Despite 61% of UK workers claiming they are just as productive working from home, over one quarter (27%) worry about their boss, clients and colleagues thinking they’re not working, followed by other concerns that they may miss meetings and deadlines (13%). Thankfully, one thing Brits haven’t had to worry about are tech issues, with over four-fifths (88%) of respondents claiming they have not experienced any tech-related problems since the government’s working from home order was enforced.
The findings also revealed that almost one third (29%) of Brit’s bank balances are benefiting from them working from home with money being saved rather than splurged on coffee or buying lunches every day. Instead 17% are using the time to make more interesting lunches.
More and more Brits are also using the time to boost their skills. From reading more to training with new tools, British employees want to turn lockdown into a self-growth period. Many have been considering online studies, such as joining St. Bonaventure University for an MBA degree, which could transform their careers dramatically. Maximising the time spent at home to enhance interdisciplinary knowledge could offer Brits the promotion they crave in a post-pandemic world.
Vodafone is offering 30-days unlimited free data to half a million other Pay Monthly customers, not already on unlimited data plans. Customers can access the offer through Vodafone’s VeryMe rewards scheme available through the My Vodafone App.
Boasting the cutest postal workers known the man, KeyWe, a novel puzzle co-op title, is how you wish the post office was run – hastily and awkwardly by two tiny birds which attach stickers to their butt and process packages co-operatively with levers and buttons. With a Toy Story/Banjo Kazooie-type vibrant aesthetic, and gameplay that requires teamwork for top scores, all the ingredients are here for a jolly good time – just make sure you have a friend.
Taking on the unenviable task of making a boring job the main conceit of a game, KeyWe has you working in a sorting office, shuffling around, attaching labels and generally sorting your way through mail, but, wait for it – as a small fluffy creature. Taaa-daaa!! Cue the pre-recorded cheer and a money-making machine that makes it rain from the skies, because we’re onto a winner!
With its adorable protagonists in tow, you must use your two bundles of feathers as fast as possible to complete the step-based tasks through 50+ levels. Vibrant and dripping with charm, the presentation and its intentionally poorly explained puzzles manage to keep you occupied and its amusing co-operative gameplay sparks comparisons with other simple family-friendly co-op games like Overcooked.
One of the two most repetitive gimmicks is to type messages out. More complicated versions added codes you need to decipher, but this does not change how unenjoyable the process is.
Describing one level is like describing them all though, with only a slightly different layout, color design and one or two extra elements separating each of them and it’s because of this, that you will know almost immediately whether this game is for you as it’s just more of the same with each ‘new’ task.
I’m all about the little things in games and the satisfying animation and sound effects of picking up a shipping label, jet-packing jumping to affix it to a crate lid with your butt and then using a crane like device to attach it to the top of a shipping crate, is absurdly enjoyable, but these gimmicks are not as common as you’d hope and despite its aesthetic winning me over, the tediousness of essentially the same goal and level types set in.
A package follows the conveyer belt and you need to label it and package it.
This simplicity works for co-op playthroughs though, as the slight twists in levels and increase in difficulty, that each of the 50+ stages offer, feels more significant and the randomness of playing with another person shines through. The solo experience, while still enjoyable, is hamstrung by the fact that you can obviously only control 1 Kiwi at a time which forces the game into a box it’s not perfectly suited for with levels that require you to do every little tedious task yourself – like protecting yourself from flies and gathering message pieces or typing long messages – and it leaves the gameplay feeling like you are stuck in transit – slow and unnecessarily delayed.
Some added variety exists in different level types, such as making faces, but its underused.
The game’s issues are also much harder to ignore when not clouded by the fun of the multiplayer mode. With a rather strange body shape, it’s almost understandable why nearly half of your Kiwi’s body disappears into the environment without having to rework the game’s level design, but it looks a bit strange to have your kiwi’s entire head disappear into a wall for no reason. Not to mention the numerous unrecoverable situations that cause you to restart the level, even when they are seemingly commonplace considering the conceit, like putting the wrong sticker on a lid and being unable to remove it and replace it with another one.
