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Review: Syberia 2

James Refelian

-

Jun 3, 2022

Following on from the success of Syberia, Benoît Sokal and his team at MC2-Microïds developed the sequel, Syberia 2, and released it in 2004. So, is Syberia 2 a good game? For a game that’s 18 years old at the time of writing it holds up well. It’s a solid point-and-click graphic action-adventure game that continues the story started in the original game.

GAMEPLAY

Like the first game, in Syberia 2, you can’t get stuck or die so there’s no need to worry about repeatedly saving. While this may make it feel like the stakes aren’t high, it places the focus on the actual game itself. More importantly, it means you don’t have to repeat the same sections and the flow of the plot isn’t spoiled as a result. As a point-and-click, gameplay is as you would expect. Clicking around the map will make Kate Walker head in that direction, double click to run. She can interact with the people and the world around her and investigating different objects will unlock new areas, new clues and solve objectives.

The game is relatively slow in its pacing and while in places that can be off-putting, for the most part it’s so that the player can fully enjoy the story and the world that has been crafted.

In terms of user interface players of the first game will feel at home. You have your inventory, your journal and the UI when you inspect and interact with items in the world. It’s all pretty basic but it works well unlike the first game, the mobile phone doesn’t really take that much of a role in this iteration.

Plot

New York lawyer Kate Walker has found Hans Voralberg and, forgetting her life back home, has joined him on his quest to find the mythical land of Syberia. Syberia of course being the last home of prehistoric mammoths. What transpires is an adventure throughout the snowy wastelands of the east as they set out to make this quest come true. Along the way, Hans gets sick and the train that he and Kate Walker travel on is stolen. Kate then needs to go save him and ensure that Hans makes his childhood dream come true.

Puzzles

The puzzles in Syberia 2 are the second biggest draw after the plot. The Syberia franchise is story-driven, but the main gameplay element are puzzles. Syberia 2 is no exception. Most of the puzzles are very logical – for example in one part you must craft a candle, and this follows a logical order. Sadly, some areas aren’t quite so well defined. For example, early on you need the help of a young girl to get a gate key… but she won’t appear with the balloon she needs until you’ve gone through all the dialogue options with every character in that section. This backtracking can be quite exhausting in an already slower paced game.

Issues

Much like Syberia, the modern version of Syberia 2 has a few compatibility issues with modern PCs. This is unfortunate as you would hope that this would have been solved. This isn’t the end of the world as its playable if you resize your desktop resolution first.

Syberia 2 isn’t a game to play if you haven’t already experienced the first instalment. It’s the middle section of a novel effectively, if you don’t read the first act, it won’t make a lot of sense. This is despite the handy recap video the game offers.

Conclusion

Overall, Syberia 2 is a wholly enjoyable experience, even if it is a little slow in places. The puzzles are a good mix of logical challenges and completely complicated challenges. The balance is perfect as they never get so difficult you want to quit playing. One instance though required triggering all dialogue options with all the characters in that area before the next puzzle would start. This did feel like unnecessary backtracking which is a common theme in Syberia 2. It is for this reason that while a solid entry to the series, it isn’t necessarily better than the first.

The Best 5 Video Games Based on Movies

Andrew Edney

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Jun 3, 2022

0

Video games are getting turned into movies at a rapid rate, with the likes of Uncharted, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Mortal Kombat all-seeing recent big-screen releases. However, when it comes to video games based on movies, the pot shortens, and we think about the Lego franchise and Harry Potter. With this in mind, we’ve gathered together the best five video games with roots in a movie.

King Kong

Peter Jackson’s King Kong was released in 2005, with the game hitting shelves in the same year. There was a lot of care taken with this project, and Peter Jackson personally brought in the talents of Michel Ancel, one of the designers behind the popular 2003 game Beyond Good and Evil. As well as being designed with care, the game managed to secure voice actors from the film including Adrian Brody, Naomi Watts, and Jack Black. The game is a beautiful adventure through Skull Island, and King Kong himself can be controlled during the end scenes.

Ratchet & Clank

We’ve found a loophole for this entry because it’s so good. The PS4 Ratchet & Clank game is based on the movie, which is based on the PS2 game of the same name. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s dive in. All of the greatest components of the franchise were pulled together in this revision, with popular quirky weapons returning. The game mechanics are improved in this entry, but the gameplay is still just as difficult as ever; if you thought this was just a children’s game, think again.

Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Lord of the Rings was an enormous success, and the fanbase is still phenomenal, with Amazon Prime releasing a TV series in September 2022. There’s no surprise that the movie bled into the video game space, and Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor is arguably the best. It’s well worth playing on one of these 240hz gaming monitors. This open-world game takes you on a gripping journey through Middle Earth, and the unique nemesis system only adds to the game’s appeal.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape Butcher Bay

Promotional video games typically aren’t better than the movies themselves, but that’s not the case with The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape Butcher Bay. This game was packed full of stealth, FPS, melee combat, and incredible storytelling. The best part about this game is that players can fully immerse themselves in the world, as there aren’t any HUD displays or goal pointers.

Spiderman 2

The true master of the movie to video game releases is Spiderman 2, which executes elements of the movie flawlessly. The web-swinging mechanic we all know and love was introduced in this game, which gave players the ability to explore New York at their leisure. Outside of the gameplay and story, this game managed to bring the movie Spiderman, Tobey Maguire, to voice the web-swinger.

Video games based on movies let us step into the world of our favorite movies, which is an element that the games above master incredibly; all you need to do is dust off your PS2 and enjoy.

Review: Athanasy

Daniel Waite

-

Jun 2, 2022

3

Films, books, and games set in a dystopian future are nothing new. Consequently, the plot, characters, and artwork can feel tired and well-trodden. Usually, this undermines the experience while impacting the originality of the story. Luckily, however, Athanasy counteracts this with a unique tale, fantastic character development, and wonderful art style.

Developed by Wirion and published by 7DOTS and Phoenix_co, this is a dark and sordid visual novel. Luckily, its short story is filled with interesting choices that alter the course of the game. You may choose to be a hero, a loner, a coward, and more. Whatever you decide, you will experience nothing but doom and gloom. Subsequently, its 1984 inspired dystopia is uncomfortable and a little creepy.

Athanasy is full of dark and grim imagery. — Dark and sinister imagery.

Athanasy has no light at the end of the tunnel.

Unlike its peers, there isn’t a positive ending. Instead, you are treated to different levels of sombre disappointment. Loneliness and failure occur no matter your choices, and oddly, this was great. This sorrowful style works brilliantly with the theme, even if it was a tad depressing at times. Now, I don’t mind a bad or horrific ending, as it keeps you on your toes. However, to have little to fight for was a step too far. I mean, if the future is this depressing, I’m not sure I want to live long enough to get there!

You control Josiah Kaviani, a bright and brilliant mathematician and statistician. He has the world at his feet and he can do whatever he wishes. Yet, he isn’t happy. His mind is considered perfect, but he is lonely and tired of his worthless existence. Sadly, though, this desire to meet someone is his downfall. As he begins his journey, he experiences gory sights and meets nightmarish monsters. His perfect, albeit shallow, existence, is about to be turned upside down and maybe he shouldn’t have pried into matters that were above his pay grade.

Athanasy has many interesting and plot altering characters. — Why would you turn down beer?

