We take a closer look at the So Slime Sensations Street Foodz Crush from Canal Toys.
Create Tasty-Looking Street Food with Sugary Crush!
Get ready for an irresistible ASMR experience with Sugary Crush Streetfood! Choose from three cool options-Pizza, Tacos, or Hamburger-and mix different ingredients to create your very own tasty-looking dishes from scratch.
Decorate with toppings or mould your own decorations for extra fun! Take pictures and share your creations with friends or on social media. Keep your masterpiece… or crush it to make the softest, creamiest slime ever! Play and mix different types of slime for endless ASMR fun!
CREATE: Make amazing looking Tacos, a Burger and a Pizza with the different compounds!
DECORATE: With all the accessories, take a photo and share!
CRUSH IT: And enjoy the sensation of all compunds and decorations mixing.
The So Slime Sensations Street Foodz Crush from Canal Toys is available now priced around £14.99 and is aimed at ages 6 and up, and you can order it from Very.
Here we take a closer look at the Art Lab Fluffy Paint Studio from Canal Toys.
Create amazing 3D textured works of art with this complete easy-to-use Fluffy Paint Studio!
Each pack comes complete with a compact work studio, 4 fluffy paints, 4 watercolour paints, 10 posters, 10 white watercolour sheets, decorations and tools to help you create amazing textured artwork.
Simply choose a poster or design your own from scratch, paint it with watercolour paints, and then add the 3D fluffy paint for a unique, textured finish.
Let your imagination run wild and bring your artwork to life!
Features
CREATE AMAZING 3D ART: Design and decorate up to 10 unique masterpieces with fluffy textures and bold colours.
PACKED FULL OF ACCESSORIES: Comes with 4 fluffy paints, 4 watercolours, tools, 10 posters, and 10 blank sheets.
FUN FINISHING TOUCHES: Use 6 surprise deco bags filled with charms to personalise your artwork.
TIDY & ORGANISED: Studio includes compartments to store your paints, decorations and creations.
PERFECT FOR YOUNG ARTISTS: A fun and creative gift for kids who love to paint, decorate, and design!
What’s in the box?
1 Painting Studio
4 Fluffy Paints
4 Water Paints
10 Printed Posters
10 White Posters
1 Spoon
1 Brush
7 Bags of decorations
The Art Lab Fluffy Paint Studio from Canal Toys is available now priced around £22.99 and is aimed at ages 5 and up and is available from Smyths Toys.
In a significant leap for outdoor gear, innovative tech company MatataLab has unveiled the Solvia ED 8×32 AI Binoculars, a smart device designed to elevate the way we explore.
The Solvia ED 8×32 AI Binoculars combine advanced ED 8×32 professional optics with cutting-edge AI bird recognition technology, while also allowing users to share their discoveries to social media with a single click. Observe + Capture + Identify + Share — this innovative device is redefining the way people experience the outdoors.
Currently live on Kickstarter, the campaign has already surpassed $200,000 in funding within a short period of time, drawing significant global attention and enthusiasm from users worldwide.
Let’s dive into the product itself.
ED 8×32 Glass Optics: Reduces chromatic aberration and glare for clearer, more vivid images.
AI Recognition: Identify birds in 1 second with up to 98% accuracy. Trained on 100GB of data, it recognizes 10,000+ species and covers 90% of common birds.
AI Smart Enhancement: AI deblurring, gyro-based EIS, and low-light enhancement—making your photos and videos more vivid and stunning.
TrueFrame™ Imaging System: Aligns camera and view on the same optical axis, eliminating misalignment and viewfinder errors—what you see is what you capture.
Photo & Video Capture: Instantly record observation: ions with one click.
8× Magnification · 32mm Objective Lens: Perfect balance of zoom and light for birdwatching and outdoor observation.
2.8” HD Touchscreen: Real-time viewing with a responsive interface.
Instant Wi-Fi Streaming: Connect to your smartphone and manage content via the Solvia Smart App.
Lightweight & Portable: Only 516g, easy for travel, hiking, and outdoor use.
IP64 Dust & Water Resistance: Built for tough environments; resists dust and splashes.
Expansion Kit – More Powerful Features: Compass, GPS, Polarizing Filter, Battery Extension, Fill Light—making your binoculars even more capable.
“Our vision is not just to create a binocular, but to deliver a new way of observing, learning, and recording the world,” said Carmen, Marketing Manager at MatataXplore. “The overwhelming support on Kickstarter shows that users are eager for an innovative tool that combines smart technology with outdoor exploration.”
The Solvia ED 8×32 AI Binoculars is now exclusively available for pre-order on Kickstarter, where backers can take advantage of early-bird discounts and exclusive rewards. The first batch of products is expected to ship in October 2025.
About Matatalab
Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Shenzhen, China, Matatalab Co., Ltd. has expanded to over 80 countries with 3.5M+ users, holding 42 patents and winning global design awards including the Red Dot, IDEA, and iF. To advance optical innovation, we created MatataXplore, a brand dedicated to binoculars and outdoor exploration. After two years of R&D, MatataXplore proudly introduces its flagship product—Solvia ED 8×32 AI Binoculars—seamlessly combining observation, capture, AI recognition, and social sharing. Built by the same manufacturer behind top optical brands, Solvia delivers premium quality you can trust.
Getting the right flash drive for the job can be a nightmare. Maybe it lacks capacity, read/write speeds, or has an incompatible connection? Either way, these problems will rear their ugly head at the most inconvenient of times. Thankfully, the PNY Duo Link V3 flash drive overcomes those hurdles.
This compact device comes in an array of storage sizes. Furthermore, it has a USB-C and USB-A connection. Accordingly, you needn’t worry about space or connecting to a suitable device. On top of this, it offers great speeds for lightning-fast data transfer. Therefore, it is the perfect device for office workers and content creators.
Technical aspects of the PNY Duo Link V3.
The PNY Duo Link V3 can be purchased in 4 different sizes. 256 GB, 512 GB, 1TB, and 2TB are on offer. I was sent the 256 GB to test and play with. Though this smaller capacity may not be suitable for intense jobs, it is great if you wish to store office files, presentations, or some special family images or movies.
