Visual Novels are coming at us thick and fast, but few reach the level of depth that you’ll experience in Winds of Change. It’s the ultimate furry adventure that has already been well received on Steam with a whopping 97% positive rating. Developed by Klace and published by Crunching Koalas, this is one story that’ll keep you hooked from beginning to end.
About Winds of Change.
Winds of Change tells a tale unlike any other, mixing light-hearted, almost idyllic scenes of everyday life with the intensity of struggling with the fallout of civil war and rebelling against tyranny and acts of malice. Every character encountered on the way has faced various difficulties and must own up to their past in order to secure a brighter future.
The story of the land of Alestia is one of strife, heroism, and the everlasting fight for freedom and peace. In a land held in a tight grip of ancient forces vying for absolute control, a light of hope shines, lit by a humble Seer, the chosen of the spirits. As the Seer, the player’s choices will affect the lives of everyone in this world.
Along the way, the Seer will be aided by friends and comrades coming from all walks of life. With deep backgrounds to explore and potential relationships to foster. Everyone has their own story to tell, their own ambitions, goals, and fears. Witness their lives unfold and help steer them in the right direction – to happiness, fulfilment, retribution, or even love.
Travel through a vibrant, living world with a rich history and distinct scenery. It’s all captured gorgeously in interactive, painted landscapes and interiors. Discover pieces of lore in hidden books and explore the story of Alestia told with captivating images.
Crisp graphics, and beautiful scenery await.
Key Game Features:
Bond with a varied cast of characters.
Make difficult, impactful choices that shape the world.
Dive into a beautifully crafted world of stunning visuals.
Immerse yourself in a fully voiced, complex story.
Explore a mature, dark fantasy setting.
Interested gamers can use this link for further information and a chance to buy your own copy! Available from the Nintendo store for $19.99.
Oh, how I love and loathe hardcore platform games in equal measure. The gameplay is oddly addictive and there is a sense of achievement once you overcome each obstacle. The sense of rage and frustration is off the scale and the highs and lows make this genre so popular. Dungeon Escape is a difficult platform game that attempts to replicate the style and danger found in Super Meat Boy.
Developed by Roenko Games and Eastasiasoft Limited and published by the latter, this is a simple 2D retro platform title. Set across fifty increasingly difficult stages, you must control a small yellow creature who needs to escape his captors while trying to find freedom.
So many circular saws.
Dungeon Escape is addictive and simple.
There is nothing complex about Dungeon Escape! The game focuses on escaping each of the levels by finding a key and unlocking the exit. As you try to collect the key you must gather coins, avoid or kill your captors, and leap over spikes. There is also the matter of circular saws to avoid, so best of luck staying alive.
The fixed-screen perspective allows you to work out your plan of attack, yet mistakes are all but guaranteed. Tight spaces and specific routes must be traversed to be successful. One wrong move and you’ll be sliced by a blade or impaled on spikes. It’s brutally difficult but its simplicity makes it super addictive and you’ll struggle to put it down.
Lava and traps!
The solution isn’t always obvious.
What I particularly enjoyed was how quickly it lulled you into a false sense of security. Stages appeared simple and collecting the key looked easy, but it was rarely straightforward. You’d take a route, kill your foes, collect the coins, but could not get to the exit without dying. You spawn in, try again, and fail repeatedly. It was gloriously annoying and will keep hardcore platform enthusiasts entertained for hours.
Unlike many of its peers, Dungeon Escape has kept the mechanics extremely basic. With two actions at your disposal, you can single or double jump. There are no power-ups, wall climbing or sliding, and enemies can only be attacked by jumping on their heads. Its simplicity personified and allows you to focus on the aim of the game rather than a complex approach.
I also enjoyed the drip-feeding of new enemies and sneaky mechanics that increased the difficulty of each level. No longer will you look at still spikes and stationery circular blades. No, shards fall from the ceiling or leap from the ground, and blades fly. It was madness and made a slow-paced title much faster and tested your reactions at the same time.
A minimalistic look gives Dungeon Escape an old-school vibe.
With gaudy colours, simple lines, and basic sprites, this won’t be considered graphically advanced. The fixed-screen 2D perspective is both basic and retro in style. The blocky traps give you the impression of the obstacles rather than a detailed image. These are not negative observations as I adored the nod to the old-school platform genre. I admit it took a while to get used to it on a large screen, but once you adjust, you’ll love every minute.
Keeping with the retro theme, the developers used a synthesised 80s inspired soundtrack and basic sound effects. The music choice was bizarre as it didn’t match the theme. Though there was a sense of urgency to the gameplay, there were no time constraints or punishments for taking your time. I wish the audio reflected this by blending slower more mellow tracks with the upbeat eclectic songs already incorporated.
Escape your captors.
Simple to pick up, infuriating to master.
Jump, move, and unlock a door. What could be easier? Dungeon Escape isn’t about complicated actions, instead, it wants you to focus on precision. Luckily the movement is tight and accurate, meaning only your lack of skill will prevent you from being victorious. Like Super Meat Boy, you know what you need to do, but a lack of finesse and planning will prevent you from success.
Successful or not, you will want to keep playing this. You will die repeatedly, losing your composure as you do. You will take some deep breaths, focus your mind and try again. The addictive nature of the gameplay will keep you entertained for hours and though the achievement list isn’t challenging to complete, each of the fifty levels is. It’s an inexpensive game, and it has hours of gameplay, so it’s great value for money.
Dungeon Escape will make you roar with rage.
I have to be in the right frame of mind to play a hardcore game, and fortunately, Dungeon Escape caught me at the right time. Its horrific ways made me roar with rage and brought a wry smile to my face. The basic approach and minimalist graphics should be admired as should its old-school vibes. It’s not as difficult as some of its peers, but it offers an extreme challenge that’ll scratch your brutal desires. Fans of the genre need this, so buy it here! Avoid the traps, kill your captors, collect the coins, and make it to the exit!
Ys Origin is an A-JRPG and a prequel to the Ys series with a different flavor from the other games. As a challenging dungeon crawler, Ys Origin is an action-packed game that is sure to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience for any RPG fan.