Excellent characters and a well-paced plot.

Visual novels usually drift off into the realms of over-sexualised Manga/Anime nonsense. Now, I know this market is strong, but it is an instant turnoff. On the other hand, I prefer more depth and grit to my stories. Luckily, Athanasy delivers this on so many levels, because of its many endings and its well-written dialogue. What’s more, the characters are interesting; the relationships have meaning, and the environments are common and feel familiar.

In short, the action resonates with “ordinary” people. However, I understand that the bleak nature of the plot is far from realistic, but the rest of the elements are uncomfortably close to home. Alongside this, you experience a well-paced plot that comprises many twists and turns. Therefore, your choices impact the protagonist and the surrounding world. This, in turn, funnels the story to each of the grim finales. With many endings available, I was glad that each playthrough lasted no longer than 2 hours. This short playtime ensures that you return for more to tackle each unnerving subplot.

Athanasy is grim but captivating.

I adored the writing, characters, and many twists and turns. Yet, it was the graphics and audio that captivated me! I’ve read countless visual novels and graphically, this stands out amongst its peers. Its use of earthy tones and simple animation allows you to focus on the well-structured text. Furthermore, the backdrops are varied, and this adds depth to the sombre plot. You’ll adore the portraits of the protagonists, the intriguing world, and the grim and eerie setting.

This is helped further by the atmospheric music, as the heavy soundtrack is dark, unnerving, and uncomfortable to listen to. Therefore, the slow but well-paced songs complement the writing style throughout. You’ll grimace as the hero’s world crumbles and the sinister music plays. With few positive moments, there is rarely a break in the sombre tones. However, this mattered not, as it enhanced the suspenseful nature of the story.

Evil creatures lurk everywhere. — What the hell is that thing?

Standard visual novel controls.

Expectedly, Athanasy is simple to play. With a skip function, and easy to master controls, you’ll play this with ease. Like its peers, this was great, as it allows you to focus on the plot and little else.

Thanks to the large array of endings and short playtime, this has longevity and replay value. If you love a sombre and dark story, this will keep you going for hours. What’s more, the interesting character development and many subplots ensure that it stays interesting throughout.

Athanasy is a cracking visual novel.

I love a great book and Athanasy is certainly a fantastic read. If you are a fan of sci-fi and 1984-inspired titles, this will be right up your street. Its characters are great, the writing is phenomenal and well-timed, and its artistry is second to none. Consequently, I recommend you to buy it here! Life is eerie, uncomfortable, and lonely. However, why rock the boat?

Review: Chicken Police – Paint it RED!

Natosha M

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Jun 1, 2022

0

Do you have what it takes to be a great detective in a murder mystery? If so, then you might find yourself enjoying Chicken Police. It’s a game designed like a classic, black and white movie and includes such a dramatic melody playing in the background. The main goal of the game involves searching through a town called Clawville, where the player takes on the role of two legendary detectives, Sonny Featherland and Marty MacChicken in the search for the murderer.

Every person in this town has something to hide, some require to be interrogated a little more than others. Oh, and by the way, these people in this town are partially animals with human bodies, with their own authentic personalities. Additionally, this game is played as a narrative, so speaking to each character over and over again is a must. Yet, you can still get to engage in a few different ways than just through conversation. Some of these would include searching a location, target practice with your gun, mini-puzzles to solve the problem or figure out the case, and moving objects.

Regardless, most of the game is about speaking and interacting with the other characters. Many of which you interrogate and get rated by how great of a job you do guiding the conversation. It’s not a difficult game to play, but it will get frustrating, tricky, and requires plenty of puzzle-solving detective work. Just review every note, pay attention to each clue you hear, see, or find, and return to the places as they are always altering.

🐔 How was the game? 🐔

Well, to begin the game gave truly fits the vibe of being in a classic, old black and white detective movie. Particularly with the background music, the different scenes that you can visit, and the style as well as the appearance of each character through this limited color game. It was especially interesting to see these talking animal heads on human bodies, and that they move their mouths as they speak and react with some body movements. It would have felt incomplete if they just stood still while the detectives we play as are speaking to them. So I’m grateful that they’ve made the game feel a bit more realistic and relatively accurate.

The only thing I didn’t like is the swaying effect. The game moves back and forth like a rocking boat. I think they did this to make the characters appear like they are moving. However, when it’s searching for an object or trying to put in a combination, the swaying can make you a little sick and be a bit bothersome. Otherwise, the game really appears to play and look great if not including that little issue.

For the characters, there are not just a few animal types, like cats, birds, and dogs. This game includes animals of all types like an eagle, lemur, fox, horse, rabbit, seagull, and many others. They all have their own humorous and quirky qualities, as well as secrets we require to help lead us to solve the mystery. Plus, the findings of certain objects are also very helpful to solve the mystery. Sometimes I did find it hard to see what’s in front of me in the darker areas, but the best thing is that the game really allows you to know which locations are searchable and can be selected. So there is no need to play a guessing game, deciding what is an actual object and what isn’t.

Additionally, there are so many astonishing discoveries as the game presses forward. It also isn’t such a short and easy game to play. It’s packed with new puzzles and you must accurately play the game to reveal a new portion. So it will take time to complete, and I think that is what made this game somewhat more enjoyable.

I also found it interesting how you can choose the fate of the detectives. Guiding them through the game, dialing the phone, finding keys, and just unlocking the mystery. Each new event that occurred, required my guidance. Sometimes it felt very easy to get a hang of and move on smoothly, but at other times the decisions and figuring out a few puzzles can get tricky. I found myself stuck in one chapter a few times, uncertain about what I needed to do or where to go next.

Yet, For the most part, if you investigate every location, speak to every character, and return back to areas you’ve been before, you’ll find your way through this maze of this game. All the clues are kept down in a notebook, and items are found inside the bag we carry with us for easy access. Basically, it’s always available and easy to review what was discovered and how it may play a role in what you need to search for next. Eventually, all of the clues will lead to the final scene and it was a very surprising ending.

🚓 Final Thoughts 🚓

Chicken Police is a very interesting story-style game with realistic characters. It may be a longer game to play for some and others not so much, it all depends on the player. Each move in the correct location allows the game to reveal new content and changes the locations a little bit more. The dark setting reminds me of Sin City and those old classic detective movies or a few shows recreating a similar style in an episode.

Anywho, the game may appear dark, but it’s not a game that was scary to the point that you’ll be killed or deal with those many gory defeats. It practically provides a one-of-a-kind puzzling adventure with plenty of mysterious discoveries and a surprising ending. It really can be quite thrilling to play and to be honest, it was even better than I thought it would be. I couldn’t pull my attention away!

Review: Evil Dead: The Game

Daniel Waite

-

Jun 1, 2022

0

80s horror shows and films were delightfully camp and gory. Thanks to the ridiculous scripts, OTT characters, and brutal moments, they were captivating and amusing. However, modern horror has moved away from this wonderful approach. Sadly, everyone demands shocking and gruesome moments! Unfortunately, the nostalgia of the 80s is lost on a modern audience and this is disappointing. Luckily, though, Evil Dead: The Game bucks this trend while reminding modern gamers what they are missing.

