How many times have you picked up a game and immediately felt yourself fall in love? It’s one of those feelings which only comes once in a blue moon, but once you know, you just know. For me, Hoa was nothing but instant infatuation. There is something so genuinely special about it, and whether that’s because I grew up on the outskirts of the forest or if the game reminds me of Studio Ghibli marathons with my older siblings, I have found myself picking it up time and time again at every chance I get. I can’t seem to get enough of it, and I’m sure if you picked it up you would feel the same.
There is no way that I could possibly stop myself from pouring my heart into this review. Hoa is undeniably one of my favourite games, and I’m not just saying that for the sake of selling the game to you. It’s an unforgettable, breathtaking experience for any forest dweller like me. So if you want to find yourself bouncing around alongside the bugs, then pay close attention. In my many years of playing games, I have never experienced something that has had such an effect on me.
Grow through what you go through
At first glance, Hoa is obviously a beautiful game. The style follows something similar to Studio Ghibli, so it’s hard to believe that it was created by a small team of developers. It is clearly a game filled with time, passion and love for both the gaming industry and the natural world. You spend your time within the game jumping around leaves or rocks meeting a whole cast of critters along the way. The most important thing to remember is that everyone is there to help one another. Every element of the natural world provides a domino effect of assistance, and their main goal is to keep you, Hoa, safe.
Despite the game being mainly focused on you discovering your history as Hoa, there is far more depth to it. You see the subtle loss of the natural world to industrialization. The forests slowly become dominated by tiny evil robots, putting you and your fine bug eyed friends at risk. It’s your job to prevent this overwhelming consumption of woodland, but by doing so you put your life at risk. As you progress through the game, you learn that the main guardians of each biome were responsible for keeping you safe. So the least you can do is repay the favour. These guardians are unlike any other I have experienced in my many moons gaming. Compared to our little fairy they are monstrous, but I still want to give them a massive hug. I absolutely adore the character design in Hoa, thus encouraging my endless praise of it.
Smooth sailing
At first your adventure may seem simple. There is only so much depth that can come to a game following one single idea. Get from point A to B. But Skrollcat Studios have made this steadily paced journey far more compelling by introducing us to such a lovable cast. They speak to us in a way which makes us feel encouraged and loved. Which is lost in a world of mass produced games. There are hearts poured into Hoa, much like mine in this review.
The whole experience is encouraged by how smooth the game looks and runs as well. If things were blocky or laggy, your attention would slowly drift from the story at hand. But luckily we get to enjoy this game in its rawest form, first time. It’s the kind of game you can sit and play to completion in one sitting and still want to finish and pick it up again. I struggle to do that these days. Whether it’s because my attention span isn’t quite what it used to be, or if it’s due to the tense nature of video games nowadays, but I could play Hoa until I’m blue in the face and still not get bored of it.
Final thoughts
I believe that I hold this game so dear to my heart since it shows the genuine fears our world faces. Making it easy to understand and accessible for all ages. It’s painfully true. We are losing huge areas of natural beauty to the production of factories and the industrialization for our own guilty pleasure. I feel honoured to be able to relate to Hoa, having experienced genuine natural beauty for myself in real life. Let alone getting to revisit it in game. Hoa is a perfect representation of the current fate of our natural world, and it shows us that without having to spell it out. So it’s about time we actually sat back and listened.
Western action films are a classic rough and tough form of entertainment that can be enjoyed by young and old. The stories are full of colourful characters, interesting plots, and absurd fight scenes. Virtuous Western captures the essence of the theme with its bright pixel world and gunslinging fights.
Developed by Nibb Games and published by Ratalaika Games, this is a Western-inspired action-puzzle title. With fixed-screen stages to overcome and some logic-based puzzles to complete, this will have you leaping, shooting, and dodging your way to victory.
Can you make them shoot each other?
Virtuous Western has a generous learning curve.
Virtuous Western spans thirty sun-drenched stages and has a speedrun mode to enhance the game’s difficulty. The story revolves around a cowboy who chases a horse thief after he steals his prized stallion. Unhappy to have his property stolen, the hero stops at nothing to be reunited with his ride. The aim of the game is straightforward, as you simply must annihilate every cowboy you encounter. How you do this is your choice, but you must avoid being shot as one bullet will kill you!
The game starts easily and gradually builds in difficulty! Your revolver starts with no ammo and you must scour the stage to pick up bullets to shoot your foes. With a limited amount of ammo at hand, you must use the scenery and your enemies wisely to succeed.
You have as much time as you wish to scan the scene, so use it to plan your approach and complete each stage. Shoot the chains that hold up dangling boulders, or get your enemies to kill one another. The choice is yours and sometimes more than one opportunity arises for you to complete each level.
Shoot the chain and let the boulder drop!
Its simplicity lets it down.
I liked the concept behind Virtuous Western, but its simplicity lets it down. The game fails to evolve past its basic premise and this stunts its growth. I would have loved to see more complex problems introduced but the game plateaus early on. You do, however, encounter tougher opponents, TNT crates, and sticks of dynamite, but this sadly doesn’t add to the excitement. This doesn’t mean it lacks fun, or it isn’t worthy of your time. No, it just won’t test you.
Where it excels and tests you are the speedrun sections. This hectic mode pushes you to remember how to complete each stage flawlessly, and it keeps you on your toes. This is where the developers should have invested their energy, as the gameplay would have been excellent as a completely hardcore speedrun title.
Virtuous Western uses a simple pixel art style.
The simplicity of the imagery and the fixed-screen perspective worked really well. The retro style and colourful backdrops were nice to look at, and each stage was well laid out. Thanks to its lack of complexity, I could easily plan how to overcome the obstacles I encountered.
The audio uses every clichéd trick in the book to enhance the Western theme. With its dramatic soundtrack that reminds you of John Wayne, to its booming revolver sound effect, you’ll be transported to the dangerous plains of those lawless lands.
No shame in shooting him in the back.
You’ll be wielding a revolver in no time.
With limited buttons to use and straightforward controls to master, you’ll be wielding your revolver like a pro in no time. With three commands to learn that are responsive, you’ll have no issues becoming the cowboy/girl of your dreams.
If you enjoy the challenge of speedrunning, then you’ll get hooked on Virtuous Western’s fast-paced secondary mode. However, if this doesn’t float your boat, you’ll experience a fun title that offers little reason to return. Its small achievement list is completed with ease and this reduces the longevity exponentially.
Virtuous Western is not challenging enough.
I’m not a gamer who needs a Dark Souls or Super Meat Boy level difficulty. However, I want my games to test me in the latter stages. Sadly, Virtuous Western rarely challenges, and this was disappointing. Though I wanted more, I enjoyed the theme, presentation, and the speedrun mode, and therefore I recommend you buy it here! Grab your pistol, solve the puzzles, and shoot your foes.
The review in video form with gameplay captured on my Xbox Series X, enjoy!
You heard it from the grapevine folks; Garden Story is the sweetest, most wholesome ARPG of 2021. All bad fruit puns aside, Garden Story is a cozy adventure that’ll leave you feeling good to the core.
Gameplay:
Garden Story stars a young grape named Concord who is appointed as the new Guardian destined to save his home, The Grove, from the destruction of the Rot. Freshly off the vine, Concord comes across a few rough patches as he must navigate to earn the trust of the leafy inhabitants while trying to rebuild their deteriorating community.
Combat in this game is pretty simple. The action button slashes your sword-like pick to obliterate your foes, but you can’t just mash the A button all willy-nilly. Specifically, there’s a stamina bar that limits how much Concord can slash their weapon. I realized that the stamina bar felt limiting at first after the first boss made a fresh jar of jam out of poor little Concord.
Thankfully, Concord eventually upgrades to other gardening tools they use for combat and can upgrade their stats as they experience memories of the past. The number of upgrades and status buffs in this simple game was really refreshing, and I eventually didn’t feel as defenseless as I did at the beginning of the game.
But Concord isn’t just a hero; they have a day job too! As a Guardian, they are tasked with various errands in each town, leading to several upgrades and cold cash! This money can later be used for gardening or sprucing up Concord’s wardrobe.
