Review: Pukan Bye-Bye!

Daniel Waite
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Review: Pukan Bye-Bye!
My video review with footage captured on my Xbox Series X, enjoy!

I always forget that players’ abilities vary, and what could be tough for me will be easy for others. However, I like to think I’m pretty average, so my thought process and skills aren’t too far off the mark. This theory about ease and difficulty forms the core concept of Pukan Bye-Bye! and the game’s description mocks you in a tongue-in-cheek way.

Developed by Artalasky and published by ChiliDog Interactive, this is a retro side-scrolling platform title. Set across an array of levels, players must overcome obstacles, traps, and their own rage to progress. It is deceptively simple and made me squeal repeatedly.

Pukan Bye-Bye! is horribly tough. 

I don’t care if I sound like a petulant child, but Pukan Bye-Bye! is bloody horrible to play. I hate it, hate it, hate it! Yet, I couldn’t put it down. Like OkunoKA Madness or Super Meat Boy, this has a distinct sadomasochistic undertone. You’ll die repeatedly, fail stage after stage, and scream profanities, yet you’ll desperately want to get the protagonist to the finish line. 

The gameplay doesn’t offer anything more than its peers, yet it still stands out. The combination of traps, brutality, and stage design makes it a rewarding and cathartic experience. On the surface, each level looks easy to finish. You scan the environment, plan your route, and begin your journey. Yet, things are rarely this straightforward and traps, monsters, and illusions all lie in wait. 

Push those blocks.

Drip-fed mechanics and a test of memory and reactions. 

What I loved about the difficulty curve within Pukan Bye-Bye! was the drip-fed mechanics. Not only did this balance out the difficulty, but every five levels, new monsters or traps were added to the mix. The new elements always took you by surprise and were a great way of keeping the action fresh.

Alongside these new elements, the developers tested your memory recall and reactions. Every stage remains the same, no matter how many attempts you made to overcome them. This forces you to learn the pitfalls and finer details of each level. Moreover, you must leap gaps, land millimetres from spikes, and hit moving platforms. It’s hellish, tough, and will test the hardiest of players.

Use the skulls to bridge the gaps.

Pukan Bye-Bye! is a stylish indie title. 

Many developers want their game to stand out and Pukan Bye-Bye! has achieved this. Using contrasting colours and some monochromatic imagery, the simple minimalist approach is nice to look at. I admired the retro aesthetics, the clean-cut UI, and the interesting stage design. The movement of the protagonist and traps were clunky, but this added to its dated charms.

Where it falls short, however, is its lack of music. Much of the action is set to silence, and this gives off a flat vibe. Yes, there are some basic sound effects but these barely mask the lack of high-energy tunes. I had an expectation of 80s synth-inspired songs, so to get nothing was disappointing. 

Hit the switch and leap through the exit.

Unresponsive controls. 

In a game all about reactions and precision, you’d expect the controls to be on point. Sadly, you die repeatedly thanks to the unresponsive controls. You’ll move, try to jump, and fall to your death. This happens too much to be user error, and it makes a tough game much harder. Subsequently, many gamers will quit without playing it thoroughly. Other than the movement issues, the rest of the layout is well-designed, straightforward, and easy to understand. 

Hardcore games rely on a stubborn player base that is determined to battle through the pain. Its sheer brutality vastly increases its longevity and only the toughest of players will keep playing. Moreover, the necessity to be pinpoint accurate and agile as a ninja separates the wheat from the chaff. Furthermore, its replay value is reliant on blind determination rather than any form of enjoyment.

Though it made me angry, I liked the challenge, but; it wasn’t perfect. You collect coins on every stage and these have no bearing on the game. Also, there is no speedrun option and this could easily have been incorporated. If the developers had implemented either of these ideas, it would have exponentially improved longevity.

Pukan Bye-Bye! needs a tweak. 

Much of the action is perfectly serviceable and is enjoyable and challenging. However, its shortcomings leave much to be desired. The controls are unnecessarily frustrating, and the collectables are pointless. Yet, the graphics are good, the level designs are interesting, and the drip-fed mechanics keep you focused. There is no doubt that Pukan Bye-Bye! will enrage you, but this is one of its alluring charms. I liked it in spite of its faults and recommend you to buy it here! Study the levels, remember every trap, and make it to the portal alive! 

Review: Guild of Dungeoneering Ultimate Edition

Ethan Goldreyer
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Review: Guild of Dungeoneering Ultimate Edition

Like most people who’ve been struck by lightning more times than they’ve passed math classes, I like to think of myself as a creative individual. It’s always been a favorite pass-time of mine to dream up little worlds, to live in them inside my head, and populate them with all manner of weirdos and miscreants with whom I imagine I’d be good acquaintances, at the very least. Of course, much of this fantastical make-believe is largely relegated to my distant past, as adulthood has granted me far more depressing scenarios to ponder in my free time. Guild of Dungeoneering, however, managed to evoke those ancient feelings beautifully, heaving my calcified whimsy gland from its tomb, dusting it off, and teaching it to play cards. Developer Gambrinous has crafted a quaint little deck-building roguelike, one which oozes character and charm despite its minimalistic art direction, and which displays a refreshing understanding of its own mechanical depth.

In Guild of Dungeoneering, you assume the role of a sort of omniscient architect, constructing a home base of operations – which you can upgrade with resources earned from completing quests – as well as building the very dungeons your disposable heroes must fight through to progress. You see, GoD’s “hook” is that you assemble the levels, and your characters traverse them of their own free will, fighting the enemies they want to fight and collecting the loot that speaks to them. Each turn, your dungeoneer will walk in a single direction, determined by the objects occupying the rooms they have access to. If there’s some gold in the left room and nothing in the right one, you can bet the dungeoneer is going to make their way to the gold ten times out of ten. This is precisely why I feel the game fails to accurately depict heros with minds of their own; their will is so easily manipulated by placing the right cards in the right spots that the game’s level construction mechanics quickly become about strategy and planning ahead, rather than working around the unpredictable whims of some bumbling adventurer. That said, the inventive brand of strategy Guild of Dungeoneering offers is good fun, and it employs a variety of systems to combine the inherent joy of creation with the right-brained satisfaction of a plan coming together.

Ultimately, GoD’s dungeon exploration is a numbers game, wherein your cute little heroes will inevitably die horrendous deaths without the proper stats. But of course, a hero can’t grow more powerful without fighting monsters in the first place, and thus the game’s core system of risk and reward is born. Do you place down a monster card, putting your hero in harm’s way for the chance to make them stronger? Or do you play a room, allowing them to move toward the level’s boss more quickly, but forgoing the opportunity to level up? This dichotomy is essential to the sense of agency GoD provides, and allowed me to feel as though I was genuinely contributing to the creation of my own journey, while not feeling overwhelmed by freedom thanks to the game’s smart limitations on card usage and enemy placement. The card battling mechanics here, too, make excellent use of combining simple systems with random elements to create a surprising amount of depth. For example, many of the cards you acquire grant a bonus to your attack on your next turn if you damage your opponent, so you’re often rewarded for tactical forethought. Indeed, nearly every facet of the game requires you to consider its interlocking mechanisms as a whole in order to succeed. To gain resources, you need to advance through dungeons, but to advance through dungeons you need to have access to the proper dungeoneers unlocked in the guild, and to unlock those dungeoneers you’ll need to be knowledgeable of each card and its nuances. I would’ve liked the guild construction to feel more impactful, as often it seemed to me more like a glorified shop than a player-conceived facility, but I appreciated that the guild’s simplicity allowed the combat and dungeon assembly to shine as the game’s center.           

I was frankly blown away by Guild of Dungeoneering’s visual and sound design. From just a few sketchy pencil drawings and an almost entirely monochromatic color scheme, Gambrinous has managed to cobble together a textured, vibrant fantasy setting which truly excels on the back of its brilliant sound and music. Enemies have little voiced grunts and wails, gold makes a suitably rich “clink” when collected, and a faceless bard serenades you with clever jingles about your success and – more often – terrible failure. Not only did they add immeasurable flavor to the game, but hearing these tunes upon finishing quests was hugely motivational when the owl bears and fire imps in my way proved nigh insurmountable. Depicting the characters and dungeons as paper cutouts on graph paper was an ingeniously economic design decision as well, as it effortlessly conjures verdant valleys and murky swamps – as a tabletop dungeon master might – without necessitating the developer’s creation of even a single tree.