Developed and published by Saber Interactive, this is a third-person horror survival game. Games like Dead by Daylight and Friday the 13^th are thrilling audiences. Consequently, how will this old-school inspired title compare to its peers? Well, in short, as a multiplayer experience, it’s deep, enjoyable, and challenging. Disappointingly, the same can’t be said for the often brutal solo endeavour.

Evil Dead: The Game captures the franchise perfectly.

If you are old enough to remember the films and TV series, then you’ll adore what’s on offer. However, for younger players, you’ll need to ditch your modern mindset and go with the flow. This dated experience pits survivors against demonic forces in a gory game of cat and mouse. There are oodles of gore, plenty of weapons, and some weird and wonderful items. What’s more, each match is relatively short and they follow the same core concept.

You and your friends take on the role of Ash and his heroic companions. This band of misfits must work together to defeat the Kandarian demon who is trying to kill them. By working together, you’ll search for pieces of a map, the Kandarian dagger, and, of course, the Necronomicon. As you gather together these ancient artefacts, you’ll fight waves of demonic beings while trying to stay calm. If you are successful, you’ll banish the evil forces while surviving to fight another day. If you fail, the demon wins and you all die. Either way, you’ll adore the smattering of blood, the ridiculous weapons, and the never-ending gruesome encounters.

Evil Dead: The Game has a fantastic array of old-school weapons. — What could be out there?

A nod to Sam Raimi.

Every element of Evil Dead: The Game is a nod to Sam Raimi. From the tiny and difficult single-player mode to the weapons, characters, and environments of the multiplayer world. This is supported further by the classic one-liners, the old-school clothing, and the fantastic audio. Though the gameplay is rough, I enjoyed it nonetheless. Something is compelling about the suspenseful action, and the harsh reality that soon sets in.

As a survivor, you must scour each stage looking for resources, weapons, and objective items. As you progress, you will fight, work together, and drive audacious vehicles. Yet, as the demon, you begin as a weak and feeble entity. As the survivors become more scared, you feed off their fear and become more powerful. This allows you to possess fearful individuals or inanimate objects. Fancy booby-trapping a chest? Then saunter along and cast some magic. If that isn’t your thing, then worry not! You can control vehicles or trees as you scare the crap out of these unsuspecting humans.

The action was wonderfully balanced, and this kept you on your toes. If you decide to banish the evil beings, you must work together as a team. If you cannot do this, the Kandarian demon will eat you alive and you will fail.

4 of you can take down the demonic forces in Evil Dead: The Game. — Team up and destroy the demonic forces.

Evil Dead: The Game is rough but camp.

Graphically, Evil Dead: The Game is a little rough around the edges. However, this plays to its TV and film roots. Consequently, the aesthetic works perfectly with the theme. Moreover, its gory nature won’t be for the squeamish. Sadly, its lack of polish causes some gameplay issues. You’ll be trapped in the scenery more often than not. Yet, this shouldn’t put you off, as it’s a minor thing. Yes, it was frustrating at times, but you’ll laugh, dust yourself down, and try again.

The audio, on the other hand, is fantastic. The aggressive soundtrack was combined with horrific sound effects, and this was wonderful. What’s more, the atmosphere is creepie and eerie throughout. Subsequently, you are never at ease and each round has you permanently on edge. I adored the music, but I loved the witty and accurate Sam Raimi dialogue more. The script is reminiscent of the films and this makes Evil Dead: The Game authentic to its roots.

Some of the demons are hideous. — Smile for the camera!

Excellent controls and UI.

When there are many jump scares and multiple enemies to face, the controls can be clumsy and cumbersome. Luckily, Evil Dead: The Game has a well-considered approach. Not only are the controls easy to understand and responsive, but they are supported by an excellent UI. In the heat of battle, it is easy to switch between ranged and melee weapons. What’s more, you can use your inventory with ease, upgrade your character on the fly, and rescue your teammates. I loved the simplicity of the control system and it made the multiplayer option even more user-friendly.

Thanks to an array of survivors or demons to choose from, and an expansive and deep character progression system, this has masses of replay value. Furthermore, if you have a great group of friends, there are some key tactical elements and proper scary moments. On top of this, the tough but short single-player mode will keep you playing for hours. However, it’ll take a lot of patience as the action lacks balance and will frustrate many players.

Evil Dead: The Game excels as a multiplayer experience.

As a solo gamer, I found the story mode to represent the franchise perfectly. But, I was annoyed that it was too difficult as there was a lack of checkpoints. Consequently, when you die, and you will, you lose your progress. If the developers could balance this out, then the solo mode would be much better. If you love multiplayer gaming and the horror genre, then this will be right up your street. It’s brilliantly atmospheric, camp, witty, and charming. I adored the random weapons, the gruesome demons, and the gentle learning curve. All things considered, this is an excellent horror title and I recommend you to buy it here! Will you survive each round and defeat the Kandarian demons? Probably not, but work together, collect the weapons, and die trying.

Review: Spirit Hunters: Infinite Horde

Devrim Kurt

-

May 31, 2022

0

Introduction

Spirit Hunters: Infinite Horde is a 2D action rogue-lite game developed and published by Creature Cauldron. Spirit Hunters’ developers seem to have been inspired or intrigued by the success of late 2021 release Vampire Survivors, so much so that they decided to give it their own go.

When I was sent this game for reviewing, it was a very nice coincidence that I had only very recently purchased and played Vampire Survivors, and I had enjoyed Vampire Survivors a lot! As I saw the mostly positive reviews on Steam, I felt that I would once again enjoy my time with this already tried and tested formula. However, I was left disappointed after about 2 hours and hopeless by the 5^th. In this review I will be taking a close look at why Spirit Hunters isn’t fun despite being very similar to Vampire Survivors, both by looking at it as a standalone game and comparing it to Vampire Survivors.

Gameplay

Weapons and Abilities

When you start a “run” both in Spirit Hunters your only inputs consist of moving around the map and picking new abilities or existing ability upgrades whenever you level up. The rest of the combat is basically idle and automatic. While Vampire Survivors solves this limited intractability by making the choices meaningful, in Spirit Hunters the upgrades you choose are boring and meaningless. General choices offered are, +1 Damage, +10% range, +20% speed etc. All the upgrades you take feel the same, and this stagnates player’s feeling of progress. Nothing changes when you upgrade an ability to +5 or +15. But this isn’t even the biggest mistake Spirit Hunters makes. The real reason playing around with weapons in Vampire Survivors is much more fun than Spirit Hunters is simple, SYNERGY.

What is Synergy?

In Vampire Survivors, each weapon you pick up has a chance to synergise with other weapons and items, resulting in a new upgraded version of the weapon. This is called evolution. There are so many impacts resulting from this simple decision to introduce evolutions into the gameplay. Let me list some of them; each run is different and exciting, players get to experiment with different combinations, the anticipation of levelling up your weapon to max and finding out a new evolution, different builds where each of them is viable. Spirit Hunters loses so much because none of the items and abilities in the game synergize with each other. Each run feels the same and there is no room for experimentation.

Now let’s look at the weapons/abilities themselves and how they feel to play. Firstly, in my opinion almost none of the weapons and abilities feel good or useful maybe with one or two exceptions. I would like to explain this point of view with an example. There are a few abilities in the game where you need to aim them by looking at a direction. However, while enemies come from all directions player character sprite can only turn at left or right, making it very hard to aim upwards or downwards, let alone the diagonal sides.