Despite having several features I enjoyed, I didn’t care for the plot. While the story was a nice take on the apocalyptic theme, I think it could have been executed better. But considering the genre, I don’t think it negatively impacted too much how I felt about the game overall.
With this in mind, one of my major complaints about Garden Story is the lack of characterization. Particularly, with these kinds of wholesome games, you tend to want to connect more with the characters and their world, so having NPCs saying the same one-liner throughout the whole game was a big disappointment. In fact, the side characters could have should have been developed throughout the game just as much as the main characters.
Pros:
A nice wholesome cozy game with a good amount of action
Features many quests, upgrades, & collectibles
Nice good-feeling soundtrack & adorable art
Cons:
Wanted more characterization & side stories
Can feel a bit repetitive
Conclusion:
At times, Garden Story feels a little bit rough around the edges, but they dealt with many issues in a nice clean update. In fact, the amount of care put in this game really shows. In the end, I was highly satisfied with the finished product.
Honestly, I haven’t played a game in a while that had me grinning from start to finish. I felt like I went in a time machine and was a kid again enjoying my favorite Zelda or Hamtaro game – surprisingly, it really felt nice to feel that magic again. On the whole, if you like laidback or wholesome games, I highly recommend you buy this “berry” sweet gem!
It is fair to say that Sony have been rather quiet with no show at either E3 or Gamescom just a few short weeks ago. Tonight that all changes as Sony has promised a look at the ‘Future of PS5’ and fans are very much expecting some big news, surprises and a look at the other PS5 games announced in the run up to the console’s 2020 launch that we have not seen anything from since. I have tried to keep my expectations managed for this but I am rather excited to say the least.
Below you will find the trailers and news as they happened as well as my own final thoughts on the show:
Project Eve is an action-adventure game that takes place in the not-too-distant future on the ruined Earth against unknown enemies. Accompany the powerful heroine Eve, join forces with comrades along the way, and take up the challenge against the tough adventure.
Embark on an epic adventure full of whimsy, wonder, and high-powered weaponry! Bullets, magic, and broadswords collide across this chaotic fantasy world brought to life by the unpredictable Tiny Tina. Roll your own multiclass hero and loot, shoot, slash, and cast your way through outlandish monsters and loot-filled dungeons on a quest to stop the tyrannical Dragon Lord. Everyone’s welcome, so join the party, throw on your adventuring boots, and be Chaotic Great!
Forspoken – PS5 Gameplay Trailer
Forspoken arrives Spring 2022 on PlayStation 5. Mysteriously transported from New York City, Frey Holland finds herself trapped in the beautiful and cruel land of Athia with a magical, sentient bracelet wrapped around her arm. Her new, cynical companion “Cuff” helps Frey navigate through the sprawling landscapes of Athia. In search of a way home, Frey will battle monstrous creatures, confront the powerful Tantas, and uncover secrets that awaken something much more from within.
Rainbow Six: Extraction – PS5 Gameplay Trailer
For decades, Team Rainbow has been the shield against the worst global threats imaginable: hostage situations, biological weapons and the threat of nuclear war. But now, we face the greatest terror our world has ever known: a lethal, mutating alien threat. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction will be available in January 2022 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4.
Alan Wake: Remastered Edition
The award-winning cinematic action thriller Alan Wake, remastered for a new generation. Play as troubled author Alan Wake, who goes on a desparate search for his missing photographer wife, Alice. The sleepy Pacific Northwestern town of Bright Falls isn’t what it seems. A malevolent presence lurks in the dark, and a horror story Alan doesn’t remember writing is coming true. Experience improved visuals, enhanced character models & richer environmental details in a remaster of Remedy Entertainment’s classic game. Alan Wake Remastered includes the main game and its two story expansions – The Signal and The Writer – with the complete experience rendered in all-new 4K visuals. Alan Wake Remastered is available October 5.
GTA V – PS5 Editions Release Date Trailer
Experience the world of Grand Theft Auto V in brand new ways when GTAV and GTA Online come to PlayStation 5 in March 2022 – with additional bonuses now available for PlayStation Plus members.
Ghostwire Tokyo – PS5 Trailer
Tokyo is overrun by deadly supernatural forces, perpetrated by a dangerous occultist known as Hannya, causing Tokyo’s population to vanish in an instant. Ally with a powerful spectral entity on their quest for vengeance and master a powerful arsenal of abilities to unravel the dark truth behind the disappearance as you FACE THE UNKNOWN in Ghostwire: Tokyo. Ghostwire: Tokyo arrives on PlayStation 5 in Spring 2022.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Showcase Trailer
A Tropical Open-World adventure. Climb, glide, swim, and sail your boat around a beautiful archipelago in this physics-driven sandbox. Use Tchia’s Soul Jumping ability to take control of any animal or object you can find, and Jam on your fully playable Ukulele. A game inspired by New Caledonia.
Vampire the Masquerade: Blood Hunt – PS5 Trailer
Join the Bloodhunt and become the ultimate vampire! Bloodhunt is a free battle royale game set in the Vampire: The Masquerade universe. A treacherous betrayal has stirred a war amongst the vampires, who are also being targeted for annihilation by a secret society known as the Entity. Use your supernatural powers, weapons and wits in this thrilling battle royale game to dominate the night and restore the Masquerade.
Deathloop: PS5 Showcase Trailer
“Blackreef is a mystery, and Colt is looking for answers. Who are the Visionaries? What is Blackreef? How does the timeloop work? Why does everyone on the island have amnesia? Why is Julianna always lurking behind the nearest corner ready to ambush Colt? Most importantly, Colt wants to know: “Who am I?” The deeper Colt goes down the rabbit hole, the more questions arise. One thing is for sure, Colt is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery and break the timeloop—no matter what answers he finds. Launching September 14, 2021 on console exclusively for PlayStation 5.
Kid A Mnesia Exhibition – PlayStation Showcase
An upside-down digital/analogue universe created from original artwork and recordings to commemorate 21 years of Radiohead’s Kid A and Amnesiac. Coming in November 2021.
Tchia – Showcase Reveal Trailer
A Tropical Open-World adventure. Climb, glide, swim, and sail your boat around a beautiful archipelago in this physics-driven sandbox. Use Tchia’s Soul Jumping ability to take control of any animal or object you can find, and Jam on your fully playable Ukulele. A game inspired by New Caledonia.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection – PlayStation Showcase Reveal
No other information given but it looks like the entire Series including Lost Legacy being remastered for PS5, now what will this mean to anyone who owns the Nathan Drake Conollection, Uncharted 4 and Lost Legacy PS4 versions….well, upgrades are going to cost PS5 owners no doubt!
MARVEL Wolverine – PS5 Reveal Trailer
Marvel’s Wolverine is currently in development by Insomniac Games for PlayStation 5. Created in collaboration with Marvel Games and PlayStation.
Gran Turismo 7 – PlayStation Showcase Trailer
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – PlayStation Showcase Reveal Trailer with 2023 Release
Venom……Spider-Man and Spider-Man Miles Morales….Vs….VENOM!!!! The wait for 2023 is going to be…LONG!
God of War Ragnarok: Showcase Trailer
and finally…
…..and that is a wrap!
My Final Thoughts
Well the sense was that Sony were going to go big with this showcase and big they went, not all the surprises that were hoped for but surprises none the less. Starting off with what will be the console launch exclusive in Knights of the Old Republic Remake for PS5, personally I wish this would be shared on Xbox as well but knowing it has been remade makes me very happy. Then we have Insomniac Games who have revealed they are not just doubling down on MARVEL games with the reveal of a Wolverine game but also Spider-Man 2 coming to PS5 in 2023 that will partner Peter Parker and Miles Morales to take on….VENOM! I lost my tiny mind a little.
Everything else was great to see but expected, finally getting to see a gameplay montage for God of War Ragnarok with some teasing to the story was a great way to end the showcase on though no release date was given, not even a mention of 2022 or 2023 so will have to wait for more information on that. The entire Uncharted collection being remastered for PS5 made me smile and then got me nervous about what the upgrade path will be to others like me who own that series on PS4, £10 per game for a PS5 upgrade could be very pricey so will see how PlayStation handle this come Spring 2022.
