Review: Tour de France 2021

Daniel Waite
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Review: Tour de France 2021

Sports bring people together. You can be from different backgrounds, have alternative beliefs, but this matters not! Whenever people in a room love a particular sport, it unifies them. Yet, there is one divisive sport that can be performed on the track or the road. Travelling in packs, these sportspeople rile every other road user. I am, of course, talking about cycling. Men and women cover their bodies with lycra and then fill the roads with their two-wheeled machines. Whether you love them or loathe them, you admire their determination and the fitness levels required to compete. Tour de France 2021 captures the competitive element perfectly while allowing you to take part in the world’s most gruelling races.

Developed by Cyanide and published by BIGBEN INTERACTIVE and Nacon, this is an ultra-realistic sporting simulation title. It’s a brutally challenging racing game that will test your tactical approach, mental stamina, and team management. You will take in many stunning landscapes as you race across different countries.

Tour de France 2021 is a time-consuming beast.

If you are a fan of road races, you’ll know these events are long and arduous. Tour de France 2021 is no different. If you love to be in control and influence each race, you’ll be investing hours of your life on each tour. Most events have several stages and each comprises hundreds of kilometres of roads to cover. You must ride your bike from start to finish focusing on many stats and teamwork. Races can take hours to complete and during this time you can not let your guard drop once.

Now, you may think, “that does not sound fun!” I admit, for large chunks, I’d agree with that statement. However, it’s oddly addictive and you grasp the sense of competition as each racer jostles for position. The game is simple to play, which is great as your energy is saved for each battle that lies ahead. The gameplay is split across five modes; race, practice, my tour, pro team, and pro leader. Each uses the same mechanics, but the core focus shifts depending on which mode you select.

Tuck in and hide from the wind.

Ultra-realistic with plenty to get your teeth into.

Now, you may call me greedy, but when I buy a game, I want as much bang for my buck. Tour de France 2021 is certainly generous in this department. With eighty-nine stages to choose from, a plethora of teams to ride with, and stats to maintain, this is one that enthusiasts will love. Yet, I can’t help but worry that its desire to be challenging and realistic will alienate a large portion of players.

With stages taking up hours of your life, and a complex team order system, this can be overwhelming. Keen cyclists will surely adore the chance to compete across the great mountain stages. But other sports fans may not appreciate the complexities. I struggled to maintain concentration for long periods, allowing myself to lose my race position while admiring the scenery.

It was tough to focus on each stat and command a team of cyclists when you didn’t know everyone’s strengths or weaknesses. As you ride, you are expected to maintain red and blue energy levels, speed, and road position. It’s difficult to do and you must plan when to attack or stay with the peloton. Ensuring you don’t burn out is imperative to success. Consuming gels and hiding in the pack keeps you in peak condition. It’s a wonderful game of cat and mouse, but it takes a lot of patience and practice to get right.

Time to ride in the peloton.

Are you a loner, or are you a team player?

What I loved about Tour de France 2021 was the tactical element. Each game mode allows a different focus, and this was key to keeping me entertained. The race mode allows you to jump into a team, earn XP, and open up each of the grand tours. My Tour lets you pick a unique tour made of any style of race or location. It’s perfect for veteran gamers to revisit their favourite stages while still competing. And then there is Pro Team and Pro Leader. These modes follow a similar focus, one concentrates on the success of the whole team, the other on a lone rider. You must choose your riders from an available roster, pick your specialists and decide what team you like to run. As you earn more points and you improve, you’ll build a better team to compete with the best.

The Pro modes were great with so many layers to focus on. Yet with no short races and no way to skip forward without jeopardising your race plan, every step forward was long and time-consuming. If you decide to take this on, be prepared for the long slog ahead.

Tour de France 2021 looks stunning.

I love when a developer creates a stunning world to look at and Cyanide has done just that. With plenty of time on your hand, you’ll enjoy quaint French villages and many glorious landscapes. Rolling hills, rugged mountainsides and quintessential towns have all been recreated beautifully. Player animation is equally good with the character models and bikes moving smoothly at all times. I was impressed with the smooth gameplay which wasn’t impacted even when the peloton was packed with riders. Sadly, though, it wasn’t perfect. If you ride close to the edge of the road your bike simply stops. You can’t run wide and there are no falling mechanics, no, you just stop. For an ultra-realistic title, it was disappointing and tarnished the end product.

At first glance, the audio appears to be very good. With fantastic atmospheric sounds, crowds cheering, and noises you’d associate with the sport. But, when you listen to the audio closely, you realise it’s not great. The crowd sound file is on a loop of repeated sayings and the shouts from the crowd are the same. When a game asks you to invest plenty of time into it, the minimum you expect is varied audio. I was disappointed as this also affected the realism factors.

Form the breakaway and win the race.

A brilliantly thought out controller setup.

Tour de France 2021 asks you to focus on many elements, which could be a confusing mess. Fortunately, the developers created a balanced and well thought out control setup. I particularly enjoyed the coasting option that allows you to follow teammates or other riders. This allows the race to drift by as you ride in the pack to conserve energy and wait for the breakaway. It was brilliant and allowed you time to plan your attack.

Cycling games attract a niche audience and this title is no different. Yes, the Olympics and the main tours will pique interest. But this will only inspire keen fans of the genre and the sport to part ways with their cash. If you fall for its lycra wearing sweaty charms, you’ll be dome obsessed with it. Otherwise, you’ll probably want to give it a miss. There is plenty of longevity to be had, which is helped in part by a large and challenging achievement list.

Tour de France 2021: A brilliant time-consuming niche title.

I was disappointed by its drawbacks as these tainted the experience. However, it’s a great realistic sports title that is great value for money. It will only attract a niche audience but those who love it will rave about it. It wasn’t a game that captured my attention but I can see why others will love it. If you like a challenging racing sim, or you enjoy cycling, buy it here! Grab your lycra, select your team, and be crowned King of the Mountains. 

Review: Realpolitiks II

Frances Addison
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Review: Realpolitiks II

On first starting Realpolitiks II, new players are immediately going to be faced with the tutorial. Unfortunately, this also happens to be the part of the game where the problems start. There’s a lot to get into here, but to keep things fair, let’s begin by explaining the game is and what it does right, rather than dwell on the negatives.

Realpolitiks II is a political simulation strategy game. Players are given control of a country of their choice and are tasked with expanding their power. There are three starting scenarios to choose from: On The Brink Of Tomorrow, which is the ‘standard’ game mode that most closely resembles normal world politics; Pandemic Aftermath, which models the world immediately following the Covid-19 pandemic; and Nothing Ever Changes, which imagines a world utterly destroyed by war and disaster, with only tiny pockets of society clinging to survival. The first two scenarios are largely similar, although countries have different starting stats and there are some different decisions to be made. In contrast, the third scenario plays like an almost entirely different game. There are no recognisable countries left and most of the landmass is reduced to empty, unclaimed wilderness.

It’s clear that a lot of development time has gone into designing these scenarios. Every country has different starting resources and relationships depending on their general global standing, and something as simple as selecting a different starting nation can drastically change your experience with the game. Nothing Ever Changes in particular is a thrilling diversion from the norm if you’re tired of the other, more traditional settings. The lack of shared borders and extreme resource shortages, coupled with the sudden availability of land, completely change the possibilities of diplomacy or cooperation. If you, as I did, worked through the first two scenarios making alliances and avoiding conflict, Nothing Ever Changes will thoroughly catch you off-guard.