Ys Origin was originally released in 2006 for PC in Japan, while the English version launched in 2012. It was then later released for the Nintendo Switch in October 2020. Almost 15 years later, this game may look a bit dated on the Switch, but I personally love the visual charms of older games.
Gameplay:
As a prequel, this is the first game in the Ys series where the protagonist is not Adol Christin. This came as a bit of a surprise, but it was refreshing to explore new characters.
Particularly in Ys Origin, you can either play as the Axe-wielding, Yunica or the magical prodigy, Hugo. In addition, each character has their own unique fighting style, but personally, I preferred Yunica’s combat style over Hugo’s. Even though the stories for each character diverge, there is a lot of repetition, but with an unlockable character and the additional game modes, this gives the game a fair chunk of replay value.
Ys Origin mainly takes place in Devil’s Tower, where the protagonist must fight their way through hoards of monsters and save the twin Goddesses. There are several different environments that present an array of obstacles as you make your way through the tower. And Ys Origin does a great job providing a variety of enemies with different attack patterns, which makes for an enjoyable battle experience. The boss battles were also pretty challenging without ever feeling overly frustrating.
Unlike the engaging gameplay, the story felt very lackluster and was pretty repetitive. The dialogue was also predictable and a bit cliché. Overall, it felt like the gameplay was prioritized over the story, which felt strange for a game that is focused on the backstory of the main series.
Additionally, as someone who loves game exploration, I felt like Ys Origin was lacking in this aspect. Even with the few available treasure chests, they were too easy to find and didn’t feel very rewarding. If the game utilized the Mask of Eyes more, which allows you to see hidden passages and objects, I think it would make for an even more enjoyable experience.
Pros:
Engaging gameplay, an array of enemies, & challenging boss battles
Affordable price for a JRPG at only $20
Great replay value with the additional characters & game modes
Cons:
Can’t pause during boss fights – which means you can’t heal either
Dull plot & dialogue
Repetitive
Conclusion:
Overall, Ys Origin is absolutely worth checking out for any RPG fan. It takes about 10 hours to complete each character’s route, and with the additional game modes, Ys Origin clocks in to be more than 30 hours of gameplay – not bad for a $20 game. If you’re into dungeon crawlers or want to try out the series for an affordable price, I highly recommend this action-packed game.
Here is our review of the new 2021 HONOR MagicBook 14.
The compact, light and thin aluminum chassis design of HONOR MagicBook 14 makes it the ideal working companion, regardless of remote or on-the-go working. Enjoy and experience outstanding portability and performance at the same time.
Specifications
DESIGN
Dimensions (L x W x H): 322.5 x 214.8 x 15.9 mm Weight: 1.38 kg Chassis: Aluminum Color: Space Grey
PROCESSOR
Intel Core i7-1165G7
CPU
Intel Iris XeGraphics
DISPLAY
HONOR FullViewDisplay: 14 inches Screen-to-body ratio: 84% Size of bezel (three sides): 4.8 mm Aspect ratio: 16:9 Resolution: 1920 x 1080 Contrast ratio: 1000:1(Typical value) Color: 72% NTSC(Typical) Support (TÜV RheinlandLow Blue Light Certification) Support (TÜV RheinlandFlicker Free Certification) Brightness: 300 nits(Typical)
RAM
16 GB DDR4 Dual-Channel RAM
STORAGE
512 GB PCIe NVMeSSD
COOLING SYSTEM
Dual Heat Pipes & Supersized Cooling Fan
BUTTONS AND PORTS
HDMI port Left side: USB3.2 Gen1 Right side: USB 2.0 3.5 mm headset and microphone 2-in-1 jack x 1, support both OMTP and CTIA Fingerprint power button
BLUETOOTH
Bluetooth 5.1
BATTERY
Capacity: 56 Wh(Rated capacity) 65W Fast Charger Charging time using 65 W charger: Charges to about 44% after 30minutes, Local 1080P video playback for 10.5 hours on a single full charge
The box contains the MagicBook 14, power supply and cable and instructions.
A Closer Look
Final Thoughts
The MagicBook 14 looks very sleek and is only 15.9mm thick, and weighs only 1.38kg which means its light enough to carry around without causing any issues.
The MagicBook 14 comes in either Space Grey (the one we have for this review) or Mystic Silver – both of which make it look very professional.
One of the things that really sets the MagicBook 14 apart from other similar laptops is the gorgeous 14inch Eye Comfort HONOR full view display. The Eye Comfort feature means that you can view the screen all day with low blue light, so this should dramatically cut down on any eye strain.
The screen itself produces very clear and vidid colours – wether you are looking at photographs or watching a movie – its quite striking. You can even open the screen so that it’s laying flat if you want to.
The sound quality is also excellent with the speakers providing a virtual surround sound experience – which again is great for listening to music or watching a movie.
The battery lasts for around 10.5 hours, although this will change depending on what you are doing – the more power intensive applications, the quicker the battery will drain, but you can play around with the settings to get it to work best for you. And what’s really great is the fast charger that comes in the box is capable of charing the MagicBook from 0% to 44% in around 30 minutes with 68% in around an hour, which really helps if you are in need of a quick charge. The power supply is small and lightweight too so you can easily carry it around in your bag if you need to and it connects to the laptop via USB-C.
The power button also doubles as a finger print reader if you want to use that to log in to Windows, as well as having the option to use a pin instead of a password – the choice is yours.
The keyboard is very comfortable to use for extended periods of time too and the trackpad is very receptive and easy to use.
The MagicBook also uses the very latest Wi-Fi 6 technology meaning that you get the fastest possible connection available to you.
The MagicBook has two USB ports and an HDMI port, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack, which may be enough for some people but if you need more you will need to consider a docking station of some sort.
It also comes with 16GB ram and a 512GB SSD, which is very fast, so you should have enough for most tasks.
The MagicBook also uses enhanced cooling and heat dissipation so you can be sure that the laptop isn’t going to melt on you!
Performance wise, the MagicBook 14 has the latest 11th gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor which really does provide enough power for anything you want to throw at the laptop, including editing 4K video files!