Forspoken looks incredible and a title I had actually forgotten had been revealed so long ago, gameplay is looking incredible and definitely on my radar now. Gran Turismo 7 looks like how Gran Turismo should look on a PS5 and Im very much done and over with anything GTA V news related, to say it will finally get a PS5 version in March 2022 when most fans are very much in the “can we have GTA VI now please” zone. The absence of anything Final Fantasy XVI related is less of a surprise as we are fast approaching Tokyo Games Show 2021 but overall, I am rather happy and excited for the next 12 months of PlayStation at least!
It is fair to say that Sony have been rather quiet with no show at either E3 or Gamescom just a few short weeks ago. Tonight that all changes as Sony has promised a look at the ‘Future of PS5’ and fans are very much expecting some big news, surprises and a look at the other PS5 games announced in the run up to the console’s 2020 launch that we have not seen anything from since. I have tried to keep my expectations managed for this but I am rather excited to say the least.
Below you will find the trailers and news as they happened as well as my own final thoughts on the show:
Project Eve is an action-adventure game that takes place in the not-too-distant future on the ruined Earth against unknown enemies. Accompany the powerful heroine Eve, join forces with comrades along the way, and take up the challenge against the tough adventure.
Embark on an epic adventure full of whimsy, wonder, and high-powered weaponry! Bullets, magic, and broadswords collide across this chaotic fantasy world brought to life by the unpredictable Tiny Tina. Roll your own multiclass hero and loot, shoot, slash, and cast your way through outlandish monsters and loot-filled dungeons on a quest to stop the tyrannical Dragon Lord. Everyone’s welcome, so join the party, throw on your adventuring boots, and be Chaotic Great!
Forspoken – PS5 Gameplay Trailer
Forspoken arrives Spring 2022 on PlayStation 5. Mysteriously transported from New York City, Frey Holland finds herself trapped in the beautiful and cruel land of Athia with a magical, sentient bracelet wrapped around her arm. Her new, cynical companion “Cuff” helps Frey navigate through the sprawling landscapes of Athia. In search of a way home, Frey will battle monstrous creatures, confront the powerful Tantas, and uncover secrets that awaken something much more from within.
Rainbow Six: Extraction – PS5 Gameplay Trailer
For decades, Team Rainbow has been the shield against the worst global threats imaginable: hostage situations, biological weapons and the threat of nuclear war. But now, we face the greatest terror our world has ever known: a lethal, mutating alien threat. Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction will be available in January 2022 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4.
Alan Wake: Remastered Edition
The award-winning cinematic action thriller Alan Wake, remastered for a new generation. Play as troubled author Alan Wake, who goes on a desparate search for his missing photographer wife, Alice. The sleepy Pacific Northwestern town of Bright Falls isn’t what it seems. A malevolent presence lurks in the dark, and a horror story Alan doesn’t remember writing is coming true. Experience improved visuals, enhanced character models & richer environmental details in a remaster of Remedy Entertainment’s classic game. Alan Wake Remastered includes the main game and its two story expansions – The Signal and The Writer – with the complete experience rendered in all-new 4K visuals. Alan Wake Remastered is available October 5.
GTA V – PS5 Editions Release Date Trailer
Experience the world of Grand Theft Auto V in brand new ways when GTAV and GTA Online come to PlayStation 5 in March 2022 – with additional bonuses now available for PlayStation Plus members.
Ghostwire Tokyo – PS5 Trailer
Tokyo is overrun by deadly supernatural forces, perpetrated by a dangerous occultist known as Hannya, causing Tokyo’s population to vanish in an instant. Ally with a powerful spectral entity on their quest for vengeance and master a powerful arsenal of abilities to unravel the dark truth behind the disappearance as you FACE THE UNKNOWN in Ghostwire: Tokyo. Ghostwire: Tokyo arrives on PlayStation 5 in Spring 2022.
Guardians of the Galaxy: Showcase Trailer
A Tropical Open-World adventure. Climb, glide, swim, and sail your boat around a beautiful archipelago in this physics-driven sandbox. Use Tchia’s Soul Jumping ability to take control of any animal or object you can find, and Jam on your fully playable Ukulele. A game inspired by New Caledonia.
Vampire the Masquerade: Blood Hunt – PS5 Trailer
Join the Bloodhunt and become the ultimate vampire! Bloodhunt is a free battle royale game set in the Vampire: The Masquerade universe. A treacherous betrayal has stirred a war amongst the vampires, who are also being targeted for annihilation by a secret society known as the Entity. Use your supernatural powers, weapons and wits in this thrilling battle royale game to dominate the night and restore the Masquerade.
“Blackreef is a mystery, and Colt is looking for answers. Who are the Visionaries? What is Blackreef? How does the timeloop work? Why does everyone on the island have amnesia? Why is Julianna always lurking behind the nearest corner ready to ambush Colt? Most importantly, Colt wants to know: “Who am I?” The deeper Colt goes down the rabbit hole, the more questions arise. One thing is for sure, Colt is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery and break the timeloop—no matter what answers he finds. Launching September 14, 2021 on console exclusively for PlayStation 5.
Kid A Mnesia Exhibition – PlayStation Showcase
An upside-down digital/analogue universe created from original artwork and recordings to commemorate 21 years of Radiohead’s Kid A and Amnesiac. Coming in November 2021.
Tchia – Showcase Reveal Trailer
A Tropical Open-World adventure. Climb, glide, swim, and sail your boat around a beautiful archipelago in this physics-driven sandbox. Use Tchia’s Soul Jumping ability to take control of any animal or object you can find, and Jam on your fully playable Ukulele. A game inspired by New Caledonia.
Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection – PlayStation Showcase Reveal
No other information given but it looks like the entire Series including Lost Legacy being remastered for PS5, now what will this mean to anyone who owns the Nathan Drake Conollection, Uncharted 4 and Lost Legacy PS4 versions….well, upgrades are going to cost PS5 owners no doubt!
MARVEL Wolverine – PS5 Reveal Trailer
Marvel’s Wolverine is currently in development by Insomniac Games for PlayStation 5. Created in collaboration with Marvel Games and PlayStation.
Gran Turismo 7 – PlayStation Showcase Trailer
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – PlayStation Showcase Reveal Trailer with 2023 Release
Venom……Spider-Man and Spider-Man Miles Morales….Vs….VENOM!!!! The wait for 2023 is going to be…LONG!
God of War Ragnarok: Showcase Trailer
and finally…
…..and that is a wrap!
My Final Thoughts
Well the sense was that Sony were going to go big with this showcase and big they went, not all the surprises that were hoped for but surprises none the less. Starting off with what will be the console launch exclusive in Knights of the Old Republic Remake for PS5, personally I wish this would be shared on Xbox as well but knowing it has been remade makes me very happy. Then we have Insomniac Games who have revealed they are not just doubling down on MARVEL games with the reveal of a Wolverine game but also Spider-Man 2 coming to PS5 in 2023 that will partner Peter Parker and Miles Morales to take on….VENOM! I lost my tiny mind a little.
Everything else was great to see but expected, finally getting to see a gameplay montage for God of War Ragnarok with some teasing to the story was a great way to end the showcase on though no release date was given, not even a mention of 2022 or 2023 so will have to wait for more information on that. The entire Uncharted collection being remastered for PS5 made me smile and then got me nervous about what the upgrade path will be to others like me who own that series on PS4, £10 per game for a PS5 upgrade could be very pricey so will see how PlayStation handle this come Spring 2022.
Forspoken looks incredible and a title I had actually forgotten had been revealed so long ago, gameplay is looking incredible and definitely on my radar now. Gran Turismo 7 looks like how Gran Turismo should look on a PS5 and Im very much done and over with anything GTA V news related, to say it will finally get a PS5 version in March 2022 when most fans are very much in the “can we have GTA VI now please” zone. The absence of anything Final Fantasy XVI related is less of a surprise as we are fast approaching Tokyo Games Show 2021 but overall, I am rather happy and excited for the next 12 months of PlayStation at least!
