What is Windows Home Server?

Review: Paint the Town Red

Daniel Waite

-

Aug 12, 2021

Movies are renowned for having some badass hard-hitting characters that enjoy a brawl; Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone, and Steven Seagal are, to name but a few. Then there are the classic games that everyone remembers as they grow up; Tetris, Sonic the Hedgehog, World of Warcraft, and so forth. What would happen if we combined the unflinching strength and tenacity of Chuck Norris with the moreish and addictive world of Minecraft? You’d produce Paint the Town Red, that’s what!

Developed and published by South East Games, this is a violent Voxel adventure arena brawler with a hint of rogue-like action. Created by a small two-man team, mainly, I wasn’t expecting a massive amount of gameplay. I was, however, wrong. Set across many locations, and with three game modes to experience, it’s a title that keeps on giving. You’ll lose hours of your life in glorious battle as you slash off limbs, slice faces, and throw weapons at anything and anyone that stands in your way!

Paint the Town Red is childish, violent, but oh so addictive.

You’ll be chuckling from the first moment as you flit between your options and dive straight in. You’ll select between; Scenarios, Beneath, and Arena modes. Each one follows the same core concept and mechanics, so it’s pretty simple to get to grips with. The exception being Beneath that has a loose story for you to follow and an array of characters to choose from.

I jumped right into the Scenarios section, as I wanted some mindless action. This was a fantastic decision as it’s the perfect opportunity to familiarise yourself with the fundamentals. Here you’ll choose from five maps; a bar, disco, prison, and a day and night version of a pirate island. You can decide between challenge mode or add modifiers to mix up the gameplay. The world is full of enemies and your only task is to be the last man standing. You’ll choose from an array of weapons, a Superhot mode, increased health and strength and more. This was a brilliant choice from the developers and made an addictive game more captivating.

More modes to keep you playing.

As the dust settled from my multiple brawls, I explored what else Paint the Town Red offered. The Arena mode pits you against other NPC fighters in a gladiatorial event. This was hellish, hectic, and gory as hell. You’ll slice off limbs, break bones, and avoid traps. With two separate challenges available and plenty of rounds to experience, you’ll be pushed to your limits as you try to survive.

The main event, however, is Beneath. This odd adventure requires you to explore colourful catacombs and fight zombies and monsters. It was confusing, tough, and it leans on rogue-like mechanics, so be prepared to be enraged. You delve into the depths of a scientific facility looking for the answers to your questions. En route you earn coins, find crystals, unlock doors, and battle unrelenting beasts. A shop is on each floor and here you can buy upgrades and new equipment. This mode is tough as hell and isn’t for the faint of heart! With cryptic clues scattered around, you’ll have to be observant as well as agile.

Plenty of content and fun to be found.

To say I was shocked by what I experienced is an understatement. Never in a million years did I expect to get such in-depth action, and Paint the Town Red surprised me throughout. The act of slicing your opponents up with any weapon you found was gruesome but fantastic. If weapons aren’t available, you simply punch them in their square head or kick them in the balls. Watching your enemy falling away injured draws a wry smile. You know it’s wrong, but you’ll beat them while they are down just to make sure they are defeated.

Some may say the depiction of violence is too much, but I think the balance is just right. It certainly wouldn’t be appropriate for a younger audience, but it’s thoroughly enjoyable for adults. Alongside the fighting, there are elements of tactical nuance, especially when tackling Beneath. You’ll pick from an array of classes; Spectre, Vanguard, Warlock, Brawler, and Corrupted. Each has strengths and weaknesses to aid you on your journey and you must decide which suits your play style.

Paint the Town Red has Voxel characters but a smoother, more polished world.

Whenever I hear the phrase “Voxel inspired” I think “here we go again!” Don’t misunderstand me, I love the style, but sadly some developers use it as an excuse to make poorly finished games. Fortunately, Paint the Town Red doesn’t fall into this category and the game has a wonderful polished finish. Though the entire game is constructed using this style, it’s mostly apparent in the characters you interact with. They each have massive heads, square bodies, and interesting looks. Think of Harry Maguire, the English footballer, and you’re halfway there. The variety of environments is just as good as South East Games treats you to many locations. I’ve played this for hours and have yet to explore everything on offer.

The audio was cleverly thought out and spans many styles. Each suits the area you are exploring and adds to the expected atmosphere. In the biker bar or the disco, the NPCs operate the music, so if you attack them, the tunes stop. This was an excellent idea, as your actions had direct consequences for the surrounding environment. You’ll experience haunting and eerie sounds as you explore the depths, and the crowd vies for blood in the arena. The sound effects are loud, blunt, and will make you wince. Smashing a pool cue over someone’s head or battering a person with a chair sounded appalling, and that was great. No matter the weapon, the associated sounds will make you wince. I wonder, is it wrong that I got so much enjoyment from this?

Hectic gameplay, but so easy to play.

With so many enemies to avoid, the action is always hectic. Fortunately, the controls are simple to master and this is helped by the well-designed UI. Clearly labelled controls present themselves at the start of each playthrough and a basic radial menu allows you to select any unlocked special powers. You’ll easily dodge and weave thanks to the smooth gameplay and your biggest concern is finding weapons and surviving each stage.

Whenever I tackle an arena brawler, I tire of the action pretty quickly. Fortunately, Paint the Town Red kept me interested throughout. Helped in part by its variety of settings and interesting modes, you’ll want to keep playing. Its moderate achievement list is challenging and completionists must invest a chunk of time to finish it. The story mode is full of surprises and one playthrough isn’t enough to experience them all.

Paint the Town Red offers an expansive experience that must be played.

Must play titles are usually restricted to triple-A-rated games but Paint the Town Red should be in this category. It’s challenging, but fun gameplay will have you wincing and smiling for joy. The addictive nature of each mode will keep you fighting, and its simplicity makes it accessible. I loved every element and recommend you to buy it here! Grab a weapon, start a fight, and watch the carnage unravel.

Here is a video review of the above article. Enjoy some in game footage shot my my Xbox Series X

Review: The Long Gate

Sean McCarthy

-

Aug 11, 2021

1

I do love puzzles, especially in video games where puzzles help you learn and explore the world of that video game which is why I was very interested and intrigued by The Long Gate on Switch, being new to having this console, I was hoping to find that puzzle experience to have on the move. What I did not expect was to find an experience that was so purely focused on challenging the player with true puzzles and I am not sure this is a title for everyone.

The Long Gate is a very curious game to review if I am being honest, it was certainly not the experience I thought I would have with it and it did genuinely and still challenges what I believed were actual good problem solving and puzzle completing skills. It was very clear right from the opening minutes that this was a game that players could not rely on hand holding or any real guidance was going to be provided. In fact, the opening ten minutes were a big sign of things to come and not all of them were positive.

I will begin with the visuals which both on handheld and when docked to my TV really did not look very good, often blurry in this first-person view perspective and it took me by surprise after playing titles such as Link’s Awakening and Monster Hunter Stories 2, and it was very odd indeed. Another thing I am not a fan of is just how dark everything is other than the puzzles, almost like it is trying to create the illusion that you are in a much bigger environment than you are which felt unnecessary and for most of the time made this a very uninviting world to be in.

The puzzles are very well designed but these are puzzles fully designed at times to be challenging requiring precise problem solving skills such as an understand of how logic gates work which I can see for a lot of people could be unrewarding and nothing but frustrating in a world that is not very appealing to be in other than the well designed puzzle sections but with the blurry visuals for me at least, it was more of a chore to progress through than being satisfied in solving a puzzle and eager to move to the next one.

