There is a magical median in video games that houses those that somehow manage to fail at nearly everything, but still manage to be enjoyable. Affectionately categorized as ‘So bad, it’s good’, Guardian of Lore, a largely inept 2D platforming adventure, might just be one of the lucky few to find refuge there.
As a self-important prince who’s bestowed an ancient duty to protect knowledge (yes, all of it), you play out South American folk stories as stages from a library hub world and aim to correct changes made in these stories by a nefarious individual. It’s not made immediately obvious why but each level has hidden sections within its linear structure that contain enemies that must be defeated to complete the missions, doing it the normal way will just end the stage, which any normal game would make you logically think that you’ve successfully completed the level – well, this game isn’t exactly logical.
For better or for worse, instead of adding to the mystery of the story, confusing gameplay mechanics and their crude implementation transform the title into an unpredictable platformer which initially bemuses, before morphing into something quite amusing, regardless of whether it’s ironically or unironically awful.
Inconsistency might be the game’s saving grace as you never quite know what to expect. Finding a bug that makes you fall through the level to your death might be frustrating in any other game, but is actually the only time you’ll receive falling damage in Guardian of Lore, as falling from ridiculous heights results in zero damage whatsoever. Jump into a branch with broken damage physics though and you’ll die from banging your head on it. Will your character be flung across the screen from a slight hit or will it cause the previously solid platform which you are aiming for to lose all its physical properties causing you to fall straight through it to your death?
For some reason, it is genuinely amusing to find out. Thankfully the communication between characters and the enemies themselves also do their best to contribute to this like the cheetah boss who can only run forwards and if attacked from behind can do very little to stop you as it sits there motionless or the main character who expresses extreme confidence in himself and then moments later loses all confidence for no real reason.
The 2D platforming action calls back to the SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis platformers of the past and so it’s perhaps intentional that the storybook illustration environments have water effects that look like static theatre stage props lifted by two people hidden behind them and hit with a fake cartoon punch sound effect.
This booby-trapped game does have a few good features though, in that the character animation and attacking moves are actually quite smooth in their movement, so despite the character’s ridiculously poor interaction with the world, it creates a strangely satisfying yin and yang combination and has me questioning what is up and what is down and whether or not I’m in some sort of alternate Interstellar dimension of opposites.
As well as wielding a weapon and a shield the game bizarrely opts not to use a ‘weapon wheel’ feature for its magic abilities, but instead uses a 3-button input menu. Why it ignores an industry-wide feature that games have now used for decades is puzzling, but in order to provide some clemency, we’ll it slide, even though accessing your abilities this way slows the gameplay down unnecessarily. Other than playing as the prince you can also control a bird in a side-scrolling shmup section which unfortunately is only moments long as it’s the best part of the game by far.
I am more than a little sympathetic to the difficulty of creating something even remotely playable and wish to support indie titles wherever possible, but Guardian of Lore has me in two minds. On one hand, it’s clear that few will persevere to see this short and objectively awful title to its end, but on the other, its unironic charm is impossible to ignore and because of this, I write ‘buyer beware’ with an asterisk, because it might just become your guilty pleasure.
My vvideo review with footage captured using my Xbox Series X, enjoy!
For the third year in a row, my snowboarding holiday has been cancelled! COVID-19 is a deadly menace that ruins everyone’s lives and plans. So, am I going to throw my toys out of the pram and complain, or will I find a solution? The answer? Horatio Goes Snowboarding!
Developed and published by Infinite State Games and Eastasiasoft Limited, this is a simple sports title. It’s a no-frills, amusing, points-based game about near misses and surviving for as long as possible. Therefore, it’s mindless fun, casual as hell, and will scratch that winter sports itch.
Horatio Goes Snowboarding is all about luck!
You control a snowboard loving Welshman who has no concept of risk and fears nothing. His day begins by avoiding traffic while attempting to get to the chopper. You must evade the cars, collect your snowboard, and make it to the piste. If you manage this, you’ll carve your way down the mountain, avoiding the obstacles, while hitting the skiers, slaloming through poles, and escaping a rampaging yeti.
The objective is clear! Get from the summit to the chequered flag without dying. However, this is easier said than done. The action flows from bottom to top and trees quickly appear in your path. You’ll narrowly miss them if you are lucky and staying alive rarely happens. If you are fortunate enough to complete a run, you’ll earn a small amount of cash and the action starts again. If, however, you die, you’ll be airlifted to a hospital where you must pay $100 to be revived. The moment you run out of cash, it’s game over and your score is recorded.
Get those skiers!
No gnarly tricks.
It was clear from the start that Horatio Goes Snowboarding was a simple, fun title. Yet, I expected a bit more depth to the action. It was wonderful to slice through powder while narrowly missing rocks, trees, or smashing through boxes. But Horatio cannot jump. He performs no tricks, and this leaves you wanting.
A small rudimentary list of tricks would have added mountains of depth while improving the basic gameplay. This was an oversight from the developers and one that may undermine the potential. I enjoyed what was presented, but the desire to survive day after day with little change could become tedious. Therefore, I yearned for a further challenge that didn’t make the core concept almost impossible to achieve.
Perfection.
Horatio Goes Snowboarding transports you to the mountains.
If you love skiing or boarding, you’ll know the joy of absorbing the beautiful crisp environment. Luckily, Horatio Goes Snowboarding captures this essence in its imagery. With contrasting cool colours, you are transported to the mountains instantly. The cartoon art style combined with interesting level design also keeps you focused. No stage is ever the same and you are always on edge. Subsequently, this was an excellent decision by the developers as it reduced monotony considerably.
Winter sports are fast-paced and fuelled by adrenaline. Therefore, a loud and banging soundtrack is a must. Luckily, the developers delivered this with a variety of tunes that demand you ride faster. Alongside the wonderful music are some crunching and amusing sound effects. Horatio has a hilarious, thick Welsh accent and some brilliant stereotypical one-liners. Smashing into trees, hitting skiers, or colliding with cars will make you wince. Moreover, the OTT noises are brutal, ear-splitting, but perfect for the theme.
Get to the chopper!
Basic commands = basic controls.
Horatio Goes Snowboarding can’t be accused of being complex. There are limited commands to learn and a simple layout makes it easy to play. You must move Horatio with either the bumpers or analogue stick, and that’s it! Fortunately, the controls are responsive, accurate, and this helps to keep you alive. Its simplicity may not be for everyone, but it makes it accessible to a larger audience.
The game’s core focus is to stay alive while scoring the maximum amount of points. However, an endless mode can be unlocked to test you further. This additional option increases longevity if you can stomach the repetitive nature of the gameplay. Alongside the two modes, there is a challenging achievement list to unlock. Therefore, there is some replay value and longevity to be had and this makes it good value for money.
Horatio Goes Snowboarding is a casual title.
If you want an in-depth and serious snowboarding title, then look elsewhere. However, Horatio Goes Snowboarding is a casual, fun game that understands its limitations. It’s great to pick up between major titles and will scratch that winter sports itch. I liked it and I recommend you to buy it here! Avoid the traffic, grab a board, and hit the slopes.
