Review: TENSEI

Robert Gillespie
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Review: TENSEI

If you’re looking for a casual game that will whisk you away into a world filled with beautiful artwork, satisfying gameplay, and easy-to-learn mechanics, then check out Project Pegasus’ latest release, TENSEI. It is an endless, ultra-casual, action game where your goal is simple: Climb. Your first couple of runs will be relaxingly fun, but after that, you may be left wanting more to climb towards.

Serenity Defined

Upon booting up the game, you’ll immediately be immersed in the world of TENSEI. The sound of rushing water, wind-swept leaves, and the occasional bird chirp will greet you in the main menu. These sounds follow you through the game and evolve as you climb higher and higher. Accompanying these sounds of nature is a looping, but calming guitar track that picks up in volume when you activate a certain ability. Adding to this Zen-like mood are the various brush artwork backgrounds that change depending on which height level you’ve reached.

The game begins in a monochrome area that is reminiscent of Japanese ink painting known as sumi-e. The environment will then shift into a Spring setting where cherry blossom leaves fill the sky once you pass 1,000 meters. My personal favorite is the Summer area where the sky is filled with gray clouds and gentle rain. I won’t spoil the rest, but there are a few more areas you can reach that encourage you to keep going higher. On my first couple of runs, I found myself stopping and admiring the world around me multiple times. I couldn’t help but feel relaxed as I climbed further and further.

The Little Ball That Could

So what sort of character or creature will you take control of that will help you on your journey upwards? If you guessed a tiny, shapeshifting ball then you’d be right. This neat little entity can morph into four different animals every time you jump around. Sometimes it will turn into an elegant bird that flutters its wings, or maybe it shifts into a fish that paddles its way forward. These creatures don’t do anything unique from each other, other than to give you a nice little visual whenever you press the jump button.

Speaking of buttons, the developers recommend you use a controller and I completely agree. TENSEI’s control layout is extremely simple and easy to pick up. You use the B and A buttons to jump and dive around the map. Your joysticks are used to control the ball and to direct the camera. I recommend bumping up your camera speed in the settings as the default value can be a bit too slow when you need to quickly pan around. The overall simplicity of the control layout makes traversing the map incredibly easy and enjoyable. Furthermore, you can jump three times in a row which opens up your methods of navigating the terrain a lot more. This might sound like one too many jumps, but trust me, you’re gonna need them.

Onwards and Upwards

On your first run, you’ll be given a couple tooltips to help you with the controls. These will clearly give you all the info you need to get started. After that, you’re free to traverse in any way you see fit.

In order to climb, you have to navigate your ball entity across various floating rocks and islands scattered around the map. The level design may look daunting at first, but once you start hopping around, you’ll quickly get used to it. Plus, you’ll encounter various jump points in the form of glowing flowers and gusts of wind that can launch you upwards.

The only thing you must either take on or avoid are the red rocks. These are called ‘worldly desires’ and your run will end if you touch them. However, if you jump above and then dive down–using the dive button–you’ll purify it and make the rock safe to land on. Successfully purifying these rocks will reward you with orbs (and gems, which I’ll get to later) that fill up a meter at the bottom of your screen. Jumping through rings will increase the meter as well. Once the meter is full, you can activate ‘Boost Mode’ (Dragon Form), which will summon a dragon that carries you upwards until it runs out of energy. You can do this as many times as you want, as long as you collect enough orbs to trigger it each time.

If you do happen to hit a red rock or fall too far down, your game will end. If your calculated score was your farthest run, it will save it as your highest record for you to track and beat in later runs.

All of these mechanics make TENSEI a truly simple and enjoyable game to play. There’s just enough of a challenge and motivation to keep you engaged in trying to get as far as you can.

Endgame

Within an hour or so, you’ll reach 10,000 meters. TENSEI’s endgame content unlocks at this point as this is considered the level at which you beat the game. The game’s credits will roll and you’ll be taken back down to where you started. This time, when you start a new run, you will then be able to go past the 10,000 meter mark without triggering the reset.

At the time of writing this, a player on TENSEI’s Steam leaderboard managed to get to 149,000 meters and now holds the highest level reached. The farthest I got was 48,000 meters putting me in 20th place. On my next run I’m aiming for above 50,000 meters.

Once you pass through the 10,000 meter mark, the environment will change into wildly different terrain. Again, I won’t spoil them, but they are definitely worth climbing to. By that point you should have gained enough gems to buy some things in the Exchange category, which is located in the main menu.

The Exchange offers four items you can purchase. Two of them are items that save you from a game over, and the other two are items that affect your gameplay. One of them is called Zen Mode, which, when turned on, will both remove the hud elements on your screen and make it so you are immune from the red rocks or fatal falls. It’s perfect if you want to do a run where you don’t have to worry about the obstacles and Zen-out. The other gameplay item lets you alter your movement by giving you more mobility.

I wish there were a few more things to unlock, but that is all that TENSEI has to offer once you beat the game. It’s not a lot, but then again, TENSEI isn’t trying to be other things. It solidifies itself as the perfect ultra-casual game that you can quickly launch and play to distract yourself from the troubles of life.

Review: Kingdom Come: Deliverance – Royal Edition

Josh Blackburn
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Review: Kingdom Come: Deliverance – Royal Edition

Kingdom Come: Deliverance has quite the breaking-in period. I’ve played games like this before. A game that you try and play every now and then, hoping that the lightning will strike, but eventually you put it back in the cupboard to continue collecting dust. However, one of the main parts of reviewing games is actually playing them, so I had to lock the cupboard this time. But I’ll be damned if Kingdom Come: Deliverance didn’t suck me in. Eventually. After almost biting through my Switch screen in frustration.

