I’m a big fan of RPG games, as an early adopter of point and click adventures games back in the nineties, RPG’s have always felt like a natural progression from point and click. There are so many games now that either fall into the RPG genre completely or take many of the traditional RPG elements, but to be fair isn’t every game a role playing game in some way. This weeks entry is Arc of Alchemist, a somewhat more traditional RPG,
Arc of Alchemist begins with you being plonked in the middle of a desert because you have to find the Great Power, something that is key to saving humanity. Quinn Bravesford, on behalf of her kingdom, takes her allies to investigate the Desert of Beginnings, a desert that is spreading across the world and so, Quinn was selected to captain this mission. Quinn holds the Lunagear, the Lunagear is equipped to hold four Orbs, when all the Orbs are found then it will release the Great Power. Unfortunately, Quinn only has one Ord at hand for now. The Principality of Neuhaven, an enemy nation has sent their military in search of the Great Power, as well so Quinn and her band of merry warriors better find the Great Power quickly. Obviously life is never that easy, the desert contains many evil things that must be beaten.
Arc of Alchemist is quite a short game for a RPG, which is part of it’s problem. The main story is standard fare but as you progress through the various parts of the desert there will be times when you go back to the base and you are often presented with a cut scene that attempts to flesh out the characters. However these comedic interactions generally feel out of place whilst your hacking and slashing your way in the desert. The characters in Arc of Alchemist are never really introduced and because of that you never really care for them in any way.
The base building element of Arc of Alchemist is quite detailed and could have been quite interesting to play with. However, there isn’t a great deal of detail so you end up not really knowing what actions will benefit you. This is also the same section of Arc of Alchemist where you can pick your desert team and level up characters attributes. Investing into certain kinds of buildings will boost others depending on their location within your base, this management style could have been quite fun to get your head round but the lack of guidance is annoying.
The main part of Arc of Alchemist is wandering the desert wasteland trying to find the orbs. There are various enemies who generally spawn randomly when you approach certain areas. Beating them garner experience and other items. You have a team of 3 to help you in your adventuring. You can choose your team in the base section. Quinn is by far the most useful fighter compared to the others, combat is controlled by the AI for the other members of the team. You will find in Arc of Alchemist that your comrades end up getting into scraps you’ve attempted to run away from which is frustrating. The combat is fairly repetitive hack and slash which is fun for the most part, however when using projectiles or magic it’s pretty hard to hit enemies because the controls are iffy,
Graphically Arc of Alchemist looks a little dated. The animations are not smooth whilst there a few times when things slowed down the framerate, not ideal in this modern age. The base comes across well whilst the desert settings are reasonable to look at. Unfortunately the enemy models are nothing new, a mixture of bland robots and unimaginative animals. Musically Arc of Alchemist does really well, the sound sets the mood suitably, it’s just a shame the rest of Arc of Alchemist lets it down.
Arc of Alchemist is not a good RPG, it lacks some basic fundamentals that make RPG’s fun. The main story is reasonably interesting but you feel very little for the characters. The combat is fun in parts but held back by poor controls whilst the graphical issues are not something you should really experience in this day and age. If you love RPG’s then you may get a few hours of satisfaction but for the experienced role player Arc of Alchemist isn’t something for your bucket list.
Beyond The Wire is probably the closest that video games will ever get to satisfy my dream of having an authentic online FPS set in World War I. Developed by Redstone Interactive and published by Offworld Industries, Beyond The Wire is the latest foray into the Great War era in the form of a tense and epic experience with up to 100 players on a server fighting in a war of attrition through trench warfare.
Beyond The Wire released on Steam’s Early Access in October of 2020, and it has slowly been receiving updates. Just last week, the game received a major content update, which added a series of weapons and a new map, Château-Thierry. According to the developer’s public roadmap, players can also expect to see two new factions and three new maps dropping throughout Q1 2021. Also, although the developers state in the game’s Early Access F.A.Q. that they hope to release the game sometime in 2022, I’m sure that can obviously change as development progresses.
Beyond The Wire isn’t your typical online FPS. This isn’t a game where you can run around hunting for kills. If you end up doing just that, you probably won’t have a good time. A huge part of Beyond The Wire’s experience comes from actually playing with others and communicating. If you have played games like Hell Let Loose, Post Scriptum or Squad, then you pretty much should know what to expect from this one. This game is literally what would happen if someone took the Squad and Post Scriptum formula and decided to adapt it to World War I. Despite having not spent nearly as enough time with Beyond The Wire as I have spent with others in the same genre, I can definitely say that this, along with Squad, is amongst my top two games of this genre. Ever since Verdun, I always had a big itch for an FPS set in the First World War, and that itch has finally been scratched.
Like other games published by Offworld Industries, Beyond The Wire is an online multiplayer FPS of epic scale, where players fight in a series of long and arduous battles on the Western Front of the Great War. The game grounds itself on realism, and this is not only reflected in the game’s weapons, but also in how the player behaves, game modes, maps, mechanics, and team play. Speaking of which, at the moment, some players that dive into the game may find that it is lacking in game modes, maps, and weapons, but I would argue that that is precisely the point of developing a game, like this one, in Early Access. First, you want to build a solid foundation, and only then you want to expand on that base foundation by continuously adding more content.
There are currently only two game modes, Assault and Frontlines. The Assault mode puts attackers and defenders in an ongoing struggle, as the attacking side continuously attempts to chip away at the defender’s lines. Meanwhile, in Frontlines, both sides of the conflict must fight and capture multiple points in order to capture entire territory sections of the map. I honestly can’t say which is best or which I prefer the most. A part of me loves defending against an ongoing barrage of enemies in Assault, while another side of me simply adores the chaotic nature of Frontlines as each team scatters throughout the various points in an attempt to capture as many as they can.
