Review: Yoshi’s Crafted World

Michael Yazbeck
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Review: Yoshi’s Crafted World

Yoshi is no stranger to having games of his own. Best known for his role as Mario’s dependable sidekick, Yoshi has become popular enough to star in games with his name. While Yoshi’s Island was the game that made him a breakout star, the games that came after it (for the most part) did not quite replicate the magic of the original. Still, Yoshi’s Woolly World brought the dinosaur back with a fresh coat of paint (and by paint, I mean wool). Which brings us to its successor: Yoshi’s Crafted World. 

Upon playing through Yoshi’s Crafted World, it’s easy to tell that this game is to Yoshi’s Story as Yoshi’s Woolly World is to Yoshi’s Island. Study its gameplay and you will find that inspiration from the N64 title. 

The story this time is that the Yoshi Clan are guarding an artifact called the Sundream Stone, which contains gems. After Baby Bowser and Kamek try to steal the stone, the gems become scattered across the crafted landscape. The Yoshi Clan decide to go search for the gems before Baby Bowser and Kamek get to them first. The story is standard Nintendo fare, and it does its job of putting the players down the road that the game has laid out for them. 

Throughout the game, you will come to expect the levels are all dioramas of sorts, with each containing arts and crafts aesthetics. Some levels take advantage of this by branching the paths into 3D environments, letting you explore levels unlike anything seen before in the Yoshi series. 

If you have played any Yoshi game before, you know the drill by now: Yoshi can eat enemies to make eggs, and he throws these eggs at stronger enemies. It is the same deal that has made him famous, though this time Yoshi can throw eggs into the foreground and background. The game strongly emphasizes this by putting collectables in out of reach areas, and you will need to throw eggs in both the foreground and background to obtain. Yoshi still retains his abilities to flutter jump and ground pound as before. 

Simply beating a level is the bare minimum for a Yoshi game, but for those completionists out there, you need to collect all of the red coins and flowers, and you need to reach the end with full health. The game also throws additional challenges too, such as going through the levels in reverse to find little poochies under a time limit. Point is, every level has a checklist of things to do besides getting to the goal, so there is a lot that players can busy themselves with.

While having variety is nice, side objectives can also drag the experience down a bit. I want to point out that the game encourages careful exploration to find all of the goodies, which means looking at the levels from all angles. However, the levels themselves can feel lengthy, and when you consider having to replay levels to fully complete it, the experience becomes bogged down by tediousness. 

In other news, the music in this game is a noticeable step backwards from the music of Yoshi’s Woolly World. While the music of that game was varied and pleasant to the ears, the music of Yoshi’s Crafted World follows the tradition of nearly every song being a variation of the main theme. Music has been overall a weak element of the Yoshi series, so it’s no surprise that the music here isn’t as good as the music from Yoshi’s Woolly World or Yoshi’s Island. 

The game also supports co-op mode, so grab a buddy and work together on getting through the levels. The best part? You can select whichever color Yoshi you want to play from the menu, as you do not always have to be the green one all the time. 

Yoshi’s Crafted World is a decent platformer that is fun to go through, despite its minor hiccups. How players can approach this game depends on either desiring to reach the end of it or collecting everything to completion. The game won’t raise the bar, but it will remind you that it is a harmless artsy platformer starring everyone’s favorite rideable green dinosaur.

Review: Kingsgrave

Josh Blackburn
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Review: Kingsgrave

I don’t think Kingsgrave quite knows what a king actually does. It seems to think that a king is one part soldier, to one part mage, to one part village handyman. The kind of royal that will destroy an invading army with one hand, while erecting a logging mill with the other. Bit of a far cry from the kings that I know. These days, it’s mainly doing little understated waves to cameras. Even back in the day, it seemed they spent most of the time beheading their wives.

There’s little of that in Kingsgrave. Instead, what we’ve got is an odd little concotion of different gameplay mechanics. At its base, it’s a Zelda-eqsue game, with a dusting of metroidvania. You stroll around the landscape, looking for the one that little area that you can break into it, so you can hunt around for the item that’ll unlock the next area. Kingsgrave layers a variety of bits on top of that, the most peculiar being a crafting system. It took me a while to decide if I liked it. The answer is ‘yes’, but imagine it said in a hesitant, hand-waving way.

Kingsgrave - combat

Long Lived The King

Let’s set the scene before we delve into the strangeness. Kingsgrave opens with our titular king lounging around on his throne, overseeing his domain. It would be almost peaceful, if it weren’t for the fact that he’s literally a crumbling skeleton. Fortunately, a spirit soon appears that shocks him back to life and tells him to get off his royal behind and begin combing through the rubble of his kingdom for survivors. It’s a quest that’s going to involve a lot of bopping slimes with your scepter.

The destroyed kingdom is rather an important note, as it turns out, as a lot of your skills are gained from reconstructing the relevant buildings. So if you want a new spear, say, you need to rebuild the special spear smithy. To do that, you need to collect the wood and other materials to build it and a villager to run it. Quite the far cry from grabbing it out of a moldy chest in some forgotten dungeon. I think I like this aspect of Kingsgrave, but it’s slightly hard to say. It seems to add and yet subtract from the overall metroidvania formula.

It adds because it prevents the standard linear flow that tends to plague the genre. Rather than just moving from one mechanic to the next, you need to poke around to continue finding materials. Stumbling on a cache of scrap metal can unlock a variety of different things, ensuring the map unfolds in an open-ended way. It’s a bit more freedom than usual – even if it does descend into just buying up materials with monster guts. On the other hand, the overall lack of direction makes it easy to get hopelessly lost. Fighting through a tough battle to be rewarded with three emeralds – which I cannot find any use for yet – is confusing and not a little demoralising.

Kingsgrave - combat

Royal Rumble

Kingsgrave’s plot doesn’t give much direction to things either. It’s a light presence throughout, giving little prompts other than ‘find survivors’ and ‘collect all of the weapons’. A little bit more of a nudge – or at least giving more villagers a personality beyond a number – might have helped. It also ends extremely abruptly. After beating the final baddie, there are a couple of lines of dialogue before a smash-cut to a single page of text. It’s like if The Lord of the Rings cut at the exact moment the ring melted and covered all the other stuff with a hastily scrawled page sellotaped to the screen.

It’s largely saved by the quite excellent map and some interesting notes in the combat. The main one being that enemies have types. Not in the usual fire, water, grass kind of way, mind. In this case, it’s best described as bony, squishy and woody. Each type has a weapon that’s suited for it: scepter, spear or axe. Ever try and cut down a tree with a spear? It forced me to use all the different weapons, which I feel is good design. I couldn’t pick a style and stick with it. Weapons also play directly into the puzzles, though they’re a bit too easy as a result. Half are just hitting a block with the right weapon to change the block’s symbol. Others fall back on the standard beam of light puzzle.

The combat does have quite a few upgrades to it, though, which can be freely swapped out. I liked that. I could switch from light arrows to fight the shadow creatures, to fire ones for the trees. It does have a bit of clunkiness around it though. Blows don’t have much impact, for one, and the reach of the weapons is awkward to gauge. Kingsgrave‘s difficulty is also a proper bell curve. The axe is awful, for instance, so wooden enemies massively spike the difficulty. You also can’t hurt shadow enemies until you get a certain spell. When you have that spell, though, you’ll shortly find it does insane damage when combined with the bow, meaning even the final boss went down without a fight.