It’s a game that throws a whole pile of mechanics at you, all of which are held together with sellotape and prayers. It’s fragile, frustrating and genuinely interesting. But there’s little point in me just singing Kingdom Come: Deliverance’s praises six years after it came out. So this is going to be a review in two parts. I’ll start off with my thoughts on the game in general – as this is the first time I’ve managed to play a decent chunk of it – then I’ll go through how it feels to play it on the Nintendo Switch.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance (Switch) - Combat

Sword Delivery Service

The first hook that caught me was the setting. Kingdom Come: Deliverance is set in Bohemia in 1403, which is in the midst of a civil war. On the one hand, there’s King Wenceslaus, the true heir to the throne. He’s a shadow of his father, Charles IV, so Wenceslaus’s half-brother Sigismund decides to sort things out himself, in a very bloody, burn-y way. This leads him to burn down the village of Skalitz, which is unfortunate as that’s where our hero lives. Henry is a blacksmith’s son, who was enjoying a life of girls, ale and smithing. Sadly, that goes sideways when Skalitz is burned down and his parents are butchered.

I really like this historical setting. A lot of RPGs would just slide a handful of orcs over the table and tell us to go nuts. I appreciate a game that tries to teach me something. What’s more, it’s nice to play someone who’s right at the bottom of the social ladder. A large portion of the story is Henry just trying to deliver – and then recover – the last sword he and his Dad forged. He’s just an insiginificant peasant, swept up in a war that’s much bigger than him and all he cares about is doing right by his father. It’s a personal story dressed in the trappings of a war story.

There’s a lot of mechanics that reflect his status too. Tatty or dirty clothes will damage speech checks, for instance. You’re also not a big, grand hero so you can’t pull rank with the aristocracy. You’ll just get a signet ring across the chops. In fact, Kingdom Come: Deliverance has a ton going on in the background. There’s the usual hunger and sleep meters – the baseline for RPGs these days – but there’s also period-appropriate mechanics. Henry can’t read, for example, as it wasn’t a requirement for his expected job. So if you want to learn potion recipes, you need to learn your letters. An unexpected and really quite interesting mechanic.

Kingdom Come Deliverance (Switch) - Landscape

Beaten With A Switch

In fact, there are only two mechanics that I have any real problem with. I imagine they’re the ones that everyone complains about when they talk about Kingdom Come: Deliverance. First up is the combat. It’s one of those directional systems, where you have to swing from the right angle to get around enemy defences. It’s rather overly fiddly, not least because there’s six directions to choose from, but I found myself getting the hang of it. What kills it is the clunkiness. There’s a massive delay between pressing swing and Henry actually putting his weight behind it, making combat feel sticky and unsatisfying. Fights usually just devolved into button mashing as it never felt like me and Henry were connected.

The issue is compounded by the limited save system. It’s not been long since my last rant about this. Saving is done by quaffing a drink, essentially meaning you only have a set number at a time. So when heading towards combat, you have to essentially guess whether you’ll need to save or not. You can craft the save drinks, but this is a lot of busywork. What really hurts it though is that Kingdom Come: Deliverance is extremely unstable on the Switch. It crashed about once an hour. I don’t know if it’s a Switch only problem, but it made the limited saves all the more frustrating.

But how does it fare on the Switch in general? Well, I liked that I could play it wherever. The amount of deep RPGs I can play while slouched in bed is pretty small. The positives sort of stop there though. For one, the Switch version looks awful. Characters all have faces made of putty and the draw distance is atrocious. Walking through a meadow causes flowers to sprout just in front of Henry’s feet. Either he’s embodying the spirit of Gaia or Kingdom Come: Deliverance is desperately trying to compress the world so it’ll run on the Switch. The tiny buttons didn’t help with the fiddly combat either.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance (Switch) - Attack on Skalitz

Kingdom Come: Deliverance – Pauper Edition

So, let’s sum up the two halves we’re dealing with. On the actual game side, I rather like Kingdom Come: Deliverance. I only had time to play up to the point where I confront the bloke who nicked our sword and crack him over the head with a mace but it’s very absorbing. I’ll probably keep playing after this review goes live. Punching upwards from the bottom rung of society is an inspiring story, even if the actual punching mechanics are a little frustrating.

I cannot fathom why you’d play something like this on the Switch though. This might be a personal feeling, but this is best suited for PC. You can handle the combat with a mouse or chunky controller if you’d prefer and you’d get access to stability and optimisation mods. If you’re determined to play Kingdom Come: Deliverance on the go, though, then you’ll have to deal with heavily reduced graphics, constant instability and fiddly controls. Take my advice, it’s not worth it. Kingdom Come: Deliverance deserves to be played on something with more grunt.

(Kingdom Come: Deliverance – Royal Edition’s Nintendo Page)

A Closer Look at the Pitaka StarPeak iPhone 15 Pro Max Cases

Andrew Edney
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0
A Closer Look at the Pitaka StarPeak iPhone 15 Pro Max Cases

Here we take a closer look at the Pitaka StarPeak iPhone 15 Pro Max Cases.

PITAKA is an accessory brand that integrates technology, materials, craftsmanship and art. Based on advanced weaving technology, they produce sophisticated, easy-to-use, high-quality daily accessories.

  • Super slim 1.15mm and lightweight (19g~24g)
  • MagSafe compatible
  • 3D grip textured
  • Made from 100% Aramid Fiber
  • Raised metal lip for camera protection

MILKY WAY GALAXY – Inspired by the enchanting hazy band of lights in the night sky, this design represents concepts such as coming of age, hope, and rebirth. It facilitates a cosmic fascination and serves as a reminder of infinite possibilities.

ULTRA LIGHT & ULTRA SLIM – High-performance material aramid fibre, anti-scratch, not easy to age, not easy to fade, to create an ultra-light and ultra-thin phone case without fingure prints, restore the feel of the bare phone, hand-holding a whole day without burden.