Multi-screen collaboration is a feature that enables you to use up to three apps and lets you share your smartphone screen and files on the MagicBook 14, allowing you to edit them with the same keyboard and mouse. Pick up exactly where you left off without having to jump between devices which is a really useful feature.
If you are in the market for a very nice high quality Windows 10 laptop with a gorgeous screen and great battery life then you will want to take the MagicBook 14 out for a spin.
The HONOR MagicBook 14 (NDR-WFE9HN) is available now and at the time of writing there was no UK pricing available.
When I initially installed Ben 10: Power Trip, I will admit to the slight presence of hesitation on my part. Don’t get me wrong, I have no beef with Ben 10 as an animation series, but never having been a huge fan of the series I was anxious if I could enjoy this game. I am pleased to report: I most definitely did!
Let’s go!
Here’s to a (not)relaxing family vacation…
Ben 10: Power Trip is a fun action-adventure game where you hop onto the scooter of protagonist, Ben Tennyson. Set in a European-Esque family vacation, Ben 10: Power Trip wastes no time in establishing the need for Ben 10’s abilities. But, in this quiet part of the world, what or who could want to create inter dimensional trouble? The game very early on reveals that it is none other than Hex – the magic-loving nemesis of Ben. This time, he has managed to acquire powerful crystals that can strip Ben 10 of his alien powers from the onset. Hex falls short of completing his plan, with the other crystals still to be found. This is good news for Ben 10 because he still has a shot at saving the world and all the others that Hex could destroy should he succeed.
By a stroke of luck, Hex drops a mysterious tablet containing clues to what Hex could be up to next. With the help of the amazing Gwen, Ben 10 can attempt catching up to his enemy, hopefully stopping him in time.
Poor Hex, he really just wants to destroy the world without Ben 10 in the way
You’ve got to start somewhere…
The tutorial missions are great to get a hang of controlling Ben 10 and switching between his alien powers when you need them. No lie, I was annoyed on behalf of the homie Ben 10 because I felt the adults got a little too comfortable in letting Ben 10 do their jobs for them (major side-eye was given). But Ben 10 being the spotlight-loving teen he is, it was all fun and games.
You start with Ben 10 and then regain your stolen alien abilities through completing void rift missions. These appear as portals that stick out like a sore thumb. These voids often act as a way out of a seemingly closed-off environment without clear escape. While inside, you get a small introduction to whichever alien is there for you to collect by fighting off minion enemies. The void’s environment design showcases any other unique abilities of the alien – from climbing to torching things and soaring at great speeds. By the time you emerge, you’ll be ready to fight the impending danger headed your way.
A fight scene in Ben 10: Power Trip
Combat with flare (and flames)…
Let’s get into the fights. Combat is relatively simple in Ben 10: Power Trip, with an alternation between heavy and lighter attacks. With each alien equipped with various abilities, these can be used as deemed necessary. Sometimes you’ll require speed over strength, or force over flames. Whichever gets the job done. I enjoyed the combat in Ben 10: Power Trip because I felt the enthusiasm and personality of Ben 10 shine through in each character. I admittedly got cocky like our hero teen, it was inevitable.
As you progress, the fights and enemies get a little faster and a little more challenging (nothing for our boy Ben 10). This is where the level system comes through. When you complete certain missions or portions of them, you get the opportunity to choose your level-up skill. You can select between Damage resistance, Increased damage dealt, or Luck. The first two are obvious, but the Luck skill is not to be underestimated. Besides finding more treasure and loot, you are more likely to land critical “lucky shots” during combat. These shots are life-saving when your health is on a wing and a prayer in the middle of a mini-boss fight. So, I do recommend giving lady luck a shot.
Just Shock Rock taking a leisurely stroll
In Ben 10: Power Trip the boss fights become utterly enjoyable when you have all the aliens at your disposal. Being able to utilize numerous techniques whilst dealing damage to the boss is a ton of fun. Unless you have the unfortunate experience of a glitch in a boss fight, you’ll love it.
It’s Ben 10’s open-world, we’re just living in it…
Ben 10: Power Trip is the first open-world game for the Ben 10 universe and it does a pretty decent job at it. It is large enough to have sights to see and things to do but compact enough to not get lost on a younger fan playing. Locations can be fast-traveled to once you discover them. There is no open-world game without side missions (how else are you suppose to play the game without endless distractions?). Ben10: Power Trip packs some nice side missions and activities throughout the open world. Some of these cannot be started while you are in the process of completing the main mission. Should you find the side mission way too appealing, you can quit the main mission you are in, but be aware that you will have to restart it when you get back to it.
It’s always a party to shut down with lord decibel
My personal favourite side activity was getting to constantly shut down lord decibel’s “world tour”. When you are not on the main mission, you can find a pair of speakers randomly blasting loud music with the pixel face icon of lord decibel in a portal-like door. When you enter it, you must shut down the party by reaching the stage while avoiding the Hypno-tiles that get you lost in the music and failing the task. There are quite a few scattered around if you look hard enough. Oh, and there are puzzles galore to solve.
A surprise? For me and the homies?
If all this wasn’t enough to convince me, I found out that I get to play split-screen co-op mode by letting Ben 10’s frenemy, Kevin, tag along. But wait, there’s more! Just like Ben 10, you or your partner can also unlock Kevin’s alien powers and play as them all too. I loved this…well, my little brother was obsessed with being able to play too, so this was a well-welcomed bonus.
Ben 10: Power Trip co-op mode with Kevin
The visuals of Ben 10: Power Trip are decent and satisfactory especially for the first attempt at an open-world game like this. I did have moments where I felt like the scenery was lackluster but that’s only because they were technically on a “relaxing holiday”. The void rifts and boss fights made up for this big time. The voice acting was also pretty decent.
Final verdict
Overall, I had a very enjoyable experience playing Ben 10: Power Trip. It was a lot of fun stepping into the shoes of an extroverted and sometimes egotistical human teen with superhero alien capabilities who also gets to kick butt while on vacation. A nicely done game for anyone to enjoy.
The thought of striking gold genuinely makes me excited. Sifting through tonnes of pay dirt to find a large golden nugget makes all the hard work worthwhile. This gold fever has struck many humans across the years, and now gamers can experience this thrill from the comfort of their home. Gold Rush: The Game allows you to explore the Alaskan wilderness, searching for the perfect spot to find your millions.
