer. You will need; an eye for detail, the ability to stay calm under pressure, and you must be able to micromanage. If you tick all those boxes, then no doubt you’ll love every moment that Two Point Hospital offers. This single-player game asks you to build and manage a hospital through many unique crisis situations. You are in charge of; research, training, building layout, the hiring of staff and the cosmetic look of your facility.

You will control; the day-to-day business of curing each patient, appeasing the health board, and balancing workload with morale There are many plates spinning simultaneously and all you need to do is prevent them from falling (easier said than done). Each hospital that you run forms part of your corporation. If the business does badly, it’ll affect your reputation. You’ll need to monitor every facet of your business to ensure that you are a success in the medical field.

It’s 40% serious, 50% stupendously silly and 10% bizarre.

This wouldn’t be a business sim if there wasn’t an ounce of seriousness. In Two Point Hospital you will focus on; prestige, levels, money and curing people. Objectives are offered by; colleagues, emergencies, health visitors and more. The better you do, the more cash you earn. Stars are awarded to each hospital, with the goal to achieve 3 stars per location. As well as the stars, an annual award ceremony highlights how you have done against the NPC’s. This offers a small reward and acts as an opportunity to boast and nothing more.

The management side of the game is great, and one of the better examples of the genre. But what makes this stand out against its peers is the utterly stupid names given to the diseases, the bizarre descriptions and the design of each infected person. If you don’t laugh until you hurt while playing, there is something seriously wrong with you. I suggest you should check yourself into one of your own facilities to be checked over. You will deal with; premature mummification, someone who is wrapped in bandages but not yet dead. Animal magnetism, when animals are attracted to you like metal to a magnet. Jest infection suddenly dressing as a clown is essential, and many more. How they came up with these is beyond me, but it matters not as they are side splittingly hilarious.

The diseases of Two Point Hospital need some specialist equipment and staff.

Unusual and never been seen diseases cannot use a regular machine to cure them. No, Two Point Hospital has a long list of speciality rooms and equipment to cure each patient you see. A light bulb remover, chromatherapy, pharmacist with a speciality drugs machine, cardiology, wards and so forth. The machines get bigger, stranger and more amusing. No matter how many times you see a person spun around or unscrewed by the neck, it’ll make you giggle.

Yet the machines are only part of the tale: The right equipment is a must, but equally important is the correct member of staff. Each has a special skill set, and certain procedures cannot go ahead without them. Pay through the roof for a specialist, or train them up yourself. The choice is yours.

One method costs you money, the other time, you must weigh up which you can afford to lose. Specialists are great, they reduce the risk of death, increase productivity and you can charge more per procedure. So, they must be considered a long term investment.

This is where the complexity arises. On the surface, it’s a straightforward title that takes you on a journey as a business owner. In reality, it’s a multilayered experience that requires planning, strategy and luck. Its stupidly hectic will overwhelm you, and make you scream, but what a game to play.

So vibrant and wonderful to look at.

PC ports can be a disaster on console. The usual complaint is the complicated and stuffy UI. Luckily, this issue is nowhere to be seen. The UI is simplicity personified and is remarkably easy to navigate. Sub menus are easy to find and to scroll through, with the text size being large enough to view on a 50″ TV from over 4 metres away. It made a pleasant change to have something so user friendly.

If you’ve played The Sims, Theme Park or Theme Hospital, you’ll know exactly what this’ll look like. Vibrant and bright tones make up much of the colour palette. A cartoon style runs through every element, adding fun and humour throughout. It plays incredibly smoothly, is easy to move around and building each room is straightforward. Every disease you observe is unique and many have specific animations that are amusing to observe.

This enjoyment continues in the brilliantly thought out audio. Jovial music plays continually, ensuring there is never a quiet moment. The soundtracks play second fiddle to the cracking tannoy announcements and the striking sound effects. Curing the patients looks and sounds horrific, yet somehow you can’t turn away. The audio is a key component in delivering the comedy moments. Without it, much of the gameplay would fall flat.

A severe case of premature mummification.

It’s a dream to play.

The controls replicate the simplicity of the UI. I was shocked by how easy this was to play. A tutorial holds your hand to begin with, and takes you through the finer details. But I don’t think it was necessary as it is so straightforward. Having previously played it on PC, I expected it to be a challenging experience to swap to console. Luckily, the transition from mouse and keyboard to controller was painless and smooth.

People talk about COD and FIFA being widow makers, but Two Point Hospital is equally addictive. Hours of your life will be lost in creating the perfect medical facility that hosts the best trained staff. You must; earn plenty of rep points, kudosh, stars and complete career objectives. There are masses of locations to visit, diseases to cure and equipment to buy. This is before you consider the challenging achievement list. It’s a game that is jam packed with replay value and you’ll struggle to put it down.

Is Two Point Hospital: JUMBO Edition worth it?

There is an argument that bundled editions of games are just another way to generate revenue, and generally I agree with this. But, Two Point Hospital is available for free for anyone who subscribes to Gamepass. So the base game will cost you nothing. If you own it, you can simply upgrade to the JUMBO Edition for £14, which is great value. If you want the fully comprehensive version, then it can be purchased here! At £35, it’s still good value when you consider the content.

A ridiculously addictive and manic strategy game that will have you laughing throughout. Easy to pick up and play with many in-depth options. I strongly recommend it! Choose your hospital, cure the diseases and become the best around.

Review: Neoverse

Jack Boreham

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Mar 29, 2021

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Neoverse is a deck-building RPG that reinvents the genre by adding new mechanics that bring the game to life. When you think of deck-building games, you instantly think of classics such as Yugioh. Neoverse takes classic elements from these games and adds its unique twist to the genre, providing a fresh, rewarding and strategic gameplay experience that is incredibly satisfying.

A Fresh Take on an Ageing Genre

When you first start Neoverse, you will be instantly struck by the stunning graphics of the game. The game looks outstanding and adds a nice flare to the games deck-building gameplay. The game’s graphics and art style are in solid 3D animation and add a new take to the already saturated 2D deck-building genre. It brings life to the game, making you feel immersed in the genre that can, at most times, feel just an extension of the real world deck-building scene. Neoverse also has a beautiful soundtrack, with adventure beats sure to put a spring in your step when you are anxiously trying to an enemy. The music is what you would expect from a deck-building game, adding pacing to an already slow-moving game and genre.

Its outstanding gameplay mechanics match Neoverse’s great graphics and music. As mentioned, Neoverse is a strategic turn-based deck-building game. Whereby you build your best deck from a variety of different card types. In short, you use these cards strategically to take down various enemies throughout the games primary campaign. For example, you may place down multiple defence cards to parry an enemy attack while ending your turn with a quick attack to finish the enemy off. Although a relatively simple example of the games battle mechanics, the mechanics themselves get a lot more complex and strategic.

Strategic Gameplay at its Finest

Its complex and strategic gameplay mechanics make this game shine. The strategic elements of the game not only make Neoverse incredibly fun and enjoyable but also engaging. Truthfully, I am not a big fan of the deck building genre. Even for a sceptic of the genre, I found myself drawn into the games intense strategic gameplay and constantly addicted to the games ability to make the whole deck-building process very engaging. Everything felt fluid and rewarding, making the game very satisfying and a joy to play.

Likewise, Neoverse has a great skill and level up system adding further depth to the game. In this regard, I appreciate the developers leaving out microtransactions that could have been so easily left in. Which is to the games benefit, Neoverse is a rewarding experience that microtransactions would have tainted.

As highlighted, Neoverse is a fun, rewarding experience that will convince even the most adamant sceptics of the genre to pick up a controller and play the game. However, that does not mean that the game is easy to jump into from the outset. It is not.

Although the game does an excellent job of putting you right in the heart of the action, it was initially confusing and did a poor job of teaching me the game. Likewise, at times the game can be rather unforgiving, at least at the start. However, after you get into the game, the experience becomes a breeze.

