Review: Galactic Mining Corp

Charles Ombler
-
0
Review: Galactic Mining Corp

It’s 7 pm on a Monday evening, you’ve been sent a review code for Galactic Mining Corp and, as you’ve just finished your dinner and don’t have any plans for the evening, you decide it’s time to sit down, put your reviewer hat on, and play the damn game. The next thing you know it’s Thursday morning, you’ve spent 60 hours on the game, you’ve not slept, you’ve not showered, you’ve not eaten and you’re close to dying of thirst. You’ve been fired from your proper job for not showing up two days in a row and your friends and family have called on an international man-hunt because of your disappearance. This is the series of events that genuinely happened to me, for real, in the actual real world and I hope it serves as a serious warning to the addictiveness of Galactic Mining Corp.

I find that when I play a game to review, I make a few judgements early on. Those judgements do develop over my time with the game, but I generally find that my final conclusion doesn’t stray far from the gut instinct decision on my first impression. Maybe I’m just hyper-decisive. However, when it comes to Galactic Mining Corp, my stupid gut couldn’t have been more wrong, because I initially thought that the game was as boring as the pleasantries at the start of your fifth video call of the day. But, after sticking with it for an extra few hours, I can comfortably recommend the game.

Galactic Mining Corp is a rogue-lite, base building, management, mining thing… A wildly irresponsible space entity has left you, a stupid boring human in charge of a Galactic Mining Corp (roll credits). You’ll need to build up your base to keep the company above water, employ a diverse range of aliens to run things and then go mining, which allows you to build your base and hire more people, which allows you to mine more efficiently, and so on… It’s a never-ending cycle in the style of Cookie Clicker which, as any veteran of that particular time-sink will tell you, means the game is as addictive as crack cocaine.

The game introduces itself quite gradually, hence my initial feeling that the game was a bit shallow and dull. However, after not a huge amount of time the game unlocks more and more features to keep you entertained until you’re left with a clear view of a landscape of things you need to do, exactly how many times you need to do them and an idea of how much each of those will make your life easier. I’ll try and give an overview of some of the landmarks in that landscape a bit later on and how they come together to make a complex web of a game in which you are the all-powerful spider.

The core gameplay of Galactic Mining Corp is very simplistic – it’s mining, but not like you know it. You control a drill the hovers mindlessly above an indifferent planet. That planet is made up of blocks, all the way down to the core. When you click, the drill moves towards the mouse pointer and mines everything in its path. Some of the blocks are easier to destroy than others and the harder they are to destroy, the more damage you do to the drill. If the drill loses all of its health you start again from the surface. If you manage to drill all the way down to the core, the planet levels up, making it deeper and more difficult on the next run. I think you can see why I found the game pretty boring in the first instance.

However, tick forward a few hours and I can see that that gameplay is the tip of a titanic-sinking iceberg. I’m not going to go into a huge amount of detail about the additional things you’re able to do but here are a few shaving from the iceberg to cool your tall drink of curiosity:

  • There’s a galaxy map – it costs gold to explore new sectors which have new intergalactic bodies to mine
  • When you get to the core of a planet you can spend those cores on unlockables, such as basic gold generation
  • The blocks you mine are collectable – once you have an amount of a block you can research it to help unlock new rooms
  • Rooms! – They give you upgrades to your drill. mostly multipliers for things like elemental damage (oh, some planets do elemental damage)
  • So much more, like SO much more

Every single step of the core gameplay has additional layers of complexity that progress you forward. Going for a mine unlocks an upgrade which then makes your next mining trip more efficient and that then continues exponentially until you’re auto-generating a literal tonne of gold every few seconds. Every single time you go out mining you want to rush back to base to see what that’s unlocked and then you immediately want to go out and try your new unlock in the field. Addictive is an understatement.

Galactic Mining Corp is one of those games that takes a little bit of perseverance to really hook you but, once it’s got its talons in you, it rewards you with a sweet rush of dopamine every single round. It’s a fantastic game to have on in the background when you’re listening to a podcast or similar and is definitely an addition to my ‘keeping my brain and hands busy for an hour’ game rotation.