MagSafe ECO-COMPATIBLE – N52SH magnet with the highest grade of magnetic attraction is embedded inside, which will not be demagnetised for a long time. Fast adsorption and automatic alignment, enjoy stable charging and free your hands.

UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY ARAMID WEAVING – Independent R&D of the weaving technology, after more than 40 procedures to weave out of the fabric concave and convex obvious, giving the phone case comfortable and natural 3D skin-friendly texture.

RECYCLABLE PACKAGING – Comprehensively adopts 100% biodegradable bagasse recycled fibre pulp box, which can be naturally degraded by water soluble, non-toxic and harmless, protecting the cases from scratches and prevents fading.

The Pitaka StarPeak Cases for the iPhone Pro Max priced around £69.99. There are various cases, including the two shown here (Milky Way Galaxy and Over the Horizon).

You can learn more from the Pitaka website here and here.

A Closer Look at the Pitaka Moonrise MagEZ Case 5 for iPhone 15 Pro Max

Andrew Edney
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0
A Closer Look at the Pitaka Moonrise MagEZ Case 5 for iPhone 15 Pro Max

Here we take a closer look at the Pitaka Moonrise MagEZ Case 5 for the iPhone Pro Max.

PITAKA is an accessory brand that integrates technology, materials, craftsmanship and art. Based on advanced weaving technology, they produce sophisticated, easy-to-use, high-quality daily accessories.

ULTRA LIGHT & ULTRA SLIM – High-performance material aramid fibre, anti-scratch, not easy to age, not easy to fade, to create an ultra-light and ultra-thin phone case without fingure prints, restore the feel of the bare phone, hand-holding a whole day without burden.

MagSafe ECO-COMPATIBLE –  N52SH magnet with the highest grade of magnetic attraction is embedded inside, which will not be demagnetised for a long time. Fast adsorption and automatic alignment, enjoy stable charging and free your hands.

UNIQUE TECHNOLOGY ARAMID WEAVING –  Independent R&D of the weaving technology, after more than 40 procedures to weave out of the fabric concave and convex obvious, giving the phone case comfortable and natural 3D skin-friendly texture.

RECYCLABLE PACKAGING – Comprehensively adopts 100% biodegradable bagasse recycled fibre pulp box, which can be naturally degraded by water soluble, non-toxic and harmless, protecting the cases from scratches and prevents fading.

The Pitaka Moonrise MagEZ Case 5 for the iPhone Pro Max priced around £69.99. There is also a Sunset version as well.

You can learn more from the Pitaka website here.

A Closer Look at the Pitaka MagEZ Grip 2

Andrew Edney
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0
A Closer Look at the Pitaka MagEZ Grip 2

Here we take a closer look at the Pitaka MagEZ Grip 2.

PITAKA is an accessory brand that integrates technology, materials, craftsmanship and art. Based on advanced weaving technology, they produce sophisticated, easy-to-use, high-quality daily accessories.

Compatibility – For MagSafe-compatible phone case for iPhone 15/14/13/12 series.

Use As a Grip or Stand – This magnetic phone ring holder is 360° rotatable and 110° foldable and can be adjusted at your best viewing angle anytime.

Durable Material – Aramid fibre and zinc alloy combined make the magnetic phone ring durable yet fashionable.

Strong Magnetic Attraction – Powerful N52 magnets connect to your phone wherever you go. And it can be easily removed without leaving a mark.

Lightweight As Always – Thin (4.3mm) and lightweight (27g), adding no extra bulk to your phone.

The Pitaka MagEZ Grip 2 is easy to fit (just click it onto your iPhone) and then decide how you want to use it – as a stand or for holding the phone. When you are finished it just pulls straight off again.

The Pitaka MagEZ Grip 2 is available now priced around £25.99 and comes in either Moonrise, Sunset, 600D Overture, 600D Black/Grey (Twill) or Rhapsody.

You can learn more from the Pitaka website here.

A Closer Look at the Photo Creator Instant Pocket Printer

Andrew Edney
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0
A Closer Look at the Photo Creator Instant Pocket Printer

We take a closer look at the newly launched Photo Creator Instant Pocket Printer from Canal Toys.

Canal Toys, a renowned leader in the toy industry, is thrilled to announce the launch of its latest innovation: the Photo Creator Instant Pocket Printer. This printer is part of Canal Toys’ highly successful Photo Creator Range, which is known for offering the best in instant print cameras. The Photo Creator Range has established itself as the go-to choice for those seeking top-quality instant printing solutions. Set to hit retailers during Easter break, this advanced technology device introduces a new era of printing technology, offering users a seamless and stylish way to transform digital memories into tangible treasures.      

The Photo Creator Instant Pocket Printer is a marvel of convenience and functionality, effortlessly syncing with smartphones and tablets via Bluetooth. With no messy ink cartridges to deal with, this pocket-sized printer utilizes thermal technology to produce crisp, vibrant prints of photos, labels, and lists with ease. Its compact design adds a sprinkle of charm to every print, making it not just a functional gadget, but an extension of your personal style. A gateway to creativity and self-expression, empowering users to bring cherished memories to life in a tangible format, without the hassle of traditional printing methods.

The Photo Creator Instant Pocket Printer includes a companion app, enabling users to enjoy AI-generated prints with ease. Users can seamlessly print photos from their phones and apply special effects prior to printing. Additionally, they can add personal touches post-printing with stickers and marker pens, elevating the printing experience. Whether capturing memories, organizing tasks, or studying notes, this printer is your ultimate companion. Its versatility extends beyond photos—you can create custom stickers, mood boards, or print web pages for offline use. Furthermore, it doubles as a convenient labelling device for books and folders. With its myriad of functionalities, it empowers you to unleash your creativity in vibrant detail, anywhere, anytime.


The Photo Creator Instant Pocket Printerjoins the Canal Toys Creator range, which includes Studio Creator and So Chill, offering a diverse range of products designed to inspire creativity and imagination. With the addition of the Photo Creator Instant Pocket Printer, Canal Toys strengthens its position as a leading innovator in the retail space.