Gameplay itself consists of deciding your political actions in a number of different ways. On the diplomatic side of things, you can interact with foreign countries either positively or negatively. Currying favour and investing money in your allies will strengthen relations and enable you to form alliances; in contrast, aggressive actions like imposing embargoes will worsen your relationships dramatically. At home, you can choose to run a vast range of projects to influence different country statistics, as well as react to real-time events presented to you by your advisors. For players with a more aggressive stance, you can create and control soldiers, vehicles, and spies to attack enemy states.  

None of that is bad, in theory, but there’s a catch. If you read that list and thought ‘wow, that sounds like a lot of number balancing’, you’d be right. This is where the problems with Realpolitiks II start and it’s most easily summed up like this: the game just isn’t a lot of fun.

There are moments of humour to be found – I particularly enjoyed the dog advisor who grants a +10 bonus to your relationship with absolutely everyone – and a lot of the ‘story’, such as it is, doesn’t take itself too seriously. For all that, however, Realpolitiks II’s core gameplay feels more like balancing a complicated spreadsheet than running a country. Most of the actions you take are simply a numbers game, weighing up the cost of a project or activity and deciding if it’s worth it. To some extent this is the primary mechanic in most simulation strategy games, but in this one the veneer wears particularly thin.

I said at the beginning that the problems start in the tutorial, so let’s circle back to that. A common tutorial technique for games in this genre is to give players a pop-up explaining some central aspect to the game, and then letting them play out a short scenario involving that mechanic. It’s not overly engaging, but it’s a reliable way of getting a lot of information to the player in a way that sticks. In Realpolitiks II, that’s clearly the type of tutorial experience the developers were going for, but it just doesn’t happen. Instead, the tutorial almost entirely consists of a huge amount of reading too-small dialogue boxes. There are a few brief sections where it switches to gameplay to implement the mechanics you’ve just been reading about, but the severe lack of actual stuff to do in this game besides clicking on something and waiting means these tasks are incredibly short.

And, even with its brevity, the tutorial’s gameplay still manages to be so poorly explained that the game needs to give you three separate dialogue boxes telling you what to do.

Notice the three dialogue boxes all telling me what to do in different ways

The result is a very long tutorial that ultimately does a bad job of imparting any lasting lessons on the player. From there, the main game doesn’t particularly expand; while you gain access to new countries and projects, the slow, monotonous pace of the tutorial persists. Almost all the time players spend in game will involve either reading dialogue boxes, resource management, or waiting for tasks to complete.

Combining that lack of interactivity with some very shaky performance – while the game never crashed on me, it frequently started chugging even when I wasn’t trying to do anything – I can’t say that I enjoyed my time with Realpolitiks II. Simulation strategy games aren’t for everyone, but even as someone who does like them, I just could not get into this game. A lot of time has clearly gone into crafting the different countries and their economies, but the actual gameplay is so lacklustre it feels like a lot of that effort has gone to waste.

I really wanted to like Realpolitiks II, but if you’re looking for something to scratch that simulation strategy itch, I can guarantee you there’s a better title out there.

Review: The Eternal Castle Remastered

Alex Chessun
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Review: The Eternal Castle Remastered

Based on a 1987 game that never existed, The Eternal Castle Remastered is a retro-inspired 2D platformer with an effective 2-bit color design that’s as striking as its attempt to convince of the supposed original’s existence. Seemingly stealing a leaf from the Polybius playbook for creating noise out of thin air, it’s a clever attempt at standing out in an industry that loves a remaster more than Mario loves spacing out on mushrooms. 

Despite its dated color range suggesting otherwise, TEC has all the functionality of a decent 2D platformer with enjoyable gameplay mechanics and some tremendous animation. The story, on the other hand, is utterly superfluous but, according to the wall of near-illegible text in the intro, places the main character on a space colony created to ‘re-establish a self-sufficient ecosystem in space’, only for war to break out during the project and potentially claim victim to the protagonist’s partner. It’s a largely pointless preamble as the story offers nothing beyond the intro, but it does provide a decent excuse for its sci-fi dystopian setting with levels that range from a mad scientist’s mansion with experiments roaming the grounds to the front line of a war zone.

You might wonder how one could differentiate such dramatically different environments based on the screenshots, but while the basic design might lower your expectations, its animation will blow them out of the water. The difference between them is so stark that judging the title’s visuals from screenshots is virtually impossible, making a video (like the trailer above) the only way to do it justice and convey the game’s visual strengths. As someone who would watch flash videos of stickmen shooting each other with metal music blaring in the background during school breaks, this visual style is very appealing to me, even if it lacks the heavy soundtrack and super-fast action that also accompanied them. 

A stylish prison scene with caged spectators sharing their opinions.

Combat provides its kicks with hand-to-hand combat and an array of weapons (such as axes, assault rifles, swords and shotguns) that satisfies as you dismember your silhouetted foes with smooth movement and nice sound effects. Adding this to the great level design and scenarios that highlight the action’s qualities, and it comes together brilliantly, keeping you on your toes with sections such as chasing a sniper while a helicopter attempts to mow you down with bullets or a nightclub full of enemies that turns into a mass strobe-light brawl. Great little details are also peppered throughout these levels that give the NPCs character (such NPCs conversing over a game of chess) and it’s this method of storytelling – through the characters – that might’ve made more sense than how it was actually implemented.

While you can’t exactly tell from this screenshot, the NPC on the far right is kicking a football up in the air. I can’t get enough of details like that and this game is full of them.

These aspects alone should be enough to play to the retro-esque indie crowd, but in my opinion, TEC, like many other indie games, tries too much with too little, seemingly attempting to create an ‘impressive’ laundry list of features for its Steam description. Overreaching instead of doubling down on the enjoyable core gameplay, its saddled with average-at-best boss fights, with style but no substance (oddly flipping the switch from TEC’s formula of minimalistic design and enjoyable gameplay) and forgets what makes the preceding action fun. This consequently bookends all the good stuff with unsatisfying set-pieces, making its worst impression with the nonsensical ending.

Do yourself a favor and check out some footage online

New Game + is also included, but its existence is more prominent as a representation of the many features that lack any real explanation and no real investigation helps – apart from being forced to the internet to find other bemused players. Perhaps you could call that its online features?

My biggest issue, however, is a soundtrack that simultaneously misses the mood the game offers and also fails to enhance the gameplay in any way, leaving half the experience on the table when the gameplay is left to play against an almost silent background.

I hope you’ve been sharpening your blade, cause your gonna need it!

Two unlockable modes are made available after completing the story – Duel and Sacrifice – and they are most welcome additions as they cut the fat weighing down the main story. Duel hosts 1-on-1 battles and Sacrifice acts as a separate and more difficult ‘story’ mode without save points. Both of these use TEC’s best points and run with it – minimal to no story and a focus on action. I personally would have liked to have seen this greater arcade focus in the main mode. I think it might have dulled the perplexing ending and made it a more consistently entertaining title.

The Eternal Castle Remastered is a short and wonderfully stylish 2D platformer with a enjoyable gameplay loop, but a few issues that weigh down the title hold it back from being much more than a unique title that excels in spurts. Ultimately, the game achieves its goal of remaining a mystery, but it’s debatable whether or not that’s a good thing.

