Review: ZR 01 Zen Running shoes

Daniel Waite
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Review: ZR 01 Zen Running shoes

The idea that sports and computer games go hand in hand is an alien concept for many. However, I genuinely believe that plenty of gamers also enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Consequently, when I was offered the ZR 01 Zen Running shoes to try, I leapt at the chance. These stylish, well-built, and lightweight trainers are perfect for amateur athletes as well as more experienced runners.

With many running shoes to choose from, it can be tough to pull the trigger and buy a new pair. Subsequently, we normally stick to tried and tested and familiar brands. I know I’m guilty of this, as I’ve spent years running in Brooks Ghost trainers. However, I’m always open to a new experience, and I was pleasantly surprised by the ZR 01 Zen Running shoes. On top of this, the manufacturer provided a pair of running socks to test the full Zen experience. So, let’s wait no longer and see how these trainers held up.

The ZR 01 shoes look great.
A clean and eye-catching design.

What’s in the box of the ZR 01 Zen Running shoes?

  • The ZR 01 Zen Running shoes are delivered in a simple compact box. The plain design is straightforward but eye-catching. Some basic words deliver the company ethos and the packaging is fully recyclable. Inside, the shoes are securely packaged and wrapped in a fine layer of tissue paper. Further to this, a cardboard inner lining ensures each trainer maintains its shape.
  • The ZR 01 Zen Running shoes look fantastic. With a two-toned design and an array of colours, they look and feel amazing. I chose the Mayfly / Lucite Green, but three other options are available. These are neutral shoes with cushioned support. Furthermore, they have a sewn-in sock-fit upper for ultimate comfort. Alongside this, they are made from plant-based material and are vegan approved.
Simple packaging.
More heartwarming messages.
The first glimpse of your running shoes.
How wide are these shoes?
A side view of your shoes.
The excellent Zen Running socks.

Technical aspects. 

Though I love my running gear to look stylish, comfort and build quality are far more important. Luckily, the ZR 01 Zen Running shoes ticks all these boxes and much more. These trainers are designed to be snug at all times. However, purchasing a half or full size above your normal fitting is recommended. I went for the latter option due to my wider feet, and I wasn’t disappointed. With a large toe box area and a tight but reassuring upper, they felt fantastic. Furthermore, the inner cushioning isn’t intrusive and your feet stand in a “normal” position.

This cushioning is important when training at high intensity or simply tackling a longer run. What’s more, the snug design combined with the excellent running socks reduces blisters and “hot spots”. As a result, you experience an effortless training session. Moreover, the stable strike area reduces injury and fatigue. My opening run of around 10 miles lacked the usual breaking in pain. Instead, it was business as normal as the miles faded away. On top of this, I had minimal fatigue in my muscles and there was no noticeable discomfort. This was an excellent result from a new and relatively unknown brand.

The ZR 01 shoes are comfortable to wear.
Snug fitting shoes that are comfortable.

Construction. 

I’m used to a traditional eyelet system. However, the ZR 01 Zen Running shoes use an external lace tensioning setup. I found this to be difficult to adjust at first, but easy to manage once familiar with it. The sock-fit upper was similarly received. I prefer a standard ankle design, but this offers more support and reassurance on uneven surfaces.

Talking of surfaces, the ZR 01 Zen Running shoes are designed for road running. Yet, I did tackle some light trails and woodland areas and they coped extremely well. Accordingly, I wouldn’t try anything more rugged as the lighter sole would probably struggle. Further to this, there isn’t a stability option in the range, at present. Yet, the manufacturers will expand their selection in the future to accommodate many runners’ needs.

The ZR 01 Zen Running shoes and their plant-based materials. 

What I found fascinating was the mixture of plant-based materials. The ZR 01 Zen Running shoes are constructed from an array of fibres to suit different needs. Furthermore, each element is vegan and has been approved by the Vegetarian Society.

  • Upper: One-piece sock-fit construction digitally knitted from eucalyptus tree fibres for zoned comfort, support and breathability.
  • Sockliner: Castor bean foam with a eucalyptus fabric, to cradle your foot.
  • Midsole: Sugarcane-based foam engineered with a ‘rocker’ design to cushion and glide you into your next stride.
  • Outsole: Made from FSC-certified natural rubber, it keeps you moving with the right blend of durability, grip and rolling motion.
A closer look at the sole.

Are the ZR 01 Zen Running shoes worth it?

With a vast selection of running shoes at your disposal, it can be tough to pick. However, these plant-based trainers certainly stand out from the crowd. Their lightweight design and comfortable and cool material make for an effortless training experience. Furthermore, I felt no discomfort, tightness, or hot spots when wearing them. The snug design is reassuring and the larger sole helps to maintain stability.

On top of this, they look fantastic even though the sock-fit upper wasn’t my cup of tea. Moreover, the road-specific design does limit their use slightly, but this is nothing new. If you enjoy trail or woodland running, then you shouldn’t discredit this product. Instead, you can be assured that they are strong and stable enough for the job at hand.

A final mention goes to the wonderful Zen Running socks. These soft, breathable, and robust socks offer comfort and a blister-free experience. Though they are similar to other market-leading brands, they are environmentally friendly and built to last.

Summary. 

If you are environmentally conscious and want a solid and technologically advanced running shoe, then look no further. Not only will your feet look great, but your body will thank you as you burn up the miles. I loved them and I recommend you to buy them here!

(More information on the Zen Running Club can be found here!) 

The ZR 01 shoes are awarded the Movies Games and Tech Gold award.

Review: MX Vs ATV Legends

Daniel Waite
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Review: MX Vs ATV Legends

I have a soft spot for sports titles, as I love their competitive ways and the excitement they bring. My go-to games were Fifa, ISS/Pro Evo, or anything related to the Olympics. However, my tastes have evolved and I now love the adrenaline rush of racing titles. I have reviewed RIDE 4, Monster Truck Championship, and more. Therefore, when MX Vs ATV Legends hit my desk, I couldn’t wait to play it.

Developed by Rainbow Studios and published by THQ Nordic, this is a racing simulation title. It has a refined physics system for an ultra-realistic experience. What’s more, it can be played split screen, online, or alone. Further to this, there are some custom options, an excellent career to explore, and a large array of races to win. In short, it is action-packed, adrenaline-fuelled, and exciting to play.

Earn the cash and upgrade every machine.
Upgrade your bike and lead the championship.

MX Vs ATV Legends has a heartwarming story with some gritty riding action. 

I love an underdog tale and MX Vs ATV Legends hams this up. You are a rookie rider, a diamond in the rough, if you will. Yet, a farmer sees promise in you and hopes that your skills will bring riders and money to his failing business. Consequently, you form a strong bond and your fledgling career takes off.

With the help of your friends, you form a race-winning team. You unlock new bikes, purchase new gear, and move up the ranks. Alongside this, you are free to ride bikes, ATVs, or UTVs across a variety of terrains. Each event you enter tests your skills and racing abilities. Accordingly, the better you do, the more fans you’ll earn and the bigger your sponsorship deals and prizes become.

Win the crown in the dirt arena.
Time to win the crown in the arena.

Choices, choices. 

What makes MX Vs ATV Legends so good is its progress tree. Every decision you make, and how well you race, impacts your career. Subsequently, you’ll experience different events and are likely to receive alternative rewards. Your ultimate goal is to be successful and become a world-famous professional rider.

However, all work and no play make you a very dull boy. Therefore, you can enjoy exploring the open environment, or competing in invitational events. Alongside this, there are also online races and exhibition events to win. Alternatively, you can challenge a friend to some split-screen action. This is an old-school approach that wonderfully enhances the competitive nature of the gameplay.