Kingsgrave - combat

Kingsgrave – Rough But Interesting

I found Kingsgrave easy to pick holes in but honestly I struggled to put it down over the weekend. It’s certainly rough around the edges – I kept triggering the same dialogue sections over and over for instance – but I think the core gameplay loop keeps it afloat. The need to collect and invest resources means poking around in the corners is always rewarded. Whenever I’d find a new mine or trader, I’d immediatly get excited about all the new opportunities that were suddenly available to me. Plus I’m a sucker for some light Bullet Hell mechanics.

At times, it feels like a big chunk of mechanics thrown into a pot, a few of which are unnecessary. It counts your days, for example, respawning enemies and healing you at the cost of one day. The day counter doesn’t seem to do anything, though. I also wish we had a bit more context to things; a bit more flavour to the world. Still, I found Kingsgrave to be quite pleasant, in a way that’s almost reminiscient of old-school flash games. It’s a hodge-podge of ideas, some of which work and some of which don’t. But it kept me entertained on a dull Sunday afternoon, and you can’t say fairer than that.

(Kingsgrave’s Steam Page)

Review: Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile

Daniel Waite
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Review: Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile allows players to scratch that itch when they are on the move. Furthermore, as long as you have an Internet connection and a decent phone, you can jump in free of charge. Now, you may need to create a fair bit of room as this takes a hefty 1.5 GB of storage space. Moreover, the installation is a little temperamental, so, some patience is required.

This cut-down FPS was developed and published by Activision. It has 2 game modes, and it allows you to challenge up to 120 online players in head-to-head combat. Additionally, in typical COD fashion, there is a battle pass to purchase and an array of events to complete. These extra elements can be ignored, but serious FPS gamers rarely do. Accordingly, though the core game is free, you’ll invest your hard-earned cash in unnecessary extras instead.

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile treads familiar grounds. 

Verdansk is a cold and chilling location. Furthermore, the varied terrain allows sneaky snipers to take potshots and squads to ambush you. However, if you have played the console/PC version, you can use your experience and knowledge to your advantage. Yet, if you are new to the game, don’t let this put you off. Death is par for the course, and every failure gets you one step closer to victory.

The streamlined gameplay and quick matches will pique the interest of casual gamers. What’s more, the tweaks to the UI and the refined visuals are perfect for your mobile phone. The aim of the game is simple. Go it alone or team up and be the last person standing. Flip your arsenal of weapons, and use the environment to your advantage. Anything goes and the sweatiest of kills are acceptable. In short, this captures the essence of its bigger brother without undermining the gameplay.

How does it perform?

My ROG Pro 6 phone dealt with Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile admirably. Yes, it got hot, and the battery drained quite quickly, but this didn’t impact my experience. The biggest snagging point was the Internet connection. Unless you have a fast and steady source, you are going to be lagging terribly. This issue somewhat undermines the mobile nature of the action. Yet, if you have 5G or a decent Wi-Fi nearby, you are laughing.

The on-screen controls are easy to master and the ability to use auto fire was ingenious. However, younger gamers and pros will probably prefer the manual option. If you wish to improve your experience further, I suggest a Turtle Beach Atom or Recon Cloud controller. These controllers create a best-of-both-worlds situation. You may enjoy the freedom of gaming on your phone with the accuracy of a gamepad.

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile looks pleasant. 

Mobile gaming has improved vastly. Consequently, I wasn’t surprised by how pleasant this was to the eye. Though the attention to detail is missing, it works well where it matters. Additionally, other than the latency issues, it was easy to track players and utilise the HUD. Moreover, the Gulag is as imposing and as grim as I remembered. Subsequently, there is a sense of drama and oppression in this fun mobile title.

The audio does well to pack depth and destruction into proceedings. However, your experience will vary depending on what audio device you use. I tested ROCCAT’s low-latency gaming earbuds and the result was fantastic. The ambient sound was captivating, and the sound effects were realistic. As such, it was easy to lose yourself in the moment.

A game for the oldies. 

My reactions aren’t what they used to be. Accordingly, I liked the auto fire and the more forgiving controls. Yes, oldies will always lose out to young bucks, but Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile gives us a decent shot at the title. Additionally, if you pair this with a mobile gaming controller, you’ll improve your experience vastly.

Thanks to the battle pass and in-game events, there is plenty to keep you busy. Moreover, the short, sharp games allow you to get your fix in no time. Therefore, if you love COD, you’ll become addicted to its portable alternative in no time. 

Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile scratches that itch. 

Mobile gaming will never rule the roost. Yet, it is a great way to pass the hours when commuting or waiting for your children or friends. Sadly, a reliance on modern tech and a decent Internet connection will put many people off. However, if you scoff at these problems, and you love the FPS genre, then this is the game for you. Subsequently, I recommend downloading it for free here!

Review: Rauniot

Saim Khurshid
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Review: Rauniot

Often games try to test your patience by holding a slower pace than others, these games usually win you over with their storyline, puzzles or some other interesting gameplay loop. The polish game Rauniot has none of that, it’s just slow. 

In simple words, it is just gówno!

Act Normal games’s trailer for Rauniot

Excuse me, what?

The story throws us headfirst into the action, and right away, I can tell you there was a lot of potential. We play as Aino in search of her husband in the nuclear fallout post-apocalyptic Poland of Rauniot.

Our character experiences many nightmares every time they either go to sleep or get knocked out. In these nightmares, Aino is seen killing her husband, and there are also some glimpses of a disfigured newborn child.

(won’t go into detail as that would be spoiler territory.)

Here’s how to mess it up

Characters stand with a weird zoom to their faces, and they portray the story through robotic conversations with each other. Not flinching, not moving, just standing still and staring as their mouths slowly and painfully reciting their lines. The dialogue itself has a lot of long uninterrupted useless information that goes on and on and on…. 

There is this one funny scene where a guy draws you a pic of a man you need to find. It is not a sketch of a man nor a drawing of a face but an almost stickman-esqe drawing of an entire person. At first I thought our character would make fun of it but instead she acknowledges the picture. It is all beyond hilarious stuff.

From okay to infuriating

It is the usual affair of a point and click game where we walk around clicking on things to get information, hear dialogue and solve puzzles(if you can call put thing in thing, puzzles).

Now this polish game is very beautiful and there are some great moments worth filming but at points it interferes with the interaction element of the game. 

For example: there was a moment I completely missed a rolled up piece of dark grey rope because it was set inside a shadow that itself is dark grey. I had crossed this place many times and only realised it was there after I consulted a walkthrough online. Even then it was hard to pinpoint. 

This happens multiple times throughout the game and it is infuriating each time.

I could talk for hours on everything that messed with me in my playthrough of Rauniot but that would just remind me of the pain I had to suffer. 

The head guard

There is one scene which I remembered from the trailer of Rauniot at a gaming awards show. The scene has you tied to a chair and you have to drag yourself to retrieve an item.

Let me run you through what I had to endure.

When my character wakes up, I take a look at the surroundings. I find two interactables, a shelf and a door. I clicked the shelf, after 6 real life seconds, Aino made her way to the shelf. She kicked and the shelf did nothing.

Next, I went outside of the door. When the game loaded, I saw stairs. I clicked the stairs and she decided to jump. After a hideous cutscene, where she hit her head and snapped her neck, the game resets back to the room.

Okay so that was wrong. Now I realised I can also kick the door. Combine that with the shelf, I managed to get a helmet down. Which landed right on my characters head.

Despite my queries that such a thing should not work, I chose to take the stair jump again. This time with a helmet. It worked!

Why do I tell you this?