As far as weapons go, each faction has its own arsenal, but what you can use depends on your role. Each team can have multiple squads, and these can range from 10 people infantry squads with medics, grenadiers and riflemen, to 2 person squads that focus on sniping, artillery, and heavy machine guns. Personally, I’m more of a medic or an assault class. While being a medic always gives you something to do, as you’re continually reviving downed teammates, an assault can just charge head-on with a pistol or a shotgun, which are much more reliable in close quarters than a bolt-action rifle. Don’t get me wrong though, all the bolt action rifles feel great to fire and to reload, there’s just something about it that also makes them really satisfying to use.
Then there is also the direction-based melee system, as well as bayonet charges, which never get old. With this game in particular, as opposed to others like Squad and Post Scriptum, melee combat is extremely useful due to the cramped nature of a lot of map areas, like the inside of buildings or trenches. Being able to perform a bayonet charge is actually more useful than you would probably think, especially if you are going up against someone with a bolt-action rifle that just keeps missing their shots. As for the other melee weapons, I find myself using these mostly when I happen to be in the middle of mustard gas. This, as well as off-map artillery strikes, can be called by your team’s Commander, and they either kill you on the spot, or they force you to put on your mask. This heavily limits visibility, and that’s why melee becomes so important, as you can get really close to enemies without even realizing it.
Now, don’t get me wrong, Beyond The Wire still has a lot of work ahead of it before it’s a fully-fledged title. However, it already clearly demonstrates that the team over at Redstone Interactive has got their head in the game and knows what the community wants and expects from them. Nonetheless, the game still needs to be optimized, but surely that will only come further down the road. However, things such as hit registration can be erratic. A lot of times you trade kills even though you probably shouldn’t. For instance, you might shoot the enemy and see him fall dead, but as he’s falling you can still get shot.
In spite of that, one thing that I really feel that still needs to be worked on are the sounds that characters make when you perform a bayonet-charge. Unless I’m not paying proper attention to my surroundings, I can only hear enemies charging at me when they’re right about to stab me. It’s actually kind of hilarious how many times I’ve gotten stabbed without realizing someone was charging at me from behind or from my flanks. Still, I also manage to kill others this very same way, so I guess that this is a win-win situation.
Despite everything, another big problem that Beyond The Wire seems to be facing currently can’t really be blamed on the developers, and that is the game’s small player base. Don’t get me wrong, the game is definitely not dead, but I wasn’t able to get into a full server throughout an entire week. From what I can tell, there’s only one active server at any time, and its population fluctuates between 40 and 60 people. Sure, that’s a lot of people, but given that the game supports up to 100 player servers, that’s still a little far off from providing the proper epic experience that the developers have certainly intended on delivering when making this game. Furthermore, unless you’re from Europe, you’ll end up having a high ping, as a lot of American players that I’ve played with can attest.
Finally, I’d like to emphasize that using a microphone is HIGHLY recommended in order to play Beyond The Wire. This is because Beyond The Wire relies heavily on teamwork and communication. Not only you may find yourself having to relay orders to your squad and fellow teammates, either through radio or by speaking to those in your vicinity, but you’ll also probably run into a few moments where you’ll spot an enemy creeping up on a teammate and you’re able to save them by warning them. Based on my experience, not everyone uses one, and I understand that everyone has their reasons, but I can’t stress enough that it enhances the whole experience tenfold.
Also, the game’s gorgeous visuals, alongside its sound design, make Beyond The Wire’s atmosphere absolutely spot on. I can’t stop myself from flinching every time I’m running through the map and I suddenly get shot at, or when I’m holding a position and suddenly it starts raining down artillery on where I’m at. It’s exceptionally immersive, something which other games under the Offworld Industries (Squad’s, Post Scriptum’s, and Beyond The Wire’s publisher) umbrella have also absolutely nailed.
If you enjoy playing games like Squad, Post Scriptum, and Hell Let Loose, but you just want something with that specific gameplay but in a World War I setting, then this is it. If you enjoy online FPS games with a focus on teamwork and tactics, over individual skill and play, then Beyond The Wire will probably quench your thirst. The game certainly has its problems, but it offers such a unique experience that I’m currently willing to overlook those issues and enjoy the game for what it is. While it certainly isn’t a game for everyone, it’s my new favourite World War I game, and I honestly can’t wait to see how it evolves over time. Do check it out if it sounds like something that you’d enjoy or that you’re willing to support in the long-term. Beyond The Wire is currently only available on Steam Early Access.
If you mention Super Mario Bros to anyone, between a frenzy of ‘wahoos’ and impeccable impressions, I’m sure thousands will spill fond nostalgic memories of childhood. The Mario franchise has been a key element to hundreds of people’s childhoods. So it’s safe to say the release of Super Mario 3D World to Switch has been received well. From the opening sequence, you are immediately connected back with familiar characters and transported into childlike glee. Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s fury is certainly a tribute to everything that has made Mario so iconic.
Back to basics
With a classic world layout, SM3DW takes you through a series of levels you feel like you’ve seen before. Each world follows the Mario essentials. Ice, desert, greenland, etc. However Nintendo takes this and runs with it. You are more than likely expected to encounter several biomes in one level. In addition to these extensive world types, you are presented with a variety of new power ups. It is vital to utilise these, since they will be extremely useful in every single tiny fraction of a level. Don’t underestimate how important these power ups are, especially if you are playing with others. Please trust me on this one. It will make you nearly fall out with your friends.