Verdict

Overall, Neoverse is a challenging and strategic deck-building game. That provides a fresh new take on the genre instead of sticking to its predecessors and peers’ formulaic nature. In doing so, the game is incredibly satisfying and rewarding with considerable depth. Sure to convince even sceptics of the genre to pick up their decks.

Review: Breathedge

Wil Raterman

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Mar 29, 2021

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It’s time to get lost in space! RedRuins Softworks throws you into a first-person survival sandbox title inspired by the Subnautica series. When transporting your deceased grandfather goes awry, it’s up to you to navigate the vast and lonely vacuum of space. With an immortal chicken and a saucy AI within your spacesuit at your side, you must scavenge resources and build better tools to yield further travel. Set in a first-person perspective with plenty of fourth wall-breaking jokes and narration, the overall tone and humor will make or break the player.

Let’s Start From The Beginning.

You enter the game being dragged into an interrogation by what appears to be robot gangsters asking you for the truth. You answer reluctantly and begin to recap what in the hell actually happened (or continue to spit at them and get beaten repeatedly). It’s not too long of an intro and there are some really good jokes to help hook you in. Occasionally you’ll jump back from the core gameplay to the interrogation room for occurrences such as dying in-game. They’ll say “You’re alive now, so that part was a lie. Please tell the truth!” before you reload your last save file. So it’s time to buckle up and relive the mess that you got yourself into.

Who are these space coffin mobsters? Better tell them your story and find out.

You have survived the aftermath of a huge space transportation vessel that has crashed in space. Many of the ship’s decks and stations have blown up and are separated by long distances. You must cover these areas and eventually reach the ship’s bridge in order to signal for help. It’s a little easier said than done, since you do not begin with the resources necessary to get you where you need to be. As you progress further into the depths of the final frontier, you’ll uncover more to the story and the conspiracies involved.

Inventory Control

Breathedge‘s main focus is to find resources such as metal, ice, and plastic to construct tools and better equipment to extend your exploration into the unforgiving depths of outer space. Oxygen and supplies are limited. Be sure to have a spare tank and some space food to fuel your suit and your body. There are a lot of things to do and tools and materials to craft at your workstation. While it may feel overwhelming at first, that’s essentially the nature of these games.

It’s hard to pass up collecting items when out in space. This inventory box, along with the floor of your vessel, will fill up very quickly.

Fortunately there is an abundance of resources used in the beginning of the game that are easily accessible outside of your pod. There is plenty of room for trial and error here. I never once felt like I was running out of water or batteries and couldn’t progress in the game. However, this abundance can result in a messy workspace. The inventory box is rather limited, but you can toss extra stuff on the floor if there is no room. After a while you’ll find other oxygen-safe areas with their own storage as well. Survival isn’t always pretty.

Space Is A Lonely Place

The atmosphere of being out of the comfort of your pod and into the void is so captivating. The soft piano music and the long travel distances of waypoints make you feel quite insignificant. As you run out of oxygen, the music will change key and increase in diminished tones. This is a nice reminder that you will die soon if you don’t head back. The sight and sound is clearly Breathedge‘s biggest strength.

The first few treks into the great beyond are truly awe-inspiring

However, since so much of your time is spent going back and forth from your pod to the reaches of space, you will fly past the same structures again and again. This can be a slog. It can take minutes at a time to get to some of the areas you will need to visit. And the rewards for a long trek can be underwhelming. Sometimes it’s all just for some new material for a better flashlight or something. The monotonous repetition will cause some players to lose interest after a while. You start to feel desensitized to the openness and ominous mood of space, especially when it’s being juxtaposed by the tsunami of color commentary.

Light-Hearted Dark Humor

Breathedge‘s main directional force is it’s comic delivery. It takes morbid concepts of isolation, death, and human excretion, and adds an optimistic tone soften the mood. It’s a clever juxtaposition, but I can’t help but feel like it’s thrown in your face a little too much. Your chicken companion can be used to kill live wires, plug oxygen leaks, and fix other hazards. The animations associated with said actions are quite silly, and maybe a tad juvenile. The AI is sarcastic and has a joke to say about literally everything you interact with. Does it have a built-in mute button? While I recognize the attempts to add color to the emptiness of space, I do feel the jokes are excessive. After some time, the humor loses its value.

A game objective is to construct a phallic object. It serves no real purpose to help you on your journey, but you can use it to kill yourself.

Bottom Line

I have a feeling that Breathedge will be a divisive title. For those who love Subnautica, and other survival sandbox titles, their experience could go either way. The change of scenery from the ocean to space will be a breath of fresh air for some. However, the atmosphere only has so much polish before being worn off when the same areas are being covered over again. Let’s not forget the oversaturated humor attempts. But for those who are less familiar with the genre, I honestly don’t see any difference in the overall experience either.

Review: Re:Turn – One Way Trip

Daniel Waite

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Mar 29, 2021

0

It’s a rite of passage for youngsters to go camping in the woods; lighting up a big fire, and scaring each other stupid with outrageous ghost stories. Can you imagine if that wasn’t the end of the scares? Your well planned night of tales and shenanigans takes a turn for the worse. You now become the protagonist in your own horror story. Re:Turn – One Way Trip allows you to experience this and more in its dark and sinister world that is full of jump scares and coded messages.

Developed by Red Ego Games and published by Green Man Gaming Publishing, this pixelated side-scrolling adventure will; send shivers down your spine, have you jumping feet, and wanting to turn the lights on. A linear title that plays out over two different time zones, you control one of two main characters who must explore identical settings set years apart. Somehow each realm affects the other, and objects from one can be taken to the other to help solve puzzles and find lost items.

Re:Turn – One Way Trip is full of clichéd jump scares, but it still works.

The idea that a horror game relies on cheesy and clichéd methods to make you jump will make many players cringe. The sound of a baby crying in the dark, a doll’s face appearing and disappearing randomly, footsteps pattering on the floor and so forth. It’s old hat, and has been seen a million times, but works perfectly in this setting. You know you are about to get the shock of your life, yet you still jump feet when a ghostly child appears in your path. You curse your stupidity, calm yourself down and carry on. This, alongside the puzzle elements, makes up the core concept of Re:Turn – One Way Trip’s gameplay.

The story follows Saki, a young, attractive female who is due to marry the love of her life. She is a hopeless romantic and falls for anything that makes her heart melt. A Haiku is found in the woods when the group is searching for firewood. Saki believes this poem of love comes from her fiancée, but he has never seen it before. A fight erupts, and the night is ruined. One person runs away, and the rest retire to bed. This is the start of their nightmare, and this is where it all goes wrong. Saki must search the woods and a dilapidated train to find her friends. She must survive this ordeal and evade the attentions of an unspeakable evil, who is hell bent on avenging unrequited love.

A well used concept.

The idea of different realms or time frames affecting another isn’t a new idea. This concept has been well explored in many other titles, but yet I can’t help but love how it has been implemented here. The creepy and slow-paced story lends itself to the need to explore every inch of the world you find yourself in. The puzzles can only be tackled when certain items or key information are discovered. This linear approach may frustrate some players, but I found it a comfort as I didn’t want to feel lost in what could be a confusing world. None of the puzzles are too challenging to solve, and all the solutions are found in the creepy pictures, poems and notes you discover. A small amount of logical thinking is required to get through each chapter, but the difficulty makes it accessible for most gamers.

Alongside the logic-based puzzles and haunting story, I loved how the characters evolved. It can’t be easy for a developer to have two different stories running parallel to one another. Key moments are intertwined, which influences events in both characters’ worlds. The timeframes had similar scenarios told in different ways, and as the plot evolves, it becomes clear how each impacts the other, and how the 6 youngsters have been drawn into this horrific nightmare. You will be required to work through 10 chapters of overlapping confusion to discover the deepest and darkest secrets that have been hidden for years.