Well, because it was painfully slow and in the end all I felt was stupid. 

This should give an idea of what this polish game has on offer.

The good

Honestly I can say this game has some good. Like the fact, if you walk through a room once, the next time you click on the door, it will just take you to the other side instead of having to walk over. Also you can open a map and teleport to any location that you have previously been to and characters don’t repeat the same lines every time you meet them.

These are some really nice features, such a pity they find themselves in a game like this one.

I would suggest other game devs to take inspiration from this Polish game and make use of these features before any idiot decides to patent it.

Gówno!

So yes, this sad game about sad people doing sad things for sad reasons ends up making you feel a little too sad.

I mean, the red flag was up when the game told me that an item of use cannot be carried until that use is obvious.

So if you were an individual who seemed interested in a point and click adventure… Well, Here is what a polish man would say: 

“Są o wiele lepsze opcje. Nie marnuj pieniędzy na to!”

Review: Harvest Hunt

Laurence Wall
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Review: Harvest Hunt

The sun dips below the fields and night settles on the cursed town of Luna Nova once more. The people are scared, and rightfully so, for something terrible lurks in the cornfields, something malevolent, something hungry. Don the mask as this harvest season’s Warden and creep through the swamp to collect as much Ambrosia as possible. Fight the Devourer with a slew of cunning weapons or cower in the corn and skulk through the mud. Your options are many, yet one thing is certain: The Devourer is coming for you.

One thing Harvest Hunt has in abundance is style. Right from the get-go I was sucked in by the unique graphics and gothic story-telling. Hooked before the game even began, I was desperate to dive in. The brilliant hand-drawn washed-out aesthetic alongside the charming little tarot cards was a brilliant bit of design that added a huge amount of character and personality to the experience. In addition, it’s important to note that the writing is fantastic, full of history, dread, and intrigue that sucks you into the journey of the Wardens and the town of Luna Nova. Based on real European folklore with a dash of magic and a drizzle of horror, Harvest Hunt captivates by handing out snippets of tantalizing information every night, leaving the player hungry for more. This mystery won’t untangle itself after all.

But what about the gameplay? Well, the concept is rather simple but it’s handled very effectively. The first few nights do a great job of easing the player into the experience and initial gameplay loop. You are a Warden, tasked with collecting as much Ambrosia (a mysterious, red mushroom-like plant that the townsfolk have become addicted to) as possible. Sneak around and collect it from natural Ambrosia stalks or banish the Devourer and collect Ambrosia from his demise. Or do both! You do you. Harvest Hunt gives you a lot of freedom with how you play. Whether it’s the way you collect, which weapons you pick or even the selection of tarot cards you want to use, the permutations lead to an endlessly varied experience.

While each night becomes more difficult than the previous, with the Devourer becoming stronger and smarter, you also gain access to more powerful tools to add to your arsenal. The tarot cards can increase your speed, bolster your health, or even affect the map itself. Yet while you grow in power, the Devourer mutates, gaining new abilities like poison trails or the power to corrupt your sight. Planning your route, deciding which tools to use, and how much health you wish to sacrifice to achieve your goal is crucial to your survival. If you panic and lose your way through the maze-like cornfields… well, you’ll be easy pickings.

But there certainly does seem to be a bit of a balancing issue here. Not all cards and tools are created equal after all. Some are useful, some are fairly redundant and others are completely and utterly broken. Once I figured out that I could retain my village fortifications every Harvest season, I didn’t see why I should change them.

One power in particular truly carried me through the game. Let me introduce the Hideout perk. Once this is unlocked, coffins can be found dotted around the map. Find one, and you will be healed to full health once. Sounds good right? Oh yeah, also, while you’re inside, the Devourer can’t target you… at all. But you can still hit him. And there are multiple coffins. Now if you combine this with the voodoo doll weapon which drains your health to basically zero, you can damage the Devourer from anywhere on the map without worrying about your imminent doom. Or even sit inside your nice little coffin house with a cup of tea and jab away at the all-powerful demon with a blunt pitchfork. Poor Devourer. I felt a little sorry for him scuttling around outside with what I could only imagine was a look of confusion on his face (if he had a face).

Once you figure out little guaranteed combos like this, it’s hard to go back to things like the jaw-trap (which often doesn’t work) or the hatchet… (which also often doesn’t work.) One thing I can say for sure, the Devourer’s hitbox needs a bit of a touch-up. Moreover, if you collect enough Ambrosia by night three, for example, you needn’t bother with the next two nights. Just enter and leave. There should be an incentive to gather extra Ambrosia and reward riskier gameplay. Maybe more unlocks in the main menu, or even something cosmetic for the cards or the map. Little additions like this can sometimes make a big difference.

But little niggling gripes aside, the sense of tension and fear never left me throughout the experience. Even when I knew what I was doing, I was always alert. The team has done a great job in this regard. The only thing that disappointed me was that the experience was so limited. Five wardens, 25 nights, all on the same map. Upon completion, I really wanted more. Maybe two more maps, with two new monsters, fresh horrifying designs, and more complex powers. This would make Harvest Hunt a much more complete experience, gameplay-wise, and one that I would have played through again. At this stage, I’m hesitant to do another playthrough, because 25 more nights on the same map may just feel like unnecessary repetition. Yes, of course, this would be a lot of work, but it would be so worth it just to experiment with the weapons and tarot cards in a new dangerous environment.

Harvest Hunt has a great foundation: a deep and twisted story and enthralling gameplay. It has so much going for it, and yet, it’s just not quite there. There’s obviously a lot of love in this project, and that passion is clear when you read the compendium and sift through the hand-drawn art. But I fear that novelty may just wear off too quickly with a lot of players. We need variation, new settings, and a change of pace. Maybe add these and a touch of polish, and you’d be looking at a stunning title that would attract horror fans across the world. Harvest Hunt is a truly promising game and one I would recommend to anyone looking for a bit of a thrill. But in this state, it just feels a little… lacking. Like the people living in the gloomy town of Luna Nova, Harvest Hunt needs a little more meat on its bones.

Review: Please, Touch The Artwork 2

Isabella Cerullo
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Review: Please, Touch The Artwork 2

Please, Touch The Artwork 2 is the artistic blessing we needed this year.

I’m very pleased to make this review and I hope you really get this game to exercise your brain in a less than an hour playtime.

I truly wish you experience the artistic magnificence of this game after reviewing if purchasing it or not!

Please, Touch The Artwork 2 is a brilliant masterpiece

Source?

Me! What? I’m impressed.

This is one of the best games I’ve played in a while. And I’m not only exaggerating but praising this type of games.

In my point of view, a masterpiece is compound on these factors:

  • Beautiful sound/music/visual design.
  • Straight forward story and gameplay.
  • Intuitive.
  • Nurturing.
  • Artistic.
  • Story-rich.
  • A game that causes ”addiction”.

Not that much, huh?

Well, remember I said factors to make the game a masterpiece.

And is obvious by now. Please, Touch The Artwork 2 is an accomplished project and tics all the boxes for me.

Oh! And if you are as obsessed with art and museums as me.

You will probably think this game is perfect and if you don’t know the first game yet.

Then, you will buy that one as well.

Vive La Social - Painting from, Please, Touch The Artwork 2 Steam.
Please, Touch The Artwork 2 – Steam

2. Supports Upskill Yourself – Is Good For Your Brain

I mean, we know games support our development at some point because requires certain kinds of skills and attention.

But Please, Touch The Artwork 2 reaallyy supports your skillset in a level I would absolutely recommend taking advantage of while playing a fun game!