Developed and published by Code Horizon, this is an ultra-realistic simulation game. Based on the smash-hit Discovery Channel Series, fans can now grab a pan and shovel and find their virtual millions. Originally backed by the Kickstarter program, it has evolved and improved across the years to get a console release we can all enjoy.
Gold Rush: The Game takes the phrase simulation game to the next level.
I have a soft spot for the many virtual reality shows that follow people undertaking dangerous jobs. Fisherman, truck drivers, loggers, gold divers, and others. I admire their levels of expertise and their desire to succeed. It’s also a thrill when you see them hit rock bottom, only to find a way back to the top. Gold Rush: The Game attempts to replicate this with its tough mechanics, and ultra-realistic approach.
Though I enjoy watching these programs, I don’t understand all the finer details. This causes a problem when you learn the fundamentals because of the level of detail that’s been implemented. Every machine you handle has intricate parts that must be purchased, constructed, deconstructed and cleaned. The amount of detail will break some gamers and the opening moments will overwhelm them.
Use technology to make your millionaires.
To get rich, you must get dirty.
There is nothing better than controlling massive pieces of machinery. The tutorial chucks you in at the high end of the operation. Diggers, truck, automated machines, and more are used to explain what must be done. As you are introduced to your parcel of land, the technology is stripped away and you are left facing a rudimentary approach. A shovel, pan, and basic equipment are all you have to make your riches. You realise that you’ll have to get dirty to find your fortune.
Though it is a full-on challenging experience, its slow pace makes it a very relaxing title to play. How quickly you advance through the tech tiers or explore the surrounding town is your choice. You can keep your operation tiny, or expand by hiring workers and attempting to make your millions. I loved the laid back style, but the lack of focus may not be to everyone’s liking.
Being a gold miner isn’t all money and rewards.
Gold Rush: The Game doesn’t make life easy for you. The Alaskan environment isn’t forgiving, nor is the local wildlife! With harsh weather fronts to work through you must work on ways to earn extra cash when the dirt can’t be moved. On top of this, the curious bears love to spoil the party! You will need to have eyes in the back of your head to keep things going.
If it isn’t the weather of bears ruining the operation, it’s the lack of fuel of the continual maintenance. It’s a constant juggling act between spending and earning money. Repairs aren’t simple and like the rest of the game, it’s very hands-on and loaded with detail. All the requirements give you the impression that this has been influenced by many simulation games. Some of you will love the mashup of themes, I, however, found it a bit too much! I wanted to focus my attention on the mining aspect but felt hampered by the constant setbacks.
I love GOLD!!!!!
Gold Rush: The Game has a wonderful sense of community.
Simulation titles have evolved a considerable amount, and it’s no longer just the task that people are interested in. Gamers want meat on the bone, some depth to their virtual existence, and they want to feel like they belong. Gold Rush: The Game has delivered this with a wonderful sense of community. The town at the heart of this rural location is key to your success and you discover you need them more than they need you.
With stores, a blacksmith, a bank, a gas station, and more to visit, you’ll keep returning to town in order to be successful. There is plenty of back and forth and like the high levels of detail and the constant juggling of tasks, this may frustrate some. Personally, I loved it as it added a layer of depth and realism that would have otherwise been missing.
It looks nice, but it has issues!
Sitting back and taking in the wilderness was wonderful. The developers have done a nice job of creating a realistic environment to explore. Earthy tones change to reflect the seasons and the lighting and shadows alter depending on the time of day. Kudos to the team for generating such a realistic-looking title, but, it’s not perfect at all.
Moving around is clumsy and borderline impossible. Minor holes hold you up and you’ll collide with the smallest bit of scenery. The first-person perspective exasperates this problem, sadly. There is no free camera when moving vehicles, making the easiest of tasks an arduous ordeal. These were elements you got used to, but what was unforgivable was the loading between sections. The constant buffering was horrendous and shouldn’t have been present. Seamless exploration is the minimum standard for modern titles, yet this one failed.
Where they didn’t fail was the wonderfully relaxing audio. A calm and serene soundtrack plays along behind everything you do. I loved how it set the scene and mellowed you out. With so much loud machinery dominating the gameplay, anything more aggressive would have been overkill. The deep, grunting sounds of the engines and the constant roar of water were also great to listen to. The audio enhances the realism and was delivered to a high standard.
Shift that pay dirt.
A successful PC port.
It’s rare that I get to say a PC port was a success, but today is that day! Undoubtedly this would still be better with a Mouse and Keyboard, yet the controller worked perfectly well. With a guide available at all times, every task was simple to undertake. You’ll need patience, practice, and finesse to master each piece of machine. This challenge is half the fun and you’ll feel a sense of achievement when you perfect it. The controls were responsive and made a difficult game easier to play.
As with most simulation titles, replay value is determined by your love of the subject. In theory, this has ample content and plenty of scope to keep you going. The moderate achievement list ensures you keep playing, as do the multiple layers of technology you purchase. If you get hooked on this, you’ll lose your life in its addictive ways.
Gold Rush: The Game delivers a lot of content, but is it too much?
Code Horizon has delivered a fantastic simulation title with plenty of content. My concern is it’s potentially too much for the casual player. For fans of the TV series, this will be a thrilling title that gives you a full insight into the life of a miner. For the rest of us, it could overwhelm and cause us to switch off. I enjoyed my time with it and will return to keep digging pay dirt. If you love detailed simulation games, then buy it here! Grab your parcel of land, dig into the dirt, and extract the gold. Mother nature wants you to get rich, don’t disappoint her!
First announced in 2017, Biomutant immediately grabbed my attention by just how high it was trying to reach with the promise of bringing together so many different factors from a whole range of benchmark setting games. Though it has been a long wait since its initial announcement to finally getting released for PC and consoles, I was still very excited to finally get my hands to see if Experient 101 managed to reach the heights they were aiming for. Biomutant tries to do a great many things, but could it pull off the impossible and make it all work?