Teamwork makes the dream work
I had the joy of playing this game with two of my closest friends. By the end of playing this game, we were almost not friends at all. The co-op ability of 3D World is as wonderfully chaotic as you can imagine. Timed levels become a frantic race to claim victory over your teammates, and working together as a team has never proved so difficult. This game has induced fits of both laughter and rage. Once again it has created a number of memories I will struggle to forget. Which is definitely the best part of playing any Mario game. Although working as a team is key to a solid victory, there is something so maliciously enjoyable about ensuring you achieve more points and strutting around with your tiny crown.
One of my favourite moments of playing through this game, is the sheer chaos that ensues in toad houses. The rush to beat the timer caused fits of giggles when failing. And the game was paused for a breather on many occasions. Despite having to play each of these levels repeatedly after collecting the stars, you pick up the rhythm of them very quickly. I just found this to make me laugh even more if something went horrifically wrong and we had to start again.
The best level design to date
It’s safe to say, Nintendo presents us with a shiny new expectation of complexity in this one. With a multitude of hidden pathways, secret doors, specific character buttons, you will no doubt be running through each level more than once. I’d argue that even after the revolutionary success of Super Mario Odyssey, SM3DW holds some of the most intricate level design in Nintendo history. Every level has its secrets, and you will definitely want to discover them all.
Bowser’s Fury
This game has no story links to Super Mario 3D World, so can easily be picked up on it’s own. Despite it’s significantly shorter playtime, it stands alone as one of the best 3D Mario games so far. Due to having no links to 3D World, Bowser’s Fury can easily be booted up from the beginning if you wanted.
Instead of his loving brother, Mario is accompanied on this trip by Bowser Jr. This role can either be taken on by a second player or remain as an AI. His function is also completely customisable. You can decide if you want him to help out every step of the way, or the opposite. If you are unsure of 3D Mario (or if your depth perception fails you much like mine) then this company should be utilised.
Bowser’s Fury doesn’t highlight the same variety of 3D Worlds, but if all that was crammed in you’d be exhausted. There are plenty of crossovers to recognise, so you won’t be too lost. Even when levels seem too familiar, Nintendo has implemented enough new design to ensure it doesn’t get stale. BF definitely holds the potential for an incredible future in the Mario franchise.
Final thoughts
To anyone who has ever played a Mario game, be it alone or with friends. I encourage you to pick this one up. It is truly wonderful and I guarantee you will be transported back into a state of childlike glee. I haven’t laughed this hard whilst playing a game with my friends for a very long time. It is definitely the pick me up everyone deserves.
With the creation of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies, many new opportunities and experiences emerged, all of them based on the same premise: decentralized control.
Cryptocurrencies were created to be decentralized assets stored on digital ledgers under strong cryptography. They are not controlled by banking institutions or government bodies, and were only made possible by the inception of blockchain technologies.
The world’s first blockchain was created in 2008 to act as the transaction ledger for Bitcoin. Within it, records are called blocks, and each block contains a cryptographic hash of the previous block, a timestamp and transaction data. This process allows blockchains to be incredibly resistant to modification of its data. They are managed by peer-to-peer networks around the globe and keep records of transactions permanently. Even though Bitcoin was the first cryptocurrency, currently there are several cryptos available on many different exchanging platforms and digital wallets.
Then we get to blockchain games. Also called crypto games, this new genre grants players total control over everything related to the game. From account information to game items and assets, all content is owned by the players and cannot be operated or supervised by anyone else. Just like cryptocurrencies, blockchain games are decentralized and the content rights are held by users instead of publishers and developers. Apart from retaining control, players can also monetize their content within these games and even make a profit or invest in games’ marketplaces. And as blockchain technologies are continuously improved, new crypto games are being developed, offering gamers possibilities never seen before.
But to endeavour into these new gaming experiences, players must follow a few simple steps before choosing which game to play.
Exchanging and storing cryptos
To play blockchain games, players must have cryptocurrencies stored in a proper digital wallet. Digital wallets, or e-wallets, are devices or applications that store some form of currency on a desktop or mobile app, on the cloud or some hardware devices. In the case of real money, the most popular e-wallets are PayPal and Apple Wallet. But for cryptocurrencies, there are specific digital wallets that store these cryptographic keys, like Exodus and Wasabi. Recently, Apple announced that Apple Pay and Apple Wallet will soon store some cryptocurrencies as well.
Then, players need to purchase a cryptocurrency. Most crypto games are based on the Ethereum blockchain, so Ether is required to play. This can be done through a cryptocurrency exchange. There are many exchanges currently available with different features and fees that change depending on the market’s activity, and some of them even offer wallet services. The most popular cryptocurrency exchange is Coinbase, which is one of the oldest active exchanges, launched in 2012.
Games
The list of blockchain games is still limited, but there are a few that are already trending among players, and several others being developed.
CryptoKitties
Launched in 2017, the most successful and popular crypto game so far is CryptoKitties. The game allows players to collect, breed, buy and sell virtual cats. With a gameplay that resembles the popular 90’s toy Tamagotchi, players must improve their cats attributes, while caring for its needs and breeding them with other players’ cats. Their prices usually start at US$20 in the game currency, and it can go up or down, depending on breed, attributes and market fluctuations. The most expensive cat in the game is called Dragon and it costs more than US$300,000 in Ether.
Splinterlands
With the same collecting gameplay, Splinterlands is a multiplayer card game built on the Hive blockchain, with mechanics similar to collectible card games. Players can summon warriors and monsters through collectible cards and engage in battles in its many game modes. In the last month, Splinterlands was one of the games that most attracted new players.
The Sandbox Game
Currently in its open beta phase, The Sandbox Game is an upcoming Ethereum-based game that allows gamers to create their own worlds and build different gaming experiences inside the game’s metaverse. With its own cryptocurrency, players can buy and sell items and assets, design interactive adventures, visit other players’ worlds and monetize any content created.