When it comes to scratching that Sniper itch, my go to game series has always been the Sniper Elite series with Sniper Elite 4 ticking so many boxes that I am genuinely hoping and looking forward to a possible new console generation version to utilize the power of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S Consoles. As always in gaming however, there is another option if you prefer a more stealth and tactical sniping experience for your shooter and in a case that is better late than never, Sniper Ghost Warrior Ghost Contracts 2 has landed on PlayStation 5, but is this PS5 upgraded version worth the wait?
That was has been a while for those on PS5 as it has been a long 2 month wait for the PlayStation 5 upgraded version to release, a version that makes use of the PS5 features with adaptive triggers and haptic feedback that really do add something to the sniping experience blended with improved visuals and loading times of the PS5, it is a step up from the PS4 experience but there are some elements that really hold it back but I can certainly respect where it is trying to take the player.
Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2, which I refer to as SGWC2 from this point on, focuses on the Sniping but has tried to add a very HITMAN style gameplay style in offering multiple targets and multiple strategies to take them out. As the player you play the role of Raven, a highly trained super solider level sniper with the close to Iron Man level tech to help find the designated targets assigned by your handler and take them down for the usual reasons that you would be sent on a fully black ops style mission all CIA style.
While there is certainly an inspiration from the HITMAN Style of having multiple options and choices in how to complete the contract and I applaud the attempt to add that element to the gameplay, it falls short of having the variation that HITMAN levels have with seemingly random events or situations playing a factor in how you decide to tackle the objectives. This is something that adds so much replayability to the HITMAN games but here in SGWC2, where it would also have worked incredibly well, it is simply not quite there. Enemy AI can be basic for most of the time meaning each time you approach that contact they are doing the same thing in the same way keeping it very predictable. There are times when if you make a mistake and give away your location that they will alert other enemies and try to break line of sight by dropping smoke grenades or target your last known location with a mortar barrage so there is some element of punishment for making a mistake.
The game will also tempt you into making some mistakes as well the Bounties that pop up randomly during a mission which can give you bonus cash for upgrades however, seeking out the Bounty and making the mistake will trigger an alert that will make it harder when you return to the main target and objective. I appreciated the player freedom to take my time to plan my moves, checking and exploring the area to find a safe place for me to let my Sniper Rifle do the work. The rifle cannot do it all and this is more than your standard shooter and will require some precision and patience to setup your shot by using the scopes and adjusting to get that perfect shot. I did find this quite difficult at the start, being too used to the arcade style of just point, aim and fire to get a hearty kill with a sniper rifle, here SGWC2 makes you work for it which is where the PS5’s Dualsense controllers adaptive triggers and haptic feedback really brought this element to life.
I really enjoyed the gameplay and for those who prefer an additional challenge you can customize it to have less aim assist and other aspects to truly make it a challenge. It did take me a few practice runs to adjust to its gameplay but thankfully now upgraded to PS5 version, loading times made dipping in and out to try and get better less of a chose. Visually the game looks great, benefitting again from the power of the PS5 over the PS4 version. Sadly, the story is one of the weakest elements to the game and the voice acting and dialogue leaves a lot to be desired compared to other shooters trying to have a more dramatic and cinematic story telling experience. That and some technical issues which plagued my time with the game with several crashes to dashboard proving quite annoying right in the middle of a mission.
There is certainly a lot here if the slow methodical style of shooters is your go to gaming pleasure, and with some polish and more focus on the weaker elements, there is a lot to build on for the next entry in the series on the foundation of this on PS5.
From visionary filmmaker Lana Wachowski comes “The Matrix Resurrections,” the long-awaited fourth film in the groundbreaking franchise that redefined a genre. The new film reunites original stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss in the iconic roles they made famous, Neo and Trinity.
The trailer is full of nostalgia moments for fans of the original Trilogy with some interesting teases to explain who Neo is back in the MATRIX alongside Trinity who do not seem to recognise each other yet feel a strong connection. We also appear to see a much younger Morpheous still character along side the now iconic Red and Blue pill decision and brand new Agents leaving many unanswered questions about what has happened since MATRIX Revolutions!
Lana Wachowski directed from a screenplay by Wachowski & David Mitchell & Aleksander Hemon, based on characters created by The Wachowskis. The film was produced by Grant Hill, James McTeigue and Lana Wachowski. The executive producers were Garrett Grant, Terry Needham, Michael Salven, Jesse Ehrman and Bruce Berman.
The film also stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II (the “Aquaman” franchise) Jessica Henwick (TV’s “Iron Fist,” “Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens”), Jonathan Groff (“Hamilton,” TV’s “Mindhunter”), Neil Patrick Harris (“Gone Girl”), Priyanka Chopra Jonas (TV’s “Quantico,”), Christina Ricci (TV’s “Escaping the Madhouse: The Nellie Bly Story,” “The Lizzie Borden Chronicles”), Telma Hopkins (TV’s “Dead to Me,”), Eréndira Ibarra (series “Sense8,” “Ingobernable”), Toby Onwumere (TV’s “Empire”), Max Riemelt (series “Sense8”), Brian J. Smith (series “Sense8,” “Treadstone”), and Jada Pinkett Smith (“Angel Has Fallen,” TV’s “Gotham”).
The Matrix Resurrections only in cinemas December 22, 2021. #TheMatrixMovie
Hindsight is a wonderful thing! Being able to reflect on your past actions is a great experience and something that many of us don’t take the time to do. Yet, if you had the opportunity to reverse time and change the outcome of a life-changing event, would you take it? In Hindsight 20/20 Wrath of the Raakshara, you get to revisit the past to alter the future. But can you make the right choices, or will you repeat your past mistakes?
Developed and published by Triple-I Games, this is an RPG adventure title. Inspired by The Legend of Zelda series from the N64 and using a special engine to power its main concept, I was excited to see what was on offer. With multiple endings available, and every action having a consequence, this was an intriguing proposition to explore.
Hindsight 20/20 Wrath of the Raakshara will test your moral fibre.
Hindsight 20/20 Wrath of the Raakshara beautifully blends RPG mechanics with in-game choices. Your actions will test your moral fibre, and every decision impacts the surrounding world. Will people see you as a villain, hero, or something in between? Will they quake at your name, or will they cheer your name as you pass? How you choose to live your life has a deep-rooted impact on future playthroughs, and this makes for a mouthwatering prospect.
You control Jehan, a one-armed warrior who is haunted by his past. His father is murdered, and he finds himself at a crossroads. Will he choose the righteous path, or will he allow revenge to guide his decisions? The choices are yours, but you must abide by your decisions. You live in a kingdom dominated by two towns, Champaner and Gibsonia. A dreadful plague infects the people and those that are inflicted turn to Raakshara’s who are sustained by drinking human blood! If they stay, they will be arrested and killed. So many run to Gibsonia to avoid capture and to start a new life.
It’s a dark tale full of sorrow and misery, but you can make a difference. Will you slay your father’s murder or allow him to live? Can you help the villagers or will you have no time for small tasks? These are but some issues you’ll face and your choices help to create this story’s rich tapestry.
One of the many keys you discover.
An excellent story full of dungeons, puzzles, and interesting characters.
The six-hour-long plot is a thoroughly enjoyable experience that’s full of dungeons, puzzles, and interesting characters. You are free to explore this dark fantasy world, helping whomever you wish while completing tasks however you like. I adored how my actions manipulated the story and the surrounding people. It was fascinating how quickly the world evolved and the many choices you face.
The gameplay comprises three categories; combat, puzzles and exploring.
Puzzles.
The puzzle elements are where the Zelda inspiration can be seen. With switches to trigger, pathways to unlock, and battles blocking your way, you must keep on your toes as you progress. The simple logic-based events are easy to solve, and most involve basic colour patterns or the moving of crates. I never struggled with the complexity of the problems, but I enjoyed how they linked the many sections of the story.
Combat.
The combat is unusual for the genre and comprises an aggressive and passive method, where you must select from a sword or a baton. The first allows you to combine six swings devastatingly, but is at odds with the belief of the people of Champaner. The latter option forces your foes to surrender as their morale is depleted. If you focus on the passive option, you will retain your beliefs, but revenge will not be a choice. It’s a fine balance, and neither is right nor wrong. However, it will impact the course of your game, so choose wisely.