A classic horror look.

Grimy surfaces, large shadows, and filth as far as the eye can see. The train you explore is far from its former glory. This disgusting world sets the scene for the horrors that you will face. Flashback to the glory days of the locomotive. Its bright interior, regal colours, and clean finish that screams luxury and is a million miles away from its future self. These two visions help to set the tone for the whole story. One of hope, love and pride, the other of despair, loss and terror. A picture paints a thousand words, and Red Ego Games has done the perfect job in presenting it. Pixelated images, simple backdrops, and claustrophobic spaces go alongside the excellent use of colour. It’s a simple look, but it works so well.

It wouldn’t be a horror game if it didn’t have a sombre and creepy soundtrack. Eerie sound effects haunt you in every chapter of the game. By the end you are exhausted from the skin tingling moments. Luckily, none of them were too over the top, this prevented you from having to cringe with despair at any poorly executed choices. Overall, both the sound and visual aspects of the game acted as a perfect foundation for the rest of the game to play out on.

What could go wrong with such a blazing fire?

Running around on a train has never been so easy.

As with most side-scrolling linear games, you have little to worry about when it comes to controls. Re:Turn – One Way Trip is no different! Moving around is responsive, well thought out, and easy to achieve. All interactive areas are highlighted by a set of cogs, and the inventory is simple to access. The hardest part is to remember how each bit impacts the other, and where each puzzle is located. It’s rare that a puzzle game works as well with a controller as it does with a mouse and keyboard.

I’m not so sure that this has a vast amount of replay value to draw you back into playing. You have collectables to find, and other game specific goals to unlock achievements. But, gameplay wise, this offers little variety once you have completed it. Luckily, however, the first run through is very good, so there is plenty to keep you going until you finish it.

Will Re:Turn – One Way Trip haunt you forever?

Horror games have to go a long way to stand out from their peers. I think this has done just enough. Re:Turn – One Way Trip is full of clichés, but its wonderful story and blend of characters makes it all work. Not the longest game I’ve played, yet it has enough of a challenge to keep you interested. If you want a casual horror experience, then I recommend you buy it here! Can you rescue all your friends? Will you escape the evil that surrounds you? Take a journey across two eras, solve puzzles and understand what has happened.

Review: Monster Energy Supercross 3 – The Official Video Game

Daniel Waite

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Mar 29, 2021

0

Review: Monster Energy Supercross 3 – The Official Video Game

https://youtu.be/dp9DbF6__Sw

I’m a big fan of riding bikes. I love the freedom it gives you; the wind whistling, and the connection to the road that you don’t get on four wheels. However, my adoration for these machines doesn’t stretch to the video game market. I’ve found that most aren’t realistic enough; turning isn’t sharp, the bikes handle erratically, and the sound effects are terrible. When I was given Monster Energy Supercross 3 – The Official Video Game (try saying that after a few beers), I was unsure of what to think.

Developed and published by Milestone, this is the third instalment in their franchise. Much like other sporting series, this one has a new edition every year. This annual release allows the developers the opportunity to rectify mistakes and use the latest technology to make it; look, sound and handle brilliantly. Will Milestone improve upon their last effort? How will it compare to another much-loved biking game Ride 4? This is a title I reviewed recently, so I’m keen to see how the two stack up.

Monster Energy Supercross 3 will bite you in the arse.

Before I get into; how great it looks, the multiple game modes and the many custom options. I have to mention how difficult and unforgiving this is. It’s unbelievably brutal! If it isn’t the track trying to kill you, it’s the swarm of riders all vying for the number 1 slot. It’s messy, headache-inducing and gloriously addictive.

So now I’ve got that out of the way, let’s crack on. Monster Energy Supercross 3 chucks all its eggs into the dirt arena racing scene. The aim of the game is simple; design your rider, choose your bike and try to be crowned the champion rider.

You must select from various manufacturers to choose your starting machine. This isn’t set in stone and you can change and upgrade it as you earn money. Engine sizes from 250 to 450 cc can be selected as can many custom liveries. Once your choices are made you are chucked straight into a boot camp race. The outcome decides what sponsorship is offered to you. The result matters not as you are guaranteed to be offered a contract. From here it is simply a case of racing your heart out.

Racing is all about the finest of margins.

From being the first out of the gate to sliding around bends and following dynamic lines, this is all about accuracy. The aim of the game is to remain pointing forward, yet this is easier said than done. Every portion of the race is a fine balancing act between; leaning, jumping, scrubbing, braking and acceleration. The finest of margins decides whether you remain on the bike.

From aggressive opponents to undulating tracks and mad jumps. This is easy to pick up, but damn, the learning curve is steeper than Mount Everest. This was much harder to fathom out than Ride 4, yet I felt much more on edge and connected playing this.

Monster Energy Supercross 3 is fast and furious.

For all its agonisingly frustrating ways, the one mainstay from the franchise is the attention to detail. This focus enables the game to feel dynamic and alive. The jackets rustle and flap in the wind as you blast around the course. The claustrophobic and compact tracks increase the illusion of speed. The constant crashing and colliding gives it a sense of aggression and a combative tone. It’s a gritty fight on two wheels and you truly are battling to see who’ll be victorious.

If you then add in the reactive nature of every course you race on, it gives you a true sense of realism. The bikes slide and skit across the surfaces. The curves must be judged and bumps smothered to get the best performance out of your machine. Though reading the track and being the most skilled are essential, they won’t guarantee victory. Focussing on the bike setup helps, and it goes a long way to ensuring you win.

Stunts look great, but you’re likely to fall on your face.

Tinker your way to victory.

Monster Energy Supercross 3 has a vast array of custom options, setup tweaks and components to alter your ride entirely. Change your livery, spray each component and adjust the bike to look how you wish. Once you love how it appears, it’s all about parts and setup. Alter your; suspension, travel, brakes, handling and so forth. These adjustments consider your riding style and can be tweaked until it fits you perfectly. Additional parts can be purchased to upgrade your mud hog from factory setting to championship contender.

Milestone pride themselves on detail and realism, so I was horrified when they got the manufacturing balance so wrong. No matter the sport, there is always one team that outperforms the others. In this KTM are so far ahead of the other teams it’s painfully imbalanced. I began with Suzuki, blissfully unaware of this issue. This decision made the game impossibly difficult! The bike was twitchy as hell, and it would have been quicker to jog around. Skip forward a few races, I purchase the KTM and this ensured I was getting podium finishes. I shook my head in disbelief. It shouldn’t be this one sided! This advantage needs to be adjusted to improve the game.

Fast-paced and beautiful to look at.

If I put this annoyance to one side for a moment. I have to admire how great it looks. The earthy tones of the arenas and the details applied to the rider and machine are fantastic. Then there is the smooth performance of the gameplay, which makes this a joy to play. 20+ riders hog the screen, yet there are no frame rate drops, lagging or screen tears. The courses all have a unique look, are well designed and are simply fantastic to ride around.

I wish I could be as complimentary about the audio, but I simply can’t. The music choice is good, with a standard upbeat and high-tempo approach. But the same songs play on a loop. Like a teenager who loves just 4 tracks, Monster Energy Supercross 3 treats you to its favourite tracks repeatedly. I shrugged this off pretty quickly as it was drowned out by the over-revving scream of each bike engine. It was torture, like when a baby wakes you at 3 AM crying and the noise cuts through your soul. I understand that mimicking the sound of a bike must be tough, but the game’s realism takes another hit with this unfortunate mishap.

It handles like a beast.

There is no easy way to put it, but this handles like an unruly beast. Even if you adjust the difficulty to the lowest setting, this takes some practice to get right. But its challenge is one of its desirable qualities and gives the game longevity. You soon learn how to; balance correctly, take jumps, ride moguls and slide around corners. Once it all clicks it’s glorious and makes the effort all worthwhile.