Review: Red Solstice 2: Survivors

Davide Roriz
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Review: Red Solstice 2: Survivors

Red Solstice 2: Survivors is the third instalment by Ironward on their Red Solstice franchise. It should be noted that I’ve barely spent any time with the first game, so I went into this sequel pretty much like a new player to the series. Still, although this sequel seems to be much superior to its predecessor in every single way, it, unfortunately, suffers from a lot of problems, but we’ll get to those in due time. 

Red Solstice 2: Survivors takes place during a rampant STROL virus infestation on Mars. That’s the same virus that wiped out all life on Earth. Now it has made its way to Mars, thus bringing Humanity to the brink of extinction. Players take on the role of the Executor, a cybernetic soldier that acts as the commander of The Cell, the active military force that’s fighting off the STROL plague on Mars.

Much like its forerunner, Red Solstice 2: Survivors stays faithful to its inspirations, by delivering a solid real-time tactical experience. It may look like a twin-stick shooter, but I can assure you that it plays nothing like that. Instead, the game focuses on delivering a slower and much more methodical gameplay loop. Instead of raw action, it focuses on thoughtful planning and teamwork. At least that’s what it’s supposed to do in theory. The reality is, things don’t always go according to plan.

In terms of gameplay and controls, Red Solstice 2 is actually much closer to something like an RTS, rather than a twin-stick shooter. However, the key point here is that you control a single unit. The mouse is used for telling your character where to go and to manually aim. In any case, there’s also an Overwatch mode that is essentially aimbot. With this enabled, you’ll automatically shoot at any enemy that comes within range until they’re dead. Obviously, there are advantages and disadvantages to using both methods of shooting. Therefore, it’s up to the player to find when’s the right moment to switch from one to the other. Likewise, you can also lock the camera to your character or freely move it around. In general, movement, shooting, and inventory management are extremely intuitive. 

The game offers two different game modes, Campaign and Skirmish, with varying difficulty levels and up to 8-player co-op thanks to online multiplayer. There is also the option to play the Campaign solo, with 3 AI-controlled companions. With that said, don’t ask me why these bots don’t work in Skirmish, personally, I just can’t make sense of it. Nonetheless, Campaign and Skirmish are two very different experiences. In Skirmish, missions are much longer than in the Campaign, usually ranging between 40 minutes to an hour. Meanwhile, the Campaign focuses not only on telling the story about how the STROL virus is decimating Mars, but it also features a strategic layer. 

If you’re familiar with the newer XCOMs, then you’ll quickly get a grasp of it. Essentially, it’s your typical planetary campaign, you’ll slowly expand throughout Mars, develop your mobile base, research new technologies, manufacture new weapons and items, and then choose to take on a myriad of main story and side missions. This all happens while the virus is spreading, which you can fight by continuously completing missions. It’s not an innovative concept, but it’s a concept that works really well. Furthermore, this implementation fits exceptionally well in this universe and with the gameplay loop of Red Solstice 2.

With that said, although much shorter than the side missions, the main story missions are a lot better paced than the rest. The side missions are a slog to play, mostly because you’ll find yourself having to run back and forth on a huge map. It just feels like they serve to artificially stretch the length of the game. It also doesn’t help that there’s isn’t that much in terms of mission and objective variety. Actually, side missions even have side objectives within them, but the game doesn’t make it clear what rewards you get for completing these. There’s only so many civilian rescues, convoy escorts and search & destroy missions that you can do before it starts to feel tiring.

Furthermore, despite featuring huge maps, there isn’t much incentive to go out and explore after the point where you get what you need to complete the mission. If you complete the mission with your inventory full of items, then these will just be lost. There’s no way for you to take them back to base and use them in future missions. 

Now, one of the biggest problems with Red Solstice 2 is its progression system and how bad of a job the game does in explaining it to players. It’s extremely confusing. Honestly, it took me a while to fully understand it. I even had to read about it on the forums, but even then I still couldn’t fully comprehend it. With that in mind, I’ll be concise. First and foremost, if you’re going to hop into someone’s Campaign lobby, you might get spoiled, as the game doesn’t take how far you’ve progressed in your campaign into account. Having said that, when you play on someone else’s campaign, you’re only gaining experience and levelling your profile. To progress in your campaign, you have to host your own lobby. Meanwhile, since Skirmish is its own thing and consists of random missions, everyone progresses equally when playing there. 

However, the problem with the way things are structured, as I’ve just described, boils down to the profile system. Each player only has one profile, which acts as your account rank and levels up as you play the game. In turn, as you level up you gain points that allow you to unlock new stat bonuses, new weapons, new classes, and so on. The thing is, when you’re playing your campaign, you can only see part of your profile, with the rest of it only being accessible when you’re in Skirmish. Still, there are only a few things that are shared between Campaign and Skirmish. For example, weapon and class unlocks don’t work in your Campaign, because you unlock them by researching them. However, they work when you’re playing some else’s Campaign or when you’re in Skirmish mode. By reading this, it may all sound simple, but the fact is that the game doesn’t tell you any of this. The game just presents itself to you, and you have to make sense of how it actually works.

In spite of all that, the fact is that the game can be quite entertaining. There are 6 classes that you can play with, and you can customize pretty much everything about them. The game not only allows you to change how they look and their weapons, but also their passive and active abilities, as well as other minor stat boosts. When you combine this with a decent array of weapons and gadgets at your disposal during missions, plus a potential team of 8 all working together, you have the recipe for a whole lot of frantic action. Having to face constant and unrelenting waves of mutants as you make your way through each mission can become something trivial when you have the right tools for the job. There are proximity mines, gas pipelines, artillery strikes, tactical nukes, nitrogen grenades, chain explosives, stimulants and many other items that you can find stashed throughout each map. 

Red Solstice 2: Survivors would’ve been a terrific game if its only problem was how poorly it conveys information to players, but unfortunately that isn’t the case. For example, although having AI-controlled teammates will surely please players who are looking for a solo experience, unfortunately, they aren’t that great. I’ve had issues with companions refusing to move or follow me, despite me ordering them to. They also aren’t that smart, as they’ll always stay next to something that’s about to explode other than run away from it. Despite all that, the most annoying thing about them is that they don’t recognize when you’ve placed a trap to capture mutants (which can give you permanent stat bonuses). In such cases, they’ll just continuously keep killing everything that comes within range. It’s incredibly annoying, and nigh impossible, for a solo player to capture mutants. There’s also the issue that you can’t manage the bots’ inventory, which plays a huge role during multiplayer, as resource management is a bit part of the gameplay.

Some of the problems that bots have are probably just bugs, but unfortunately, the game also has plenty of those. For example, the camera lock doesn’t always work. Sometimes it does, but other times it simply focuses the camera on my character but it doesn’t latch to it. I also can’t reliably drop items from my inventory. When I try to do so, my camera will incessantly move in a random direction instead of staying in place. I’ve also had times where, for no apparent reason, I’d just be unable to shoot and use items for the rest of the mission. This last one was undoubtedly the most egregious bug that I’ve experienced because you just lose the ability to do anything. These are just a few bugs, the ones that I experienced. If you take a quick look at the bug reporting section in the Steam forums, you can see plenty of other bugs that other people are experiencing. Needless to say, this hasn’t been the smoothest and most stable of game launches.