If you are a content creator, read and write speeds are important! This flash drive offers up to 1000 MB/s read and 800 MB/s write speeds. In testing, I didn’t quite hit the advertised numbers. However, the results were impressive, and I was able to move large 4K GoPro movie files in a matter of minutes. These speeds are comparable to PNY’s market-leading peers.
The PNY Duo Link V3 is compatible with USB 3.2 Gen 2-enabled desktops and laptops. Furthermore, it is backwards compatible with most 3.2 Gen 1, 3.0, and 2.0 devices. Consequently, this enhances versatility and reduces the risk of failure when moving important documents or undertaking presentations.
Build quality.
I’ve tested plenty of storage solutions, and plastic cases make me squirm. Luckily, this flash drive has a premium finish and an unusual design. The strong case will resist knocks and bangs to ensure your data stays safe. Furthermore, the black finish is reasonably scratch-resistant.
The unusual design is a metal swivel that allows you access to either USB connection. This may seem the weak point of the design, but the swivel area is strong, robust, and smooth. Subsequently, it will last the test of time. If you are concerned, PNY offers a 2-year warranty for peace of mind.
Is the PNY Duo Link V3 worth it?
If you need a portable and reliable storage solution, PNY should be on your radar. The PNY Duo Link V3 is a versatile option with fast read and write speeds. As such, it is perfect for content creators and office workers, and I recommend buying it here!
Adventure games have always had a special way of blending humor, mystery, and puzzles into experiences that feel both cozy and cerebral. In the 1990s, LucasArts classics like Monkey Island and Day of the Tentacle defined the genre, but in the decades since, only a handful of indie titles have captured that same charm. Lucy Dreaming, the debut full-length adventure from Tall Story Games, is one of those rare efforts. With its witty script, smart puzzles, and a quirky British sense of humor, it feels both like a nostalgic throwback and a refreshing modern take on point-and-click adventuring.
A Nightmarish Beginning
The story follows Lucy, a young girl in a small English town plagued by recurring nightmares. Her dreams are vivid, unsettling, and strangely tied to events in her waking life. Determined to get to the bottom of it, Lucy sets out on an investigation that bounces between reality and dreamscapes, blending the ordinary with the surreal.
The premise sounds heavy, but Lucy Dreaming is anything but dour. The writing walks a fine line between whimsical absurdity and subtle melancholy, managing to be laugh-out-loud funny one moment and unexpectedly poignant the next. Lucy herself is a standout protagonist: witty, sarcastic, and refreshingly self-aware without tipping into annoying cynicism. Her journey becomes as much about growing up and facing her fears as it is about solving puzzles.
Classic Gameplay With a Modern Touch
Lucy Dreaming sticks closely to the traditional point-and-click template. You’ll click through hand-drawn environments, collect oddball items, and figure out how to combine them in unexpected ways to progress. Anyone who played the old LucasArts adventures will feel immediately at home.
What keeps it from feeling stale, though, is the game’s puzzle design. The challenges are consistently clever, and most solutions feel logical once you arrive at them—even if they require some creative leaps. One early example has you tinkering with mundane household objects to build a dream-entering contraption, which feels both ridiculous and entirely sensible in the game’s offbeat world. Importantly, Lucy Dreaming avoids most of the “moon logic” that made older adventure games frustrating. And for players who do get stuck, there’s an optional in-game hint system that gently nudges you in the right direction without spoiling the fun.
The pacing is tight, too. New locations and dream sequences open up regularly, keeping the sense of discovery alive. By the end of its 8–12 hour runtime, the game has thrown enough surprises and twists at you to stay engaging without ever overstaying its welcome.
Presentation and Personality
If Lucy Dreaming excels in one area, it’s personality. Every environment bursts with detail, from Lucy’s cluttered childhood bedroom to the strange, shifting dreamscapes she explores. The art style blends crisp, colorful pixel art with a modern polish that makes it feel both retro and fresh. Characters are expressive, and animations carry a surprising amount of nuance for the pixelated format.
Voice acting is another highlight. Lucy’s performance in particular captures the dry wit of the script perfectly, but the supporting cast is equally strong, each character dripping with eccentricity. The game leans heavily into its British roots, with humor and references that might fly over the heads of some international players but lend an authentic charm for those in the know. The soundtrack complements the tone nicely, switching from whimsical tunes in the real world to eerie, dreamlike melodies when Lucy dozes off.
A Few Rough Edges
For all its polish, Lucy Dreaming isn’t without small frustrations. A handful of puzzles still veer toward the obscure, requiring trial-and-error or liberal use of the hint system. The linearity of the story also means there’s not much incentive to replay once you’ve solved its mysteries, aside from catching a few Easter eggs you may have missed the first time around.
That said, these are relatively minor issues. The overall experience remains consistently engaging, and the occasional stumble is far outweighed by the clever writing and satisfying problem-solving.
Verdict
Lucy Dreaming is a delightful throwback to the golden age of adventure games, but it’s far more than just a nostalgia trip. With witty dialogue, charming characters, and puzzles that strike a smart balance between challenge and accessibility, it manages to feel both familiar and fresh. Its blend of quirky British humor and heartfelt storytelling makes it stand out in a genre that too often leans on clichés.
Whether you’re a veteran of the point-and-click classics or someone looking for an accessible entry point into the genre, Lucy Dreaming is worth your time. It’s funny, clever, and occasionally touching—a dream worth getting lost in.
Nostalgia done right is a rare statement that Bendy: Lone Wolf managed to elicit from me. Harsh to the end, even on lower difficulty, it had me from the very start.
Developed and published by Joey Drew Studios, Bendy: Lone Wolf is an isometric horror action rogue-like hack-and-slash.
Released back in 2017, Bendy and the Ink Machine was a great game. While that might not be old enough to consider nostalgia, fans, me included, have been waiting for something else from Joey Drew Studios to sink our teeth into.
Bendy: Lone Wolf will do, it will certainly do.