When our future is in question, all we want to do is to live in peace and harmony. However, this rarely happens as this fine balance is easily disturbed. When a hero is called upon to restore order, there is always one person who’ll heed the call. You are that individual and you’ll battle any monsters that threaten your existence in Gardener’s Path.
Developed by Viridino Studios and published by Ratalaika Games, this is a nature-inspired puzzle title. Using a beautiful hand-drawn pixel art style, you must overcome problems, find collectables, and help the gnomes save the world’s food supply. The puzzles all appear simple at first glance, yet they are deceptively tough and will frustrate you throughout.
This will lull you into a false sense of security.
Gardener’s Path balances new mechanics perfectly.
Gardener’s Path comprises 60 hand-drawn levels that vary in difficulty and style. The core concept revolves around moving the protagonist like a slider puzzle. He can navigate North, South, East, or West, and only stops when he hits an obstacle. Therefore, you must plan your moves before you attempt each stage. The goal is to reach the crystal by destroying every bug in sight. You’ll slide from one creature to another while avoiding cacti and other obstacles. It’s annoyingly simple but unbelievably challenging to complete.
This is a tough nut to crack, but the developers aren’t monsters and they want you to have a fighting chance. Therefore, they have utilised drip-fed mechanics to balance out the learning curve. This was an excellent decision that made the latter stages extremely complex while making the opening gambit attractive to inexperienced players. Furthermore, you are free to skip any stages you can’t complete. This ensures you were able to progress even when struggling. This was a user-friendly approach that I welcomed as unfortunately there is no hint system.
What secrets are hidden in the desert?
Use any tool at your disposal.
I love how Viridino Studios combined fantasy elements with logic-based layers. You’ll use magic, swords, poison, and brute force to solve every problem. It was intriguing to see how each element worked and how quickly the puzzles expanded.
You must decide when to use each item you collect and only one solution is viable per stage. This limited approach will frustrate some players, but I enjoyed the restrictive nature of the action. Whether you are gathering poison to destroy bugs, teleporting to your last position, or hiding in a bush, each option is key to solving each stage.
The wonderfully intertwined layers will test most logically minded players. Therefore, I think the latter stages will be too challenging and complex for newcomers. This was a shame, as it will alienate a percentage of its player base. Potentially, a hint system would have overcome this issue, and this was an oversight from the developers.
Gardener’s Path looks great but lacks detail.
I love the retro aesthetic that comes from a hand-drawn pixel art style. Gardener’s Path looks wonderfully dated, with its earthy tones and rough exterior. Yet this old-school approach has its downside. In a genre that requires you to plan your approach, you’d expect the visuals to be detailed. Sadly, they were far from it! I repeatedly made errors as I confused cacti for rocks and bushes. This caused me to die, fail repeatedly, and get annoyed. If the developers had made distinct models for each element, then this would have been resolved.
In a world filled with danger and dread you’d expect there to be a dramatic soundtrack. However, Gardener’s Path delivers a varied, yet calm collection of songs. The oriental-inspired music was at odds with the overall theme, but worked brilliantly with the genre. Alongside this, the action is supported by some strange but uninspiring sound effects.
Things are becoming more complicated.
Easy to master thanks to the UI.
Though the puzzles are challenging, the controls are not. A well laid out setup is supported by a clean and easy-to-understand UI. Every command is clearly explained and there is no confusion surrounding each mechanic. This was fantastic, as an already tough title could have been much harder.
Thanks to the 60 unique levels and garden-inspired logbook, you get a lot of action for your money. Sadly, though, the difficulty of many of these stages undermines its accessibility to less skilled players. Therefore, its appeal will be limited, and this is a shame. However, its longevity is increased thanks to the progress-based achievement list. Moreover, completionists must be logically minded or patient enough to skip each level.
Gardener’s Path is let down by its complexity.
It’s rare that I negatively focus on a puzzle title’s difficulty. However, Gardener’s Path is far too hard in the latter stages. I hated relying on a bye into the next round, as you feel like you are cheating. I take on the puzzle genre for both reward and a sense of achievement, yet these are missing the moment you skip a level. It’s good and I recommend you to buy it here despite its shortcomings. Can you destroy every monster and save the world? Slide around, use your tools, and hit every crystal.
My video review with footage captured on my Xbox Series X, enjoy!
Game Pass has allowed players to experience a wide array of titles. There are many times I’ve wanted to play a game only to be put off by the price. Fortunately, however, I rarely have this problem anymore! Rain on Your Paradeis a cooky experience that I looked at last year free of charge on Game Pass. I now return to explore the Rain on Your Parade DLC.
Developed and published by Unbound Creations, this is a funny adventure title. With razor-sharp humour and a Paper Mario aesthetic, it’ll make you laugh while being easy on the eye. The main game comprises fifty levels, many objectives, an NG+ mode, and a sunny twist. The DLC follows suit in both style, humour, and mischievous quests.
Strike!
Rain on Your Parade DLC is short but brilliant.
The story revolves around a juvenile rain cloud called Cloudy. He must learn new skills to save the city while stopping Dryspell’s dastardly plans. Whether you are dropping rain or snow, shooting lightning, or creating a tornado, there are always shenanigans to be had. Sadly, The Rain on Your Parade DLC forgets about Dryspell as it has no central story. Instead, it combines an array of events for you to overcome. This was disappointing, as I would have liked to see a twist to the original plot. Subsequently, the extra levels are fun, but they lack direction.
If you ignore the missing story, you experience a brief but brilliant addition to the game. Its mindless action is reminiscent of both the Untitled Goose Game and Donut County and this is a great thing. With silly slapstick humour, nods to much-loved franchises, and more, it’s easy to fall for the immature charms. Though much of the action is stupid, there are puzzling elements and moments of finesse. These challenging layers test your patience and skills while demanding perfection. Therefore, you can rush through every level or painstakingly complete every objective.
So it was the clouds that made the dinosaurs extinct.
Soak all hoomans.
No matter what tasks await you, you are assured it’ll be laced with mischief. At the centre of the madness are the unsuspecting humans, or hoomans to Cloudy. These individuals will be soaked, shocked, frozen, and more as you master each stage. You must combine oil and fire to engulf vast areas, soak floors, fill moon craters, derail a roller-coaster, and so forth. The objectives are usually obvious, however, when they are more subtle, it takes a logical mind to complete them.
Alongside this, you must play golf, grow plants for cash, help a dragon, defeat a wizard and more. Every successful task awards a star and completion of any level unlocks a new cosmetic. Subsequently, it’s addictive and will push you to perfect every stage.
Rain on Your Parade DLC looks great.
I’ve always liked the art style from Paper Mario and Rain on Your Parade DLC is similar. Cloudy is a 2D image moving through an isometric, colourful world. This juxtaposed approach adds depth while focusing on a simple look. Furthermore, its combination of vibrant and pastel colours was easy on the eye. Moreover, the interesting characters and fun stages will keep you focused and interested throughout.
Like the base game, the audio in the DLC is eclectic and crazy. There is an array of hard-hitting and soft, calm songs that beautifully reflect the action on screen. The clever combination of tunes adds energy and emotion and was an excellent decision from the developers. This was rounded off by the loud and OTT sound effects. It matters not if you are spewing rain, crashing lightning, or sucking up rubbish. Every noise is equally wonderful.