Axie Infinity
There’s also Axie Infinity, which is a Pokémon-based universe where players can battle, collect, raise and build worlds for creatures called Axies. With features of social networking as well, Axie Infinity is still in early access but already generated over 6,400 Ether in revenue, equivalent to more than US$2 million.
No matter if you love or hate rodents, the sight of their long tails is enough to send shivers down your spine. They’re an intelligent and misunderstood species that have long been linked with disease, death, and destruction. Not anymore, though! Developer and publisher JanduSoft S.L. have created a rodent friendly title that has these four-legged beasts playing the lead heroic characters.
Rodent Warriors is a single-player RPG game set in a medieval world. It’s pixelated look and synthesised soundtrack gives it a retro indie feel. The simplicity of the gameplay and the ease at which it can be played means it is ideal for gamers of all skill sets. Using a classic RPG style blended with rogue-like elements made this an adventure game with an unusual twist.
An unhappy King.
As with all great adventure titles, the core plot is; big, exciting and completely unbelievable. The King is angry that the people oppose his rule. He demands every creature follow without question. So, he forms an army to slaughter those who stand in his way! No-one is exempt from this barbaric approach, not even rodents!
As I said, absurd, but brilliant. You must choose your adventurer from a growing group. As you progress and complete tasks and challenges, more become available to select. Each creature is unique and brings; strengths, weaknesses, and its armoury with it. You must adjust your gameplay style for each character, and every approach is catered for.
Even the goats oppose the King’s rule.
Character design with a twist.
When you select a new adventure, you must pick from a long list of negative traits. These add additional challenges to each attempt. You’ll have less power, move slower, reduced health and more. You must overcome this as you gain levels, selecting to increase; strength, dexterity, intelligence and vitality. Each attribute counters the opening negative effects and makes for a balanced fighting machine. You can of course ignore the negatives and make your rodent a; tank, bruiser, super smart or insanely rapid. How you wish to play is up to you.
Rodent Warriors then goes further still with; upgradable equipment, craftables, legendary items and improved stats when you are reincarnated. Yes, death is a certainty, but in doing so you come back as a new and improved fighting vermin.
Craftables are a pot luck scenario. The more you try to make, the better you get. Materials are found at random, and you have little influence on how this part plays out. Symbols are found during quests and are applied to items to enhance their attributes. Recipes for this must be learned, which is not an easy task, so you’ll need plenty of game time and patience to get to this stage.
Effectively everything you make improves your character, and all the ingredients are found by exploring the full map of each quest you undertake.
So much equipment for one small rodent.
Rodents love a maze.
You don’t have to like rodents to acknowledge they are clever. Place it in a maze and it’ll solve it very quickly. The developers joke that rats see the world as a maze, so this is how every quest is viewed. You simply follow corridors that run along the points of a compass.
Small maps of hidden treasures and wave after wave of enemies await as you explore and try to finish each quest. It’s brilliantly simple, but stupidly difficult. It should be called “Rodent Death Simulator“, as your untimely demise is all but guaranteed.
Old-school, side-scroller.
Though you are free to explore, the gameplay follows a linear path, and all the action plays out as a 2D side-scroller. Your pixelated foes approach you from both sides as you find a plethora of rich environments to enjoy. The basic character models do well to represent each creature, but you won’t be moved by the artistic style. Simple animation gave this a rigid and basic feel. Old-school doesn’t justify it, as the movement is very dated. Earthy tones make up most of the colour palette. Maybe they are trying to emphasise the rodent’s natural habitat. Maybe I’m over analysing this, though.
I was hoping for a Streets of Rage type audio with real aggressive upbeat music. Instead, you are treated to a folksy, ye-olde medieval soundtrack that matched the theme, but was at odds with the action. The sound effects were closer to what I expected, but with plenty of “pee hoo” and “woooo”, it grates on you very quickly. It’s not bad enough to quit playing, it’s just not what I expected and JanduSoft S.L. should have created something more in keeping with both theme and genre.
Choices, choices.
It sounds complex.
There are a lot of little layers that make this tick. Each appears complicated and difficult to follow, but it’s easier than it seems. Rodent Warriors uses a mixture of elements in its gameplay and hack ‘n slash combat sits at the fore. Its button-mashing ways make progress easier, while all the other parts slowly fall into place in the background.
Because of the rogue-like gameplay, the level of difficulty (standard or hardcore), the many characters to unlock and the moderate achievement list. You’ll need to and will want to return to play. Hours of gameplay lay before you, and many reincarnated rodents will be required to be victorious. As such, this has masses of replay value.
Rodents bring death to those that oppose the King.
It’s true what they say, rodents are the bringers of death and misery. In this case, it’s only if you oppose the King. Can you lead his army to victory in this in-depth RPG, rogue-like adventure? If you can’t, don’t worry. Come back stronger and try again. This is a fun indie title that’s great value for money, and I recommend buying it! Grab a weapon, craft some armour, and get that horrible long tail into action.
With horror games, it’s essential to find a way to immerse the player and create an anxiety building atmosphere. And while Infliction does a great job of making that atmosphere, it fails to keep me engaged due to several technical issues and one to many scripted deaths that are just unavoidable and tedious.
This is not to say that Infliction is not worth playing if you’re looking for a quick thrill. It is and delivers that rush you might be looking for but don’t expect it to leave a long-lasting impression. Even with its cliffhanger ending, you probably won’t remember much that happened or question any of the narrative beyond the moments you interact with particular objects.
To get right into things, Infliction is your standard narrative first-person horror. Explore the haunted house, find the clues, uncover the story and solve a few puzzles along the way. Almost everything you see in the house can be interacted with, and there are a few little easter eggs to stumble across, such as NES cartridges of games. Infliction takes clear inspiration from, such as Gone Home. Interacting with more than just the clues helps build the house and goes a long way in immersing the player in the story. However, it can get a tad tedious picking up things that seem important and have no relevance to progression.