Prisoner Wolf
While the original game in the Bendy series was a first-person Survival Horror Puzzle-ish kind of affair, Bendy: Lone Wolf is an Iso Metric game. That does not mean it is not scary.
The original had a creepy design. Morphing Cartoons into an ink-themed version of hell. Bendy: Lone Wolf takes it to the next level.
The basic play of the game is to go down into the deeper depths of the cartoon studio as Wolf, gathering items and bringing them back to your home base. All the while, a giant ink monster, Bendy, is chasing you and will kill you on touch.
After death, you return to home base with all progress of that mission lost. That is where it became ruthlessly difficult. More on that later.
The goal is to gather equipment and bring it back to the home base to unlock more things. While I have yet to finish the game, the unlocks give you more upgrades to help speed up your ventures into enemy areas.
Hard Time Wolf
This is not a souls-like or a card game… Not even some Metroidvania, but it is hard.
The goal is to collect items, occasionally fighting mini ink demons, and running and hiding from Bendy. That is where it gets hard.
You see, it is hard to find items; they are randomly scattered on the map you are playing. Bendy never goes away. He will mercilessly chase you. Your only mode of survival is hiding in boxes and making a run in the opposite direction from him. If he touches you, you die.
There are traps and distractions to help you, but more so, you have dead ends. Many.. Many Dead ends that will laugh at you as Bendy and his haunting face approach from behind to end your round.
What Joey Drew Studios managed here is proof that they understand their world. The grim cartoon aesthetic, the oppressive sound design, and the constant looming threat of Bendy himself give Lone Wolf a presence that is hard to shake off even after you put the controller down. It lingers, and that is exactly what a horror rogue like should do.
At first, it is scary, then it makes you angry…. But at the core, it is fun!
Final Thoughts
Bendy: Lone Wolf is not a game that holds your hand. It does not forgive. It does not let up. That might be the very thing that makes it so compelling.
Each run feels like a gamble, a test of patience and nerves, where you either make it back with treasures that push you forward or you fall, face-first, into the ink once again. It rewards persistence, but it never gives you the illusion of safety.
Is it frustrating? Absolutely. Is it worth it? Yes. Because beneath that frustration lies the satisfaction of surviving even one more run than the last.
For fans of the Bendy universe, this is a welcome return. For newcomers, it is a harsh introduction but one that leaves a mark.
Bendy: Lone Wolf is nostalgia sharpened into something new, and something worth playing.
I’ve either played or seen others play a handful of business management simulator games—Supermarket Simulator, Waterpark Simulator, TCG Card Shop Simulator just to name a few. This genre can be a lot of fun and easy to lose track of time in, but admittedly, I find that enjoyment rather fleeting. The gameplay mechanics and concepts might differ from game to game, but most tend to feel like a recycled (pun intended) version of one another. I found writing this review to be difficult because most things I could mention are straightforward with not much to dive into.
However, Recycling Center Simulator does have some gems that I enjoy. It is a business management simulator taking place in, you guessed it, a recycling center. Developed by Balas Games and published by PlayWay S.A., it released back on October 2nd, 2024. As the owner of a new recycling center, you are responsible for making sure all operations run smoothly. To do this, you must collect and sort through recyclable materials, recycle those materials into other products, sell those products through contracts and of course, order your NPC workers to do the work for you. So, grab onto those pallet jacks as we discuss Recycling Center Simulator!
The Story & First Steps: A Dumpster Dive Into Gameplay
Typically, I start my reviews talking about the story or lore. However, like most simulator games, there’s really no story here. You are an owner of a recycling center and you must make money. Done. There are some questions I have that could involve a story, but I don’t think they will be getting answered.
Why are so many businesses in this town shutting down and seemingly abandoned? Why do some of the locations have storage crates with massive gold bars in them? What’s with the slight monopoly of who owns these shutting down businesses? Why is our recycling center outside and not in a building, as I would imagine most are? Why are we sleeping in a small shipping container above our office in our outside recycling center? How come there’s seemingly no non-recyclable materials that are just garbage? With the lack of dialogue or lore pieces, these questions will never get answered.
Story aside, the game drops you immediately into a tutorial. Your first steps will include building your first machine, negotiating your first scrap deal and going to the location to pick up the left behind scraps. Everything so far is pretty simple. The machines can be picked up and moved with ease. Negotiating a scrap deal lets you bargain for better deals (or for better sales in contracts which is later). I particularly enjoyed picking up the scrap, filling my trash bags and then making trick shots from a distance into the back of the truck.
Following this was the first of many, what I would call, minigames which is sorting the trash you just picked up. After starting the sorting machine, the items will flow down a conveyor belt. You must sort them into the correct bins. Each type of recyclable material is color coded, such as gray for metal or green for glass, but the bins will light up as you pick up the pieces. You can also perform a combo while sorting, which will give you bonus scrap.
After you are done sorting, you can then grab the sorted waste boxes below and feed them into the correct machines—which are also color coded. You can then start the actual recycling process which will give you products, such as pressed papers or sawdust. These will need to be placed in the storage area in order to be sold first, which might require a pallet and the pallet jack. This part was also fun, but I’ll talk more about this later.
After this, the tutorial walks you through some computer elements, such as the marketplace and contracts. These are the main two ways to earn profit in this game. The marketplace is for selling smaller quantities, good for a quick buck if needed. Contracts require more products, but will pay a lot more and build your reputation level if delivered on time. You can also buy new machines, equipment such as a lockpick or crowbar, expand your factory’s size, take out a bank loan and of course, hire workers to do the work for you. The tutorial shortly ends after hiring your first worker, informing you to go to sleep to refresh the contracts and scrap deals. You will then be on your own to build your recycling center as you best see fit!
The Gameplay: A Simulator with Minigames
Personally, I think the best aspect of Recycling Center Simulator are the minigames. Sorting the scraps into bins is mindless entertainment that has a slight “challenge” in getting combos or scraps building up on the belt. Lock-picking cash registers or doors at scrap sites is a nice addition to earn some extra money or scraps. Even maneuvering the pallet jack feels like a small minigame on its own because of the slight change in controls. None of these are super challenging or take up much time. However, it is the little things like this that make Recycling Center Simulator feel unique from other business management simulators. It’s the small additions like this that entertain me and bring me joy.