The first thing that must be said about Biomutant is that by George was Experient 101 ambitious as a developer team. All the time since this game was first announced was a lot of promise about what they hoped to create in terms of an open world adventure game. Ambition and a dream can often be fantastic should they be realised, but overreach on either and you can end up with something that fails to live up to the hope and Biomutant sadly falls into that category with as much to criticise as there is to celebrate. The question remains, is it still a good game?
The answer is a surprising mixed bag with my experience going from loving it to being able to easily pick out the elements and mechanics that should have either been removed or at the least had more time dedicated to their essence in the game. I did get frustrated as much as I was confused with just what experience Biomutant was trying to give me or to let me have but I have hated it, I never felt the team had failed by aiming so high with it and I even made the conscious choice to play the PS4 version on my PS5 despite it only upscaling to 4K with 60FPS instead of the native 4K and 60FPS that the Series X can do from release. There is hope for Biomutant so let me break down what did work and what did not work for me.
The world of Biomutant is most definitely a cautionary tale at a time where Climate Change is very much a real issue on people’s minds. It is a world very much left to die after humanity went and basically messed the planet up even worse than it is right now and did what humans would do…they left on big spaceships called Arks. Since their departure, some wildlife has evolved to become more humanoid and mutations have given some special abilities and powers that the humans might have stuck around for to have. The world is still in danger however with huge monsters threatening to destroy the World Tree and the tribes divided on whether they should let the tree die or try to save it. All in all, the world is still in a right mess just now a crazier mess and well, only one thing can be the deciding factor.
That one thing is you, the player, in the form of the game’s hero which you will customise and create right at the very start, which is also where you start to discover just how many systems you will be dealing with in this game. You begin by choosing your Breed, which determines your starting attributes before choosing a playing class to shape your combat style from ranged with guns to melee weapons of a dual or two handed nature to the incredible ‘Psi-Freak’ which has you starting with the ability to throw electricity from the start. Physical customisation comes in the form of being able to choose the decal of your fur with markings before deciding on the colours. Once chosen these are all locked, the only thing you cannot change or give is a character name and off you go into this new world.
Now the combat system is something I do enjoy about Biomutant even though it is also a point of frustration. If you have a melee build, which is what I prefer and went for, then you will instantly feel at home with basic combos based on the weapon you have equipped with new moves being unlocked with upgrade points acquired when you level your character up. It has the classic dodge and perfect dodge evade system and a parry and counter system and all of which use a stamina bar which is also shared with any abilities you may have equipped and used. It is a system that on paper and early on in the game works quite well right up until the point you realise you are simply doing the same things over and over unless you change your weapon to get different moves but then just recycles the same issues I found to start with. Enemy encounters can be multiple numbers versus you with will comprise of small enemies armed with guns or melee weapons and usually a big enemy or creature to give you a challenge. The issue for me is comes down to how the enemies immediately scale up and slightly over your current level making every fight feel like a slog especially early in the game. Where the crafting system lets you down I feel, is that finding the parts to craft add-ons to your armour or to create a new weapon but especially to upgrade what you are using, is such a pain in the arse until you learnt to start scrapping instead of selling but even then, the lack of finding the materials you need to make improvements over collecting components to make things you then cannot upgrade only to have new weapons feel lacking of any actual improvement.
It was the first example of a multitude of systems trying to complement each other not quite doing so but sadly not the last. The game also takes inspiration from another of other RPG games where player choice is used to define and stir the course of the story but with Biomutant it again fails to really mesh well enough to be impactful on the experience. Those who have played the FABLE series will know that your actions, be they good or evil, will shape the character you become and therefore how others in the world will react to you and Biomutant tries to do the same with a Dark Devil and White Angel characters who tempt you to try and pull towards their side yet, all these choices seem to do is unlock moves based on the number of dark or light points you have acquired by your actions.
Dialogue choices, much like a MASS Effect game, can be good or bad and as you will spend so much of this game talking to an abundance of random and main questline characters. You can be very nice or you can be an A-hole and yet this process happens so many times it almost seems redundant whichever way you do go in a dialogue and a big reason for that is just how much of the dialogue is so confusing or just boring when all they ever do is follow the same formula of “meet random character, listen to a lot of waffle that will or will not make sense, be given a side quest to go get/do something for that random character, go do it and return, end up wondering why you bothered”. This is a criticism many have shared online, and I will come to it again a bit later on because of the surprising thing it means going forward, but in the game this process is mind numbing after a while. Not to mention the sheer amount of side activities the game will let you pick up can be very overwhelming when so much of it has very little reward for doing them.
The Narrator, voiced by the brilliant David Shaw Parker, is a wonderful addition to this world as he or the Automatron robot Cricket you see in the opening cutscene, will step in to translate the character dialogue for you or to explain some story exposition and whilst I did enjoy the performance, there is a limit to when the cuteness of the gibberish spoken the player is forced to sit through all through the game experience. I found myself quickly skipping dialogue to literally just be given the side mission so I could get on with it and that is not a good thing. There is just too much of it where if it had been streamlined down to make conversations short and I do mean the side random stuff you can pick up to do along your journey.
Now reading the above you would rightly expect that I did not enjoy my time playing Biomutant but the opposite is true, I did, as strange as it sounds, I enjoy playing Biomutant. I love how beautiful this post human messing it up world is and despite its many flaws, there is a cracking open world action RPG game waiting to be discovered. What gives me hope for this game is the response from the developers, Experiment 101 who have said they will base update on player feedback and just one week from release, they have already delivered an update that has addressed some crucial feedback such as making dialogue shorted, improving the loot drops as well as bringing some quality of life fixes to the game. This has given me hope that Biomutant will continue to evolve much like the characters you meet and play as in the game. The problem with hit recognition when using guns can be fixed and an improved looting system will help bring the crafting and upgrade systems to a much more usable and enjoyable part of the game. A promised new gen console upgrade for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S will help unlock even more visual potential for the game and its world. This is not a game that is broken but a game that needs to be nurtured and improved because the ambition it was created with ended up with a game that never reached it but with the help of the community playing the game, it most certainly can be refined to be something it can be…special.