KeyWe is an innovative addition to the family-friendly co-op genre with simple task-based gameplay and beautiful presentation providing a fun pick-up-and-play experience, but don’t expect much from its single player mode as the game’s shelf life lies almost entirely in the randomness produced from co-operating with others.
Never have I wanted to throw my Nintendo Switch out of a window with frustration more than when I played and reviewed Golden Force by Storybird Games and published by PixelHeart, VGNYsoft and No Gravity Games. This is a game which unashamedly holds its hands up and says ‘yes, I am like those unforgiving side-scrolling platformers that caused controller breakages on retro consoles’. But maybe, just maybe, that isn’t all bad.
Premise and Gameplay
Golden Force’s premise is a basic one. There’s a group of four adventurers (playable characters who are unique in design only) that like spending money and have run out. So, they’ve gone to Muscle Islands to beat the Demon King and get some more. The game is even more simplistic with its place names that are very unimaginative, Mount Mountain for example. If you were hoping for story this is not the game for you. If you are a casual gamer this is not the game for you.
You can unlock a secret bonus level on each of the four islands as well as completing each island’s four main levels. Level four of each world contains a boss (one of Demon King’s generals; all strangely named after Mexican food). The art is gorgeous; pixel art reminiscent of ‘retro’ consoles. The levels themselves are nicely varied in terms of designs, puzzles, obstacles, and challenges. This means that progressing to the different islands genuinely felt like progression rather than more of the same. This variation carries through to the monsters; all uniquely styled with different strengths, attacks, and methods to defeat them. This extends to the bosses as well (one of which gives you some challenging bullet hell craziness to deal with), and multiple routes to find the hidden treasures.
However, to navigate each level you get but five lives (six if you buy one in the store discussed later). Each level gives you a checkpoint midway but that only remains saved while you are playing that level. It is relentlessly challenging and so collecting the hidden treasures becomes far less important when you end up playing the same sections repeatedly. The game certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel here but does give you a sense of nostalgia for things that used to be in the world of gaming.
One of the interesting features that Golden Force does offer for all those coins you collect is a store that allows you to buy items. This doesn’t seem to have the intended impact as for the most part it isn’t overly necessary (except for that extra life!) and any items you do buy are single use even if you die and must re-start the entire level. Collecting coins goes the way of treasures though when you end up having to endure multiple attempts at the same level. Another interesting feature, that did become useful in the later boss fights, was the support mechanic. You fill a meter and can call in assistance from your boat dealing some much needed and high impact damage.
Controls for the most part are reasonably logical and responsive. I didn’t experience any input lag when I completed an action. My only issue was with the charge up ability; it takes too long. However, when it does work there is something immensely satisfying about bouncing enemies around the screen.
Issues
Golden Force, sadly, is not without some issues. There was one moment where I got trapped between two unnecessarily tough non-boss enemies (that for the most part I avoided to save time because the rewards were minimal) that I lost all my lives in one fell swoop because jumping wasn’t working. Similarly, at a later stage I fell off a platform and expected to die and be placed atop it to try again, except that didn’t happen. Initially I thought I had discovered a secret area where maybe there would be a unique reward. What did I find? A bug that meant I had to re-start that level from scratch as the only way out of it was to quit the game and re-start.
At certain stages in the game, you must take lifts up and across certain areas, naturally as you would expect there are obstacles to dodge. This is fine and exactly what you would expect from a platformer, however, should you be knocked off by one of these obstacles you find yourself waiting for more than five minutes before the platform reappeared to try again. The wait was unforgivably slow and threw off the pace of the game and waned my willingness to continue the adventure.
While this game was smooth and responsive in the Switch’s handheld mode playing on a big screen with a controller painted a different picture. Here it was plain to see that it wasn’t as well optimised as I had hoped due to screen tearing and minor lag. Still playable, just not as enjoyable so that is something to consider if you plan on picking up the Switch version of the game.
Conclusion
So, did I like Golden Force? I think I did. Sometimes. And sometimes I didn’t at all. It is a side-scrolling platformer that is trying to emulate the nostalgia of similar games which are now considered ‘retro’. I can’t fault this game for that; it does it well. It also captures the frustrations from those games we’ve forgotten about as we look back at them through rose-tinted lenses.