What I loved about the combat was the stylised approach that always finishes with a Matrix-like slow-motion flurry. With an array of blows to be dealt, and special attacks available once you’ve gathered enough Shakti, every fight was interesting. My only complaint is the hack n slash nature of the battles. If you wish, you can keep slapping buttons to be victorious, and this takes no skill or finesse. I would have liked it to have been more refined to increase the difficulty.
Exploration.
Exploring the 3D world is excellent, and I loved wandering the dungeons, meeting the interesting characters and deciding my destiny. Triple-I Games has created a deep and fascinating land that complements the other elements nicely. I never tired of searching the decimated kingdom, and it amazed me how small changes had a large impact on the fate of Champaner. The mainly linear approach will frustrate some gamers, but fortunately, you are always in control. If you wish to avoid a side quest, or simply don’t wish to help someone, you can ignore their requests and carry on, regardless.
You must account for all your actions.
Hindsight 20/20 Wrath of the Raakshara takes its Zelda inspiration a little too far.
I, like most of the gaming industry, recognise the impact that Zelda has had on the RPG genre. Yet, I’d like to think we’ve advanced beyond its limitations. Sadly, however, Hindsight 20/20 Wrath of the Raakshara wears its inspiration with pride. The somewhat dated and blocky imagery has a modern polish, but it still screams early console gaming. This wasn’t a problem, and it was pleasant enough on the eyes, it just wasn’t in keeping with the other advanced elements of the game. The world you explore is a horrific and miserable place. This is beautifully represented through grey tones and a well-constructed environment. I loved how this evolved depending on how you acted, and your behaviour will bring fortune or sorrow to this dark fantasy world.
The constant state of flux is also shown in the audio. With ever-changing music and tone, you are taken on an emotional roller-coaster from the first moment. I enjoyed the euphoric sounds when you were considered a hero, and the melancholy music when you broke the people’s hearts. The soundtrack is brilliantly designed and works perfectly with the game’s unique mechanics.
Stun them to retain your passive beliefs.
The controls were simple enough, however, a little refinement would have improved the experience.
The developers kindly included in-depth tutorial videos that thoroughly explain new mechanics, such as focus attacks, blocks, dashing, and so forth. This was excellent, as you picked up the basics extremely easily. My issue with the controls was the lack of refinement, which allowed the aforementioned hack n slash elements to dominate proceedings. This didn’t impact the enjoyment factor, nor did it put me off playing. I simply would have liked it to be more challenging.
Hindsight 20/20 Wrath of the Raakshara is moreish and you’ll return to play repeatedly. I loved how the world evolved based on your decisions, and how easy it was to take a different path during alternative playthroughs. It was extremely clever and made this stand out from its peers. If you are a completionist, you’ll need to set aside hours as multiple attempts are needed to finish it.
Hindsight 20/20 Wrath of the Raakshara is an intelligent title with a dated aesthetic.
Hindsight 20/20 Wrath of the Raakshara is a title that took me by surprise! I didn’t expect the in-depth story, the wonderful NPCs, or the nod to Zelda. However, the dated aesthetic was at odds with the other elements. It has a few shortcomings, but it’s an interesting take on the genre that has enough about it to stand out. I enjoyed it and recommend you to buy it here! How you behave is your choice, but remember actions have consequences and they’ll follow you forever. Do you have what it takes to save Champaner, or will you allow it to crumble?
Created and developed by William Chyr, Manifold Garden is as much of a wonder and curiosity as the man behind it. An artist with a degree in Physics and Economics decides to create an experience where one can shift their perspectives and go on to experience new worlds, and new ways of seeing them too.
How do I begin to describe Manifold Garden? Words may fall short of this must-play-at-least-once-in-your-life game, but I will try my best.
Enter the Manifold Garden
There is no “plot” to Manifold Garden in the traditional gaming sense, but it still plays out like an adventure filled with puzzles, mind-bending views, and a beauty that keeps you playing for hours. Your task is simple enough: solve ever-increasingly difficult puzzles and finish the game. Its execution is anything but simple. You are able to manipulate gravity by changing the planes on which you traverse on. This causes the need for you to explore your surroundings well for clues and ways to solve each puzzle you come across.
Each completed puzzle opens the door (sometimes quite literally) for new environments. Guided by colors, the boxes will have their unique color as well as pathways. The planes also correspond to the color of the items in that specific plane. My favorite experience in playing Manifold Garden was how it captured the power of perspective. A puzzle may seem straightforward but maybe unsolvable until you’re willing to change how you see things. The element of gravity shifting does make it all the more challenging. You may need to move a box in a plane from point A to B, but you’ll need another box in a different plane (with its gravity) to help you get there. With their gravities working differently from each other, you’ll often need to take a step back and think it through carefully while changing perspectives.
Perspective is key
The feeling of solving the puzzles was a joy I hadn’t felt in a while. My love for puzzle-solving was fulfilled with Manifold Garden. The various environments’ designs each gave the worlds their feel and atmosphere. As though every staircase, wall, window, and ledge had a story to tell you about the world you are now experiencing. These abstract worlds wait for you to uncover their offerings.
The controls were simple enough to get the hang of the movements early on. Adjusting to the switching between planes may take some time, especially in more complex puzzles. It was so much fun to see the walls become ceilings and the windows become floors. There was a particular puzzle earlier on in Manifold Garden where I was so frustrated at the building across that I couldn’t reach. I got so fed up that I just threw myself off the ledge of the one building I was in – only to discover that that was the way to get to where I needed to go. A leap of faith.
Experience the abstract garden worlds…
There is definitely a lot more to Manifold Garden than just solving puzzles. You really, as its webpage suggests, “cultivating a garden”.
Manifold Garden takes the concept of thinking “out the box” to a whole new level. With more than seven years to develop, this is title effortlessly made its way onto the list as one of my favorite games. Gameplay hours are long enough to have you feeling relieved but wishing for more (but then I remembered how hard some of those puzzles were and celebrated my accomplishment of finishing it).
Before beginning the game, I do recommend beginning with the settings. There you can choose between some fancy-sounding physics-based settings (don’t judge me, I haven’t touched a physics textbook in years). I also stumbled across what I thought to be a unique feature – colorblind mode. Manifold Garden also considers those who may be colorblind but would like to experience the game, largely since the role of color serves as a guide of sorts in the game.
Final Verdict…
I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this game and I am so glad William Chyr took that risk to go on and create the beautiful experience that is Manifold Garden. A strongly recommended one to play.
Psst…if you go to the official website for Manifold Garden, keep scrolling down or up the page (You’re welcome).
The cooperative gaming market is massive, and many families are screaming out for more games to play together. Luckily, the options are growing at an exponential rate with some fantastic options such as Moving Out, Overcooked, and now Pile Up! Box by Box.
Developed by Seed by Seed and published by HandyGames, it’s a cooperative puzzle adventure title. You’ll enjoy a solo or multiplayer experience involving many boxes and zero violence. It’s an uber family-friendly experience that’s great fun, but one that is cut short far too soon.
Pair up and solve the puzzles.
Pile Up! Box by Box offers a lot for younger players.
Whenever I hear the phrase family-friendly and puzzle muttered in the same breathe a shudder goes down my spine. I picture many arguments, fallouts, and an incomplete game. Fortunately, however, Pile Up! Box by Box offers a lot for younger players. With its accessible approach to problems and a gentle learning curve, younger and inexperienced gamers will love every minute.
The wonderfully simple game mechanics allow you to enjoy every moment solo or with up to three other players. Your game begins in a central hub. From here, you collect keys by completing levels and use these to unlock new stages. You’ll enjoy a bizarre mixture of levels, each with a unique style and goal. The eclectic blend of stages was fascinating, and I particularly enjoyed the frog rescue and cave cinema level. The first asks you to hunt down four coloured frogs by leaping gaps, triggering switches, and unlocking portals. The latter demands that you activate six switches to fix a broken cinema projector. They were all a little silly, but I admired them all the same.
Though the levels were brilliant to explore, and the unique and unusual level designs were excellent to experience, there simply weren’t enough of them for my liking. We had just got used to the mechanics and had perfected our teamwork when the end credits began rolling…..it was such a shame as we desperately wanted more. The lasting feeling was of disappointment as we wanted the action to roll on to further worlds. Yet, maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel and the developers plan to resolve this with future DLC? One can only hope!