The controls certainly do not help the situation with the joycons feeling very cumbersome when moving and trying to move the view camera and it only gets worse when you try to move objects in a puzzle for you move as well as the object reducing the precision some of the switches in the puzzles require so you can easily make a mistake or lose track of what you need to be doing forcing you to reset and try again. So many little things combine to make The Long Gate a collection of issues that detract away from the very brilliantly done puzzles.

The puzzles are amazing, some so challenging I even whipped out an actual notepad and pen just to do some classic working out, even putting the game down to try and come up with a solution before attempting a troublesome one again. I truly take my hat off to the design of the puzzles that it really is a shame that the “Game” wrapped around them end up being the weakest element to the experience. The lack of any musical score is a huge absence for me and it just screams to have one to accompany the puzzles and the world. Playing the amazing OMNO at the same time which truly is a world with puzzles, with elements that compliment and enhance that experience to then come to The Long Gate which is devoid of so many of those elements but for clever puzzles just made this a disappointing time.

The only people I could recommend this game for are the die-hard puzzle solvers, this is a game that lacks many of the things needed to create a world that invites players into and to keep them enthralled enough to build up the energy needed to take on the many puzzles. As much as it lacks elements it also has elements that simply detract from the experience with messy controls, poor visuals outside the actual puzzles themselves and lacking any soundtrack makes this an often too dark to see and too silent to make it an enjoyable place to spend time in especially as some puzzles can be 20–30-minute solutions.

It was nice to see puzzles using actual physics and true logic gate solutions that you can really appreciate the effort and the design that went into the puzzles but as I said above, the weakness in all the other elements around the puzzles themselves makes this a very hard title to recommend.

Review: Spelunker HD Deluxe

Alex Chessun

-

Aug 11, 2021

0

Glancing at the title of my next review and thinking that it’s one that critics have called ‘one of the best ever’ is enough to put a spring in anyone’s step, but it turns out that the missing ‘y’ in Spelunky is often what you scream when playing Spelunker HD Deluxe on PS4, a re-release of a PS3 game that remastered the original 1983 Atari title.

Good reader, I’d like to pose you a question – Is it possible to enjoy a game that’s aggressively awful? If your answer is ‘Yes’, please read on. If it happens to be ‘No’, you have my permission to exit this window. Turn around and don’t look back. I’ll hold no grudges.

Spelunker‘s formula is simple enough – scurrying through caves, avoiding pitfalls and falling objects to head deeper and deeper into caves, there are potential game-like systems that could be employed here and – who knows – maybe even some enjoyment to be had. The overwhelmingly large but, however, comes in the form of a complete lack of quality in all areas.

If you edge off the ladder the Spelunker will die mid-air without falling any distance at all. This is also true of any edges. Not joking.

I apologize in advance to the developer of the remake if it wasn’t, but this absolutely has to have been intentional, in an ironic Goat Simulator-esque ‘so bad it’s good’ kind of way, but without the humor. Smartphone game visuals and gameplay tepidly conjure up an image of a Mario and Bob the Builder lovechild while the animation hands him a jerky coffee addiction through an exaggerated movement speed, Bomberman-like, but on separate screens.

Committing gaming’s single biggest sin, Spelunky implements physics so poorly that you believe the game is at fault for your failure, rather than yourself. Dying from a fall from a distance you should easily survive, or dying instantaneously after running off a platform is utterly infuriating. Not only does fly in the face of standard gaming convention – it’s just plain ridiculous. You’d think the developer would use the momentum from your fall to give you the chance to grab onto something, but that would be too easy, right? Add an ‘amusing’ drowning death animation when walking into an enemy and it’s enough to make you turn it off in a fit of rage.

Another catastrophic and horrific death.

Play the game in its original 2D game presentation though, with its NES Mario graphics and 8-bit music and everything starts to make a bit more sense – the visuals look less tacky and the soundtrack doesn’t make you want to rip your ears off. Quite why the developer decided against using modern mechanics for the modern visuals is a bit puzzling, making a complete mess of the mismatch and doing the original a disservice in one fell swoop, but it at least solves that nagging feeling that something is oddly amiss.

Go one step further and involve friends and the reason for playing this torturous game becomes clear – you are supposed to share your pain with other people, locally or online, in mini speedrunning battles.

After this revelation it is, dare I say, possible to enjoy this title in short bursts, but only if you’ve found people to play it with, as any sane individual’s patience will likely soon waver.

It didn’t steamroll me in this instance, but I’ll be honest, I kind of wished it did.

The modes available to you are divided into Adventure, Competition, Championship and Endless Cave NEO, but are all much the same, which bares perhaps the game’s biggest wasted opportunity as being able to cooperate in teams in the same cave (with multiplayer currently only played on separate split screens) could have given this game a bit more longevity.

Spelunky HD Deluxe might just be the novelty spicy pepper of video games, where you trick your friends into playing it and watch them writhe. Enjoyment is not the goal then unless you are a serious Speedrunner and enjoy beating unreasonably bad games. Either way, it’s an experience you won’t forget, for better or for worse…..but probably for worse.

Review – What if? Episode One

Sean McCarthy

-

Aug 11, 2021

1

There will not be a single Comic Book fan that has never asked themselves “What If?”…..that moment where you think what if this moment happened another way, what if Superman landed in Russia instead of Kansas USA, what if the Radioactive Spider bit Gwen Stacey and not Peter Parker and so many more iconic moments that created the superhero’s we know and love. Well thanks to MARVEL and Disney Plus, a number of “What If?” questions having been imagined and brought to life in a new animated series that has launched today August 11th 2021 and the first Episode asks the question, “What If?” Peggy Carter took the Super Solider Serum instead of Steve Rogers?

I love the whole concept of the “What If?” question and perhaps one of the first things MARVEL MCU fans might ask themselves is indeed, what if Peggy Carter took the Super Soldier Serum instead of Steve Rogers to become Captain Britain instead of Captain America. This twenty one minute animated episode as seen through the eyes of The Watcher, voiced brilliantly by Jeffrey Wright, shows fans what would happen if a single moment was changed from the original MCU timeline, in this case that moment during “Captain America: The First Avenger” in the room just as Steve Rogers is preparing to undergo the procedure and Captain Carter is asked if she would be more comfortable watching with the other VIP guests but instead of agreeing as Peggy did originally, she chose to stay on the floor of the lab and thus creating a new alternate timeline as not only did Peggy choose to stay, but the Hydra Agent chose to act before the experiment was completed instead of after, blowing the bomb and shooting Steve Rogers who left the Vita Ray pod to try and help. In the scramble and with only moments before the chance to use the serum would be gone forever, it is Peggy that chooses to step inside the pod to take the serum.

The art style is fantastic, even having a classic 40’s feel to the characters and having the familiarity of using recognisable characters and scenes from Cap’s first MCU film also really go a long way to showing just how different events and the MCU would have played out with this change in the timeline. The only complaint and more disappointing element is that only Chris Evans failed to return to voice “Skinny Steve” in this animation, the original cast returned from the film or had their lines reused from the film in this animation. Josh Keaton replaces Evans but also delivers a fantastic performance along side the always excellent Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter. As the story explores her own battles during that time in our history and the very dismissive and misogynistic attitude to women in the army which mirrors what happens to Steve Rogers who is side-lined and set to perform for troops instead of being used as the Super Soldier he is, Peggy also faced this struggle with leaders who view the entire program as a failure because he became the super solider instead of Steve and her fight to have her worth recognised just as Steve did.