Unfortunately, beyond that, the gameplay is rather mundane. Gather scrap, recycle scrap, sell scrap, repeat, day after day. You set the goals yourself—either personally or through contracts. Sure, as you raise your reputation level, new gameplay elements are unlocked for you. However, none of the ones I’ve experienced ever felt all that game-changing. Unlocking better machines did allow me to create new products and make better profits, but the core elements were still the same. Expanding my factory allowed for a lot more machines, more conveyor belt placements and more storage, but it was really just more or less the same as before—only bigger.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that the game lacks a real wow factor. Sure, being the owner of a recycling center probably isn’t the most exciting profession. However, I shouldn’t have the most fun in playing the short minigames and creating lives and backstories for my NPC workers. (The two workers in the picture below were identical twin brothers, Roch and Bradley Anderson, who had a quarrel over who could sort trash faster.)
I want to quickly mention that the controls in this game are pretty straight forward. None of the mechanics or processes felt overly complicated and made perfect sense. Simulator games rarely complicate things, and this one sticks to that formula.
The Graphics & Audio: Could be Better, Could be Worse
The graphics in this game are fine. From what I’ve seen, simulator games never have the best graphics but none of them are ever so bad its hard to look at. Though I can’t say I’ve ever seen recycling machines, they all looked pretty realistic to me. Workers look kind of dead and lifeless, but that’s part of the simulator charm. I really appreciated the color coordination for the different recyclable types as it made the game 10x easier. Same could be said for the way scrap would glow at a location, making picking it up a breeze. I also really enjoyed the detail of the recycling bins filling up under the sorting machine. It’s a really nice touch that gives this simulator a great touch of realism—even though no matter how full a box got, there never seemed to be any overfilling or spilling.
The sounds in the game all feel super realistic. The wheels on the pallet jack sounded like actual wheels. The different noises that played when you picked up different types of recyclable materials felt fitting. The machines were super loud, vibrated my headphones, and despite my headache, all sounded true to real life.
If anything, it is the background ambience that doesn’t work. There is no actual music. Instead, two generic noises, birds for morning, crickets for night, play on a very short loop. The game does allow you to lower the ambient sounds to get rid of them, but I’m still a tad bit disappointed it isn’t something better. The title screen plays a rather catchy song. Why can’t the actual game itself?
Overall, the graphics and audio are just okay. Though there are some great touches in both, they tend to once again, feel the same as any other simulator.
The Wishes: Potential to Recycle the Game
In this section, I’m just going to include a few paragraphs on my personal wishes that might improve the game. I wasn’t entirely sure where to put these in the above sections, so I will make them as individual paragraphs here. I won’t mention things I can not see happening at all, such as adding a whole story to the game, and will try to stick with things that could. Obviously, I’m not an expert by any means. These are just my own opinions.
To start with, I think at some point in the day, the workers should all go home. The clock stops at 21:00 (9:00 PM). Everything is dark, flashlight is out and yet all my workers are still standing around. Though I appreciate their staunch loyalty to me and my business, it does not feel realistic at all.
Though I enjoy the minigames, there isn’t any incentive to try and get better at them. You can let the sorting machine’s conveyor belt fill up with scrap with no detriment to the sorting process. It would be nice if there was a slight uptick in challenge. Scrap could fall to the ground, causing the player or worker to pause, pick it up and try again, wasting just a few extra minutes in the day. Failed lockpicking could break the lock. The crates could sometimes be empty.
I think there could also be an uptick in other aspects to increase the realism. The endless supply of pallets could instead require you to order more after using so many, with the potential of reusing them as they tend to disappear after completing a contract. The recycling boxes could also follow this same concept, as they just appear after the sorting process is finished. Maybe simply adding some just plain un-recyclable garbage would ring more true to reality. Adding smaller mechanics like this would add to the realism, something that simulator games tend to strive for.
Finally, and probably most importantly, why is there no multiplayer? This is coming from me—someone who always prefers playing single player. The best moments in simulator games tend to be ones shared when you’re goofing around with your friends. Being the owner of this recycling center is a lonely experience, surrounded by the lifeless NPC workers. Perhaps all our business needs is a friend to panic as they sort through the endless supply of scrap we feed into the machine or be the target for our full trash bag trick shots.
The Conclusion: Simulators, A Dime a Dozen
I’m not really sure what Balas Games has in store for Recycling Center Simulator, if anything. The last major update was in March of 2025, with no roadmap of future updates in sight. I suppose it is very possible that they have moved on to new projects and will not be returning with updates anytime soon. If this is the end, then Recycling Center Simulator is just that—a business management simulator that’s like any of the others. Despite the few positive elements, I never felt that wow factor, something that made me think “hey…this one is better.” Maybe I’m just biased. Simulator games were never my cup of tea.
However, I don’t want this review to seem like a critique on the simulator game genre as a whole. They can be a lot of fun with the right elements and the right people to play with! If you’re an avid fan of simulators, then this game certainly keeps up with the rest of them! If you’re like me though, the entertainment is fleeting and might only last a weekend at best. Even if you do manage to reach a point where everything is automated by workers, with upgraded machines churning out profits and robots flying all over the place, I might still wonder if the time spent was really worth it in the end.
Thank you for reading and please remember to recycle!
The Prince of Persia takes another venture into the world of 2D action games. Compared to last year’s Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, which was a Metroidvania, The Rogue Prince of Persia is an action roguelite developed by Evil Empire. This team previously worked on another 2D action roguelite, Dead Cells. They aren’t the main developers, but they took the reins after Dead Cells launched to work on updates and DLC expansions. From this background, Evil Empire seemed to be a perfect fit for a movement-based 2D action roguelite.