How Does That Happen In The Game?

While you are embarked in massively relaxing, interesting and visually fantastic missions through paintings.

Having Attention To Detail And Testing Your Abilities Are A Requirement:

Puzzle games are highly beneficial for our brains and there is a mission where you have to find the differences between two visually even paintings.

Aside from being a game with a focus on object finding tasks!

Is very similar to Waldo at times. I loved it!

Please, Touch The Artwork 2 - Steam
Please, Touch The Artwork 2 – Steam

Built For Patient People Or For Who Wants To Become One:

With it’s conveniently relaxing music that helps you navigate the missions in a realistic but at your pace style.

Paying enough attention to the same frames to find an specific object that didn’t appear to be there in the first place, and repairing broken canvases in one click process.

Supports your ability to control impulses and make more thought processed decisions.

Benefiting our capabilities while having an amazing and creative time!

Canva being repaired in game. Photo property LDPLAYER.
Please, Touch The Artwork 2 – LDPLAYER

Is An Interesting Game That Leads To Overcomplicate Ourselves:

What I mean by overcomplicating ourselves through Please, Touch The Artwork 2 game.

Is the interest it’s built throughout the story that increases our attention levels and makes us guess deeper than we should to re-check the same paintings all over again overthinking where the objects should be.

As if it was even more difficult to find while the story advances.

And indeed, it gets ”harder” while you keep playing it. But is absolutely probable that the elements weren’t that impossible to find in the first place.

That is why they offer hints as a game feature to help out a bit while playing.

Find objects in Please, Touch The Artwork 2 Review
Please, Touch The Artwork 2 – Steam

But there was a little problem I found with the hints.

They were difficult to use or not that intuitive. So, I obtained the option of not using them at all.

And I’m aware some other players had the same issue with this.

You can find some of those discussions by clicking here if you want to know further about it.

3. Please, Touch The Artwork 2 Made Me Experience A Wide Range Of Emotions

This well-polished visual design was so surrealistic, mysterious, terrifying, quirky, educating, simple, impressionist, brilliant…

I could keep adding adjectives but I suppose you already get the point!

Navigates you through a story-rich experience but in such a simple way. That there’s no space for boredom or impatience.

Very straight-forward and to the point.

It’s absolutely made for players from 12 to +99 years to give it an age range.

And maybe because of the painting experience journey or I’m not so sure why. As soon as I opened the game, it reminded me of a kid’s book I read when I was in junior high school that’s called:

”Descubriendo el mágico mundo de Renoir”.

Descubriendo El Mundo Mágico De Renoir - apagea.com
apagea.com

Apologies, it’s in Spanish but it simply was a gratifying memory of a famous painter’s journey that was absolutely educating at the same time.

And there’s where this kid’s book and Please, Touch The Artwork 2 meet in the timeline for me.

Do you ever get the feeling or desire to go through a painting and experience it all yourself?

Well, this is your chance!

Steam screenshot paintor
Please, Touch The Artwork 2 – Steam

4. Please, Touch The Artwork 2 Has A Brilliant Ending – Conclusion

Please, Touch The Artwork 2 has a really nice ending.

Just exactly as I was expecting and hoping.

Is an obsessive game that makes me want more!

There’s nothing more to be said. Just that go try it yourself.

Baron James Ensor's Skull painting.
Please, Touch The Artwork 2 – Steam

Want to read more of these reviews?

Please check the most recent reviews by clicking this link, this one, and this one out!

Review: Phantom Fury

Daniel Waite
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0
Review: Phantom Fury

Phantom Fury is a wonderful homage to everything that makes the FPS adventure genre what it is. Moreover, it adds a sci-fi twist and some modern elements to keep younger gamers interested. This hearty blend of ideas creates a unique experience that will get your juices flowing. As you run for cover or slide past projectiles, your heartbeat will race. Additionally, the sound of bombs exploding and the desire to complete every task will keep you on your toes. Accordingly, this fast-paced and often tough game will divide its audience.

This old-school FPS was developed by Slipgate Ironworks and published by 3D Realms. Moreover, it has a classic straightforward plot that leans towards the gruff and quiet protagonists of the past. As such, it does a great job of getting those nostalgia-infused juices flowing. An array of weapons and an interesting upgrade system buffs the simple gameplay. Alongside this, there are plenty of goons to mow down and boss battles that will kick your ass. Therefore, this isn’t a game for the faint of heart.

Phantom Fury tells a story of a doomed world!

Doomed worlds are a familiar playground for computer games. However, Phantom Fury takes it one step further. The protagonist, Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison, has been in an induced coma since her last fight with Jadus Heskel. Having lost her arm, she thought she had done enough to save humanity. Yet, she soon discovers that her efforts are in vain. A dangerous artefact has been stolen, and it is your responsibility to track it down. With a new robotic arm at her side, this hero will stop at nothing to kill every goon and complete every task.

The retro storyline may not appeal to you, but the pace at which it unfolds is timely and enjoyable. Additionally, the writing is to the point, fun, and dramatic. Effectively, the hero takes no shit, and she doesn’t care who knows it. Instead, she has a laser focus on the task at hand as she moves from point A to B. Unfortunately, if you pose a threat, this badass heroine will mow you down. Whether she uses a bomb, pistol, shotgun, or her deadly bionic arm is anyone’s guess. What is guaranteed, however, is the death and destruction of those who cross her path.

Brilliant gameplay.

The developers have created a suspenseful title that rolls along nicely. The drip-fed weapons, interesting minor puzzles, and evolving stage design will fascinate you. Alongside this, there are plenty of interactive objects that will distract you en route. Though many of the additional layers were there for show, I liked being distracted by the arcade machines and the snippets of information on each computer. The ability to piece together layers of lore was fascinating. Additionally, some puzzles require clues and switches to be activated before you can proceed.

The mixture of ground combat and vehicular madness was impressive. Jumping in a helicopter to annihilate each robotic foe never got old. The claustrophobic canyons host a challenging game of cat and mouse. Moreover, it wasn’t easy to dodge the never-ending rain of projectiles. This tough portion of the game was unsurprisingly rewarding. Yet, it was the parkour ground combat that got under my skin. I loved the ability to slide, jump, and sprint at my enemies. Using the bionic fist to pulverise their face into a bloody pulp was amazing. Alongside this, it filled me with giddy delight to load up my shotgun and blow the arms off of every mutant I saw.

So many weapons.

As the action rolls on, you’ll struggle to take down the ever-increasing waves of enemy soldiers. Whether it was humans, mutants, or androids, they kept on coming. Luckily, though, there are around 20 weapons at your disposal and an array of upgrades to pick from. These brutal tools can be swapped and improved as you like. This was a good move as it allows you to customise your approach. Furthermore, if you die, and you will, you can test different weapons and ammo to overcome each stubborn element.

Where Phantom Fury excels is in its boss battles. These brutal endeavours will test the best gamers to their limits. Not only do you have to consider their strengths and their weaknesses, but you have to contemplate the best way to stay alive. Each arena has the opportunity to manipulate the encounter in your favour. However, finding this chink in their armour is easier said than done. Consequently, you will get your arse handed to you repeatedly!

Phantom Fury looks wonderfully dated.

If you want a highly polished and realistic FPS, then you will need to look elsewhere. Phantom Fury’s niche is an outlandish retro world that has a pixelated edge. Additionally, it is gory, brutal, and oh-so-oppressive. This mixture of uncomfortable themes works perfectly with the daunting plot. Moreover, the tight spaces and bizarre range of environments are respectfully dated and reminiscent of some of the greatest FPS titles to exist. Consequently, this does an amazing job of delivering an original experience that has familiar undertones.