Disappointingly, though, I had issues with the online servers. Either MX Vs ATV Legends has no following, or the servers are broken. Either way, the potential of online racing and its inevitable shenanigans never happened. Consequently, this was a massive letdown. After all, half the fun of this genre is when you compete with and beat the best global players.

MX Vs ATV Legends looks great. 

Sports games are so real-to-life that it is eerie. Thankfully, MX Vs ATV Legends doesn’t disappoint as it has a wonderfully polished finish. I admired its slick action, detailed bikes, and wonderful settings. Visually, it is a trouble-free experience with no frame rate drops or bugs to report. Furthermore, its open-world segments feel vast and inviting, and this juxtaposes the claustrophobic and technical race courses.

If you’ve ever heard a swarm of wasps, you’ll know how every vehicle in this game sounds. A perpetual buzzing noise drowns out every sense. Consequently, each race is a cacophony of sounds that’ll make your head hurt. Now, this isn’t a complaint, as there is some nice variation amongst the vehicles. As you purchase or win a new machine, there are distinct differences that petrolheads will adore. Alongside this, there are some bone-crunching falls and disturbing crashes to enjoy. In short, it is loud, in your face, and the perfect example of modern racing.

MX Vs ATV Legends has a nice array of vehicles.
Jump on 4 wheels and win that series.

Easy to pick up and play. 

Normally, I struggle with the advanced elements of this genre. Getting the balance of acceleration and braking is often tough and a bit of a slog. However, MX Vs ATV Legends has an excellent tutorial and forgiving settings. Subsequently, you can jump into the action and enjoy yourself immediately. Yet, this doesn’t mean it’s easy, because it is not. With many difficulty settings and stunts and jumps to master, you’ll struggle to become an expert.

Like its peers, this is addictive and has replay value. Aside from the poor online mode, you’ll want to explore every racing category. Moreover, the technical elements and varied track designs ensure it doesn’t become monotonous or mundane. If you take into account the custom gear for your rider, the fine-tuning of each machine, and the split screen racing, there is an awful lot to do.

MX Vs ATV Legends was a pleasant surprise. 

I may love the genre, but I also had my fair share of stinkers to contend with. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised by MX Vs ATV Legends. Its addictive gameplay and adrenaline-fuelled racing are rewarding and fun to experience. What’s more, I loved the number of vehicles and the volume of racing on offer. It is for these reasons that I recommend you to buy it here! Becoming a legend isn’t easy. However, with help from your friends, you’ll make that dream come true. 

Spoiler Free Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 2

Andrew Edney
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Spoiler Free Review: Sonic the Hedgehog 2

With Sonic the Hedgehog 2 now available to buy, here is our spoiler free review.

Sonic (Ben Schwartz) in SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 from Paramount Pictures and Sega. Photo Credit: Courtesy Paramount Pictures and Sega of America.

Produced by Paramount Pictures in association with SEGA Sammy Group; an Original Film/ Marza Animation Planet/ Blur Studio production, the world’s favourite blue hedgehog is back for next-level adventure featuring the all-star cast of James Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, Shemar Moore, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Lee Majdoub with Idris Elba and Jim Carrey.

After settling in Green Hills, Sonic (Ben Schwartz) is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles (Idris Elba), in search of an emerald that has the power to destroy civilisations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails (Colleen O’Shaughnessey), and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.

Knuckles (Idris Elba) and Sonic (Ben Schwartz) in Sonic The Hedgehog 2 from Paramount Pictures and Sega.

It’s quite rare that movie adaptations of video games are really good. That’s not to say that the movies aren’t fun, but they are rarely really good! I was pleasantly surprised by the first Sonic the Hedgehog movie, in fact, it’s one of my son’s favourite movies, which means we have seen it a lot! So when the second movie came out I, and he, was really looking forward to seeing it.

The movie takes place a short while after the first one, Eggman is stuck on the Mushroom planet, Sonic has settled in to his life with the Donut Lord and Pretzel Lady, although at night he becomes Blue Justice. It’s not long before Eggman is back and this time he has company in the form of Knuckles, the last of the Echidna warriors. But this time Sonic has a new friend in the form of Tails – you may remember Tails appeared briefly at the end of the first movie. And so this new adventure begins.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is a really fun movie with lots of action, adventure and laughs (watch out for the dance battle which is brilliant) and I would go so far as to say we enjoyed it even more than the first movie, and that’s saying something!

This movie is a must see and must own!

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2 is available now on 4K UHD™ + Blu-ray™, Blu-ray™ and DVD from Paramount Pictures and is currently available to Download & Keep. In addition, fans can also purchase both the new movie and original hit film SONIC THE HEDGEHOG in a 2-Movie Collection on Digital, DVD, Blu-ray™ or 4K UHD™ + Blu-ray™.  

Review: The Tale of Bistun

Daniel Waite
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Review: The Tale of Bistun

I love a good mythological story, as they are intriguing and captivating. What’s more, game developers use a healthy dose of creative licence to add their touches. The Tale of Bistun is a prime example of a classic story with a modern and unusual twist.

Developed and published by Black Cube Games, this is a story-driven action-adventure title. Furthermore, it has a high degree of hack n slash gameplay and oodles of arena-based combat. Alongside this, there is rich lore to explore, a plethora of characters to encounter, and bags of secrets to find. All of this content comes together because of a booming and well-delivered narrative. Consequently, you experience a beautifully paced story that grabs your attention immediately.

The Tale of Bistun is a tale as old as time. 

Like all great mythological stories, The Tale of Bistun explores drama, romance, and loss. Its plot revolves around the famous Persian tragic romance “Khosrow and Shirin“. You play the part of Fashad, a stone carver who has lost his memory. As the hero awakens, he is haunted by whispered words. Determined to find the source, he begins his journey. En route, he jogs his memory and discovers a tale of unrequited love. However, this does not deter him as he must find the source of the persistent whispering.

Quite the dramatic plot, but the bite-sized chapters prevent it from becoming overbearing. This was phenomenal, as it allows you to enjoy every twist and moment in your own time. Subsequently, I revelled in my fleeting success and was invested in sorrowful elements. 

The Tale of Bistun takes you on a surreal journey.
Take a trip through the surreal world.

Arenas and ungodly powers.

The story focuses on Farhad and his journey. By saving the cursed pomegranate trees, images flood his mind. The further he progresses, and the more trees he saves, the clearer the picture becomes. 

But how does he save them? Well, this is where the arena battles come into play. Every chapter comprises an array of fights with varying enemies. You’ll face off with bats, goblins, orcs, trolls, and more. Each of these ghastly creatures has strengths and weaknesses that must be exploited. Accordingly, this is where Farhad’s powers come into play.

He begins as a meek and powerless man. However, things soon change as he finds a magical pickaxe and learns new skills. These abilities must be harnessed to defeat his foes, annihilate the Deev Bistun, and fulfil his destiny. 

Your progress is determined by each arena battle.
Kill your foes and open up new areas.

Fascinating characters. 

What’s particularly great about The Tale of Bistun is its array of fascinating characters. The story is filled with drama and emotion because of each of the protagonists. The most important of these are Farhad, your guide, the Hoopoe bird, and the gargantuan and evil Deev Bistun.

Farhad takes on the brunt of the action with his hack n slash combat and crazy powers. His desire to do the right thing is admirable and his naivety is charming and touching. The Hoopoe bird, on the other hand, is your guiding light. The further you progress, the more important she becomes to the myth and the gameplay. Her role is cleverly introduced, and she prevents the story from plateauing. 

Finally, the villain of this tale is Deev Bistun. This horrendous beast leeches darkness into his surroundings and curses everything he touches. He is the key to discovering the truth, but defeating him won’t be easy. Consequently, you must find every weapon, learn every ability, and be lucky if you wish to succeed. 