The animation in the combat and battle scenes is exquisite, especially when Captain Carter is fully in her uniform and Shield, now re-imagined with the Union Jack colours of Great Britain and showcased a lot more fighting ability than even Steve Rogers was shown to have in his first live action film. I do not want to spoil all the surprises and twists of this “What If?” story but I really do adore this art style which I do hope will be used for the remaining stories to be told and though the wait for the weekly drop of each episode gives me something to look forward to, as a MARVEL and a MARVEL MCU fan, I really want to just binge all the episodes now.

For those who have watched the LOKI series on Disney Plus and the birth of the full Multiverse in the MCU going into Phase 4, I do hope that at some point Hayley Atwell could well become the true Captain Carter on the big screen. This story alone shows just how deep they are going with this question, it is not just putting a character into a different character’s costume or powers, you really do get a taste of what that MCU Universe would look like with just one simple change taking place. I am very excited to see where this series goes as it continues to ask the question…

“What If?”

Review: Crimson Spires

Daniel Waite

-

Aug 11, 2021

0

The life of a crime fighter can be a lonely existence. Whether you are a superhero or a detective, friends are scarce and trust is a limited commodity. How would you cope if your world got turned upside down? Everything you knew, trusted, and loved was wrenched away from you in a blink of an eye. Crimson Spires explores this with its seedy, romantic, and supernatural plot.

Developed by Woodsy Studios and published by Eastasiasoft Limited, this is a detective visual novel with an adventure romance twist. Set in the backwards mining town of Bataille, you control FBI agent Erika Wright. She has the perfect job; people she loves, nice coworkers, and a pleasant home. This is suddenly taken from her as she becomes trapped by mystical towers that kill anyone if they attempt to leave. People try to escape and lose their lives, leaving Erika as the only law enforcement agent in town. Promoted to the sheriff, she must uphold the law while trying to solve the surrounding mysteries.

Crimson Spires is a gripping drama with some compelling and odd characters.

The drama comprised within Crimson Spires starts immediately. You are thrust into the story as Erika is called to assist a crashed prison wagon carrying August, an alleged serial killer. On arrival, the devastation is obvious, and a standoff begins between law enforcement and August. Out of nowhere, metallic towers rise from the ground, encompassing the town of Bataille, and trapping the residents in their newfound prison. This day becomes known as the Contingency! The townsfolk are split in their beliefs; some think it’s an act of God, and he’s helping to protect them from the Devil. Others think it’s a test and a punishment for past indiscretions. Whatever the cause, it’s your job to solve the mystery and keep the people safe.

This far-fetched story unravels like a visual novel. Crimson Spires demands that you sit up and take note, while reading an awful lot of text. I loved this as the writing is fantastic and the characters are odd and compelling. Sexual tension bounces around every scene and you are repeatedly thrown off the scent with red hearings and conspiring characters.

Options, options, options, and supernatural beings.

Dialogue choices and actions that impact the story alter the course of the plot. You are free to influence this tale to romance anyone who you feel will provide valuable information. This was thoroughly enjoyable and allowed my inner detective to get to work. You push through each chapter making sense of all the information. This isn’t easy as new characters are added regularly and their introduction only muddies the water further.

With multiple romance roots, the developers introduced an NG+ mode. This allows gamers to delve deeper into the story once all avenues are exhausted. This was an excellent choice as it gives the plot a definitive ending and closes up any gaping plot holes.

My favourite element was the odd blend of characters and the heavy influences of religion. The “everyday” folk are unfazed by introducing an alleged murder or the rich vampires who appear in charge. This ridiculous basis for the story was absurd, but it made it compelling, dark, and I loved it nonetheless. This is a tale where you let it wash over you and you ignore the sensibilities of real life. If you can do that, you’ll fall for its seedy and mysterious charms from the first chapter.

Crimson Spires is both brilliant and poor in the presentation department.

When a game splits itself across two distinct genres, it always runs a risk. Sadly, Crimson Spires falls foul of this as its visual presentation is both brilliant and poor. The still imagery and character details have a Manga/Anime influence. With the usual OTT reactions to emphasise emotions, it relies heavily on tried and tested mechanics. Where it slips, however, is when the game flips to a first-person adventure. With dated graphics and rough textures, it stands out against the polished finish.

The audio also splits itself into two methods of working, and this was bizarre. During key scenes, it’s acted and this adds atmosphere and depth. Yet, other moments are accompanied only by the eerie and soft music used throughout. I guess the developers wished to emphasise the key moments, but as I played, it made little sense, and only added confusion.

A typical visual novel with simple controls.

The controls for Crimson Spires are basic and straightforward to master. There are no complexities in how the game handles and you’ll have zero issues with playing it. The gameplay is smooth, and I had no problems during my time in this dark world.

Visual novels rarely have replay value. Their linear plots allow for one playthrough before things become repetitive. This is different thanks to the multiple romance options and the addition of the NG+ mode.

Crimson Spires is an addictive tale that’s just a little absurd.

To get the most out of this, you need to leave your sensibilities at the front door. You’ll enjoy the bizarre plot for what it is and love the mystery as it unfolds. I enjoyed the dark romancing plot and I recommend you to buy it here! Losing your liberties by committing a crime is one thing, but this is something else. Form unexpected partnerships, question your suspects, and romance whoever is useful.

Review: Lawn Mowing Simulator

Daniel Waite

-

Aug 10, 2021

0

Gardening is one of those pastimes that you either love or hate. The thought of ripping up weeds, cutting down trees, and removing the waste can be daunting. But, there is an enormous amount of people who adore the challenge that yard work brings. They spend hours cutting, preening, and mowing the lawn and then they sit back and admire the fruits of their labour. Lawn Mowing Simulator taps into this market while introducing a business management twist.

Developed by Skyhook Games and published by Curve Digital, this is an addictive gardening game about pristine lawns and balancing the books. You take control of a gardener who starts a fledgling business with only one small mower to their name. You must take on contracts, maintain your equipment, and leave your clients’ lawns in immaculate condition. With a variety of missions to undertake, several game modes, and the chance to expand your empire, this is one sim game that ticks many boxes for a range of gamers.

Lawn Mowing Simulator will take over your life.

I’m a massive fan of simulation games! I love the in-depth qualities that the genre brings and I enjoy the escapism that each role affords me. Lawn Mowing Simulator is no different, and I quickly realised that it was taking over my life. Once you switch the game on, there is no such thing as one short mission. The hours melt away as you take on contract after contract and your business expands. It captures all the fine elements from other simulation games, and cutting each lawn to the exact specifications is oddly satisfying.

My wife rarely understands the enjoyment that I get from the variety of games I play, and this one was met with laughter and disbelief. I have a massive garden that requires “real life” attention, yet I’ve spent hours mowing a virtual lawn. I guess I best get some fresh air and cut the grass for real, but somehow it’s not as desirable or profitable as my virtual endeavours. When I get the call to take care of Mavis’ unkempt front and back garden, I jumped at the opportunity. No one likes a messy bush, and she pays handsomely! As the contracts keep rolling in, you can invest in better equipment, a bigger headquarters, and staff to earn you more money. You quickly corner the lawn mowing market and you’ll love each new mission that arises and the difficulties they bring.

One of the beautiful locations you’ll maintain.

New mowers, hiring staff and maintenance are key.