The audio is just as eccentric. The upbeat soundtrack lays the roots for a high-energy experience. Though I don’t like to describe the female protagonist as gruff, her to-the-point dialogue is abrupt, cutting, and great to listen to. On top of this, the crunching sound effects, and the scream of your foes will make you smile. There was nothing better than hearing a bomb explode or high-powered rounds from a mini-gun. Effectively, Phantom Fury chucks noise after noise at you, and you’ll simply sit back and allow it to happen.

You’ll return for more!

You can tackle this with an Xbox controller if you are not used to a mouse and keyboard. However, Phantom Fury is much better with a mouse and keyboard. I found the intuitive inputs and responsive controls to be comfortable and easy to master. My only complaint was the high mouse sensitivity. Yet, once this was adjusted to my liking, I was shooting off heads for fun.

Completing this title is not an easy task! Furthermore, though it is distinctly linear, you are free to explore every nook and cranny. This sense of openness was great as I discovered some fantastic interactive items. Moreover, I could enjoy every environment without the pressure of moving to the next stage. Alongside this, there is an array of difficulty settings to put you through your paces. As such, this has both replay value and longevity.

Phantom Fury is a fantastic blast from the past.

I love it when a developer gets things right. Yes, there are minor issues with Phantom Fury, but it is mostly a raving success. I adored the visuals and the incredible audio. What’s more, the range of enemies and the challenging gameplay will keep you on your toes. However, a few bugs were annoying, and I’m hoping that these problems are ironed out. Despite this small indiscretion, this title is great, and I recommend buying it here! Can you save humanity? Grab some weapons, master your bionic arm, and make every goon pay.

Review: Turbo Kid

Phant0m
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Review: Turbo Kid

It’s hard to name games that are creative, fun, cute, yet gory and smooth to play. I know these are all words that praise todays game, but it’s all true! Hi my name is phant0m and these are my thoughts on… Turbo Kid.

Visuals

This game looks absolutely perfect! The artstyle mixes between colorful and beautiful or dark and sad. Its combination makes the game’s story moments make more sense and enhances the experience tenfold. Also the character design is great! I personally love how much the main character sticks out compared to everyone else. Although it doesn’t really fit in the rest of the world. It definitely just looks nice for what it is, other characters spark details. Enemies look fine and let you know what they’re gonna try as soon as you see them.

Gameplay

The gameplay is the highest point of the game. It not only feels nice to play through this metroidvania it feels awesome to absolutely shred my enemies into pieces of unrecognizable gore! I personally don’t play 2d games often because I usually find them more limiting than other games but this one never made me feel that way. Being able to earn several objects which change the gameplay often makes it feel fresh but also like you have a choice. *Spoiler alert of one of the weapons* but I personally loved being able to switch to a machete and taking down enemies up close instead of at range. The choice is yours during combat. And traversal also feels great. You can reach on ledges to jump onto others or even use some objects which I don’t want to spoil. So once you do get there; just know it changes the game!

Story

This is where my experience turns to a more negative tone. I personally had more fun exploring the world or destroying enemies that I kept forgetting what the story was either about, or got bored (which was probably my fault). I just personally found it too easy to get out of the way of the plotline which is great for many players into freedom, it just really got me more lost, especially since this is a continuation to a 2015 movie also called Turbo Boy, which I didn’t watch and left me confused with how the plot of this game started. Luckily for me I never felt the story was too important and if it did my experience would’ve been ruined much more than the tiny amount it did now.

Characters

The characters didn’t really peak my interest either. although their designs looked cool, their dialogue just didn’t interest me enough to pay attention to their wants and needs. But the way you can interact with them with the 4 given emotes is fun. These emotes don’t add a level of depth to these characters but they provide at least 4 more options to every convo; even if they are short or long.

Music

The game’s music is one of the stronger highlights of Turbo Kid. Not only does its multiple tracks sound nice they absolutely crush it. The soundtrack is super fun and exciting. The main theme especially just made me want to start playing multiple hours! Fantastic job!

Performance

The performance of running this game was incredible, while playing on my pc I didn’t lose any frames, didn’t have screen tearing issues and lacked any real flaws, if any during my runtime. As far as I’m concerned this may have been one of the cleanest gaming experiences I’ve had in a long time!

Verdict

Anyways if you’re wondering I do recommend this game! It’s super fun, relaxing, at times stressful but at the end of the day super entertaining and rewarding. I give it a 9/10. The only real issue was that the game was so good that the story couldn’t keep me compelled enough to pay attention. But it barely caused any problems to my overall enjoyment! Those were my thoughts on Turbo Kid! Thx For Reading! Keep doing great things! You’re good at them. Bye 🙂

Side Notes

Played this game with a Rx 6750 XT Powercolor GPU, and an intel i5 13400f. Game had amazing controller support, saving animations are so fun and have so much personality.

Review: UGREEN Nexode RG Robot GaN Fast Charger

Andrew Edney
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Review: UGREEN Nexode RG Robot GaN Fast Charger

Here is our review of the UGREEN Nexode RG Robot GaN Fast Charger.

To enhance the charger’s warmth and appeal, Nexode RG industrial designer CanYu Yang focused on crafting an artful and fun-size design, incorporating interactive emojis, detachable boots, and skin-friendly materials. Additionally, he includes his passion for music by designing an adorable robot adorned with headphones.

What’s in the box?

A Closer Look

Final Thoughts

The UGREEN Nexode RG Robot GaN Fast Charger is small, light-weight and very cute! He can easily slip in your pocket or your bag to carry around ready to be used.

When it’s time to use him, just pull him apart and plug him into a power source, then connect up to three cables ready to be used for charging.

There are three ports on the RG, a 65W, a 30W and a 22.5W port – the first two are USB-C and the last is USB-A. To get the maximum speed from one the ports, only plug in one devices to charge at a time.

A mini-smart screen displays the charging status in real-time with various cute expressions! RG emojis tell you when devices are charging or fully charged. There are three expressions, No device connected, fast charging or trickle charging / fully charged.

You can recharge the MacBook Air M2 to 51% in 30 minutes – now that’s fast!

The UGREEN Nexode RG Robot GaN Fast Charger is available now priced around £44.99 and comes in either Purple or Black (the one reviewed here).

You can learn more from the UGREEN website.

Review: Ready, Steady, Ship

Daniel Waite
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Review: Ready, Steady, Ship

Ready, Steady, Ship is a game that will drive you bonkers! The testing action and constant ticking of the clock will get under your skin. Moreover, the bite-sized stages and progressively challenging gameplay ensure that you rarely get bored. However, this is a game that is best enjoyed cooperatively. Consequently, if you are a solo gamer, you may wish to invite a friend via Steam Remote Play.

This hectic production simulation title was developed by Martynas Cibulis and published by Untold Tales. If you love Moving Out, Tools Up, or Overcooked, then you will cherish this maddening game. Additionally, its testing mechanics will drive a wedge between you and your friends. Consequently, expect there to be arguments, laughter, and swearing. Yet, if this doesn’t put you off, you’ll adore every ball-breaking but amusing moment.

Ready, Steady, Ship allows you to put Amazon to shame!