Review: The Sinking City

Daniel Waite
-
0
Review: The Sinking City

It’s the 1920s, and the world is evolving with technology and new discoveries. Yet, many people are still old-fashioned and like to work traditionally. People have respect for the authorities but are suspicious of private detectives. Too many questions have them on edge, and they’d rather answer with their guns than their words. You get to experience this existence in a grim and dark tale in the world of The Sinking City.

Developed by Frogwares and published by Bigben Interactive, this is a seedy detective game set in a dank world. Inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft you experience a typical blend of weird ideas and horror creatures in his Cthulhu Mythos universe. It’s a typical gritty detective drama that firmly sticks with its American writer’s inspiration throughout.

Don’t spend a night in this motel.

The Sinking City tells a tale of new friends and sordid deals.

The Sinking City explores some bizarre and surreal subjects within its 1920s facade. You control a gruff ex-naval diver called Charles Reed. On leaving the forces, he became a private detective. Travelling around America he uses his special powers to solve mysteries, but these abilities have come at a cost. Visions haunt detective Reed and he dreams the same images every night and cannot solve the riddle. This makes him travel to Oakmount, Massachusetts, and this is where the tale begins.

Oakmount is a fictional island on the Eastern Seaboard. A great flood has decimated this once-bustling city, causing carnage and the roads to be partially swamped with water. This disaster brought together two different beings, and the locals hate the Innsmouthers a fishlike people and any newcomers that come to their city. You travel to this wrecked place to meet with Robert Throgmorton a half-man, half-ape being. It is reported that he knows what causes the visions in your head, but your visit hasn’t come at the most convenient of times. Only he can help you, but his knowledge and assistance come at a price. Luckily you have the skills to assist him.

A deeply detailed world full of mystery and jumpscares.

The first thing to strikes you is the level of detail in the surrounding areas. Bustling communities romp around the foggy, eerie streets. An array of buildings and houses form this sprawling metropolis, and the variety is truly breathtaking. You are forced to wander the water lined roads to progress through the many main and side quests you undertake. This was marvellous, to begin with, but as the game wore on it became tedious. So thank goodness for fast travel is all I’m going to say.

As you traverse the grey streets filled with merchants, beggars, and vehicles, you lose yourself in the oppressive atmosphere. You’ll become distracted by the high rising structures to then be scared half to death as monstrous creatures rise from the ground. These jumpscares got me every time, even though I knew they were coming. This was down to the Silent Hill and early Resident Evil elements that have been weaved into the aesthetics. I loved these elements and though it dated the gameplay slightly, it matched the sinister theme and 20s era perfectly.

Don’t allow the insanity to take hold.

Charles Reed: A detective like no other.

The protagonist is no ordinary man, and it wouldn’t be very Lovecraftian if he was. He can understand crime scenes by observing images from the past. He uses his Retrocognition to study items and piece together clues from any crimes he investigates. It was a fantastic way to play with the supernatural and was in keeping with the cosmic thoughts. Yet, like many other clues you are afforded, it’s cryptic in its approach and is extremely confusing to work with.

As you solve each crime, the resulting information is placed in your Mind Palace. Here you work through your findings, connecting the dots and coming up with allegations. Like most of the gameplay, this isn’t a simple yes or no response, instead, your decision impacts whether people live or die, or if you are a good or bad person. It was ingenious, added depth to the story, and made you consider every decision you made.

It was a shame that not all problems were enjoyable to solve. Many of the side quests and the research missions were confusing, with ambiguous cryptic clues to work out. There were many times where I had to guess my way to the answer, as I did not know what was required of me. It was unfortunate as no detective game should require blind guesswork to progress.

One of the many monsters you’ll face.

The Sunken City is disgustingly beautiful. 