This is a game that needs to be given time to have updates improve many of the systems, but you could also take a punt and dive into it and see how it appeals to you. I can see this title dropping into sales very quickly and see it as a contender for Xbox’s Game Pass sooner rather than later. I never grew to hate what didn’t quite work and never lost my admiration for what the team tried to accomplish with it but being overly ambitious without someone perhaps stepping up to reign that enthusiasm in a little means that Biomutant is something that is still “cooking” and is not quite ready even with four years been being announced to being released. It attempts to do everything others have done better but they did it better because they often focused on a few systems and perfecting them than trying to do everything and not quite getting enough of it right.
My time with Biomutant is far from over and I am on board to see where it can go, but this will be a punt for many to jump on board with at this moment, but the first update is promising and in time, with the new gen upgrade, it could really become the special game the developers hoped it would be, it just needed more time in the oven and more taste testing before release.
Iron Harvest was released on Steam back in September of last year, but it honestly feels like it’s been longer than just a few months since I last played the game. Although the game has continuously been improved through free updates, it did receive a small paid DLC back in December, the Rusviet Revolution. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance of checking that out yet, but thankfully, I was able to dig into Operation Eagle, the latest DLC, which is much more ambitious than the previous one. So, what is it all about?
The Operation Eagle DLC brings with it an entirely new single-player campaign, featuring 7 missions with over 25 minutes of fully voice-acted cinematics, and obviously, a whole new faction, Usonia. In case it wasn’t obvious by the name of the DLC, Usonia is essentially the United States of America version of Iron Harvest, or more specifically, the American Union of Usonia. Like every other faction from the original game, Usonia also comes with its own unique units, but, even more important, it brings air units into the game.
Although new units are always nice to have, it’s only Usonia that received unique air units. The rest of the factions just received the most basic ones. However, this is only relevant if you play multiplayer or skirmish. A someone who only cares about the main campaign content, I don’t necessarily mind it, but I understand why others might feel disappointed by this.
In any case, Usonia does feature some interesting units in their army. There’s a mech with machine guns that is effective against infantry, which makes it great for early game and is a cheap way to harass enemy infantry. There’s also the Knox, which is essentially a walking tower with all sorts of weaponry. It’s a mech destroyer, but it can just as easily get rid of infantry. Then, there’s my favourite, this one-of-a-kind stealth artillery tank. This one comes equipped with 3 barrels and they fire in quick succession. It’s a blast (pun intended) to simply sit back and watch these tanks unleash hell from above on enemy troops.
Now, as for the air units, Usonia does have their own set of them, but, other than an air carrier that dispatches autonomous drones to bombard ground targets, they aren’t really interesting. However, they do have quite possibly one of the most badass hero units. The George is a massive airship equipped with various turrets, that also has the ability to activate a medium-range flamethrower barrage. Unfortunately, you only get to use it once in the campaign. Usonia’s two other hero units are Captain Mason and Princess Sita. While the Princess comes with a rifle, she can use her pet bird to track enemy squads, but she can also summon a special squad of cloaked units that excel in melee combat. Meanwhile, the Captain is equipped with power armour that can transform into a turret if the Captain chooses to eject.
In terms of Usonia’s campaign, the story follows Captain William Mason, as he finds himself wrapped in an international conflict over who gets to control Arabia and its oil. Obviously, after Usonia decided to not participate in the Great War between Polania, Saxony and Rusviet, they see the ongoing power struggle in Arabia as an opportunity for Usonia to step forth from its isolationist stance and expand its influence across the world.
This entire operation takes place throughout 7 missions and, although this might sound like too few for some people, I had a lot of fun with them and thought it was pretty well done. It took me around 7 hours to beat it, with the latter couple of missions taking me over an hour to complete. While some missions are more focused on base-building and defending objectives, others rely more on stealth and avoiding enemy patrols. If you’ve played the campaigns of the base game, you pretty much should expect more of the same, which is great. Overall, there’s a decent amount of mission variety, with map layouts that provide multiple opportunities for players to approach their objectives and eliminate the opposing forces.
Still, the ending did feel rushed, as it didn’t provide any real conclusion to the story. After finishing the campaign, I got the feeling that this won’t be the last that we’ll see of Arabia and Usonia. Nonetheless, I do have another caveat to make about the campaign. If you’re playing the game with native voice-acting turned on, you’ll run into weird situations. For example, in a single conversation, you might have a character speaking English, another that’s speaking Arabic, and a third one that’s speaking German. Without having some sort of translator in these conversations, these dialogues just break my immersion. Nevertheless, it’s just a minor thing to keep in mind, as it doesn’t affect the gameplay in any way.
As was the case with the base game, although it’s far from being perfect, the presentation, the voice acting, the gameplay, the mission design, and the soundtrack do not disappoint. Having played the base game when it originally came out, I still find myself listening to the music from that game up until this day. It’s just that good. I honestly can’t put into words how happy I am due to the fact of Iron Harvest simply being a thing. Not only it brought a wonderful universe into existence, but, more importantly, it’s quite possibly the only beacon of hope for the RTS genre in recent years. Unfortunately, the golden age of real-time strategy games is long gone.
Just like the base game, Operation Eagle might not be ground-breaking or a major milestone in RTS history, but it does have its place. The campaign is solid and, as a faction, Usonia does bring a few interesting units into the field. However, air combat, which is one of the biggest additions to the game, feels extremely underwhelming. Furthermore, skirmish players are left wanting unique air units specific to the original 3 factions. If you enjoyed the base game and just want a new campaign that feels extremely familiar, then you’ll probably have a good time with this DLC. However, if you were expecting air combat to be a huge game-changer, then I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.
Mankind can’t help itself. It can use its most gifted scientists to better the world, establish balance and cure illness. Instead, it uses the individuals to unleash pain, suffering, and wanton destruction. We are our own worst enemy and we always get it wrong. When the inevitable happens we need a hero to step up and pull us back from the brink. Sturmfront – The Mutant War: Ubel Edition explores this theme with its retro pixelated aesthetic.
This is a remake of Andrade Games work and has been developed and published by Red Art Games. This is a twin-stick shooter that is gory, full of violence and is peppered with heavy thrash metal. It’s influenced by late 80s early 90s gaming and it’s brilliantly simple to play. An uncomplicated plot sits in the background allowing you to focus on the arcade action and gratuitous violence.