The Photo Creator Instant Pocket Printer comes with 1 sticky roll, 3 paper rolls, USB charger cable, stickers and 3 pens to customise your prints and is available now priced around £34.99.

You can learn more from the Canal Toys website here.

Review: Zombie Within

Jorge Castilho
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Review: Zombie Within

And for today’s catastrophe, zombies… again…

If there is one catastrophe that humans are more than visually trained for, it is a zombie apocalypse. We all know what to do, where to go, what to collect along the way and, probably most importantly, not to trust humans. The countless movies and games that simulate the end of civilization at the hands of a horde of the undead make us think we would be the “Rick” of this new infernal world that now arrives on Steam.

Despite being a concept that we may find repetitive, the video game industry is not tire of exploring ideas that continue to create entertainment at the expense of the “rotten flesh men”, but one thing is sure, it always feels good to kill zombies.

Putting on my anti-zombie gear one more time, Zombie Within puts in a group of survivors against hidden zombie imposters with a social deduction system pretty much like Among Us. While the core concept holds potential, the game currently feels like an unfinished experiment.

Unmasking the Imposter: The Social Thrill of Zombie Within.

What injects some novelty into this familiar formula is the inclusion of action sections. Survivors can complete tasks with a variety of tools, adding a layer of engagement beyond simple button prompts. They can also fight back against zombies with basic weaponry, making them more than just passive prey. This focus on action adds a dash of excitement, especially when a tense standoff erupts between a lone survivor and a suspected imposter.

The heart of Zombie Within lies in its social deduction aspects. Survivors must use voice chat to discuss their actions, report suspicious behaviour, and ultimately identify the imposters.

This social layer is where Zombie Within shines. The constant suspicion and the potential for betrayal create a gripping atmosphere. Witnessing a fellow survivor turn into a zombie adds a layer of horror to the experience, leaving players constantly on edge.

Fun, Flawed Social Deduction Experience.

Unfortunately, Zombie Within fails to reach its full potential. The limited number of tasks restricts gameplay variety, and while the game boasts randomly generated maps, they become repetitive after a short time.

Technical issues further cut the experience. Lag and connection problems plague some games, disrupting the flow of communication and gameplay, an issue I’m sure will be fixed soon.

The game’s visuals are basic but work for this type of game, as for the sound design, while functional, lacks the polish needed to create a truly immersive atmosphere.

Despite its shortcomings, Zombie Within offers a glimpse into a potentially great social deduction game. The core concept is intriguing, fuelled by the constant fear of betrayal, creating moments of genuine tension and excitement.

Hope for Zombie Within’s Future.

If you’re looking for a polished social deduction experience, you might want to wait and see how Zombie Within develops. However, if you’re willing to try and enjoy the thrill of a fresh concept, Zombie Within might offer a unique and suspenseful experience. Just be prepared for a few bumps along the way.

Review: Minishoot’ Adventures

Josh Blackburn
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Review: Minishoot’ Adventures

Minishoot’ Adventures, I’ve got a bone to pick with you. It’s that apostrophe in your name. See, I’ve got a writing degree. Grammar was drilled into me year after year. I don’t confess to be amazing at it, but I know a strange apostrophe when I see one. It doesn’t appear to be possessive, nor covering for anything that’s missing. Unless the full title is Minishooting Adventures, I suppose. Can’t be a title typo either, as it’s in the actual game title screen. Curious.

Alright, enough being mean. I actually really like Minishoot’ Adventures. It’s a small, simple package of a game. Fun without complications. It’s a twin-stick shooter that takes its inspiration from titles like the original Legend of Zelda and simply polishes up that format. The core gameplay is rock solid, there are a lot of corners to poke around in for secrets and the whole thing has a bright, happy aesthetic. Minor quibbles aside, Minishoot’ Adventures is a pleasant game through and through.

Minishoot' Adventures - shooting slimes underground

The Shooting of Zelda

Minishoot’ Adventures has two main ingredients. The first is that inspiration from The Legend of Zelda. The main elements are a big open map that’s free to explore and then, within that map, a series of small rooms that only unlock once every enemy is dead. Not to mention dungeons and impossibly huge keys. It all fits together rather well. Exploration is well rewarded for one. Going off the beaten track is constantly rewarded with heart pieces, bits for upgrading your skills or map pieces. Exactly how exploration should be handled.

The reason for all of this exploration is the result of what normally happens when you start a game in a pleasant, colourful world. It immediately goes wrong. In this case, the ‘Unchosen’ returns, tramples over your village and encases all of your friends in crystal. Fortunately, everyone on this planet is a fully armed spaceship; you included. So the best way to save your friends is to shoot everything that moves. As you rescue your friends, you get stronger and can go rescue more. No word on whether the Unchosen is the one that added the apostrophe though (okay, I’ll stop going on about that now).

It’s a deliberately pared back plot. The focus is on poking around in the corners of the world. Fortunately, it’s a rather nice world to explore. It looks great, for one, with a very clean, bright artstyle that’s pleasant on the eyes. The world is generally well-divided into distinct feeling areas too, with yellow deserts contrasting against bright green forests. It also adds slight Metroidvania elements into the mix, with more of the map opening up as you acquire new skills, like being able to float on water. Apparently our spaceships were water soluble before that.

Minishoot' Adventures - shooting the big squid boss

Bullets & Bosses

The other main ingredient in Minishoot’ Adventures‘ tasty stew is a heaping helping of bullet hell shooter. It’s quite common to walk – sorry, fly into a room and have it suddenly filled up with yellow and red orbs of death. I believe I’ve spoke before about my liking of this genre and Minishoot’ Adventures does it very well. The bullets stand out clearly and the movement of our little ship friend is top notch. This is a twin-stick shooter where the sticks seem directly connected to your brain. Turning and evading is beautifully precise, allowing you to perform split-second dodges. Very useful if, say, a giant ship is filling up the entire screen with bullets.