At the end of the day, even though I enjoy the gameplay loop of Red Solstice 2, it can quickly start to feel repetitive. There is very little variety in terms of missions and objectives, and the fact that a bug can completely ruin an entire mission is just too much to bear. I’m sure that a lot of people will enjoy the game and attempt to unlock everything there is to unlock, but others will surely get tired of it rather quickly. Overall, Red Solstice 2 is a good game, but woefully, it’s rough around the edges. It isn’t very welcoming, it can be extremely confusing, and people who play it solo will have a very different experience from those who stick to multiplayer. 

I currently only have about 12 hours in the game, but I’m well aware that this is the kind of game that you can keep playing for hundreds of hours. With that said, whether it’s fun or not, it’s somewhat of a gamble. I enjoy playing it, but given all the issues that I’ve mentioned, I find it hard to recommend at the moment. You might want to give it some time to get to see if at least some of its issues get fixed. Red Solstice 2: Survivors has some really neat ideas, but given all the bugs and how bad the game explains itself to players, it just isn’t always a fun experience.

Review: Capcom Arcade Stadium

Daniel Waite
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Review: Capcom Arcade Stadium

The world of arcade gaming has a strong fan base that loves hardcore titles. Hundreds of pounds worth of coins have been invested to try, and fail to get the top score. People love them as they offer something to everyone. Practically every genre is covered and there is instant gratification when you beat your friends. Capcom Arcade Stadium attempts to capture this feeling with its base game and three add on packs.

Developed and published by Capcom, this is a nostalgia-filled title that will make retro fans weep. I received the full package for this review, which comprises over thirty games from across the ages. If you don’t want them all, you can pick up the base model and download the pack that you fancy.

Time to get angry with Ghouls ‘n Ghosts.

Capcom Arcade Stadium is a blast from the past.

If any part of your being likes arcade gaming, there will be a title you will be dying to play. Ghosts ‘n Goblins, Final Fight, Strider, Street Fighter II Turbo, and more await. Capcom Arcade Stadium has an eclectic mix of games to play, so no matter your genre, you’ll be looked after.

Pack One – Dawn of the Arcade (’84 – ’88) Pack Two – Arcade Revolution (’89 – ’92) Pack Three – Arcade Evolution (’92 – ’01)

What I love about arcade gaming is the difficulty and almost harsh nature of the beast. Perfection and high scores can only be obtained through hours of practice. Now, Capcom has experimented with this much-loved foundation, and I worry it’s not the right approach.

With unlimited lives, the ability to speed up or slow down the action, and be able to rewind gameplay, it’s possibly a step too far. Removing the fear factor that surrounds failure eliminates most of what makes these games desirable. Luckily, Capcom redeemed itself by creating special challenge modes.

Old-school flying games….you can’t beat them.

Capcom Arcade Stadium is accessible to all.

The Score and Special Challenge modes retain the old-school approach. With only one life to your name, you must play through your game of choice, aiming to live as long as possible. The further you go, the more CASPO points you are awarded. Score enough and you can see where you stand in the global rankings. Older gamers will remember the competitive nature of the leaderboard. Multiply that feeling by ten and that is how this feels.

Though I disapprove of the “cheats” that the standard mode allows, I understand why they were created. Capcom Arcade Stadium is really accessible because of its user-friendly approach. It removes the frustrations associated with the platform allowing you the chance to try otherwise unwelcomed titles. You can of course still play each machine with a higher difficulty. But the challenge is nullified because of the rewind function and the unlimited lives. Purists will lean towards the two challenge modes to get their fill as they capture this culture’s essence.

Authentic arcade look.

I have to applaud Capcom for their attention to detail. The simple setup of the arcade machines all lined up together looks great. The authentic background and systems all look amazing. Chuck in the polished emulated games and brilliantly smooth gameplay and you have a wonderful nostalgia fuelled trip ahead. I loved the coin animation and the movement of the joysticks. The graphics transported me back to my youth and for that alone, it was worth playing.

The click of the buttons, the clunk of the coins in the mechanism, and faithful sound files, makes the audio just right. You won’t tire of what you hear, and you can relive the wonderfully sharp synthesised music and loud sound effects to your heart’s content.

The classic battle.

Nice with a controller, but it’s no arcade machine.

I was surprised by how serviceable the gamepad was when playing each title. The button mapping, though not always obvious, was easy to pick up. I simply mashed the buttons until the controls became clear. No tutorial is necessary, and this allows you to get on and play immediately. No matter how good and responsive the controls were, they’ll never compare to the original setup. Purists may be disappointed as this element doesn’t quite capture the arcade experience.

Capcom Arcade Stadium is addictive, especially if you have packs 1, 2, and 3. The variety of games will keep you playing for hours and there is plenty to pique your interest. With the CASPO points to level yourself up, leaderboards to aim for, and different games hitting the Special challenge mode weekly, you’ll want to keep returning. A tough achievement list is not for the faint of heart, so completing this is difficult.

Capcom Arcade Stadium does most things right.

With an eclectic bunch of titles, challenging additional modes, and an authentic feel, Capcom Arcade Stadium does most things right. Though it makes it much more accessible, I dislike the “cheat” features. It makes each game unnecessarily easy and cheapens the experience. Other than this, I loved it and recommend you to buy it here! Get in the old-school mood, fill the machines with coins, and aim to get a high score.  

Review: Fire: Ungh’s Quest

Charles Ombler
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Review: Fire: Ungh’s Quest

You know that feeling when you need to release one of your flies from its orb but the orb has fallen into a bird’s nest and the mother bird won’t let you near the nest while the baby birds are still hungry so you need to feed the baby birds but the only viable food sources around are the people wearing giant Easter Island Head masks who will only kill and butcher themselves into steaks if they connect with you musically but the strawberries you need to feed your fluffy long-legged orb instruments to get them to sing the right tune are hidden behind four different mini-puzzles?

Of course you don’t, because you don’t live in a point and click adventure game with its associated bizarro-world logic. But that’s exactly the situation we found ourselves in as Ungh, the titular hero of Fire: Ungh’s Quest, who has been cast out from his caveman society for letting the fire go out along with general caveman-based incompetence. To regain his social standing and save his village, Ungh needs to find a new flame by traversing a dangerous and unfeeling world, filled with absolutely nonsensical puzzles and even-less-sensical solutions. A setup that lets you know you’re in for a classic point and click adventure.

The thing that Fire: Ungh’s Quest gets absolutely right is the scale. Each level is set over three screens that you can move freely between and there are no more than around 20 things you can interact with in total on each level, with all of those things becoming useful to solving the level and some point. There is also a button you can press which highlights everything in the level that is interact-with-able. This avoids a lot of potential to get stuck thinking a colourful spider in the background is useful when it’s just there for artistic reasons, or jabbing every pixel on the screen to find something you’ve missed.

The small scale means it’s technically possible to brute-force a puzzle if you’re really stuck, so it’s almost impossible to get lost with too many seemingly incompatible options for things to do. The real genius behind Fire: Ungh’s Quests is how they’ve managed to make the game genuinely challenging with such a scale – you’ll still get a nice sense of achievement when you get to the fly orb that progresses you to the next level. The fact that that progression system feels sane and normal suggests that I’ve spent too long knee-deep in that madness. Let’s wrap this review up quickly so I don’t fully succumb.

The other thing to note about Fire: Ungh’s Quest is that it’s funny. It’s more goofy-funny than witty-funny but it sets a fun tone to frame the puzzle elements of the game which results in an enjoyable and light-hearted experience. However, it doesn’t quite nail the humour of the early LucasArts Adventure Games – the peak of point and click adventure game humour in my humble opinion.