It’s not until you can afford the improved equipment that you realise how appalling the starter machines are. A small yard takes around 20 minutes of painstaking precision to complete. The tiny blades, miniature collection box, and slow speed are a real hindrance, but this soon becomes a thing of the past. You can select from an array of professional brands, each has a unique cutting method, speed, fuel capacity, and so on. You can purchase additional tools for some, and not every job can be completed with each type. As you expand, you must consider the jobs you wish to undertake and purchase your equipment wisely.

To make your business successful and to maximise your cash flow, you must hire staff to complete additional jobs. To do this, your company must be reputable, you must have spare mowers and a headquarters that is big enough to house them. You’ll be spinning many plates as you try to balance the books and make more money. It’s tough, but it’s very enjoyable and the more successful you are, the more RP you earn and the bigger the jobs you can undertake.

Buying new tools and hiring staff is just the start. If you don’t train your employees correctly or forget to maintain your vehicles, the wheels quickly fall off. Blades lose their edges, engines break, fuel runs low, and grass cuttings must be removed. If you don’t keep on top of the little things, your profit margin is reduced and your reputation takes a bashing. To keep the jobs rolling in, you must have the best staff available and this is achieved in two ways; hire a top-end employee, or train them in an array of skills. Either way, it’s essential and ridiculously expensive. The adage: spend money to make money is key, and your business will flourish under the correct management.

Take your time and watch out for the flowers.

More RP = better jobs and more challenges.

The developers were clever in their approach to the challenge mode. There are three categories to try, but they are locked until you increase your reputation in the career mode. This was fantastic as your progress was rewarded and the challenges offer a well-deserved break away from the demands that the business brings. You will face time trials, limited fuel jobs and more as you take on increasingly harder events. The career RP also enhances the tasks that are offered and a well-respected company has its pick of whatever job is available.

Alongside the career and challenge mode, you can enter a sandbox world that allows you to cut, clean, and work as much as you wish. I wasn’t a fan of this option, however, as I enjoyed the focus and drive that the aforementioned modes offered.

Lawn Mowing Simulator looks great but lacks custom options.

I loved how small details matter in Lawn Mowing Simulator! Unkempt lawns look rich and wild, and then you rock up on your ride-on mower and the grounds quickly become a lush green landscape. With so much grass to cut, it’s easy to miss small patches as you rush to complete each job. Luckily, “pro view” allows you to highlight missed areas. Combining this with the well-designed free camera allows you to navigate the tight gardens and vast fields. I can’t fault the look of the game, but the lack of custom options for your character was disappointing. It doesn’t impact the gameplay, but when you spend so much time looking at your business logo and person, it would have been nice to have more input into their design.

The audio is restricted to mainly the sound of the mower’s engine, the grass being cut, and mother nature. This minimalist approach was fantastic and though the roar of the motor was distracting, it wasn’t overpowering. You could easily hear the birds chirping and cows mooing and enjoy the sounds of the countryside. You are treated to an upbeat soundtrack when flitting through the menu, and this was a welcome distraction from the sound effects. The audio brilliantly combined a rough and hardy industrial edge with the soft, relaxing sounds of nature.

The never-ending job of mowing the grass.

Well-labelled controls make this a pleasure to play.

Any job that involves heavy machinery can be challenging to master, luckily Lawn Mowing Simulator takes it easy on you. With a well-labelled UI and a cleverly mapped controller layout, it’s great to play. You’ll have the basics down in no time and your only concern will be to stay out of the flowerbeds and not crashing into the ornaments.

When a game keeps you playing until the early hours of the morning, you know that it’s stupidly addictive. The career mode is moreish, the challenges will push you, and the sandbox mode gives you freedom. I never thought I’d find cutting grass addictive, but this got me hooked from the first lawn.

Lawn Mowing Simulator will get under your skin.

Every aspect of Lawn Mowing Simulator works in perfect harmony. Learning the fundamentals is easy, managing your business is enjoyable, and completing each contract is addictive. The weak point is the sandbox mode, but this is a personal issue rather than a problem with the gameplay. It’s a title that’ll tick many boxes, and fans of the genre will fall for its charms. I loved it and recommend you to buy it here! Jump on your mower, fulfil the contract criteria, and build the gardening empire of your dreams.

Review: Monster World IV

Alex Chessun

-

Aug 10, 2021

0

If you didn’t grow up in the Sega Genesis/SNES era, deciding which retro games are essential must-play experiences can be quite the daunting task, especially as not every classic received a western release. Monster World IV is one such example, waiting 18 years from its original 1994 release to first receive a translated version on the Wii’s virtual console in 2012 before also seeing releases on the PS Store and X-Box Network.

Better late than never though, as this definition of a hidden gem encompasses everything great about the 16-bit days with its charming quirks and addictive gameplay making it perfect for children and adults alike.

This particular release is slightly unique in the sense that it’s only available as a download code included in the physical release of MWIV‘s remake Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World, and there are no other standalone versions available on current gen consoles, which might normally be a cause for concern for potential newcomers. This far from accurately reflects its true value, however, as this action-adventure platformer has aged like a fine wine served with cheese with great character designs and soundtrack, fun basic gameplay and the cutest little monster assistant ever by the name of Pepelogoo.

This blue Kirby-like monster can be utilized to assist you during gameplay by reaching far-off switches, to glide to inaccessible areas and to protect you. This implementation of the buddy-type system is excellent and is on par with Yoshi and Mario as one of the best I’ve experienced in a 2D setting.

Grabbing onto your little assistant can allow you to glide and even do a double jump. Very convenient indeed.

While the aforementioned features are the game’s main appeal, it’s actually the small things in MWIV that made it especially enjoyable for me -the easy on the eyes animation, the great sound effects and wise-cracking characters, such as a boss setting up three barriers to prevent your progress only to ask you three times if you can beat him while chuckling to himself.

They simply don’t make ’em how they used to.

The gameplay is a mixture of Zelda-like sword wielding and Mario-esque platforming with a hub area with 4 areas to access. Each area contains a spirit which needs to be freed to stop the world-conquering evil doers and are attacked one-by-one while being able to access a hometown where Asha can upgrade her weapons and equipment.

The controls are simple and easy to pick-up and the enemies attacks predictable, but the animation and each sound-effect makes each confrontation satisfying enough to warrant you ploughing through each screen of fixed place enemies.

While entirely linear, the adventure gives you the impression that you have the agency to take it on however you like, with conversation options of ‘Yes’ and ‘No’, actually only acting as an amusing diversions which allow you to decline entirely reasonable requests just to see how characters react. Refuse to call the pets of an annoying lady cute or call out your genie only to refuse to be taken anywhere over and over, frustrating the townspeople is hilarious and does a great job filling the world with personality.

In fact, nearly everything the game has to offer will stick with you, such as the repetitive, but addictive, tunes that will loop on repeat in your head for days afterwards.

With the re-release has come some additions, but are mostly aimed at reverting the game to how it was previously than making any improvements. Added are shaders and filters to give the overly sharp colors of modern displays its original retro CRT look as well as the original resolution. One QOL addition is a fast-forward button to speed through the game, which might just be a happy medium between keeping the game as faithful to the original and difficult as possible, by not adding a save anywhere system, and at the same time, offering an olive branch to the modern gamer who can’t handle the frustration of dying over and over – like me.

Another retro quirk is that you can’t hold more than one piece of equipment at any one time meaning that if you thought that purchasing two different shields ahead of time was a good idea……well it isn’t, as you’ll lose the first one you purchase.