Which brings me neatly to the boss fights. In general, they’re great. They’re nice little tests of the skills we’ve built up in the overworld. They lean into the bullet hell angle strongly. At first, it’s the standard millions-of-bullets format but as time goes on, it moves things onto water, which means you have to fight against inertia too. Minishoot’ Adventures has three main boss fights (discounting final bosses), and I found myself looking forward to them. Which is why I was a bit sad that one dungeon just hands you its prize next to an already long-dead boss. I also feel like some of them drag on a bit too much. The third boss, in particular, just wouldn’t bloody die. It risks shifting things from a test of skill to a test of patience.

I’ve got another, more general issue too. While I like the general world design, the fact that every character you encounter is a spaceship does have some issues. For one, shooting them isn’t amazingly satisfying. The sound of you shooting is a tinny, ‘plink plink’ noise. Like rain on a tin roof. There’s also the issue that we’re a mostly white triangle trying to evade mostly white circles. Trying to keep track of where we are in the mess can be challenging; sometimes my brain just shut down trying to process it all. There’s a case for making our hero’s design more of a colour contrast, is me point.

Minishoot' Adventures - fighting the second boss

Minishoot’ Adventures – A Tasty Snack

I’ll give SoulGame credit though, they’ve managed to give our little hero ship a lot of personality. When it picks up items or makes a risky jump, it does a little beep and spin. When you rescue a friend, they both spin and hearts appear over their heads. It’s amazing how little it takes to engage the empathy of a simple human brain. But still, that little touch is emblematic of the whole pleasant atmosphere of Minishoot’ Adventures, even if it does disguise a tricky difficulty curve. In truth, I was quite smitten.

It’s quite a basic game at its core. A big open world with lots of things to find and lots of enemies to shoot. It puts me in mind of a chocolate bar. A pleasant snack of a game. Sure, you could make it more special by adding honeycomb or nuts or what have you, but you’ll never be unhappy eating a chocolate bar. And I was never unhappy playing Minishoot’ Adventures. It’s quite short – 92% complete at eight or so hours – but what we’ve got is a nice, simple and undeniably fun package. Beautifully smooth movement, exciting boss fights and an adorable atmosphere. Shame about the apostrophe, though (I lied).

(Minishoot’ Adventures’ Steam Page)

Review: Not Tonight 2

Laurence Wall
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Review: Not Tonight 2

Grab your jacket and flash that ID, because it’s time for a road trip across a not-so-dystopian America to save your best friend’s life. Earn cash as a bouncer to fund your travel and make time-sensitive decisions to improve your health and morale. Whether it’s an angry anti-masker, a knight of Camelot, or even a steroid-infused chicken, they’re going to have to get through you and your quick decision-making skills if they want to get in.

While Not Tonight 2 certainly starts with a dark and frankly ominous tone, with Eduardo Suarez being bundled into a van following a protest and carted off to the Miami Gulag, this seriousness certainly doesn’t last for too long. The promotional material for Not Tonight 2 focuses on its political slant, yet it’s important not to go into the experience expecting a jaw-droppingly deep take on modern America – this game isn’t going to be sparking the torches of revolution any time soon.

What this title does do well with, however, are its jabs at current-day consumerism and conspiracy culture through its ridiculous characters and comical corporations. This is a world where fast food companies have taken over entire states, a deadly plague threatens the landmass and New York is now the new Atlantis. It’s reality taken to the extreme, yet this doesn’t make the points any less important. The farcical world of Not Tonight 2 doesn’t take itself too seriously, allowing the player to have a bit of a laugh even when the stakes are high. This is a game at the end of the day, not a political campaign, and it can still be enjoyed without having to delve too deeply into the social messaging.

But what about the gameplay? Deeply inspired by the popular title Papers Please, Not Tonight 2 does a great job building on this formula and adding its own unique elements. Play as three unique characters and deem who is fit to pass inspection. It introduces you to each mechanic slowly but surely, starting simply with basic ID checks and VIP lists, leading to more complicated processes like rhythm-based musical sequences and rotating puzzle pieces. While it can be a little stressful at times balancing each new addition to your bouncing duties, it’s never too much information to handle. Sometimes the best thing to do is to take a deep breath and sort through each piece of detail one by one. By the end of the experience, you’ll be whizzing through IDs and vanquishing virtual robots without even having to think.

While I was on the fence about the gameplay loop at the beginning of the experience, at some point during my journey, everything just clicked and most of the new additions were a welcome challenge. Not Tonight 2 does a great job at making you feel like you’re an expert at your job, as you manage multiple tasks at once and turn people away automatically, (I’ll never miss another expiry date or fake flag again!). I can understand why this sort of memory-management style of gameplay isn’t for everyone, but there’s a certain charm to it that makes it very satisfying to perfect.

Where the game really shines, is with the beautifully gritty and characterful pixel art style. Every new bouncer location is a treat to the eyes, featuring tons of little easter eggs and so much detail. I found myself staring at the 2-D backdrops for a good while before the beginning of each gig, just taking it all in. Battered old factories, flaming wicker men and giant mechanical skulls stand in the background painting a wild and depressing portent of things to come. In addition, character portraits and an expansive world map add a lot of flavor to the experience making that journey taste all the more sweet, (or bitter… we are trying to save our friend after all.) What I appreciated is that you’re not forced to stay in each location for too long, you always feel like you’re on the move. If you don’t like the aesthetic or the new mechanic, well you’ll probably only be there for two days so don’t worry about it.