All in all, Fire: Ungh’s Quest is another entry in the gaming industry’s great history of ludicrous point and click adventures. It has a great sense of humour, some challenging puzzles and a scale that’s perfectly judged to keep you engaged and motivated with the game. It’s a great jumping-on point for the genre and is another example of a game that’s perfect for the Switch, with pick-up-and-play 10-minute adventures meaning that Ungh and I will be spending a lot of train rides together in future. Now, you’ll have to excuse me, I have places to be. I just need to find the jug to water my plants so the parsley will tell me where its hidden my flat keys.

Review: Cross The Moon

Daniel Waite
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Review: Cross The Moon

Vampires intrigue and excite people. These night walkers are strong, sexy, and will stop at nothing to get what they want. Books, films, and TV programmes can’t get enough of these undead beasts. So it was no surprise when my latest Visual Novel used them as the core concept. Cross the Moon follows a more traditional book style than other Visual Novels, so strap yourself in as you have a lot of reading ahead.

Developed by Patrick Rainville and published by Ratalaika Games, Cross the Moon is another Visual Novel they add to their library. Set in a grimy city, this is a sultry murder mystery novel about humans and vampires co-existing. With no dialogue choices and over 100,000 words, this is a meaty story that can be enjoyed slowly.

A blood moon lighting the sky.

Cross the Moon keeps you guessing throughout.

I’ve read countless books and played my fair share of Visual Novels. Yet, Cross the Moon kept me fixed from start to finish. The usual clichés of over-sexualisation or camp frat teens never appeared, and this was quite refreshing. Yes, some characters are colourful, and there are moments of steamy action, but it focuses on its core concept. You’ll enjoy a tale told from three viewpoints. These characters’ lives are beautifully intertwined, and this gives you a rounded view of how the plot evolves.

The story takes place in the fictional country of Armorica and focuses on the isolated city of L’Amour. This grimy metropolis allows vampires and humans to live side by side. Rules govern the vampire’s feeding habits, and businesses profit from their love of blood. But where there is greed, there is crime, and this is where Cross the Moon excels. Its twisted plot tricks you at every turn, keeping the truth veiled at all times.

L’Amour hides a great secret beneath its streets and in its dormant state, it sets the wheels of fate turning. Sibling vampires, a young detective, an occult, and corporate corruption form the backbone of this fantasy tale. 

Three points of view and lots of intricate twists. 

The three protagonists drive the subtext perfectly and the story follows; Ryouko Otsuki, a female detective fresh in the city. She is chucked in at the deep end when handed an appalling murder to solve. Lux Amantie the best friend of Apollon, the lead suspect in this murder mystery. And finally, Aurore, Lux’s sister who craves blood and begins a job in the city’s synthetic blood pharmaceutical company bloodFLOW. Each element uncovers clues and seedy secrets that fuel the plot further. 

With an ever-changing perspective, it’s tough to keep up with the story. The subtleties hidden in the dialogue require focus and attention. If the text slips you by, you’ll struggle to follow the plot. You must take your time and enjoy reading the oddly framed narration. The unknown storyteller explains the tale to an unnamed listener. It was bizarre, but it worked. It felt like you were listening to a secret conversation, and this matched the murder mystery theme.

Another layer of deceit.

Cross the Moon blends a cartoon style with realistic backdrops.

With many Visual Novels taking the Anime/Manga route, it was nice to see something more stylised. Cross the Moon blends a monochromatic cartoon style with realistic backdrops. Each character is drawn with crisp lines and their striking features have minimal movement to express emotion. Using darker tones enhanced the oppressive atmosphere and added a sinister feeling to the story. The text was easy to read because of the clear font and contrasting colours.

The audio delivers some excellent atmosphere matching tunes that bring the world to life. Clever use of silence and sinister sounds builds suspense and enhances the mystery surrounding each scene. The variety in the music was a pleasant surprise. Many styles were used, and this prevented you from finding the soundtrack tiresome.

I applaud the developer’s eye for detail in both the audio and visual aspects. With such a long story taking many paths, it would have been easy to lose interest. However, the aesthetics were interesting from start to end and helped support the well-written story.

How to look like a dodgy boy band.

Sit back, relax, and watch the text roll by.

Like most Visual Novels there is little to do in the way of controls. You’ll select your text speed, choose to skip if you wish and then relax. With no dialogue choices to be made, this is very easy to play. A journal records the story so if you miss any key lines you can revisit them here. It’s a clever idea that ensures you don’t miss important information.

Sadly for all its plus points, it has some negatives. Replay value is one drawback as it has none. With no alternative plots and all achievements unlocked in one playthrough, there is little reason to return. With around six to ten hours of reading time and a thoroughly enjoyable story, this is still worth your effort.

Cross the Moon is a moody and interesting murder story.

Using vampires as the protagonists was always an interesting choice. The variety of characters and their intertwined lives makes for an intriguing read. You’ll be hooked on the mystery and will fall for this story’s charms. Think Cluedo meets The Twilight Saga and you’re on the right lines. Cross the Moon is a great Visual Novel that is worth investing some time into. I loved it and recommend you to buy it here! Take a trip to the seedy underbelly of this dark city and solve the mysteries hidden within. 

Review: LEGO Vidiyo

Andrew Edney
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Review: LEGO Vidiyo

LEGO have released a new range called Vidiyo, and we got our hands on some for review.

LEGO VIDIYO, a music video maker experience that allows children to unleash their creativity – directing, producing and sharing their own music videos, is the perfect way to keep children entertained all summer as they re-create their favourite artists’ live performance – or get creative and make up their own!

Each set includes a figure and attachments, a special carry box and multiple BeatBits to use.

The box even allows you to safely store all your attachments and BeatBits with each character.

Building the LEGO sets are a lot fun – just like any other LEGO set. It doesn’t matter how old you are, building LEGO never gets old and is always enjoyable.

Once you have built your Vidiyo set it’s time to scan the character into the Vidiyo app. The app is free and is easy to use – create a band, scan the character, and then it’s time to make a music video.

Each set has 14 random and 2 special BeatBits which are small tiles that provide effects to the music video. You have to select a minimum of three tiles, but you can have as many as 12 per character. You then have to scan the character and BeatBits into the app so that then music video knows which BeatBits you have selected. You pick an area to create you music video stage and pick your music, then its time to make your video. During the video making process your character can do all sorts of things depending on what BeatBit you select – for example they can dress up like a Panda and dance around, and so many more. There are over 130 BeatBits to collect and you can mix and match them with any of the Vidiyo sets.

Making the video is so much fun, and with so many BeatBits to choose from and so many songs to pick you will spend hours and hours making cool music videos and adding to your band. As you add characters and make videos you earn more points too!

LEGO Vidiyo is such a fantastic idea to keep children (and some adults) interested, no two videos will be the same, and you will have hours and hours of fun playing with the sets, making videos and exploring the app. And the sets can easily be carried around and used anywhere.

LEGO Vidiyo sets are available now, and you can learn more from the LEGO website.

Power Rangers Lightning Collection Mighty Morphin Pink Ranger Helmet

Andrew Edney
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Power Rangers Lightning Collection Mighty Morphin Pink Ranger Helmet

If you are a fan of Power Rangers, then you might want to take a look at the new Lightning Collection – here we take a closer look at the Mighty Morphin Pink Ranger Helmet from Hasbro.

