Review: Infliction: Extended Cut

Thomas Dacombe
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Review: Infliction: Extended Cut

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. 

Review: City of Brass

Bryan Applegate
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Review: City of Brass
The title Screen for City of Brass.

INTRO

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.

OUTRIDERS Free Demo Launches on February 25th

Sean McCarthy
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OUTRIDERS Free Demo Launches on February 25th

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.
 
For more information, visit www.outriders.net
 
OUTRIDERS official Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/outridersgame
Follow OUTRIDERS on Twitter: https://twitter.com/outriders
Follow OUTRIDERS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outridersgame
Subscribe to OUTRIDERS on YouTube: www.youtube.com/outriders
Join the OUTRIDERS Discord: discord.gg/outriders  
Learn more about SQUARE ENIX® here: http://www.square-enix.com
Learn more about People Can Fly: https://peoplecanfly.com 

Cyberpunk 2077’s 1.2 Patch Delayed following CD Projekt Red Cyber-Attack

Sean McCarthy
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Cyberpunk 2077’s 1.2 Patch Delayed following CD Projekt Red Cyber-Attack

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:

This twitter thread, CD Prokekt Red explained:

“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.

‘Spider-Man No Way Home’ Confirmed as Title for Third Spidey Film

Sean McCarthy
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‘Spider-Man No Way Home’ Confirmed as Title for Third Spidey Film

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.

The official statement from MARVEL says:

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.

Review: Granblue Fantasy: Versus

Jonah Ehlers
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Review: Granblue Fantasy: Versus

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.

‘State of Play’ Announced for Thursday 25th February

Sean McCarthy
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‘State of Play’ Announced for Thursday 25th February

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:

The official PlayStation Blog goes into further detail:

“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 live on Twitch and YouTube.“

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!

Review: Ponpu

Daniel Waite
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Review: Ponpu
https://youtu.be/RWBWjk3f7ZI

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.

Review: Drift21

Nick Bartoli
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Review: Drift21

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.

Persona 5 Strikers Out Now!

Sean McCarthy
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Persona 5 Strikers Out Now!

Strike back with the Phantom Thieves! Persona® 5 Strikers is available now for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Steam.

As the Phantom Thieves investigate a series of strange cases occurring across Japan, they discover another realm where innocent people are being jailed and forced to forfeit their hearts’ desires by the whims of its ruler. In typical Phantom Thieves style, they’re going to use everything they’ve got to liberate the imprisoned, return their hearts, and strike back against the corruption in their most explosive fight yet!

Persona 5 Strikerstakes players on an epic road trip with the Phantom Thieves, where they strike back against the corruption overwhelming cities across Japan. A summer vacation with close friends takes a sudden turn as a distorted reality emerges; reveal the truth and redeem the hearts of those imprisoned at the centre of the crisis!   

New story and sights – Persona 5 Strikers features a deep story campaign and thrilling combat that makes for a true Persona experience. Visit 6 different cities across Japan, cook tantalizing regional recipes, and lend a helping hand to those in need; then fight against the Shadows to uncover the source of the corruption within the Metaverse dungeons. Jump into the story whether you are a newcomer to the series or a longtime fan! 

Fight with Style – Attack enemies in the hybrid battle system that fuses explosive action-combat with pause-and-plan sequences to decide your next strategic move. Gain an advantage over your enemies by ambushing them, striking their elemental weaknesses to knock them down, and deal the finishing blow with an All-Out Attack! 

Harness the Phantom Thieves’ full strength – All Phantom Thieves are fully playable, so utilize each character’s specific skills and summon their Personas for smooth, elegant combat! Strengthen their skills and abilities and fight with your own style. Each character has their own unique suite of wide-ranging, flashy spells and magic to clear out big hordes. Have you ever wanted to fight as a giant cat bus? Well, look no further. Persona 5 Strikers is purrfect for you. 