In a world where roguelikes threaten to outnumber most insect species, I found Guild of Dungeoneering to be a refreshingly simple take on the genre. While its core conceit – that you’ll be dealing with heros who think for themselves – is largely false, I preferred the synthesis of its dungeon creation and card battling mechanics to whatever theoretical fun struggling against a headstrong AI might’ve been. Building out my home base was a bit underwhelming, serving as a far less strategic component than I would’ve hoped, but thanks to its charming aesthetic, engaging card battles, and tactical approach to creativity, GoD is a little game I can see myself returning to for months to come. 

Review: Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun – Aiko’s Choice

Charles Ombler
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Review: Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun – Aiko’s Choice

Save-Scumming (Verb, Informal) – The act of saving a video game after every small amount of progress so any mistakes can be undone with minimal lost progress. An act often deplored by the gaming community due to a perception of removing consequence and difficulty from the game in question.

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun – Aiko’s Choice is two things. Firstly it’s the worst named video game I’ve ever seen – it has a title, a subtitle and a sub-subtitle. If you have a sufficient lifespan to type out the title into google and then still have the energy to read a description of the game, it’s hard to see where the title stops and the description begins. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if it turned out this is all still part of the title. And this. The other thing that ST:BotS-AC is (yes, that’s what I’m calling it from now on, this review needs to have a statistically significant portion that isn’t the name of the game) is my proposal for the new dictionary definition of save-scumming for when that phrase is added to the next edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, something I’m sure they’re working on as we speak.

In ST:BotS-AC you play as Aiko and 4 of her shogun friends. Each of the shoguns has a unique set of skills that make them suited to a type of approach to a situation, be it stealth stealth, social stealth or bad stealth. It’s a stealth game if that wasn’t clear. The range of skill sets possessed by the group makes them perfectly matched to work together and complement each other’s abilities. But what sort of situation are they approaching? Lady Chiyo, Aiko’s former master has kidnapped 2 of your number, Yuki and Takuma. It’s up to you to escape the execution she has planned for the remaining members of your party and free your kidnapped friends.

ST:BotS-AC is an isometric real-time strategy game where you control your party of shogun. You generally have the objective of ‘get to this place’ and you need to work out how to do that without alerting any of the enemy guards. Some of your shoguns are better equipped for this than others, for example, Aiko can wear a costume to pass through guards’ cones of vision without alerting them, making getting to a location relatively easy, however, Mugen, the big and slow shogun is as stealthy as Homer Simpson wearing a brass band, meaning getting your whole party to the location is not as simple as it first appears. This is a genius move as it means you’ll need to use your stealthier shogun to clear a path for the less stealthy members of the party, really pulling the team together like a well-oiled machine.

To help you with this objective, you have a bunch of skills to assist in distracting and incapacitating guards. Firstly, the slighter members of the team can hop up onto a rooftop at any rappelling point, getting them out of sight from the guards. From up here, they can throw distracting items to pull the guards away from the less stealthy member’s path or simply drop down to do an assassination. As you would expect, all of the guards are looking at each other to some extent, making it a challenging puzzle to determine the right order to take them out or distract them to ensure you don’t alert the group. The game gives you a lovely present to help level the playing field – you can cue up actions to make sure you time them perfectly. Maybe you’ll use two of your shogun to take out two guards who are looking at each other at exactly the same time. This makes you feel like a stealth god and the whole adventure feel like a well-choreographed dance.

Obviously, when you’re choreographing a dance on the fly, things will go wrong. This is where the save scumming comes in. The game encourages you to save constantly – so much so that there is a counter at the top of the screen that tracks how many seconds it has been since your last save. ST:BotS-AC is one of those games where save-scumming is necessary, as you would have a miserable time going back to the start every time something goes wrong. And things will go wrong: a guard on the other side of the map will catch a glance of the bloody corpse you’ve just made, an assassination might be slightly mistimed so the guard can raise the alarm before they’re silenced by the toll of death’s ominous bell or Mugen might not be as hidden behind that cart as you think he is. Once an alarm has been raised it’s technically possible to switch things up to go loud and beat the level without stealth but this is a LOT harder and absolutely not how the game is supposed to be played. Being able to jump back to a few seconds before you cocked up is a life-saver in this game and something you will do a lot.

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun – Aiko’s Choice is excellent. Gorgeous looking, satisfying as hell and gloriously challenging, ST:BotS-AC will have you channelling the energy of a stealthy shogun in no time. Cueing up your attacks so 5 shoguns jump out of 5 bushes to take out 5 guards at exactly the same time feels so powerful and a 90:10 split of set-up to action makes every action feel weighty, important and gratifying. Being encouraged to save all the time makes the game flow much more smoothly than it could otherwise and removes 99% of any potential frustration. It also feels like the game saying “It’s okay. You can save as much as you want to and you’re still good at stealth. I want you to do it. I give you permission.” ST:BotS-AC should definitely be on your radar if it isn’t already.

Review: Whiskey Mafia: Leo’s Family

Daniel Waite
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Review: Whiskey Mafia: Leo’s Family

I don’t know about you, but I love danger and I’m attracted to things I probably shouldn’t be. This is why I’m fascinated by crime and the world of the gangsters of the 20s. I’ve recently covered Whiskey Mafia: Frank’s Story and wasn’t impressed, so when I was given Whiskey Mafia: Leo’s Family I was understandably a little dubious.

Developed by FastGame and published by ChiliDog Interactive, this is a narrative-driven crime tale. Set in the 20s, this coins itself as the prequel to Frank’s Story. Subsequently, it helps to fill in some blanks, but no prior knowledge of the franchise is needed to play this game.

Hard work is honest work.

Whiskey Mafia: Leo’s Family has a confusing timeline. 

You control Christopher, an Italian descendent of a port worker who is fed up with life. His family is poor, his father barely survives, and he doesn’t want to live like that. His dad is a good and honest man and wants his son to have these traits. He puts him through automotive school and gets him a job in a garage. However, Christopher wants more, so he visits his shady uncle who keeps unsavoury company. From here, his life becomes more exciting and dangerous, and you join Leo’s family of mobsters. Plenty of crime ensues, and subsequently, there are many brushes with the law.

Theoretically, the plot is pretty good as clear inspiration is taken from much-loved gangster films. The characters are stereotypical, clichéd, and dated, but they add charm and grit to the story. Furthermore, the protagonist is likeable and his plight will resonate with many people. Sadly, though, if you’ve played the original, the timeline of events doesn’t add up. Whiskey Mafia: Leo’s Family is intended as a prequel, yet many of the events are in sync, and this was confusing. This misunderstanding doesn’t impact the gameplay, it simply doesn’t match the game’s description.

A shady place, full of shady characters.

Mini-games, badly translated text, and a lack of action. 

Whiskey Mafia: Leo’s Family has taken a different approach to the first game. Frank’s Story insisted you walked the streets while completing tasks. However, this uses a point and click method blended with visual novel elements. It was a bizarre combination that restricted your ability to explore and slowed the pace. It made me feel like a spectator as opposed to a player, and this was very strange.

This sense of observing the plot was occasionally broken by simple and mundane mini-games. You’ll fix car issues in the form of a pipe game or move boxes using your cursor. Neither are challenging nor interesting and add little to the plot. Their only purpose is to cement Christopher’s character at that point in the story. For example, is he still a mechanic and a good boy, or is he shifting merchandise as a gangster?

Sadly, the disappointment continues with the badly translated narration. Now, this wouldn’t normally bother me. However, every element of the game is based on the text. Fortunately, though, it wasn’t impossible to read between the lines, and much of the text was salvageable. The developers should have proofread the game before release as the issues undermine a truly interesting tale. 

Whiskey Mafia: Leo’s Family is the epitome of the 20s.

Though much of the gameplay hasn’t worked, FastGame’s presentation was spot on. The authenticity of the city, vehicles, and clothing capture the era perfectly. This was then complemented by the excellent pixelated artistry. Furthermore, the mix of colours represented the oppressive lifestyle of the poor and the extravagance of the wealthy.

The audio did wonders to bring life to an otherwise slow title. The combination of jazz music and loud sound effects added plenty of energy. This was fantastic, as the lack of action and mundane mini-games undermined its potential. 

Just walk on by.

It plays like a visual novel. 

I love a good visual novel, so when a game borrows heavily from this genre, I don’t mind. However, most gamers won’t be expecting a Mafia game to take this approach. Whiskey Mafia: Leo’s Family is an adventure title with a hard-hitting theme, so it should be more hands-on. Most players will be underwhelmed by the direction this takes and this will leave many disappointed. There is one positive to take from it though, the control system is simple to understand. Subsequently, if you enjoy the gameplay, you’ll have little to worry about. 