The Tale of Bistun has a strange style. 

Because of its mythological roots, I expected a clean and simple approach with a sepia finish. However, instead, the developers used an isometric viewpoint, cartoon graphics, and a rich and deep colour palette. Subsequently, it looked bizarre as it was more surreal than I expected. Yet, because of the dreamy imagery and cutscenes, it worked extremely well. But what I wasn’t so keen on was the fixed camera view. This was restrictive and frustrating. Consequently, the gameplay would have been improved if you could freely explore your surroundings. 

Though the visuals were strange, the audio was amazing. The combination of eerie music, crazy sound effects, and booming narration worked perfectly. Every chapter was described by a beautifully narrated script. As such, it was easy to immerse yourself in the odd but fascinating world.

The Tale of Bistun looks stunning.
The world is beautiful.

Excellent controls. 

Much of the combat relied on hack n slash mechanics. However, finesse was still essential. Farhad can roll to avoid damage, slash his weapons to hurt his foes, or unleash a special ability. Whatever you do, it is easy to understand and buttery smooth to execute.

My biggest gripe with The Tale of Bistun is its repetitive nature and its linear approach. The lack of freedom was annoying as the environment begged to be explored. Accordingly, you may worry about becoming bored, or there not being enough longevity. Well, fear not as the action is fun and there are many secrets to search for. In every chapter, you must carve statues of your beloved, find lost tablets, and uncover hidden carvings. Subsequently, there is plenty to do if you want to extend your time with the game.

The Tale of Bistun is an excellent but short indie title.

The Tale of Bistun would have had to be terrible for me to dislike it. My adoration of mythology will always make me biased. Yet, from a professional viewpoint, I can honestly say that this is an excellent indie title. Yes, there are shortcomings, but these don’t deter from the great end product. Unsurprisingly, I loved it and I recommend you to buy it here! Will Farhad regain his memory and become a hero, or will the Deev Bistun sow his demonic seed? Save the pomegranate trees, weaken the beast’s power, and discover the source of the whispers. 

Review: Outward Definitive Edition

Alex Chessun
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Review: Outward Definitive Edition

A crafting survival RPG that strays into simulation territory as it wants you to do everything yourself, Outward – an RPG of the fantasy variety – removes all modern conveniences from fast travel to levelling up, making you walk every inch of the map and defeat enemies just to get you meal to meal.  

This is mostly in the name of exploration and discovery rather than quest-led gameplay as you pull out your own bed, grab a huge cooking pot and stare at the stars when it’s become too dark to continue exploring. As the trailer states ‘Forget what other games have taught you’, Outward certainly does head in a different direction than what you might expect – a somewhat realistic one. 

That’s just the base version though. Today we review tepid trailblazer, Outward Definitive Edition, which is an upgraded version of the original with gameplay adjustments and the 2 DLC (The Three Brothers and The Soroboreans) that were originally released for the base game. The 2 DLC are a mixture of grinding and story additions to the end game content with The Three Brothers allowing you the ability to build an entire town.

It’s hardly a small endeavor either, you need to complete quests, purchase blueprints, acquire resources, build over many in-game days, upgrade and maintain as well as having requirements for each building once it’s built. It’s a lot of grinding, but it’s satisfying having something created something permanent in-game, and I actually enjoyed the idea of it far more than the base game.    

The mana meter for your character is pitifully small, meaning that in just a few swings of your weapon or a short run will leave you completely gassed, which is more than a little tedious when you actually just want to travel somewhere without falling asleep on the way there.

It might be presumptuous to say, but the chances that you’ll like Outward will likely be determined by how much you already like the genre going into this experience, as I just can’t see any players being converted to the fantasy crafting genre from this mediocre title and any action game fans coming in are likely to be disappointed when comparing it to other RPGs on the market.  

Not being a AAA game, Outward works to its perceived strengths though, wanting every excursion to be a life-threatening and tense adventure on its own, but in doing so, forgets to make the individual elements that make up each one actually enjoyable. With bare maps, no fast travel, and an egregiously bland gameplay loop, you have yourself a game that may take more from the player in time than it gives is satisfaction.

The main reason for this is that loot runs – the component that fuels the entire machine – provide little to no excitement, or motivation to move on to the next one, as the slow, floaty, and repetitive action mechanics dull the proceedings and the hope you might loot something worthwhile often leads to disappointment as the best possible outcome and item that needs to be crafted, is likely something you have no idea about. 

Furthermore, you are encouraged to be clever with your loot as your bag can barely hold any items, so not only do newcomers have a hard time trying to figure out what is actually necessary but you are forced to throw away a lot of – potentially – helpful things if you do not wish to constantly be running back home to store them in your stash. 

Ironically, despite the game wanting you to figure it out on your own, unless you are willing to spend hours upon hours of figuring it out, chances are the game’s overwhelming start will likely force you to find out online.  For those who haven’t succumbed to the subscription gaming’s version of channel skipping which makes you jump to another game at the first moment of discontent, this does mean that there is a lot to do here and those that enjoy getting lost in the minutia of making your own weapons and items will certainly have something sink their teeth into. 

There are plenty of builds and different weapons to choose from over the length of the game, but with few attacks each, it takes an awful lot of time to get to the point where the accumulation of skills and weapons make it worth it and don’t seem like the same lunge over and over. 

In that sense, the action is like a poor man’s version of Elden Ring, where you jump dodge around an attack strike and repeat, hitting an enemy whose only reaction to your attack is a depleting health bar.

One thing that everyone is sure to agree on though – unless you are playing with a PC mod – is that Outward does itself very little favors not including a fast travel ability. Combine that with a very slow run (and low energy levels for a sprint) and it really slows the entire experience down to a crawl.

This is clearly aiming to be part of the ‘realism’ of the adventure, but it also makes the game feel gimmicky and unnecessary at times. 

Graphically, the game does admirably well considering the small development team, but there are some performance issues, constant loading screens and bugs that you are going to encounter throughout.

The day/night and even different seasonal cycles are – in theory – a fantastic addition to the game, but none of the NPCs ever change their programmed route even in the dead of night or ever go home. The importance of sleep is further demeaned as there is no sleep meter and you don’t actually have to do it, meaning that you could survive indefinitely without even bothering. Health and food items feed into this poorly as they do an irritatingly useless job of healing you, so it just feels like it’s forcing you to sleep to feed into its realism. 

This is made more superfluous by a generous death system – which often drops you off with 25% health and your items on the floor – as its benefits are not that far off that of sleeping. When you are lost with the unhelpful map that refuses to show you where you are on it, dying to be moved to a marked part of the map is actually preferable to sleeping to stay alive. 

The story has four different factions that you can join and they all offer unique skills and equipment for the quests that they ask you to undertake. This allows you to create many different builds for the decent variety of weapons available. It also means that you won’t fully understand the story until you’ve played the game 4 times despite there only being one ending. 

Depending on where you die, you get a different mini-story before you get going again.

The original also included a multiplayer mode and, in my opinion, this is really where the game shines as the negatives are mitigated somewhat when playing with buddies either locally or online.

Outward is quite the divisive title and will likely continue to be a dichotomy amongst gamers. Some will love the lack of hand holding, the long walks, and the creative combination of crafting and survival gameplay, while others will pick apart its average implementation and frustrating mechanics. It is often said that when trying to write a story, it is helpful to think of the ending first and write backward. Outward seems to think that the gameplay needs to be much the same, putting the onus on the player to make it fun through a significant time investment and hoping something sticks, instead of first making the formula fun.

Review: Samurai Riot

Natosha M
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Review: Samurai Riot

Do you have some rage you want to release? Who doesn’t it’s part of life, and many things will get us upset. Well, why not take some of that rage and try out this new game, Samurai Riot as it’s basically a game that has you slaying and beating up foes as they appear!