Take part in the many arcade games.
Boxes, springs, and collectables.
The premise of Pile Up! Box by Box is remarkably simple! You control an oddly cute cube that must move and jump around an array of stages. You will pick up other boxes to increase your size, or stack them to form staircases to reach higher points. You’ll be introduced to springs to leap higher, and a frog-like cube that flicks out its tongue to bridge gaps and collect objects. If you are a solo player, you’ll struggle more than those in a team (as long as you work together.) When you are alone, you must find every box to overcome the obstacles, and this requires some planning. However, in a team, you can use each other as makeshift stairs, or gather the resources to do so.
I loved how this idea forced you to work together. Even the inexperienced players in the team were sold on the idea. This worked particularly well when ample collectables were available to gather. This classic 3D adventure mechanic was well thought out and added plenty of replay value. To get the most out of the game, you’ll have to collect hundreds of golden cubes and hoops. These items allow you to access secret areas, unlock cosmetics and find in-game arcade machines. These elements added little to the action but were fun to find and gather, nonetheless.
Pile Up! Box by Box is a cute title.
I adored the cute art style incorporated within Pile Up! Box by Box. Its wonderful pastel tones and cardboard-like imagery were lovely to look at. This strange style added to the bizarre levels you explore, and I never got bored with what I saw. Yet, I found the lack of a free-flowing camera a bit frustrating and this made exploration tricky. It would have been helpful to see the world from different angles, but this never happened. Sadly, you’ll find yourself falling into chasms, missing platforms, and mucking up repeatedly.
The cutesy gameplay was enhanced with the upbeat audio. The fun sounds and music softened the blow of repeated failure, and as a team, you’ll laugh at the constant errors you make. The music matched each level you explore and the change in sounds ensured that the action never became tedious.
Can you extinguish the fire?
Easy controls add to the user-friendly approach.
Whenever a game is aimed towards a younger audience, you’d hope the controls will be simple. Fortunately, Pile Up! Box by Box has an extremely basic setup that’s easy to master. With a thorough tutorial, every player will know exactly what to do in no time.
If more content was added, this would vastly improve the longevity. Sadly, the replay value is impacted by the lack of stages. The collectables and arcade machines will draw you back in, but this will hold your interest for a short amount of time. Additional DLC will resolve this issue, so I hope the developers add some whacky levels to explore.
Pile Up! Box by Box is great, but it leaves you wanting more!
It’s admirable that the developers have created such a family focussed title, but the lack of stages lets it down. It looks great, has interesting audio, and the stage design is fascinating, however, sadly, there just wasn’t enough of it. I loved it and recommend you to buy it here! It’s a short but enjoyable title that’ll keep your whole family entertained. Work together, solve the puzzles, and pile those boxes high.
The idea of flying around a track on two wheels gets my heart pumping. I love everything about motorbikes and enjoy the adrenaline rush that comes from speeding across the tarmac. I have been fortunate to review Ride 4 and MotoGP21, so when the opportunity to look at RiMs Racing arose, I leapt at the chance to get a copy.
This has been developed by RaceWard Studio and published by Nacon and BIGBEN INTERACTIVE. It’s a hardcore ultra-realistic racing title that demands you forget about the piddly engined bikes and asks you to focus on the behemoths of the sport. RiMs Racing wants you to spend as much energy on tweaking your ride as it does racing it. It’s a unique take on the genre and one that is sure to divide fans.
Get that knee down.
RiMs Racing is not for the faint of heart!
I never tire of the difficulty of motorbike games, yet RiMs Racing took me by surprise. It’s a particularly challenging take on the sport and one that truly believes that less is more! With eight monster bikes to choose from, even novice riders will instantly identify the brands; Ducati Panigale, Yamaha YZF R1, and Honda CBR1000RR ABS are, to name but a few. Alongside the limited roster of machines, there are over five hundred licensed parts to choose from, so grease monkeys will have a field day.
The developer aims to inspire players to pick a machine, learn to ride it, and then upgrade it to make it run like a dream. This was a fantastic idea, but this fiddly approach will limit the appeal and the audience it attracts. Yet, if this sort of highly in-depth and difficult racing experience calls to you, then you’ll find a title that will keep you entertained for hours.
Don’t allow them to get away from you.
Classic tracks but brutal riding conditions.
Racing fans will adore the selection of tracks on offer! With an eclectic blend of road circuits and race tracks, there is something for everyone. You can chance your hand at the Nurburgring, Silverstone, Great Victoria Desert, Passop San Marco, and more. The tracks were great and where RiMs Racing excels is the open experience of the street events. Here you can take advantage of the fantastic fine-tuning of your bike to eke out every ounce of power and balance. However, to get things right is no mean feat, and it has a brutal learning curve.
The constant tweaking of your ride is intriguing, but too much messing with the settings can hinder your progress. You must be sensible with your upgrades and how you approach each race. If you stack it during an event, which you will, your bike will become damaged. This is one of the most realistic elements of the game, but damn, it was poorly executed! Finding broken parts is easier said than done, and then there are the funds required to fix the mess. It’s fiddly and poorly executed and will leave you annoyed.
You will constantly chase your tail as you look to maintain your vehicle. If you are not a fan of micromanagement or don’t adore engineering, you may find this section tiresome and a step too far. I was on the fence with it, as I can see what the developers were aiming for. I simply wasn’t super keen on the constant back and forth and grinding out the required funds for each part.
RiMs Racing looks as good as the market-leading titles.
With no expense spared on the attention to detail, RiMs Racing looks as great as the leading competitors. Motorsports fans will love the inch-perfect tracks, the accurate bikes, and the number of licensed parts to choose from. The game flows smoothly and you’ll enjoy linking turns as you hammer around each course. Its ultra-realism makes it stand out against some much-loved franchises and RaceWard Studio has done a great job of producing a polished title.
If motorbikes are your thing, then you’ll go crazy for booming exhausts and meaty engines. Fortunately, the ear-splitting noises are fantastic and transport you right to the side of the racetrack. The audio is as aggressive as you’d expect, and the adrenaline is flowing every time you jump on your machine.
So many parts to focus on.
The tarmac is never your friend, yet you’ll be on it an awful lot.
With three difficulty settings, and tough as hell gameplay, the controls were always going to be difficult. You’ll experience the normal front and rear braking, the challenge to stay on the racing line, and multiple crashes. It will push you to your limits, but the frustrations are worth it, as the feel of winning a race is very rewarding and addictive. It’s just a shame I never got to experience it very often.
If you fall for the brutal but realistic charms, you’ll love everything that is on offer. With its vastly in-depth mechanics and challenging gameplay style, this will tick the boxes for a niche audience. However, for many racing fans, this will probably be a step too far and they’ll want to play it safe and keep with the tried and tested franchises.
RiMsRacing offers a unique experience.
RiMs Racing is a wonderful game that is part bike mechanic sim and part racer. Its brutal gameplay and limited bike roster will put off many players. However, those gamers who love it will have a unique and tough experience. I recommend it, but be aware it’s different from the market-leading titles. If you fancy it, a copy can be purchased here. Choose your bike, tweak the ride, and feel the speed.
El-Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is a game that many people may have overlooked when it originally released back in 2011. But 10 years later, with a PC port, you have the chance to experience this cult classic. And you really should.
What’s It All About?
The story of El-Shaddai is inspired by the Book of Enoch, an ancient Hebrew text regarding the apocalypse. You play as the man himself; Enoch. A human who had served in heaven and is now called upon to undertake a massive quest. Seven fallen angels, or Grigori have descended to Earth, bringing about a “false evolution”. This means rapid human development, but at the cost of freedom. It’s up to Enoch to bring these renegade angels back to heaven for Judgement. All before the Earth is hit with a second great flood, like the story of Noah. Enoch is not alone though, he is accompanied by four archangels: Raphael, Gabriel, Michael, and Uriel. They provide support and advice, and Uriel even gives you a hand in combat through an overburst mode.