This isn’t to say that Not Tonight 2 is a perfect experience, it certainly has its fair share of flaws. There are moments when you’re not doing a gig when you have to choose between dialogue options and moments of action. You’re pressured by a timer ticking down and the outcome often feels pretty random and somewhat needlessly punishing. Your choices definitely do matter here, but it doesn’t necessarily feel great when you pick the wrong option with not a whole lot of context, (Good luck getting those A-Grades…). Also, I was hoping that the money that I earned would tie in more with the experience, but mostly it’s just for little cosmetics that don’t add much to the gameplay. This, coupled with the re-used minigames that crop up more than once (I’m looking at you, musical tickets, and flying NPCs) and the lack of ability to save at will can add an unfortunate element of tedium to the experience.

But in the general scheme of things, these factors don’t impinge upon the formula too much. The game moves fast enough that while you may have a doubt at some point, by the time you’ve mastered the next mechanic, you’ve probably forgotten about the previous issue. For me, Not Tonight 2 is a great bouncer simulator with a sprinkle of political issues that adds a little spice to the stew. If this sounds like your cup of tea, then give it a go, but don’t dive in expecting challenging politics. It’s witty, satirical, charming and maybe just a little food for thought.

Preview: Autoforge

Daniel Waite
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Preview: Autoforge

AutoForge happily blends 2 much-loved and popular indie titles. Moreover, this zany idea has been well-received by its Steam audience. Accordingly, this Early Access title is off to a flying start. However, can you create a truly original experience when you borrow the ideas and mechanics from Terraria and Factorio? This procedurally generated sandbox love child certainly hopes so. 

This automation adventure title was developed and published by Siege Games. It has been in the works for ages and plans to be in Early Access for around 12 to 24 months. As such, there is plenty of time for it to evolve. Yet, I love the amount of early content and the interesting ideas and elements. Furthermore, there is something for everyone as you build a base/factory, explore a grim world, and fight an array of pissed-off denizens.

AutoForge tells a tale of a lost existence. 

You play the role of Otto. This magical Golem awakens to discover an abandoned world that is cold and run down. Additionally, it is thwarted with dangers as everything and everyone is out to get you. But it doesn’t have to be this way. No, if you use your skills and explore your surroundings, you can make the best of a bad situation as you discover new areas and automate the hell out of your new home.

It is this basic idea that makes AutoForge unbelievably moreish. From the moment you jump into the action, you are introduced to a gentle learning curve. Moreover, you are free to do as you wish as you plan out your new existence in a harsh world. Whether you wish to climb into the skies or dig deep underground, the choice is yours. However, don’t run before you can walk as you will get your ass kicked repeatedly.

A wonderful sense of freedom.

If you love the automation of Factorio and the side-scrolling resource gathering of Terraria, then you will cherish every second of AutoForge. The game demands that you explore a sprawling world that gradually expands. Alongside this, you are encouraged to make mana-greedy machines that improve your existence and help you to progress. It is this sense of advancement and technological wonderment that keeps you coming back for more.

Alongside this, the skill tree defines your history and the path you wish to take. Therefore, you must learn new technology if you wish to succeed. This complex list of abilities, buildings, and more could seem overwhelming. However, I loved how there was an instant sense of reward. Additionally, it forces you to explore the deepest and darkest regions as you attempt to upgrade Otto’s mainframe.

Machines and fighting.

The piece de resistance has to be the automation of technology. I’ve been addicted to Factorio for an untold amount of time. Consequently, it wasn’t going to take a lot for me to fall for a similar idea. Yes, there are a few tweaks that could improve things. Yet, at this early stage, I appreciated the large list of content and the interesting ideas.

The fighting, on the other hand, was a bit of a damp squib. I’ve never been keen on the combat element of a heavy-building game. The necessity to defend yourself or to go fighting undermines the exceptional base-building elements. I know this is a limited viewpoint, but I’d like the developers to create a mode where combat is potentially removed altogether. If you enjoy this aspect, you’ll love the auto defence systems and the rudimentary fighting approach.

AutoForge is a classic indie experience.

The dark and seedy nature of AutoForge is wonderfully presented. The grim colour palette and the varied backdrops highlight the doomed apocalyptic edge. What’s more, the basic pixelated graphics work exceptionally well. I loved the side-scrolling movement, the animation, and the character design. On top of this, the procedurally generated ideas ensure that no playthrough is the same.

The audio is both eerie and upbeat in equal measure. Moreover, it adds a sense of despair and excitement during lesser moments. The sci-fi edge and the strange sound effects also complement it. As such, it’s a bit of a mixed bag that works extremely well.

Defined controls.

The excellent tutorial helps to set the scene. The defined controls are easy to understand, and the clear UI prevents the action from becoming overwhelming and uncomfortable. Subsequently, this is perfect for newbie gamers and those who adore the genre.

Though AutoForge is in Early Access, the potential is plain to see! The massive sprawling map with varied regions holds your attention. Additionally, the technology tree is huge. If this title has only 10% the addictive nature of Factorio and Terraria, then you will still lose hours of your life to it.

AutoForge deserves high praise.

I had a sneaky feeling that AutoForge would be fantastic. Yet, I didn’t expect it to be this well-polished. Some elements need ironing out, and I’m sure the more I explore, the more glitches and bugs I’ll encounter. However, this is a wonderful Early Access title that will be tough to put down. Accordingly, I recommend buying it here! Can you create the factory of your dreams? Explore the world, protect your base, and discover some wonderful ancient technology.

Review: Cuisineer

Saim Khurshid
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Review: Cuisineer

Much like Pom’s journey in managing her family’s restaurant, reviewing Cusinieer has been quite the adventure. As I gathered my thoughts, I couldn’t help but appreciate the game’s charm and creativity. 

Cusinieer is a roguelite with similarities to Stardew Valley, but with a twist—instead of farming, you’re running a restaurant, and there’s some food-themed action adventure thrown in for good measure.

A Fun World

From the get-go, Cusinieer welcomes you into a lively village filled with talking animals, each with their own personality. Pom, our main character, is joined by Biscutti, who’s always eager to help(to a very clingy level). It adds a lot of humour to the game.