The bosses are well animated and occasionally quite the challenge.

I don’t normally find myself compelled to complete platformers – as they are so very adept at showing me how incompetent a gamer I am – but MWIV‘s charming presentation gave me a feeling of comforting nostalgia, despite never having played it before, making it one of the few platformers that I’ve actually wanted to see through to the end.

It’s therefore a shame that the only way to play MWIV on a modern console is through the remake’s download code, as this game is most definitely worth it on its own merits, and while I can’t speak for the quality of the remake, Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World, what I can speak to is the quality of the original, and that its inclusion is a great incentive for those platforming fans currently on the fence.

Review: Button City

Daniel Waite

-

Aug 9, 2021

0

Starting a new life can be an exciting time, but most of us feel anxious and concerned. You leave behind friends and you don’t know your surroundings. It can be a lonely time until you find your feet and a small group of mates can make an entire world of difference. Button City is a colourful nod to the 90s that tells a heartwarming story of new experiences, friendship, and battling for what you love.

Developed and published by Wings Interactive and Subliminal, this is a low poly cute adventure game. This take on simple early console titles will tweak at those nostalgia-filled heartstrings. You’ll experience a bizarre story that covers some touching subjects that most gamers will relate to. With excellent and fun arcade titles to master and many bizarre characters to interact with, this has a warm and enjoyable plot to explore.

Button City is compact and jam-packed with content.

The bright yet simple world that is your new home is a joy to see. Every area is buzzing with NPCs that need help with an array of quests. You must find items, deliver goods, clean up the rubbish, or pass on messages. None of it is a challenge, but it helps you interact with characters you may otherwise walk past. Each location applies to the plot and doesn’t simply act as a filler. This was a great choice from the developers as it made each area just as important as the last.

As you explore it quickly becomes apparent that the arcade is the soul of Button City. The beating heart of this strange community is where Fennel the fox meets his new friends. With gaming at the forefront of everything they do, they are distraught when their favourite location is about to be shut down. Greedy fat cat Peppermint Pepperbottom can see a chance to make a fortune and he doesn’t care about the local kids and their love of their beloved arcade.

The four friends stop at nothing to thwart his plans and attempt to save enough money to buy the arcade for themselves. Will they succeed, or will the deep pockets of the fat cat stop them?

Everyone loves an underdog.

Everyone wants the underdog to win and in Button City, it’s no different. This combined with the great arcade games and community spirit drives you to want to keep playing. The overwhelming sense of fighting for what you love is heartwarming, and I adored how the story was told. The variety of activities was a bonus, even if the difficulty didn’t push me to my limits.

I also enjoyed the PC nature of the plot and how younger players and adults can enjoy the whole game. My children were fascinated by the imagery and fell for the retro charms of the arcade experience. With a relatively short game time of around six hours, it was easy to hold their attention as we played it casually. Each quest tests your memory skill and logical thinking. Clues are freely available so you’ll rarely get stuck which allows you to progress at a nice pace.

Button City uses pastel tones and comprises a diorama world.

The core concept was great, but I enjoyed how Button City constructed its colourful world. The adventure didn’t ask you to walk from location to location. Instead, you are transported to each point as you select individual areas that appear as a diorama. It was unusual and made a whacky game more bizarre. The zones vary in size and detail, but they all consist of colourful environments that were pleasant on the eyes. Its inoffensive imagery combined with the PC gameplay made for worry-free gaming from a parents point of view. It was a nice change from the overtones of violence and gore found in many titles.

Cute life simulation games all have a similar upbeat vibe that makes you smile constantly. Button City will be a guilty pleasure for many players as the synthesised soundtrack matches the childish cartoon graphics. With no acting and all dialogue expressed using text, there was a heavy reliance on music to enhance the atmosphere. Though much of the gameplay is lighthearted, there are moments of drama that are reflected through a change in pace and tone. This level of detail was nice and helped to set the scene without going over the top.

Simple controls but slow-paced gameplay.

Button City is undeniably easy to play. With a basic tutorial explaining the fundamentals, it’s simple to pick up. Fennel walks around without a care in the world, and his meandering may be frustrating for some. The slow-paced gameplay matches the relaxing and calm storyline but appears dragged out. I liked the approach, but it may come across as tedious for some players, which could put them off.

With no visibility of an achievement list, I’m struggling to say whether there is much replay value. The story is linear even though you are free to complete side quests in any order. Because of this, I’d worry that there is little reason to return once completed as there is little else to do. Luckily, the first playthrough is great, and its price tag makes it good value for money.

Button City is short, sweet, and very unusual.

The 90s inspired approach was a brilliant choice from the developers alongside the wonderful diorama world. The story is heartfelt and will resonate with many players. It’s easy to fall for its charming nature and gamers with young families will appreciate the PC approach. I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend you to buy it here! Moving to a new place is hard enough, but to have your beloved arcade taken from you is too much. Fight for what you love and show the world, you won’t stand for it.

Review: Together

Kara Phillips

-

Aug 8, 2021

8

Published by Ultimate Games for the Nintendo Switch, Together is a bright, fun, multiplayer puzzle game. Tasked with battling enemies, collecting various items, and most importantly working as a team, this game is fun for all ages. Learn each character’s abilities, find new places to explore, but most importantly – stick together.

So much potential, yet no execution

Together has a fantastic concept behind it. All characters are linked with an elasticated line, and if that snaps and you are disconnected for five seconds it’s game over. But with endless amounts of holes and traps to fall into this isn’t as easy as it seems. Upon first picking it up, this is an amusing and tense mechanic. But after a few rounds it loses its charm. Together lacks any sort of personality and drive. It’s hard to stay focused when you don’t even know what you’re fighting for. The story as to why isn’t really explained, you just dive right into it. Which is a shame, because the concept of being constantly connected would make for a great, hilarious gaming experience.

The game also has a low-budget look to it. Colours are bright, certainly, but animations are low quality and it just looks empty. Although the whole point of maps being black and white is for you to colour them as you progress, even that lacks the wow factor. Rather than being an intense, action packed adventure, you just sort of bumble along until you can begin the next level. There isn’t enough to keep me entertained, where there definitely could be. It’s such a shame, as this game has a lot of potential.

B-tech Battleblock

Together feels very heavily influenced by games like Battleblock Theatre. Which excelled due to the personality and charm of the game. But Together doesn’t quite carry that out. Despite having a multitude of similar features and mechanics, such as collecting a number of specific items in order to finish the level, it is still lacking in comparison. Obviously games like Battleblock had a large team behind it, and though Together probably doesn’t have something similar, for a game that so closely mimics the gameplay of Battleblock Theatre, you’d think they would implement some of the charm. Even the characters don’t get explained. There’s nothing to attach yourself to in Together (which is rather ironic), and this makes it incredibly hard to stay interested.

It just feels unfinished. Controls are simple, the soundtrack is repetitive and there’s not really much to grab hold of. There’s a short backstory provided at the beginning of the game, but it’s never explained. Rather than being narrated, it’s in a comic book strip style. So you sort of need to know a little bit about it before you’re even introduced. It’s incredibly hard to keep tabs on all the characters when you can’t even put a name to the face. None of the game is narrated, and sound effects are kept to a minimum. Rather than feeling like a console game, it appears similar to a mobile game you’d get an advert for. I’d argue that Together isn’t quite worth the price tag, there is just not enough to justify it.