Suck up every item.
Plenty of actions but easy to play.
Cloudy is a surprisingly complex character with plenty of tricks up his, umm, sleeves. He has four main powers that are activated with separate buttons. It could have been a tricky game to master, but fortunately, a fun and thorough tutorial helps to clear things up. Subsequently, this is a title that can be played by gamers of all ages and abilities.
The Rain on Your Parade DLC may be short, but it’s great value for money. Thanks to its variety of stages, interesting characters, and tough achievement list, this will keep you playing for hours. Completionists will need to be patient and calm as you need to be perfect to finish this.
The Rain on Your Parade DLC is stupidly brilliant.
DLC can be hit and miss while adding little to the base game. Fortunately, however, the Rain on Your Parade DLC is different. It captures the crazy essence of the main title while adding some unique moments. It’ll make you chuckle from beginning to end and is tough to put down. I loved it and recommend you to buy it here! Being a cloud is silly, fun, and a little mischievous. Complete every task, soak the hoomans, and collect every star.
Building snowmen or just one snowman was always hard for me. I could never do it! Maybe it’s the snow, maybe I just don’t understand the concept, but as a young child playing in the snow, I never could build a snowman. TV made it look so easy, but it really isn’t.
Fortunately, some awesome new game came out called, A Good Snowman is Hard to Build for the Nintendo Switch console. Perfectly allowing me to build snowmen on the go or any time of the year, even in the summer. Better yet, it’s actually a puzzle game, and guess what? I can finally build a snowman perfectly, and not just one but many of them without getting my hands wet or cold. I know the title says it’s hard to build, but honestly, it’s been the opposite for me. Of course, it is a puzzle game and some may appear challenging, but with a little planning, it’s a piece of cake! Especially, if one gets confused or makes any mistake, there is that option to restart or undo what you’ve just done, and get the snowman done correctly in just a few minutes! That’s just one reason this game is awesome!
Another reason I love the game is that it’s just so much fun and not created for one age group or range, but for all ages. Plus, who can’t love that theme of snow. Especially, if you feel the same about snow as I do. I begin to start thinking of the holidays like Frosty the Snowman and all those adorable movies growing up watching and still watching. Additionally, I find myself unable to stop thinking about how it just brings back some beautiful memories of times with my family outside playing in the snow. Even if it isn’t to build a snowman.
In addition to the memories, there is one thing that really makes this game fun is that it’s easy and not frustrating as it would be to build a real snowman in the snow. Instead, what I felt this game brought to the table is something more of a relaxing and calming game. Perfect for those anxiety and stressful times of the year, and when you need to just take a break. Plus, being not too hard, you won’t need to use too much mental power to figure out the puzzle, making it simply fun to waste any time you want to play!
There is one thing I’d like to mention. Some may find this a pleasant approach to any game that really cares about gender equality. The game doesn’t leave out the female or male gender of the snow person. It could be either when you finish creating the snowperson. So maybe I should call them snowpeople as each challenging puzzle, building a snowman can be either a snowwoman or snowman. Either way, the cute snowpeople you can make or try to make all have a fun additional style that gets added when you finally put them together.
How to play? Well, all you need to do in this game is just roll the small snowballs already made and push them, making sure the right size to the next ball of snow. They automatically are placed on top of each other and after all three snowballs are placed on top of each other as the large, medium, and small balls, the entire snow person is done. Plus, you get to see the finished creation of the snowman which is automatic, by the addition of adding a few features like a hat, face, and other nifty characteristics to these snowpeople, male or female. Plus, it comes with a name.
I do want to point out that this puzzle game is so easy to get used to, I know I’ve mentioned it to be easy above, but what else makes it super easy is the controlling of the character in this game. Nothing difficult with moving the arrow keys to go left, right, up, or down. Plus, three other keys, to undo, restart, and the menu is also noted on the screen at all times. Very simple to not forget what one can do with such simple buttons to press or hold on to.
Also, the graphics and the sound is nice and simple as well! Don’t expect something to pop out of anywhere, or anything to distract you in this puzzling cute game. It’s meant to be relaxing, as I’m getting from the vibe and super easy as well!
In conclusion, this is quite an amazing puzzle game for the holidays, and being winter, it’s even better! However, it can be played all year round. There is no need to play this fun game at any specific time of the year. In addition, being a bit challenging and easy to build makes it a perfect game for all ages. I honestly, find myself loving the ability to build a bunch of new snow buddies!
They say first impressions are everything, and while that’s an unhelpful perspective when deciding if you want to keep your slimy screaming newborn, I think it’s generally conducive to determining if a video game is worth your time. Despite its charmingly playful depiction of Lucifer’s domain and the myriad torture techniques it employs, Woodland Games’ Hell Architect does not make a good first impression. Even its title screen immediately confuses, with over a half-dozen options to click, among which “New Game” or “Begin” are perplexingly absent. Once I overcame the main menu and found myself in the game proper, this inexplicable obfuscation of user interface elements persisted, with illegibly small text and a comically cluttered assortment of buttons and labels. Indeed, the singularly stressful experience of playing Hell Architect is largely similar – I’d imagine – to the devil’s punishment for sinners with particular aversions to feeling overwhelmed.
I should preface this review by stating I am not, nor have I ever been a fan of simulation or management games. Certainly, I enjoy watching ants scurry around on the sidewalk, but that sort of organic fun loses something when I’m entrusted with ensuring each ant arrives at its destination on time, and that it’s carrying the correct bread crumb. I suppose this type of game occupies an unpleasant gray area of interactivity. There’s enjoyment to be had in overseeing a team of gormless construction workers as they occasionally injure themselves horribly, but that visceral amusement always tends to dwindle with each second I spend watching a tiny man on my screen hack away at his fiftieth pile of rocks. Granted, I have no intention of disparaging this genre or its fans. I’m sure there’s plenty of entertainment to be found here, which I’ve simply been unable to tap into as of yet, and I hoped that Hell Architect’s sense of humor might ease me into a style of gameplay I’ve otherwise considered cold and clinical in its approach to player engagement. Unfortunately, even Hell’s interpretation of these mechanics seems to be icy as ever.
Given my aforementioned relationship with building and management sims, I don’t feel my opinion of Hell Architect’s quality would be particularly helpful or insightful, so I’ll instead use this space to discuss the ways in which the game failed to engage me as a newcomer to its genre. When beginning any piece of entertainment, I have an instinctive reaction to the tone or atmosphere the work is attempting to exude. Here, it’s apparent Hell Architect draws inspiration from a breadth of influences, from modern television shows that liken the underworld’s bureaucracy to the mundanity of the American desk job, to games and movies which attempt to humanize myth’s most legendary figures. Unfortunately, Woodland Games largely fails to synthesize these seemingly discordant thematic elements into something original, or at the very least engaging. There is a distinct creative direction on display here to be sure, exemplified by Hell Architect’s ever-present satirical self-commentary, but in lampooning well-trodden illustrations of Satan’s great beyond, the game’s writers neglect to inject life into their concept beyond what the likes of Adult Swim and Grim Fandango already offer.