Distribution centres and factories are not fun-filled locations. Health and safety rule the roost and a jovial atmosphere is frowned upon. Luckily, Ready, Steady, Ship throws this nonsense idea in the bin as you undertake an array of whacky tests across many tough levels. Moreover, there are vehicles to control, switches to flick, boxes to throw, and conveyor belts to repair, recycle, and organise. 

The gameplay unfolds without an overarching plot. Furthermore, there isn’t any amusing dialogue or zany characters. This was disappointing as it is one of the memorable elements of Moving Out and Overcooked. However, this slight shortcoming is quickly forgotten as the cruel action unfolds. As the stages roll on, the gameplay requires you to spin many plates at once. Subsequently, having a second pair of hands makes all the difference. Yet, if you are tackling this alone, you can cope, it is just that little bit harder. 

A simple idea. 

Just like its counterparts, Ready, Steady, Ship is unbelievably simple. Each level comprises 3 subsections. During each layer, you must move and deliver coloured boxes to their cages. This sounds easy, but there is a twist. A conveyor belt stands between you and success. Furthermore, there are obstacles to overcome and an array of switches to power. Moreover, there is a timer to beat. Accordingly, you have to think fast and move even faster. 

If this wasn’t bad enough, the heat ramps up as new and more challenging elements are introduced. Death quickly becomes a hazard and deadly liquids, drops, and moving machinery must all be considered. Alongside this, your equipment will break and platforms swing and sway for good measure. Finally, the developer has added a mountain of unique coloured packages and some fragile goods that need to be looked after. This hearty mix of danger, speed, and methodical thinking ensures that this is a moreish and challenging experience. 

Ready, Steady, Ship looks great. 

The isometric viewpoint was the perfect choice. However, you don’t get to see every aspect of the stage and this adds another uncomfortable layer. Thankfully, the camera moves and centres on each protagonist. Subsequently, it is simple to navigate each level. The varied character models and the interesting backdrops are both attractive and deadly in equal measure. What’s more, the colour palette is vibrant, and I noticed no flaws, glitches, or bugs. 

The audio has a jovial edge that juxtaposes the unfolding madness. The music is upbeat and fun. However, its light-hearted edge lulls you into a false sense of security. Alongside this, there is a nice blend of sound effects and I enjoyed the realistic machinery noises and the sci-fi robotic sounds. 

Excellent controls. 

Ready, Steady, Ship has been designed for both console and PC. Accordingly, the developer has focused their attention on gamepad inputs. This may annoy lovers of a mouse and keyboard, but I adored its pick-up-and-play nature. Additionally, though it hasn’t been verified for Steam Deck, I found that it played perfectly.

There are countless levels to unlock, plenty of stars to earn, and a timer to beat. On top of this, there are characters to unlock, and you can play this alone or with one other via Steam Remote Play. This was a great choice as it enhanced replay value, longevity, and desirability. 

Ready, Steady, Ship is a wonderful title. 

This is one tough cookie to crack. Yet, it is this challenging nature that makes it so rewarding. Additionally, the varied gameplay and drip-fed mechanics keep you on your toes. Undoubtedly, this is a better experience with a friend, but I also enjoyed it solo. Consequently, this is a wonderful title and I recommend buying it here! Running a factory is never easy. As such, plan ahead, grab a friend and get to work.

Review: Between Horizons

Jack Curran
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Review: Between Horizons

What makes a great mystery? A small cast of characters, all with secrets and personal agendas? A series of tantalising clues? A brave but vulnerable investigator? A locked room—or perhaps a hermetically sealed starship, hurtling through space, where tensions increase over time and threaten to boil over?

Between Horizons makes great use of its setting—a generation ship, flying through space to form a colony on another planet—to weave a tale about individual choice and collective responsibility. It asks whether leaders, such as the captain of a spaceship, should be given total control—including over as yet unborn children—or whether ordinary people should take matters into their own hands. Tying this all together are some very focused gameplay systems which eschew distractions to hone in exclusively on investigation and deduction. It’s a heady brew that engaged my brain and emotions in equal measure.

You play as Stella, daughter of the security chief aboard the starship Zephyr. Things on Earth are falling apart, so humanity decides to send several starships into the void to settle colonies on habitable planets. The catch is that these are generation ships, meaning that the original crew will eventually die, passing on their responsibilities to their children and grandchildren. 

Like all good sci fi, Between Horizons conjures a world ripe with moral and philosophical dilemmas, and then wastes no time exploring them. Should the first generation crew retain control, even as they grow old? Should the passengers have a say in how the mission is conducted, or only the crew? Is it a good idea that children born on the ship inherit their parents’ profession? 

Stella is part of the second generation, destined (or doomed, depending on how you look at it) to live her whole life on board the Zephyr, taking on her father’s role as security chief when he dies, never having seen Earth, and with no realistic hope of being alive when the ship reaches its ultimate destination. Without giving too much away, the story burrows into the challenges and contradictions of live aboard a generation ship, and Stella finds herself at the centre of events as they unfold, slowly at first, and then with explosive consequences.

The gameplay is tightly focused, with no loose ends. There’s no combat, no platforming, no side activities. You’ll speak to crew members, walk through the ship gathering clues, which will be memorialised in your PDA. You’ll be assigned cases to investigate, which you can theoretically ‘solve’ immediately by simply offering an answer to the central question of the case and calling it a day. That would be like starting out a game of Cluedo by guessing that it was Professor Plum, in the Billiard Room, with the Candlestick. You might luck out and hit upon the correct answer, but probably not. So instead you follow the clues and gradually narrow things down until you’re sure (or fairly sure) you know the answer. 

The main way you do this involves selecting pieces of evidence and showing them to specific characters. Much of the challenge comes from figuring out who might know something about a particular clue. These cases felt like real mysteries rather than video-gamey puzzles, because they require real deduction and logical thinking to solve. The more I played, the more I realised that the real game was taking place inside my head. Sure, the PDA helped me sift through the evidence, but it was always a leap of deduction in my own mind that helped me to crack the case. Between Horizons reminded me how often video games present players with an apparent mystery, only to effectively solve it on their behalf after a bit of gameplay or a few scripted dialogue options. That’s not the case here. You’ll have to rely on your little grey brain cells to get you through—and that feels great. 

At its heart, Between Horizons is about delivering those moments when you use your noggin to smartly piece together information and clues, feeling jolly clever when you get it right. Between bouts of head scratching deduction, the game tells a story that is tense and surprisingly deep given it’s short run time. There are occasional dialogue choices that Stella can make—including some very impactful ones, near the end of the game—but don’t be fooled into thinking this is an RPG. There are different endings, and the narrative will continue even if you offer the wrong answer to a particular case, but this is not a game where you make your own story. The overall contours of the plot remain the same no matter what you do, which was fine by me, since it allows the story to be carefully crafted and well-paced. 

I do have one or two small complaints. Due to the tightly scripted nature of the cases, it’s not possible to ask characters certain straightforward questions—or really any questions at all. You can only show them a piece of evidence and see if they react, and if it’s not the specific evidence the game thinks you should be showing them at that moment, they’ll spit out a generic line about not understanding what you’re asking, which sometimes broke my immersion. You’ll also find yourself traipsing backwards and forwards across the ship, bouncing between clues and conversations, or simply searching for your next lead. This is fine for a while but eventually gets tedious. 

The art style is 2.5D, meaning the characters and many objects are pixelated, while the ship itself has several layers that you can move between, giving an impression of depth. It’s a nice style that suits the game. The Zephyr is depicted with a consistent orange and black colour palette throughout, which looks cool, but does mean that some rooms and corridors start to blend together. The soundtrack is consistently excellent, even though only a few ambient tracks play on loop as you poke around the ship. I felt like I’d wandered into a jazz club in the middle of the movie Blade Runner, which is exactly how I want to feel in a game like this. 