Like with most sports titles, this one oozes replay value. With the in-depth career, single races, tournaments, challenges and a decent online mode, there is plenty to try out. The online lobbies were quick to join and challenged you to compete in both mini-games and races. The community appears friendly, though there were moments of toxicity that spoiled the fun. If you are an achievement hunter, you’re in for a challenge. A large and tough list will consume hours of your life and will be difficult to unlock.

Is Monster Energy Supercross 3 worth the effort?

Monster Energy Supercross 3 isn’t the easiest of titles to take on. Yes, you’ll pick up the fundamentals quickly, but the real enjoyment is found once you master them and that takes effort and patience. On the whole, I enjoyed this, but the imbalance between manufacturers and awful bike noises hold this back. If you are in the market for a tough but enjoyable bike game, then buy it here! It is challenging to compare it to Ride 4, as both offer a great biking experience in completely different environments. For me, Ride 4 just edges it because of its more balanced approach. Can you master the dirt and become the next big thing? Choose your ride, get some practise in and chance your hand in the arena.

Review: GENSOU Skydrift

Christopher McNally

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Mar 29, 2021

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There are many series of games which don’t really have a huge market over here in the U.K. Often Japanese based titles are massive on one side of the world but barely make a splash in Europe in general. You probably haven’t heard of the “Touhou” universe and the many different genres of games that are shared within that environment but GENSOU Skydrift is part of that heritage which dates back to the nineties.

GENSOU Skydrift story concerns itself with the mystical land of Gensokyo somewhere in Japan, humans and yokai (supernatural Japanese myths) live together in a weird harmony. One day, some girls notice that their spirit energy is weak. Yokai specialist Reimu Hakurei and her friend Marisa Kirisame spot something running off on a racetrack and that’s how everything kicks off. Now that’s the story of GENSOU Skydrift, the actual game is a n arcade kart racer where you as a duo of witches fly on top of each other like on a surfboard!

GENSOU Skydrift has a fair bit in common with Double Dash, you can swap between the characters mid race to utilise their special attributes. The idea behind picking your team is to try to make sure they are best matched so for example someone who is very fast teamed up with someone who has different attributes would be ideal. So picking two speed demons lacking drifting abilities will mean you may be able to fly down straight tracks but you’ll struggle going round corners. There are a few different modes in GENSOU Skydrift. Campaign is a standard set of races where you must finish near the top to progress the somewhat confusing and not so interesting story. Versus mode is where you can play against the computer, a mate or someone online (couldn’t find anyone in my game). There is also a Free Run mode which is your standard time trial. GENSOU Skydrift expects you to know a fair bit about the Touhou universe, if you don’t then most of plot will mean nothing to you.

As mentioned earlier GENSOU Skydrift has you in control of two characters out of the 20 that you can choose from. Not only do they have different skills but as they witches they also possess spells which can be used mid race. Like any classic old school arcade racing game there are different power ups a la Mario Kart. Obviously you need to be careful when you are first because you will often find yourself with a target on your back. There is a reasonably variety of power ups available which you’ll get plenty of opportunity to deploy. The controls in GENSOU Skydrift are quite responsive, they feel like you’re in control, however the tracks you take seem to give you the opposite experience. There is a huge amount of starting and stopping if you’re not hitting the race line perfectly. You don’t generally bounce off the scenery in GENSOU Skydrift, you just seem to hit an invisible wall that stops you in your tracks. It’s hugely annoying at times as it punishes racers who are drifting either very wide or keeping close to the corner.

Graphically GENSOU Skydrift has a very nostalgic feel to it, it’s very similar to one of those high octane racing titles you would find in an arcade in both feel and design, it reminded me of Wipeout for some reason. There are elements of GENSOU Skydrift which wouldn’t feel out of place if this was an early PS3 title. The menu is very simple whilst the tracks themselves are not particularly outstanding but do the job, they are mostly bold and bright in that usual Japanese anime look. The character artwork when the plot is popping along excellent but the character models in the racing element are fairly sketchy. Musically GENSOU Skydrift is where it does very well. The different soundtracks on each course get you in the mood for some witchy racing. GENSOU Skydrift. With so much text on screen GENSOU Skydrift is let down a little by the lack of voice acting.

GENSOU Skydrift feels out of place in it’s less than polished look. The racing is actually fun and feels like your racing but it’s let down by unforgiving courses and some early PS3 era graphics. If you somehow happen to know the Touhou universe then you may get a few hours out GENSOU Skydrift but it’s unlikely that would be the case. The lack of voice acting detracts from the plot whilst the complete lack of online players have a negative effect on the GENSOU Skydrift experience. If you fancy playing something that is similar to Double Dash then GENSOU Skydrift will give you the odd throwback, but as a whole it’s hard to recommend GENSOU Skydrift even to the most avid fan.

Review: void tRrLM(); //Void Terrarium

Bryan Applegate

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Mar 28, 2021

0

INTRO – A. . . Unique Game, For Sure…

void tRrLM(); //Void Terrarium is a game by Nippon Ichi Software (The folks behind the much-loved Disgaea games as well as a few other games). Before I begin this, I want to apologize for how long it’s taken to write this review. I’ve been busy as of late with theatre, college, etc.

With that said, is this game good, mixed, or bad? Either way, let’s get this party started!

STORY – A Lone Girl Meets a Robot AI

The story of Void Terrarium goes as follows.

In a world contaminated with toxic fungi, civilization has collapsed, and a discarded maintenance robot finds a lone human girl named Toriko among the discarded junk in a scrapyard. To ensure her survival, the robot and a decommissioned AI known as factoryAI must create a refuge for her within a terrarium.

That’s about it for the story. For the sake of keeping things as fresh and surprising as possible, unlike other reviews I’ve posted, I won’t be spoiling much of anything beyond that.

From what I have experienced thus far, however, I’m rather impressed with the interactions between Toriko and the Robot.

These two characters’ dynamic helps make this game a delight

GAMEPLAY – A Roguelike With a Tamagotchi Twist

Void Terrarium is a Top-down roduelike dungeon crawler RPG with elements of Tamogotchi-like caring moments sprinkled and ingrained into the gameplay. I enjoyed the movement-to-movement combat and story like in most other roguelikes (Glares at Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to infinity in disgust) But I did not care much for the Tamogotochi-like elements in this game. If it were optional, like a mini-game or add-on dlc mode, I’d understand. However, it’s mandatory for story progression, ad I’m just not a fan of it.

FINAL THOUGHTS – A Mixed Experience

This game is quite the mixed bag, personally. I like the dungeon-crawling. I like the ability to choose which stats go up upon level up, and I like the music, soundtrack, story, and characters. What I strongly don’t like is the Tamagotchi-like pet elements that goes towards protecting Toriko from the spores.

I wish I had more positives to say, but I sadly don’t. I recommend you approach with caution.

Review: Donut County

Daniel Waite

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Mar 28, 2021

0

If I was to ask you to picture a generic vision of a cat burglar, what image would you have in your mind? Black woolly hat, dark mask over the eyes, a black and white stripy jumper and dark leggings? This is how I would picture it! I find it both amusing and strange that one wild creature in particular matches this in both looks and personality, and that’s the bin dipping, thieving animal known as the raccoon. This sneaky character takes a pivotal role in the amusing indie game Donut County. An odd and whacky title that will leave you confused, smiling and giddy with delight.

Developed by Ben Esposito and published by Annapurna Interactive, this unusual game looks similar to The Untitled Goose Game. This single-player experience has you reliving the moments when BK runs amuck. He digs up holes in the ground, dragging the people and their belongings to a new subterranean existence.

Donut County is weird as hell.

Whenever I switch on a game and sit for the first 10 minutes not knowing what is going on, I know I’ve either hit gold, or it’s absolutely terrible. Fortunately for me, the latter happens rarely. Donut County soon turned into an amazing gaming experience that I think everyone should try. Essentially, it’s a game all about holes! You go from stage to stage, starting each one as a small hole. As you swallow more items, your circumference increases and the objects you inhale become sizable. The aim for each level is to clear it of each object, starting from the smallest to the largest. This is it. Nothing fancy and certainly not challenging.