There are other reasons why the gameplay feels stale and restrictive however I will be mentioning those on the Progression part of this review.

Progression

At the end of the run you get to bring over the upgrade materials you collected within the run to the Oracle. Here you can unlock new abilities, characters, maps, and permanently upgrade your character and weapons. There are a lot of things wrong with the progression system in this game, let us look at them one at a time.

The biggest problem comes from the grind. The prices for these unlocks are too expensive once you pass the early game. After a while It takes multiple runs to unlock a single stat upgrade for a single weapon. This expensiveness problem becomes even more unbearable when unlocking new abilities.

Another big issue with the progression system stems for not being able to plan or reset. You can’t see the upgrades and unlocks before unlocking the node before it. So, you basically never know what you’re building towards until you unlock it. There’s also the problem of not being able to try out new abilities/weapons before unlocking them. So, if you were to unlock a new ability and not like it, too bad you’re stuck with that ability in your pool forever since you can’t reset your skill tree.,

Spirit Hunters has the extra addition of “Pets” which can be found on the map after unlocking them from the progression menu. In a game where variety is hard to come by, pets are a nice addition. While most of them end up being boring stat upgrades again some of them are unique and different.

Unlocking new weapons should’ve been passive as you play the game. Without this there is no feel of progression after completing runs other than making your upgrade material amount go up.

Enemies and Bosses

There really isn’t too much to be said about enemies or bosses. There is some enemy variety to be found but, after a you’ve killed a few different types of enemies you realize that most of them work the same. Unfortunately, this applies for the bosses as well, even the end of level bosses work almost exactly same. I’ll refrain from adding more to this to prevent spoilers.

Technical Side

There are couple of problems in the technical side but none of them are game breaking. The game runs smoothly and glitches don’t happen too often. This is pretty good considering the game is on early access.

The characters and enemies have no animations, they are just sprites floating around. Honestly these problems can be fixed in the future this is an early access game after all.

The hitboxes on some of the characters and enemies are weird. Sometimes you feel like you should’ve hit that but you don’t. And other times your character doesn’t take damage when they should have. I’ve seen enemies go through walls a couple of times as well.

The sprites and the environments are colorful and pretty. Sound effects are fine, and music is nothing special.

Review: PAW Patrol Rescue Knights Ryder and Pups Rescue Gift Pack

Andrew Edney

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May 31, 2022

0

Review: PAW Patrol Rescue Knights Ryder and Pups Rescue Gift Pack

Here is our review of the new SpinMaster PAW Patrol Rescue Knights Ryder and Pups Rescue Gift Pack.

Get ready for action-packed medieval missions with the PAW Patrol Ryder and Pups Rescue Gift Pack! This amazing collector pack of PAW Patrol figures includes an exclusive Ryder action figure you won’t find anywhere else, along with Chase, Marshall, Rubble, Skye, and three colorful mini dragon friends! Dressed in their Rescue Knights armor, Ryder and the pups are ready to jump into action and help you create your own exciting dragon rescue missions, just like you’ve seen in the show.

This set is the perfect way to expand your PAW Patrol collection and makes a great gift for kids aged 3 and up. For even more medieval adventures with Ryder and the pups, play with your new PAW Patrol figurines with the Rescue Knights Castle HQ playset (sold separately). Bring home the PAW Patrol Rescue Knights Gift Pack and team up with Ryder and the pups to help save the day!

A Closer Look

Rescue Knights Ryder and Pups (and Dragons)

Final Thoughts

PAW Patrol Rescue Knights is the latest iteration of the highly successful PAW Patrol TV series. Rescue Knights takes place in Barkingburg (where the pups have already had numerous adventures).

Rescue Knights sees Ryder and the pups turned into Rescue Knights rescuing dragons (and dealing with a very naughty Sir Claw and his dragon Sparks) and dealing all sorts of other adventures.

As you would expect, Ryder and the pups have new outfits and vehicles and even a new HQ.

This new set has Ryder and the four of the pups in their new Rescue Knights outfits. It also contains 3 baby dragons – one of the episodes sees the pups helping a number of baby dragons and they each end up with a baby dragon of their own.

The figures are really well made and look exactly like their on-screen counterparts.

They are a lot of fun to play with (according to my trusty 5 year old assistant). They can also be combined with some of the other new toys (or even the older ones) to recreate your favourite PAW Patrol adventures or even make up some new ones.

If you, or your child is a fan of PAW Patrol, then the PAW Patrol Rescue Knights Ryder and Pups Rescue Gift Pack is an essential addition to your collection.

The PAW Patrol Rescue Knights Ryder and Pups Rescue Gift Pack is available now priced around £25 and is aimed at ages 3 and up.

You can learn more from the SpinMaster website here.

Disclosure: This product was provided free of charge in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Review: Juice Melody Bluetooth speaker

Reviews
Tech

Daniel Waite

-

May 31, 2022

0

If you are an outdoor person, you’ll probably own or be in the market for a Bluetooth speaker. These convenient and portable devices help to turn your outdoor space into the life and soul of the party. There is an array of devices on offer and they all have different features and pros and cons. The adage you get what you pay for in life is true. Therefore, what can I expect when I’ve paid only £10 for the Juice Melody Bluetooth speaker?

This small and lightweight device has a mediocre 3w speaker, a small battery life, and uses Bluetooth 4.2. It is tiny enough to fit in your pocket, has handy on-body controls, and is easy to set up. However, its build quality is questionable, and the speaker is tinny, crackly, and fails to deliver at high volumes. Luckily, the group of 6-year-olds who gathered for a party didn’t notice the inferior quality, but the adults cringed as it struggled to perform when playing the simplest of kids’ party tunes.

The Juice Melody Bluetooth speaker uses a simple and compact design. — A simple and refined design.

What’s in the box of the Juice Melody Bluetooth speaker?

The transparent packing is stylish, compact, and simple to look at. It presents the device nicely and is emblazoned with key information. What’s more, the packaging is 100% recyclable, and that’s fantastic.
The Juice Melody Bluetooth speaker. This small black speaker is lightweight and can be handled with its stringed loop attachment. It has a micro USB-B charging port and has easy-to-understand controls on the rear. Furthermore, it is made of a rubberised material but doesn’t feel robust or well built.
USB-B charging cable. The world’s smallest rubberised USB-B charging cable.
User manual. A straightforward guide to explain the fundamentals.

The front of the Juice Melody Bluetooth speaker

Technical aspects.

Speaker	3 Watts
Battery Life	2.5 hours
Compatible devices	Bluetooth, non-Bluetooth, Mobile, Tablets, MP3’s.
Bluetooth	4.2 enabled
Dimensions (cm)	9.2W 9.2D 4.5H

If you use a wireless speaker, you need great battery life and excellent connectivity. Sadly, the Juice Melody Bluetooth speaker fails to excel in both aspects.

First, the battery life is appalling! With a small 300 mAh battery, the Juice Melody Bluetooth speaker lasts 2 and a half hours, at most. If you are entertaining for an extended period or camping for a while, the speaker will be flat almost immediately. Consequently, this makes one of its key selling points defunct and moot.