By the end of my seven hour playthrough, the story reached a climax that was both surprising and satisfying. I was thrilled to see story beats that were introduced early on paying off in the final act. Like any good thriller, all the main characters have something to hide and flaws that run deep, but they are not cartoon villains. Even the characters stirring up trouble are doing so for reasons that are entirely understandable, maybe even noble. Without giving too much away, by the end of the story you’ll be questioning who is really right—the established authorities, or the troublesome upstarts—and will be invited to act on your conclusions. 

I’ve rarely been so impressed with the story and writing in a game, or felt so satisfied with the way I’d been challenged to think my way through it. The end screen informed me that I’d solved 8/10 cases correctly and apprehended some, though not all, of the conspirators. That felt about right. I’d made some logical deductions, played some hunches, and come up with a messy solution that felt close to the truth. Somehow, it wouldn’t have felt right if I’d achieved a completely ‘correct’ outcome, which shows just how much I got sucked into this game’s complex, noirish world. 

At a time when so many games are full of bloated content and tacked-on mechanics, Between Horizons is an all-killer-no-filler tale that I heartily recommend to anyone who likes science fiction, mysteries, or simply a great story well told.

Review: Inspector Schmidt – A Bavarian Tale

Garrett McHenry
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Review: Inspector Schmidt – A Bavarian Tale

“Inspector Schmidt – A Bavarian Tale” is a detective RPG developed by Active Fungus Studios. I was allowed to play this game and I found my experience to be conflicting, to say the least. I’ll begin with the positives. 

The game’s atmosphere is very peaceful and immersive. I enjoyed traversing the landscape and taking in all its sights and sounds. Some of the gameplay mechanics are visually interesting and satisfying to use. I found that the way the game has you finding clues to help you progress in your objective was particularly satisfying. Also, the gameplay loop on paper is interesting. Having your progression rely on the bonds and conversations you have with different characters adds to the immersion of the game and makes the world feel more lived in. The game does a good job of fleshing out random NPC as full-on characters with their own personalities and hobbies. However, my praises end there, as the rest of my experience with this game was pretty negative for the most part. 

First off, the game is plagued with visual glitches and inconsistencies. Typically something like this wouldn’t bother me, but they were all so prevalent and consistent that it was distracting. For example, textures would frequently flicker. Some NPC’s animations were extremely glitchy and broke immersion. I also experienced control issues. There was a heavy amount of input lag on multiple commands I attempted during my playthrough. I was always able to do what I wanted to do, but it would occasionally take two or three button presses before the game responded. 

Outside of the various technical issues I experienced, there were moments where the general design of the world hindered my enjoyment of the game. This was most notable at night time. The game requires you to use lanterns to see clearly at night. On paper, this mechanic works just fine. However, even with your lantern equipped, it is still way too dark to be able to see clearly. During these segments, I was unsure of where I needed to go to reach my destination and fulfill my objective. The game also lacks any sort of tutorial for its basic mechanics and controls. This was frustrating at times, most notably whenever my stats were upgraded or during mini-games. The game was telling me that I was improving but I didn’t have a clear understanding as to how or what exactly I was improving in. 

There are a lot of aspects of this game that I just found to be not very well conveyed to the player. For example, the UI. There were multiple occasions when looking through the game’s menus and looking at the game’s HUD where I was unsure as to what certain things were meant to represent. I also found the camera placement to feel awkward. It almost felt like a large portion of the screen was cut off from my field of view. The gameplay was unfortunately underwhelming. While I like the concept of this game’s gameplay loop, the execution of it falls short and ends up being somewhat dull and awkward. Most of the time your progression is tied to the conversations you have with various NPC’s. But the dialogue is very stilted and unnatural, which makes character interactions not as enjoyable as they should be. The subtitles also don’t match up with the spoken dialogue, which was occasionally confusing and made some objectives unclear. 

The game occasionally has you engage in stealth and combat segments. Both of which feel bland and uninteresting; especially in the case of combat. Simplistic stealth can be excused if the core mechanics of combat are engaging, however, I felt that was not the case here. You have one attack button and a dodge button, that’s about it. The impact of your hits feels very light and your attacks come out pretty slow, making for a combat system that overall just isn’t fun to engage with. Perhaps there are upgrades unlocked further down the road that make combat more engaging that I wasn’t able to get to, but as it stands, the basics of combat are pretty lackluster. 

Overall, I wanted to like this game. I could see the potential and the vision for what the developers were going for. There are plenty of great ideas in this game. However, poor execution of those ideas and confusing design elements hold this game back for me. I hope the developers can learn from this criticism to improve their craft in their future titles.

Review: Harold Halibut

Matt Cooper
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Review: Harold Halibut
It’s been 10 years since the announcement of Harold Halibut. Is it out of this world or does it come crashing back down to earth?

Space, The Final Frontier

Developed and published by Slo Bros, Harold Halibut is a handmade narrative adventure game that has finally been released. The story is a complicated and far too realistically scary concept. It’s been 250 years since the Fedora, an ark-like spaceship which fled the Earth that was on the brink of cold war and environmental disaster, in search of a habitable planet to preserve the human race. Upon landing on the supposed ideal planet for colonization, it is discovered that the air is poisonous, resulting in the ship plunging into the green waters of the alien planet. You play as the titular character Harold, a young lab assistant (and general handyman for the ship) to the ship’s head scientist Dr Jeanne Mareaux. Harold and Mareaux are tirelessly searching for a way for the ship to regain power and escape the waters of the planet, even though most of the inhabitants of the Fedora have accepted this ship as their way of life.

The story is deliberately slow paced at the beginning and one that I adored. I loved how the game takes time to get going allowing you to explore the ship and meet its cast of characters, it really made me feel like I had a chance to know all these wonderful characters before the real stakes of the story got going. The overall themes of the game begin right at the start, when you are forced to make Harold do menial tasks he often thinks aloud and to other characters his feelings and thoughts on his own existence and self worth; a masterful stroke in storytelling from the get go. The way in which Harold articulates his struggles in daily life really hit home for me and I could sympathise with Harold almost immediately, an incredible job by Slo Bros to have a such layered way of storytelling. Without giving away major spoilers for the rest of the game, Harold is taken on an incredible journey of discovery both in the literal sense of being on an alien world and a personal sense in his journey of self discovery. This slow burning build will certainly not be for everyone but much like Wes Anderson films (The games clear inspiration both graphically and narratively) it will find its core audience.

Both a positive and negative to the story are the characters themselves. Harold has the chance across the course of the roughly 12 hour story to interact with many different citizens aboard the Fedora. Whether it’s uncovering the mystery of the Secretary brothers, or completing tasks for the colourful Captain Zoya, the game has such a wide and varied range of characters, each coming with their own background and tasks. It’s up to you, the player, in narrative games like this, to take the initiative and get to know this cast, which is beautifully and deftly voiced by a superb British cast which is led by an outstanding performance by Andrew Nolan as Harold. At times, this is where the cast can be a slight negative for the player as you can be so caught up in the individual stories it can take away from the overall plot. But for me, I found the story absolutely riveting and something that has to be seen to behold. Of course a game like this relies on its visuals and boy does this deliver!