More information about the game can be found on the official site: www.atlus.com/p5s

PlayStation’s ‘Play at Home’ Returning for 2021

Sean McCarthy
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PlayStation’s ‘Play at Home’ Returning for 2021

There is just no denying how much the last 12 months have sucked on a global level for just about everyone and Sony are about to continue something they began in 2020 when all this mess started with their ‘Play at Home’ promotion. Last year, PlayStation gave for free both Journey and the Uncharted: Nathan Drake Collection to everyone with a PSN account to give them something to play at home and today, they have announced it is coming back.

The official PlayStation Blog has the following statement:

“Hello again! The past 12 months haven’t been easy. And I think we’re all hopeful that we may be starting to see some flickers of light at the end of this long COVID-19 tunnel thanks to the tireless work of the medical community and people around the world.

In these historic times, the team at PlayStation wanted to thank the community by giving something back. These days, we could all use something to look forward to and another reason to stay safely socially distanced, so we are happy to be able to offer a free selection of great games and some entertainment offers.

Last April, we launched the Play At Home initiative, offering up two incredible PlayStation games for free: Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection and Journey. I like to think they helped make the year just a little bit easier.

This year, we wanted to go further. So we’ve designed a series of free games and entertainment offers for our PlayStation community to make the next few months a little more fun and enjoyable.

This year’s Play at Home initiative is kicking off in March and extending through June. 

Starting March 1, 2021

  • PlayStation and Insomniac Games will make Ratchet & Clank PS4 available for free download for a limited time through PlayStation Store from March 1 at 8pm PST / March 2 at 4am GMT / 5am CET to March 31, 2021 at 8pm PDT* / April 1 at 4am BST / 5am CEST.
  • Once you redeem the game, it will be yours to keep. This 2016 PS4 action-adventure hit from Insomniac Games revisits the origin stories of these beloved PlayStation heroes and features a great mix of outrageous combat and comedy.

Starting March 25, 2021

  • Our friends at Funimation (a joint venture of Sony Pictures Entertainment and Aniplex of Japan) are kicking in a very special offer: extended access for new subscribers to Funimation or Wakanim in the countries they are available . Funimation is an anime-focused subscription service and Wakanim is  Funimation’s European division. While there will be additional details to follow, this offer is only available to our community who sign up for and download the Funimation (in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand) or Wakanim apps (in most of Western and Northern Europe) starting on March 25 for a limited time. 

What we outlined today is just the beginning of what’s in store for Play At Home. In the coming weeks, we’ll share more details on free games and entertainment offers dropping for our PlayStation community. 

I think we’ve got a great mix of games and entertainment offers lined up, and I hope this news made your day just a little bit brighter. We consider ourselves privileged to bring you this entertainment, and we are very grateful to be a part of your lives.

Thanks for playing.“

This is a fantastic gesture once again from Sony PlayStation and their partners with even more to come for this scheme. It does feel a very long time since this all began and even now as we approach March 2021 and the light at the end of the tunnel looking a little brighter, this is still a very lovely thing to do for PlayStation users.

Sony Confirm PS5 PSVR is On the Way!

Sean McCarthy
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Sony Confirm PS5 PSVR is On the Way!

Probably not a huge surprise for PlayStation fans but today Sony has finally confirmed that the next generation of PSVR for PS5 is being worked on.

Going into more detail on the official PlayStation Blog, we learn more details about what this next generation of PSVR will be with advancements made from lessons learned with PSVR for PS4:

“our next-generation VR system will be coming to PlayStation 5, enabling the ultimate entertainment experience with dramatic leaps in performance and interactivity. Players will feel an even greater sense of presence and become even more immersed in their game worlds once they put on the new headset.

We’re continuing to innovate with our new VR system so that our fans can continue to enjoy the unique experiences that are synonymous with PlayStation. We’re taking what we’ve learned since launching PS VR on PS4 to develop a next-gen VR system that enhances everything from resolution and field of view to tracking and input. It will connect to PS5 with a single cord to simplify setup and improve ease-of-use, while enabling a high-fidelity visual experience.”