No matter the problem solving, drawbacks with the cryptic clues, and other minor indiscretions, the surrounding world is oppressive and beautiful. Its vast and overbearing presence is intimidating and makes you want to explore it further. The variety found in each of the boroughs is fantastic and it ranges from disgusting slums with beggars and burning cars, infestations, and upmarket areas amongst the rubble. The design is truly breathtaking and looks incredible.

This doesn’t mean it’s without fault, as there were some glitches and duplication of NPCs. This was disappointing and took the shine off the final product. I wish the developers had spent some more time adding a range of character models. In its current form, the repetitive nature broke the immersive atmosphere immediately.

If the horrendous beauty of The Sinking City doesn’t capture your imagination, its striking audio and wonderful acting will. The era-specific music was great to hear and instantly transported you to this alternative fantasy horror world. The stunning sound effects helped to fill the void as you traversed vast areas. The screaming of the monsters, the mindless drivel from the NPCs and the environmental noises were all great.

To top it off, though, you are treated to some brilliant acting throughout. Every main character added layers of emotion and drama to the plot and every discussion and cutscene was a pleasure to experience.

Don’t enter the water.

Lethargic and dated combat. 

With the freedom to explore as you like, and many surfaces to climb over, up, and through, it was a good job the control system was simple to understand. Many sub-menus divide up the workload, making it easy to perform the required tasks. Whether you wanted to; make objects in the generous crafting section, scan the map, read through clues, or research in the archives, it was all stored in its own menu. 

It was simple to work through, and the button mapping was straightforward. Yet it was still problematic! Combat was painfully slow and was reminiscent of PlayStation One adventure games. It felt clumsy and underdeveloped and even when Charles was levelled up he was slow and underpowered. I had no expectations that he would become a superhero. It simply felt unrewarding. 

This is one of those detective games where the outcome doesn’t change, but the road to getting there can take many directions. This approach vastly increases the replay value and you’ll return to make alternative choices time and time again. With twenty to thirty hours of gameplay to work through, plenty of quests, and an amazing world to explore, this is great value for money. The moderately sized achievement list is challenging to complete. Those wishing to get them all will have to dedicate time and effort to the cause, increasing their playing time considerably. 

The Sinking City was a pleasant, if not weird, experience. 

I had no prior knowledge of The Sinking City when I started it, and my expectations were low. It’s fair to say I was pleasantly surprised, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time with it, even if it was bloody weird throughout. With a fantastic world to explore, excellent audio, deep and interesting characters, and a strange Lovecraftian inspired tale, this is a must-have game. Yes, it has its problems, but these fade into insignificance when weighed up against the positives. I loved it and recommend you buy it here! Odd visions, an eerie city, and untrusting locals make Oakmount an undesirable but necessary city to visit. Work with Robert Throgmorton, abide by his demands, and unravel the mysterious images in your mind. 

Review: Lacuna – A Sci-Fi Noir Adventure

Davide Roriz
-
0
Review: Lacuna – A Sci-Fi Noir Adventure

Lacuna – A Sci-Fi Noir Adventure is, from what I can tell, DigiTales Interactive first game, and they couldn’t have possibly made a better debut. Lacuna is an adventure game through and through. At first glance, it might look like a point & click adventure game, but the game plays nothing like it.

As someone who tends to avoid point & click adventure games, I found that Lacuna is probably the closest thing to what I’d consider being the perfect adventure game for people who don’t have the patience for point & click adventure games. Usually, I tend to avoid that type of games because I just don’t enjoy having to hunt for interactable things and attempting different combinations with a myriad of items that end up in my inventory just to solve a few puzzles. 

I kind of hate being unable to sit through an entire game like that, because there are a lot of them with pretty compelling universes and stories. Thankfully, Lacuna has none of that, as it takes a different approach to problem-solving, which is the perfect fit for people who are solely interested in experiencing a great story. We’ll talk more about that soon enough.