Painstaking Precision

The visuals in Harold Halibut are truly something spectacular. One of the main reasons this game has been in development for over 10 years is the process the studio took graphically. Each and every single item in the game has been hand drawn and then filmed and animated in a stop-motion process, which creates a simply astounding looking game. Characters are made in clay in real life and then 3D scanned and actors’ faces mo-capped into the game to create this stop-motion look. I mean what I say by calling Harold Halibut one of the greatest graphical feats in the video game space. EVER. The game oozes style; characters look incredible and individually unique. You really could mistake these characters from being in Wes Anderson’s ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ or ‘Isle of Dogs’ they look that good. Emotions on the faces are shown so brilliantly, allowing the player to clearly grasp the way they are feeling and thinking in each and every conversation you have. The stop-motion style looks so good on screen and has been animated to perfection. It fits the narrative adventure game that Harold Halibut is to an absolute tee. I am absolutely blown away by Slo Bros and their dedication to this process. I sincerely hope they continue to create games in this style and format. There is a moment relatively early on in the game I don’t want to spoil, in which Harold makes a discovery which is just artistically nuanced and beautiful; you simply have to see it to believe it – a remarkable achievement.

Locations in the game are varied and unique for the player to make them memorable, which is useful when given side tasks by characters. The beautiful shots of the green ocean you are submerged in is something to behold and I often stopped on my way to an objective to look out of the windows of the Fedora. I could rave about this game’s style and art all day long. The little touches in the game are also beautiful, my favourite being the notebook you can access when looking at your daily tasks. It has hand drawn images from Harold’s conversations and adventures throughout the story which is a brilliant way of reminding the player of the story’s events.

Simple, Yet Satisfying

I would liken Harold Halibut to ‘Everybody’s Gone To The Rapture’ and ‘Firewatch’ in terms of its gameplay. This game has basic and simple mechanics in the sense that the game at times can boil down to being a walking simulator. Sprinkle in some puzzles and mini games (great retro games can be found in the arcade) and you have the main gameplay loop. They are fine and serviceable mechanics for this type of game, but they’re not what makes it special. The real gameplay loop is the exploration and discovery process for Harold. Touring each unique area allows the player to get lost in the mystery of the ship and its inhabitants. Exploring each environment for small story details is what makes this game so special to me; it’s the little things that count, whether it’s using the water tube travel system to go to different areas connecting to a central hub, or watching in-game television that has a fully animated whacky show. You can really tell the developers have poured their hearts and souls into this game and made me want to continue exploring and discovering. If I was to truly nit-pick the game, the lack of an in-game map system could be troublesome for players, but it’s such a small minor detail it does not affect the overall game.

Similarly, the soundtrack for the game is incredible. At times, the game deliberately employs scenes of pure silence which really helps build tension and mystery for the player. In addition, emotional and crucial story moments have been created with such a beautiful orchestral score that reminds me of classic space movies from the 80’s and 90’s and yet is unique and fresh. Sound design is also a high point, with beautiful touches for the menial tasks in the game, like traversing the water system or clearing the filtration system. Harold’s bulky shoes clanking on a set of stairs or the sliding doors slowly opening with a bust of air are simple things to the average person, but it’s small touches like this that make me adore this game.

Verdict

Quite simply for me, Harold Halibut is an astonishing achievement in story telling and game design. It has visuals that need to be seen to be believed and a story focusing on the human mind and psyche as well as the unknown. This game has it all for an interactive drama. Wonderfully voiced by a diverse cast, deftly scored by a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack and crafted with such love and care, Harold Halibut truly is a feat in modern gaming, and one that will stay with for me for a long time. I know this type of game isn’t for everyone, but for me, this is perfection.

Review: United Penguin Kingdom

Khloe Turner
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Review: United Penguin Kingdom

Simulators and city-builders have yet to fall out of style: game developer Turquoise Revival Games have created United Penguin Kingdom to appeal to the itch for the creation and responsibility over little beings subject to your control.

This game was released March 9th, 2024 on Steam.

Kingdom come . . . eventually

Essentially, players are tasked with caring for, protecting, and developing a settlement full of newly migrated penguins. Players begin with a barren ice mass and must establish essential structures and housing in order for the penguins to work and live peacefully.

There is no particular storyline, but the game opens with: Unlike humans, penguins never fight with each other, and live in great unity and solidarity, and always say hello to each other. They cheer up with the help of entertainment venues, increase education in schools and libraries, and never forget spirituality.

This is somewhat of a strange opening, and not necessarily true to the reality penguins, but it is . . . something.

The purpose of the “prologue” is to encourage players to unlock all kinds of buildings for penguins to both have fun and to grown and learn. The schools and libraries allow penguins to become more educated, which in turn fosters more productive scientific growth. Entertainment can also attract more penguins from faraway settlements to come live at your village!

The overarching goal for players is to become king, which is why players are donned with all the hard work of delegating roles and protecting the land. Your penguin settlement slowly progresses from a tiny village towards a full kingdom . . . eventually. I say “eventually” because this mechanic is tedious and cumbersome. Unlocking blueprints can take a ridiculous amount of hours, and raising your kingdom’s “reputation” is quite confusing.

A questionable reputation

A major mechanic of United Penguin Kingdom is fostering your settlement’s reputation. Reputation seemingly goes up the more developed your village becomes; the more populated it is; and the higher amounts of happiness and health the penguins have. Largely, however, the requirements for both building and maintaining reputation is . . . murky. Objectives that could help increase this, like making decorations and buying more islands, rarely occur.

Unlocking all the blueprints takes a long time, and may require exploring unknown islands. Exploration and integrating new islands into your kingdom may also damage players’ reputation. Maintaining the status of a “kingdom” is very hard, so it makes it to where if you are trying to play for fun and relaxation, this can never be fully realized.

There are plenty more penguins in the sea

Overall, while there is a brief, semi-tutorial, it is not very direct nor clear. There are a plethora of clunky controls, and the mechanics are irritating towards the beginning of the game.

United Penguin Kingdom features attack waves of killer whales and seals, who are out to steal the penguins’ food supplies and destroy architecture. At the start of the game, it is incredibly difficult to fend them off. Players can create ice spear towers and other protective measures, but these buildings begin to crowd your village. Nearly every structure requires a type of energy producer, like turbines, which also congests the landscape. Also, the game does not let players place houses or anything right next to one another, leading to copious amounts of unnecessary gaps.

Frankly, United Penguin Kingdom might be enjoyable for several hours as you watch your penguins grow and age. Each penguin has their own delegated job to benefit the community–some build, some fend off seals, and some research and accrue science points. The penguins are cute and all, but a huge critique is that I wish there were more individuality to these little fellows. They all have their own names and varying stats, but that is about it. The enjoyment of this game dwindles as more hours pass, and it becomes tedious and boring. There is not much else thrown at players aside from annual missions and badges to complete, but never any exciting new event or shake-up.

Final thoughts

At its core, United Penguin Kingdom serves as a straightforward city-builder. It is merely what one would expect: there is no overarching story, but it is equipped with humor and some goals to keep in mind. You are free to develop your settlement and explore the lands, and are tasked with making sure the penguins are well-fed and protected.

However, this title is not remarkable compared to other strategy city-builders out there. United Penguin Kingdom is rather monotonous and gauche. To bluntly put it, there is minimal differences between this game and Turquoise Revival Games’ other title, Oxygen, although one could tell that there was a degree of effort put into United Penguin Kingdom.

If you are looking for a way to spend time messing around and looking at penguins, then maybe you will enjoy this title. Otherwise, it is safe to say to browse elsewhere.

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