Other than the awful battery life, the connectivity is not great either. Unlike more expensive devices that use Bluetooth 5.0 onwards, this device relies on Bluetooth 4.2. Now, it isn’t terrible, but it impacts the range and speed of the connection. When you want to focus on having fun, you don’t want to be setting up your device.

The packaging alludes to immersive sound by connecting two speakers with TWS. I didn’t try this option, but I’m not sure it will polish out each issue. I imagine the problem with the volume will be resolved, but other than that, it would be quite painful, tinny, and uncomfortable.

Use the simple rope attachment to keep the speaker safe. — Hang the speaker using the simple rope attachment.

Is the Juice Melody Bluetooth speaker worth it?

Praise where praise is due, this little device is extremely eco friendly. 90% of its components are made from recycled plastics and that is simply fantastic. Combine this with the 100% recyclable packaging and I’m a happy man. However, in all honesty, this eco-friendly approach plasters over many large cracks.

If your product fails to live up to its key selling points, then it’s all over. Disappointingly, the battery life on the Juice Melody Bluetooth speaker is so bad that it’s almost unusable. What’s more, the sound quality is awful, and the connectivity is dated. However, I liked the idea of immersive sound via TWS, but not with these awful speakers. It is with a heavy heart that I cannot recommend you buy this product. Yes, I applaud their environmental vision, but everything else is eye-wateringly bad.

Summary.

With the environment in mind, the Juice Melody Bluetooth speaker is off to a great start. Sadly, though, it goes downhill rapidly and never recovers. The battery life is woeful, sound and build quality are terrible, and the connectivity isn’t great, either. It fails to deliver on its key selling points and will leave you disappointed. I’m sure the company offers some great and more expensive products, but this one needs to be avoided.

_{(More information on Juice Melody can be found here!)}

Review (Early Access): Immortal Life

Lee Fairweather

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May 30, 2022

0

At its core, Immortal Life is a farming oblique life-sim, with RPG undertones. It mixes elements from popular titles like Animal Crossing and Stardew Valley, but presents it in a traditional Chinese setting. Currently available on Steam through Early Access, it is being developed by newcomers YiFang Studio and published by 2P Games.

Admittedly, I wasn’t initially impressed with Immortal Life. The story felt rather rushed, the gameplay was a bit clunky, and the textures left a lot to be desired. However, at some point, everything seemed to click for me. I became so engrossed with what I was playing, that I started to lose track of time. Before I knew it, I was 30 hours deep into my playthrough, and eagerly wanting to play more.

While I ultimately ended up enjoying the game, I cannot deny that I considered uninstalling it at points. If I didn’t have an obligation to review this, I may not have persisted through my gripes. Sadly, this could be an issue that ends up plaguing Immortal Life and its success.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Story

The narrative is rather chaotic at times, but I’ll do my best to condense it down. Elder Zuo of the Guiyun Sect, a place known for its academic prowess, requests your assistance in rebuilding the Misty Valley. The region has long since been abandoned, but still remains known for its magical agricultural properties.

Upon your arrival, a storm abruptly emerges causing meteors to fall from the sky. This devastates the surrounding buildings, and causes high ranking member Brother Xie to be put into a critical condition. It then falls on you to rebuild not only the Misty Valley, but the entirety of the Guiyun Sect.

The story continues to unravel in different directions, and somehow leads to the prospect of becoming immortal. To my understanding, it’s a metaphor about doing something that will be remembered for generations to come. Some of my confusion may stem from translation issues. While they’re not too frequent, they do crop up from time to time.

In of itself, the story is not that bad. The major problem here is pacing. It tries to convey all of its plot points within the first 5 minutes of the game, and gives itself no time to breathe. I had to replay through the beginning a further two times to understand what was going on. Hopefully the pacing issue is resolved by the time we get to the full release.

Gameplay

As mentioned earlier, Immortal Life borrows a lot from other contemporary titles like Animal Crossing. You begin with a desolate patch of land, and overtime, turn it into a thriving and prosperous farm. You’re also awarded a home that you can make various improvements to. These include expanding its size, and decorating it with different household objects.

You are given quests through your fellow Sect members, which act as the main NPCs in the game. They’ll task you with completing objectives like growing a specific vegetable, catching a rare fish, or collecting enough money to fund a project of theirs. You’ll develop relationships with these characters, and in doing so, will be rewarded with gifts and other special materials.

Casual Friendly

The gameplay consists of an assortment of minigames, and each have their own varying level of complexity. Things like farming and fishing are mechanically straight forward, but require working around the games seasonal cycle. If you don’t reach your goals in a timely manner, you’ll lose your window of opportunity until the following season.

You then have things like cooking and combat which are much more hands on. Cooking involves following specific steps to correctly prepare a meal. The longer you take to do this, the lower of a rating you’ll receive. Combat is fairly basic, but enjoyable none the less. Monsters have their own unique attacks, so you’ll have to find the perfect moment to retaliate against them.

The most ingenious part of the game is the spells you get to cast. These can either help you out in battle, or assist you in speeding up your vegetation process. I’d love to see more of these in the future as they are a real blast to mess around with.

Time Is Money

Time management is a crucial factor in Immortal Life. You have to juggle between things like helping out at the local inn, and gathering lumber for a sect member. It’s a continuous struggle that you’ll never really get on top of, but one that’ll keep you engaged regardless.

I ran into a few bugs and quality of life problems, but that’s to be expected in its developmental state. It’s important to highlight that the developers are updating the game on a regular basis. They are also listening to their player-bases feedback via their official discord server. This is helping the game dramatically, and major issues are being patched out fairly quickly.

Art and Audio

Immortal Life is a bit of a mixed bag when it comes to art design. The environments are presented in 2.5D, and the vibrant colour pallet perfectly capture the cartoonish aesthetic. The lighting here is also superb, with the night sections particularly appearing dynamic and warm.

The character models were fairly rudimentary for my liking. While they are reminiscent of what you may find in a Pokémon game, the lack of varying expressions and animations make them seem dull and lifeless. The ground textures are also messy, and ended up becoming a detriment to the scenery at times. Thankfully, these are all issues that can be fixed. I have no doubts that YiFang Studio intend to do this at some point during development.

The audio team have done a rather nice job in capturing the ambient feeling of the game. The musical score complements the visuals well, and some of the tracks are just downright catchy. The motifs also change dynamically depending on the time of day, which I found to be a nice touch. Some of the SFX are fairly standard, but they are serviceable in what they need to do.

Conclusion

Immortal Life shows a lot of promise. The addictive management systems are undeniably immersive, and its varying gameplay mechanics left me clambering for more. Though the graphics and narrative pacing are a cause of concern for me, these could be remedied in subsequent updates. If you are a fan of casual games, then this may be something worth picking up. However, I’d strongly recommend you wait until its official release date to get a full understanding of the games potential.

Review: Backbone

Daniel Waite

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May 30, 2022

0

Mobile gaming and streaming directly to devices are the future. Recently, Google and Microsoft played their hands, with the introduction of Stadia and XCloud for mobile devices. These new services created a demand for new accessories, and, consequently, an array of controllers, clips, and other accessories flooded the market. I have looked at many of these products and I’ve recently reviewed the Gamesir X2 Lightning device for Apple. I loved everything about it, but I always wondered how it compared to its peers. Luckily, the team behind Backbone read my mind as I now have their excellent controller to look at.