One element I enjoyed was the two distinct endings. Like many visual novels, you can influence the protagonist’s path. Therefore, you decide whether Christopher will be good or bad, and this adds a smidgeon of longevity. Sadly, though, the developers didn’t expand on this area and this was a missed opportunity. Yet, it’s not all doom and gloom, especially if you are a completionist. With an easy achievement list, you’ll finish this in less than an hour. 

Whiskey Mafia: Leo’s Family falls into the same traps as its predecessor. 

The Whiskey Mafia franchise has such potential that I will look at further additions. Yet, the two I have covered fail to live up to their potential. This is disappointing as FastGame gets some elements right, but far too many were wrong. I enjoyed it, but I can’t recommend it. If you want an easy achievement game, then you can buy it here! Experience the life of a mobster or abide by the law. The choice is yours. 

Review: Insomnis

Alex Chessun
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Review: Insomnis

The haunted mansion concept might have been done before, but solving the secrets of the dark and sinister walls at the old Castevet mansion in Insomnis, this short first-person horror title does not feel like a road retred, with its puzzles instead unveiling an intriguing story and tension-filled experience.

Created by a grand total of two people, this title will tear your nerves to shreds and uses – in my opinion – the perfect balance of horror and interactivity (which I’ve touched on before) by taking as much functionality and control away from the player as possible and then frightening the bejesus out of you with a tense soundtrack and the threat of ‘something’ appearing out of nowhere to steal your soul.

The game starts as you learn that your grandfather has bequeathed his entire estate to you upon his death and, as presumably his sole living relative, its up to you to visit his home and go through it. An easy enough task – or so you’d think – as it seems its still resident to something eager to show you the disturbing events that the walls have recently been witness to.

Clues are dotted around the house for you to discover and apply to puzzles that progress the story linearly, as well as postcards and written reports that act as backstory collectibles, and despite its relatively simple formula, is done excellently, with each puzzle having a reason for taking place in that specific location and in that order. They are also super freaky and always had me dreading what would happen if I actually solved them.

Perhaps the freakiest puzzle of them all. Even after you figure it out, it doesn’t make it any easier walking through it.

You are also utterly powerless from preventing anything that occurs in front of you, other than shining your rather ineffective flashlight at it or picking up objects. Contrasting with horror title Outlast though, which also takes all potential abilities away from the protagonist, there’s no need to hide from your pursuers in cupboards under the threat of being bludgeoned to death and there are no lives or health bar to speak of, but the fear of the unknown is always that much more terrifying, and as you are being guided through the house to fill in the gaps of your estranged grandfather’s past, there’s absolutely no let up.

The conductor pulling the strings in this regard is a soundtrack that has you completely wrapped around its finger. It’s not particularly varied but doesn’t need to be, as when the freaky pulsating drone that occupies the audio track stops entirely to a deafening silence, you pray for it to return as the fever pitch-level tension puts you on tenterhooks and convinced that something is about to jump out at you.

Now that is just genius.

Playing the secondary role in supporting the sky-high tension is a clever level design that not only has you learn every nook and cranny of the house off by heart, but combines it with the game’s lighting, or lack thereof, and restricts your view to such an extent that it allows for newly built tension from each story thread to be sustained, even though it’s often the same hallways that you are walking down. 

In fact, Insomnis achieved what I hope every videogame would – it completely turned my expectations upside down, by putting together elements that I have long considered poorly implemented. A true horror title with limited functionality made it terrifying, and its puzzles had a justifiable reason for their existence when so often they seem artificially included as filler gameplay. Poor lighting also doesn’t seem like it’s penalizing the player and instead aids the experience.

Just a standard horror playroom then…….

It’s not all faded sunshine and wilted roses though, as there are reminders that you’re not looking at a AAA title, with its runtime (4-5 hours) and some of the trickier elements lacking. The character models, for example, contrast to the quality of the Unreal engine’s environment detail and the amateurish voice acting defuses tension at inopportune times, but overall, Insomnis’s memorable set-piece puzzles, and its ending, which gives you a couple of choices on how to wrap up the fates of the characters, will more than likely have you thankful that you took the jump in playing it.

Review: DEEEER Simulator

Daniel Waite
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Review: DEEEER Simulator
My video review with footage captured from my Xbox Series X, enjoy!

Simulator titles have a hardcore following of players thanks to their ultra-realistic approach to many scenarios. However, occasionally, the odd absurd title breaks the mould while receiving cult status. Most famously, the silliness of Goat Simulator has won hearts the world over. So, it comes as no surprise that other developers would try to get their piece of the pie. DEEEER Simulator: Your Average Everyday Deer Game is the latest title to muscle in on this cramped genre. Will it be a flop, or will it be enDEEERing?

Developed by Gibier Games and published by Playism, this is a floppy, physics-inspired simulation title. Thanks to its unusual concept, the developers were free to be as immature as possible, and they were. Therefore, players can expect some nonsensical action that’ll make you chuckle throughout.

DEEEER Simulator is undeniably stupid.

I’m no simulator genre aficionado, but I admit I love to play them. The ability to take on different jobs and lose hours of my life appeals to me. Sometimes, however, I just want a bit of mindless fun, and this is why I enjoyed Totally Reliable Delivery Service and Just Die Already. Sadly, though, I wasn’t so keen on Goat Simulator, so I was a little apprehensive when taking on DEEEER Simulator.

You start the game as a human who bravely saves a deer from almost certain death. Unfortunately, though, this heroic act has dire consequences and your stint as a human is over in the blink of an eye. Luckily, reincarnation is a ‘thing’ as you become a mighty stag. Having been killed in the accident, you are understandably a little peeved. You take your anger out on any human you encounter and this is the core concept behind the game.

Just a deer on a horse.

A loose story hidden in the madness.

DEEEER Simulator effectively demands that you smash anything in sight. You’ll hit cars with your hoofs, butt buildings with your antlers, and run at humans. Destruction and mayhem are key, and as cars blow up and buildings tumble you will find guns, grenades, and samurai swords. You arm yourself with as many weapons as you can, and continue your destructive spree. The more damage you cause, the more your Deersaster level increases. It is ranked from E to A and each time the gauge is filled, you will face an army of powerful police animals. You’ll battle sheep, polar bears, rabbits, and finally a giant dog. Sadly, though, the waves of enemies don’t pose much of a threat, and within moments the danger is thwarted.

The lack of difficulty never bothered me as I thoroughly enjoyed the madness that ensued. Moreover, I liked how this bizarre title hides a story under all its madness. Hidden around the city are portals and puzzles that must be solved to progress the plot. In true DEEEER Simulator style, unlocking and solving them isn’t straightforward. Whether you must ride a flying cow across the ocean, defeat a giant dog and drag it to a temple, or better a ‘Cursed Deer’ , there is plenty to do. Alongside this, you must overcome a giant fish, dodge the lasers of a building hugging koala, and deerify humans. The latter option was the epitome of stupidity, but I loved it. You can convince your army of humans to destroy the surrounding world, or simply follow you in a groovy dance. It was unnecessary, bizarre, but will make you chuckle repeatedly.

Feel the power of the robodeer.

DEEEER Simulator lacks polish, but who cares!

I’m never bothered by graphics, yet I do expect a game to be well optimised. Fortunately, DEEEER Simulator runs smoothly even though its unbearably hectic throughout. With cars moving, police officers chasing you, and buildings falling, there is plenty that can go wrong. Luckily, the developers prioritised performance over beauty. This doesn’t mean that the game looks awful. No, it’s simply very dated and looks similar to Goat Simulator. It utilises vivid colours, basic structures and rudimentary character models. Subsequently, it won’t win an award for style but it is perfectly serviceable.

So, I wasn’t amazed by the visuals, but I never expected to be. Luckily, the audio fares much better! The ear-piercing sound effects are loud, crass, and match the actions wonderfully. These brain-rattling noises are complemented beautifully by the high-energy soundtrack. Furthermore, it’s a wonderful experience to shoot and trample your enemies as hard-hitting tunes play out. The developers balanced the audio and the action perfectly to enhance the hectic madness.

Why use your hooves when you can fly on a cow?

Simple to pick up and play.

DEEEER Simulator is so easy that a child could play it. This is fortunate as my kids found it hilarious from start to finish. Its immature humour and softcore violence won’t be for everyone, but kids will adore it. Furthermore, the simple and responsive controls make this a pleasure to play and easy to pick up. Subsequently, you’ll be a badass deer who kills everyone before you know it.