You may think “that sounds terrible, where is the fun in that!” Well, let me elaborate. Each stage has a back story, it explains the reason the hole is there in the first place, and as the game evolves, the stories get more extreme. Alongside this, the levels of wanton destruction soon become unimaginable. You smash up people’s yards, houses and businesses for the sheer hell of it. Its destructive shenanigans, and I loved it.

A raccoon, his best friend and a trash king.

The imaginary town of Donut County is populated by some odd characters. None more so than BK the raccoon who runs the local doughnut store, and his best friend Mira. BK has become obsessed with an app that allows him to earn points to win prizes. All he must do is deliver doughnuts to the people of Donut County. He needs to get enough points to go from level 9 to 10 and then he can afford his Quadcopter Drone. Unbeknownst to BK his actions are slowly destroying the town in which he lives, he is so unaware that he brags to Mira about his achievements on his app and shows off his new drone when it arrives. Mira snaps with rage and destroys BK’s new toy and sucks him into the new underworld city he has created.

This is where the core of the game takes place. Both Mira and BK argue with the residents of Donut County. Both are desperate to prove they are right, but who will the people side with? The story takes a twist when BK visits his boss TK (Trash King) to ask him to return the people to the surface. Will this be enough to undo his mistakes, or will this odd plot go from strange to weird in a blink of an eye?

Though the stories themselves don’t alter how the game plays out, it gives each level depth, and loosely drives the plot to its conclusion with the Trash King. It sells itself as a puzzle focussed story-driven adventure, and I’d say this is a very loose description for what is effectively a game of mindless destruction. It’s incredibly fun, but it won’t challenge you at any point.

Even a raccoon likes to check its social media on the toilet.

It’s not just about swallowing rubbish.

There is a little more substance to this than just swallowing rubbish. During the latter stages, BK’s hole gains the ability to catapult items. With his new found skill, he can dislodge items and activate switches. This drives you away from simply hoovering up everything in sight, making you look for alternative methods of finishing a stage. It’s still obvious what you have to do, but this extra layer appears at the right time to freshen up the gameplay, and keep you interested for the remaining levels.

As you absorb objects and send them on their way to the trash pile, your Trashopedia is noting down everything that has been swallowed. As you flick between each document, you will chuckle at the silly statements attached to each one. This notebook only serves to emphasise the childish nature of this title and will tickle the most immature gamers out there.

Donut County, is super vibrant.

Like The Untitled Goose Game, Donut County has used a simple art style matched up with a bright and vibrant colour palette. Each world has enough detail to make each object recognisable, but sticks to its cartoon roots nicely. There is a striking difference between the underworld and over-world, and Ben Esposito has done a great job in changing both colour and tone to show the damned situation of the townsfolk. Though like most of the game, it’s presented in a jovial tongue-in-cheek- fashion. This ensures that the lighthearted nature is present at all times.

The audio continues on with the lighthearted theme and takes the weirdness to a new level. A mixture of folk, electronic and upbeat music is heard alongside over the top sound effects. Every stage has its own audio that matches its unique look. Some rely only on sound effects to show its character, and others have the music blaring out accompanied by the destructive holes. The audio does wonders to support the oddness of the story and is one of the key elements of the game.

How difficult can it be to control a hole?

As most of the game involves you being a hole in the ground, it’s unsurprisingly easy to control. The movement is smooth, easy to control, and the only complex moment comes when the catapult is added. Even with this additional mechanic, there are no issues and it’s a joy to play.

If you love destroying things, then you’ll find that Donut County has some replay value. Yet, I fear most gamers will have little to no reason to want to return. Once the game is finished, there is no NG+ mode to make you want to play, and the achievement list is earned through natural progression, mostly. You can complete this in one sitting and you will need to set around 3 hours aside if you want to have the 100% status.

Is the havoc worth it?

Is it worth ruining people’s homes for some dirty Trash King raccoon? Probably not, but it sure is enjoyable. The core concept of the game is childish, as is most of the dialogue, yet it will attract gamers from all genres. Free to play on Gamepass and only £10.74 to buy outright. This is a title that I recommend, and you can buy it here! Donut County is an excellent, albeit short game that will make you chuckle. Its mindless and destructive ways will not test you, but it’s enjoyable to lose yourself in for a few hours. Who will you side with, Mira or BK? Jump into this colourful world and help deliver some doughnuts to the people of Donut County!

Review: Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins

Charles Ombler

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Mar 28, 2021

0

Review: Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins

Don’t blink. Don’t turn your back. Don’t look away.

Doctor Who is, to quote the Doctor’s 9th iteration, fantastic. It’s one of the best shows on TV, and the Doctor is the quintessential role-model, always ready with a strong message on what it means to be lead a good life. ‘Never be cruel or cowardly.’ ‘Always try to be nice but never fail to be kind.’ ‘What’s the point in being grown up if you can’t be childish sometimes?’ But alongside spewing out wisdom like some kind of Pyrovile infested Versuvious, Doctor Who is genuinely educational. There’s a generation of kids out there who know about Madame de Pompadour, the partition of India, the life of Agatha Christie and so much more, all because Doctor Who stepped up and taught them about the events their school would never cover, in a way that doesn’t even feel like learning.

Unfortunately, however, the ‘goodness’ of Doctor Who drops off rapidly as soon as we exit the realm of television and move to another medium. There’s never been a Doctor Who game that you could honestly say is as good as an average episode of the show. As much as I enjoyed Doctor Who: The Edge of Time in VR and I’m looking forward to its upcoming non-VR sequel, it was only good in the category of ‘Doctor Who game’ and less so in the much broader category of ‘game’. This is where Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins comes in (you know, the subject of this review). It’s the first Doctor Who game that I’ve seen that thinks about what makes Doctor Who brilliant and does that, rather than trying to gamify the franchise and lose its soul. I’d describe it more as an interactive experience than a game, and it turns out that that’s what the genre needed.

Have you always dreamed of being in an episode of Doctor Who? Specifically, have you always dreamed of being in the Doctor Who episode ‘Blink’ – the early Steven Moffat episode that introduced Weeping Angles to the show and which is commonly thought of as the scariest Doctor Who episode of all time? If you answered yes, you dream wrong. But don’t worry, Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins has you covered. The game is situated as a pretty direct sequel to that very episode of Doctor Who where, if you need your memory jogging, Sally Sparrow and Lawrence Nightingale stop a group of Weeping Angels from stealing the TARDIS by trapping them in the basement of Wester Drumlins, a creepy old Scooby-Doo house.

Several years after that adventure, Lawrence has gone missing and thanks to some intervention from your friendly neighbourhood Time Lord (Time Lady?), his operating system androgynous mobile phone has ended up in your possession. It’s up to you to work your way through the files, photos and messages on the phone and solve the mystery of what happened to Lawrence, with the help of your local UNIT member, potential Zygon and Doctor fangirl, Petronella Osgood. You’ll explore what happened after the episode and in the intervening years, through Lawrence’s interactions with other characters from Blink, and the rest of the Doctor Who universe, all to find out what sinister forces have come for Lawrence, now Wester Drumlins has a new occupant.

If that all sounds a bit daunting, don’t worry. You have the Doctor’s implied belief in your abilities and much more tangible help from Osgood, with whom you’ll spend most of the game in contact. She’ll talk you through the story, hacking into the phone to tell you what’s happening in the investigation in the outside world and to guide you to the information you need to find on the phone. This will involve a lot of puzzle-solving. You’ll be pulling together information from various sources to impersonate Lawrence to one of his contacts, fill in online forms to request missing persons information and interface with Osgood’s other technology at Wester Drumlins. Throughout all of this, you could almost believe that the phone is fighting back, after all, we all know what happens to that which holds the image of an angel.