In Lacuna, you play as Neil, an agent of the Gharian Central Department of Investigation (CDI). The game takes place in an alternate universe during the mid-1800s, where Humanity has already colonized a few planets and moons in its solar system. Unfortunately, humans are still human, and so, despite having spread across the stars and being much more technologically advanced than us, they’re still plagued by greed, prejudice, and a great deal of social inequalities. 

On the surface, Lacuna’s story revolves around an ongoing political struggle for the independence of Drovia, a Gharian colony. However, as an agent of the CDI, you find yourself involved in a much deeper plot that’s tangled in a series of conspiracy theories and which implicates a multitude of persons of interest, each with their own agenda. I feel like if I was to be more specific, I’d probably end up spoiling part of the game for you, should you decide to play it, so I’ll say is that you can rest assured that there’s plenty of detective work to be done, crimes to solve, investigations to be conducted, and choices to be made.

Speaking of detective work, this is where Lacuna differs the most from other adventure games. Instead of relying on puzzle-solving that is done through actual in-game puzzles involving different items and combinations like a lot of games, Lacuna’s problem-solving is directly tied to the game’s narrative. In essence, you’ll find yourself investigating different situations and trying to learn more about certain individuals and cases. At the end of these investigations, you’ll eventually have to submit a report about your findings, where you have to pick a series of options according to what you learned. However, while the game does provide enough clues for you to learn what really happened, you have to piece things together by yourself by studying the evidence, which makes the game much more engaging because you can completely come to the wrong conclusion and you’ll have to deal with the consequences.

Nonetheless, these reports aren’t the only choices that you’ll be making as you play the game. You’ll also run into people who are facing their own troubles. They might be able and willing to help in your investigation or not, depending on what you decide to do for them. Will you follow the law, stick to protocol, and ignore their pleas for help, or will you turn a blind eye and do a good deed? If so, did you help them just to get access to the information that they had, or did you do it as an unreciprocated act of kindness? These are all questions that I asked myself while playing the game.

The writing and the unfolding of the narrative are the starts of the show in Lacuna. The game really gets you thinking. You know that a game is really good and compelling when it makes you think hard about the choices that you’re about to make. Some of these choices are even on a timer, so you have to make up your mind fast. Obviously, these dialogue choices aren’t just for show. They affect how the story plays out and, to some degree, this does leave room for at least a second playthrough.

Now, to be honest, there are a few things that I don’t particularly like about Lacuna. For example, although the game does give the player freedom in terms of dialogue choices, everything else about the game is pretty linear. Each level is essentially just a series of corridors that you traverse as you progress, so there is barely any exploration. Furthermore, even though the controls aren’t bad, I feel like the game could’ve used a simpler control scheme. Instead of having to use the WASD keys to move around, using the mouse to click to move would probably feel much better. On top of that, holding the Shift key allows you to sprint, and I honestly can’t tell why you’d ever want to walk in this game, so why not just make it default instead of forcing players to hold down that key the entire time?

In any case, every complaint that I can think of is just way too small and nearly insignificant when you compare it to the game as a whole. I found myself completely immersed in the game’s narrative to the point where I completely lost track of time as I was playing the game. It took me about 5.5 hours to beat the game, and I thoroughly enjoyed every single moment of it.

I highly recommend Lacuna if you’re into narrative-driven games, and if you aren’t, then I’d still recommend that you at least check the free Prologue. Between your entire arc of Neil, the characters that you meet throughout your journey, the intrigue surrounding the world, the city views, or even the news reports that you can read on your cell (smartphone), there’s just so much good stuff in here to take in and appreciate.

Review: Siege of Avalon Anthology

Frances Addison
-
0
Review: Siege of Avalon Anthology

I want to open this review by saying, before we go any further, that if you are someone who enjoys watching a story unfold or who misses the late 90s/early 00s surge of isometric RPGs, then please go and play Siege of Avalon Anthology. This game has its faults without a doubt and I’ll be digging into them here, but behind the surface issues there is a brilliant story that was so beloved by its fans that two decades after it was first released, it has been rebuilt from the ground up by community developers. I’m not going to be spoiling the story here so you can read on if you want to know more, but please don’t let my nitpicks put you off a fantastic game.