This Premium Role Play Lightning Collection Mighty Morphin Pink Ranger helmet features premium paint and decorative details inspired by the show, multiple points of articulation for adjustable fit, and a display stand to showcase and support the helmet. Go Go Power Rangers!

IT’S MORPHIN TIME! From Dino Fury back to the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, the Power Rangers have brought teamwork, action, and adventure to generations of fans. The legacy continues with figures, vehicles, collectibles, and roleplay toys from Hasbro, celebrating ranger teams from Mighty Morphin to Dino Fury. Imagine all the action of Power Rangers with toys from Hasbro!

This Power Rangers Lightning Collection role play helmet has premium painted details and design inspired by the Mighty Morphin series.

The Mighty Morphin Pink Ranger premium role play helmet includes a display stand for storage or showcasing the helmet in your collection.

Using the power of the Pterodactyl Power Coin Kimberly and Katherine both wear the mantle of the Pink Ranger.

Whether you want to wear the helmet and imagine yourself as the Pink Ranger, or just display it somewhere, the Power Rangers Lightning Collection Mighty Morphin Pink Ranger Helmet is a great addition to your collection.

For ages 18 up, the Power Rangers Lightning Collection Mighty Morphin Pink Ranger Helmet will be available in October 2021 priced around £88.99. Available for pre-order at Hasbro Pulse UK and Zavvi. 

Review: Minute of Islands

Daniel Waite
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Review: Minute of Islands

In a world full of pressure and responsibilities you’d expect the load to be shared evenly. When it isn’t, it can have dreadful consequences. The balance that settles your mind can be disturbed and the world can seem an oppressive place. Minute of Islands explores this idea in a touching and surreal way.

Developed by Studio Fizbin and published by Mixtvision, this is an unusual adventure puzzle game. With beautiful poetic narration and underground labyrinthine worlds to explore, it is easy to lose yourself in this weird story.

Minute of Islands is touching and horrifying.

There is so much to love about Minute of Islands, but occasionally you are left reeling by the shocking images. With the influences of death and suffering at every turn, you can see why the protagonist struggles mentally. Every task and journey is thwarted with danger and only logical thinking, and her training will ensure she succeeds.

The story is told across four chapters, each taking in separate islands that are unique but intrinsically linked. You are Mo, a female apprentice who must help the four gigantic guardians. These enormous beasts run the engine that protects the islands and their remaining inhabitants. The air is laced with toxins that harm anything it touches. The machines keep the atmosphere clear and you must assist the giants to fulfil their obligation to humanity.

It’s a weird dreamlike tale that will leave you confused at first. You will wander the dark tunnels looking at the alien-like environment. Quickly you’ll realise this is a story like no other when you spot the first snoring giant. You enter a vast cavern and see the creature leaning against his machine. It’s from this moment you learn to go with the flow and accept the surreal and wonderful ideas.

Venture further into the depths.

A world run on special power and giant run engines.

You will travel by boat, hopping from island to island aiming to save your failing world. The moment you land, you must begin exploring. You will meet family members, animals, and the few remaining islanders. The environment is dark and grimy and gives an oppressive feeling. The toxins in the air make the inhabitants irritable and irrational. You do your best to help each person while aiming to fix the broken machines. Gifted with a special tool known as the Omni Switch, you can control the island’s power and divert its flow to help the giants.

Your staff-like item is as mystical as it is useful. It solves all problems and is the key component of this bizarre jigsaw. You encounter locked doors that open like fish gills when powered up. The heart of each island must be energised and only Mo and the Omni Switch can make that happen.

It’s simple, brilliant, and slightly absurd. I adored the randomness of the whole situation and embraced the strange puzzles you face. Basic platforming elements added depth to the adventuring. Though it was occasionally tedious with the constant back and forth, it was fun, mostly, and added longevity.

Life is toxic without the air purifier’s

Minute of Islands teases you.

This fairytale and personal experience inspired plot weaves an intricate web. And your straightforward journey is always complicated by additional problems. Minute of Islands teases you throughout by implying the chapter is nearly over, yet this is rarely the case.

Problem after problem and puzzle after puzzle block Mo’s progress. Her simple journey becomes arduous and long and she constantly battles to keep her sanity while forging through the constant toxic visions.

A wonderfully stylised experience.

The weirdness of the plot is one thing, but the stunning stylised graphics are something else. Its look is incredible, with clean lines, oppressive colours and Brothers Grimm inspired imagery. You’ll feel like you’re travelling through a tragic nightmare. But, no matter the horrific nature of the imagery, you won’t want to wake from this spectacular slumber. 

The graphics and atmosphere are supported perfectly with the touching and harrowing audio. The music will make you laugh, cry, and shudder with its variety of songs. Airy melodies enhance the surreal nature and heavy tunes emphasise the disastrous situation. This is all held together by the marvellous poetic narration.

The beautifully delivered acting highlights Mo’s mental state and the problems she faces. Each line is full of emotion and you never tire of the words you hear.

The combination of sound and imagery makes this one of the best indie games I’ve played. It’s touching and horrendous at the same time. Walking further into the madness ensures Mo faces her demons. You know it’ll be uncomfortable, but you won’t turn away as you want to know what the future holds.

Help to awaken each brother.

The controls are its Achilles heel.

Minute of Islands does everything to a high standard, so I’m going to be a little picky. Sadly, the controls are clumsy during platforming elements. The level of accuracy required to jump or fall from surfaces is too precise. I jumped when I want to fall and vice versa; it wasn’t game-breaking, just annoying. This is me being very particular and other than this it was easy to play.

Like most adventure games the replay value is limited. The developers tried to enhance it with a secret achievement list and plenty of memories to find. These unusual spirits are hidden on each island. As you touch the ghostly beings, a snippet of information about Mo plays out. I loved this element! It gave you something to hunt for and added depth to the surrounding issues of the lead character.

Minute of Islands: Unusual, but utterly spectacular.

I went from; confused, lost, shocked, and in awe, as I explored this strange world. Minute of Islands is very unusual, but boy is it utterly spectacular! Focusing more on the artistry and the journey, you won’t be challenged by the puzzle aspect. You will love its wonderful narration, touching and horrendous story, and it’s brilliant surreal graphics. You must play it so buy it here! Mo’s world is in danger and only she can save it. Grab the Omni Switch, awake the giants, and restore order. 

Review: Scalextric 1966 Batmobile

Andrew Edney
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Review: Scalextric 1966 Batmobile

With Fathers Day just around the corner, we take a look at the iconic 1966 Batmobile in Scalextric form.

Batman originates all the way back to 1939 where he was first introduced in Detective Comics. Since then, he has grown to become one if not the most famous of superheroes of all time. Batman made it from the comic book pages and onto the TV screen in the 1960s when the Batman TV series first aired starring Adam West as Batman/Bruce Wayne. 

Both Batman and his companion Robin were two crime fighters there to defend Gotham City, their mode of transport was the Batmobile. This detailed Scalextric slot car of the 1960s Batmobile captures the shape of this iconic car and offers Batman fans from around the globe the opportunity to take Batman to the track. This car comes complete with a detailed Batman figure in the driver’s seat.