As for what exactly you’re supposed to be doing in Hell Architect, I’m not entirely sure. Or I should say, I’m not entirely sure why its developers expected me to care. Upon starting the game’s “easy” mode, I was bewildered within seconds by the sheer volume of icons and unintelligible descriptions of gameplay principles I’d yet to be exposed to. When asking players to understand and employ a series of complex systems in conjunction with one another, it is imperative that players be introduced to those systems gradually, like a probing toe dipped into a jacuzzi. Not only does Hell Architect grab its players by their swim trunks and throw them headlong into the hot tub, but it ensures, too, that the water is spiked with Ayahuasca for optimal disorientation. This refusal to educate those attempting to interface with its mechanics makes Hell Architect exceedingly taxing to get into, and alienates those of us unwilling to make flashcards to remember every tool in the game’s expansive shed.
If you’ve devoted your life to management sims and simply adore every entry the genre has to offer, Hell Architect’s light-heartedly morose setting and character-ful voice work might make it a worthy addition to your collection. But if, like me, you’ve been waiting an eternity for this sort of game to unravel, exposing to you its glowing gelatinous core of fun, I’m afraid you’ll likely have to wait a bit longer.
My Asteroids Recharged review with footage captured on my Xbox Series X, enjoy!
Whenever I think of simple yet addictive arcade shooters, I always lean towards Asteroids. This 80s smash hit captured the attention of a generation of gamers and I was one of them. Roll on nearly forty years, and Asteroids Recharged leaps onto the scene with a modern interpretation.
Developed by Adamvision Studios and SneakyBox and published by Atari, this is a fixed-screen shooter. This is the third Recharged game I’ve reviewed, and like the others, this is retro as hell. Comprising a simple core concept, you must destroy asteroids and UFOs as you attempt to survive.
Use the shield to stay alive.
Asteroids Recharged lacks energy.
I’ve recently covered Black Widow Recharged and Centipede Recharged, and I was thoroughly impressed. These reinvigorated titles capture the high energy and addictive gameplay of their original counterparts. Asteroids Recharged, however, does not! Its action feels lethargic as you spend more time stationary than moving. This was disappointing and somewhat tarnished an otherwise interesting game.
The Recharged series splits its focus between an arcade mode and thirty challenges that vary in difficulty. Furthermore, you can play either solo or couch co-op. If you’re a lone wolf, you’ll play round after round while comparing your efforts on a global leaderboard. If you team up with another, you can face off to achieve the highest score, or work together to overcome the challenges.
My Black Widow Recharged review with footage captured on my Xbox Series X, enjoy!
Black Widow Recharged
Centipede Recharged
My Centipede Recharged review with footage captured on my Xbox Series X, enjoy!
Interesting goals and crazy power-ups.
Though much of the action appeared slow-paced, this was wonderfully counteracted by the developers. During the challenge mode, you must overcome an array of difficult tasks. Whether you are aiming for a particular score, surviving a set time, or destroying asteroids or UFOs, there is plenty to focus on. The goals are deceptively simple and lull you into a false sense of security. You will die repeatedly, curse your luck, and start again, and this makes it moreish as hell.
The action is helped further still, thanks to the excellent power-ups. With rapid-fire, mines, black holes, deflector shields, and more, there are many twists to the gameplay. I loved the variety of weapons and the array of challenges you face. This helped to keep the action fresh while keeping you on your toes. The limited-time upgrades make you extremely powerful, but they run out at inopportune moments. This was both annoying and intriguing as it added a tactical layer to each stage. You must decide whether to blast your way to victory, or be defensive and bide your time.
Mega Laser time!
Asteroids Recharged is brilliantly retro-futuristic.
The developers have done a great job of retaining the original charm while polishing it for a modern audience. Furthermore, the clean lines and contrasting colours make this easy on the eye. I adored the infusion of neon tones and the madness of bullets flying. The fixed-screen quickly fills with enemies and rocks, and this makes it extremely hectic. However, no matter the number of objects, the gameplay never stuttered. I experienced no issues and enjoyed everything the enhanced Series X version offered.
This continued in the 80s inspired soundtrack. The synth music complemented the action perfectly while balancing high and low moments. Moreover, the hard-hitting and futuristic sound effects added to the clean neon imagery. Sadly, though, the audio failed to explore new avenues and subsequently; you know exactly what to expect. This wasn’t a bad thing. I just hoped for more from this modern interpretation.
Use the mines to destroy the asteroids.
A lack of a tutorial.
Playing Asteroids Recharged was as simple and basic as its core concept. However, a lack of a tutorial leaves you scratching your head. It took me around two hours to fathom out how to teleport, and I still don’t know if there are more secrets. Yet, the lack of direction won’t stop you from enjoying yourself. If the developers had incorporated a straightforward tutorial, then this would have overcome this slight annoyance.
Like the original Asteroids, this version is moreish! It is helped by the addition of the challenge mode and the couch co-op option. Furthermore, there is a large achievement list to keep you playing for hours. If you love arcade shooters, then you’ll adore every element of this well-polished title.
Asteroids Recharged is a great re-envisioning of a classic.
Though remastered and reworked games divide opinions, I love what the developers have achieved. They have retained every moment that made the original great while making it palatable for a modern audience. Yes, the gameplay is slow in places, but the weaponry and challenges counter this brilliantly. I enjoyed it and recommend you to buy it here! Are you good enough to destroy every bit of space debris? Grab the power-ups, avoid the bullets, and be victorious.
Super kickers League is a 3v3 soccer game similar to the likes of Super Mario Strikers. Characters have unique abilities to use against each other to get the upper hand. There’s also no referee, so there is no rules.
The co-op is probably the best attribute of the game, still it doesn’t work great as teamwork doesn’t feel necessary to use. However, playing against a friend is fun for a while. Having said that, it becomes tiresome regardless, simply because the gameplay isn’t up to scratch. Unfortunately you can’t play them online, so it has to be a LAN party.
Super Kickers Gameplay
The main concept of Super Kickers is to use the abilities to gain an advantage to score a gaol or to stop your opponents from scoring. Some of the abilities flow quite well into the matches like gaining a speed boost, but some of the powers used are over powered and irritating to come across. One of the female characters drops a disco ball and makes all opponents dance for three seconds. Using her power was just broken because nearly every time it was used a goal would be scored. One power was a UFO that would take a player away and make it 3v2 game making it a bit unfair. As a whole the idea of abilities are good, unfortunately some just don’t fit in well and tend to make it unfair as there is no counter to most abilities.
Super Kickers League match
What about the gameplay in general? The no rules concept is interesting, being able to topple an opponent over is satisfying. The gameplay itself isn’t that good though. Dribbling feels like the ball is just attached to the players feet, the passing is poor at best. Instead of passing I’d just sprint with one player up the pitch, as when I passed I felt that I was always liable to losing the ball. Shooting feels extremely random at best. I would have shot from the exact same position with the same player and same power and the ball ends up in a different place each time. I can score a screamer from the halfway line, yet I can’t score right in front of the keeper. Also, the keeper will just come out of the semi circle and still catch the ball or handle it. I know there is no rules, but having the keeper catch the ball wherever he wants just contradicts the sport.