Siege of Avalon was initially published in 2000 in six separate chapters, then was later re-released as a single product with ‘Anthology’ tacked onto the end of its name. Told via an isometric point-and-click setup, the fantasy story places you at the heart of a war, desperately trying to defend the titular citadel of Avalon from the hordes of Sha’ahoul while beset by betrayals and deceptions.

After a simple character select screen to choose your gender, your class (Fighter, Scout, or Magician), and your starting stats, players are greeted by a handful of pages of text explaining the general state of the war and that you are travelling to Avalon to find your brother. From there, you’ll find yourself bouncing between quests and commanders as the story spirals out organically from trying to save your now-missing sibling to personally juggling the fate of the world itself. Unlike modern RPGs, players aren’t given many opportunities to make decisions for themselves, but the story and characters are compelling enough that just watching it unfold is a joy in and of itself.

Without any voice acting, players are going to be faced with a lot of reading, particularly at the beginning, but an effort has clearly been made to keep things as to the point as possible without sacrificing the atmosphere the developers were shooting for. Backing it up is a decent soundtrack, which changes depending on the area you’re in and can do a lot of the heavy lifting when trying to set the mood.

More than anything what this game succeeds at is immersion. Every character that you speak to – of which there are hundreds – feels like a real person with a place in this world, and you can find out bits and pieces about almost everyone. After years of playing games like Skyrim or Breath of the Wild where all guards say more or less the same thing unless they’re part of a particular quest, I found that there was a huge amount of joy to be found in chatting with the wide array of characters inhabiting the kingdom of Avalon. The game world isn’t large in comparison to more modern titles, but in my experience, there was more substance to be found here than in games ten times its size.

That’s the good, and I really can’t stress enough how good most of this game is. However, it’s not a perfect title and this wouldn’t be a fair review if I didn’t explain its downsides too, so:

The biggest issue Siege of Avalon Anthology has is a product of age, and it’s not what you might expect. Let me demonstrate with my first experience of this game: I started up a new game having never seen any gameplay footage. I chose a Scout character and upon getting control of her, I was almost immediately handed a bow and quiver that my character was insufficiently strong to wield, though I could equip it. I set that aside as a problem for later, and instead followed the quest line down to a training yard of sorts and was told to attack a target; I dutifully clicked on it and my character ran up to hit it with her fists.

At the time, I shrugged it off. I’d already been told that I wasn’t strong enough to wield the bow properly, so I assumed this was the game’s way of showing that. Perhaps having the bow equipped gave me a minor damage boost but I couldn’t use it at range – with no experience to draw off and nothing in the game giving me better directions, I had no reason to believe I was doing anything wrong.

My conviction wobbled a little once I started fighting actual enemies and I realised I was doing a pitiful amount of damage when they were capable of taking out half my health bar in a single blow. Still, the game didn’t give me any hints. I am not exaggerating when I say that I spent hours playing Siege of Avalon Anthology like this, chipping away at my enemies’ health while I darted in and out of their attacks, unable to take more than two hits before I was bounced back to the menu screen and had to start over. I became a master of dodging, of running back and forth to the infirmary, of extreme patience as I hacked my way through a village of soldiers inexplicably more powerful than me. I levelled up enough to properly equip my bow and saw no change; I kept going all the same. By that point I had invested so much time in such punishing gameplay that I refused to give up.

It wasn’t until I did a quick internet search for controls – for an entirely unrelated issue, as it happens – that I discovered the truth. The reason I was doing so little damage while taking so much is that your character doesn’t receive their equipment bonuses and abilities unless they enter combat mode, done by pressing the space bar.

Siege of Avalon Anthology never tells you this. There is no prompt, nothing to indicate you might be doing something wrong, no in-game character to break the fourth wall and give you a clue. I was so sure that I must have missed a text prompt somewhere that I started a new game just to be sure, but I still saw nothing. 