So many mutants.
Sturmfront – The Mutant War: Ubel Edition transports to a glorious era.
The joy of early console gaming was the lack of complication, but the high level of difficulty. Sturmfront – The Mutant War: Ubel Edition captures both these elements in its gameplay. With several difficulty settings, an array of monsters to slay, and gargantuan bosses to annihilate, this is a retro trip you’ll adore.
The year is 1984 and a great plague has ripped through humanity. With mankind on the brink, and mutants evolving from the aftermath, something has to be done. Dr. Hartmuth Griesgram an eccentric scientist, unleashes his android prototype, the Sturmfront Battle Unit. You are Siegfried von Hammerstein, a semi-organic battle unit who must kill the mutants, purge their nests with fire, and save humanity!
Plenty of stages and weapons to keep you busy.
With no sign of how many hellish levels I was about to face, I went into this blind. I was pleasantly surprised by the number of stages I had to face. It was refreshing to see some interesting labyrinthine designs that kept me on my toes. As the game progresses you are introduced to plenty of weird and wonderful mutants. Some run at you like Kamakazi pilots and others are stationary but spray projectiles for you to dodge. This combined with the ever-spawning mutant nests is a recipe for hectic gameplay.
The lower the difficulty, the slower the action and the fewer monsters you’ll face. This is one game that goes from zero to hero quickly, and the increase in the challenge is certainly noticeable. The harshness is balanced out by introducing power-ups for your machine gun and an array of new guns. Mortars, rocket launches, splitter rifles, plasma cannons, and more await. It was a joy to mow down each horde of enemies with either your main weapon or your flamethrower. Powered by gasoline, your secondary tool fried monsters and their nests alike, but you had to use it sparingly. If you run out of fuel, the mutants keep coming! Plan your attacks and don’t leave yourself exposed to failure.
Shoot the booby boss.
Learn the truth and destroy the bosses.
Other than the opening scene that sets the tone, there is little in the way of a story. Red Art Games overcame this with hidden soul skulls that were found on every level. By touching a skull it would tell you snippets of the war and the truth behind its origins. I loved how this pieced together the plot and added a layer of deep lore to the gameplay. Sadly, though, it wasn’t always easy to read the information as monsters kept attacking you. The developers should have paused the action to allow you to read the brilliant back story.
An arcade game would be lacking if it didn’t have enormous bosses to overcome. There are five to annihilate, each has a special ability and you must work out the pattern of attack. Once you know what it’ll do, it’s easy to defeat them, but the challenge comes from finding the weaknesses.
Awesome 80s arcade look.
I know the pixelated, rough, arcade look isn’t for everyone, but it worked well in Sturmfront – The Mutant War: Ubel Edition. Using a mainly earthy tone, the imagery won’t overpower your senses. The bird’s-eye perspective allows you to plan and have a clear view of the madness that is unfolding. The gameplay never stuttered, even when the screen was overloaded and the action ran smoothly at all times.
The audio is an arcade lovers dream! It’s OTT, loud, and will make you smile throughout. A doomed society needs an aggressive soundtrack and the thrash metal delivers that and then some. Combine this with thumping bullets, ear-piercing explosions, and shrill lasers, and it’s utterly incredible. A booming voice bellows over the action as you run out of ammo, or pick up objects which added to the arcade charm. But, what I loved most was the Arnold Schwarzenegger acting for Siegfried. When you need an all-action hero to save the day, who better than Arnie?
Let the fireworks fly.
Two control methods, both as easy as each other.
I’m not ashamed to say I’m normally terrible at twin-stick shooters. Practice makes perfect and I can at least play them without embarrassing myself now. Luckily, if you take this on, you can be as awful as me and still complete it! With the traditional twin-stick approach, or using the A, B, Y, X buttons use, you are free to select your favourite setup. It was excellent as it made playing much more accessible, though I found the analogue sticks to be more accurate. Everything else was easy to understand and a basic tutorial gets you up and running quickly.
Though there are plenty of stages to take on, this is still a relatively short game. It took me about three hours to complete it on normal mode, and it’ll take around four hours more once you up the difficulty. A moderate achievement list is a challenge to complete as you’ll need to be perfect at the toughest difficulty. The longevity is impacted by the lack of additional modes. If there was a horde or survival option, I’d return for more.
Sturmfront – The Mutant War: Ubel Edition is a brilliant retro title.
If my only complaint is I want more, it shows I enjoyed it, and I’m greedy. Sturmfront – The Mutant War: Ubel Edition is a great retro title that captures the 80s and 90s charm perfectly. Fast-paced and uncomplicated gameplay is matched nicely with snippets of a story and interesting lore. An element of tactical nuance is required during the harder playthrough and the latter stages, making this more than a mindless shooter. I loved my retro trip and recommend you buy it here! Mankind has screwed up, and a hero is needed to bring us back from the brink of extinction.
Most gamers have had the experience of being burned by a game with “simulator” appended at the end of the title. At this point, the word is less a descriptor of a genre than it is an indicator of a generally poorer quality title.Fortunately, Ranch Simulator appears, at first glance, to be an exception to the rule, but the early access nature of the game means its sitting at a critical juncture where a great deal of more content is necessary.
Right off the bat, Ranch Simulator surprised me with just how well polished it was. The experience opens with unexpectedly deep character customization that rivals titles with far greater backing. Seriously, players can customize nearly everything they’d want to about their character. After the initial loading screen, this attention to detail continues. While there is plenty to critique from Ranch Simulator, there isn’t much to be said against its aesthetic.
I think during the entirety of my play, I encountered only a small handful of visual bugs. An oddly conspicuous one is the character’s arm clipping through the hoodie clothing option, which isn’t the end of the world, but it feels at odds with the otherwise polished nature of the visuals. But, these tiny imperfections are easy to overlook when considering the gorgeous lighting, rendering, and general finish within the game.