The game is not a long one. It’s about 2 hours in total which is a fine amount of time to get you invested in the story and for it all to draw into a satisfying conclusion. It’s a lot like sitting through a two-part Doctor Who adventure but one that you’re involved in – which again feeds back to my point of the game feeling more like an interactive adventure. I think that’s perfect for a Doctor Who game as you want the game to feel like an episode of the show, not for it to somehow be twisted into a cover shooter or management sim.

The only slight frustration I had is the game being quite slow to Weeping Angel. The random member of the public that you’re playing as obviously has no idea what a Weeping Angel is or what happened in Wester Drumlins during the events of Blink, and neither does Osgood. That means that there’s a lot of mystery surrounding the events that unfolded there despite you, as a player, knowing exactly what happened from watching the show. It feels a lot like the worst bits of a Phoenix Wright game, where you’ve worked out what happened but the game won’t let you tell it yet. It would’ve been nice if the second Wester Drumlins was mentioned, Osgood gave a quick rundown of what happened there so your character is up to date with the knowledge the player has, and there isn’t a lull at the start of the game where you’re working out what you already know.

Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins plays as an interactive Doctor Who adventure, with a returning cast of well-loved Doctor Who characters and actors. It gives you some interesting and realistic puzzles to solve, a dangerous mystery to unravel and Easter eggs galore. It’s everything a Doctor Who fan could want from a novel, self-contained Weeping Angel based adventure. All that remains is to ask is, with adventure on the horizon, will you pick up the Doctor’s call?

Review: Tinker Racers

Daniel Waite

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Mar 28, 2021

0

Some genres have games that stand head and shoulders above their rivals, and one of these is Micro Machines. Table top racing games have been around for years, and many developers have tried to compete with the addictive gameplay and fun action that can be found when playing this arcade racer. I’m always dubious when a new contender enters the playing field, so when I was offered Tinker Racers I was sceptical.

Developed by Rumbora Game Developer and published by QUByte Interactive, this fast-paced racing game tests; your reactions, reflexes and driving skills, and your ability to survive. To make it stand out from others in the genre, Tinker Racers has strayed away from the standard formula, mostly. It doesn’t rely on a Grand Prix to crown its champion. Aggression, destruction and a picture perfect memory will help you be the victor.

Tinker Racers is survival of the fastest.

You will race indefinitely, against a random number of opponents in a variety of machines. Events take place in; an office, kitchen and bedroom floor, where your everyday objects form the hazards and obstacles that you must avoid. Each contender has a health bar that starts at 100%. As you collide with items, fall from surfaces, and fail to make jumps it slowly depletes. If the gauge reaches 0 its race over. If you fall too far behind and out of the screen, then a point is awarded to your opponents, and the race begins again.

The winner is the first team to score 5 points, or the first person to destroy an opponent’s vehicle. This is the main concept of the game, and there is nothing complicated about it. Jump in your vehicle, start your race, and try to survive. It would be a simple affair if it wasn’t for the everyday objects trying to smash your car to pieces. Beach balls bounce in your path, ball bearings cave your bonnet in, and glue, jam and other sticky substances slow you down. It’s a challenge trying to get around the course in one piece, especially as the opposing team bash into you, and send you flying into the abyss at regular intervals.

A short, but addictive game.

Tinker Racers isn’t the most in-depth game I’ve taken on. There are no custom options, the vehicles are all the same, except for the visuals, and there is no rivalry between drivers. Yet this mattered not! You move from level to level (18 all told), crashing into each other and hoping to survive for long enough to become a champion. The small tracks increase in size and complexity as you progress. The opponents become more aggressive and staying out of trouble becomes a hazardous task.

You quickly go from winning with ease, to losing race after race. And though it was frustrating, each defeat drove you to keep playing. Once you have finished swearing, and you have completed the main game, you are then treated to a few different modes to keep you entertained. Each uses the established tracks and venues, and will challenge you to; beat the developers best times, win a traditional race, and try a freestyle game that is just for fun. Points are awarded for every competition you take on, these have little bearing on how it plays out, but a leaderboard highlights how you compare to other players.

Will someone please just clean up their toys.

A simple art style and table top perspective.

Fans of Micro Machines will love the style that Rumbora Game Developer has incorporated. It’s a colourful yet simple game that is pleasant on the eyes. Each of the locations show an oversized version of each object that you expect to find. Pencils appear to be metres long, oscillating fans look like wind turbines and will deviate you off course. The beach balls fall from the sky like meteorites from space. It’s a wonderfully elaborate scene that will make you smile the crazier it gets. It didn’t surprise me that this ran really well. There were no performance issues, even when the action got hectic, and many vehicles were present.

The childish nature of this title continued with the loud and obnoxious audio. I really enjoyed its beat riddled tunes. The up tempo music was the perfect accompaniment to the destruction that was taking place on the screen. From the moment the game loads in, the scene is set; you know you are in for a hectic time. Sadly, there is a distinct lack of variety in the music selection, and as a result, it gets tedious, especially when you are trying, and failing, to win races or attempting to beat the developers lap times.

Accelerate and brake. Nothing more and nothing less.

You can’t ask for an easier game to play. All that is required is the ability to accelerate, brake and steer. If you can master these three elements and you have luck on your side, then you will be a winner. This doesn’t mean that the vehicles always do what you want. No, they handle like unruly beasts, swerving and sliding across the track as if driven by a drunkard. This accompanied with the constant barging can infuriate. You can go from leader to loser in a split second. Fortunately, you get used to the madness and take it all in your stride. The random inconsistencies are all part of the fun, and you learn to live with them.

I have to admit that my scepticism was misplaced. Once I got into the swing of things, I couldn’t put this down. I completed the survival element in one sitting and went onto the single races and time trials. This is one addictive game that keeps you coming back for more. Tinker Racers has added multiplayer gaming to further increase its replay value. Join as one team for the survival races and take down the opposition, or race against each other in the traditional events. There is plenty to do in this small indie title.

Does Tinker Racers compare to Micro Machines?

It can be a useful exercise comparing games, but it also can be an unfair task. Tinker Racers has tried to take a piece of the table top racing scene and make it its own. Its unique idea makes it stand out, and I think it works well in creating an addictive and fast-paced arcade racer. It doesn’t have the depth that Micro Machines has, but it does enough to have a place in your gaming library. I recommend you buy your copy here! Jump in your car, avoid the obstacles and survive for as long as possible.

Review: Relicta

Daniel Waite

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Mar 27, 2021

0

The world of Sci-Fi is appreciated by millions of people. This imaginative look at what the future holds allows creators to unleash their wildest dreams. Though it’s an amazing theme that is thoroughly enjoyable, it still has a stigmatism attached to it. The common misconception is that it’s only enjoyed by trekkies and geeks. Relicta aims to change people’s mind with its touching story and mind bending mechanics.

Developed by Mighty Polygon and published by Ravenscourt, this futuristic physics puzzle game will test your logical thinking from beginning to end. It’s a single-player first-person adventure that allows you to see through the eyes of a leading scientist as she attempts to understand alien technology and the impact it would have on humanity.

Relicta is more than a scientific experiment.

Whenever I play a Sci-Fi game, I’m always worried that it will take off on a tangent. That I will soon get lost in a world of make believe and absurd ideas. Luckily, for me at least, Relicta blends its futuristic elements with tried and tested story telling elements. This generates a palatable tale that flows nicely and has many twists that piques your interest throughout.

You are Doctor Angelica Patel, the lead scientist at the Chandra moon base. This is the home for the mystery alien AI tech known as Relicta. This top secret project is being studied for its benefits to mankind. As usual, the intelligent people that run these programs forget that these unknown technologies could have a downside. The scientists blindly work on, desperate for positive results, ignoring the obvious side effects that are manifesting right before their eyes. This is the plot behind this in a concise and spoiler-free nutshell.