Moving Through the Sands
Similar to Dead Cells and other roguelites, your progression is mainly based on how far you get and what you find in a run. Repeat deaths are very likely when starting out in a roguelite. With every death, you come back stronger along with more resources to help yourself for future runs. This perfectly applies to The Rogue Prince of Persia. These can range from weapon unlocks or experience points you can spend to upgrade the Prince’s abilities. Although you are not exactly making your character and attacks stronger, you are acquiring different options for combat and sustainability. Along with that, you’ll also encounter medallions in which they provide passive buffs to the Prince. I found them to be somewhat lackluster unless they were a Legendary tier medallion.
The combat is incredibly easy to understand and get into. The real meat of this game comes from its advanced movement mechanics. From wall running to vaulting over enemies, this game is heavily designed around the Prince’s movement. Once you get used to both combat and movement, you’ll end up reaching the end of stages pretty quickly. Movement is also important for boss fights as the arenas where you fight them change significantly. Adapt to those changes, and you’ll have a much better time fighting these bosses.
Story In Gameplay
With comparisons to other roguelite, I would attribute a lot from the Hades games. Similarly, every time the protagonist dies, they are resurrected back to the main hub area. In these hub areas, there are multiple characters who you can talk to. Normally, they’ll have something different to say to the protagonist after every death/completed run. The Rogue Prince of Persia follows this similarly to the Hades games, but not to the same impact. After some point, the characters end up repeating dialogue in a short span of deaths/runs. Even the characters who you find or the interactable event locations in stages don’t have a lot to say. Although I haven’t seen every bit of dialogue from every character, the few runs that I have completed didn’t really change much, aside from the few characters in the Prince’s camp.
Along with engaging in this game’s world and story, there’s the Mind Map. The Mind Map is a great resource for those who want to know more about the world and characters, but it also somewhat serves as a quest list. Throughout runs, you’ll encounter scenarios with characters that may involve returning to them in a future run. In some cases, you’ll have to bring a specific item that’ll take up your tool slot. It leaves you with less combat options, but in a way, you are progressing more through the game by completing these quests. These help unlock new companions for the main hub area or unlock stages for future runs.
Closing Thoughts
The Rogue Prince of Persia is a solid 2D action roguelite. It excels in its movement mechanics making for great platforming sections combined with satisfying combat. Much of what I have said that I didn’t feel too strongly about the game were smaller aspects such as the medallions and the limited dialogue variety. Regardless of these small gripes, I would say this a great roguelite to pick up and sink some time into. The Rogue Prince of Persia is currently retailing at $29.99 USD and it is available on Steam, Ubisoft Connect, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and a future release this year on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
The OpenRock E Open-Ear earbuds have a unique design that may divide people. The small and extremely light earbuds clip to your ears rather than sit over or around them. Though this takes a little getting used to, I found the design to be snug, secure, and great for an array of sports.
On top of this, the open-air technology is impressive when you consider the location of the speaker. I was aware of my surroundings, and I could hear every note and tone clearly. These earbuds are perfect if you exercise on busy streets. No matter how loud the music was, I felt reassuringly safe.
What’s in the box of the OpenRock E Open-Ear earbuds?
The packaging is robust and vibrant. Its contents are well protected, and it can be recycled.
The OpenRock E Open-Ear earbuds have a charging case. The package is lightweight, and the case can easily fit in a pocket or bag.
Learn the basics with the user manual.
Technical aspects.
Sports earbuds have to deliver great sound, reliable Bluetooth connectivity, and a decent battery life. Thankfully, the OpenRock E Open-Ear earbuds tick each of these boxes. The Bluetooth 6.0 offers low power draw and a stable connection. Furthermore, the 10m range is strong, and I could connect to the earbuds with ease.
Thanks to the charging case, I could enjoy my music for around 28 hours. Though this is less than some of its competitors, it was suitable for my needs. I used the earbuds for around 7 hours before they ran out. Moreover, I could charge the earbuds for around 10 minutes to get another hour of use.
AI noise cancellation helps to reduce unwanted ambient noise. Accordingly, it didn’t matter if I was in the office or the great outdoors; my voice could be heard clearly. This makes these earbuds the perfect choice if you commute or work from home.
Build quality.
An IPX4 water rating ensures that the OpenRock E Open-Ear earbuds can brush off rainshowers and sweaty runs. This is ideal if you love to walk, hike, cycle, or run in all weathers. Word of warning, I wouldn’t use them in a monsoon as the rating is only suitable for showers and very sweaty individuals.
The unique crescent-moon design hugs your ears while offering a snug and reliable grip. This is ideal if you are heavy-footed or you run uneven trails. No one wants to lose their earbuds, and the clip design prevents that from happening. Furthermore, the unusual design is glasses-friendly. As such, if you need to wear glasses, these earbuds will not be a problem.
The ultra-lightweight design is great during lengthy training sessions. Once you clip them over your ears, you will forget you are wearing them. Additionally, the smooth plastic feels great against your skin, and it can be easily cleaned.
Sound quality.
I was impressed by the sound quality of the OpenRock E Open-Ear earbuds. There is a pleasant range of tones, and the high, mid, and low elements are easy to identify. Furthermore, I experienced no distorted songs even when the sound was cranked up.
The bass is unbelievably strong, and this is great when you are pounding the streets. Though I liked the bass-heavy default, you can adjust this using the app. I didn’t play with the settings too much, but I like the customisable approach.
Finally, the aforementioned AI noise cancellation worked to a high standard. Voice pickup is clean and clear, and reasonable ambient sounds were removed altogether. However, this feature was pushed to the test in loud and heavy traffic flow areas. Subsequently, it isn’t perfect, but it does a decent job.
Are the OpenRock E Open-Ear earbuds worth it?
OpenRock has some great sports earbuds available. As such, if this design doesn’t take your fancy, you could try the S2 or X Open-Ear products. If this compact and ultra-light design piques your interest, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I loved the open-air soundscape and the bass-heavy music. Furthermore, they are easy to use and affordable. Accordingly, I like them and recommend buying them here! Save 15% with code Daniel15.
Almost 20 years since the legendary franchise debuted on Xbox 360, Gears of War is back and on PlayStation with Reloaded! Does the classic hold up or are you left reminiscing about the good old days?