Ranch Simulator starts off on a simple enough premise. The player has been left a dilapidated property and has to use a bit of elbow grease to fix it up. During the tutorial, the mechanics feel fairly engaging if a bit shallow. There’s really only a handful of tools and items to use such as an ax, a crowbar, a lawnmower, and the like. You start the game by fueling up your UTV, heading to the store, grabbing a handful of chickens, and setting up a coop for them. This is followed by tearing down and rebuilding the old house on the property.
But that’s it, and it’s also where the problems with Ranch Simulator become apparent. After the tutorial ends, most of the content has been laid out in front of you, and a sense of purposelessness begins to creep in. It’s odd because at some level a simulator game is always going to be relatively purposeless. By their nature, they put players at the steering wheel and in control of their own experience, but a modicum of guidance would be nice. As it stands, the game doesn’t feel like it’s offering you freedom, but instead just leaving you to flounder.
To make matters worse, the world of Ranch Simulator feels completely empty. There’s maybe a total of 3 NPCs, and a smattering of animals throughout the woods, but in general it doesn’t feel lived in. Here, again, the intended experience diverges wildly from the actual experience. Ranch Simulator doesn’t give the relaxing feel of taking a break from busy city life, it instead feels overwhelmingly isolating and borderline depressing. There’s just nothing there.
The fundamental issue in Ranch Simulator is that there is a marked dearth of content, but the content that is available is relatively well done. It’s hard to condemn the game completely because the developer’s efforts shine through the finished content, but even what is finished struggles simply because it stands alone. Sure, the demolishing mechanics function better than expected. Yes, the visual aesthetics are great. I could list about a hundred successes in Ranch Simulator, but I could also list about a hundred features that need to be included.
Ultimately, Ranch Simulator is refreshingly polished for the genre, and it does genuinely feel like the developer’s care about the state of the game, but there’s not enough to keep your average player interested for long. It’s like an immaculately designed and decorated apartment with no furniture at all. Sure, it’s nice to stand there and take it all in for a minute or two, but there’s nowhere to sit.
Playmobil have a new range of Dino Rise sets, here we take a look at the T-Rex: Battle of the Giants set (70624).
Equipped with firing cannons, barrel catapult and removable armour. Ian can ride the T-Rex.Attention – the T-Rex is attacking! The T-Rex? Oh no, that’s a hypermodern fighting robot and whoever is controlling it is up to no good.
The robot fighting machine is on destruction course. Who is going to stop it? Suddenly intrepid Ian blocks the machine’s path, and he’s not alone. Ian sits on the back of a real T-Rex with titanium strong protective armour, equipped with cannons and a catapult. Together with the dinosaur and super advanced combat equipment, the two bravely face the machine.
A battle of the giants begins! Get ready for an action-packed dino adventure! Arm yourself with your dino team in ultimate combat gear against the battle robots and save the world.
The set includes the following:
Figures: 1 teenager, 1 villain; Accessories: 1 T-Rex, 1 battle robot, 1 Deinonychus, 6 projectiles blue, 3 projectiles red, 3 energy stones, 1 ton, 2 leg armor, 1 armor with seat, 1 head armor, 1 rocket launcher with armor, 2 helmets, 1 chest armor, 2 arm armor, 1 pair of arm cuffs, 1 change wig.
Playmobil have a new range of Dino Rise sets, here we take a look at the Pteranodon: Drone Strike set (70628).
The Pteranodon is equipped with scrap parts in the net as projectiles. Kaidan can ride the Pteranodon. Even at lofty heights, the vicious robotic machines are on the move.
A drone makes the airspace unsafe. But that’s no problem for Kaidan and his agile Pteranodon. The pterosaur is at home in the sky. With its projectile net, it can knock out approaching enemies in a flash. Of course, his good friend Kaidan is always with him on his back.
There’s no stopping this clever human-flying dinosaur duo. Attack from the air – repelled!
Playmobil have a new range of Dino Rise sets, here we take a look at the Spinosaurus: Double Defense Power set (70625).
Equipped with firing cannons and removable armour. Samu and Ayla can ride the Spinosaurus.With its razor-sharp teeth, the spinosaurus is one of the largest and most dangerous dinosaurs.
But this Spinosaurus is no ordinary dinosaur, but something very special. Since he was freed from Dino Rock, he and his friends Samu and Ayla have been fighting side by side against the perfidious fighting machines that try to destroy everything.
Thanks to Uncle Rob’s clever fighting equipment, the Spinosaurus also has a special protective armour and firing cannons that make him even more threatening. Will the human-Spinosaurus team with combined power manage to stop the robots from destroying nature?
The set includes the following:
Figures: 2 teenagers; Accessories: 1 spinosaurus, 2 leg armor, 2 back armor, 1 head armor, 2 projectiles gray, 2 projectiles orange, 2 projectile attachments, 1 control seat with tank, 2 interchangeable hairstyles, 2 helmets, 2 chest armor, 1 pair of arm cuffs
Here is our two minute review of the ParcSlope for MacBook and iPad from Twelve South.
ParcSlope is a dual purpose stand that elevates MacBook screens and angles iPads for more comfort and productivity. With ParcSlope, MacBook users enjoy better ergonomics and increased airflow for a cooler, quieter MacBook. iPad users will love the feel of the 18-degree sketching/typing angle ParcSlope creates. Precision curves, special ridges and built-in cable management make this sleek metal stand a must-have for MacBook and iPad users.
Raises MacBook screen to a more comfortable viewing height
Angles iPad for desktop sketching and creative work
Increases airflow and cooling around MacBooks
Built-in cable management for grab-n-go use
What’s in the box?
The box contains the ParcSlope and some instructions.
A Closer Look
Final Thoughts
Anyone who uses a MacBook or an iPad to do work on, or anything else really, will at some point find it uncomfortable to use, maybe because to the angle of the keyboard, or the environment you are using the devices in.
This is where the ParcSlope comes in. It’s a stand designed to fit either a MacBook or iPad on with a really great angle for keyboard use (its 18 degrees for those of you wanting specifics) and position of the screen for viewing.
The ParcSlope is a one-piece metal stand that is very lightweight and is easy to carry around.
The MacBook fits perfectly on the stand and is held in place, and its very comfortable to use, even for long periods of typing.
The ParcSlope for MacBook and iPad from Twelve South retails for around £50 and is an important addition to your desk set up.