Things like hits against you sometimes being questionable but you lose that precious life anyway. It isn’t perfect; but then neither were those older generation games. It’s unimaginative in terms of character and place names; but who cares? How often do people pay attention to that kind of thing in a platformer. It has no story; but it isn’t supposed to. I want to dislike this game because of its issues and the frustration of how difficult it is; but the nostalgia grabbed me and kept me playing the same incredibly challenging content, desperate to beat it, for hours. To that goal, it succeeds.
Golden Force may play better on other platforms than it does on the Switch, it may cause controller damage and a lot of shouting at the screen; but when you get to the end and finally beat the game’s last boss you can sigh with relief; hug your loved ones and feel a true sense of gaming accomplishment that perhaps is missing from modern games. It isn’t the prettiest, it isn’t the most imaginative, it doesn’t do anything I haven’t seen before and some of the things it does try it fails at; but it’s worth a go… or in reality many, many, many, many goes.
Tower Defence titles are perfect for a casual gaming session. They are simple to pick up and readily available in every mobile phone app store. I admit I’ve played my fair share of smaller indie games, but now I crave something more in-depth. Luckily, Defend the Rook offers the perfect solution with its wonderful story and familiar mechanics.
Developed by One Up Plus and published by Goblinz Studio and Maple Whispering, this is a fantasy Tower Defence game. The core concept is to protect your rook, no matter the cost! You are given three heroes, barricades, iced spikes, and spells to battle the onslaught of enemies. You must survive multiple waves and eventually defeat each main boss. On paper, it’s like every other TD title you’ve encountered. However, it has a few tricks up its sleeve to stand out.
Spread your forces and takedown each wave.
Defend the Rook is all about the grind.
Most gamers will be instantly turned off by the word ‘grind’. Yet, lovers of this genre will know it’s a necessary evil. You will start a battle knowing that failure is very likely, and that is okay. The more hours you put in, the stronger your army becomes, and this is one of Defend the Rook’s key concepts. You must win battles to earn both money and XP for your heroes.
Sadly, however, this Tower Defence title incorporates rogue-lite elements. This infuriating twist adds another layer to the unrelenting grind. Subsequently, you get more gameplay, but the repetition levels are off the chart. So, how did the developers counteract this? They implemented permanent upgrades, ascendancy, and unlockable characters! These powerhouse additions must be purchased by improving spells, your machinery, or your units.
The story revolves around each leader’s desire to hold the most gems. They make each faction stronger, and everyone loves the sparkling allure. Therefore, it was fitting that the best improvements were purchased with this rare commodity. You’ll unlock new units, better temporary perks, and additional spells at the end of each run. It was both fascinating and exciting to see the new tactical advantages, though it was equally disheartening that you had to start from scratch again.
It’s upgrade time.
Grid-based combat.
There are plenty of tactical options at your disposal and these are vastly important. Yet, the crux of the gameplay involves a deceptively simple grid-based combat system. You are armed with three heroes, a set of spells, combat towers, and the rook. Your troops can move and attack once per turn. The grid is coloured blue for movement and red for attacking options. You must plan the best way to use your forces as you defeat each wave and take down the end boss.
As each round ends, you may choose a temporary perk, health boost, or revive a fallen ally. The choices you make here will give you a tactical advantage and are the difference between success and failure. You can add speed, power, armour, health, spells, and more. You are unaware of the foes you’ll face in the next round, so there is always an element of risk.
Unlike other TD games that force enemies through a ‘tunnel of death’, Defend the Rook has a more open approach. You can’t simply place every strong unit in one place to pick off unsuspecting foes. No, you must navigate the map and use the environment to your advantage. This was excellent as it made the gameplay much harder and it forced you to contemplate every move.
Defend the Rook has a simple but effective style.
Defend the Rook won’t wow many gamers, but equally, it won’t offend many either. Its simple but effective style is supported by the clean-cut UI. The action is easy to observe thanks to the lack of clutter, and the theme is enhanced by the rich colour palette. Unsurprisingly, this basic affair has no graphical issues or frame rate drops.