You’ll be enjoying a slightly adventurous 2D game with the choice of being one of the two main characters. Each will have their own style, abilities, and fighting techniques, but you are in charge of how well they fight. The main goal is to defeat everyone who comes toward you, and as you move forward, the story continues to develop. There will be plenty of arcade-style fighting, with large and even small demonic bosses throughout the game. So if you want to take a chance, decide your path, and beat up so many enemies, well then get ready to fight, fight FIGHT!

🗡️ How Was The Game 🗡️

This is a fun game that can be played a few different ways, as a solo player, which I’ve done or co-op. Either way, the game is basically a beat-em-up style game. There are so many different paths to decide upon and even fight PVP style if you’d like. However, the goal of this game is basically about fighting throughout until you defeat each enemy you come against.

Additionally, there are only two main characters to choose between. There is Sukane a stubborn female samurai with a cute fox friend and a strong will to take down anyone even if they are a bit stronger than her. The other one you can decide upon is a guy named Tsurumaru. He is an extremely well-trained and skilled samurai who fought through years of bloody campaigns and worked hard beside his master to become the great fighter he is now.

Out of the two, they both are very well skilled in combat skills, and even if you think the Tsurumaru has more of a powerful description and will possibly defeat so many foes much easily. Let me tell you not to be fooled by just what you read. Skane on the other hand, if you decide upon choosing her does have that fox who can stall the enemy for a little bit of time, so you can defeat more and give you an upper hand in the fights. Either way, it won’t matter as long as you, the player, and your fast finger movements are ready to force the character of your choice towards each foe and put those fighting moves in action. Plus, with a co-op mode, you can both work together and help take down more enemies and foes with ease, or as any beginner, just play the easy version of the game and it won’t be too hard to defeat and win each time.

I did like that after choosing a character you’re able to decide on the course that the hero you are playing wants to play under. It will give them a change in their ability and even their color or look. It’s basically a choice that you also can open up a few others with more earned coins throughout the game. They each will allow you to grant how strong one’s health, strength, agility, and fury are during the game at the start. So right there, that decision can also change how the game plays, just by the way your character plays.

Now for the game, well it’s actually not too bad, but it could be way better! The gameplay can feel a bit slow in the movement of the character we get to play, and not as interesting as many 2D arcade-style games just like this would normally be. The choice to move up or down and back or forward, just felt a tad bit slow and that goes for the foes as well. The fighting, there is no lie that there is plenty of this with nonstop amounts in each stage, as they’ll come from behind or in front of you. Either way, you must defeat each to move forward and ahead to the next amount to fight.

This game does remind me of some old classic games. Especially, arcade-style types that require you to complete what is in front of you or behind you, before moving ahead. I wasn’t always a fan of these games, but I did like the ones that were with characters from Superheros like Batman which I thought made it a bit more fun. Nevertheless, there are certain objects you’ll be able to attack and break apart to grab some special items from and use towards powering up your fighter; the samurai that you’ve chosen to play. Plus, some can be used to earn for a new design in character choice from the beginning menu section.

Lastly, the levels are basically all set up the same way and it can be a bit redundant and dull after a while. Nothing surprising happens, and the slowness sort of gets to be a bit much. However, if you can’t fight great, it may help push you to defeat better and win the game easier. Regardless, this game has plenty of larger bosses to take down, but other than fighting and moving on through the story and gameplay. It’s practically a simple fighting game with just a few additional ways to play.

🗡️ Final Thoughts 🗡️

If you love fighting games, even ones that are slightly adventurous with a continuous fighting path that doesn’t just stop at one enemy. Well, this game Samurai Riot is a great game that will just have you battling nonstop! It’s got a story that builds as you choose your path and how well you fight, this will show if you can survive and live through these stages. The game is very well designed with brilliant graphics and is very entertaining with plenty of action, but it can be a bit slow in the way the characters and enemies move in the game. Therefore, if I had to tell you what the game was to me, well it’s like a classic arcade game with a little slow action, but plenty to fight!

Review: TombStar

Lee Fairweather
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Review: TombStar

In the modern era of gaming, consumer expectations are at an all-time high. Simultaneously, the ideologies surrounding mediocrity are blurred, often resulting in disjointed critical analysis. Titles that are awarded 5/10 are generally considered bad by the community. However, when taken at face value, it simply means that the game is par for the course. This is the exact situation that TombStar finds itself in. It isn’t terrible, nor is it great. Putting it plainly, it’s completely adequate.

Inherently, TombStar is a Twin Stick Shooter with Rougelite and Dungeon Crawl elements. It was published by No More Robots, who are most known for the excellent downhill cycling game Descenders. The development is solely credited to Andy Sum and Marcus Grambau on the Steam store page, but in actuality, a handful of creators helped bring this project to life.

Story

The narrative of TombStar is fairly concise. The planet TombStar, which rests on the far reaches of the Frontier Galaxy, was home to a peaceful and prosperous population. This all changed when the tyrannical King Killcard, and his Grimheart Gang, sieged the planet to claim its resources for themselves. It’s now up to 3 heroes of the galaxy to put an end to this hostile takeover, and restore order to TombStar once and for all.

Past this, TombStar doesn’t really have much else to offer story wise. There are some computers to find in the game which provide additional scraps of lore. But it’s fundamentally a simple narrative hook to provide context to the gameplay. I would like to mention that the final cinematics, of which there are 3, are also fairly plain. Though admittedly, it was never trying to be anything extremely outstanding in the first place.

Gameplay

The gameplay loop consists of navigating through a series of randomly generated rooms, and defeating the enemies that lurk within them. This will eventually lead you to a boss room, which must be successfully cleared to move onto the next map.

Controlling your character is a straight forward affair. You really only have to worry about moving, shooting and actively dodging out of the way of incoming attacks. The control scheme is designed in such a way that you’ll instantly be able to pick it up, regardless whether you use a controller or keyboard and mouse.

Weapons and Customisation  

TombStar also provides us with a wide assortment of weapons to use. From high calibre sniper rifles, to flamethrowers, and even tools that launch bouncing sawblades. Whilst they are fun to play around with, I quickly discovered that the starting weapons were the most robust and versatile. It’s a shame that this is the case as some of the guns are fairly innovative.

Besides weaponry, you can improve your hero by giving them upgrades in the form of perks. These can do a myriad of things including modifying your bullets so they can pass through enemies, reducing the cooldown of your heroes’ abilities and so on. There is a fair amount of choice here, but, once again, it all comes down to RNG.

Thankfully, there is also another upgrade system which exists outside of dungeon runs. These come in the form of cards, which are occasionally rewarded to you as you level up your account. Other rewards for levelling up include new weapons and perks to discover during your dungeon runs. It can feel a little tedious to level up at times, but overall, this is a nice addition to the game.

Characters

You have the option of playing as 3 different heroes. These include the cowboy gunslinger Jack Galloway, the robot environmentalist Benson Gara, and the rouge sniper AJ Starchild. While they all control the same, it’s their starting weapon and abilities that separate them from one another. For example, AJ has the ability to enter a shadow form and manoeuvre around the map undetected. Whereas Benson can briefly absorb and reflect any projectiles fired his way.

It’s worth mentioning that the weapons and upgrades are uniform across all heroes. Depending on your mileage, this may or may not be a good thing. Personally, it feels like a bit of a missed opportunity. I believe having exclusive options to further customise a hero would have encouraged me to do more runs.

And that is one of my biggest complaints about TombStar. It misses out on numerous chances to increase its sense of replayability. After I successfully completed 1 run, which took me about 4 hours to do, I didn’t really have any incentive to continue playing. There is a chance that subsequent updates will improve upon this, but as of right now, it’s ultimately lacking a lot of content.