Replayability
It doesn’t make you want to keep playing unfortunately. It is fun to mess around in the the first few games, but there’s never anything different in the game. There’s also little progression after half an hour. I had unlocked half of everything locked in game. A multiplayer mode would of definitely helped the game. Almost every sports game relies on on multiplayer to keep the game going for their annual release.
The gameplay wasn’t good enough to keep me playing and the progression certainly wasn’t. You play in different league cups and the objective is to win all your games and win the cup. After I won my first one I didn’t feel a need to play the next cup. It was just the same thing except a different cup to win at the end. The games never really went differently, bar different abilities for various opponents.
Conclusion
I could see children enjoying it for maybe a few hours, even so an adult wouldn’t be kept occupied for long at all. It’s not a terrible game, but comparing it to Super Mario Strikers, which is over ten years old and you see all the flaws in Super Kickers League. To sum it up, it’s an inferior version of Super Mario Strikers in almost everyway. If the gameplay was better the game would of naturally had better longevity. Sadly Super Kickers League can’t be recommended for the price of €14.99.
Here is our Two Minute Review of the Juice 65W Dual Port Mains GAN Charger Plug.
Introducing the Juice ‘Charge Everything’ 65w charger plug. This charger packs an incredible 65w of power which means it can charge basically every device from Laptops and Tablets, all the way down to your phone.
Charge your device up to 2.5x faster than a standard charger, none of us have any spare time to wait around for your device to charge, introduce yourself to rapid charging. It’s especially handy if you forgot to charge your device and need that juice quickly.
Not only does this charger sport all the features of a power delivery charger, it also has the ability to charge 2 devices at the same time including your Laptop / Tablet and Smartphone!
Plus with Universal compatibility, no need to worry if its an Apple, Samsung or even Google device – we don’t discriminate, and the 65W GAN Plug has you covered. If you are wanting to charge a MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, make sure you grab yourself a USB-C to USB-C cable for optimum charging.
The charger plug also features Sure Grip Technology, no need to fight with the plug socket to remove your fast charger.
The box contains the plug, a carry case and instructions.
A Closer Look
Final Thoughts
The charger is small and lightweight – it’s black and has a rubberised grip to make it easier to insert and remove from plug sockets. It also comes with a small white carry bag.
There are two ports on the charger – one USB A and one USB C port. Both ports can be used at the same time to charge two devices which is really useful.
The charger is also capable of charging devices at up to 2.5 times quicker than a standard charger which is really helpful if you are in a rush and need a quick charge.
The charger works with various devices, including laptops that charge using USB C such as an Apple MacBook.
Having a single charger than can be used to power and charge my laptop and my phone is great and means that I only need to carry one charger with me if I need to leave the house, and in the house it only uses a single plug point
The Juice 65W Dual Port Mains GaN Charger Plug is a must have addition to your bag or your home!
The Juice 65W Dual Port Mains GaN Charger Plug is available now priced around £49.99.
Here is our Two Minute Review of the Juice 20W Duo Wireless Charging Pad.
Introducing the 20W Duo Wireless Charging Pad from Juice. A 10+10 Watt Wireless Pad that is perfect for charging your wireless compatible smart phone and wireless charging earphones. Just pop your compatible device down onto the Duo Juice Pad and walk away!
What’s in the Box?
The box contains the charging pad, power supply and instruction manual.
A Closer Look
Final Thoughts
The charging pad is small and lightweight and is quite thin. It looks very good too – its not plasticy like some other charging pads so it looks good sitting on a desk or on a bedside table.
Plug the power supply in and away you go.
There are two pads – one on the left and one on the right. They can be used separately or together – after all, that’s probably why you want one!
To use the pad, just place the phone or other device on the pad itself and it should start charging. The LED on the front will change colour from green (showing available) to blue (showing charging).
The Juice 20W Duo Wireless Charging Pad is really useful if you have more than one device you want to charge – such as a work and a personal phone.
The Juice 20W Duo Wireless Charging Pad is available now priced around £34.99.
To celebrate the release of the new 007 film No Time To Die on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K, we have a special merchandise bundle to give away.
Daniel Craig delivers the “best Bond we’ve ever had” (IGN) and a “stunning and surprising finale” (Empire) in NO TIME TO DIE, the extraordinary 25th installment of the James Bond series, available to own for the first time on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray™ and DVD Collector’s Editions on 20th December 2021 from Albert R. Broccoli’s EON Productions, Metro Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) and Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Generating more than $700 million worldwide and Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, fans can now bring home NO TIME TO DIE in time for the holidays with more than an hour of bonus content exploring the action, spectacle and stunts. With highlights including the Being James Bond 45-minute retrospective on 4K Ultra HD and four exclusive and exciting featurettes, viewers can go behind-the-scenes of the film and deeper into the “thrilling and emotional” (Deadline) legacy of Daniel Craig’s 007.
NO TIME TO DIE returns Daniel Craig as Ian Fleming’s James Bond alongside OSCAR® winner Rami Malek. Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
NO TIME TO DIEstars Daniel Craig (Spectre, Skyfall), Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody, “Mr. Robot”), Léa Seydoux (The French Dispatch, Spectre, Blue is the Warmest Color), Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel), Ben Whishaw (Spectre, Cloud Atlas), Naomie Harris (Spectre, Venom), with Jeffrey Wright (Spectre, Broken Flowers), Christoph Waltz (Spectre, Inglourious Basterds), and Ralph Fiennes (Spectre, The Grand Budapest Hotel).
How to enter to win
For a chance to win the No Time To Die Merchandise Bundle enter below:
I have an admission to make. I’ve never played a Sam & Max game. None of the original noughties classics, nor the recent remaster of the original Sam & Max: Hit the Road, nor the recent VR game Sam & Max: This Time it’s Virtual. It’s honestly a little bit shameful that I’ve never played such an iconic franchise, especially one penned by Steve Purcell, the legendary artist and voice actor who has had a finger in every animated product you’ve ever liked, with credits varying from the Lucasarts Adventure Games to Pixar’s Cars. So, as much as a remaster of the third game in the franchise is maybe not the best place to jump into Sam & Max, I was excited to sink my delicate human teeth into the game’s binary flesh when it showed up in my inbox.
Sam & Max, Beyond Space and Time is a point and click adventure from Skunkape games and is a remaster of the 2008 Telltale game of the same name, bringing with it a veritable Iceland frozen buffet range of improvements to the lighting, lip-syncing, cinematography and audio, or so I’m told. All in all these changes bring Sam & Max into the 2020s and make the game feel fresh and new, in a good way – like Chris Chibnall no longer writing Doctor Who. This means I’m more than happy to take the game out of its historical context and review it like it came out on the 8th December 2021. Which it did. But not for the first time. You know what I mean.
The first thing that will strike you about Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space is its sense of humour. It is unbelievably well written to hit you with jokes like raining body blows to the chest and abdomen. I would expect no less from Steve Purcell and the team at Telltale but experiencing it now, for the first time, feels like a breath of fresh air in a world saturated by the sort of humour that produces a laugh in acknowledgement that a joke way made rather than in any actual enjoyment of the joke, like Chris Chibnall writing Doctor Who. Almost every interaction in the game will give you a genuinely funny line of dark and crazy humour from Max’s psychopathic threats of random violence to Sam’s irrelevant segues.