Final thoughts

It’s not all bad news though. Together initially is a fun, fast paced game to pick up with friends. It was fun to learn the special attacks of all characters and be able to switch between them during each level. There are several elements of Together which I did enjoy, such as the variety of levels and the sheer amount of them. But it wasn’t enough to sway my opinion on the game as a whole.

Review: Waves of Steel

Charles Ombler

-

Aug 8, 2021

0

Are you a boat nerd? Does the idea of building and fighting modern military craft make your fuzzy bits feel all fuzzy? Do you remember which one of port and starboard means left or right? Well, in that case, I have some good news: Waves of Steel might be the perfect game for you.

Waves of Steel is a free-form ship builder combined with a naval combat simulator. You’re given a ship, you customise it, and you fight some bads. As an elevator pitch, it makes basic promises and then absolutely delivers on them. The ship customisation is simple enough to get your head around but complex enough to build some unique and specialised ships. The combat simulation is more along the lines of Forza Horizon’s simulation rather than Forza Motorsport’s simulation. It’s a little arcade-y and casual, not a hardcore simulator where you’d be micromanaging the bilge pumps and bow thrusters to get as many knots out of the sails as possible (as you can probably tell, I know nothing about boats).

The ship builder screen is a top-down view of your ship with rectangles representing all of your equipment, weapons, smokestacks and the like. There is also a second layer of this that shows what’s happening below decks, with the rectangles representing engines, reactors and everything that makes the ship go. There’s a really nice system here where you need to balance everything you take with you. If you want to load up your ship with weapons and become some kind of torpedo based Poseidon you can. But, there is a maximum mass your ship can take and still float, so you’ll need to sacrifice some armour and engines to make that happen, leaving you slower and more vulnerable to counterattacks. Equally, you can upgrade your engines to make you The Flash of the sea. But, engines produce fumes that you’ll need to vent to the surface, reducing the space on deck for weapons. It’s a nicely balanced system where you can focus your build towards the sort of player you are. You’re constantly unlocking new upgrades and parts that will draw your attention back to the builder to reoptimise your ship.

Once you’ve got your ship just the way you like it – teabags near the kettle, socks in the sock drawer, doormat shaken off and set by the front door (again, I know nothing about boats) – it’s time to take it for a spin and attack some other rubbish boats. This part plays exactly as you’d expect it to. It isn’t too complex – forward and backward increase and decrease your speed with left and right turning you around. You also have a boost mode to get you to fights faster and a dodge mode to make you more manouverable. Once you’re at a fight you will automatically lock on to the nearest enemy, with buttons to scroll between other enemies in range. Then you can fire your equipped weapon, with the ability to swap between your other weapons when needed, with some weapons needing specific arrangements of enemies to fire. For example, the torpedoes will only fire when enemies are to the side of your ship. As a last-ditch attack, there is also a button to ram the enemy in front of you which was undoubtedly my most used button in the game.

An important thing to mention is accessibility. The game has a real focus on being as accessible as possible which is always nice to see. It lands on the correct, non-gatekeeping side of the difficulty-in-video-games debate and actively encourages playing on whatever difficulty you want, with a loading screen message of ‘Play on the difficulty that’s the most fun for you – there’s no bonus to increasing the difficulty’. You can also set all of your weapons to autofire so you can just focus on the sailing of the ship if controlling the weapons simultaneously is a bit of an overload. You can also customise the hell out of everything, rebinding controls or changing the UI to whatever works best for you.

In conclusion, Waves of Steel is a nicely put together game for a pretty specific audience. If you’re a boat nerd then Waves of Steel is probably already on your radar (sonar?) and you’ll likely have a great time with it. Personally, boats aren’t really my jam but I still objectively enjoyed having a play around with the builder and blowing up some bad guys. I’m also always behind a development process that puts accessibility first, so I have some very positive feelings for Waves of Steel and TMA Games.

Review: Night Book

Daniel Waite

-

Aug 8, 2021

0

I love a good psychological horror thriller! The constant twists and turns and the repeated jump scares, get the blood pumping. Yes, they can be clichéd, and occasionally the plot can dip into the realms of absurdity, but I still adore them. Night Book ticks all those boxes with its outlandish story and tense setting.

Developed by Good Gate Media and Wales Interactive and published by the latter, this is a cinematic visual novel with limited choices. As with most VNs, you’ll sit back, relax, and watch the story unravel. You have some limited choices to make that influence the story and alter the central path, but the outcome isn’t always clear. It’s very disjointed, has a distinct remote feel to it, but this oddly matches the central concept.

Night Book is a bizarre story filmed during the Covid pandemic.

The Covid pandemic ensured the world came to a grinding halt, but Night Book’s developers bucked this trend. Filmed entirely through remote methods, the team and the actors produced an incredible performance that enhanced the creepy nature of this story. Shown entirely through a selection of webcams and video calls, you’ll sit back and watch the horror unfold. Depicting scenes of violence and suicide, a clear warning is displayed at the start of the action. Depending on your choices, the victims of these horrific ordeals will change and that’s part of the beauty of this game.

You control Loralyn, who is a talented linguist employed to translate a variety of languages. The heroine is heavily pregnant and her partner is working on a remote island on the other side of the world. She is left to care for her “mentally ill” father, who complains of voices and a curse from the island that the plot revolves around. CCTV has been installed throughout the flat and it’s through these lenses that we see the story unfold. Loralyn’s decisions slowly push the plot to its inevitable ending and the Butterfly Effect ripples through the tale.

Great acting tainted by veiled decisions.

With fifteen different endings and two hundred and twenty scenes to witness, this is a short story with plenty of content. You’ll uncomfortably watch the drama flit from camera to camera as the unnerving story trickles away. You feel powerless to direct the tale how you want as the crucial plot points come randomly and infrequently.

When the options to influence the story arise, you rarely know how your decisions will impact the plotline. This was frustrating, especially when you replay the game to manipulate a different ending. Alongside the veiled decisions were the unexplained gaps in the story that were confusing, and this undermined the final product.

Will the curse touch your family and friends.

Night Book is well written, produced to a good standard, and has likeable, realistic characters.

Using movie-like cinematic at its core will always be tough. However, the blend between live-action and key moments was smooth enough, but it had its problems. With the action hanging slightly at critical moments, it was noticeable, and this impacted the immersion ever so slightly. I was impressed with the use of special effects to highlight the plight of the protagonist and subsequent characters. The presentation via monitors and mobile devices was excellent and added a cold and isolated layer to the gameplay.

Subtitles were available throughout, which helped in key scenes. However, they weren’t always necessary and acted as a distraction. This was no more apparent than the moments when subtitles were used on instant messaging scenes. Having the written words displayed twice was ridiculous, and it made the final product appear unfinished.

When you read a visual novel or watch a film, you want the script to be well written and the characters to be believable. Night Book offers that and much more. The acting is delivered to a good standard and you’ll love and loathe the array of characters. Using haunting music and creepy sound effects helps to create an eerie and dark atmosphere during each scene. You’ll soak up the horrendous twists and turns as you go along for the ride.

Pressurised decisions and ample replay value.

The gameplay in Night Book forces you to sit back and watch it unfold. The controls are therefore understandably basic and easy to pick up. Yet, there are moments where you must think fast and you’ll be pressurised into deciding. Loralyn has some tough decisions to make, and this is reflected using a quick-moving timer. Tick-tock, tick-tock, make your choice and see how it impacts the gameplay.

Having fifteen different endings to observe is fantastic, and it does wonders for the replay value. The developers have thankfully added in a skip button for any previously seen scenes and this mercifully cuts down the expected feeling of deja vu. You observe some grim moments when you experience every finale and the extra effort is well worth your time.