The audio follows suit with a suitably interesting soundtrack. You’ll enjoy a blend of jovial and angry tunes as each battle is contested. These songs are supported nicely by the simple sound effects and add to the fantasy theme. Sadly, however, a lack of spoken dialogue is an oversight! I’d have loved for each main character to be brought to life in the cutscenes. Unfortunately, this never materialised and you’re left wanting.
Can you avoid the seahorse creatures?
A great tutorial makes it easy to play.
I’ve already highlighted the simplicity of the genre, but I expected this more in-depth experience to be harder to play. Luckily, a thorough tutorial makes it easy to understand, and I got into the action with little effort. However, don’t get carried away as the finer details require some work. The more complex tactics and the right lineup of heroes needs a fair bit of trial and error. So you’ll need to invest some time to get the right combination for you.
This approach adds to the longevity and increases replay value. The aforementioned ‘grind’ may not be for everyone, but it’s an essential mechanic. Completing this and unlocking all the progress tiers will take many hours and a patient individual, so best of luck.
Defend the Rook is a fantastic addition to the genre.
Defend the Rook wasn’t a title on my horizon, but I’m glad I played it. It’s a phenomenal Tower Defence game that blends the usual mechanics with RPG traits and rogue-lite elements. It’s a bit of a grind-fest, but fans of the genre won’t mind. I loved the in-depth ideas and recommend you to buy it here! Can you control your small army of heroes and save the day? Plan your approach, destroy your foes, and bring peace to the kingdom.
Already missing the spooky vibes of October? Looking to bring them back and polish off your photography skills at the same time? Well, I have the perfect game for you!
You’re welcomed into the abandoned Penko Park by none other than its cutest resident Penki with simple instructions: look around and snap some pictures of the weird and wonderful creatures that reside in every crevice of the abandoned reserve. You’ll explore mushroom caves, magma-filled caverns, lakes, overgrown jungles and even a rundown cafe that was once upon a time occupied by humans.
If you’ve ever seen or delved into Pokémon Snap on the Nintendo Switch, you’ll already be familiar with the simple mechanics of Penko Park.
As our beloved void-eyed buddy Penki accompanies you on-rail through the different regions of the park, you’ll encounter an array of creatures ranging from the confused pond-dwelling Nauplii, mountain-scaling Goato and the cute magma sprites Akakai (seen above). Not all is as it seems though. You’ll need to keep your wits as you explore, as you’ll never know just when a creature will change face in a split second.
Heed the no photography warning…
The Smoll isn’t quite as small as it makes itself out to be.
Once you either run out of photos or complete a level, you’ll get the chance to rifle through your new snaps and place them into your photo album. You’re marked on a scale of 3 stars on each photo, with 3 being the best. The more photos you take, the more chance you have of receiving the perfect 3-star photo — these are then turned into experience points that can unlock new areas and abilities.
Penki will watch over you as you fill your album
As you progress you’ll be doing more than just snapping pictures. With each run through and ability you unlock, you’ll be able to interact more with the park around you — this means you’ll be able to pick up scattered items, clear shrubbery in your way and throw penko balls at the creatures you encounter. Don’t worry, these balls won’t hurt any of the creatures, but instead, you can coax some out of their hiding places and even have them perform tricks to frame your next perfect snap.
Each creature in the park has its own unique checklist of different pictures you’ll need to take of them. Some of these will require a little thinking on your part on how to make the monsters act a certain way or in some cases not act at all. Its simplicity and easy playability will make you want to come back for more each time you put it down.
Though there are only 3 small stages to explore, you’ll never be doing the same run-through twice. The forest, volcanic and underwater levels all have their own diversity and creatures to find all with unique ways of interacting with the player. There is nothing more satisfying than landing the perfect 3-star shot for your album.
The creatures of Penko Park are nothing short of charming. Developers Ghostbutter clearly knows how to create cute and memorable monsters without needing the familiarity of characters that Pokémon Snap needs.
With the scope to add more levels and creatures in the future, if you’re looking for a game to sit down with for a few hours and relax with, Penko Park might just be the perfect one for you. You’re likely to be able to complete the game within a few hours, but if you’re anything of a perfectionist like myself, you’ll be spending a lot more time trundling through the shrubs, waves and magma searching for each variant of the loveable monsters in the park trying to get the perfect 3-star album.