Art

Graphically, TombStar is clearly inspired by the Clash of Clans and Clash Royale art style. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing though. The cartoonish aesthetic is incredibly eye-catching, utilising a bright and colourful pallet to foster a visually stimulating experience. It certainly lends itself well to the gameplay, as it makes tracking the action on screen a lot more manageable.

Having said that, the overall ambience of the game still manages to remain rather void and soulless. Using the Clash series as an example, the units and troops in those games have larger than life personalities. As such, they often find themselves used in various facets of the cultural zeitgeist, such as twitter reactions, memes and so on.

The same cannot be said for TombStar, which lacks any real sense of memorability to its character designs. An exception can be made for some of the bosses, but even then, they feel rather worn out and tropey in their approach. It also doesn’t help that the randomly generated rooms are also mostly stale and empty.

I wouldn’t really say that the art direction, or even its implementation, is bad. I just feel that it is rather by the books for today’s standards. Fundamentally, it has a mobile game vibe to it. And while I’m all for mobile gaming, it isn’t necessarily something I am looking for while I’m on my PC.

Audio

On the audio side of things, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. For starters, the guns sound astoundingly weak and unimpactful, failing to deliver the audible satisfaction you’d hope for in these sorts of games. It could be argued that the developers designed it this way to better coexist alongside the cartoony visuals. However, this doesn’t deter the fact that the SFX still sound flat and lifeless, making your attacks feel unbelievably lacklustre.

TombStar’s OST does manage to fair a bit better. The tracks match the mood and setting of their corresponding environments by utilising specific instruments and genres. It doesn’t exactly do anything special to warrant being remembered, but it is perfectly viable in what it aims to do.

Conclusion

TombStar has all the foundations of a quintessential rougelite experience. It just doesn’t do anything particularly special. While the gameplay is entertaining, it quickly becomes stale and repetitive, offering very little in the way replayability. It is certainly visually appealing, but the art style lacks any real charm or personality to it. And although the OST is serviceable in the confines of the game, the SFX sound abysmally weak and unimpactful. If you’re looking for something vaguely similar to Enter The Gungeon, then I’d recommend picking this up when it goes on sale.

Review: Severed Steel

Daniel Waite
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Review: Severed Steel

I’ve always loved the FPS genre because it’s competitive, addictive, and pretty brutal. However, recently, most of the titles lack innovation and individuality. Consequently, the gameplay feels repetitive and the competitive element plateaus early on. Severed Steel attempts to mix things up with its slick mechanics and unusual ways.

Developed by Greylock Studios and Kittehface and published by Digerati, this is a time-bending FPS title. What’s more, it relies heavily on physics-based mechanics, hectic action, and arena combat. Subsequently, your reactions will be tested as well as your resolve.

Severed Steel requires a steady hand.
You can’t miss.

Severed Steel lacks momentum. 

A great story isn’t always essential. Yet, a story of any sort is nice to have. Without it, the action merely peters out no matter how interesting or enthralling it is. To make matters worse, it usually impacts the momentum, and this is exactly what happens in Severed Steel. Without a plot, you feel no empathy toward the protagonist, nor can you relate to the action. Instead, the developers rely solely on your love of the core concept and the ensuing bedlam. 

Luckily enough, I was captivated by the “Superhot-esque” gameplay and the devilishly accurate opposition. Alongside this, I cherished every mind-bending moment of athleticism and the ability to slow down time. In short, you feel like you are inside the matrix as you dodge and weave everything that’s thrown your way.

Use the environment to your advantage in Severed Steel.
What you doing down there?

It’s slower than you think. 

With wall running, double jumps, sliding, and front flips at your disposal, you’d think the gameplay would be unbelievably rapid. Well, mostly it is, but to progress, you have to continually slow time. Why? You may ask. Because your foes are vicious and you must dodge their bullets, avoid their attention, and try to look super badass.

This is cool and all, but it slows everything to a snail’s pace. On top of this, it makes the otherwise smooth visuals quite juddery and disjointed. Don’t get me wrong, it is tremendous and extremely rewarding. However, I simply wish it wasn’t the go-to mechanic 95% of the time.

The developers tried to mix things up by making you invincible when you perform stunts. Sadly, though, this only goes so far as your opponents are ridiculously accurate. Accordingly, you must turn to your Neo from the Matrix abilities to succeed.

Severed Steel looks surprisingly good.

I’m a sucker for voxel games, but I didn’t expect Severed Steel to look so good. Thanks to its destructible environment, the combination of cold and neon colours, and the interesting stage layout, I was impressed. Alongside this, the free-flowing action is buttery smooth and glitch-free. As much as I adored the slowdown effect, it felt janky and disjointed compared to the other elements. Moreover, everything has an OTT futuristic edge that wonderfully matches the theme.

The incredible audio enhances the gameplay further still. With a long list of high-energy and aggressive tunes, you won’t tire of it easily. Alongside this, the loud sound effects are excellent. Every weapon is unique and the explosions are bone-shuddering and intense. Subsequently, I loved the spectacle it created.

Destroy the environment and kill everyone in sight.
The glass is no match for your gun.

The fantastic controls add to the drama. 

When a game relies on slick mechanics, it better have the controls to match. Fortunately, Severed Steel doesn’t disappoint. Thanks to its excellent UI and responsive inputs, you’ll master the fundamentals in no time. It can indeed be fiddly when the action is hectic, but that’s half the fun. However, this can be frustrating when you fail repeatedly. As such, it makes it a bit harder, and that’s great for veteran gamers.

What I cherish about this breed of FPS titles is its replay value. Though the main body of the game is short, there is a firefight mode, an array of character mods, and New Game+ to select from. This is incredible as it ensures you’ll want to return to play some more. My only disappointment, however, was the lack of cooperative action. If this was added, Severed Steel would be truly spectacular.

Severed Steel is a wonderful “Superhot-like” game.

Fans of Superhot will love Severed Steel. Many of its mechanics feel familiar, but some new ideas are thrown in for good measure. Yes, I was disappointed by the heavy reliance on the slowdown element. But, on the whole, it is an enjoyable and extremely well-polished game. As such, I easily recommend you to buy it here! Become a gun-toting agent as you leap, slide, and shoot your way to victory. 

Review: Adventures of Chris

Daniel Waite
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Review: Adventures of Chris

The 90s were renowned for their sitcoms and bizarre tongue-in-cheek humour. I wasn’t a big fan, but I still chuckled at the silly and often obvious jokes. However, I adored the comedy musings of many 90s games! The witty and often borderline outrageous jokes had me laughing for hours. Consequently, whenever a modern title is written in this way, I instantly fall for its charms. Adventures of Chris does just that. It is an amusing and silly game that’ll make you smile.

Developed by RED ART GAMES and published by Guin Entertainment LLC, this is an old-school adventure puzzle title. It’s set in a fantasy world full of bizarre characters, surreal locations, and weird and wonderful moments. Subsequently, you won’t know what’s hit you as you complete each of the 9 stages.

Adventures of Chris is odd. 

My first impression of Adventures of Chris is that its presentation is slick and its gameplay is interesting, challenging, and unique. However, it is odd as well. The developers have used their creative licence to its fullest, and this has generated a surreal platforming experience. 

The plot revolves around Chris and his outlandish adventures. This chubby underdog has long been “invisible”. Subsequently, he feels unappreciated and worthless. But this soon changes when he stumbles across a young vampire’s dinner party. One thing leads to another, and the guests are transformed into party favours and Chris is turned into a balloon. From here, he floats into the Kingdom of Lost Balloons and his journey begins. 