It’s fair to say that destroying everything in sight does become tedious. However, while it’s fun, it is hilarious. I loved increasing my Deersaster levels, finding secrets, and solving the puzzles. Furthermore, the story is both bizarre and enDEEEERing and it kept me interested throughout. It does have limited longevity and replay value, but the developers have added DLC to counter this. Moreover, a moderate achievement list will keep you entertained long after the story is completed.

DEEEER Simulator is nonsensical but great fun.

I question the accuracy that this is indeed a real to life simulation of a deer’s existence. However, I could be wrong and every deer roams the plains like Rambo. If you can accept the bizarre and nonsensical manner at which the action unfolds, you’ll discover a hilarious and hectic game. Its strange story is hidden under the layers of madness, but it’s there if you look hard enough. Free to play on Game Pass, you have nothing to lose except maybe your sanity. I enjoyed it and I recommend you to buy it here! Will you be a peaceful, loving deer, or will you get revenge against mankind? Grab some guns, and cause some DEEEERsaster.

Review: Construction Simulator 2 – Console Edition

Natosha M
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Review: Construction Simulator 2 – Console Edition

Construction Simulator 2 is a really impressive game! Like many sim-style games, this console version of the game is loaded with plenty of vehicles and machines to get the player excited to be right behind the wheel! I shouldn’t speak for everyone, but I know this is just how I felt during each time playing!

It did take a bit of time to understand the controls, but not too bad as many simulators. I just was pleased to get to try what constructors do on a daily basis. Also learn what each machine is really meant to do, without getting my hands dirty.

Another wonderful thing is that this game supports so many top-name brand vehicles. A few to mention go under the name of Miller, CAT’s, Atlas, and even Mack Trucks! All these work to help the player, which is us, do each of the required jobs needed to be done correctly the first time. Some of these jobs that will need to be done within this game would possibly make a real constructor who loves their job feel like they’ve just entered Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory for the first time!

These jobs are all mixed on what the player will need to complete. Just to name a few, could involve repairing roads, creating a livable location for so many new buildings, and even some gardening work. It’s not one game that will keep you doing the same job, in different locations over and over, which gets a bit boring. Instead, this game brings the player so much more entertainment, especially with the many things you can add and build to a location.

As a real-life career worker in the construction world. I feel that this is a great idea of what the player really would have to endure on a daily basis. Of course, I’m talking about the days they would be actually doing their job and even when they are just needed to do some emergency repairs as well. So for me, that is what first makes this game, like so many other simulator games quite remarkable! Especially when it brings wonderful graphics to compliment the true-to-life impression you get of working these jobs, machines, and vehicles.

Additionally, what also takes the pressure off with this game is that you don’t have to be a qualified constructor to play. It’s all about having fun and isn’t as difficult to learn. Anyone who wants to play can jump right in and enjoy being a constructor for the first time or play one in the real world as well as in the gaming one. So there is no stipulation or reason to stop any level of player to pick up their console and start working!

Let’s now get to the game itself! At first, you can choose the character you’d like to be, from two women options and even three male choices are available. It’s limited but does make for a very simple choice for the player. Of course, I always enjoy the ability to make the player your own, but it’s basically only a few options. Nothing to change how you appear, it’s either one person of your choosing, five choices in total. Plus five bold color backgrounds you’d like to have included as a backdrop.

After this, it’s now time to name the character; you as the player would like to be called, and what company name you’d love to work for. The title of the company and the name of your player can be as creative and interesting as you like. At least this gives you as the player one positive feature of the game, freedom of naming. From there it’s all about quick training while driving a trail and meeting the requirements being asked.

Now it’s time for just the real jobs that will be arriving on our to-do list! Plus, with the many different vehicles, you’ll learn how to use them when the job either requires you to purchase them for our fleet or just take the steering wheel and bring that one you own to the location in which they are needed. In addition to all these machines you’ll be driving and working with, I am grateful to mention that each utilizes the same controls, nothing extra or new to learn from one or another. It’s all basically the same, and it’s not even difficult to learn how to use them. Everything is well explained and clear enough to learn quickly! That is one positive piece of news, which I’m so glad to share. So I can thankfully state that this really puts this game more into one that I’d love to play, than any vehicle-style simulator game I’ve played recently!

There is one feature I want to really compliment about and it’s the driving feature of this game. It’s truly a marvelous feature! Maybe I should state I don’t drive often or mind in many games as they are challenging to get the right speed; mph and camera view correct at the same time. So to be able to play a game where you can drive and get to a location with enough room to see the entire vehicle by the right camera position, which is easy to maneuver as well, is a blessing!

In addition, the camera has the option to be adjusted enough that you can see from either a further distance or to a closer one, with ease. Just as I like it, simple! However, for those who want right out of the dashboard, mirror view like you are looking at the road; front of you visual, this isn’t part of the game. Yet it doesn’t bother me, I don’t mind that feature as much, I rather the distant style view, it’s easier to watch my driving while I back up and move forward.

Honestly, it’s fun to even just drive on the road and even if it means missing the area one needs to get to. Nevertheless, driving and being able to drive with ease, no full force as if you’re going to be playing a game like a Hit and Run, or Grand Theft Auto, is just wonderful! Plus, it’s very easy to monitor your driving speed; mph shown on the bottom of the screen, and not boogie too much that you can’t stay in between the lines. I find myself to be driving like a Pro! It’s not that hard and I can keep a good pace, which is what I’m loving with this simulated game, I finally am a good driver!

As with all the jobs, they have challenges and something new to learn. However, it’s very easy to understand and the game isn’t complicated for anyone to pick up to play. I know I’ve said that before, but really this is what really makes it one of my faves games!

Now it all can not just be a joy, there is one problem that stood out to me. Others may consider this minor and it really isn’t something gigantic to make it a horrible game. However, the graphics could possibly be a bit glitchy. When you play it might turn out a bit strange and does reoccur often, which makes me question, what is going on?

I might have said that the game had beautiful visual appeal, so real like, oh and the music and sound is again just as real! However, the people. Well, the ones walking on the sidewalk are a bit odd. Not odd in design, which they look real enough. Just that they appear and vanish to reappear a little further on the sidewalk as if they walked that distance, invisibly. I noticed this issue when driving beside them, on the road of course. Again, this doesn’t ruin the game or make it really any problem. So I don’t want to put that out there as a big issue. Instead, it’s just a little thing that caught my attention the most may see as well while playing the game through.

Lastly, I must say, there is no question I love many types of sim-style games. This is all due to the first time playing the classic game Sims on PlayStation 2; PS2. Regardless of my love for many different simulators; sim-style games, I can’t find anything but an entertaining and enjoyable game from playing Construction Simulator 2. So many jobs to accomplish, each allowing the chance to control, drive, use and do so much with each machine and vehicle, top brand names. Not that I wouldn’t mind if it was a made-up name. However, the game just brings what I want from a simulator, real-life; true-to-life feeling to the main vehicles and machines in the game, and career-style jobs. All I can say is that this game is excellent and the easiest to control on a handheld console!

Preview: Brewmaster: Beer Simulator

Daniel Waite
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Preview: Brewmaster: Beer Simulator

I rarely look at Alpha build games these days as I like to let them brew a little longer before I analyse them. However, I occasionally break this rule if a game tickles my fancy. I was invited to look at Brewmaster: Beer Simulator, and as I love alcohol and gaming, so I had little to lose.

Developed by Auroch Digital and published by Sold Out, this is a realistic home brewing simulation title. Currently, in its very early development, I had low expectations regarding quality and content. Fortunately, the developers quashed my concerns with some wonderful mechanics and intriguing ideas. 

Brewmaster: Beer Simulator is more in-depth than expected!

Simulation titles are renowned for their intoxicating gameplay and time sink nature. So, therefore I probably shouldn’t have been shocked by Brewmaster: Beer Simulator’s in-depth mechanics. However, a game so early in its development shouldn’t be this advanced. The levels of detail and accuracy required to make each beverage were truly incredible.

You are tasked with following specific recipes to the nth degree. It asks you to grab ingredients, the correct utensils, and accurately measure and blend them all. Furthermore, you will pour water, heat it, cool it, and ferment the alcohol. It all sounds easy, but one minor error undermines all your hard work. 

Carefully measure the water.

An immersive sim that may go too far.

Now, I love an immersive sim as much as the next person, maybe even more so. However, when certain mechanics make the gameplay unnecessarily tough it is annoyingly frustrating. The developers don’t want you to grab ingredients and type in values. No, they want you to pour and tip exact quantities. 