A Closer Look

Final Thoughts

As both a fan of Scalextric and also of Batman – I used to watch the 1966 Batman TV series when I was a kid in the 1970’s – I was really keen to get my hands on this car.

And what can I say other than it’s amazing! The attention to detail on it is fantastic, even down to having 1966 Batman sitting in the drivers seat.

My 4 1/2 year old son even said “it’s the Batmobile” – and he’s never seen the original Batman TV series – that’s how iconic this car is!

If you are looking for that slightly different Fathers Day present, or just want to add it to your own collection, then this is definitely one to have – you may find it hard to take it out of the box, it looks that good!

The iconic 1966 Batmobile from Scalextric is available now priced around £45.99.

You can learn more from the Scalextric website.

Review: Backworlds

Kara Phillips
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Review: Backworlds

Backworlds is an oddly charming puzzle platformer game which finally came to the Nintendo Switch after nine years of development. With enough puzzles to keep you thinking for hours, any fans of an intricate puzzle platform game will adore this one. Standing out against other games with it’s unique art style, players are challenged to utilise new skills in order to progress. Backworlds has features even a veteren of puzzle platformers isn’t used to, which makes it such a fun and engaging game. 

Clunky controls but perfect puzzles

Despite the game being developed for nine years, the controls on Switch are not as smooth as you would expect. Backworlds was originally set to release exclusively on PC, which would explain some of the controls. The transfer to switch definitely takes a few moments to understand. Rather than using the joystick to control your character, you’re told to use the d pad which seems uncomfortable when jumping around maps. It’s definitely something you get used to after a few puzzles but to start it seems out of place. Directional controls were definitely the main issue, and everything else seemed to be fine. 

The gameplay follows a pretty simple concept too. You complete puzzles in order to catch ink spills, and enough of those unlocks a door to somewhere. Eventually, these turn into boss encounters. You’re also equipped with a handy map in case you get lost (which I definitely did a few times). This map shows where the rest of the ink spills are, and also allows you to fast travel should you need to. This element isn’t one frequently used in puzzle platformers, but it’s definitely one highly praised in Backworlds. 

Aesthetically incredible

The game is visually stunning. Backgrounds are extremely detailed and the papercraft-esque hand drawn style sets it aside from any other. When using the drawing tool to unlock other dimensions, there are hidden elements and details you definitely wouldn’t expect. Trees are rustled with winds, and everything comes together to produce this wonderful little package. Your character is fully animated as well, tail swishing around, and head popping off to help solve puzzles. It’s extremely entertaining. With accompanying music to mirror environmental changes, Backworlds is a neatly tied up bundle of fun. For the most part, it runs extremely smoothly as well. The other downside is on occasion loading screens cause levels to freeze for a few seconds. 

The main gimmick for this game is the interdimensional drawing tool you have to use to complete levels. All puzzles expect you to use this in some shape or form. Switching between the real world and the reverse opens up an entire new world (quite literally) of opportunity. According to different levels, this tool also comes with different and exciting powers. From disobeying gravity to swimming through air, you hardly feel bored. Gameplay is kept completely fresh by this tool since you never really know what to expect, or what is going to happen next. It’s exciting, and hardly monotonous.This can’t be said for the occasional boss battle though. Nothing really separates them and there isn’t really much of a challenge. They seem out of place and repetitive. They’re simple and kind of boring, which is a shame since Backworlds is so wonderful without them. 

Final thoughts

As a whole, it’s clear that the nine years of development were worth it. Backworlds is an extremely enjoyable puzzle platformer which is completely fresh and unique. With so many elements, I’d definitely recommend this to anyone looking for something simple yet challenging to enjoy.

Review: Outriders

Daniel Waite
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Review: Outriders

The idealistic view that the future will be all roses and delight is usually deluded. Well, at least in the video game world it is. Anarchy, destruction, and famine are usually the flavours of the day. Mankind is doomed, and it’s usually down to our selfishness, so more fool us! Outriders runs with this grisly picture, and those of us that are left alive must fight for scraps as we try to survive our grim existence.

Developed by People Can Fly and Square Enix and published by the latter, this is a third-person looter shooter set on an alien planet. Brought to us by the team that made Bulletstorm, this has the potential to build from their 2011 project. I was excited when I saw the game was being released straight to Gamepass and downloaded it at the first opportunity. But with opening weekend gremlins, I allowed the dust to settle before strapping myself in for this futuristic ride.

Playing with fire will get you burned.

Outriders is a weird blend of other titles.

With Borderlands looting mechanics, the look of Destiny, and the movement of Gears of War, this has the potential to be a unique experience. Yet, I found that the eclectic blend didn’t amount to the height of each of its parts. Yes, each element is good, but it doesn’t evolve beyond what has already been experienced. You’ll dive around, hiding behind the scenery as you snipe or blow your foes to pieces. Sprinting and rolling is smooth and enjoyable, but the process becomes repetitive quickly. There is a lot of fun to be had when annihilating enemies, yet it plateaus pretty early on. 

The almost dated 2D plain in which the action takes place screams Gears of War. Now, there was nothing wrong with this mechanic on the Xbox 360. Yet, times have moved on and palettes have developed. Failing to make the most of each situation made each fight feel flat. The epic scenery was at odds with the action and I wanted it to flourish, but it failed to materialise.

A great story that is a slow burner.

Life as a badass hero can be a lonely existence. Being the last Outrider alive sends this message home! You’ve travelled to an alien planet with your band of brothers, completed your mission, and prepare to return to base. Unsurprisingly this foreign land throws up some horrendous surprises! The ground rises, electrical storms devour you, and a few lucky people are granted superpowers.

Struck by the anomaly you think you are as good as dead. Placed in cryo sleep, the world goes dark and years pass. When you awaken, the landscape is scorched and people are dying. Only a hero can save the day and the people turn to you to fill that void.

I loved the story, the husky characters, and the twists and turns. The well-timed boss fights added depth, but I couldn’t get away from the slow flow of the narrative. Each main battle was interesting, and I genuinely enjoyed the variety in the cast. Sadly, the rinse and repeat nature of jumping from each blockade was underwhelming. The potential is there for all to see, but Outriders falls short.

Walk through the flames to become a hero.

Outriders is all about skill trees and moded guns.

With four class types to choose from, a vast skill tree to unlock, and weapons to find, buy or mod, there is a lot to personalise your experience. Each class has buffs and negative effects that mildly adjust your gameplay approach. But at the beginning the impact is negligible. As you focus your abilities along the skill tree, you see where the developers want their game to go. With bonuses applied for close-quarter combat or long-ranged weapons, you get to choose how you want this title to play out.

I liked how you were free to decide your fate, but the winner was the highly detailed weapon design. With insane mods and weird looks, each gun was a delight to look at. People Can Fly have spent a lot of time creating some amazing rifles, and you’ll be in awe when you stumble across something truly unusual. Yet, what strikes me as strange is you rarely get to see your gun from the third-person perspective. With so much time invested, I would have loved to see my beastly equipment up close and personal.

Crafting and this genre go hand in hand. It was pleasant to see that the usual drawn-out process was relatively user friendly. Weapons can be broken down to gain resources and any mods are retained for use of future guns. This was a nice touch, as your favourite additions never went to waste, and altering your arsenal on the fly was a simple task.

Vast sprawling landscapes that you never explore.