This compact, stylish, and robust controller is the perfect accompaniment for gamers on the move. Furthermore, it is compatible with devices from the iPhone 6S through to the iPhone 13 and 13 Mini. If you happen to own an iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max, a helpful clip is provided to accommodate your larger device. What’s more, an extremely useful app can be downloaded to assist with setting up your device while getting the most out of it.

At around £100, it is comparable with the Razer Kishi, but it is about £30 more expensive than the Gamesir X2 Lightning. With a similar build quality, and almost identical controller layout and features, it’s hard to justify the difference in price, at first glance. However, the excellent app makes the Backbone controller more user-friendly and defiantly more desirable for the Apple market.

The Backbone brings mobile gaming to life. — An image of modern gaming.

What’s in the box of the Backbone controller.

The packaging is well-built, stylish, and filled with information. There is an outer cover emblazoned with the Xbox logo and a picture of Game Pass for mobile devices. Inside the black box is simple, compact and sturdy. Thankfully, it is 100% recyclable and ensures the contents are protected in transit.
The Backbone controller. This small, comfortable, and well-built device screams look at me. It has all the expected buttons and a special Backbone feature for use with the app. It has a solid backplate, telescopic springs, and a lighting connectivity port. Furthermore, there is a 3.5mm audio jack port and a female connector for charging using a lighting cable.
An adapter for the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max. This small clip ensures that the device is fully compatible with the latest model of iPhone.
User manual and snap-on guide. The easy-to-understand user manual and snap-on guide allow you to get started instantaneously.

Technical aspects.

We’ve all been there when our devices have run out of juice. It is frustrating and annoying, and there is no one to blame except yourself. Luckily, the Backbone controller pulls minimal power directly from your device. Therefore, as long as your phone is charged, you can play forevermore. Yet, if you aren’t that organised, your phone can be charged via the lighting port. This is a great feature that’ll keep you playing, but it reduces your mobility considerably.

Phones come in many shapes and sizes and Backbone has accommodated this within its design. The telescopic springs are easily pulled apart and they wrap around your device securely. The seated position of your phone, combined with the total weight of the device, is comfortable for extended gaming sessions. However, there is an issue regarding phone cases that may be of concern to some users. To get the most out of the device, your phone must be naked! If you have a case that cannot be removed from your mobile, then you cannot use the Backbone controller, so be mindful before making a purchase.

The buttons and the app.

Experienced gamers will know the difference between cheap and premium controllers. Luckily, the Backbone controller falls into the elite category. With dual analogue sticks, the familiar button layout, and the right amount of travel and resistance for each button, it is instantly comfortable within your hands. Thanks to the lightning port, I experienced no latency issues, stuttering, or other connectivity issues. This is something that haunts the Gamesir X2 for Android but wasn’t present in this accessory.

One key element I’ve failed to mention is the special Backbone App button. This is essential for gamers who love to share content or those who use multiple gaming accounts, such as Apple Arcade, PS Remote, Steam Link, or Game Pass. You can also access game or party chat, stream directly to Twitch, and organise your gaming library.

The app is essentially an entertainment centre for your phone while using the Backbone controller. It was incredibly intuitive, easy to navigate, and makes this device stand out from its peers. I was blown away by its simplicity and how useful it was.

The elephant in the room.

You may have noticed, but I haven’t mentioned Backbone and Android phones in the same sentence. There is a very good reason for that, and that’s because the two are not compatible. There is a workaround if you really want this device, but for Android users, I recommend you wait for the Backbone Android device, or pick up a Gamesir X2, Razer Kishi, or the Nacon MG-X.

Advanced mobile gaming at your fingertips.

Is the Backbone controller worth it?

At £100, you get an awful lot of features for your money. On top of that, you get 3 months of Discord Nitro, 1-month access to Game Pass, and 1 month of Apple Arcade included. Then there is the exceptional and user-friendly app. This transforms an ordinary mobile controller into an entertainment centre. You can stream, edit, and screenshot your content to your heart’s desire, making it the ultimate bragging rights peripheral.

Features aside, it is simply a nice accessory to handle. The buttons are great, there is no noticeable lag, and setting it up is straightforward. However, I have one concern regarding the snap-on technique. The lightning connector could become damaged if you were heavy-handed or clumsy. The telescopic springs are strong and could trap your device at an awkward angle. In turn, this could damage the connection while rendering the controller obsolete. Be mindful, though, that the chances of this happening are minimal, so the risk is slim to none.

Taking everything into account, I loved what the team at Backbone has created. It’s a well-made, stylish, and user-friendly device that is an excellent addition to a growing market. Yes, the limitations to Apple are annoying for Android users, but there are some great alternatives. I adored this accessory and I recommend you to buy it here!

Summary.

Mobile gaming is big business, and it takes a lot to stand out from your peers. The Backbone controller does that with simplicity, a user-friendly approach, excellent features, a superb app, and wonderful build quality. The Razer Kishi and the Gamesir Lightning X2 run it close, but I think the Backbone edges it on all elements.

_{(More information on Backbone can be found here!)}

The Backbone has been awarded the Movies Games and Tech gold award.

Review: Taito Milestones

Aidan Williams

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May 29, 2022

0

Taito Milestones offers up a steep price for games that have just not aged well enough to justify it.

Milestones offers a look back on 10 classic games, released from 1981 to 1987, and while some hold up and provide fun experiences, too many fall flat to warrant its current price ($39.99/£34.99).

Let’s get the unavoidable context out of the way: how much you enjoy this game will depend on your nostalgia for this era. While the 90’s kid writing this can muster up some nostalgia for SNES era Final Fantasy titles and the Gameboy Mario games, the 80s is a bit of a stretch. If this is your era, then it is a good collection of games.

It provides a nice range of visual filters and difficulty options, and even where the games might seem vague, the easily-accessible manuals are clear and quick to explain everything. Being able to save in every title is a nice touch, but rarely too useful. Aside from the best title in the collection, Halley’s Comet (1986) or The Fairyland Story (1985), I don’t see how a single playthrough would need a save, but it’s good that it’s there.

On the music front I will not pretend any of it hits as much as the opening notes of the first stage of Super Mario Bros, but it is serviceable. It doesn’t feel out of place, nor does it get particularly grinding.

Halley’s Comet is a superb top down shooter that I will routinely find myself going back to long after this review is done. It’s the best looking title among the bunch, plays smoothly and is a lot of fun.

The best of the bunch: Halley’s Comet still packs a punch

A lot of them fall flat though, Front Line (1982) feels as old as its 40 years and just isn’t enjoyable. Alpine Ski (1982) is nothing special and Wild Western (1982) is another one you can just skip over.

Space Seeker (1981) has some nice ideas: mixing between planning your attack then either switching between a more first person space shooting or a side scrolling shooter. Yet in practice it doesn’t work, this game feels like an idea whereby the technology just wasn’t far enough along to properly execute at the time.

Qix (1981) is a simple and fun line drawing puzzle game about avoiding enemies while trying to capture 75% of the total area. It is also the game that highlights a major problem with this collection: you’ve probably already played what you will now realise were a lot of complete knock-offs of these games online for free.