It isn’t all about the aliens! There are many emotional subplots that are delicately intertwined as well. Such as; Kira, Angelica’s daughter who is coming to work with her at the moon base. Then there is Dr Laia Alami, the “possible” love interest and distraction for Dr Patel. These two characters add depth to the story, and they help to invoke a sense of despair and urgency.

Relicta is a tale of two key mechanics.

For all its futuristic mumbo-jumbo and bizarre storyline, it all boils down to 2 key components; magnetism and gravity. These are controlled with a pair of alien gauntlets. They can alter gravitational fields, and change the magnetic properties of metallic objects. The action takes place across a diverse landscape. Many districts make up the map. Each has a distinct biome containing a test area. It is these test areas where you must experiment with the alien technology.

This extraterrestrial power is the key mechanic in solving the many similar puzzles you encounter. You must move from point A to B using cubes and pressure plates to open locked doors. Floating paths must be created to bridge chasms. And towering heights conquered by riding the cubes like an elevator.

Like with your magnets at home, opposites attract and matching poles repel one another. A colour system of red and blue denote this. It’s a simple idea that allows you to manipulate the location of your cubes. This is the crux of the challenge that lies ahead of you, and once you understand the basic principle, you’ll love this physics bending world you will explore.

It’s great fun, but repetition and glitches undermine it.

Shoving boxes around stages to solve problems doesn’t get old. It’s an enjoyable experience watching your plan unfold before your eyes. Yet, the limitation of just two elements restricts the complexities of the gameplay. Each challenge follows a similar pattern, and you no longer search for a solution, but you identify the starting point and the puzzle unravels from there. Like a Rubik’s cube, once you understand the fundamental moves, success is all but guaranteed.

This, however, wasn’t the greatest drawback as many other elements still made it enjoyable. Relicta follows a strictly linear path that strangles any wish to explore its beautiful worlds. This restrictive approach was necessary for the genre, but a little more freedom would have been appreciated. Many gamers will find this focus frustrating, and will yearn to explore the world around them. The other issue is it’s laced with bugs and glitches. These allow you to skip whole levels if you wish. Now, it’s obvious for me to say that cheating is your choice, but it shouldn’t be an option. The issues should have been identified in testing. I don’t expect to find these problems in modern gaming.

The bugs weren’t enough to put me off, nor will they be reflected in my score as they don’t break the game. It’s simply a disappointment that Mighty Polygon released this with these problems.

The future looks beautiful.

Even with all the glimmering metal, shimmering force fields and cold tones, Relicta is beautiful to look at. From the detail that is found on board the ship, to the variety of biomes you explore, each will capture your attention. The change in backdrop counteracts the repetitive nature of the puzzles. This ensures you don’t get bored as the story unfolds.

The cold and sterile approach is continued with the chilling audio. The minimalist soundtrack enables the sound effects to take centre stage. The terraformed biomes have their own weather fronts. The whistle of the wind is ever present and is met with robotic sounds of your gloves and the moving cubes. The spoken dialogue is well delivered, but is sometimes void of direction and emotion. It’s guilty of conveying the wrong message, and will leave you confused about the established relationships. Overall, the audio is a success, but its shortcomings hold back the story, and will affect what gamers think of the finished product.

It’s easy to learn, but tricky to master.

When the game’s focus is bending the laws of physics, it’s no surprise that it’ll take some getting used to. Fortunately, a well designed tutorial helps to familiarise you with the controls, and the test areas where you will spend your time. Here you learn how to; alter magnetism, gravity, and everything required to progress. It is an easy game to learn, but I still struggled to master the finer points. I’d repeatedly make errors and have to start sections again. You may not suffer these issues, but I know I won’t be alone in my struggle.

Part of the charm that Relicta possesses is its requirement to find collectables that uncover parts of the story. As you progress through the game, you will find more of these quirky items hidden around the base. Collecting them will become an obsession, and completionists will have to find them all to get the 100% status. A moderate achievement list can be found if that’s your thing. If you wish to complete this you will have to put aside 20 hours. At £15.99 this proves great value for money, and a good bit of brain training.

Relicta is a fun title with a few shortcomings.

Mighty Polygon has done a great job at creating a futuristic world that is enjoyable to look at. Playing with gravity and magnetic fields never becomes boring, and the puzzles will challenge you to start with. A great story flows from the off, but its poor delivery in places affects the emotion of the scene, and the relationship you have with the characters. Even though it has some shortcomings, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it. I recommend you try it, and a copy can be purchased here! Will you be able to use the top secret alien technology to complete each puzzle you face? Take on every training area and immerse yourself in this strange Sci-Fi tale.

Evercade teases new hardware

Gaming
News

Andrew Edney

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Mar 27, 2021

0

Evercade have teased some new hardware – something called VS!

Watch this space for more information and future announcements of new Evercade Hardware.

Review: Chicken Police – Paint it Red!

Daniel Waite

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Mar 27, 2021

0

No matter who you are, the urge to solve problems, and uncover mysteries lies within us all. Secretly, we all love the idea of being the hotshot detective who solves the impossible crimes. Now you is your chance to step up and be counted. Chicken Police – Paint it Red! allows you to fulfil that investigative instinct from the comfort of your own home.

Developed by The Wild Gentleman and published by HandyGames, this detective adventure title will transport you to the slow and mobster ruled world of the 30s. This film noir inspired story is far from your standard crime tale. Yes, you have the stereotypical character models; The washed up gritty detective, the mobster boss, the trustworthy but foolish partner, and the femme fatale. Yet, you quickly discover the twist, as each person is part animal and part human.

I will not lie, it’s bloody odd looking at a rooster with an ageing mans body, or an impala who is in incredible shape. It plays with your mind and is reminiscent of the cartoon image of Jessica Rabbit in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. People shouldn’t find her attractive, but it doesn’t stop them. Once you get over the shock of the random creature/human creations, you admire the artistic approach, and the striking style that has been implemented. The use of the noir theme works perfectly with the character models, and the seedy and dark nature of the plot takes shape from the first scene.

Chicken Police – Paint it Red! follows traditional mechanics.

For all its weird and wonderful ways, Chicken Police – Paint it Red! plays it safe throughout. The game is all about observing each area you are in, gathering clues, and questioning the surrounding people. This is nothing new, and can be found in any point and click game or detective title. What makes this standout, however, is the need to match the investigatory questions with the character’s personality. Your line of questioning must match each person’s traits; shy, confident, scared and so on. A meter records a level of success, and too many wrong questions impact the relationship you have with the witness, and the information given. You are awarded a grading between 1 and 5 stars based on your success. Only the best and most observant detectives will obtain the maximum level with no mistakes.

You control Santino “Sonny” Featherland, he is a gritty alcoholic close to retiring cop. He lost his marriage to the job and is currently on paid leave because of an incident. His partner Martin “Marty” MacChicken is not talking to him because of an accident involving the pair and Marty’s shotgun, yet their relationship draws them together for another case. Natasha Catzenko the girlfriend of mob boss Ibn Wessler needs your help, she has a dark past that has caught up with her, and cannot seek help from official channels. Then there’s Ibn Wessler, the mobster boss who seems to have turned over a new leaf, but appearances can be deceiving. The story takes place in the dark and colourless city of Clawville. The people have lost all hope, and crime has taken over, the police are second-rate citizens, and no-one trusts them.

It’s a bad time to be a cop, so it’s a good job that your badge has been taken away. You must use all you have learned to get to the bottom of this latest case, while staying friendly with the city’s biggest mobster. It’s a tricky balancing act, but if anyone can do it, Sonny can do it.

A simple premise to follow.