The main mechanic involved in solving most of Inflictions seemingly dead-end objectives is using a polaroid camera to help reveal essential clues or objects. Every time I got the camera out to take a quick picture, a sudden rush of anxiety overcame me as I zoomed in a lost vision. Adding a sense of forced risk vs reward situation, I know I have to take the picture to progress, but I just don’t want to drop my guard for even a second.
And the reason I’m consistently scared of dropping my guard is because of the incredibly well-crafted atmosphere Caustic Reality has created. Every corridor feels and looks as tormented as the mind and body of the spirit you are trying to escape. There’s also something incredibly unnerving about seeing everyday environments such as sitting rooms and kitchens become covered in blood and filled with limbs. The house is also ever-changing, from doors disappearing as you walk through them, leaving you with no exit. To jump into mirror realms and paintings on the wall, this is more than just your standard haunted house clue search.
With that said, the amount of jump scares in infliction is a little overwhelming, especially in the early stages when they are mostly just scripted deaths that progress the story. And don’t feel particularly scary at all; most of the fear and anxiety comes from seeming the ghost roam around the house rather than being attacked by it. I must also mention that during some of the later game moments and the few cut scenes, the games frame rate started to slow down a lot. I played on Switch in both handheld mode and docked, and it was a consistent issue that often ruined the experience and broke the immersion that so much effort went into creating. It’s a massive shame, but things are certainly a lot less scary at 15 frames per second.
Coming in around 2 to 4 hours worth of gameplay, Infliction offers very little to go back for. A new game plus mode is practically a hard mode, and chapter select to hop around to certain parts in the game and collected missed memories if you wish. Finally, a bonus gallery shows many art extras and cool bits that didn’t make the game, so make sure to take a look around that once you finished the game. The lack of meaning full extra content is a shame, but it’s not bad for only £15.99 ($19.99).
Infliction nails most of the traditions horror tropes and does well to create a genuinely intriguing and anxiety-inducing atmosphere with is detail design and ever-changing environments. However, the lack of any real memorable scares and countless scripted deaths that get old quickly paired with recurring performance issues consistently break the immersion that was so brilliantly created.
City of brass is a game that I have spent a considerable amount of time on in regards to gathering my thoughts in regards to this game. After about a week or two straight of playing it, I have come to a conclusive verdict. Is it good, or bad? Let’s find out together.
STORY
The tutorial does a good job of explaining the Story of this game.
The story of City of brass is short, simple, and not too complicated or detailed compared to, say, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon’s series of games. Your are a nameless thief of varying classes, determined to claim a treasure from the middle of a trap-filled, enemy-guarded Arabian-styled city of brass. See? Simple!
This story is simple and easy to follow through this tutorial level, which also gives you time to practice the controls and mechanics of the game.
I wish the rest of City of Brass was as understanding of some players’ difficulties with timing, though. With that said, let’s get into the gameplay.
GAMEPLAY
This is a a screenshot of the first level. You start out with a whip and sword.
This game is a first-person action Dungeon Crawler. It’s NOT an RPG, in case you wondering. You earn gold by opening chests and breaking pots and whatnot. You use that gold in order to recover health at shops, buy new weapons, disable traps, summon a ghostly companion, etc.
The game has 14 or so levels and 4 or so boss fights. When the time, as indicated by the upper-right Hourglass icon, runs out, orbs will chase you that will damage you and continue to pursue you until you’re dead.
The enemies range from legless skeletons, to sombrero-wearing zombies, to floating skulls. I’m sure there’s more types of enemies, but I never made it past LEVEL 1!
Now, we come to my least favorite part of the game… Permadeath. Now, despite what I’m about to say, Permadeath can be good and raise the steaks if done correctly, as demonstrated in the Fire Emblem series, where permadeath applies to units if you manage to complete a chapter while a unit you control has their health reduced to 0. That’s a fair example.
City of Brass will WIPE your progress clean every time you die. EVERY. Single. TIME! There’s NO option to turn this off, either. And since this is a roguelike-dungeon crawler, the layout for each level is random. The aesthetic and look maybe the same each time, but the layout is generally different each time you try.
For a more painful example in the same game, Let’s say you made it to the final boss somehow, and died just as you were about to beat it and the game. All of that progress will go away, and you start back at level 1 with 4 hearts. Every time you die or complete a playthrough, you earn XP, which unlocks new classes that generally play the same with little to no variation.
In regards to soundtrack, it’s Arabian-themed. I’ll give it that. It’s definitely mystic and enchanting. That said, I don’t remember much outside of the the title theme and level 1’s theme, maily because you play level 1 every time you die!
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, City of Brass is a decent game IF you like first-person dungeon crawlers with no turn-based action. While I was enchanted in the beginning, after 5-10 hours, I was sadly disillusioned. This is one city that should’ve lost, like Atlantis kind-of lost.
SQUARE ENIX will be releasing a first-look at the free playable demo for OUTRIDERS on February 25th, the high-intensity RPG-Shooter from People Can Fly, the developers of Gears of War: Judgment and BULLETSTORM, and Square Enix External Studios, the minds behind JUST CAUSE and SLEEPING DOGS.
Broadcast #5 ‘Into the Fray’, gives a look at the exciting content on offer in the OUTRIDERS demo, coming February 25th, where players will be able to experience the entire opening chapter of the OUTRIDERS campaign. With around 3 hours of gameplay available, players can create multiple characters and try out all four classes in the game: Devastator, Pyromancer, Technomancer and Trickster.
Progress in the campaign will transfer to the full game for players who purchase OUTRIDERS on the same platform.