Never Thought Gears Would Be on PlayStation Huh, Maria?
As I booted up Gears Of War: Reloaded on PS5, it truly felt like an historic moment. Witnessing the Xbox Studios logo burst onto my screen, followed by developers The Coalition, felt like a true full circle moment. For almost 20 years Gears Of War, along with Halo have been Xbox’s flagship series, selling millions of copies and accumulating critical acclaim. Therefore, to see Microsoft allow this storied franchise to land on rival consoles is truly extraordinary. Gears Of War: Reloaded serves as a remaster of a remake so to speak, as this version is essentially a remaster of the Ultimate Edition that launched back in 2015. But by no means is this a bad thing, this is Gears Of War and my god, it is still absolutely brilliant!
For players experiencing the franchise for the first time, Reloaded is the perfect introduction. Reloaded remasters the original game in all its glory. Set 14 years after Emergence Day (the day the Locust army emerged from underground to wipe out of millions of humans on the planet Sera), you control Marcus Fenix. Fenix is a former war hero for the COG (Coalition Of Ordered Governments) who became imprisoned after abandoning his orders. This is where the story begins, as Marcus is broken out of prison by best friend and fellow soldier Dom, who explains the COG need all the soldiers they can muster due to the Locust overwhelming them. Strap in, because this is still an absolute rip roaring adventure.
The five act campaign, which can be played in Co-op, is the perfect example of never judge a book by its cover. You may think at the start that this is a mindless military shooter but it’s so much more. It’s an emotional adventure of brotherhood with themes of desperation and hope at the forefront. Gears has now become known for its emotional weight and the first game is no different. The wonderful cast of characters helps to keep the story feeling grounded and this is thanks to the phenomenal voice acting on display. As this is a remaster, all cutscenes have been updated for modern day consoles, making every shot look absolutely gorgeous. The additional campaign content is also included as it was in Ultimate Edition, a great action set piece that I can’t believe did not make the original game.
For veterans of the franchise, this is the same seminal campaign that birthed the now iconic series. For newcomers, you’ll experience an action adventure rollercoaster full of emotion, laughs and some very cheesy lines. (I’m looking at you dickwad!) Add in a robust multiplayer playlist, along with the option of co-op campaign, making a true plethora of content on display for both new and returning players. There isn’t much added that isn’t available in Ultimate Edition, bar new comics for collecting COG tags. This may put off some players, which is why I suspect Microsoft made Reloaded free for anyone who purchased the Ultimate Edition. That being said, it’s so wonderful to see a game as good as this finally reach more players. PlayStation players have never had it so good!
Bloody Brutal Brilliance
In many ways, Gears Of War is now the blueprint for modern third person cover shooters, thanks to its incredible gameplay loop. The Coalition have elected to keep the core gameplay loop of the original intact, for better and for worse. If you haven’t played this series before, it’s an easy to grasp system yet hard to master, particularly in online modes. The main loop consists of bouncing from cover to cover and utilising your surroundings to gain a combat advantage. This is both addictive and wildly frustrating at times. Playing this game truly felt like being sent back in time. I can appreciate The Coalition wanting to remain faithful to the original title but after playing more recent Gears games, the movement feels slightly disjointed and not as free flowing. That said, mostly, it’s still a blast to play as you shoot, punch or chainsaw your way through enemies. The haptic feedback on PS5 feels awesome and a great addition for this new platform. It’s wonderful to see great accessibility options on offer as well – thank god I can turn camera shake off!
Gears is known for its brutal multiplayer and this is no different. If you are brand new to this franchise, prepare to die, over and over. The multiplayer hasn’t changed in content from the Ultimate Edition which isn’t a bad thing as the game launches with 20 maps, countless characters to unlock and all weapon skins available from the get go. The Coalition has upgraded the 30Hz servers to 60Hz dedicated servers – a much welcomed addition. Whilst the maps have not been altered in geometry, they have all received updates in lighting and visual effects, making them look more gorgeous than ever.
However, there are some frustrating issues when it comes to Gears Of War: Reloaded. Currently, weapon tuning is wildly inconsistent, in particular the gnasher shotgun being hideously erratic. Hopefully this will be ironed out in the coming months. Server issues have also plagued the game at launch, which is hugely frustrating, I would be saddened for the player base to nosedive because of issues like this. The AI is also extremely wonky at times in campaign. If you have a friend to play through the story that is the optimum way to go! The one major gripe I have with the multiplayer, besides the tuning, is the lack of a true ranked system. The competitive playlist is so bare bones that a ranking system like the later games would keep a consistent player base for years to come.
Reloaded And Looking Damn Good
There’s no doubt about it, Gears Of War: Reloaded is visually drop dead gorgeous. Every level, character and set piece looks dripping in glorious detail. Whilst I’d have loved to see the original game remade in Unreal Engine 5, the improvements the developers have made help to modernise this classic game. 4K visuals and HDR make wandering through the cities on Sera an absolute joy. Character models look as detailed as ever, with Marcus and General RAAM the particular standouts. As previously mentioned, all multiplayer maps have been updated with new lighting and a wonderful new updated colour palette, making executions look particularly disgustingly brilliant! A solid effort in visual presentation.
Similarly, sound design and score in this game absolutely rule! Every rev of a Lancer chainsaw sounds so satisfying, whilst every execution or headshot sounds completely disgusting! Sound design is a huge aspect of Gears multiplayer and this is no different, with every booming footstep of your enemy heard as clear as day, making it tense and exhilarating. Epic Games and now The Coalition have truly mastered sound design in this franchise. Of course, the original score returns from the first game, making emotional moments in the campaign even more poignant. Original composer Kevin Reipl’s score still hits as hard as it did almost 20 years ago with its orchestral themes. A wonderful effort across the board in the audio department.
Verdict
As a fan of the series since its inception, it is so good to see the original Gears Of War return in all its glory. In my wildest dreams I never believed this wonderful title would ever end up on PlayStation, but I stand so happily corrected. A superb campaign and brutal, yet brilliant multiplayer will endear itself to a brand new generation of players for years to come. Whilst some returning players may not see enough new additions and balancing issues to warrant returning, this game still absolutely rules! See you on Gridlock!