Some of the game’s dungeons can be punishingly dark, but bumping up your screen brightness solves most of the problem

Now, it’s possible that you’re supposed to work this out based on the fact that you can’t see your character’s weapon until they enter combat mode, but that’s not exactly bulletproof reasoning. For one, you can see your character’s shield, should they have one equipped, while outside of combat and it’s not outside the realms of possibility that the weapon hand could have simply glitched. Secondly, anyone like me who hasn’t watched any gameplay isn’t necessarily going to assume that you’re meant to be able to see the weapon in the first place.

The heart of the issue here is that Siege of Avalon’s original design, all the way back in 2000, relied on something that doesn’t exist in the realm of digital gaming: a manual. Games of old could trust that players would read the little instruction books that accompanied each release, meaning that they didn’t need to put explicit directions within the game itself. I haven’t been able to get hold of a Siege of Avalon manual, but I’m willing to bet that if I did, I would find a page explaining what combat mode is and how to activate it, as well as perhaps something explaining how to toggle the game’s x-ray mode that inexplicably defaults to off (hit X, by the way, if you’ve not stumbled across this yourself).

Finding out these controls existed utterly transformed my time with this game. I went from inching my way through an area to hacking and slashing a mile-wide swathe through the enemy forces with a blood-thirsty grin on my face. It is to the game’s credit that despite my deeply incorrect and fiercely punishing way of playing it was still engaging enough to keep me interested, but a lot more could have been done in this re-release to smooth out the learning curve.

There are a few other ways in which this lack of in-game guidance manifests itself. While there is a map for each area, there aren’t quest markers to point the way to where you need to get to. Instead, you’ll have to listen to what characters tell you and follow their directions. In terms of creating immersion, this system is brilliant, and you can find yourself noticing the smallest of details of world design as you figure out your way forwards. However, it can backfire whenever the instructions you are given either aren’t clear or simply aren’t accurate. The most noticeable of these for me was the bridge between Act I and II, wherein the only instruction you are given is to return to your quarters to sleep when what the game actually wants you to do is go to a heretofore unseen part of the castle and speak to the commander who just asked you to go to bed. How players were meant to figure this out in 2000 without easy access to an online guide, I have no idea.

Outside of the game’s design, there are a few quirks worth noting. Most frustrating to me was that the game would consistently crash moments after I opened it for the first time after a PC restart, although the issue was always fixed by force closing it and starting again. Similarly, the player character’s pathfinding leaves a little to be desired, and sometimes requires very precise guidance to navigate tight spaces.

One particularly amusing mistake – or perhaps very progressive creative choice? – is that even having chosen a female character model, all characters will refer to you as male. While this might be a limitation introduced by the age of the game, it is possible for NPCs to refer to you by your chosen name so it seems strange that other dialogue choices weren’t similarly interchangeable.

This was one of the first dialogue boxes my female character Katrina was faced with

As I said at the start, these are all very minor issues and once I got past my one-woman war against the controls, I can’t stress how much fun I had with Siege of Avalon Anthology. Even setting aside the nostalgia brought about by returning to such a beloved era of gaming, this game has a story that is well worth the time investment it asks for and the level of immersion it manages to achieve with such low technological demands is truly impressive. I would recommend that anyone with even the slightest interest in fantasy games gives this one a look – just make sure to look up the controls first.

Review: Hood: Outlaws and Legends

Alex Chessun
-
0
Review: Hood: Outlaws and Legends

As I start to play Hood: Outlaws and Legends I’m struck by two questions: how would people from medieval times think about their extensive coverage in video games and how many online-only action PS4 games require a PlayStation Plus subscription and have a price tag attached to it? As I ponder the former, it turns out that there’s only a handful for the latter and even fewer with this theme.

As someone who isn’t particularly a fan of online-only service games, partly as I’ll have nothing to show for it when the plug is pulled on the project, Hood already has less room to win me over. As is the case for service games, however, the development is an iterative process and they are rarely in any significant state of completion like most offline-focused physical games.