This would be an excellent concept if these mechanics were accurate. Sadly, though, they are far from it and this leaves you reeling. You’ll read the recipes, begin to measure the ingredients and subsequently mess up. You try to rectify the error, but this makes matters worse. You’ll pour too little or too much and it’s reminiscent of a comedy sketch. Annoyingly, however, you won’t be laughing as your perfectly brewed drink is ruined. If the developers allowed for accurate measurements, this would alleviate many of the problems immediately. 

What hops will you use?

Brewmaster: Beer Simulator is a little claustrophobic. 

Like the recently reviewed game Alchemist Simulator, Brewmaster: Beer Simulator limits the action to a few rooms. The choice to keep the action to such a small world is understandable, but it somewhat stifles creativity. It would have been nice to see an array of locations, as this would have reduced the monotony. However, what you are exposed to is a nice looking title with interesting animations. The ingredients and utensils look unique, and there is a nice sense of realism in everything you do. The textures and colours are pleasant on the eye and have a good quality finish. Importantly, I never suffered frame rate issues and the action never stuttered. Furthermore, the UI and use of submenus are clever, and this alleviates any confusion while brewing.

The audio helps to create a chilled out and relaxed vibe that works perfectly with the theme. The wonderful sound effects match the actions and this enhances the realism. I loved the gushing water, the noise of the ingredients bubbling, and the ambient sounds. The audio does nothing new, yet it delivers what you’d expect to a high standard. 

Turn up the heat.

The controls need work. 

Thanks to the accuracy of the mouse and keyboard and the well thought out UI, Brewmaster: Beer Simulator is easy to handle. Completing many tasks such as pouring water, switching on the hob, or grabbing ingredients was simple to achieve. Unfortunately, though, this is undermined by the woeful measuring mechanics. If the developers can resolve this issue, they’ll have a desirable experience on their hands.

In its current build, the tasks and recipes are limited. Going forward, there should be much more content, plenty of recipes, and hopefully a larger world to explore. There is plenty of potential, and the game should incorporate business mechanics to complement and enhance the core concept. 

Brewmaster: Beer Simulator attracts a niche audience.

In its current state, Brewmaster: Beer Simulator will only interest a niche audience. If the developers evolve the game to incorporate business elements, this will attract a wider playerbase. It has potential, but the gameplay frustrated me! If you like sim games and beer, I recommend you to wishlist it here! Don’t settle for cheap generic ales. No, grab the ingredients and tools, and make your own.

Summary.

Brewmaster: Beer Simulator is a title that’s full of potential! Still, in its Alpha state, the developers have the opportunity to expand the core concept to make it a fuller, more rounded experience. Subsequently, I can’t wait to see how it evolves between now and the full release.

(Reviewed on PC using Steam. Coming to Steam soon.)

Review: Rolling Adventure

Jordan Kirkpatrick
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Review: Rolling Adventure

If you’re familiar with the popular Trials franchise and are looking for something to satiate the same feeling, then Rolling Adventure might be the missing piece of your puzzle.

Rolling Adventure is a deceptively difficult puzzle platformer where you control a lively red monster truck as it traverses a rolling platform in the sky. The platform is gradually built on a moving conveyer belt as you play, so keeping your truck steady and having patience is key here. Too fast, and you’ll end up with an instant game over as you fly off the edge; go too slow, and you’ll roll to your demise in the opposite direction.

With 30 stages to complete and master, there is plenty of platforming to be done here, and every level is completely unique. Each stage has three star collectibles within it, usually blocked or obstructed by an obstacle that you need to figure out how to manoeuvre around. If you collect all three stars within a stage and reach the finish line, you’ll have perfected the level. Be wary of obstacles though! You also have a three-heart counter which depletes by one every time you run into some spikes on the conveyor or are hit by an object. Patience is key here—it isn’t a race.

The controls are as simple as platformer controls can get: back and forward, jump, boost forward. Despite the simplicity, these controls are extremely well implemented, perhaps some of the best platformer controls I’ve ever played with. Rolling Adventure also boasts full controller support too, so completing these levels is made even easier if you prefer using a controller over a keyboard and mouse. The movements are still as robust with a controller too, so whichever way you like to platform, either is a win-win with Rolling Adventure.

As one would expect, the further you progress with each level, the harder the next one becomes—this is no different with Rolling Adventure. For me, it began to get difficult around level 13 or so. These levels will absolutely require more than a few tests to learn the level before you’re able to fully three-star it—unless you’re a secret platforming genius and manage to complete them first try. If that’s the case, then truly congratulations, because that is pure skill. Once the muscle memory of the obstacles and stars sets in with the levels after a few tries, it does become a case of patience and practise. The levels are not impossible, just challenging, which is a good thing. No one wants an easy platformer.

One minor nitpick about Rolling Adventure would be the completion of the levels. It progresses like a mobile game would, and whilst this isn’t such a big deal for me personally as someone who is used to games like that, if you’re not fond of the no-plot-purely-game style, you may find it off-putting. 

As for the levels themselves, the length of each level is perfect. They don’t drag on forever, nor are they far too short to even produce a real challenge. As already mentioned, each level is completely unique and each brings its own challenges in the form of spikes, barriers, gaps to boost over and hidden stars that require some quick puzzling skills to get. They can get frustrating at times, but I see this as a sign of a good platformer. The music is exactly what you’d expect and fits well with the vibe of the game, but admittedly it can also get rather repetitive if you’re replaying a level to perfect it.

Overall, Rolling Adventure is a fun puzzle platformer that employs its own unique twists to keep the genre of platformers interesting and exciting to play. With tons of replayability, achievements to collect and 30 levels to master, Rolling Adventure is a great game to practise your skills and patience with. Just remember—keep your pace, it isn’t a race!

Review: Farming Simulator 22

Daniel Waite
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Review: Farming Simulator 22

There is no more refreshing sight than the first morning light or the setting of the sun, yet many of us miss these wonders. Some workers bathe in the glory of both as they start before the day has broken and return home once the stars are out. I am, of course, talking about farmers who endure some of the longest hours and toughest conditions. I am one person who openly admits I couldn’t do the job, but I admire the work ethic and appreciate the allure of the role. If you feel the same as me, but want to chance your hand in the industry, Farming Simulator 22 allows you to do so from the comfort of your sofa.

Developed and published by GIANTS Software, this is an ultra-realistic simulation title. Set across three locations in America and Europe, would-be farmers are spoilt for choice. Moreover, a vast array of equipment, brands, and crops are incorporated into the gameplay. In short, this is the most advanced and realistic farming sim that you can get your hands on.

Farming Simulator 22 steps up a gear.

If you are a fan of the franchise, you’ll love the advancements in technology and gameplay. If, on the other hand, you’re new to the series, or you have missed some instalments, there is a hefty learning curve ahead. Previous iterations have focused on farming mostly while dabbling with other industries. Roll on to Farming Simulator 22, and the gameplay leans towards business management and an array of complementary elements.

This new focus creates an intriguing experience full of lows and highs. No longer can you plant whatever you like with no care for the season. No, you must cultivate specific crops while observing market trends. After all, you are in business to make money and selling at a loss is foolish. Alongside the crops, you can care for animals, grow and log trees, and manage businesses and the supply chain.

Work through every season.

Becoming a highbrow sim.

The production chain was an incredible addition that highlights the game’s ambitions to become more highbrow. This element forces you to think about your infrastructure, the animals you are keeping and the crops you are growing. Each ingredient can be used to supply a factory that’ll produce goods for a bakery or dairy. Subsequently, you keep moving goods from one business to another to enhance profits and reduce waste.

As a business sim, it offers a great deal of detail, but this has its downfalls. Understanding the fundamentals surrounding the farming elements was tough enough, but juggling supply lines and so forth was hard. However, if you are that way inclined, you’ll love the challenge this adds. Sadly, though, the tutorial is woefully lacking! Many parts of the gameplay are uncovered, or their importance is understated. You are given no idea about when you should complete tasks, and the game expects you to work out many key concepts.

In a title that is this in-depth, there should have been a thorough explanation to cover most scenarios, however, there is not. I had to walk away many times as I became frustrated with mistakes and wasted resources. Many players, old and new, will find this off-putting and will have to turn to YouTube to find a solution.

Pick from an array of brands and machines.

Animal Husbandry and Forestry.

If the thought of toiling in the soil isn’t your thing, then fear not. Farming Simulator 22 allows you to focus your energies elsewhere. An array of animals can be purchased, sold, and used to make a profit. Keeping them is time-consuming and tough, but it’s also calming and rewarding when you get it right. You’ll have to feed, water, and balance their diet if you wish to get the most out of them. Some trial and error are required, but it’s one of the more user-friendly elements you’ll encounter.