Moving away from the wireless experience is quite interesting, perhaps showing a need to use more power via the PS5 console rather than the headset itself. What is no surprise is that the evolution of the next PSVR controller will borrow a lot form the excellent PS5 Duelsense controller:

“One of the innovations we’re excited about is our new VR controller, which will incorporate some of the key features found in the DualSense wireless controller, along with a focus on great ergonomics. That’s just one of the examples of future-proof technology we’re developing to match our vision for a whole new generation of VR games and experiences. 

There’s still a lot of development underway for our new VR system, so it won’t be launching in 2021. But we wanted to provide this early update to our fans, as the development community has started to work on creating new worlds for you to explore in virtual reality. “

For me, PSVR is not something that has ever grabbed my attention enough to purchase it for my own gaming experience, but there is no denying what an incredible feat it was for Sony to not only make VR more affordable for gamers in hardware but in utilising wireless tech to do so. With the pandemic still causing havoc in just providing enough PS5 consoles themselves for fans, the fact the next generation of PSVR for PS5 is still some time away makes sense as well, even though those who adopted it for PS4 and have a PS5 have to use adaptors to continue to use it for now.

Definitely one to watch in the months to come as more news is no doubt released.

Xbox ‘Games with Gold’ for March 2021 Announced

Sean McCarthy
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Xbox ‘Games with Gold’ for March 2021 Announced

Xbox have announced the March 2021 ‘Games with Gold’ offerings and…..well…yeah:

Warface: Breakout
Tight gunplay and strategic team cooperation define this tactical online first-person shooter. Make split-second decisions, use a vast arsenal of weapons, and master the high-stakes PvP experience to become the ultimate mercenary of tomorrow. Elite forces are coming to Warface: Breakout on March 1! A new cosmetic pack adds a new exclusive knife, elite weapon skins, new epic helmets, and more to the game. Join the new event from March 8 to March 22 in the team deathmatch game mode. Improve your progress in the event and get new special rewards!

Vicious Attack Llama Apocalypse
Prepare your thumbs for a frantic top-down, couch co-op, twin-stick shooter like no other. Remotely pilot an endless supply of mechs to fight through the vast llama horde apocalypse. Featuring 1 to 4 player co-op, a massive, changing city to explore, and Xbox Play Anywhere functionality including on your PC, take down the Llamanati and pray that Llamazon blesses you!

Metal Slug 3
Marco and Tarma of the Peregrine Falcon Strike Force are back to take down General Morden’s rebel forces. Run, gun, slice, and camel your way through an onslaught of adversaries, from soldiers to giant enemy crabs. Pilot a wide array of Metal Slug vehicles, shoot a variety of weapons, and cause mass destruction in this legendary run-and-gun shooter.

Port Royale 3
It’s the turbulent 17th Century, and you are a young sea captain whose only goal is to be the most powerful man in the New World. To achieve your goal, either choose to be a trader – developing trade routes to earn fortune, glory, and power; or become an adventurer – plundering, invading, and leading your ships in beautiful 3D naval battles. Set sail on 16 different ships, from versatile frigates to powerful galleons, and build your empire in the Caribbean.

An active subscription to either Xbox LIVE Gold or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate will net you these games in March. For me though this really is another example of the focus being on the great games on offer in Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with ‘Games with Gold’ just being a side thought now, for me this line up is the weakest for quite some time, free is free but definitely the focus is to attract Xbox fans to the vastly superior Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Source – Xbox Wire

Review: Curse of the Dead Gods

Daniel Waite
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Review: Curse of the Dead Gods

Isometric dungeon-crawling RPG games first came onto my radar when I played Diablo. The constant battling, hunting for treasure and dark, desolate worlds got under my skin. It was a joy to place my hero’s life at risk to get a bit more gold, or a slightly better weapon. I always get excited when a new game that is influenced by Diablo gameplay is unleashed onto the market. When I was offered Curse of the Dead Gods (CotDG), I couldn’t wait to get started.

Developed by Passtech Games and published by Focus Home Interactive, this ungodly dungeon-crawling rogue-like game is influenced by many genres, and is unnervingly addictive. It relies on a simple concept, search through a labyrinth of connected rooms to face a monstrous beast. Your path is random, and each attempt is different. Luck will either be with you, or against you, and the only thing you can trust is your own ability.