Owning a car is great. The freedom that you get from car ownership can often not be put into words. Ownership of a car that gets you from A to B is one thing, but what about ownership of a vintage or classic car? When you purchase and subsequently own a vintage car, there are other considerations you must factor into your decision. Classic cars or vintage cars are often more expensive, so ensuring that you make the right decision for yourself and your wallet is crucial. So, what should you know and think about when purchasing a vintage or classic car?
Age and Previous Owners
As you are not buying new, you need to know where a car has been and for how long. Vintage cars may have exchanged hands several times, which means they might have had a few owners throughout their lives. Establishing what type of owners they have had and ensuring that this number of owners is appropriate to the age of the car is important. For example, if the car is 30 years old but has had 15+ owners, you might need to start asking more questions. A high number of owners could signal additional problems, which may end up costing you more.
Storage
Where are you going to keep your new pride and joy? Are you going to keep it out and exposed to the elements, or are you going to keep it in a warm, safe and secure unit? You will have invested a lot of time and funds into buying your vintage or classic car, and you will want to ensure that it is stored correctly and safely when not in use. When it comes to finding car storage near me, you need to think about safety and the environment within which it is housed. Not all storage facilities are monitored and as secure as you think. Checking out the safety and security is key, and so too is checking the environment. For example, if the storage unit is damp and drafty, your new beloved purchase could be getting exposed to the elements and possibly getting damaged as a result.
Intended Usage
Thinking about how often you will use your new car and for what purpose will help you establish a budget and checklist for your purchase. For example, if you want to use your car only in the summer months, then do you want to spend more than $20,000 on purchasing and insuring your new love?
Condition Versus Cost
Some vintage or classic cars look good, but on close inspection, you see that they are covered in rust and held together with glue and tape. Weighing up the condition a car is in will help you to make a wise decision and ensure that you do not pay more than you should.
Alterations or Modifications
Has the model been altered or modified in any way, or is it the same as when it was built? Alterations can make a car more expensive to insure, or they can even devalue it. Ask as many questions as you can to ascertain if the car or cars you are interested in have had any work or modifications carried out, and if so, when and why.
Hellpoint, available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Mac and Nintendo Switch
Hellpoint is a dark and challenging action RPG set in a heavily atmospheric sci-fi universe where the line between science and occult is blurred.
Nintendo.com
Story
Have you ever wondered what would happen if you crossed a game like dark souls and warframe? You would get Hellpoint.
In Hellpoint you are a human created by the mysterious Author to traverse the space station Irid Novo to find out what has caused the incident known as The Merge.
Irid Novo is a huge space station with many secrets and areas to explore and for the most part the player is able to explore at their own will. The player will discover many foes including various bosses which may require some prior weapon and armour upgrades in order to truly stand a chance. There are many different weapon and armour types and each weapon has its own special ability once the player has been able to master it.
Along the way players will find the odd hint (in the form of a glowing green hand) which will either give the player a nudge in the right direction or offer a tip. Occasionally you will also speak to The Author who will guide you after bigger milestones but other than that the player is mostly left to their own devices and exploring is crucial to progress the story.
Due to the exploration and minimal hints, any players that are not already accustomed to this genre of game may struggle to advance through the story quickly and like myself, may have to check a guide once in a while to make sure they’re on the right track. It’s very easy to mistakingly walk into a boss fight that your character is not equipped to win.
Irid Novo is also constantly revolving around a black hole in real time which creates an interesting dynamic, altering enemy stats and positioning as well as bosses themselves.
Visuals
One thing I love about Hellpoint is the art style. As soon as i booted up the game I was met with a dark and eery atmosphere with character design not too dissimilar to Warframe. As a fan of everything horror based I love the vibe that this game gives off. At times though some areas of Irid Novo can be hard to navigate due to the dark art style as well as some areas having a very similar look and feel.
As with other similar games like Bloodborne and Dark souls, Hellpoint also has very menacing enemy and boss designs to make them every bit as terrifying as they are hard to kill.