The story sounds simple enough, but there was more than one occasion where I was seriously stumped as to what I was watching. Things get pretty wild, with all kinds of lore being thrown at you from all angles. Like Nephilim, the hybrid offspring of Angels and Humans that have the potential to devour each other and grow into giant beings of destruction. Or the prophet Ishtar, who leads the freemen against the fallen angels on the ground.
There’s a lot of ancient Hebrew religious inspired lore to take in and it’s at times a bit abstract. While you never feel hopelessly lost in the plot. There will be moments where you’re questioning what is actually going on on-screen.
Jabbing and Jumping
El-Shaddai’s gameplay is broken up into two parts essentially. You spent equal amounts of time in combat and platforming.
Combat is deceptively simple at first, but ended up having more depth than I had expected, without becoming overly complex. You have access to three holy weapons. These are acquired by grabbing them from set points, or by stealing them from a stunned enemy. Enoch will grab the weapon from them and purify it, allowing him to use it to dispense holy justice. The Gale allows the player to shoot projectiles at enemies. It’s the fastest, but also the weakest weapon in the game. Speed is your friend. There’s not much in the way of defense, forcing you to time a parry. The Veil is the slowest, but strongest weapon, which means you can block a lot more and not worry about timing. And then there’s the Arch, a blade that strikes a balance between offense and defense.
Each of these weapons have different attack animations and areas of effect. However, the simplicity in combat comes from the fact that the control scheme for all of them is the same. You can mash the attack button for a string of hits. Hold the button down and you can time a counterattack for enemy hits. Combine the guard and attack buttons for special moves and use them when in the air, on the ground and mid combo. Air attacks, guard breaks, dashes, and air-to-ground attacks are all on the table. There’s a great variety of moves that come from easy to learn controls that just require a little timing. This makes for a simple, yet robust combat system that can be a lot of fun.
My only complaint in its combat were a couple of boss encounters, where its great system was underutilised. Such as a fight with a giant pig that amounted to baiting a charge into a wall, and wailing on him while he was out. Rinse and repeat until the fight is over. However, these moments were a couple of small blemishes on an otherwise great string of fights.
The other end of the gameplay spectrum is the platforming. This one is a tad more straightforward. Only taking things a bit further with the Arch’s ability to slowly descend from a jump and the Gale’s ability to dash forward. Otherwise it’s simply a matter of timing and placement like any other platformer.
El-Shaddai has platforming segments that are more flat and 2D-like, and others that are more 3D. The 2D platforming sections are far better and much more enjoyable than their 3D counterparts. Which requires a bit more to land safely. Enoch usually casts a shadow which shows that it’s safe to land. But I still found myself plummeting to the depths of a level because of this feeling of poor depth perception. Overshooting or undershooting my jumps woefully. I feel like some camera control may have helped me out a bit. Luckily none of my failed attempts made me want to quit. However, if you’re not a fan of, or good at platforming this might be frustrating.
Painted World
I love this game’s art style. The fallen angels you go after, each rule their own realm. You travel from one to the next and let me tell you, not one of them disappointed me visually. Every realm was a painting, even the most artistically tame area, Arakiel’s realm. The use of colours, lighting and scale all contributed to some beautiful levels. However, it wasn’t all beautiful. While art direction and environmental design was great, the character models were not.
The characters were where the title’s age was the most evident. There’s not all too much texture or refinement to character models. And close ups make this painfully obvious, even for a game from 2011 it was surprising. Part of me felt like most of the budget went into other areas of the visuals. But honestly, with how great the environments and lighting are, I can forgive it. To an extent at least, because man, were some of the fallen angels ugly.
To complement the stellar visuals, we’re also treated to some seriously good music. Just straight banger after banger in the soundtrack. From the epic choral menu song and Enoch’s theme to the soothing arrangement of to those of the beloved past. If you’re anything like me, you’ll end up searching the OST and adding a couple tracks to your video game soundtrack playlist before long.
Play It
Hidden Gem is an apt description of El-Shaddai, when I first loaded it up, its older and slightly potatoey graphics threw me off. A small part of me suspected that this would be an underwhelming experience. I hadn’t realised how spoiled the evolution of visual quality in modern video games had made me. But it’s art style, music and combat all won me over. It’s a fun game, with a lot of character and some serious food for the eyes. Whatever negative aspects can be found in El-Shaddai, are easily overshadowed by the positives. Making this a great experience overall.
This is our review of the Hollyland Lark 150 Solo 1-Person Wireless Microphone System.
The LARK 150 is a wireless microphone system equipped with two independent ultra-compact mics designed to record 2-person dialogues.
Never miss any sounds for street interviews, travel vlogging, conversational live streaming, and other types of digital content creation that feature one or two people onscreen.
Specifications
What’s in the box?
The box contains the transmitter, receiver, charging case, storage bag, cables, mic, stickers, furry windshield and instructions.
A Closer Look at the Transmitter
A Closer Look at the Receiver
A Closer Look at the Charging Case
Final Thoughts
The first thing you notice about the Lark 150 is that it is small – very small! It can easily fit into your bag and even your pocket. Both the transmitter and the receiver are very lightweight – you almost wont notice you are wearing the transmitter, it’s that small.
The charging case holds both the transmitter and receiver and both charge up when fitted into the case. The case itself also holds a charge so when fully charged you should be able to fully charge both the transmitter and receiver two and half times. Charging the case is simply a case of plugging in the cable and charging it up. The battery on the transmitter lasts about 4 hours and the receiver lasts about 7.5 hours. You can easily see the status of each of the batteries on the devices and also on the case itself. The case feels very sturdy and will protect the kit when stored. Magnets hold them in place as well so they wont move around when being carried. All the cables can even be carried in the case too making things so much easier.
Setting up the Lark 150 is very quick and easy – power on the transmitter and receiver, plug in the cables and fit them where you need them and that’s it. There really isn’t anything else to do as they just work. They auto pair when you take them out of the charging case.
The audio quality is excellent and I found that using them in a variety of different locations, some inside and some outside worked very well. You should be able to receive the audio signal up to about 100 metres, so for more requirements this will be more than enough. The Lark 150 scans the surrounding frequency 8,000 times per second and automatically connects to the interference-free channel to ensure the system is always connected.
Over the years I have recorded hundreds of interviews, some in nice quiet rooms, and others in the middle of a busy convention centre with thousands of peoples and loads demos going on around, and given all the other kit I had to carry around with me, the Lark 150 would have been perfect. I have used other wireless mics in the past, but none as small or as easy to use as the Lark and none that didn’t require me to carry a lot of spare batteries. This is definitely my go to audio kit now.
If you want to have a wireless microphone for recording videos either inside or outside then you really need to take a look at the Hollyland Lark 150 Solo as its the perfect addition to your kit bag. And it’s also very easy to upgrade by buying an additional transmitter.
The Hollyland Lark 150 Solo 1-Person Wireless Microphone System is available now priced around $270 or £249.
When a game’s legacy spans 25 years and people still hold it in high regard, you know the developers struck gold. Quake captured the imagination of its audience with its blocky and dark imagery and hard-hitting audio. Roll on to 2021 and would this much-loved title still have the same impact today as it did in 1996? Quake Remastered has been released to answer that question! So, will it survive the test of time and still be adored, or should it have been left well enough alone?
Developed by id Software and Nightdive Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks, this is a classic first-person shooter (FPS). I remember much about the core game but didn’t explore the many episodes that were added. I was excited to get my hands on a copy as I wanted to see how it would hold up on a modern console, and I was desperate to experience the additional content.
Mow them down with your ridiculous machine gun.
Quake Remastered retains its charms while adding a shed load of content.
Quake was admired by the gaming industry for being one of the first true 3D games. I remember playing it and being amazed by the engrossing gameplay, and the brutality that ensues. The dark world and tough action kept me busy for hours, so I was glad when I heard Quake Remastered had retained much of its charm and core concepts.
The game asks you to explore a labyrinthine world filled with monsters and ridiculous weapons. The story, or what little that’s explained, asks you to jump through a portal to find an enemy code-named “Quake”. That’s about the extent of the information at hand, and with this minuscule nugget, you begin your journey of bloody violence. You venture through the maze-like dungeons, hunting down your foes while searching for a rune, and this ultimately leads to the final boss Shub-Niggurath (try saying that when drunk!)