As I said, it is very odd. Yet, it’s strangely moreish and captivating. As the game progresses, the writing becomes more eccentric, your enemies become tougher, and Chris becomes more powerful. No longer is he considered a chubby underdog, instead, he fulfils his destiny and becomes an all-powerful hero.

Adventures of Chris has some crazy bosses to defeat.
Kick that ice monsters ass!

9 stages, new skills, and ridiculous foes. 

Adventures of Chris isn’t lacking in content. Each of its 9 stages is varied, complex, and filled with enemies. What’s more, the further you explore, the more skills Chris learns. 

The would-be hero soon transforms from a pathetic loser to a jaw-dropping hero. He learns how to cast magic, inflate like a balloon, slide through tight spaces, crush his foes, and more. Each of these abilities is essential to exploring each level and saving the other children. 

Each stage is set in a different country and comes with unique monsters and problems. You’ll face off against bats, slime, spiders, penguins, and so forth. Accordingly, you must use your powers to annihilate them before they kill you. Alongside this, you’ll float through narrow passageways while avoiding spikes and fans. This isn’t easy as one touch of these obstacles causes Chris to explode.

The level design in Adventures of Chris is fantastic.
Don’t let your foes stop you.

Rewarding gameplay, collectables, and bosses.

Like its peers, Adventures of Chris has some in-depth and rewarding mechanics. Overcoming your enemies and obstacles is no mean feat. Therefore, death is all but assured. As such, when you are successful, you’ll cherish the moment and will want to keep gaming.

What I particularly liked about this, though, was the collectables and gargantuan bosses. Every level is filled with cookies to collect, flags to snatch, and books to find. The cookies are spent in the shop to improve your stats or armour. The books must be returned to the library because that’s where books live. Finally, the flags are a gift for an obsessed Vexillologist balloon. As you can see, there is plenty to do and lots to entertain you. 

The bosses, on the other hand, will drive you insane. They are brutal, unforgiving, and perfectly represent 90s gaming. What’s more, you’ll need certain abilities to defeat each one. Consequently, you must explore the world map, learn every skill, and return when you are ready.

Adventures of Chris looks fantastic. 

I didn’t have high hopes when it came to the graphics, but I was pleasantly surprised. Its polished finish, detailed sprites, and eerie environment set the scene. Furthermore, it reminded me of Scooby Doo, and this enhanced the nostalgic vibes. Alongside this, the stage design is intelligent, interesting, and perfectly suited to the core mechanics. 

The audio is also very good. With a playful but dark soundtrack, it captures the essence of the story. Moreover, the sound effects are wonderfully retro, OTT, and add energy to this fun and challenging title.

Upgrade Chris and make the action much easier.
Time to upgrade Chris.

Excellent controls. 

Adventures of Chris does an amazing job with its controls. They’re responsive and well-thought-out, and make it a pleasure to play. Because of its simple UI and excellent tutorial, you won’t struggle. However, this doesn’t mean it’s unnecessarily easy because it isn’t. The gameplay requires finesse and accuracy, and unfortunately, this means that failure is just around the corner. 

Unlike some modern indie platformers, this has loads of replay value and longevity. With multiple difficulty settings, additional game modes, and the collectables to find, you’ll be kept busy. 

Adventures of Chris takes you on a hilariously tough journey. 

Though there are many tough moments, Adventures of Chris will make you smile throughout. Its script is immature and punchy and will make you laugh. Alongside this, the level design is well-considered and will hold your attention from the beginning until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed playing this and I recommend you to buy it here! You are the unlikeliest of heroes, but that matters not. Learn new skills, make new friends, and save those poor children. 

Review: Long Live the Queen

Natosha M
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Review: Long Live the Queen

Have you always imagined what it would be like to be a Princess, or even better, just to be Queen? I know that being a part of royalty might look awesome in movies or TV shows, but it really is very difficult and not only does the King have an important role, but so does the Queen or even if it’s the Queen to be!

Long Live the Queen is a game that puts you in the seat of a Queen-to-be, working towards being a leader of the kingdom. It’ll have you working on many different assignments and allowing you to make decisions, which will move the narrative portion of the game on. All of which will determine the outcome of the game’s results. Also the many different classes, you’ll attend will help you train, learn, practice, and build those skills you need to know so you’re prepared for the life of being a Queen. However, don’t be fooled, the game isn’t all that easy and there are many different results as you are the guide to your own destiny. So as long as you take each week ahead seriously, you’ll have no problem becoming a strong and committed leader.

👑 How Was The Game 👑

I was very entertained by the idea of being a Queen or at least learning to become one. The game is very easy after you know how to set up the classes you want to take in the morning and evening. It’s odd that it’s not done day by day, the schedule is made out to be for a full week. Thus, you just learn by deciding each class you’d like to take during the day, from morning to evening for that week. Each one will raise your skill level a bit higher and you will be tested.

When I meant tested, well you will use the knowledge you’ve learned that week and weeks before to decide upon how well you will pass or fail during each conversational portion of the game. Once again, the game allows you to decide, and choosing correctly is a big important part. There will be a few chances to do a few things in the castle, which will also increase one’s mood or reduce it. Just depends on what you decide on checking out before the next week begins.

Also, you can keep changing the classes so it’s not something you are stuck with after a week is up. That will only help improve your skills and make you more knowledgeable. I also want to mention that I do like that you can speed things up in this game, sometimes it is a blessing. However, when it ends up you need to know what to respond to or decide on what happens next, it will be difficult. For example, if something bad occurred and you skipped the conversation. It might end up difficult to decide what to do as it may end up being the wrong choice or you might be lucky to choose correctly.

Additionally, the game is very much a click-and-go with every choice you decide. It’s not too much about real fighting or action that you have to do yourself. It’s just a click and continues through the story-style game. So it can become a bit boring, not a game I’m a huge fan of, but if I want to talk about how well it was designed, well it’s not bad. Everything works great in the order and manner it should. Nothing stalls or freezes and the graphics are perfect as well as the endearing music that plays in the background. I just wish there was a bit more to the game and it wasn’t just about a story you choose what goes on next.

👑 Final Thought 👑

Long Live the Queen has so many skills you need to achieve to be your best. Plenty of skills which you will be required to focus on and gain experience. The better you do, the better the ending of the game results will become, as you will be an awesome leader and a great Queen. However, it does get difficult with some challenging tasks required. So if you think this game is just about dressing the part and using excellent etiquette when possible, it is not!

Thus, I can only say this is a great game idea, and the design is nice, but also can be a bit tricky too and slightly boring after a while. A few issues I’ve had are to do with the fast-forward ability being triggered seems to be stalling quite a lot. I also think the selection of classes could probably have been setup and done a little better. So the game is partially great and has a few flaws that could be great with an update or a little bug fix. However, if I think past those few things, it’s an interesting game and a tricky one too! Each time playing this game, everything can change by how you choose and decide on different choices, so be careful there is a chance of having full success each time or having everything come to a horrible end!

Review: Avenging Spirit

Daniel Waite
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Review: Avenging Spirit

Love can make us do strange things. However, revenge will drive us crazy! Therefore, when you combine the two emotions, you have a dangerous and powerful mixture of feelings. Consequently, those who cross you will pay as you try to get back to your loved ones. This is exactly what happens in Avenging Spirit. It is a haunting retro game that is straight from the 90s.

Developed by City Connection and published by Ratalaika Games, this is an old-school arcade title. It can be played solo or with another, and it reeks of nostalgia. Subsequently, it may not be for everyone, but fans of the original will lap this up. Sadly, it is a bit of a short game, but this shouldn’t put you off. Thankfully, its low price point and fast-paced action make up for this.

Avenging Spirit won’t test you.