Although the art style is probably one of the stand out features of Hellpoint, along with performance, they also serve as its main downfalls. As with many other games Hellpoint unfortunately suffers from the dreaded curse of the switch port. Not only are there constant frame rate issues and stutters but the resolution has taken a big downgrade to accommodate the specs of the switch. At times this does unfortunately take away from the experience and can becoming disengaging for the player.
This then becomes one of the situations where I feel like I have to defend the switch because it is not intended as a console to play AAA titles at maximum performance. The switch is a console for a great on the go or family experience which for the most part it nails perfectly and with Hellpoint if you can ignore minor resolution issues, then it does still make for a great handheld experience.
Combat
The general combat experience for Hellpoint is a familiar one for fans of the genre. This consists of light attack, heavy attack, block, dodge and abilities such as healing. Using this, it is up to the player to learn enemy patterns and stats as well as being cautious about stamina level, one extra move could drain your stamina and leave you vulnerable.
I myself have not had much experience with this genre of game so admittedly it took me many attempts to perfect the combat style and many many more attempts to finally beat a boss. For players that enjoy a challenge Hellpoint will not disappoint.
Summary
Hellpoint is a familiar experience that a lot of players have become accustomed to. The art style is very dark and eery with menacing boss designs. Just like similar games it’s a very tough experience and not for the faint hearted. For fans of the genre it’s a great experience on a handheld but unfortunately it is let down by the obvious downgrade and FPS issues.
The graphics put me off playing Monster Bash HD. Yet when I played it I did enjoy it more than expected. It was developed by Emberheart Games and is an HD remaster of Monster Bash that was released back in 1993 for DOS. Monster Bash HD is a side-scrolling action-adventure game.
Plot of Monster Bash HD
For a game from its era, the plot is rather simple. You step into the shoes of Johnny Dash. Save all the pets to progress and then rescue your own dog from the evil clutches of Count Chuck. Very simple and to be honest was more than the game actually needed to be fun.
Monster Bash HD Gameplay
The player controls Johnny Dash. He can move in various directions and uses a slingshot to defeat his enemies. It takes a while to get used to his jump potential so that you can land on the platforms. The enemies are many and varied. Each with its own attack patterns. Sometimes it can be unfair when being hit by an enemy as sometimes it appears completely random. They are also very quick and can eat into your health fast.
Luckily there is a checkpoint system that you return to should you die. There are also many health pickups that restore all your health. This makes the unfair enemies a bit more bearable and you never feel under pressure if you do have low life. As you will revert back to the checkpoint. Unless you run out of lives. In which case you are sent back to the beginning of the game. Even this doesn’t feel that painful, as it shouldn’t take you that long to get back to where you started.
The slingshot weapon is far better than I expected. Instead of firing stones that go in a straight line forever. They start to dip as they get further away from the player. This makes it easier to take out enemies that are below you since you can’t aim down. Another feature is they rebound once on walls, which again can be used to defeat enemies. The slingshot is also used to free the pets from cages. You need to use the above skills to be able to get them all.
Presentation
This is where Monster Bash HD falls down. I’ve compared the graphics to videos of the original version and yes the graphics have improved. But it is still an ugly game. It reminds me of Ghost and Ghouls. But I never played the original so for a returning player, the graphics would be a welcome addition. It would have been better if they updated the graphics to today’s standard. As I imagine it will put off new players.
Like the graphics, the music seems to be stuck in the 90s. with slight improvements so that you can identify the instruments being played. It gets the job done and so do the sound effects. But it is far from a standout.
Replayability
This is where the game shines through. Before you start each part you are given a rundown of feats that you can do. After completing a level you are then awarded a score and time. There is a par time which you can aim to beat which is far easier the second time around. Some of the levels were taking me ten minutes when the par time was two minutes.
On top of the main campaign, there is a level editor. Where you can design levels for other players to have a go at. This is a great feature and I would expect the number of levels available to increase. Which further improves the replayability of this title. If I ever want a quick game, I can hop onto one of the user-created levels.
Final Verdict
Monster Bash HD is a graphical upgrade on the original. With great platforming and a simple story. Along with a level, editor to expand the replayability. While the slingshot mechanics beat out its contemporaries.
It is not without its faults. The gameplay is still stuck in the 90s and the graphics are not as improved as I would have liked. The music also feels very dated. There is also no tutorial which can be a barrier for new players.