Furthermore, you can forget every traditional farming concept and focus on making money from timber. Growing acres of poplars may not seem interesting, but the required skills, large machinery, and bundles of cash will be enough to turn your head. This element incorporates the basic layers of farming without micromanagement. I loved losing hours to this oddly therapeutic endeavour as you fell trees, trim limbs, and cut trunks to perfect length.

It is all about cash flow.

Everything you touch in Farming Simulator 22 costs money, and lots of it. You must juggle your bank balance with the need to buy new equipment, seeds, animals, and so forth. Until your farm is profitable, you will rely on loans, second-hand equipment, chainsaws, and lease hired vehicles. This is one of the toughest elements within the game, and players will become frustrated as it holds them back.

I quickly realised that the simplest of tasks take hours to complete and to get the most out of this will be a labour of love. To help out, you can hire farmhands and speed up the action, but you still need to manage every scenario. It can quickly overwhelm you, and only the best and most experienced players will be able to manage the workload.

Mooooooove along.

Farming Simulator 22 transports you to the countryside.

I have noted many user reviews that complain about the difficulty of running this on PC. Fortunately; I used the Xbox Series X, but I can see why a standard PC or laptop would struggle. Graphically, Farming Simulator 22 is phenomenal! The variety of landscapes, array of vehicles, and varying weather fronts and seasons were exceptional to look at. Furthermore, walking, running, and driving was smooth, with no frame rate issues or tearing. Every detail is finished to a high standard, and this transports you straight to the countryside.

The developers are clearly aware of how in-depth their game appears, as they have made a clever and well laid out UI. An array of submenus and reactive options allow you to focus on any job you are undertaking. This was an excellent choice that helped to reduce confusion while making a tough title a little more user-friendly.

As expected with an ultra-realistic title, the sound effects are great! The chugging and burbling of every engine was fantastic, and the noise of the ploughs cutting through the soil was brilliant. Every piece of machinery was on point and you will not be disappointed. Furthermore, a great selection of songs has been added to the fictional radio stations. It was wonderful to work acres of land while listening to the radio blaring. GIANTS Software nailed their presentation, and I was not left disappointed.

The larger the machine, the easier the job.

Take on contracts and keep busy.

I have repeatedly stated how complex it is, and how it needs to be more user-friendly, however, the controls couldn’t be easier to understand. The developers have done a great job in creating an easy-to-understand button layout. Yes, there are a lot of different tasks to complete, but the clear UI highlights what needs to be done. Furthermore, the responsive controls make every task easy to complete. Using an Xbox controller was simple to do, and I loved how intuitive the gameplay felt.

If your life as a farmer isn’t busy enough, the townsfolk demand your assistance with a multitude of tasks. Unlike previous instalments, Farming Simulator 22 allows you to accept multiple contracts while your AI workers keep toiling. This was an excellent addition to the gameplay, as you felt like you were building a business rather than just running a farm. Alongside this, the longevity is increased thanks to the 400-plus vehicles to choose from and the selection of crops to grow. Also, don’t forget the production chain, animal husbandry, and forestry elements. If you so wished, you could spend months on one map and never tire or run out of things to do.

Farming Simulator 22 was worth the wait.

It took nearly two years for GIANTS Software to bring us the latest instalment, but it was certainly worth the wait. Fortunately, the developers saw how the “modding” community improved the gameplay and integrated many key elements into this latest instalment. I admit I struggled with it, but I admired many of its core concepts. It is a tough simulation title, but one I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved its varied gameplay and I recommend you to buy it here! Pick your area, buy your land, and make a profit any way you can.

Get the most out of Steam using these 6 hacks

Andrew Edney
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Get the most out of Steam using these 6 hacks

Steam is one of the renowned game distribution services and a must-have for both PC and Mac gamers. With over 34,000 games available, it is not a surprise that gamers would like to jump right in and learn how to get the most of Steam. 

While getting started isn’t an issue because all you need is a gaming-capable Mac or PC, these tips below can help improve your overall Steam experience. 

Backup games on Steam 

The Steam Cloud backs up files automatically, but there are limitations. Manually backup data on your Steam library to be on the safe side. You need to launch Steam> navigate to Backup and Restore Games > Click on Backup Currently Installed Programs. Then, right-click on the game you want to backup and select Next. Also, select a folder to save all your backups and ensure there is enough disk space. 

Once the files are saved, you can open the backup file and check if everything has been backed up properly. Then, click Finish. 

If you want to restore your backed-up files, you need to log into Steam and click the Backup and Restore Games option. Then, click the Restore option. 

Quickly solve Steam won’t launch issue 

Although Steam is compatible with Mac and Windows, Mac users consider it an essential app. That’s because Mac gamers have a limited game library compared to Windows, so Steam is their ray of hope. Therefore, when they face Steam won’t launch issue, they get flustered. But fortunately, there’s a quick fix to the problem. You can quit the app, relaunch it, reinstall it, clear Steam cache files, and try again. 

If you face the same issue on Windows, restart your computer, check your VPN or try Steam online. 

Broadcast your game 

Do you want to experiment with game broadcasting but are not sure if you’re ready to start using Twitch? You can start broadcasting your games via Steam, and it is useful if you want to test the streaming capabilities of your system or share a gaming experience with your Steam friends. 

You can broadcast on Steam by opening Steam> clicking Settings > selecting Broadcasting. Then, you need to adjust the privacy settings and specify who is allowed to view your gaming broadcasts. Ensure to save the adjusted settings. After that, open that game you want to broadcast, and it will automatically begin to broadcast. 

If you want to change the broadcasting settings, you can change Steam settings and alter them. You can even stop broadcasting if you don’t want people to see what games you are playing. 

Share Steam games 

Have you amassed a huge library of indie games on Steam? If so, and you wish to share them with your loved ones, you can do so. Steam allows users to create five separate accounts and ten approved devices. 

Here are the steps to share Steam games with friends or family. 

  • Enable Steam Guard on your account, along with the accounts with whom you wish to share the games. 
  • Launch Steam and sign in to your account. 
  • Navigate to Settings > click Family and tick the box next to Authorize Library Sharing on this Computer. 
  • Choose the account you want to authorize for Family Sharing and sign out of your account. Then, ask the designated users to sign in to their account to check if the library is shared successfully. 

Use in-home streaming to play in another room 

With a Steam link, you can stream your game to your television. But that’s not the only way. In-home streaming is an option where users can make their games run on their desktop gaming rig while sitting with their laptops in a different room. It is also possible to work on cross-operating systems, which means you can stream your games from your Windows device to your MacBook. 

In the Steam Settings menu, you can enable the In-home Streaming option. After it is activated, you have to sign in to your account on another device. If you plan to stream to a laptop, you can connect your laptop to a television. 

Arrange your Steam library according to category 

When you want to view your games library, consider selecting Detail View. You can get a lot of information about your games, including their size and how much space they’re taking up on your device. 

While you are in Detail View, you need to right-click on games and bring up the option to assign categories. By arranging your games by category, you can build a library that is easy to sort. Multiple games can be selected with Shift or Control + clicks. 

So, this is a list of amazing Steam hacks you can use to enhance your gaming experience. If you’re already familiar with all of them, you’re on the right track. 

Review: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

James Refelian
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Review: Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

Street Fighter II, Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Monkey Island 2, Super Mario World, GoldenEye 64, Half Life 2, Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic, Skyrim and Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. What do these games have in common? They’re possibly some of the greatest games of all time and certainly of their respective generations. Having played through Guardians of the Galaxy I can say with absolute certainty that this is, without a doubt, my favourite game of 2021 if not in my top five games of all time. It’s flarkin’ brilliant!

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy by Eidos Montréal is a third-person action-adventure game that is driven by character and story rather than any frills. There’s no DLC, there’s no microtransactions, there’s no online element. It is just a perfect game encapsulated in around 20 hours of emotional escapism.

I’ve been a huge fan of the Guardians of the Galaxy since about 2008 when I enjoyed the comics by Abnett and Lanning. So, when this game was announced I’ve been following it closely with anticipation and excitement and was glad it lived up to, and exceeded, every single expectation I had.

Plot

The game is inspired in part from key comics in the Guardians of the Galaxy history. Specifically, Annihilation, Annihilation Conquest, the 2008 Abnett and Lanning run, War of Kings and Realm of Kings. However, it is a long way off being a videogame adaptation of these works. If you’re a keen comic fan you’ll love the little nods and details. If you’re totally new to the Guardians of the Galaxy or have only seen the MCU movies, then it doesn’t matter. This is a new interpretation of the characters in a wholly original story.