Night Book is a “pleasant” break away from normal visual novels.

I’m not a visual novel aficionado, but I know what to expect when I play one. Night Book was a “pleasant” change from the norm and I was captivated by it. Sadly, there are some unpolished elements, but it’s a well-produced title, mostly. I enjoyed it and I recommend you to buy it here! With an island curse, demonic beings, and tough decisions, a pregnant woman shouldn’t be put under this sort of pressure.

Review: Fishing Adventure

Daniel Waite

-

Aug 7, 2021

0

https://youtu.be/h8nGH2VvTSE

Sitting at the side of a riverbank or lake and watching the sunset or rise is a wonderful experience. You lounge around with your line dangling in the water, waiting for a fish to take the bait. The hunt for your prey can take hours and sometimes you leave empty-handed, but it matters not. The fun is in the chase and the ability to relax in peace and serenity. Fishing Adventure allows you to experience all the high points of this calm and tranquil sport. You’ll cast your line, wait for a bite, and reel in a whopper of a fish.

Developed by MasterCode and published by Ultimate Games, this is a relaxing fishing simulation title. Originally released for Steam in 2019, it received a mostly positive return for its gameplay and overall style. Console gamers now can see what the fuss is about as they take to an array of lakes to catch monstrous fish.

Fishing Adventure leaps straight into the action like a salmon up a stream.

As I loaded in, I expected to be welcomed by a fun, but well-trodden tutorial. I was shocked when this didn’t happen and I had to leap into action like a salmon up a stream. Armed with a fishing rod, bait, and a basic hook, I looked for a “suitable” spot and went to work. The simplicity of the gameplay took me back and left me wondering how deep the gameplay would be and if it would venture far from its core concept.

With two game modes to explore and no story to experience, Fishing Adventure relies on you enjoying its simple mechanics and relaxing slow-paced gameplay. Both the career and challenge modes use the same assets and elements, but the latter option is more competitive. It gives you something to aim towards and was where the developers should have focussed their attention. The career option grabs the slow nature of the sport by the horns and demands that you invest hours to increase your level and earn cash. If you fall for its charms, you’ll love casting your line repeatedly. I, however, lost the desire to play within around two hours. Luckily, I persisted as the frustrations of the early game melt away to leave you with an interesting and more challenging fishing title.

Grinding away to gain small amounts of cash was soul-destroying, and the early game was extremely imbalanced. You’ll purchase new equipment to hunt for bigger fish, but this will break, be eaten, or won’t be suitable for the location. Moving to a different venue requires cash and a minimum level and, you guessed it, this takes hours to achieve. It was a vicious circle that I couldn’t break no matter how much I wanted and it left me wondering what the Steam community enjoyed about it?

Thank goodness for challenge mode and the additional venues.

The answer to that question became apparent as soon as I tried the challenge mode. This is Fishing Adventure’s saving grace! You must catch specific fish and other challenging scenarios with five tasks per location to win money and earn XP. The ticking clock adds pressure and the once relaxing experience becomes an egg timer of doom. You’ll desperately search for your trophy fish, but you’ll repeatedly catch the wrong species! You’ll curse your luck and cast again, praying for a different result.

Not only will you have set goals to achieve, but you must arm yourself with the correct equipment to complete the task at hand. Purchasing new rods, reels, lines, hooks, baits, or lures is no mean feat. Everything costs a fortune, but the rewards for improved equipment quickly pay off. You’ll forget about miniature 1lb fish and you’ll struggle to reel in the beasts that lurk beneath the surface. Fishing Adventure truly excels in its latter stages, but the struggle to get there will put off many gamers, sadly.

If you can stomach the grind, you’ll visit up to seven large fisheries based on real-world locations. You’ll venture across the globe and try your luck in a variety of environments. Each area has a specific range of fish to catch and the further afield you go, the large the prey becomes. There are over thirty species to catch and many combinations of equipment for you to try. You can stay on land and fish from the banks or hire a boat and get to previously inaccessible locations. I’m not sure how much this affects the fishing mechanics as the fish spawn anywhere and are not restricted to set underwater environments. This was extremely unrealistic and tainted the simulation experience!

Fishing Adventure looked dated in 2019 and in 2021 it looks rough!

Graphics don’t make a game, but Fishing Adventure looks rough! The animations are robotic, the grass appears blocky, and the textures leave a lot to be desired. The fish ghost through the boat and land when caught, and an invisible wall makes a vast area inexplicably smaller than it needs to be. It’s all serviceable and you quickly become accustomed to it, but until you do, it’s pretty awful to look at. However, it’s not all bad. The combination of colours is nice and the ripple effects of the water are realistic. I also enjoyed the rain and storm effects, as this added a layer of depth to the gameplay.

Fishing Adventure relies heavily on sound effects and saves its music for the menus. This was a good decision, as music would have been an unwelcome distraction during the slow-paced action. The wonderful natural sound effects were great to listen to, and I thoroughly enjoyed floating on the water while hearing birds chirping and the wind blowing. The change in weather fronts allowed the developers to be experimental. Using loud claps of thunder and the constant noise of rain falling added an aggressive dynamic tone to an otherwise calm game.

It’s so simple I hoovered the house while fishing.

I rarely get to multitask successfully, but Fishing Adventure is so simple I could clean my house and play at the same time. With the correct equipment selected and the bait taken, you can easily reel in your prey while doing other tasks. I hoovered the ground floor of my house while happily landing fish after fish. I’m not sure this is exactly what the developers had in mind, but it worked for me. As the game progresses, it becomes much harder and you must concentrate on lure position and tension on the line. I enjoyed these added layers, and they went hand in hand with the later venues and larger sea life.

If you love fishing games, then you’ll fall for the relaxing nature of this title. The rough edges won’t offend you and you’ll enjoy working towards each new venue. There are probably better fishing games on the market if you are on the fence, but they will cost you more money to buy. The gameplay comprises a high level of replay value if you can get over the initial hurdles, but I fear many won’t make it that far. The challenging achievement list requires many hours to be invested, making this a completionists nightmare.

Fishing Adventure is a slow-burner that focuses on the wrong elements.

Fishing Adventure should have been a fantastic competitive game that allowed you to slow things down in a sandbox mode if you wish. Instead, the developers focussed heavily on the wrong elements and this was to the detriment of the final product. The challenge mode is great, the audio works well and elements of the graphics are nice, however, it falls short in other categories. I can see why people would enjoy it, but I’m not one of those gamers, unfortunately. The grind put me off and I won’t be recommending it today. However, if you want to buy it, you can here! Select your equipment, find your spot, and fish to your heart’s content.

Review: Skydrift Infinity

Daniel Waite

-

Aug 6, 2021

0

Racing, in whatever format is enthralling and gets the heart pumping. If you have a vested interest you’ll scream, jump up and down, and beg for your racer to win. What happens if you are the competitor? How does your demeanour alter when you are vying for that gold medal position? Skydrift Infinity allows you to answer that question as you take to the sky in a plane laced with weapons.

Developed by Digital Reality and published by HandyGames and THQ Nordic, this is a deadly racing, flying title. Set in a random parallel universe, Skydrift Infinity demands that you put aside your morals and win every race using any method possible. You’ll dodge projectiles, shoot your foes, and boost past enemies. It’s enthralling and you’ll love the fast-paced action.

Skydrift Infinity sucks you in with its simple concept.