Omit I have enjoyed my time with Monster Bash HD. But I’m unlikely to play it again or recommend it to friends. It’s a solid platformer, with very little to offer. If you played the original I would recommend this version to you. Otherwise, new players can skip this.
The first thing To The Rescue! tells you is that it’s a game about a dog shelter and also that it includes the concept of euthanasia. It’s good that we get a warning like this, and it also is telling about the game’s intentions. You see, this is a time/resource management title, in the vein of many casual games that have you building stuff, mining, gathering and delegating chores. Also, it’s a game that tries to raise awareness about the life of abandoned dogs and the hardships faced by the people trying to help them.
To do this, To The Rescue! tries to shy away from sugarcoating the difficult parts of the process. Sure, you can substitute euthanasia with just-sent-away, but there are other, smaller parts that show how hard dogs have it. It is a noble cause, brought to life through an approach that has its mind on the right place, but there’s a lot left to be desired in the gameplay department.
The presentation is simple, clean, cartoonish and mostly works, but the music tends to get annoying after a while, because it is just too intense for a soundtrack to this type of game. You’re expecting laid back melodies, and you get frantic piano pieces that make you want to run around in the kennels.
The second thing you’re going to notice is the lacking tutorial, that does a common mistake: it takes away the control from the player. You character is named by you, you choose one of the 5-or-something models, and then you start playing. The game wants to teach you everything regarding its systems, but to do so it just tells you about them while you are not even controlling your character. Someone says “follow me”, and your avatar does it, while you’re just looking.
There’s a reason -many reasons, to be honest- that games are using player controlled tutorials and not screens full of text or automated actions made by the AI. In To The Rescue! immersion takes a hit, character agency is brought to the background, and you’re constantly reminded that this is a game, and that it should not be taken seriously.
Then, the dialogue that tries to set up the story is generic and a bit boring, but also comes off as lecturing. Well, I’ve got no problem with a lecture about a good cause, but when it’s entirely obvious that we’re not meeting fleshed out characters and they’re there just to talk about an issue, it get too gamey, and it feels like an educational video. I don’t have issues with the approach, but it could be done in a better way, to be integrated in the gameplay and plot (mind you, don’t expect a complex story, it’s mostly there to drive the gameplay forward with new mechanics).
The core gameplay loop is familiar to any person who plays such games, and it’s more or less fun. You have many things to worry about, like dogs’ hunger, thirst, their health, you have to bathe them and in general you must do all things that keep them in good spirits. Also, you can build new rooms, and there’s even a skill tree to upgrade everything from the money you get by donations to the amount of water you can carry.
It mostly works, but nothing works absolutely as it should. The worst offender: the controls that try but don’t manage to fit every possible move you can do in the WASD-mouse scheme. So, you have to use the mouse wheel to change targets (when you are feeding the dogs, for example) and this is frustrating more often than not, because it’s not obviously mapped and it is clunky. Also, the pacing regarding new skills, tools and mechanics is a bit slow, and there are intervals between aqcuiring something new that lead in you just waiting and doing the same things for a time.
After caring for the dogs, you’ll have the opportunity to find people to adopt them. This is frustrating too, because the way it works makes you wait a lot. A person will come in your shelter and tell you that they’re interested in adopting a little furry pal. Some people will have preferences: they’ll want puppies, or low-energy dogs, or a terrier that is good with kids. If you pay attention to these traits, it will be easier to find homes for the dogs. You also earn money and can expand your business, you hire helpers and you get to thrive, to do your work with less annoyances and make the dogs happier too. The quality of the mechanics and their depth are enough to keep things interesting, but getting the dogs adopted is just painfully slow. Every person that comes to look at the dogs in your shelter, takes a lot of time doing so, every time, with no skip button or even a fast forward. If the developers add anything in a future patch, the ability to fast forward should be on the top of their list.
Then, there are some annoying bugs and glitches. Dogs change forms, your tools disappear, and sometimes the shop stops working and you cannot buy food for the dogs… But, if this type of game is your thing, and if you like the idea of running your own dog shelter, you will have fun with To The Rescue! -at least for some 10 hours or so, when things start becoming a bit stale.