Though there is an array of difficulty settings, the gameplay will not test you. I died repeatedly, but it mattered not. Every time I failed, I simply continued as if nothing had happened. I found this to be more than a little strange, and just a tad too easy for my liking. Accordingly, I ran around like a headless chicken and was just as graceful as well. I wish it was much harder, but this never happened. As such, this short title was shorter still and took minimal effort to complete. 

The simple nature of this title starts with its uncomplicated plot. A loved-up couple is taking a romantic walk when trouble strikes. Unfortunately, a crime syndicate attack the pair and the man drops dead. To make matters worse, they leave him where he falls and they kidnap his girlfriend for good measure. However, this isn’t where it ends. Instead, the spirit of the man returns to avenge his death and save his girlfriend. In order to do this, he must traverse many levels, possess his foes, find keys, and defeat enormous bosses.

Avenging Spirit has some strange enemies.
Kill them with your snowballs.

Simple concepts and short levels.

Though the core concept of Avenging Spirit is straightforward, it is also enjoyable. You’ll experience some basic platforming elements, plenty of shooting, and some paranormal activity. The hero must possess his foes and control their body. Moreover, each person he controls has unique skills that must be mastered. Therefore, you’ll become a gun-welding maniac, a kung-fu champion, an unusual snowball rolling fiend, or more. The eclectic blend of characters ensures the action is always lively, if not a little predictable. Sadly, this does make it somewhat repetitive, but the short stages mitigate this issue.

What I did enjoy, however, was the Metroidvania moments and the quest to find each of the three keys. These collectables were essential to save your girlfriend. If you missed them, you must restart your adventure and attempt to say your beloved again. What was also great was the mean bosses at the end of each of the 6 levels. You’ll face a giant snake, the head of the crime syndicate, a magical being, and more. Each boss will test your reactions and abilities but are simple to overcome. Because of the aforementioned unlimited lives, death was just an inconvenience. This was a shame, as you rarely considered your approach, and this removed any risk or tactical nuance. 

Avenging Spirit is full of supernatural moments.
Will you possess this enemy?

Avenging Spirit is bright to look at, but also uninspiring. 

The 90s were renowned for their vivid colour palette and simple but cute sprites. Avenging Spirit doesn’t fail to live up to these classic retro tropes. Consequently, it’s nice to look at but is also uninspiring. Moreover, its approach was familiar, repetitive, and lacked an exciting edge. Even when the landscapes changed and the obstacles were different, they screamed déjà vu. This was a shame, as there was such potential for a unique and unusual action title. Instead, the developers played it safe and this won’t cut it with a modern audience.

The retro approach continues with the loud, sharp, and ear-bleedingly painful audio. This high-energy and aggressive soundtrack matches the theme and hurts to listen to. However, you won’t turn it down as it’s so bad it’s good. Alongside this, the annoying sound effects add to the OTT cacophony of noise. All in all, it is the perfect accompaniment to this legacy arcade title.

Avenging Spirit has some weird bosses.
Will you be able to take down the final boss?

Easy controls and a lack of longevity. 

Avenging Spirit captures the arcade gameplay with its simple control setup. The hero can shoot, jump, and possess his foes. This is the extent of the button layout and it won’t test you. On top of this, the fast-paced action is matched by the reactive controls. Therefore, this already simple title is just a bit easier to play. 

Disappointingly, the levels are too short; the enemies are weak, and the bosses are simple. As a consequence, you will complete the game in no time at all. Luckily, the search for the keys extends the longevity, as does the one labyrinthine stage. Other than this, you’ll fly through the content and will be left wanting. 

Avenging Spirit doesn’t work for a modern audience.

In the 90s, Avenging Spirit would have been well-received. Sadly, its simple ways and lack of difficulty don’t work for a modern audience. Its key selling point is its retro style and simple achievement list. Other than this, it is a basic arcade title that hasn’t aged well. I can’t see a reason to revisit it and therefore I won’t recommend you to buy it. However, more information can be found here! Will you avenge your death and save your girlfriend? Possess your foes, find the keys, and save the day. 

Review: Mothmen 1966

Alex Chessun
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0
Review: Mothmen 1966

There’s something about the Mothman that makes it eminently fascinating. Whether its the creature’s humanoid appearance, the mystery behind its sightings in the nostalgic 60s, or the fact that a paranormal writer took some rather impressive leaps of logic when penning a book that was eventually adapted into the highly evocative 2002 movie The Mothman Prophecies. However it came to be, the story is a hard one to forget. 

Appearing in isolated incidents in 1966 in a town named Point Pleasant to terrify the locals, it was then attributed to prophesizing large disasters as it would mysteriously appear just before they occurred. It matters not that the first sightings were explained by a local wildlife expert stating that a large Sandhill Crane – a very large reddish-eyed 7-foot wing spanned bird – may have diverted from its normal migratory path, the creature was set in stone, and its story staying alive in the vernacular of mythical beasts.

Using 80s home computer graphics as a visual framework to tell a short interactive visual novel, Mothmen 1966 centers the appearance of the creature around 3 characters, starting off with a couple of university students that go for a ‘romantic’ shooting star viewing in a remote town. Little do they know that mysterious men in black suits, paranormal events, and turn-of-the-century stories are in their immediate future.

The narrative starts slowly by building up the character backgrounds, with a 3-pronged perspective allowing you to learn about the lives of these normal characters and their innermost thoughts, exposing their personalities and their ticks.       

The retro presentation provides stylistic pixelated visuals with minimalistic but decent animation between shots, while repetitive 8-bit music fills the proceedings.  

I normally love this style of storytelling as the smallest details always paint the best picture of the intended world, but in this case, as the story’s running time is limited, the often blurted-out comments between characters with previously established relationships overshoot their mark, with the subtext not able to fill the gaps, like you’ve started a movie 30 minutes in and aren’t able to put a finger on what’s going on. 

This is an occupational hazard of a short story, of course, but one-way Mothmen 1966 tries to convey these existing relationships is by making them strained, but in doing so, makes it hard to actually care for any of the characters as they go through their trials and tribulations. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of media where you can’t empathize or see yourself in the characters, with the lack of redeeming features diminishing my enjoyment, regardless of how good the production is.   

Adjust the binoculars to get a better look at the mysterious figure on top of the trees….

The interactive parts of the game come in when the characters start being threatened by the local wildlife and require you to choose from a list of options with all but one leading to an abrupt and single death screen. Whether it’s adjusting binoculars to get the correct focus on a creature or fending off beasts from all angles, every interaction seems like a good idea on paper, but in reality, you just are pounding through the options in a crude menu to keep the story moving, as your incorrect option rarely provides any further story. 

The only game-like interactions that flow naturally within the story involve an ‘impossible’ card game introduced by one of the characters at the very beginning and also the choices mid-conversation that occasionally lead to differing dialogue and suggest a branching story. 

A death screen you’ll see over and and over until you land the correct option

Sadly, a large branching story with multiple endings never materializes – with only one end –  resulting in the biggest regret of the game, as this is the exact genre where this is needed. There are no sequels, no characters that need to survive, and no story that can be ruined with a bizarre ending.   

It should be said that the subject manner and the direction the story takes with the background of the Mothman – and why it appears – is both interesting and also the most intriguing part of the story, but the visual novel ends not long after the long discourse that finally has you understand what is actually happening, so despite setting up the story with everything feeding into this exact moment, all the air is let out of the balloon when it forces its abrupt and surprising ending on you.

It’s almost as if it’s done out of necessity to try and top the late reveal moments earlier, but it’s given little chance to build itself back up, resulting in a flat ending.    

You have fewer bullets than creatures you have to shoot. They are attracted to the lights. How to solve the puzzle?