The Heart of the Game

At its core, Cusinieer is about Pom’s mission to bring her family’s restaurant back to life. Along the way, you meet a bunch of quirky characters, like Lancet who upgrades your weapons and Alder, the friendly wolf who builds furniture for you and even upgrades your restaurant. 

These very characters are the main focus of the fun behind this game as they will almost always have tasks for you. Doing these tasks gives you recipes for your restaurant. These characters are very lively and bring a feeling of life to the City of Pael. Making the journey more colourful and fun.

Oh yes, there is also a tax man…. He might be my favourite thing in the game.

A Tasty Adventure

Besides running the restaurant, you also venture into a dungeon filled with food-themed monsters. Imagine fighting gangs of chickens or fire-breathing peppers—it’s as wild as it sounds! Pom has to use her cooking skills, battle prowess and A LARGE FRYING PAN!!! to survive.

Cooking Up Fun

As you progress, you get to spruce up your kitchen and dining hall to attract more customers. It’s like playing chef and interior decorator at the same time! And with the help of local artisans, you can expand your menu and cater to different tastes.

A fun time all around

Cusinieer is a delightful game that combines restaurant management with food-themed action adventure in a charming way. With its lovable characters, funny moments, and engaging gameplay, it’s sure to keep you entertained for hours. And hey, who knew fighting food could be so much fun? 

With its mix of humour, creativity, and tasty challenges, Cusinieer gets a solid recommendation from me. Just be careful not to get overwhelmed by the lunch rush—those hungry customers can be quite demanding!

The top tips for staying safe with casino sites

Andrew Edney
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The top tips for staying safe with casino sites

Casino gaming is one of the most popular gaming genres. An increasing number of gamers choose to play a game of poker, blackjack, roulette or slots during their time off. 

The growing popularity of casino games is helping the casino industry develop and conquer new markets. Experts predict that the industry’s annual revenue will increase by several percent over the next decade.

Online casinos are largely responsible for the popularity boost of casino games. They have brought in younger players from diverse backgrounds, demographics and countries. 

If you’re reading this article, chances are, you are also interested in casino games. But how do you start playing online casino games.

What are some of the ways to stay safe when playing at online casinos? 

In this article, we’ll give you a list of tips to help you have a safe and secure gaming experience at online casinos. 

Top tips to have a safe and secure gaming experience

Here are some of our top tips so you can have the best gaming experience possible. 

  1. A secure internet connection

You might be playing at the safest online casino but if your internet connection is not secure, hackers might still gain access to your personal information. For example, if you are using public WIFI, your internet connection will usually not be secure.

Prioritise playing from home using your personal internet router rather than ‘free’ WIFI in public venues. 

Here are some additional ways to check if an internet connection is safe. 

If you own an Apple device, you will be able to check if your internet connection is secure by clicking on the WIFI button in your tool bar. 

If the WIFI provider appears with a lock next to its name, then it is secure. 

If it isn’t secure, you will see a message in the WIFI tab saying that the connection is not secure, or that it has ‘weak security’. 

Non-Apple devices have similar tools to help you check the security of your internet provider. Under the name of your provider in the WIFI tab, you should be able to see whether the connection is secure or not. 

  1. Choose a well-known online casino provider 

The easiest way to stay safe when playing online casino games is to choose a well-known and official casino. 

Online casinos like Virgin Games are part of big, well-established and respected corporate groups. You can usually trust them to deliver a safe and secure online casino experience.

With big companies like these, you know that your information will be stored appropriately and that you can call their customer service for any questions or issues. 

We recommend going for a well-known provider rather than trying out new and unknown online casinos. 

  1. Check the security of the online casino 

Just as you would check the security of your internet connection, you should check the security of the online casino. 

If you’ve opted for a famous online casino, you shouldn’t have any security issues on their platform.

The best and easiest way to check the security of a platform is to look at the search bar at the top of the website. If there is a lock next to the website’s https address, then it is secure. 

If not, that means the website is not secure. 

Make sure the website’s address starts with ‘https’ with an S and not ‘http’ without an S. The additional S means that the website is encrypted and, by extension, more secure. 

Many devices and internet providers will automatically block access to websites that are not secure and appropriately encrypted. 

That being said, it is always worth double-checking the security of the website or gaming platform. So, make sure the online casino is encrypted before sharing your personal information. 

  1. Safe payment options 

It is important that the online casino you choose offers safe payment options. 

For extra security and peace of mind, we recommend paying with a prepaid card or third-party e-wallets like PayPal. 

These tools help you pay without sharing your sensitive information with online casinos. 

In the long run, they help you protect your sensitive information and avoid negative experiences. 

  1. Checking news, reviews and ratings regularly 

Any company, whether well-known or not, can be targeted by cyber criminals. For example, several years ago, the company EasyJet suffered a major cyber-attack. 

Read the news regularly. You might learn that a specific online platform you use has been targeted by cybercriminals. 

Check the reviews and ratings of the online casinos you like. Even if an online casino looks great, check the reviews. 

You might discover that customers are unhappy with the services on offer or that the company does not protect its clients’ information. 

Third, change your passwords often and use original passwords as often as possible. If a hacker discovers one of your passwords, they won’t have access to all of your accounts if you use different ones regularly.

Final thoughts 

Playing online is a fun and popular hobby. By following our safety tips, you will have a great, hassle-free gaming experience. 

Review: Quntis LED ScreenLinear Q-Curve Series MU208 Monitor Light Bar PRO+

Andrew Edney
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Review: Quntis LED ScreenLinear Q-Curve Series MU208 Monitor Light Bar PRO+

Here is our review of the Quntis LED ScreenLinear Q-Curve Series MU208 Monitor Light Bar PRO+.