I might be jinxing myself here, but I’ve never had anything stolen. I was present when someone’s phone was nicked, though. It was the usual distraction tactics to sneak away a phone that had been carelessly left on a table. A little less glamorous than picking the lock on a front door and using a stethoscope to crack a safe. That sort of thievery is what generates the appeal of Thief Simulator. The idea of silently sweeping into a house and gathering up all of their jewellery is strangely alluring. Would certainly help to pay off my mortgage.
This is very much not a ‘gentleman thief‘ style of doing things though, given that we start off with a crowbar. Still, it’s an exciting premise. Unfortunately, Thief Simulator: Mastermind Edition fumbles the bag. The subtitle is writing cheques that the game can’t cash. The nice premise is shackled to a game that feels so clunkily put together. From the graphics, to the AI, to the overall gameplay loop, nothing fits right. What’s more, it doesn’t even acknowledge the emotional aspects of breaking into someone’s home. It all feels like we’re nicking trinkets from unfeeling robots.
Sticky Fingers
There’s not too much plot to speak of in Thief Simulator. We are are Mr. Sneak Thief, esquire, and we get a call from a chap named Vinny, who tells us to sneak into houses and lift the valuables. We’re clearly in debt to Vinny and he has a very mobster-ish name. That’s sort of the limit of the plot. It does go somewhere by the end, but the story is more of a string of tutorial missions. It takes you from breaking windows with a crowbar to swipe pots and pans, to disabling security systems with a special laptop to steal someone’s antique newspaper. There are quite a lot of tools and tricks, to be fair.
Honestly, the basic concept of looting a house isn’t bad. For one, before you break in you need to figure out the resident’s schedules. You don’t want to cut your way through someone’s window to grab their TV, only to find them halfway through Top Gear. We do this by staking out the place and marking the residents at set intervals, or by chucking a camera into their mailbox. You’ve then got to pinpoint your entry and exit points, and keep an eye out for cameras. If you’re seen at any point, in come the police and out come the tasers.
For the first few hours, Thief Simulator works quite well. There’s a nice progression from swiping basic kitchen stuff, to electronics, to nicking cars. There was some fun to be found in learning routines and picking the right moment to sweep in and stuff my bag with as much as possible before scarpering out the backdoor. As the houses got bigger, so did the security systems. Figuring out camera blind spots so you can shimmy up a drainpipe and stuff yourself into an upstairs window is quite entertaining.
Kleptomania
Unfortunately, Thief Simulator does its best to undermine that fun at every turn. For one, unlocking new tools requires experience points and a lot of cash, so it descends into a pile of grind from the midpoint onwards. I was breaking into the same houses and stealing the same things from the same places. I couldn’t crack anything more serious until the main quest had moved on. The Mastermind Edition adds some new maps and buildings but this just requires more tools. The basic loop is the same and it begins to get old after a while. After all, once you’ve cracked a house, it’s super easy to do it again, getting (almost) the same loot every time.
Partly that’s down to the rather peculiar AI. They tend to follow rigid routines, moving from place to place on a set path and switching routes at pre-set hours. So as long as you stick to shadows, they’re easy to get around. They’re also wildly inconsistent. I once nearly got caught because I opened a drawer too loudly, but the same AI didn’t respond to me throwing their TV and stereo system out of the upstairs window. The police aren’t much better, often being outwitted by hiding in a dark corner. As such, there’s very little tension. Once you figure out the right route, you can loot what you want by exploiting the dumb AI.
Thief Simulator also hasn’t made the move to the Switch without incident. While all the extra content in the Mastermind Edition is welcome, it feels like Thief Simulator had to condense itself down a bit too much. I don’t know what the graphics look like on more powerful platforms, but they are downright ugly on here. Lights pop-in a lot at night, and there are about five character models shared among citizens. Controls are a bit awkward too, like when you have to move the cursor over to the car key to start your getaway. It’s brought bugs along too. Residents have a habit of sinking into the ground, or sitting stubbornly in their living rooms when the game tells me they’re ‘out’.
Thief Simulator – Quantity Over Quality
Thief Simulator feels very much like quantity over quality. It has at least four lockpicking minigames, for one. Even one that mirrors the one from Oblivion. You know, everyone’s favourite. For me though, it misses the central interesting part of thievery: invading people’s spaces. As creepy as that makes me sound. I never found anything personal in these houses. They could all be police safe houses, for all I know. This isn’t a living, breathing world full of interesting people. It’s a town of soulless robots, all buying the same brand of TVs and leaving their necklaces in the same drawer as their baseball caps.
As such, my interest in Thief Simulator slowly burned out. The thrill of breaking and entering is lessened when you know you can pretty much just walk in and out at will. There is a good premise here. A small number of larger houses might have worked better. Some characterisation would have helped too. All we know about our protagonist is that he’s strangely resistant to explosions. As it is, while Thief Simulator might be amusing for an hour or two, this quickly steals away, leaving you feeling rather bare.
Upgraded ANC system achieves up to -45dB noise cancellation.
Battery life of up to 92 hours enables uninterrupted listening throughout the week.
Built-in mic with AI noise cancellation ensures clear calls.
Skin-friendly leather ear cushions provide exceptional comfort.
Foldable design with a travel case enhances portability.
Bluetooth V5.4 for seamless streaming and stable connection.
Multipoint connection enables effortless switching between two devices.
Touch-to-chat: Pause music with a touch and let in ambient sound.
Compatible with the EDIFIER ConneX app and EDIFIER TempoHub for expanded functionality.
Final Thoughts
The ES850NB headphones are fairly lightweight and feel very comfortable to wear even for extended periods of time.
When fully charged (a full charge takes about 90 minutes), the headphones can give you up to 92 hours of usage (without ANC) and around 53 hours with ANC. In a pinch you can charge for about 15 minutes and get around 7.5 hours of listening time. Don’t worry, if the battery runs out you can use the supplied audio cable to plug in and carry on.