What’s the point of being a detective if you will not look at the finer details? This is the key principle of Chicken Police – Paint it Red! You must explore every portion of each scene you encounter, observing each interactive object, hoping to find clues. If your investigatory partner alters, the information you obtain from any area will change. This forces you to revisit areas you have already explored, causing possible frustrations. It was a little annoying when key information could have been missed simply because I overlooked an area I had already investigated.

Too much talking makes you a little hoarse!

With finer details being essential, it was also annoying when you discovered that you accidentally skipped clues. There is no way to repeat a conversation, and unlike other games in the genre that store all the poignant information in a journal, The Wild Gentleman didn’t think this would be important. Though it didn’t stop me from playing, it felt that I was guessing the right response to a line of questioning because I hastily pressed the skip button.

Though wrong answers will not stop you from progressing, it almost undermines the main concept of this game. It’s all about fact finding and questioning relevant suspects and witnesses, but these ideas are weakened when you may simply guess your way to the answers.

Chicken Police – Paint it Red! is spectacular to look at.

There is no denying it, Chicken Police – Paint it Red! is absolutely amazing to look at. The grainy black and white imagery is reminiscent of a 30s film, with attention paid to both the background and the character models. Using lighting and smoke effects helped to create a seedy atmosphere that goes hand in hand with this underworld environment.

The merging of animals and humans was unusual, but the highlighting of key animal characteristics was both intelligent and amusing. The gameplay itself is broken down over two perspectives, the city map, and the investigatory screen. These are clear, easy to navigate and allow you to know exactly what you are doing. I experienced some issues with the clarity of clues and some missing textures. This was overcome using the “Extras” menu from the main screen. Sadly, each time I had to do this, it broke the immersive cinematic feel of the game play.

Talking of immersion, the audio is the gateway to this 30s crime ridden realm. A brilliant jazz filled soundtrack sets the scene perfectly, with some amazing sound effects helping to create a sense of realism. The expertly acted dialogue brought every character to life, even if there was an issue with the text failing to keep up with the spoken word. The delivery of the lines and the witty approach have to be commended. The developers did a wonderful job of presenting a game that would easily transport us back 90 years.

It wants you to focus on the crime, not the controls!

Whenever I look at this genre, I always worry that it will be tricky to play on a console. Most are best suited to mouse and keyboard, but I was pleasantly surprised. A well laid out setup allows you to interact and move around each fixed scene with ease. The D-pad selects the submenus, ensuring you don’t get confused. Though it’s good, it’s not perfect. The use of a radial menu for interactions was a great idea, but if you hover over a selection for too long, it automatically chooses it. That’s annoying, but not game breaking. As previously mentioned you can accidentally skip through poignant moments and miss clues, this is unforgivable in a detective game and makes the story feel disjointed.

Sadly, this genre isn’t renowned for its replay value, and Chicken Police – Paint it Red! follows suit, mostly. No matter how you progress in each interview, the plot continues, regardless. But each conversation is rated between 1 and 5 stars, so players who wish to score the highest points will have something to aim for if they decide to return. A challenging achievement list requires perfection if you wish to get the 100% status. This certainly adds replay value, but I can’t see it adding any elements of enjoyment.

You’ll have a clucking good time with Chicken Police – Paint it Red!

There are so many great and mediocre detective titles on the market that sometimes it’s hard to choose which to play. With its fantastic style, excellent music choices, brilliant acting and comedy laced dialogue, you can’t go wrong with this. I recommend you give it a go, and a copy can be purchased here! Will you help Sonny uncover all the dark secrets from Natasha’s past? Will you find yourself attracted to each of the half animal/half human characters you encounter? These are but some of the questions you’ll face when you enter the dark and gritty city of Clawville. Remember crime sits still for no-one, especially not a rooster/man with a suspicious mind!

Review: Hellbreachers

Daniel Waite

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Mar 26, 2021

0

There is nothing worse than your kingdom being attacked by unruly creatures. They steal all your gold, worry your people, and ruin your day. The only way to repel these hellish beasts is to call upon your friends. They are 3 heroes who can send these loathsome beasts packing. Hellbreachers captures all this emotion, drama and more in its story.

Developed by OMEGACORE and Ratalaika Games and published by Eastasiasoft Limited. This single-player adventure title is a platformer at heart, but contains elements of action and adventure and some RPG-lite moments. An old-school game at its core, it has taken a modern aesthetic to make it accessible to a younger audience while retaining its retro charm.

Hellbreachers has some depth.

Hellbreachers oozes character from its classic storyline, hero selection and variety of landscapes. You will be expected to slay 10 hardcore bosses while travelling through each of their worlds. En route you must collect the stolen loot, open chests and decimate any monsters you find.

Each of the 10 worlds is a short-lived experience, especially if you ignore your foes and loot and run to the exit. If, however, you wish to play the game as intended, you will receive a score based on how much gold you have collected. It kindly advises you if you missed any, so you can return to improve your tally if you so wish.

There is no complexity in how it plays, and the difficulty is pretty low as well. It’s simply a 2D side-scrolling platform title which uses established mechanics. Jumping and double jumping must be used to leap chasms and make it to the end goal.

With 2 difficulty settings to choose between, you’d think that perhaps the developers were being kind, enabling you to learn the fundamentals before increasing the challenge. I tried both, and both played in a similar fashion. It was odd, but I shrugged it off and continued collecting treasure and killing monsters.

The gameplay is so, so. But the RPG-lite element brings it to life.

The 3 heroes comprise: a knight, mage and assassin. Each has strengths and weaknesses, and none is better than the other. You will choose the one that best suits your play style and then you may alter them further. 10 speciality modifiers are available per hero. These allow you to improve; ranged attacks, melee, speed, jumping and so forth. Choosing the right option for you will change a hero from being good to a superhuman fighting machine.

These minor changes help to pep up what is otherwise a very safe affair. It looks very nice, has cheery music, some interesting level designs and challenging bosses. But it never feels like it takes off. That is until you adjust the character’s style to match your approach. Each time you do this, it alters how the game plays and helps to keep the action fresh.

Hellbreachers went mad with the colour.

When I look back at early console gaming, I’m always amazed by the use of bright and bold colours. Hellbreachers takes a leaf out of this book as it uses every colour under the sun. With 10 unique landscapes to create, the developers did a wonderful job of treating us to some interesting level designs. Vibrant tones and a cartoon style ensure that each looks interesting and different. It won’t amaze you with how it appears, but it lives up to its promise of a modern take on an old-school genre.

I never understand why developers think it’s a good idea to play music on a loop. Using the same song repeatedly until you get sick of hearing it. Sadly, this is exactly what happens in every world you visit. Each has its own song, but you are forced to hear it until you defeat the stage boss. It’s a shame as it taints what is otherwise a well thought out presentation that modernises a classic genre. To break up this monotony you are treated to some wonderful early era sound effects. These will bring back fond memories for older gamers, and younger players will appreciate them for how they sound in this setting.

Classic mechanics are easy to handle.

Whenever a game relies on much-loved mechanics, you know that it’ll be easy to play. Yet, to ensure you know what you are doing, a tutorial is given to explain the basics. You won’t struggle with picking this up, you’ll be held back by the slightly clunky nature of the controls. Odd hit boxes mean you miss monsters stood beside you. It’s a little weird, but you get used to it pretty quickly.

Boasting about having 50 levels to try and many character mods leaves a game open for ridicule. But Hellbreachers is right to be cocky about their content. The mods add plenty of depth, and each of the worlds appears unique. If you love platform games, then this will have enough about it to draw you back in. If achievements are your thing, then this will be up your street as the 100% status is earned in under an hour.

Is Hellbreachers the modern platformer that everyone wants?

Hellbreachers won’t be the first title on everyone’s list, but it should make it to your library. On the surface, it feels repetitive and lacking content. Yet when you look deeper, you’ll find elements that add meat to the bone and this was a pleasant surprise. Because of its straightforward approach, it’s a game you can enjoy casually, and I recommend you buy it here! Banish your foes, collect the loot and travel to hell and back.