If you’ve played a Sam & Max game before (or any point and click adventure), it’ll be no surprise to you that you’ll be solving problems by pointing and clicking. Standard stuff, Santa has sent a toy robot on steroids to attack your building so Sam and Max need to trick it into a logical paradox with their usual mental banter. Mental is the operative word in Sam & Max as you’re destined to fail if you set about anything in the game with any semblance of logic, like Chris Chibnall’s approach to writing Doctor Who. It’s not so much ‘I need to get past this vent that’s screwed in so I should find a screwdriver’ and more ‘I need to get down Santa’s chimney so I should find some elf tears to grow this shrub to give me access to the roof’. This means you need to interact with almost every item, character and background in the game before you can even think about solving the puzzle (or even working out what the puzzle is). On the one hand, this is great as it means you’re exposed to all the jokes – the most delightful things in the game. On the other hand, this can be quite frustrating when you need to do a bunch of busywork before you can make any progress in the game, almost to the extent that you start to hate Sam and Max’s witty comments, no matter how funny they are, because they’re standing between you and completing the game.
This all compounds to give you the interesting beast that is the game’s difficulty. Point and click adventures are always hard. Unless you just so happen to have exactly the same incredibly specific train of thought that the developers had on a random Tuesday in 2008, the logic you need to apply to solving a problem is as cryptic as the texts I get for the person whose phone number is a digit away from mine and who can’t write their phone number correctly on application forms. Sam & Max is no exception to this rule and the slightly random humour and chronology of Sam & Max makes this so much worse. Admittedly I’m a bit thick but I needed a walkthrough after a couple of chapters. One of the changes made in the remaster is an improvement to the contextual hints system so the game will detect when you’re stuck and give you a hand. Personally, I don’t think this is enough, I still had to go away and google why the hell this yellow snow isn’t helping me progress. You can change the hint frequency in the settings and it might just be the case that I didn’t have it dialled in well enough but it’s definitely something to be aware of if you’re planning on picking up the game.
So, Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space, should you pick it up? Is it good? Yes. Is it flawed? Also yes. I loved my time with Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space because it’s funny. It is so funny. It’s absolutely charming in its sense of humour and I was laughing out loud every couple of minutes at the masterful wit and timing on display. The humour on its own is enough to recommend the game and I’d honestly play any sort of game that was this funny. However, the frustration around the difficulty and the around-the-houses way you interact with the game is still there and does bring the strength of the recommendation down a bit. Can I guarantee you’ll simply have a wonderful Christmas time if you buy it? No – I can’t guarantee it. But, I can say in my first experience of the franchise that I found Sam & Max: Beyond Time and Space to be a great way to spend a few laughter-filled hours.
Leave it to Arkane Studios to create interesting levels. This studio is exceptional at developing multi-layered stages with a lot of depth that beg to be explored thoroughly. If you have played any of the Dishonoreds, you know about this. Deathloop, then, Arkane’s newest game, was expected to excel on this aspect as well. And, of course, it does. The spirit is here, intact. You can climb on rooftops, blink-teleport across buildings, jump, slide and parkour your way in cartoonish cities. There’s a sense of discovery in Deathloop’s levels, you can approach your destination by many different paths and ways, you can explore horizontally and vertically. The level design is fantastic, the controls are fluid, exploration is a blast. It’s all here, and it’s great, but it’s not the main draw.
If you play Deathloop as a standard first-person action/stealth shooter, you’re going to have a fantastic time. The mechanics are polished, the enemy AI is decent, the weapons and superpowers add new and exciting ways to play and the gunplay feels greatly improved compared to Arkane’s previous work (which was already good). You can blink-jump, you can turn invisible, you can link together your enemies to die together in a domino-like way. It’s super fun. However, the best parts of the game come from the narrative.
In Deathloop, you play as one Colt Vahn and wake up at the beach with a hangover. Moments later, you realize that you are trapped in a time loop, forced to relive the same day over and over. Taking the role of the exposition, your arch enemy, Julianna Blake, speaks to you over the radio. Through not-so-friendly banter, you understand what’s going on, or at least you try to piece together some pieces. You’re stuck in a weird island, living the same 24 hours again and again until you manage to find a way to break this never ending cycle. You see, in this island, you find a group of strange individuals called the Visionaries, who take a shot at eternal life through time-looping. If you live the same day every day, you don’t get older, you don’t die. A cool life hack, I guess.
Colt, though, is not interested. He needs to break free and to do that he has to kill the 8 Visionaries in one loop. In gameplay terms, this translates to a clockwork-like system made of different mechanics. First of all, your day is split in four different parts: morning, noon, afternoon and night. Time doesn’t advance while you explore a level; when you leave to go to another, you jump to the next time period (e.g. morning to noon). Meaning, you have four opportunities in each day to try and find all the Visionaries. You can mix and match, and explore different parts of the island in different hours of the day, but after four instances, you restart the loop.
You are free to choose: you can instantly jump into the night, for example, and then restart again. This structure tries to move away from roguelike conventions, and it succeeds. In Deathloop you don’t play the same parts over and over; you choose how you will move around. You can start your day in the afternoon in a level and then move to another in the nighttime, before waking up at the beach again, or you can start over from the morning and experience all four time periods.
The thing is, though, that to kill all 8 Visionaries in one day, you have to get them in the right place, at the right time. You have four opportunities every day, so you have to find two or more of the antagonists together. At first it seems too complex, but as you learn more about the island and its residents, you will understand what needs to be done, and how to do it.
The game guides you without holding your hand; it doesn’t throw you in its world and leave you be, but it doesn’t thoroughly explain every part of the way either. You will need to investigate. You will collect incredibly written notes, that contain messages or snipets of colourful dialogue between the Visionaries. You will hear audio tapes, you will visit their apartments, you will learn everything there is to know about your enemies’ personalities. Then, you’ll need to manipulate them. There are many methods and opportunities to do so, and the way they are discovered little by little is impeccably designed.
A house is on fire in the afternoon, but you need to go in to find a clue? Not a problem! Go there in the morning, investigate, find out the cause of the fire and cancel it before it happens. Now, you are free to explore, but only for this loop, because the next day will reset everything and you’ll need to undo the fire again. This is a simple example, but you get the gist: you will have to find connections between different times and places, and experiment to find the answers. It’s very interesting, really well-done, and a novel approach.
Mind you, it will take you roughly 15 hours to finish Deathloop, so there’s a lot to uncover and learn. When everything comes together and you live your last day in Deathloop’s world, you’ll see all the systems, characters, skills and information coming together in an unforgettable way.
The story is engaging, the actors are fantastic (especially Colt and Julliana’s), the main antagonists are exciting too -if only a bit underdeveloped. Visually, Deathloop gets the job done, without being very impressive. It’s not a game that serves as a technical showcase, but everything works as it should and looks pretty and stylish too. The music, also, is a high point. This game drips coolness and style, but doesn’t lack for substance.