The headphones support both Hi-Res Audio and Hi-Res Audio wireless with LDAC certification and the sound quality is fantastic, with music coming through very clearly no matter what type of music you are listening to. The ANC works really well and enables you to focus on what you want to listen to rather than all the noises around you.
Upgraded hybrid digital noise-canceling technology achieves noise reduction of up to -45dB, which is an 18% increase compared to the previous generation of headphones.
Deep Neural Network (DNN) noise reduction technology intelligently recognises speech and precisely separates human voices from noise, enabling you to talk clearly even on noisy streets.
You can also use the Edifier ConneX App to customise control settings, explore rich and practical functions and discover more music possibilities – definitely take a look at it as it can really personalise the experience for you.
The Edifier ES850NB Headphones are available now priced around £150 and are available in Black, Brown, Ivory and Pink.
Here we take a closer look at the So Slime Yummy Twist & Slime Mixer Set from Canal Toys.
Whip up super slimy desert-inspired creations! The So Slime Yummy Twist & Slime Mixer features a crank-operated manual stand mixer, playful kitchen ingredient-style packaging, and 3 fun recipe cards to follow, so you can create sensory slime styled like Lemon Pie, Sweet Cake, and Lava Cake!
Use the real spinning mixer to twist, mix and create, and combine fluffy slime with vibrant dyes to whip up dessert-inspired creations! Follow the recipe cards to make slimy play deserts, or mix and match your own ideas to custom slimes! Add decorations styled like tiny strawberries, chocolate drops and lemon pieces to decorate each slime pot with eye-catching detail, and explore mess-free sensory fun!
With playful kitchen ingredient-style packaging, each creative feature brings baking-themed fun to slime. Create dessert-inspired slime with soothing fluffy textures and super-satisfying mess-free fun, perfect for creative kids who love to mix, swirl, decorate and create!
Features
Make dessert-inspired fluffy slime, with a manual stand mixer and baking-themed play ingredients!
Whip up 3 treat-themed recipes, including sensory slime Lemon Pie, Sweet Cake, and Lava Cake
Crank the spinning mixer to combine slime with vibrant dyes and desert-themed decorations
Follow recipe cards or mix and match unique ideas, with 9 mix-ins and sensory accessories
Mix and decorate slimes, with baking-themed play pieces featuring kitchen packaging
Bring baking fun to hands-on slimy play, and create soothing sensory fluffy textures
Contents: 1x Manual Stand Mixer; 1x Box of Slime; 4x Themed Pots; 2x Bottles of Dye; 2x Mix-In Packs; 4x Decoration Packs; 3x Topping Charms; 1x Decorating Piping Bag; 1x Sticker Sheet; 1x Recipe Book
Dimensions: 34L x 11.7W x 27H cm
The So Slime Yummy Twist & Slime Mixer Set from Canal Toys is available now priced around £24.99 and is aimed at ages 6 and up. You can buy it from Smyths Toys.
The real-time strategy genre has long been at home in the PC ecosystem; a keyboard and mouse allow you to easily position units and issue commands in a way that is significantly more difficult on a gamepad. This isn’t to say a few brave developers haven’t tried to make RTS work on console, such as Milky Tea Studios with their alt-history project Grit and Valor – 1949.
Similar to the Wolfenstein series, the game presents a different version of the Second World War in which technology has progressed far beyond where it was in real life; battles are now fought with pilots in mechs as opposed to standard infantry soldiers. It’s not the most original concept (there’s plenty of WWII media that tries to put its own spin on the conflict) but the steampunk aesthetic presents as charming nonetheless.
Grit and Valor is a roguelite, asking players to progress through multiple boards with randomized nodes, culminating in a boss fight. Nodes will offer combat encounters, text-based decisions, and shops where you can purchase upgrades. The ability to choose your route is appreciated; you’ll be able to evaluate whether your team can realistically clear the area, or if a run should be dedicated strictly to gathering resources.
When you’re inevitably forced into combat, the skirmishes take place on square-shaped maps, often littered with cover, high ground, and additional objectives. Despite having a grid-based layout, all units still move in real-time, so you’ll need to make decisions quickly. Thankfully, the developers implemented the ability to pause the entire battle, letting you breathe and issue orders with a bit more comfort. It’s a shrewd balancing choice, almost certainly made to accommodate the console audience.
Effectiveness in the field is governed by the rock-paper-scissors of Grit and Valor’s mech types: ballistics trump flamethrowers, fire beats explosives, and grenades dominate bullets. It’s immediately easy to wrap your head around, and units will actually autoattack when enemies enter their range. Gameplay is largely relegated to just deciding where mechs should move, though the real depth comes from your unit customization.
Pilots selection proves to be rather disappointing. Each possesses a unique ability, but they fail to make an impact. None of them present any interesting ideas (AOE attacks, deployable mines, etc) so I often forgot about them. The only abilities that I routinely used were for healing, but that was more out of necessity than a genuine desire to interact with the game’s mechanics.
Modules are both more mentally stimulating and effective in battle. As you clear missions, you’ll acquire scrap. You can use this currency to craft modules within the Mech Yard, which will provide boosts to stats like damage, health, and armor among others. Eventually you’ll unlock the ability to fuse lower-level modules and replace them with better options. Furthermore, if your mech surpasses certain power thresholds, you can overclock it, fitting it with additional perks.
Each run you embark on will also shower you with randomized enhancements following an enemy wave. It’s a great way to experiment building your mechs in different ways, or double down on stats already buffed by your modules. Seeing your units excel in specific areas can make you feel like a tactical genius, and enemy scaling is appropriate such that the game never feels too easy nor excessively punishing. Of course, enhancements leave you as soon as the run ends, so you’re going to need a bit of luck to grab your favorites consistently.
Grit and Valor is an admirable effort for the underserved, if incredibly niche, console RTS market. Unit customization and teambuilding grabbed my attention more than the moment-to-moment action itself, though some diehards may chalk that up to traditional genre conventions. If you’re a fan of the roguelite formula and willing to dabble in alternate gameplay types, this is certainly worth a look.