Coding is one of the most in-demand skills in the technology industry right now. And with tons of employment opportunities available including freelance roles that allow you to work wherever you want if you have a computer and an internet connection, there are certainly lots of reasons to consider learning how to code. If you want to get into some of the most cutting-edge job fields currently available today, coding is one of the best skills to learn to help you get there. Many of the most exciting opportunities for coders today are in AI and cryptocurrency, but coding is an essential skill for IT professionals in lots of different industries around the world.
Learning how to code can be challenging, but it is also a very worthwhile challenge to take on. After just a short amount of time spent learning how to code, you will be amazed at what you will be able to create. And, coding skills are not just relevant now, but they will also be relevant in the future, allowing you to get into roles where you know you can enjoy a lot of job security as your skills continue to experience high demand. Jobs that require coding skills are often very well-paid, and while you can learn coding at college, you do not need a college degree to learn this skill.
Coding for Beginners
If you want to learn how to code, it’s important to prepare for the fact that it can be tough when you first start out, since you’re essentially learning a new language. If you are completely new to coding, it’s going to be very different from anything else you have ever experienced, whether you’re teaching yourself how to code online or learning coding as part of a college degree such as an online MS computer science from Baylor University. Even if you already know some coding, there are so many programming languages to learn, and even experienced master’s degree students will need to overcome the challenges of mastering a new one.
Choosing a Programming Language
The first thing to do when getting started is to choose the programming language that is the best fit for you. If you are completely new to coding, it’s best to start with a language that is one of the easier ones to learn and is mostly user-friendly. HTML or CSS are two of the most popular coding languages to start with. These are mainly used for basic websites and web applications. If you want to get into software development and are interested in starting with a more serious programming language, Python is one of the most popular choices for beginners since it is fairly easy and straightforward to learn compared to some others. There are also many programming courses that focus on Python. Find out more about reliable programming courses here.
What You Need to Start Coding
When you’re first starting out, computer science and coding can be overwhelming. Even if you are familiar with the basics of how computer systems and networks work, it’s still a good idea to refresh your computer science knowledge. It’s a good idea to learn basic computer science or give yourself a recap if you have already completed a course in this subject. There are lots of great resources out there to learn or refresh your knowledge of computer science. It’s also vital to have an understanding of how networks work; before you can start successfully coding, you will need to understand how different computers communicate with each other in various network types. Get familiar with the command line, and learn more about how to start building a website, especially if you are considering learning coding in order to become a web developer in the future.
Common First Programming Languages to Learn
Beginner coders will often start out with one of these three popular programming languages:
HTML
HTML is one of the best options to start with if you have never done any web development and are completely new to coding. It stands for Hypertext Markup Language and is used to create basic web pages. While it is not technically a programming language, it makes up the basics of any website and is essential for any web developer to know. Whenever you are browsing the web and see images or text on a web page, they will have been placed there using HTML. While it’s one of the more basic types of code and there’s not a whole lot you can do with it, HTML does appear all over the internet, and getting a good grasp of it will make it easier for you to move up into more programming languages.
CSS
If you want to develop websites, CSS is an important coding language to learn. CSS is more complicated than HTML and offers much more variety when it comes to developing websites. It is recommended by experts to learn both HTML and CSS before you step up and start learning more interesting programming languages. CSS can be used to make all the HTML you wrote look really good online. You can use it to do a range of different tricks like adding padding, margins, changing fonts, adding colors, gradients, and more.
JavaScript
Finally, once you have gotten a good grasp of HTML and CSS, JavaScript is often the best next choice of programming language to master if you want to learn how to start coding to a high professional level. JavaScript is a must for coders, especially if you want to get into web or app development as it’s simply everywhere today. It is one of the main in-demand programming languages since it’s difficult to find a company that doesn’t need or want an online presence, and JavaScript is used to build most websites and apps. Once you have mastered JavaScript, the job opportunities that you can find are huge but competitive. The average salary of a JavaScript web developer is around $60k per year, with opportunities to earn even more as you develop more advanced skills.
Coding is one of the most highly sought-after skills in the professional world, and very interesting to learn.