Sure, the structure can get tiring after a while, but there’s enough here to maintain your interest. There are some light roguelike elements: every time you restart a loop, you lose everything. You lose weapons, powers and the only thing you keep is the knowledge you acquired. After some time, though, (pretty early on) you will find a way to keep your gear between runs. It’s really easy to do so, and soon you will not even care about an imminent death and its consequences.
Arkane has created a neat system, one that’s borrowing from roguelikes while not being one of them, and one that adds variety and personalization to a playthrough. The biggest problem is the gradual decrease of the difficulty. As you get stronger, you will start feeling like a superhero and you will stop caring about the enemy NPCs. Nobody will be able to stop you and you’ll just run around, not bothering with stealth tactics or covering yourself from bullets. It gets so easy that the sense of danger is toned down more and more, to a point of total negation.
Thankfully, there’s Julianna. In a stroke of genius, Arkane added multiplayer elements in Deathloop. It works like this: now and then, you will be “invaded” by Julianna, who is played either by the AI or by another human player (you can turn the multiplayer mode on or off). If Julianna is an AI, she is just a stronger, boss-like enemy you have to deal with in order to proceed. If it’s another player controlling her, it gets really interesting. Julianna can disguise herself, she can change her appearance to that of any other NPC. So, a guard strolling around near a gate, can actually be Julianna. The player controlling her can go about in many different ways: they can hide and attack you by surprise, they can challenge you head-on, or they can use illusion tactics and tricks.
Every encounter is an adrenaline rush: Julianna tends to appear at the worst times. You will find something important and you’ll need to make it to the end of the loop, but your arch enemy will have different plans for you. It’s hard dealing with Julianna, but Colt does have an edge over her, because you have three “lives” in each loop, while she only has one. A very well thought-out system, that works on all levels and is engaging and fun, whether you play as Colt or Julianna.
The classic Arkane formula goes to the next level with Deathloop, in every possible way. It’s a memorable experience, one that’s sure to stick with you and one you will not easily find elsewhere. Arkane manages to merge different genres seamlessly and give us an-one-of-a-kind experience, incredibly designed and constantly entertaining. Don’t miss out on this one. Pure style, with enough substance to back it.
RollerCoaster Tycoon 3 brings such a wonderful and entertaining experience! Building, designing, and creating one’s own attractions had always amazed me most about this game. As it is an amusement theme park and a tycoon game, you’ll be able to work as an architect having your canvas being this free space to create and make money along the way. Designing all sorts of rollercoasters, plenty of other fun rides, and even some lovely visual landscapes and other entertaining attractions, which can be blended or all dedicated to just a single theme. The possibilities are endless in this game. Unlike a few versions before, there is so much more one can do and build within this game.
Fortunately, I was lucky enough to have had a chance years ago to play a version of RollerCoaster Tycoon for the PC, a game my Aunt owned. That actually started my love for tycoon-style games, especially theme park types. Afterward, I had been hooked playing so many other tycoon games, a few very similar to this one. Yet, no game ever came close to RollerCoaster Tycoon especially this updated and complete version, the 3rd edition.
To be honest, RollerCoaster Tycoon is one game that will always bring back pleasant memories and be the first game I think of when I want to play a tycoon-style game. Since it is the one that really started my joy for tycoon games. Then again, being young and amazed with the ability to make an amusement park from scratch, well that helps too! Nevertheless, I wouldn’t steer anyone down the wrong path or hypnotize them by making something out to be better when it really isn’t. So don’t worry, I won’t be telling you that playing this edition is nothing but the best game ever and you won’t be sorry to have played it! Nope, don’t worry about that, I will be honest and will provide my honest opinion about this game, especially cause there is so much more that could have been done or made way better!
So to begin, I want to start by sharing the level of experience I had when I was young building my own amusement parks on the PC version of RollerCoaster Tycoon, which was amazing. Now years later playing the 3rd edition on my Nintendo Switch Lite console only gave me a memorable, wonderful, and excellent experience. Plus, just I can’t believe how much better things just got as the game has evolved and updated with the ability to do more than one could do before. Including the ability to play on a handheld console and take it on the go. So that was actually the first acknowledged aspect of the game, a better gameplay experience than I had before.
I honestly love that there is so much more one can do, from the awesome capabilities of tools supplied to the player and even one’s own possibilities to think outside the box. Allowing you to take control of not just what you can place and set inside the fenced park, but how high or low you want to go with any attraction you want to design. Also, creating original things by adding rollercoasters, wild safari, or just the path you want, which can go nowhere or end in a spot where people can sit, enjoy food and view the scenery, it’s all possible in this game. There is nothing but a realistic sense of what a theme or an amusement park is all about!
On top of all that, just being able o be an architect and designer, you can even get to take control of the camera to view in and out as far and close within the park. Allowing you the player, to see how the people are enjoying and they line up to get on a ride, what they do when inside the park, and so much more! Additionally, I want to let you in on this other aspect of the game which I’ve always enjoyed. You can choose a working member or guest that you want to see what they do while in the park. Also, the capability to access a ride to adjust the prices and keep the entire park running smoothly. This would be by keeping things repaired; working correctly when needed, and updating the rides to make a park stay flawless for days, weeks, months, and years to come!
In addition to what you can create, now it’s time to jump on to the ride and take a test drive. Giving you a taste of what you’ve created and feeling the thrill of the ride for the first time or how many times you’d want to ride it! That’s one feature that makes this game so amazing. Just to be in the rider’s seat alone or with others, and watch exactly how it feels to ride the rollercoaster around each curve, steep drop, or just the way it speeds from beginning to the end. That I must admit is one feature I don’t want them to ever get rid of in any upcoming games. This really makes the game way better than any version I’ve tried in the past!
Even though there are plenty of features that really made this game most enjoyable, and yes, I named a few already, but I can’t help to go back over each aspect and explain the wonderful features in detail. Also, what I haven’t yet mentioned, those parts that I didn’t feel were created very well or could have been worked on longer to give a more appealing and realistic look. Before I do begin, I do want to let you know that I’m not going to take the time and compare any older and newer versions. As there will always be a better version of the game as time goes on and even the classic versions are great in their own ways. So here we go!
First, I tried so much of the game and even got to comprehend how to work with the game’s technical and way more complex features. This I didn’t take as a negative aspect or would I consider it being a problem. Instead, it’s just something you need to get a hang of while playing. Like in every game, especially simulator types. Thankfully the game does help the player understand the keys; mapping of the buttons on the controller to move and maneuver between different features. It does get easier, after a few times working with the first career goal in the game. Understanding everything you need to do to access and use the buttons correctly. I do have a little unfavorable feeling about this, and that will be explained below.
Oh yes, I wanted to add a little note about the console. When I used the Nintendo Switch Lite to play the game, well it isn’t bad for this game. However, I felt that it may appear better and even nicer on a bigger screen with the original Nintendo Switch. Since there is so much more to see, and the player may want to be able to get an idea of where you’re moving or placing new additional features in the park. Especially cause the bottom of the screen has the object choosing feature blocking a large portion of the screen when in use, the left and right side. Regardless, I played this on the lite and I honestly still was given that full entertainment experience.