Hood: Outlaws and Legends‘ format is PVPVE (Player vs Player vs Environment) with two teams of 4 players aiming to pull off a heist before the other on a computer-controlled map concealing a treasure chest. You need to find the treasure and then extract it in the slowest way known to man, by carrying it to a winch and then lifting it to victory – with a process that requires two people and leaves you as sitting targets. Your team can capture respawn hubs to keep your rivals within reach and prevent their victory.

There is a story attached to this game – or at least there’s one in its description online – but you’ll be none the wiser of it, with your loadout base and a menu for the title’s 2 modes the only information provided to you. After the completion of a map any spoils are divided between your own pockets and ‘the people’ with the game potentially trying to go down a Robin Hood route, but disappointingly this only affects your character upgrades.

With the simplistic structure providing not much of an impression, you’d expect the meat of the game – the characters, customization and gameplay – to deliver, but you’re met with generic action, with each character given a melee, special move and assassination button, but none of it feels more developed than an expendable feature consigned to a DLC release. The 4 characters at your disposal have a standard mix of styles – stealth, brute force and short/long range attacks – but despite this, they are balanced poorly overall with one character who can completely dominate the rest of the field.

Outside of the minimalist features, the visuals are quite nice, with environments dimly lit and players given a God of War off-center close-up camera angle and shaky camera movement. Unfortunately, its implementation with the attacking physics make your attacks feel loose and inaccurate with depth perception particularly difficult, and I was never quite sure when contact and how much damage had been made with my attacks. Perhaps linked to the previous issue is the seemingly varying damage that your moves will have on the same enemies, as was I sometimes able to one-shot kill AI characters with an arrow to the head and then in others only able to achieve half damage despite being a similar distance away.

The mediocre and bland action isn’t aided by the restricted game mode which lacks creativity and more than one way to achieve the same goal resulting in games inevitably breaking out into a moshpit of death when the treasure has been procured by one of the teams.

The computer-controlled enemies , the incumbents of the area, consist of knights, archers and a god-like sherrif (who also has the keys to the vault that contain the treasure) and seem like a perfect inclusion for the Player vs Environment map, but for PvPvE, they seem like a third wheel, eager to butt in the conversation, and are far from welcome. Chances are they were included as 8 players on the map are too few, and without the AI, the players might feel a little short-changed.

Another reason they might have been included is that they are one way/the only way for newcomers to get gain experience as there is no decent matchmaking system. I was regularly matched with teams of an average of level 80+ and rarely stood a chance. Even when I thought I was improving, players would look at my rating and leave the lobby prior to starting a match. This issue is far from unique to Hood, but its effect is magnified when it’s sometimes hard to even find a match of 8 people in the main mode and the other mode’s lobby is always completely empty.

While updates do come quite regularly, placing the fate of the game on yet-to-be-released content when the base game has such an average gameplay loop and no variety is quite the risk on part of the developer. Essentially, Hood has been released in early access and is exploiting the games as a service model, providing 25% of a game and the remaining 75% of the actual game as ‘extra content’ in the future – like you’ve gone to a car wash and are told that the soap won’t be coming for another 8 months. One can only hope then that the 3 seasons of planned content provide the quantity and quality currently lacking and arrive sooner than the already dwindling player base departs.

Review: Nacon Pro Compact Xbox Contoller

Andrew Edney
-
0
Review: Nacon Pro Compact Xbox Contoller

Here is our review of the Nacon Pro Compact Xbox Controller.

Designed for Xbox, it is a versatile wired controller offering great ergonomics for all types of players, as well as a comprehensive range of settings usually found on professional peripherals.

Free Dolby Atmos for Headphones automatic activation in Dolby app included.