A simple concept with in-depth mechanics.

Don’t let the simplicity of the idea fool you. Complex mechanics weigh this title down. Curses, corruption, weapons, stats, collectables and more. Death is easy to come by in this tough, unforgiving world. With rogue-lite elements wiping your progress back to zero, you better “get good” or have the patience of a saint while playing.

The game gravitates around mankind’s greed, and its desire to give up everything for; power, treasure and eternal life. Blinded by this madness, you are led to the cursed temple. It offers untold riches and power beyond your wildest dreams, but at what cost? Traps, explosions, monsters and demonic curses await you!

Once you enter the temple, the only escape is death. A perpetual cycle of death and glory lies in front of you. This is your curse for life and there is no walking away from it.

Offer up blood or gold to the gods!

Light and Darkness.

The basic concept of light and darkness has never been so important! Moving away from the safety of the flame enhances the monster’s strengths. Traps are invisible, and the gameplay ramps up considerably. These minor adjustments are seen in nearly every element. Curses increase certain stats at the cost of others, and blessings increase your corruption levels, cursing you at the same time. Offering items to the gods costs you the object, but temporarily increases your stats. It’s a tactical nightmare, and a constant battle.

Yet, this complexity makes it tick. Choose which weapon suits the fight, juggle between; flame, poison and lightning. Acknowledge the rarity, level and ability of each tool, and consider your attributes; Constitution, Dexterity, or Perception. Attack or defend? Parry and maintain stamina, or hack ‘n slash your way to victory. It’s layer upon layer of minor considerations, but it adds up to make an intriguing and complex dungeon-crawler with many gameplay styles.

The path to victory is random and tough.

A procedurally generated maze of rooms is placed before you. You may only pick one at a time, and you must follow the flow of the arrows. Each area has a prize to be awarded; gold, healing, weapons, attributes and so on. You chose which best suits that adventure and hope the gamble pays off. As you pass through doors, your corruption levels increase. Upon hitting 100, you receive one curse. Five can be given per journey and the final one impacts your survival chances vastly. It is unavoidable and will affect how you attempt each run through.

Does anyone have a fire extinguisher?

You may think, “It’s light on RPG elements!” Upgradable statistics and weapons improvements are part and parcel of this game and are intertwined with the treasure you collect. Crystal skulls and Jade rings allow you to unlock blessing, improve stats, and allow for other improvements. This part is a slow and tough slog, and it takes an awful lot of skill and hard work to make any real progress.

Old-school look.

The table top isometric perspective screams Diablo. A wonderful nod to an amazing franchise, and a great choice that works perfectly. Well designed levels with hidden traps take you by surprise. Using dark and light tones creates a menacing atmosphere that’s both daunting and worrying. The demonic monsters you face will fill you with dread, and their detail models and movement animation is a joy to look at. Visually, this is both spectacular to watch and play.

Passtech Games have continued this brilliance with their use of audio. A “classic” medieval soundtrack plays out alongside the action. It has a familiar tone and beat to it, and it works well. It supports the visual package with definitive changes in pace and tone, emphasising the doomed atmosphere that your character faces.

So many demonic monsters!

In-depth and hard to get to grips with.

Because of the complexity of the many layers, it was understandable that it’s challenging to begin with. Weapon choice, timing, and the combination of blessings and curses impacts the gameplay. A very handy tutorial eases some hardship, but practise and patience are your greatest ally to overcome the early learning curve.

The words; rogue-like and dungeon-crawler are synonymous with replay value. So it’ll come as no surprise that CotDG oozes it. Hours and hours will be lost as you try, yet fail to work your way through each theme of the temple. Take into consideration the multitudes of game approaches, and the challenging achievement list, and you have a title that is amazing value for money.

Being cursed has never been so good.

The message that the downfall of mankind is its own greed wasn’t lost on me. However, I was so engrossed by the gameplay that I allowed this curse to infect me. It’s a glorious game that successfully blends a multitude of genres, and a game I strongly recommend. Buy your copy here, you won’t regret it! Choose your approach, select your weapons, and hope that the gods and luck are on your side.

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