We all crave a full and interesting world and Outriders delivers that and then some. The grim world is incredible to look at. The massive sprawling landscape makes your jaw drop, and you will be desperate to get exploring. Sadly though, the gameplay forces you into a linear path. Each mission sells a portion of the world and slowly you’ll piece together each section. Yes, you get to see some amazing locations, but you’ll be desperate to rummage around and this never materialises. This doesn’t help with the aforementioned flat nature of each stage. So, though you’ll be in awe of the surrounding world, you’ll equally be left frustrated by the lack of exploration.

The audio enhances the doomed situation you find yourself in. The booming sound effects and aggressive soundtrack emphasise your hero status. It was easy to lose yourself in each battle with explosions left ringing in your ears. There were no complaints from me regarding how well the all-action portions played out. However, I was disappointed by the disjointed NPC conversations. Key information was often drowned out by someone complaining about their situation. There was no way to repeat the dialogue, so you always felt as if you’d missed out. The gruff acting and manly narrative was borderline absurd and weakened the delivery of the plot. It was enjoyable, but it flirted too closely to OTT ham acting for my liking.

So much beauty and death!

Familiar mechanics ensure there are comfortable controls.

Fans of the genre will feel right at home with the comfortable controls. Rolling to cover and leaping into the battle was smooth and easily achieved. A large cursor makes aiming easy, and the drift and flow of the weapons ensured fighting was a joy. With the developers pedigree, it didn’t surprise me they got this element spot on. As a fast-paced action game, you won’t find much better, even if the other elements don’t make it to this level. 

Like Borderlands, Outriders focuses a lot of its energy on making this a fun co-op game. Every mission can be tackled solo or with friends and strangers. This is where it excels, and it’s truly enjoyable when working in teams to hunt down your foes. Killing and looting are a team effort and creating a plan to succeed isn’t as easy as you’d think. This approach vastly increases the replay value, as does the end game Expedition missions. Take on fifteen challenging levels with a sliding difficulty scale and loot based on how well you do. You’ll lose yourself for hours in this mode alone, and the tougher stages will test the best players.

Outriders is a good game, but it leaves you with more questions than answers.

With so many layers and influences, I can see what the developers were trying to achieve. As a concept, each element works, but they never reach their full potential. You’ll enjoy playing it, but there are better, albeit older titles available. It’s free on Gamepass so you have nothing to lose. I recommend you download it and if you like it buy it here! Being a hero is tough, but someone has to do it. 

Review: Guilty Gear Strive – PS5

Sean McCarthy
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Review: Guilty Gear Strive – PS5

Now I must acknowledge and apologize that despite considering myself a fighting genre fan since the very first time I played IK+ on my Amiga back in the day, the Guilty Gear series is one I have not played until now. Which is more shocking when you consider that it is a system that has a full-on twenty-year legacy to celebrate and the developers at Arcsystemworks have been responsible just for Guilty Gear but a list of games any fighting game fan would instantly recognize such as Baz Blue and Persona 4 Arena to name but two. Guilty Gear Strive coming to PS5, PS4 and PC was my chance to have a first date with this series and I have to say, it was an intriguing introduction to the series.

I came to know the name of Arcsystemworks from their most recent success in Dragon Ball FighterZ, a fighting game that I absolutely adored and captured not only everything I loved about fighting games but also my favourite Anime series in Dragon Ball. The attention to detail in FighterZ made me want to check out their next Guilty Gear title and thankfully Strive was announced for PS5 so what better way to christen my new PS5 console than with the newest Guilty Gear entry.

I will say that after the first time of firing up the game and accepting all the usual agreements you need to “read” by scrolling down a very long wall of text in order to just get access to the game, each subsequent firing up of Strive lead to a good five minutes or longer of it “Connecting to the server” before you can get to the main menu became quite annoying after getting used to the incredible loading times the PS5 has only to have the traditional online networking part to take longer than it really should, I am hoping this is one of the first things to be improved in quality of life updates going forward in the game’s life.

Naturally my first stop in a fighting game is to check out the story mode, hoping to get some level of introduction into this world of Guilty Gear and its roster of 15 characters. But to my surprise, unlike fighting games like Mortal Kombat, Injustice, Tekken and Street Fighter this Story mode does exactly what it says on the mode…it tells a story. By that I mean it is a full length five-hour anime film, which has a clever feature that allows the player the option of taking a rest after each chapter therefore turning it into a mini anime series instead of a continuous five-hour film. The chapters themselves are not followed by any gameplay, so where the recent Mortal Kombat 11 for example would have a cutscene driving the narrative of the story mode but would end in the player then having some gameplay in the form of a fight before moving on to the next cutscene. So, this was quite the surprise to have a Story mode that is literally the story. It is also a story that completely lost me as a newcomer to the series as I had no idea who anyone was or what was happening.

The game does have a compendium of sorts that will teach you about the characters in the world, but I retreated out and looked up some “What happens in Guilty Gear” in order to research and learn the history of the series and the games to put me in a better position of understanding the lore and what was in the new story mode. I also must say that the animation in this anime movie essentially, is stunning and better quality than fully release anime movies I have in my collection. So there is a lot to take on board just from this Story mode alone and I could already tell that this was going to be a very different fighting game experience than I was used to.

Gameplay wise there are very minimal modes form the offline Tutorial mode which teaches you the basics of the fighting system as well as “Missions” where you continue the Tutorials but against other characters. Whilst I am more used to using a training room to practice combos and then using the arcade to try and find a character on the roster to start off learning, the tutorial missions do go some way to try and teach you the styles of each character as each character as you would expect, has a different fighting style from up close to a more ranged attack but it will be your experimentation in the arcade that along with the command list system to show you the moves of each character, will be the foundation especially for newcomers like me in getting to grips with Strive.

At the core, Guilty Gear is a 1v1 fighting game and if you have ever any experience with Street Fighter, you can easily get the basics with most of the roster of character in terms of their special moves which allowed me to find my way in. There are layers to this combat system that are going to take time to master or just get proficient in I have no doubt but finding this way in gave me the feeling that for this game in the series, to have some focus on allowing newcomers that way into the gameplay was a conscious choice which is a risky one. It is risky in that by making or changing a commonly known and embedded fighting system in order to allow folks like me a way in, those who know, love and are used to the traditional way may find those changes too much, but from the reaction I have seen online so far, now for the moment at least, that has not happened. The learning curve with some of the characters on the roster will still require putting time in to learning the move sets and combos and how to take on other players which with enough time in the Arcade mode, you will feel prepared for quickly.

Which is when you hit the remarkably interesting lobby system which instead of normal match making system you might instantly recognize in other fighting games. It uses this interesting 8-bit style choice, and you then have to move your avatar round to initiate a player battle which was also annoying in Dragon Ball FighterZ for that matter. It has only been a week since release and I did suffer some disconnections when I did find a match but like any new fighter, these issues can be resolved with title updates that can resolve the disconnections and often very long server waiting times.

My first time with a Guilty Gears game has certainly been interesting with Strive. It is one if not the best looking fighting games I have played with its blend of 2D-3D art style with such incredible attention to detail in the character designs and fighting animations with the Override moves and environmental transitions just stunning to see as well as the 3D win animation. The soundtrack is just kick-ass and the way the character look elevates this above other fighters especially on the PS5. With a Fighting system that has a nice way in for new players as well with enough depths to still provide a challenge when fighting other people, Guilty Gear Strive once server issues are resolved could be the best way to bring a new generation to this series.

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