Additionally, Broadcast #5 includes a deep dive into the PC version of OUTRIDERS and how People Can Fly has gone to great lengths to create an RPG-Shooter that offers compatibility with a variety of system specs and include some of our favourite PC features. You can watch the video here due to age protection:
The OUTRIDERS demo releases tomorrow, February 25th at 5pmGMT/6pmCET/9amPT, free for everyone to play on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC/Steam and GeForce NOW.
OUTRIDERS will release on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Steam, Epic Store and GeForce NOW on PC and Google Stadia on April 1, 2021.
Back in December following the backlash and reaction to the release state of Cyberpunk 2077, especially on legacy consoles Xbox One/X and PS4 and PS4 Pro, CD Projekt Red said that 2021 would begin with two large udpates to fix and improve the quality of the game experience, in particular for the last gen consoles. But today following the recent Cyber-Attack at CD Projekt Red which saw source code for their games as well as internal files stolen and servers hijacked, it has not been confirmed that the large 1.2 update that was planned for February has now been delayed until at least March:
While we dearly wanted to deliver Patch 1.2 for Cyberpunk 2077 in the timespan we detailed previously, the recent cyber attack on the studio’s IT infrastructure and extensive scope of the update mean this unfortunately will not happen — we’ll need some additional time. 1/3
“While we dearly wanted to deliver Patch 1.2 for Cyberpunk 2077 in the timespan we detailed previously, the recent cyber attack on the studio’s IT infrastructure and extensive scope of the update mean this unfortunately will not happen — we’ll need some additional time.
Our goal for Patch 1.2 goes beyond any of our previous updates. We’ve been working on numerous overall quality improvements and fixes, and we still have work to do to make sure that’s what you get. With that in mind, we’re now aiming for release in the second half of March.
It’s not the news we enjoy sharing, but we want to make sure we launch this update properly. Stay tuned for more information as the time draws closer. Thank you for your continued patience and support.“
Now all of this sucks, and no matter how you feel about the launch of Cyberpunk 2077, the company and its employees certainly did not deserve this new problem very much making things worse for them and for fans who are still after 2 months, waiting to play a game they may have purchased on release. At time of posting, Cyberpunk 2077 is still not listed on the PlayStation store for PS4 or PS5.
The now fully meme’d truth that Tom Holland is incapable of keeping any of the MCU secrets, has been used to great effect once again to finally reveal the name for the third Sony Pictures/ MARVEL Studios Spider-Man film:
Last night on social media, the cast using their own accounts started teasing “fake titles” for the fim, something referenced in the above video which you can see by looking at the whiteboard of titles which has the true “No Way Home” title.
Due to some confusion between the three Spider-Man stars and their uncoordinated attempt at a title reveal, we now have an actual answer to, “what’s the new Spider-Man movie called?” And it’s Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Not “Spider-Man: Phone Home,” not “Spider-Man: Home-Wrecker,” and certainly not “Spider-Man: Home Slice” — even though they all sound very fun, they are all very incorrect. In the video, you can see where this kerfuffle all started between Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Jacob Batalon, leading to a talk with returning Spider-Man director Jon Watts. Holland, befuddled as to why, once again, he doesn’t have the correct info, asks why people keep feeding him misinformation!
What is more is that we also have a release date for Spider-Man: No Way Home Arrives , which will be in theaters on December 17, 2021….which is rather optimistic considering current Pandemic concerns still across the globe so will have to keep an eye on how Sony Pictures will stick to this release date for cinemas.
Granblue Fantasy: Versus is a fun, flashy and easy to pick up 2.5D fighting game based on the mobile game Granblue Fantasy. Versus proves to be a worthy journey onto more powerful hardware.
Granblue Fantasy is set in the world of Sky Realm which consists of floating islands. The only way to get around is on airships. You follow Gran and his crew aboard the Grandcypher as they encounter a cosmic threat that they inevitably have to face. How do you do this? By thrashing any and everything that stands in your way throughout the main campaign.
Good Story, Bad Pacing
Versus tells its story through its RPG mode which segments the plot with battles against multiple enemies and larger boss battles. RPG mode is where some gameplay systems and mechanics from the mobile game are also carried over. Most notably the elemental system. The weapons one collects throughout the campaign are attributed elements which overcome one another. Water -> Fire -> Wind, etc. But honestly there wasn’t much in the way of visual representation in the elemental change between weapons. Nor was there any change in the weapon your character was holding based on what you had equipped. This would only change when selecting an alternate weapon skin. It just felt like a simple stat change with some useful passive weapon abilities. That made the system feel like busy-work at times, padding the time and difficulty by including recommended elements for each fight. Fortunately, though it did not feel as if the entire thing was inconsequential. By collecting, upgrading, and equipping gear, you could ensure the best possible loadout for each encounter.
RPG mode was not a bad inclusion by any means, it just lacked the gameplay impact I was expecting. It was a great way to get introduced to the cast of characters and the world. It was also a very good way of getting newcomers familiar with the mechanics of combat before jumping into arcade or online matches. However, it did fall short in its pacing of quests and story. At times it honestly felt like the game was scrounging for any possible excuse to get involved in a fight. There were a couple of these quests that could be beaten in about 30 seconds. It just made those situations feel pointless in terms of narrative.
In terms of gameplay, RPG mode is also not where the game truly shines. Combat gets to perform at its best in the versus and arcade modes. These are the classic modes that are any fighting game’s bread and butter. And in Versus its no different. Having the characters go up against one another, picks up the pace of battles considerably. Every move is a flashy display of deadly grace and ability. In these modes you can see your favourite fighters at their best, jumping around, slashing, punching and summoning insane ultimates.