So, Quake Remastered is a simple title that doesn’t venture far from its roots. You’ll enjoy the easy to navigate stages that hide multiple secrets, and many resources. There are traps to avoid or destroy, lifts to activate, doors to open, and many monsters to annihilate. It was fantastic reliving my youth on a modern console. However, you may think that this doesn’t offer much for modern players! Worry not, as there is plenty for you to get your teeth into.
Work together and complete every mission.
Plenty of improvements to the performance and gameplay.
I adored how the developers added additional elements to the game without ruining the core concept. New players and old will appreciate the extra layers that have been added and the availability of the original expansion pack. What was instantly noticeable were the enhanced graphics that make the action run seamlessly. You still get to enjoy the blocky and low detailed imagery, but the edges have been nicely polished to make it pleasing to the eye.
Alongside this, Cross-play has been added to spice up the multiplayer action as well as split-screen, co-op and deathmatch modes. These work fantastically on the remastered version and I loved how the genre-defining mode has been carefully supported for this latest instalment of the franchise.
You’ll experience four different difficulty settings, from easy to nightmare in this tantalising FPS. You must consider the weapon you are wielding and the enemies you face as different guns affect each monster you encounter. Whether you blast them down with a shotgun, mow them down with a machine gun, stun them with your lightning gun, or hack them with your axe, you must understand the best way to annihilate your foes.
Quake Remastered has been done justice for a modern audience.
In the future, it’ll run native 4k play and 120FPS and will play incredibly well on the Series X! Currently, you’ll experience 1080p at a smooth 60FPS. I loved its modern finish and its ability to retain its classic look. The creepy and horrific enemies still lack details and the surrounding world is blocky and dank, and this is great. The simplicity of the imagery defined Quake and the remaster has captured this perfectly.
An aggressive game would be nothing without a heavy soundtrack to listen to, and Quake Remastered has this in abundance. The hostile and angry tones generate high energy and demand you sprint and shoot to your heart’s content. I loved scouring the levels while enjoying everything Nine Inch Nails offers. What’s also fantastic is how great the weapons sound. The deafening blasts from your arsenal of weapons were excellent to experience, and it adds to the brutality of the horrific gameplay.
Explore the dark and dangerous world.
Innovative controls that define the genre.
Quake’s innovative control system has defined the FPS genre. The ability to strafe, leap, and dodge your enemy’s attacks sent shock waves through the industry, and the results are still seen in modern titles. The control setup has shifted to the gamepad extremely well and is accurate and responsive to play on console. Fans of the original will note the addition of a radial menu to select your weapons. This new method adds little to the gameplay and was designed with console gamers in mind.
During the 90s, gamers were addicted to the gory violence and the excellent mechanics, and I can’t see anything changing! With the addition of Cross-play, the original episodes, and modern polish, this will ensure it’s as addictive as ever. The moderate achievement list will test your resolve and add to the high replay value.
Quake Remastered proves its still relevant for a modern audience.
Remastered games are two a penny and some are great while others are not. Quake Remastered, however, is fantastic and proves that minor adjustments and a considered approach can breathe life into a much-loved game. I adored it and recommend you to buy it here! It’s also free as part of the Gamepass subscription, so you have nothing to lose. Can you find the secrets, kill the monsters, and complete your mission? Grab a gun and see for yourself!
With the PAW Patrol: The Movie just out in cinemas, SpinMaster have released a new range of toys, and we review the new Ultimate City Tower.
This 3-foot-tall playset – the tallest PAW Patrol tower yet – brings the pups’ Adventure City headquarters from the big screen to life. It’s jam-packed with amazing features to discover, including a transforming light-up rescue ramp, command center, vehicle lift, pup elevator, lights and sounds and so much more! With Chase’s cruiser, a clip-on backpack, and all six PAW Patrol figures included, you can get straight to the fun right out of the box.
A Closer Look
The box containing all the pieces of the Ultimate City Tower is big – very big! It is also very well packaged.
The instructions and the stickers for the car and the tower are also included, along with some extra stickers that can be used for whatever you want, which we thought was a nice touch.
The top of the Tower even has the holographic city map used in the film.
There are lots of separate pieces that will need to be fitted together.
The instructions are very detailed and each piece actually has the number corresponding to the piece on the instructions stamped somewhere on the piece out of the way, which really helped when putting it together.
As well as the Tower, there is also Chase with a special pup pack. This one launches three projectiles and can be easily fitted or removed, and it can also be used to hang Chase off the side fo the Tower.
Chase’s Police Cruiser also comes in the box. The cruiser is ready to go but needs it’s stickers to be stuck on.
You also get Marshall, Rocky, Rubble, Zuma and Skye to play with – but no Liberty (who is now my assistants favourite pup).
Then it’s a case of following the instructions and fitting all the pieces together to start building the Tower. My assistant was able to build it himself with very little help from me and all the pieces felt secure when clicked into place.
Obviously during the build process we had to stop in order to test certain functions – obviously!
One of the main features of the Tower is a large ramp that opens up from the front of the Tower (and closes up when you have finished playing with it). This is controlled by a red handle on the rear of the Tower. According to my assistant it was fairly easy to operate and got easier the more times he used it – plus it actually got easier once the build was completed as the whole Tower was more secure when all the pieces were in place.
There’s a lift at the rear of the Tower in order to allow Chase’s Cruise to be lifted up ready to use the ramp. The other pup’s vehicles, which are sold separately, can also be used as well.
The top of the Tower has space for each pup, once you have fitted the stickers. The top turns in order to reveal a picture of the pup along with lights and sounds associated with that pup. There is also a slide so the pups can do down.
When finished being built, the Tower stands 3 feet high, which is huge!
Final Thoughts
With the help of my trusty (almost) 5 year old assistant, we easily removed everything from the packaging, although this took a while as there are a lot of pieces (as you can see from the pictures above).
At the time of the unboxing he had already seen the movie twice (and I was to see it later that day with him).
Unboxing and building the Tower took around two hours – although it could probably be done quicker than that, but we were having so much fun that two hours just flew by. My assistant only needed a little help building it – there were a few tricky pieces to fit together towards the end – so he really enjoyed the challenge and the anticipation of playing with the Tower and the pups. And all throughout the build he tested each step to make sure he was happy – in the case of the ramp this meant opening and closing many, many times!
There are two separate battery compartments that require AAA batteries (5 in total), which are not included. It’s very easy to fit them and the battery compartment is in an easy to access place that doesn’t require anything being dismantled. My assistant has been playing with the Tower for many many hours now and the batteries are still going strong. The first is on the ramp itself, and there is a button that can be pressed to play various sounds and parts of the ramp lights up. Also when a vehicle goes down the ramp the lights and sounds happen which is really cool. The second battery compartment is for the top of the Tower which includes lights and sounds for each pup – it also lights up the main PAW Patrol symbol on the front of the Tower.
The Tower is very secure and sturdy, even with the ramp extended, especially considering its 3 feet tall! There are lots of different features on the Tower, including the ramp, lift, slides, the all new Pup Treat Dispenser, places for the pups and so much more. Chase even clips onto the pup elevator so he can go straight up to the top of the Tower. There’s even space at the bottom of the Tower in the garage to park and fix vehicles.
The quality and attention to detail on the Tower is great and I would say it’s the best PAW Patrol toy so far – well according to my assistant anyway! But I have to agree with him, each new toy that comes out is better than the last and he is looking forward to seeing what comes next.
After a week since the Tower was originally built, a day hasn’t gone by where my assistant hasn’t played with the Tower and the pups, and he keeps finding fun new ways to play and recreate some of his favourite scenes from the film. This is definitely a huge hit with him and I suspect that will be the same with others too!
If you are a fan of PAW Patrol then you are going to want this new Tower, it is the biggest PAW Patrol toy that SpinMaster has released so far and it has a lot of things to do. The inclusion of all pups and one vehicle really added to the excitement, although my assistant was disappointed his new favourite pup Liberty wasn’t included, but then you can’t have everything.
The PAW Patrol: The Movie Ultimate City Tower is available now priced around £160 and is aimed at children ages 3 and up, and is a must have for your child’s PAW Patrol collection.