One example of this, I was able to view the entire landscape that goes beyond the park at all angles and using a full rotation, 360° with the camera. It practically allows you to see everything. One thing that is always fun to check out with the camera zoom-in feature, is being able to see the face of the guest or working members. However, you can pull so far out, zoom out and see what is beyond the park or how much more area you can purchase or may want to invest in for a larger park.
Another favorite feature of the game is the freedom to do what you like, build as much as you want, and charge a fee that will not only support the park’s upgrades but keep things working as they should. Also, don’t forget the actual things that people do when they come to any theme or amusement park. This could be leaving messes, buying food, using bathroom stalls, buying other items, and so on. Sometimes, sitting back and watching the scenery is another piece of a theme park, which is also something these guests will be doing. So no matter what may be in your park, so as to mine, this game allows you to go above and beyond the original game and allows you to do so much!
Now, if that wasn’t great to be able to build one’s own park in the career mode. Another would be the ability to create from an empty lot; starting from scratch. Nothing there just you and all the tools you can use to begin building. The sandbox mode is what this is called, and it’s one mode you can choose from the beginning. Allowing you to create and build as big or small of a park as you like.
Of course, in either mode, time goes by at the same pace. As if in life, we have 24 hours, well this seems to be a bit different with the timing, cuts off as it gets dark, and begins at 10 am again. Thankfully, that moves the day along quicker, but even better is this bonus feature that allows us to control the time. No more waiting for the day or days to go by. Especially if the goal is to get a certain amount of cash or people in the park. We can adjust the time’s speed. Getting us faster to winning the goal of the career mode or achieving what is needed to be achieved. That is another thing I’m grateful about in this game.
However, don’t get me wrong, speeding is a great idea, but it doesn’t mean one can’t pay attention to the financial and other data, as it may end up going down verse up in earning, people coming into the park, or even just everything that could go wrong and needs to be repaired to keep the park thriving. Thankfully, this additional speed feature allows you the ability to pause the game if need be and do some adjustments. It also allows you to continue at a normal speed, pick it up a bit quicker and go to a super-fast pace that will help you get to a timespan you need to accomplish a task or just to get the day or a few over sooner. No matter the purpose, it’s a wonderful feature that really comes in handy. Especially during the normal career mode.
One last thing that I really enjoyed most about this game is that there are three additional features in one section of the main menu. This really caught my attention and I am considering it to be one giant plus towards why this game is awesome! The first of the three is the ability to design one’s, own member or guest. Not many details can be changed by clothing, but the rest from 3 different ages; a child, teen, or adult stage of life and the sex type; female or male can be adjusted. Also, like a simulation game, you can even play around with the hairstyle and color. The only thing is that it’s only a bit limited as mentioned above with the clothing style, yet there is the ability to change the design or color to make it appear original from one another.
The second out of these three additions is the ability to construct your own rollercoaster. Now, this is just awesome! There is no price limit, you can make it as big and unique as you’d like. The only problem to come with this is that if your architectural design is not quite right, it may end up not running properly. Some common issues I’ve come to realize when trying is that the slope may be a bit steep going up, right after taking off from the starting point or there is not enough speed to get the vehicles to get up the rollercoaster. Therefore, you may have the same issue that happened to me, the ride might just have you going backward or nowhere as a result. At least there is that chance to test the ride before saving or accepting it as a ride to keep and use during actual gameplay.
Nevertheless, the way we players style or personalize the rides, in this creative mode is fully up to us. Allowing all the enjoyment to create as we would like to if given a chance in a real-life. That’s already very amazing and something worth playing around with! Who knows, we might just all be very great rollercoaster designers and this can be a good way to see for sure!
Now the third creative option that is also very original from any other theme park games I’ve played before, which I’m also loving is the ability to create one’s own decorative features for the park. You can save it in a file and have the ability to add a large or small combined decorative design when you like. Just as you can with the two mentioned above. As an example of this creative option, if you wanted to put a dinosaur with trees and bushes in a gated fence for the guest coming into the park to enjoy, well you can! Plus, much more.
This allows you the ability to have premade designs for the park and even the sandbox mode, with less creating needed to be done as it’s saved and can be reused as often as needed. This and the last two mentioned are one other reason to love this game! Especially, the reason why I love the game way more!
Of course, as it might have seemed as if I only have generous words to say about this game. It’s almost like it’s my dream game which I’ve wanted to play and no others could ever compare. However, I can’t say it’s all wonderful and must confess that there are a few negative aspects of the game that would really cause one to feel a bit confused and distracted by the graphics, especially if the game has all these wonderful and new features, why not make the character design a little more realistic as well!
The first issue I came across is that the game might come off odd when nighttime hits. The night goes quite fast, but when it does, it isn’t as clear to see much of anything and appears a bit dark. Not much light to see the amusement park at night. I figure adding some lamps would help, even if there are a few. Yet it’s so quick in the beginning that it goes quite fast and not as clear as I was hoping even in that small amount of time. It’s a little strange and even with a normal speed of time, it just feels a bit less realistic and I’d love to capture some images at night. It would have been a better graphic adjustment with the lighting at night.
Also, let me squeeze this in and say if the character graphics could be improved, that would be nice too! They appear not super clear, but a very classic appeal from like when Playstation came out and the character’s graphics looked similar to this. However, it’s not that bad, just why not upgrade what you see a bit and not just add so much nice features to the game. At least the rides look amazing!
The second negative aspect is that the game has so many controls. Remember I had mentioned there was something that frustrated me a little about the controls, this is where I explain that issue. Since each way to control an object reuses the same buttons mapped on the controller. This can just get to be a bit confusing sometimes. Therefore, one must learn a bit of how too, before speeding through or hoping to achieve the career goals. Also, this is where I would suggest that the player use the pause speed option. It gives the player a chance to construct and do what needs to be done, like practice the buttons while nothing is moving; time sits still till you start the moving time speed.
At least, the player is taught how to work with the controller while playing the game with the tutorial mode left on. Each skill to use a new feature in this game is well explained. Practically, each time you open a new object to add to the theme park or try something new, which you’ve never tried doing or selecting before, the tutorial mode will tell you what buttons to press and how to use them correctly. Thankfully, if you aren’t a newbie, no worries cause there is a selection in the main menu to turn this option off and on if need be. Since I know how boring it can be to have the repetitive tutorial info appear when you’ve played or know what needs to be done. There is also plenty of other things that can be adjusted, which is a pleasure too.
I guess that would be the only problem I came upon. Maybe the ability to play the music being added to a ride, allowing us to hear test it; hear it ahead of time before adding it would have been nice. Yet, it’s fine, I’m still pleased with the game. So I honestly don’t have much to complain about or really anything that made me feel let down. Everything was quite stunning and brings back memories of playing that PC version at my Aunt’s house during the summer. Yet this one is so much nicer and highly upgraded and fully entertaining on my Nintendo Switch Lite
Lastly, I would like to say what can be more appealing to a tycoon or sim-style gamer than the ability to have access to change and do anything you want! Without limit to how creative or unique the park you want to own can look just done in right from your own mind, put together in hours. Also, it’s a game that can be played in so many ways and replayed over and over, the fun never ends! This is the main reason why I love it and I just can’t stop playing around with my rollercoaster amusement theme park, I LOVE IT!