This isn’t to say that Mothmen 1966 is a bad story by any means, but it’s not the greatest interactive experience. Short stories by their very nature are limited by the length of time to deliver its narrative, but without innovative gameplay or a branching story to extend the experience, it makes little more than bland one-and-done viewing. 

To play devil’s advocate, one advantage of this style is that a broad spectrum of ideas can be conveyed if delivered in a package, but despite some slightly confusing advertising, you are only getting one game out of a planned collection of 3 separate short stories. A three-in-one package will presumably happen once all three have been released, so I suggest that any pulp fiction/mythical creature fans wait until that happens before making the investment. 

A short story that is both light on content and variety, Mothmen 1966 is a two-hour supernatural mystery without the narrative highs or multiple endings that you’d expect, and as such, you are better off turning your console and streaming The Mothman Prophecies for the millionth time instead. 

Review: Arsonist Heaven

Daniel Waite
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0
Review: Arsonist Heaven

Balancing offence and defence is easier said than done. Sometimes, fear takes hold and you want to run away. Other times, you become gung ho and you lose your mind. Whatever occurs, it is bound to have serious ramifications. This is exactly what happens in Arsonist Heaven.

Developed by OMEGACORE and Ratalaika Games and Eastasiasoft Limited, this is a retro-inspired 2D side-scrolling platformer. It is a title that uses some tried and tested mechanics and blends them with tough and unforgiving moments. Consequently, it is not a walk in the park, even though it is really easy to understand.

Arsonist Heaven will enrage you. 

There is no doubt about it. Arsonist Heaven is a tough title. As such, it will enrage you as you fail, die, and fail again. In theory, everything should be straightforward. In reality, it is not. You must learn to manage resources while trying to kill everything in sight. However, your overpowered foes run rings around you. Therefore, a tactical and calm approach must be considered.

The story, on the other hand, is much easier to digest. You are a hunter who is sent to annihilate his foes. Each world he visits has a set number of enemies, and he can’t progress until they are eliminated. Simple, so far, right? Well, here is where it hots up! You must visit a volcano, desert, icy tundra, and forest. Each of these locations breeds unique monsters with different abilities. If you can survive this onslaught and not run out of ammo, you’ll complete your mission, and become a hero.

Arsonist Heaven has some massive bosses to defeat.
Dodge the giant rock boss.

Classic platforming and limited resources. 

Though I loved the madness of the fighting, the classic platforming elements were better. Thanks to its traditional approach, it reeked of nostalgia. I adored leaping from surfaces, finding hidden paths, and falling into the unknown. If you combine this with the brutality of the shooting mechanics, you get an interesting and addictive result.

Alongside this, the minor tactical nuances make it stand out from its peers. Because of the limited resources and a large array of obstacles, death is a very real threat. Therefore, you must study each stage, concoct a plan, and hope that you’re successful. 

Each weapon is fuelled by gas canisters. If you run out, and you have no alternative gun, you are doomed. As such, you must scour the stage for resources, gather new weapons, and fire sparingly. After all, you won’t want to fail because you run out of ammo, will you?

Dodge every monster that comes your way.
What the heck is that thing?

Arsonist Heaven: a pixel title with a modern finish.

So many people groan whenever pixelated graphics are mentioned. However, I love this dated style! Yet, what I love more is pixel graphics with a modern finish. Arsonist Heaven captures the retro vibes perfectly because of the simple sprites and garish colours. Yet, it doesn’t look rough and its modern polish makes it pleasant to look at. What’s more, the backdrops are unique and varied, and each monster has a distinctive animation.

What, perhaps, wasn’t so modern, was the retro audio. The synthesised soundtrack and basic sound effects worked well but were at odds with the visuals. It was a little strange, but I liked it, nonetheless. The weapons sound loud and aggressive and add to the drama. Furthermore, the music is ever present, so there is never a lull in the energy.

Arsonist Heaven has a nice variety of stages to visit.
Brrrrrrr.

Perfect controls. 

Rarely does a game get its control system spot on. Consequently, perfect controls are hard to come by. But, Arsonist Heaven is pretty damn close. Thanks to an excellent UI and responsive inputs it is easy to play. Furthermore, the basics are easy to understand. Accordingly, the only thing to hold you back is your lack of skill. 

Because the gameplay is so brutal, it’s oddly addictive. Subsequently, you won’t want to put it down, no matter how much it kicks your ass. If you then consider the 4 worlds, the array of enemies, and the arsenal of weapons, this has longevity and replay value. 

Arsonist Heaven is unusual, but familiar. 

Arsonist Heaven is retro in so many ways, that its action feels oddly familiar. The eclectic blend of combat, tactics, and platforming will test your patience, reactions, and planning. Furthermore, it’ll make you scream while demanding you return for more. Consequently, it’s rewarding, cruel but oh so moreish. It is for these reasons that I recommend you to buy it here! Being a hunter is never easy. Yet, by planning and being patient, you can become a hero. 

Review: Opus: Echo of Starsong-Full bloom edition

Xavier Berry
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Review: Opus: Echo of Starsong-Full bloom edition

Opus: Echo of Starsong-Full bloom edition is a beautiful adventure game set in space and involves a complicated relationship between Jun and Eda as he recalls their adventures and what transpired over the years. Since the narrative is told from an elderly Jun, the game plays as one major flash back. There is a major focus on the music in the game and solving minor musical puzzles to advance the plot. Being the third title in the series, Opus: Echo of Starsong Full bloom edition is easy to pick up without having to play any of the previous games.

Story

Opus: Echo of Starsong-Full bloom edition an adventure game that focus on the relationship between Jun and Eda, as stated before. Jun is an exiled noble who is accompanied by his guardian and friend Kay. They embark on an adventure to make up for a mistake Jun made during a trial which brought dishonor on his clan. Along the way, they encounter Eda and her co-pilot in a busy market while trying to purchase information regarding a potential mining spot. Eda states that she is a witch, and the information would be more useful in her hands since Jun lacks a witch of his own. After the initial run in with each other, Eda takes off for a mining facility located in an asteroid only for it to be a pirate base hidden away so that they can capture unsuspecting adventurers. As Jun and Kay make a rescue attempt, the relationship between the three characters goes from one of annoyance and irritation to an attempt to trust one another to escape the asteroid.

Opus: Echo of Starsong-Full bloom edition has a lot of dialog and information to drop on players within the first few hours, so it is important to pay attention to everything being said. For example, if players are not aware of what is going on, they may miss what a witch is and why they are so important. Opus: Echo of Starsong-Full bloom edition is a short game, with players able to see the credits after around 12 hours so even if they miss any information, it won’t take long to see the story through one more time. This leads us to our next talking point which is the gameplay.

Gameplay

Opus: Echo of Starsong-Full bloom edition plays out with different modes going on. Space navigation will see players moving their ship from one location to another while using and gaining resources. While they travel through space, they may run across different asteroids and caverns to adventure into which moves players into the exploration stage. Here players will move characters around in a 2.5D view as they move throughout the location, picking up different memos that give more information on the story and world around them. There will occasionally be puzzles that require players to utilize the Star song’s they have picked up along the way to harmonize with the Machinery to progress.

There are points in the story which players will be able to make decisions and this can impact how the story plays out. If players make the wrong choice however, the screen will shift to the elderly Jun as he states that what happened isn’t correct. This will give players a chance to redo the encounter and make the correct decision to move on.

Final Thoughts

Opus: Echo of Starsong-Full bloom edition gives players a heartfelt adventure without asking for 40+ hours of their time. Since there is a heavy focus on music, players can expect to hear a beautiful soundtrack accompanied by Voice acting which was added to the Full bloom edition. The game runs well on the switch and is perfect for the on the go play but since players cannot save manually, it is important to dedicate time to playing the game.

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