Easy to Learn, Harder to Master
One of Versus’ greatest strengths lies in its accessibility. While characters don’t have a wide and varied move list between one another, they each have a unique playstyle that allows for the variety that is crucial to any fighting game. Take, for example a game like Tekken, where everyone on its roster has their own set of moves, combos and styles. This enables players to find a character that fits within their playstyle. Whether it is swift and frantic or brutal and measured. Sometimes the more difficult to play characters come with rewarding combos as a trade off. This makes Tekken an extremely versatile and deep game in its mechanics; and is a big reason why its a leader in its genre. Yet it does not make it particularly easy for a more casual player to get good at.
In Versus the accessibility lies in its simplicity, the buttons for enabling skills and auto combos are the same for all characters. As a result Granblue is a wonderfully easy fighting game to pick up for the newcomer. While simple, it is far from dumbed-down. Granblue may be easy to play, but it does take a bit to master. This is especially true when playing against real opponents either online or with local play.
What lends to this harder to master feel is the characters’ unique abilities and differences in skills.
Take Narmaya from character pass 1 for example. Her unique ability is to switch stances from the mid-range Dawnfly to the close-range Freeflutter . In each stance she has four main skills and when each has been used and the cooldowns engaged, the player can switch their stance with the unique ability button and gain access to the alternate set. One could even take it a step further and use her transient ability to switch stances mid combo. This dashes her forward and can be interrupted at any time with another skill move which automatically puts her in the alternate stance. This makes for a faster method of switching stances leaving you free to unleash your alternate set of skills on your unfortunate opponent. It’s a microcosm of a fairly simple system that can be used intuitively as players become familiar and confident in its systems.
That’s just one character. Each one has their own skillset and unique ability, some more straightforward than others. There’s Gran who has your straightforward, offensive based skills perfect for newcomers. Then you get more zany skills like Lowain’s which include a move where his two buddies assemble to carry him around like something out of Power Rangers.
Feast Your Eyes
Versus can be visually strong at many points, a little underwhelming in the dialogue scenes of the story mode at time. However, the greatest visual treats come from the battles themselves, especially in the late game RPG mode boss fights. The classic arcade and versus modes also provide a feast for the eyes with stylish animations, colours and well designed character models. I also have to say I love the artstyle in its character, and glossary illustrations. They all have that distinct fantasy feeling, with detail and care given to every aspect of design.
While not every song is especially memorable, there were a couple of decent standouts. The menu music was particularly soothing, with its adventurous theme which brought the image of ships sailing the oceans to mind; fitting for the game’s world of floating islands and airships. There are also a couple of really great hype songs, like the banger that plays when fighting Ferry.
Overall Granblue Fantasy: Versus provides a seriously enjoyable experience that allows itself to open up to new and more casual players without alienating fighting game veterans. It’s got some great depth and wonderfully satisfying visuals in combat.
PlayStation have had a very busy last 24 hours with the confirmation that PSVR for PS5 is being developed, Days Gone to be the next PS4 exclusive to be ported to PC and a delay into 2022 for Gran Turismo on PS5 (traditional for it to be delayed though right?) and now overnight, PlayStation have announced a new ‘State of Play’ address for Thursday night:
“Time for another State of Play! This Thursday, a State of Play broadcast will serve up new updates and deep dives for 10 games coming to PS4 and PS5, including new game announcements and updates on some of the third-party and indie titles you last saw in June’s PS5 showcase.
The show is clocking it at 30 minutes or so, give or take. Can’t wait to hear what you think! And a quick note: there won’t be PlayStation hardware or business-focused updates in this show. We’re focusing on great games set to come out in the months ahead.
Be sure to tune in on Thursday, February 25 at 2:00pm Pacific Time / 5:00pm Eastern Time / 10:00pm GMT, and you can watch it liveonTwitchandYouTube.“
Hard to imagine that we have not had a State of Play since before the launch of the PS5, but fans have been waiting patiently for it even if impatiently still trying to get hold of a PS5 console itself, which will be interesting to see if anything is mentioned bout that issue as well. Release dates for titles like God of War: Ragnarok and Horizon into the West are the two obvious news updates to hear about, time will tell if the global pandemic has hit the release schedule for those big names as well as titles like Stray and Ghostwire: Tokyo.
In particular we have the hope of more PS5 upgrades for titles like “The Last of Us Part 2” and the upcoming release of Deathloop and Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart in just a few months time so will be good to get a look at that whilst no doubt hearing some more abut the ‘Play at Home’ initiative for 2021 that was announced yesterday.
Definitely a reason to tune in 10pm GMT on Thursday night!
I have a bit of a soft spot for weird and wonderful games. I especially like it when they look unusual and try to make themselves stand out from the crowd. What I worry about though, is if it will be all glam and glitter and no concept.
Ponpu by developers Purple Tree Studios and publishers Zordix Publishing is a single and multiplayer indie puzzle game that has been influenced by Bomberman. If Ponpu can reach even 50% of the standard that Bomberman has, then my fears surrounding the concept can be forgotten.
Duck God.
You know it’s going to be weird as hell when the story is based on the Duck God’s desire to wipe a planet. Even so, let’s roll with it! This all-seeing being has decided that every 2 billion years the planet that he has created must be destroyed. He sends you a birdlike creature known as a Ponpu to complete its task. As you fall to Earth, you bump your head. Upon waking, you decide you must protect the creatures that you’ve been sent to destroy.
The gameplay flows through 10 challenging worlds. Each has a different environment and unique monsters. Traps and puzzles will block your path, and you must use your arsenal of bombs to attack your enemy’s and remove the environment. Feathers can be collected and keys must be found to unlock the door to finish each stage. These golden keys are then required to access the den of each world’s boss.
Don’t anger the bird!
Single-player doesn’t evolve.