While I won’t spoil the story the Guardians, short on money, unwittingly unleash an evil on the universe with dire consequences. They must fight to put it right. It’s an epic tale that takes the player on a space-operatic journey across the cosmos. You will encounter other characters from the Marvel universe, battle unique monsters and foes and learn a lot about the team and their history along the way. The story is fantastic, it is well written, expertly paced and you find yourself caring a lot about these characters and what’s going to happen next.

What I found particularly brilliant were the little cutscenes or moments not necessarily part of the main story. These were scenes with such emotion and heart that I was reaching for the tissues quickly to wipe away a tear or two! Combine this with fast-paced action sequences and some wonderful humour and moments between the crew onboard the ship. What you get is a tale of a family of outcasts going up against true evil to save the universe. As an avid gamer and movie lover I say with complete sincerity its better than a lot of movies I’ve seen.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Music

Rarely in games is the soundtrack discussed. But where Guardians of the Galaxy is concerned the music is almost as important as the story. What the whole team have done here is fantastic. The orchestral score by Richard Jacques is perfect and honestly deserves awards. Beautifully composed to heighten whatever mood the scene is creating without overshadowing any other element. It’s my new favourite score of any game.

Then you have the wonderful compilation of music that you would expect our hero, Star Lord, to be listening to including some real 80s gems. You can turn these off in Streamer Mode if you’re using the game for YouTube and Twitch.

Finally you have possibly one of the greatest rock albums of all time. An album I might add that was created by Steve Szczepkowski and Yohann Boudreault specifically for this game because someone decided that’s where Star Lord took his name from. I said this game is about 20 hours but if you spend a long time in the prologue listening to the Star Lord Album as I did… well it can take a lot longer. (You should also totally do this because not only is it brilliant but the nostalgia of laying in bed listening to music, reading the lyric book and a Rolling Stone magazine is like travelling back in time and I love it.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Art

I reviewed Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy on both PS5 and PC and on both it was jaw-droppingly beautiful. Vibrant in colour and fantastical in creating mind-blowing alien worlds. Each place you visit feels totally unique; from the Quill farmhouse to the interior of the Milano, from alien planets to the spaceport of Knowhere. It’s all visually stunning to explore and look at and it’s well worth spending the time doing so. Photo Mode is a blessing for a game like this. The style has a grounded realism about it while still maintaining some comic book flair. While characters and some locations are recognisable, the new and unique designs are fresh and visually interesting. There is a clear love of the comics and that comes through in these designs.

Gameplay

Gameplay was smooth and transitioning between locations and levels was quick and seamless giving the game a continuous movie-like feel. Jumping in and out of combat was equally as smooth. Combat is exciting with a variety of combos and moves you can master as Star Lord. What I particularly enjoyed though was the team aspect. While you can’t play as any other member you can control your team in combat to perform a series of moves which you unlock as you gain skill points.

Combat is fast paced and the camera tracking and target locking works well to maintain focus. Each member of the team performs a different function. Groot, for example, uses his root abilities to placate enemies and hold them, you can pair this with explosives expert Rocket for some satisfying high-AOE damage. It is working out these combos and how the team works together that is particularly rewarding. It becomes vital in later fights and ‘boss battles’ to master the control of your team to ensure survival and success.

The music has also been entwined in the gameplay with the huddle mechanic. This feature means that you can pick the right choice in a dialogue option to boost your team in combat and is accompanied by some awesome music.

Huddle mechanic in Guardians of the Galaxy game

During my playthrough I only encountered one bug where Star Lord got stuck but the game knew to respawn me and the whole process, while foolish on my part, was seamless. The variety of gameplay was also exciting. There’s the third-person action-adventure elements as you would expect, but also levels which require you to pilot the Milano in dogfighting scenarios, reminiscent of games like Rogue Squadron, that I wish there had been more of. Plenty of environmental puzzles to solve and lots of combat as well. The game never felt boring or repetitive because of this. The gameplay also provided a good level of challenge but never became frustrating.

The development of characters are well implemented with the four team members gaining a special ability during story progression. As for Star Lord he gets additional progression in the form of the element guns. This is well executed, and each power becomes necessary for solving those environmental puzzles or during combat. One welcomed addition to gameplay was the idea of choices mattering. There are at least two cutscenes where your choices determine how difficult the last section of the story will be. It’s wonderful when you see your choices pay off later. Dialogue options continue to play an important part of the story. This is something Eidos Montréal have always done well. Often the player will need to decide how to react to what’s going on and the situation the team faces.

Controls

Controls were logical and intuitive, and the game does a great job in teaching you as you progress or skill up without breaking the immersive story. Another great feature was the use of components to upgrade Star Lord’s skills and abilities. This was implemented by seeing Rocket at the workbench and even this became part of the story in a way. The attention to detail and the level of care made the entire experience very natural and never detracted from the game.

Combat scene from Guardians of the Galaxy game

Voice Acting

As you would expect from a game of this type voice acting is so important. Every part is voice acted exceptionally voice acted. The cast did an amazing job embodying these characters, lifting them from the pages of the comics and giving them their own fresh breath of life. The cast really deliver. Jon McLaren may just be the greatest Star Lord of all time.

The quality of the acting, the interaction between each other even in combat and the emotional range, made me believe they were these characters; drew me in and made me laugh, cry and cheer along with them. Even the most minor characters that showed up kept this quality. The game has so much humour between the characters with their constant familial bickering it must have been a fun day in the office if the cast got to record it together. The chemistry here is something special and so every moment, every interaction, is so rich in depth and quality that I never got that urge to skip or rush through anything.

Special Moments

There are three cutscenes that stand out as moments of perfection. Star Lord and Drax talking on Knowhere about loss. Gamora talking to the team about belonging and self-hatred. Nikki talking about family and loss and heartbreak. Find these scenes, watch them in full, get lost in them. You will really appreciate how every single element: story, music, art, and acting is blends and makes pure cinematic greatness. This is more than a videogame.

Star Lord and Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy game

Accessibility

Guardians of the Galaxy has an impressive array of accessibility features to make this game available to so many people. There’s subtitles, language options (which include overheard dialogue), closed captions which have a ‘character name on’ option, the ability to change subtitle text size and decide how much background they have. Combat has a variety of movement and target-based options to tweak to an individual’s particular needs.

There are four difficulty modes which can be further customised with options controlling the huddle, ability cooldowns and so many more. There is an understanding here that every gamer is different and wants and needs different things. What Eidos Montréal achieved here is a game accessible to so many people; and with a game based on a team who feels like they don’t belong, having such an inclusive game is just so wonderful. It’s so Guardians of the Galaxy.

Easter Eggs

Marvel comic fans will love the incredible volume of references, cameos and elements lifted from the pages of the comics. From walking through the Collector’s Emporium on Knowhere, to characters that pop up along the way, Guardians of the Galaxy delves deep into the legacy of Marvel’s cosmic universe. This grounds the game with so much worldbuilding and lore. It’s also a delight to spot them as you play. On more than one occasion I exclaimed in excitement at spotting something so minor on set decoration like a vending machine. Comic book fans will find this a treat while those that aren’t, won’t have anything taken from their overall enjoyment. Also, Cosmo the telepathic space dog is in this game and that instantly makes it better – more games need Cosmo!

Best Boy Cosmo in Guardians of the Galaxy game

Should I buy Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy?

If you were on the fence about picking up and playing Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, then don’t be. Trust me as a superfan of these characters, a lover of games and a storytelling enthusiast. This game is worth it. You will laugh, you will cry, you will cheer. You will be on the edge of your seat and won’t be able to stop playing until you beat it. I genuinely don’t remember the last time I was this impressed with a game. The whole team at Eidos Montréal have knocked it out the park and truly made something fantastic; if not perfect. In Guardians of the Galaxy, I couldn’t have hoped for, or wanted, more… except a sequel. As I said it’s flarkin’ brilliant!

Review: Tears of Avia

Vasilis Tatsiopoulos
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Review: Tears of Avia

Anime aesthetics, crystals, bad mages that are always laughing, the destruction of the world as we know it. Standard fare for turn-based strategy games, like this one, Tears of Avia. We all know what to expect when we see our anime-like protagonist and this game delivers on the promise. A prophecy has our hunter meddling with things out of her reach, fighting demons and zombies.

It’s all there, we all have seen it a million times before, but there’s something warm in stories like this; maybe they remind us of older games, the ones that started with all the tropes. Anyway, Tears of Avia has a story, has some dialogue, it’s all too predictable and standard, but it’s OK as a background. The plot never manages to be very interesting, to take center stage, but it’s just enough to induce some nostalgia and to make us follow the threads between fights. Also, the voice acting is anime-like enough, and decent too, to be fitting.