Make no mistake, in a modern context none of these games feel special, even Halley’s Comet is a game that has since been done a lot but better. Although having said that some games, including Qix, are a nice insight as to how game developers could make a simple premise and make it work on the hardware of the time.

Given we’re discussing the mid 80s, there’s some graphical work to be appreciated here. Ninja Warriors (1987) looks great, even if the movement does just feel too stunted and it could have done with having the controls decluttered from the arcade original.

The Fairyland Story is another game that looks great. Playing as a magician, quite simply kill the bad guys on the screen and next time do it all again on increasingly harder stages. Simple, but effective and is comfortably the second best game in the collection.

Simple but effective: The Fairyland Story

Ultimately these games come from an era that will always be overlooked before the likes of Nintendo and Sega came along and catapulted gaming along the path where it has got to today, and that is commendable. It is a backhanded compliment to the era that these games are so out of date.

Yes you can have fun with them, yes you can appreciate how much they accomplished in their era, but the youngest one of these games is 35 years old and gaming has, at risk of sounding awfully sarcastic, moved on a bit.

In today’s market, $39.99/£34.99 can get you games that provoke thought and feeling with their storytelling, or genuine action thrillers or even games that make your jaw drop with their graphics. Unless you have nostalgia for this era, avoid this collection.

Review: GSP 301 Gaming Headset

Reviews
Tech

Daniel Waite

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May 29, 2022

0

Getting the right headset that works for your budget is a tough job. You want as much bang for your buck and weighing up each element is a minefield. I’ve experienced a vast range of headsets across my gaming “career” and I’ve sadly purchased some massive piles of tripe. Recently, however, I’ve luckily looked at both the Stealth 600 Gen 2 MAX and Stealth 700 Gen 2 MAX devices. These are considered high-end and have all the features to match. If your budget can’t stretch to these particular products, maybe you’d be keen to hear about the GSP 301 Gaming headset from Sennheiser?

This mid-range peripheral is wired, designed predominantly for the PC market, but can be used on any device with a 3.5mm audio jack. The brilliant white livery, simple design, and lightweight material make them stylish to look at and comfortable to wear. The over-ear cup design is smaller than its peers and this helps to reduce the temperature around your ears. What’s more, the generous memory foam ear pads improve passive noise attenuation.

Unlike some of its peers, the GSP 301 Gaming headset lacks pre-set modes, and some expected gaming features. Sadly, there is no bass boost or other popular options. This was disappointing at first, but once you forget about the extra settings, you experience an immersive and straightforward headset.

The GSP 301 gaming headset is a no thrills and straightforward gaming headset. — A no thrills but excellent headset.

What’s in the box of the GSP 301 Gaming headset?

The white box is understated, lightweight, and flimsy. Luckily, the inner packaging is more robust, and this ensures the contents are protected. The packaging is loaded with key information and highlights the excellent 2-year warranty. Disappointingly, however, the blend of cardboard and plastic is unnecessary and makes it harder to recycle.
The GSP 301 Gaming headset. This stylish and simple accessory has a 2m rubberised cable with 2*3.5 mm audio connectors. Its microphone is nicely housed next to the main body and a volume control wheel is located on the right earcup.
Audio connector. If you are gaming on a console or mobile device, you’ll need to use this 2 into 1 3.5mm audio connector. The gold plated accessory ensures that the sound quality is maintained no matter the device.
User-manual. A small but helpful guide to understanding the fundamentals.

Technical aspects.

Ear coupling	Around ear
Transducer principle	Dynamic, closed
Compatability	PC, Mac, OSX, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, anything with a 3.5 mm audio jack
International warranty	2 years
Headphone frequency	15-26,000 Hz
Microphone frequency response	10-15,000 Hz
Pick-up pattern	Noise-cancelling

The wired Vs wireless argument has raged on for years. No matter what I say, people will always disagree. I’ve luckily used both, and I can see the pros and cons of each. The GSP 301 Gaming headset is exclusively wired and therefore, you need not worry about power. However, this does reduce your freedom a little, even though the cable is a whopping 2 metres long. The advantage of wired sound is a lack of interference. Consequently, every ounce of noise is delivered perfectly from your PC or console to your ears. Also, in theory, you shouldn’t experience any latency and this is essential when gaming.

The over-ear cup design helps to reduce outside noises. Yet, it doesn’t always work, and this is where a closed-back headset will always win. No longer will you worry about the kids distracting you, or the dog barking for attention. No, you are free to play your games without distraction.

Alongside this, EPOS Engineered sound has been incorporated. What’s this, you may ask? Well, it delivers oomph to the bass and helps to make a more immersive experience. Now, don’t confuse this with surround sound or 3D audio, because you’ll be disappointed. Instead, think of this as creating a richer but flatter audio that’s perfect for slower-paced gaming.

An excellent headset for party chat.

Gaming is a social endeavour, so what’s worse than a broken or poor quality mic? Let me answer that, the friend who eats down the microphone, that’s much worse. Anyway, I digress. The GSP 301 Gaming headset utilises noise cancellation technology for crisp party chat. Your online buddies will no longer hear rustling, crunching, and other annoying sounds unless you want them to.

On top of this, there is an instant mute mode when you flip the microphone upwards. Though this technology isn’t new or exclusive to this device, it is useful nonetheless.

Is the GSP 301 Gaming headset worth it?

With so many feature-rich headsets on the market, the GSP 301 headset is undeniably basic. What’s more, the wired approach will put many gamers off. However, for the price of £69.99, you are getting great value for money. The closed-back option ensures that the volume is at a safe and comfortable level. What’s more, the EPOS Engineered sound enhances most gaming experiences. I loved the simplicity of the design, the accurate and responsive volume wheel, and the excellent noise cancellation for the microphone.

On top of this, the white livery, combined with black accents and no LEDs, makes it wonderfully understated. We quickly forget that RGB isn’t for everyone and some gamers like a refined look. Then, there is the lightweight and robust build quality. The headphones are comfortable for long sessions and your ears stay cool throughout.

Though there are many positives, I cannot overlook the lack of surround sound. This impacts its versatility and reduces the desirability for fans of action or the FPS genres. I was disappointed by the flat sound and the lack of a competitive edge these headphones delivered. This is a setback for an otherwise great accessory, but don’t let it put you off. All things considered, I liked them and I recommend you to buy them here!

Summary.

The GSP 301 Gaming headset from Sennheiser is a fantastic mid-range peripheral. Yes, it doesn’t have every feature you’d like, but it delivers on many elements. I liked the wired approach and the benefits this offers, but I’d understand why many would be discouraged. If you game on multiple platforms, and you are not interested in FPS or action games, then this is a headset you should consider. Its performance and build quality are not quite 5 out of 5, but they are much better than a 4 out of 5. Therefore, I award it a generous Movies Games and Tech Gold award.

_{(More information on the GSP range can be found here!)}

Review: Remote Life

Daniel Waite

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May 28, 2022

0

Shoot ‘Em up titles have a massive following. Their fans are hardcore, determined, and love arcade action. No matter the theme or difficulty, nothing will dissuade this passionate group of gamers. Consequently, when a new title hits the market, they clamber to get their hands on a copy. Remote Life is the latest game that will fascinate this demanding player base.