The Quntis Curved Monitor Light is designed with high quality led light source and asymmetric light source to illuminate the desktop working area without glare and flicker. The monitor light meets IEC62778 anti-blue light certification standard, with an illumination level of 1200 lux, effectively protecting eyes and reducing visual fatigue. The CRI>95 can restore a more realistic screen colour and minimise colour difference when visual fatigue occurs.

Equipped with a mini compact remote control (2 AAA batteries included); You can click or rotate the wireless remote control to freely adjust the brightness to meet your light needs and easily adjust the brightness (5%-100%) and colour temperature (3000K-6500K). This makes the Quntis Monitor Light ideal for students and office workers.

Quntis upgraded monitor lamp features an exclusive patented clip, with dual front and rear adjustable covers for computer screens from 0.3 to 6 cm. It is compatible with extra thick, curved, thin, and irregular screens. The monitor light bar can be rotated 45° to meet your angle adjustment needs.

Quntis Computer Monitor Light has a built-in ambient light sensor, Simply clicking the remote control 2 times will automatically detect the surrounding environment to adjust the brightness to the level that best suits your working environment, taking care of your eyes. The memory function lets you use the last mode set when the light is switched on. Plus, We specially added a 2-hour timer function to remind you to take a break every 2 hours to avoid eye fatigue.

Quntis Computer Lamp is powered by a computer, mobile phone charger or a mobile power source. The weighted clip design allows the screen light to be mounted stably on top of most displays without wobbling and saves space on the table, with installation taking just one second.

What’s in the box?

The box contains the light, cable, instructions, fittings and batteries.

A Closer Look

Final Thoughts

Setting up the light bar is very simple – just clip it onto your monitor and adjust accordingly. It really is that simple.

The remote control is also easy to use, and Quntis include a set of batteries in the box so that was helpful. To adjust the colour temperature you just rotate the upper cover plate. If you want to adjust the light brightness itself you rotate the housing.

Overall this is a must have piece of kit for your desktop setup and it really makes a lot of difference and the fact that its fully adjustable makes all the difference.

The Quntis LED ScreenLinear Q-Curve Series MU208 Monitor Light Bar PRO+ is available now priced around £65.99.

You can learn more from the Quntis website here, and you can order from Amazon here.

Review: Artificer’s Tower

Jax Sun
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Review: Artificer’s Tower

Artificer’s Tower is a magic tower defense and base building management simulation video game. It’s developed and published by RodentGames. You are a godlike overseer who’s in charged of building a new tower for chosen mages. The mages will grow along with the tower to grow stronger. The ultimate experience the game can provide is nurturing the mages and build the tower in order to survive internal and external challenges.

Gameplay

Image credit: RodentGames

If you wish to get familiar of the game mechanics instead of just straight into the game, you can start by having a quick tutorial. During the tutorial, you are offered 3 mages and free resources to manage and upgrade the tower. Player can start with building rooms to expand the tower. They are rooms to serve different purposes, such as teleportation door, teleportation portal, storage, etc. To put them in plain, they are several purposes of room to serve the tower, like tower defense, library for research, magic items farm and mental health facilities for mages.

Tower Defense

Image credit: RodentGames

The Foyer is the entrance of tower. During the quick tutorial, there’ re several free rooms to be used as tower defense purpose. Before this, mages must do research about tower defense in order to renovate the room. So, mages will have to build a library room in order to proceed. After research completed, some basic defense knowledge gained. The tower defense room can be a trap room that shoots projectile to the enemies or a shield room. A shield room functions as a line of mages defense, mages who stay in the room will receive a protection shield. To strengthen the tower’s defense, there’ re a list of options making the tower defense full of surprise.

Resources Management

Image credit: RodentGames

As an overseer, you must watch over your tower and always keeps the resources management balance. In circumstances, your tower will have to face elimination from monsters. In that case, the resources for building and mages’ needs have to be taken seriously to avoid the lack of defense condition. During the early phase, it’s encouraged to build as many rooms for farming and crafting purposes. The materials are useful not just for building and maintaining the tower but also players can use them for business trade. You can do business with the merchant who visits occasionally or set up a sale queue at the portal. The gold is the main trade currency. You can earn it by doing business with the merchant or recruiting students to join your tower. In overall, I personally find the currency system works fine. In my humble opinion, I personally recommend to play the game thoroughly otherwise players might not aware the resources run out.

Mages

Image credit: RodentGames

Mages are the tenants who work and stay in the tower. The mages usually come along with traits allow players to know more about them. The rank starts from novice then proceeds higher title. Next, player can assigns the mages to in charge of specific tasks to establish the tower departments. Such as, mage A is assigned to work on research while mage B is assigned to craft consumable items and materials. Besides it, mages have mental health system as well. Player has to keep the mages happy in order to keep the departments function properly. Finally, mages who die during battle will be lost forever. That’s why player’s best approach to avoid this situation is to manage the resources to arm the mages and also the defense rooms in order to keep the casualty to minimum. The solution for the loss is recruiting new students to join the tower and train them so they can be useful during tower invasion.

Defense Failure

Image credit: RodentGames

When everything is lost, so will the tower. During monster invasion, mages must prepare to stays in position to fight off the monsters. Player can put as much traps and obstacles to slow their advance but the worst scenario is the boss fight. During the battle, if mages are weak to stand against the boss they will fled the battle and run for their lives. During this period, player loses total control of the mages while the monsters trash the rooms in tower. The worst scenario is the mages are killed in the process. After some miserable moment, the monsters left the tower and the mages who live will return sane. The casualty and fixing will consume the materials.

Overall

Trailer credit: RodentGames

Artificer’s Tower, it might be a welcoming game for the players who enjoys the genre. Although, I personally find it enjoyable on witnessing the tower’s progress of development growth. However, my personal gameplay experience doesn’t really hook me up and wants me to keep going more and more. The game functions pretty well, I’m able to enjoy the game without any technical issue.

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