Like in most racing games, Skydrift Infinity uses a simple concept. Effectively finish first, or dodge missiles and survive the longest. However, things are mixed up a little because of the introduction of a class system and different modes. There are five different races to select from, sixteen planes and eight-player multiplayer events.

All of this action is taken up a notch as you are no longer defined by a 2D plane. Soaring through the air, skimming the ground, and swooping through crevices got the adrenaline pumping. The claustrophobic stages have you performing death-defying moves as you twist and turn around the winding courses. You may think, “why risk your life? Just get on and race!” The answer? The more stunts you perform the more energy you gain to help fill up your afterburners.

It’s not all mindless racing.

Fans of the genre will know that racing games are all about skill and memorising the tracks. Skydrift Infinity is slightly different, however. Arming yourself with the correct power-up for any given moment is essential. With six to choose from and the ability to carry only two, you must think wisely. If you lead the race, you’ll want to think defensively: shields, EMPs, and repair kits are key. Deathmatch and elimination battles change your thought process and you’ll grab homing missiles, machine guns, and bombs.

Weapons are all good, but finding the correct plane is essential. With an array of stats that vary per vehicle, finding the right one for you is easier said than done. Will you blast through the air with your rapid plane, or soak up the missiles with a slow but heavily armed vehicle? The choice is yours, so think wisely and consider the track you are racing on.

Skydrift Infinity will test veterans with its tight stages and various locations.

I’m not the biggest fan of traditional racing games as I tire of the similar track layouts. Yes, I love the realism and I see why fans adore it, but it’s not for me. Fortunately, Skydrift Infinity is different! It has run with its fantasy roots and created wild tracks for you to enjoy. You’ll race through canyons, across icy tundra and above molten lava. Combining this with tight racing lines made a fast-paced game, faster still.

I also enjoyed the ship designs, the array of unlockable liveries, and the clean UI. The visual presentation is super smooth and enhances the gaming experience to no end.

A futuristic fantasy racer was always going to be infused with high tempo music. The hard-hitting beats push you to go faster and are only bettered by the booming sound effects. Machine gun fire fills the air as bombs and missiles explode. Listening to this through high-quality headphones was fantastic and completed the aggressive experience. The audio is great but predictable. This isn’t a bad thing because the options available to the developer are limited in this genre.

So much to do, but easy to do it!

As I loaded in, I jumped straight into the tutorial. Here I was met by a wall of information and I thought I was in for a complex nightmare. I chuckled within seconds as I quickly realised it is super easy to play and I shouldn’t jump to conclusions. You’ll master the fundamentals of accelerating and braking in moments, and the twin-stick controls are intuitive. Firing your missiles was as simple as aiming and pushing a button and with a little practice, you’ll be competing for first place and challenging the online community.

I was shocked by how much there was to do. Badges and medals are unlocked during races and this enables new skins for your planes. There are plenty of stages to try and of course, there is the thrill of online play. A challenging achievement list will take ages to complete so replay value is at an all-time high.

Skydrift Infinity is a glorious and aggressive experience.

If you tire easily of traditional racing games but love the thrill of the chase, Skydrift Infinity will be right for you. The fast-paced action and aggressive combat demands you keep playing and you’ll love the tight yet varied stages. It captured my attention and I recommend you to buy it here! Pick your plane, choose your power-ups, and race for the gold medal.

Here is the above review in video format with in play footage.

Review: Inbento

Daniel Waite

-

Aug 5, 2021

0

The world and people on it are travelling at a million miles an hour. No one has time for each other and family moments are short and precious. Wouldn’t it be nice to sit back, relax, and enjoy the closest people in our lives? We all need time to unwind and appreciate our nearest and dearest. Inbento runs with this idea with its surreal nature and relaxing puzzles.

Developed and published by Afterburn and 7Levels, this is a colourful, casual, puzzle game. It tells its tale through a range of still images and uses bright puzzles that require logical thinking. The surreal story comprises a group of cats who highlight the difficulties of family life.

Inbento will test your mind with its small but well thought out puzzles.

I love to test my mind, but Inbento occasionally pushed me to the edge. With its small puzzles and minimal movements, you quickly become tied up and make repeated errors. You are shown a recipe on screen that must be replicated with ingredients found in a separate pot. Different methods of movement are introduced, and these vary from plucking blocks and twisting shapes.

Each world introduces new colours and new methods of working. As you progress, they combine and you become inundated with choices and different solutions. This is where the challenge ramps up, as you must think several steps ahead to ensure you are successful. You may think this sounds stressful? It really wasn’t! Even though I struggled with some solutions, the Eureka moment was worth the effort.

Food, glorious food!

The game spans fourteen worlds and comprises one hundred and twenty puzzles which is not unusual for an indie puzzle title. What was strange, however, was the use of Bento dishes to create each puzzle. The traditional food was painstakingly recreated with rice and vibrant ingredients being used as key elements. It was a little bizarre, but it matched the theme of each still image at the start of each world.

I loved the challenging stages but my favourite element has to be the little cutscenes. These heartwarming images will make you smile and chuckle, especially if you have a young family. The cats clearly love their food as this forms the backbone for every scene. With no spoken or written word, you are left to interpret the meaning of the pictures and this was thoroughly enjoyable. The developers have done a great job of letting your imagination run wild while cementing every element together.

I’m a sucker for a difficult game, but sometimes a small helping hand is much appreciated, sadly, Inbento doesn’t agree with this thought process and no hints are available. There were several moments where I was stuck for a solution and I was close to quitting. It’s an area that should be addressed as it would be a shame to miss out on much of the game if you fail to see the solution.

Brilliantly vibrant but needs a shakeup!

This is fantastic to look at. The cutscenes use a cartoon style reminiscent of old-school children’s programs and the fixed screen perspective gives you a clear oversight of the action. Sadly, though, Inbento stagnates slightly as it doesn’t alter much from its opening stages. Yes, it becomes more colourful and new ingredients are added, but; the imagery needed a shakeup to prevent it from becoming repetitive. The food theme is great and the developers should have run with this and created levels using other traditional items.

The atmosphere and emotion are shown beautifully through the soft music that accompanies the gameplay. A change of pace and tone represent more stressful moments and a relaxing soundtrack supports the rest of the action. Its inoffensive nature emphasises the family ethos and creates a calm ambience.

Picking up food has never been so easy!

Though the visuals were repetitive, they helped to ensure that the control system was simple to handle. The fixed-screen enabled you to focus on the puzzles and the clear markers on the blocks made it simple to understand what you were doing. The relaxing gameplay was helped by a lack of time restrictions allowing you to slowly work through each problem. Moving the blocks to their correct location was simply achieved with a combination of button presses. It was user friendly even if the puzzles were tough to overcome.

Though the story is great, there are unfortunately limited reasons to return. The lack of variety and no NG+ mode reduces the desire to return to this. This is compounded further by the simple achievement list that is completed as you run through the game. Fans of the puzzle genre will enjoy each challenge they face, it’s just a shame it doesn’t inspire you to return.

Inbento: The heartwarming game with a tricky and bizarre core!

Inbento’s unique style won’t be for everyone and the lack of dialogue will confuse some and other gamers will dislike the basic style. However, I appreciated its bizarre approach and touching story. The still images were great and allowed me to interpret a unique tale. Some puzzles were tricky and the developers should have added a limited hint system to lend a helping hand. I enjoyed its strange offerings and recommend you to buy it here! Relax, take some time out, and build fond memories with your cat family.