Developed by Next Game Level and published by Ratalaika Games, this is a 2D side-scrolling shmup. It has a sci-fi theme, an array of ghastly monsters, and many massive bosses to overcome. Its stage design is tight and claustrophobic, and the weapons are badass, hard-hitting, and excellent to experiment with. Furthermore, the gameplay is tough and your enemies are tougher still. To progress will take an awful lot of skill, and a heavy dose of patience. It kicked my ass every time I tried it. However, I couldn’t put it down no matter how much I tried.

Remote Life is familiar but original.

Whenever I play a well-trodden genre, I expect the action to lack originality. Yet, Remote Life bucks this trend. Yes, its core mechanics are familiar, but the story is exciting, dramatic, and captivating. What’s more, there is a wide variety of missions, many weapons to find, and a whole roster of overzealous aliens to defeat.

You control John Leone, a heroic pilot who must save the day. Aliens are destroying mankind and their tactics are hard to nail down. Subsequently, every mission to destroy them has failed. With one last roll of the dice, John must fly his vessel into the alien hive and eradicate the menace from the inside out.

How can such a basic ship take such a beating? — Will this ship be enough to survive the onslaught?

Plenty of stages and fast-paced action.

What instantly jumped out at me was the volume of levels. There are 16 unique missions with ambitious goals and hideous aliens. You must find ammo, new guns, and special equipment to protect yourself and vanquish your enemies. However, unlike its peers, the aliens aren’t your only risk. No, the scenery is just as deadly. Therefore, you must stay alert, dodge every projectile, and destroy rocks, nests, and anything else in your way.

The maddening action is made harder still because of the unbearable pace and the 4 difficulty settings. Projectiles, aliens, and rocks fill the screen! You must select your weapons, destroy everything in sight, and pray that you survive. There are alien worms, bombs, ships, and more as you fly to the end portal. Now, you may think that reaching the end would be enough, but it isn’t. Instead, you must face off with a hideous and gargantuan end-level boss. Each of these over-powered monsters has unique strengths and weaknesses that must be avoided or exploited.

In theory, these final encounters aren’t that challenging. But, things are made much worse as death ends your run! Furthermore, there are no checkpoints and all your progress is lost. This rogue-lite element is infuriating but makes the action oddly moreish. What’s more, it keeps you on edge throughout. You’ll study each stage, memorise the correct paths, and gradually get further. This could become tedious if you don’t love the genre. I, however, adored the challenge.

The enemies are massive, freakish, and bloody hard. — There is something fishy about this.

Remote Life looks incredible.

The solo developer wanted to create an original title, and I think he has succeeded. His artistry, level design, and atmospheric stages were incredible to experience. The use of dark tones and tight spaces creates an overbearing and ominous feeling. This is then enhanced because of the grotesque bosses and evil aliens. Further to this, the sight of dead humans and experimental areas within the hive is disturbing. I adored the heinous nature of the visuals, and this was only bettered by the audio.

The high-energy and angry soundtrack worked incredibly well with the gameplay. With so much going on, it would have been a mistake to use slower and sombre audio. With banging tunes playing in the background, you soon become immersed in the madness. This is wonderfully complemented by the loud and obnoxious sound effects. Lasers ping and bombs explode as you tackle each of your foes. It was a brilliant cacophony of noises that matches the theme throughout.

Every level in Remote Life is hectic but interesting. — Avoid the obstacles, kill the aliens, and reach the portal.

Brilliant arcade controls.

Arcade games are renowned for their brilliant and easy-to-understand controls. Fortunately, Remote Life replicates this from the off. By using both analogue sticks and a slick UI, it is easy to pick up, and wonderfully responsive. With so much going on, it could have been tough to play. Fortunately, though, this wasn’t the case, and I had it mastered immediately.

Thanks to the 16 levels and unique missions, there is plenty to keep you going. Furthermore, you will unlock bonus ships the further you progress. Each vessel has unique properties that will change your tactical approach. On top of this, the rogue-lite elements increase longevity while ensuring it isn’t too easy to complete.

Remote Life is a superb shmup.

Over the years we’ve seen some excellent and some poor shmup games. Luckily, Remote Life is addictive, difficult, and frankly, superb! Its gameplay is easy to understand, the story is deep and captivating, and the artistry is phenomenal. The solo developer has done a fantastic job of capturing the best elements of the genre within his original game. Consequently, I loved it and I recommend you to buy it here! Can you eradicate the aliens that threaten mankind? Take on each unique mission, destroy the aliens, and return a hero.

MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU Exclusive Content

Movies & TV

Andrew Edney

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May 28, 2022

0

MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU Exclusive Content

Supervillain Gru and his hilarious yellow sidekicks are back, as brand-new content from Illumination and Universal Pictures’ Minions: The Rise of Gru is releasedtoday, just in time for the Summer, when the mischievous Minions return to cinemas once again.

The exclusive new content is being shared as part of the Industry Trust’s Moments Worth Paying For campaign, which reminds audiences of the magic of watching films first on the big screen.

The sneak-peek was created featuring exclusive, never-before-seen moments from the film, jam-packed with Minion mayhem and everyone’s favourite supervillain, Gru voiced by the inimitable Steve Carell.

Watch the Minions misbehave as only they can, from Kevin hanging on to a tram for dear life and new character Otto pedalling an out-of-control bike through a lake – Minions: The Rise of Gru is another perfectly despicable adventure for all ages to enjoy on the big screen.

The exclusive content will screen in cinemas and online and can be viewed below:

Featuring more spectacular action than any film in Illumination’s history and packed with the franchise’s signature subversive humor, Minions: The Rise of Gru stars a thrilling new cast, including, as the Vicious 6, Taraji P. Henson, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Lucy Lawless, Dolph Lundgren, Danny Trejo, Michelle Yeoh and Oscar® winner Julie Andrews. The film is produced by Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri, Janet Healy and Chris Renaud and is directed by returning franchise filmmaker Kyle Balda. Minions: The Rise of Gru features the iconic voice of Pierre Coffin as the Minions and a killer ’70s soundtrack courtesy of legendary Grammy-winning music producer Jack Antonoff.

Long before he becomes the master of evil, Gru (Oscar® nominee Steve Carell) is just a 12-year-old boy in 1970s suburbia, plotting to take over the world from his basement. When the infamous supervillain supergroup, the Vicious 6, oust their leader, Gru interviews to become their newest member, but instead finds himself the mortal enemy of the apex of evil. With Gru on the run, the Minions attempt to master the art of kung fu to save him, and Gru discovers that even bad guys need a little help from their friends.

Rob Huber, Managing Director, Universal Pictures International UK + Eire Limited, said: “We are proud to partner with the Industry Trust again in 2022 on this newest evolution of their Moments Worth Paying For Campaign. Gru and the Minions are loved by audiences young and old, so this is a perfect title to connect with those who understand the value of choosing a legal route to watch their favourite characters on the big screen.”

Liz Bales, Chief Executive, The Industry Trust for IP Awareness, said: “‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ is the perfect title for our next Moments Worth Paying For collaboration, which celebrates the unique magic of the movie-going experience as the best place to watch films first. We’re delighted to partner with Universal Pictures UK + EIRE once again on the next instalment of such an iconic and successful family franchise.”

Like the others in the Moments Worth Paying For series, this content directs audiences to,FindAnyFilm.com, which gives users the many ways to book, buy and watch all their favourite films & TV shows.