The bosses that you face will test your resolve as they blast you with their bodies and projectiles. Once you understand their attack patterns, they are as simple as the rest of the game. Unfortunately, the ease at which this plays out soon makes the gameplay flat, and it fails to evolve. The addition of traps and pits gives you something to consider, but this soon becomes tedious as well.
Ponpu’s saving grace, and where Bomberman can be seen most, is the multiplayer modes. 3 different ones are available; Deathmatch, Coin Steal and Paint Battle. Each is a joy to play, and the online community I experienced was fun and enjoyed the challenge. It was refreshing to play a game that didn’t have a toxic online environment.
The three modes.
Deathmatch – Exactly as you’d expect; choose your character, grab your bombs, and kill everyone in sight. Tactics are a must and using your shield to deflect bombs and running away are handy tips to staying alive.
Coin Steal – A ruthless game of murder and theft. Pick up as much gold as you can and stay alive. If you die, you drop it all, and others benefit from your misery.
Paint Battle – A Splatoon style game where bombs colour areas, and the person who has the most land in their colour wins.
Paint Battle time, pick your colour and splash it everywhere.
They are all fun in their own rights and show off Purple Tree Studios love of the Bomberman franchise. Had the multiplayer mode not been added, I’d say this was all talk and no substance. But this breathed fresh air into something that looked great but felt bland.
It looks great!
I was instantly struck by how great it looks. A mainly monochromatic colour palette allows the striking art style to take centre and front. The crisp lines and unusual character models gave this an alien appearance. The last time I was in awe of imagery like this was in Don’t Starve. The surreal sprites and unusual worlds were great to look at and explore. Ponpu is simply a fantastic game to observe.
The weirdness didn’t stop there. A synthesised fast-paced audio joined in with the bizarre gameplay. This high-tempo music wasn’t to my liking, but it worked well with the theme and the style. The constant shuffling sound of your characters webbed feet and the crash and boom of your bombs were set at the right level. They were neither annoying nor did they overwhelm the other elements.
Destroy the world around you to make a new path.
Arcade simplicity.
Bomberman strikes again, this time it can be found in the easy controls you’ll experience. Responsive movement, no lag issues, and simple layout make this a straightforward title to master. Even during the hectic online play, you won’t struggle to play Ponpu.
I wasn’t sold on the single-player mode, and though I plan to gather all the achievements from the small list, I have no real desire to return. What makes this game addictive, however, is the competitive, stupid and fun online play. This is the area that will keep gamers coming back for more.
It’s good, but it’s no Bomberman.
Quick, fun and non-toxic online games are scarce, so I applaud the developers for their success here. It was such a joy to play, and I could have lost myself for hours in its different modes. The overall package is good, but it’s not Bomberman! Its single-player campaign lets it down, but if you want to play online, then I recommend it. If you want to take on the Duck God, buy a copy here! It’s time to pick your Ponpu and save the world you were instructed to destroy.
Drift21 fills a very specific hole in the gaming market. Drift21 is a driving simulator with an emphasis on drifting specifically, and fully customizable vehicles currently in early access. That’s it! That’s the whole game. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it certainly cuts down the number of people this game can actually appeal too. This is very much an experience for racing fans, and even at that the emphasis on drifting may push the average racing fan away. Drift21’s main content is for fans of in-depth drift mechanics, and car enthusiasts as gameplay is split between drifting levels, and a main garage area in which you can customize your car and purchase new parts. Trying to appeal to a niche audience helps give Drift21 a sense of identity and purpose, but is that enough to make a compelling game?
Overall, the drifting aspect is enjoyable for what it is. At first, I was worried playing on controller was going to ruin the experience, but the control scheme feels nice which is really all you can ask for at the end of the day in drifting game. Although other modes are available, such as a newly added multiplayer mode, time trial is definitely the mode that suits Drift21 the best. There is a decent selection of courses to chose from, however some require upgrades to be made to the car in the garage. The drifting feels good and the course selection is adequate, but that’s about all there is to say about it. As someone who is not a huge fan of racing games, let alone one focusing just on drifting, I was becoming uninterested with the repetitive gameplay. An average video game fan could probably get at maximum five hours of enjoyment out of Drift21, but by that point I would find it surprising anyone who aren’t there for the gameplay could keep going. Racing for a high score on each stage is enjoyable, but even that becomes repetitive quickly.
The other big aspect of the game is the garage. Sadly, this part is not my cup of tea. Every single part in the car is not only fully customizable, but mandatory upon purchasing a new vehicle. I am not a car person, so I was pretty lost. Although tutorials were available to make installing the car parts easier, text boxes can only help so much. The garage is probably very enjoyable for car fans, but that’s the issue once again. The extremely in-depth car system is only able to appeal to so many people. Once I hit a point where I had no idea what I needed to put in my car, and the game was telling me I required certain parts to continue I started to question why I was even playing in the first place as someone who doesn’t care much for the car medium. Also, the sensitivity in the garage is ridiculous! Some of the hitboxes to add parts into the car are extremely small. I had to switch to mouse and keyboard just to put in some of the car’s smaller parts. Perhaps car fans will have a good time with this section of the game, but it’s certainly not for me.
There is very little to say about Drift21. Sure the graphics are nice, and the sound design is good, but neither of those are important unless you’re a fan of the gameplay. If you are not a fan of drifting, and car maintenance then there is no reason to purchase this game. Although I am definitely more likely to recommend this game to a of drifting or car maintenance, I sadly am not even sure about that. It’s hard to tell what the drifting aficionado what think of Drift21’s mechanics. The games $25 price tag may be too high based on the amount of content actually provided, of course all of that is subject to change as this game is still in early access. Overall, if you like drifting and cars, this may be your game, but be ready because that’s all this game is. As far as everyone else goes, I see very little reason to pick up this game especially at its price tag considering the vast number of other games at a similar price of higher quality.