Of course, there’s a lot of fighting. When we’re not exploring towns to find information and talk to our party drinking in the tavern, we are obliterating demonic creatures in forests and open fields. Said explorations is too simplistic to be engaging: we run in mostly empty spaces to find the points of interest that cannot be seen from afar thanks to the isometric perspective and the total lack of a map. Also, the camera is frustratingly old-school, zooming out when it should not and changing points of view without good reason.

It’s not too big a problem, because the areas we are exploring are always too easy to navigate. Sadly, the same issue applies to the battlefields, which are very simple in their design, but cannot be easily understood because they are not properly mapped. So, if your enemies are standing far from your characters, good luck finding them. What makes this worse is the AI: foes mostly stand in one place until you go near them, and then they just run to attack you, charging. There’s no nuance really, no strategic thinking and planning. You just crush the charging enemies as they come, dealing and getting huge damage. Then, after the fight, you’re just fully healed. There are no stakes, so there’s little strategy.

Making matters even worse, the attack moves are weirdly over-powered. If you pay even the tiniest bit of attention to building your heroes, you will destroy most enemies with one hit. To compensate, the game just throws a large number of foes at you at all times when what it really should have done is spice things up tactics wise.

To be fair, Tears of Avia does try to be engaging. The characters level up too quickly and you unlock a surprisingly large number of skills for them, even in the first hour. Then, you see that the available slots for these skills are not enough, and you have to choose some of them to take to battle. This means that you have to understand what every skill does and try to mix and match between heroes and their powers to create the ideal party for each situation. It works sometimes, and it can be fun, but it’s a system that is constantly brought down by other issues, like the frustrating menus and the simplistic equipment mechanics.

It’s really hard to understand how the different pieces of equipment compare to each other, because the menu is not helping at all and when you actually get it, you see that there’s not much to it, it’s very formulaic. You just equip the item with the big number, but to get there you have to go past annoying UI problems. Then, the overall visuals don’t do much to improve the game or immerse you in its world; they are just passable, with most problems found in the animations (some characters don’t even move when walking). The music is better, fitting and not bad, but very forgettable.

The interface causes confusion mid-battle too, because nothing is very clear and you will end up healing the wrong companion or hitting the enemy next to the one you wanted to. The battle system also tries to so some interesting stuff too. It’s really very slow and not animated enough to be satisfying, but there are some cool features. One of them comes in the over-reliance to conditions: a skill might do more damage if the enemy is burning, another might heal some more if you have low health.

There are many such mechanics and it’s a nice way to add a strategic layer to every skill. The most interesting thing, however, is the way you deploy your heroes in battle: you don’t have to do it at the start. You can deploy one character when the fighting breaks, do some stuff, and then deploy another. It’s a cool touch and does make the battles more engaging, because you need to manage your party accordingly for each different encounter.

All in all, Tears of Avia is a game for hardcore fans of the genre. It’s rough around the edges, it’s a bit generic, but it does have something going for it. Some interesting mechanics spice things up in the otherwise bland fights, the story is serviceable but utterly forgettable and the world just feels like a D&D session.

Review: Football Manager 2022

Daniel Waite
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Review: Football Manager 2022

Sport can build bridges and fracture friendships in seconds. It has an emotive culture and demands full loyalty and devotion from its fans and players. Many sports are huge, but I think we all agree that football is enormous. Whether you play, coach, or watch, it’ll get under your skin and will make you passionate. We all have an opinion on how things should be done, and that’s why football management games are so popular. Football Manager 2022 Xbox Edition is the latest title that’ll test your coaching abilities, among other things.

Developed by Sports Interactive and published by Sega, this is a sports simulation title. The latest instalment in a long-running franchise, this time sink game will have would-be managers champing at the bit. Whenever a game spans many iterations, I always worry it won’t evolve. Many sports games rinse and repeat gameplay with minor changes, so will this be any different?

Football Manager 2022 builds on its stable foundations.

The adage if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it is always a great starting point. Football Manager 2022 retains much of its familiar gameplay and charm while offering a more in-depth experience. Fans will adore how the developers have built on some of 2021’s expansive features while focusing on statistic analysis, improved graphics, a more fulfilling transfer window, and so forth.

However, for all its fantastic qualities, there are some glaring admissions. The most obvious of these is the lack of Manchester United. A trademark disagreement forces Sports Interactive to name them Man UFC. This isn’t a big deal, but it certainly brought back memories of International Superstar Soccer and its lack of licensing… Good Times indeed. There is also a lack of women’s football, which is a big oversight. This element of the beautiful game is growing ever-popular and fans expect the option to be available. Maybe 2023 will be the year this much-needed feature is incorporated. Finally, COVID-19 doesn’t exist! The “normal” world restrictions do not apply and you can finally escape the pandemic once and for all.

Football is pure passion.

Addictive gameplay and so much depth.

There are oodles of minor and major tweaks to this year’s version. However, it’s still addictive as hell and a widow maker. You will lose your life to the in-depth tactical options, scouting network, transfer market, interaction with agents, and so forth. Playing Football Manager 2022 is like taking on a second job, albeit for free and much more fun.

The action is spread across 52 countries and over 100 leagues, so finding a team to manage isn’t an issue. You can start in the minor leagues and work your way up, or control your childhood team. The selection is mind-blowing, as you are truly spoilt for choice.

This vast choice is a staple for Sports Interactive and something its many fans expect to see. What I didn’t expect, however, was how much data I’d have to wade through, or how time-consuming it would be. Luckily, though, you have staff at hand to remove much of the finer elements if you so wish. They’ll offer reports, manage training, and do the day-to-day tasks. Subsequently, this makes it a little easier to play. With such a large amount of information, casual gamers will be overwhelmed. Yet, hardcore players and Football Manager aficionados will be in their element.

Data hub.

Analytical players will love the addition of the Data hub. Building on last year’s inclusion of xG and deeper match analysis, the developers have gone one step further. There is a dedicated data hub that appears on its own tab in the menus. This contains a vast wealth of information to help each budding manager to succeed. It helps you to view key reports while micromanaging every element of your team. 

Here you can see how minor decisions can impact your match day chances. It has a simple overview for casual gamers and a data dump of facts for the would-be professional. You can observe trends in behaviour, each team member’s performance, and so forth. There really is too much for me to include in this review, but it’s a massive leap for this much-loved franchise. 

Are you a tactical master?

Football Manager 2022 has a clean UI and improved graphics. 

Year on year, it becomes more visually impressive and the match view is the pièce de résistance. The smoother, more realistic movement makes this key element much more pleasant on the eye. We all know the tactics, winning, and transfers keep us going. Yet, much of the gameplay focuses on match day, so I’m glad the developers enhanced this component. Alongside this, you experience a buttery smooth user interface that is simple to navigate. Loading screens are quick and this helps to reduce waiting times. With so much information on display, a messy screen would have been appalling. Luckily, however, it’s all manageable and you control how much you want to see and digest.

Though there are year on year improvements, the audio rarely changes. With limited sounds used outside of match day, gamers are left to their own devices. However, when it’s game time, the action is awash with noise. Thanks to the wonderful and familiar sounds of each stadium, each game sounds realistic and has a high energy atmosphere. It’s a small thing, but it makes such a difference in quite a serious and slow-paced title. 

Stats, stats, and more stats!

Excellent on console. 

When a game is this big, there is always a worry it won’t work on console. However, I was wrong as the developers have worked extremely hard to port it correctly. There has been attention paid to the intuitive UI and the ease to move between menus. Every element of it flows brilliantly and playing it is effortless. It’s night and day from last year’s instalment and I applaud Sports Interactive for the gameplay and performance improvements.

This is normally the moment I discuss why you’ll want to keep playing the game. What can I say? Football Manager 2022 will keep you busy all year and beyond if you let it. You’ll play late into the night and be exhausted the next day, but it’ll be worth it. Moreover, completionists have a mountain to climb thanks to the brutal achievement list. If you buy it, it’s great value for money, yet a Game Pass subscription player can download it free of charge.

Football Manager 2022 is everything you want from the genre and more.

I swore to myself I wouldn’t play another FM game as they take over my life. However, here I am already hooked on its addictive gameplay. Thanks to its inclusion of the in-depth data hub, and the improvements to last year’s action, this is the best Football Manager yet. I loved it and recommend you to buy it here! Can you become the world’s greatest manager, or will you get a lowly team to the pinnacle of the footballing structure? Anything is possible if you have the skills, patience, and time. 

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