Product specifications

Wired controller for the Xbox console
Asymmetric stick, 38° amplitude
3.5mm jack socket for headset
Controller that can be can configured with its interface Rear switch to select your personalised profile
Built-in 3m USB cable
Compatible with Xbox console and PC
Height x width x depth: 154 x 97 x 48 mm
Cable length: 3 m approx.

What’s in the box?

The box contains the pro controller and some paperwork.

A Closer Look

Final Thoughts

The Nacon Pro Compact Xbox Controller can be used on either an Xbox or a Windows PC.

The controller looks like an Xbox controller with all the usual buttons, including the Share button.

The controller is comfortable to hold, especially for long periods of time. There is 3 metres of cable connecting the controller to the Xbox so that should give you plenty of room to get comfortable. The controller itself is around 15% smaller than a standard controller too.

There is a Pro Compact Companion App that can be downloaded in order to customise the controller to your personal preferences. These customisations include programming the buttons, stick settings, vibrations and even adjusting the sensitivity of the triggers. You get to play how you want to play.

There is a switch on the rear of the controller to easily select between the standard controller profile and your personal profile.

The controller also supports Dolby Atmos, which is included with the controller so there is nothing extra to pay for. Download the Dolby Atmos app, plug in your headphones and away you go! You now get beautiful Dolby Atmos surround sound on supported games.

If you are looking for a new controller to give you that edge, then take a look at the Nacon Pro Compact Xbox Controller, it won’t let you down.

The Nacon Pro Compact Xbox Controller is available now priced around £44.99 and comes in white or black.

You can learn more from the Nacon website.

Review: nolii Set System Power Bank

Andrew Edney
-
0
Review: nolii Set System Power Bank

Here is our review of the nolii Set System Power Bank with integrated Lightning cable.

We’ve all been there. Your battery’s gone flat, you reach for your power bank only to realise you forgot to charge it. Duh.

Enter Set Battery. It charges your power bank as you charge your phone. Attached by simple magnets, simply grab Set’s lightweight portable battery when you’re going out the door for on-demand power. It’s got a handy integrated Lightning cable and USB-A port to charge up your devices anytime and anywhere.

What’s in the box?

The box contains both pieces to the nolii set – the plug and the power bank. It also contains some paperwork and a nice carry bag.

A Closer Look

The plug:

The power bank:

Combined:

The size of the power bank:

Final Thoughts

The nolii Set Battery comes in two pieces – the power bank itself, which is lightweight and fits in the palm of your hand, and the plug part that connects to the power bank using magnets. The two pieces simply click together with no effort at all.

The power bank comes with an integrated Lightning cable if you want to charge your iPhone or iPad and there is a USB connector to if you want to connect a USB cable to charge anything else.

There are four lights on the side of the power bank to show roughly how much charge is left in it.

Charging it is simple – click the two pieces together and plug into a plug socket and wait, the battery charges very quickly.

You get around two full charges of an iPhone 11 or 12, so that gives you an idea of how much the 6700mAh battery holds, and for other devices you will probably get more.

The power bank is made of soft touch silicone so it feels nice to hold in your hand, and it looks good too.

If you are looking for a smart looking power bank then look no further than the nolii Set System!

The nolii Set System Power Bank with integrated Lightning cable is available now priced around £59.99 and is available in three different colours.

You can learn more from the nolii website.

Review: Just Die Already

Daniel Waite
-
0
Review: Just Die Already

No matter the generation you belong to, you’ll have an opinion on the other age groups. There is a massive cultural divide and this creates rifts and misunderstandings to form. Just Die Already from the creators of Goat Simulator explores this issue and focuses on the gaps between the boomers and the millennials.

Developed by Double Moose Games and published by Curve Digital, this is an old person mayhem sandbox game. You must take on the role of an elderly person who has broken free of their retirement prison and is now looking to fulfil their bucket list. Like Goat Simulator, it’s mindless fun that is filled with; comedic moments, stupidity, and violence.

Running around like a headless chicken.

Just Die Already is silly, absurd, and kinda pointless in a good way.

With no story to focus on and mindless tasks to undertake, Just Die Already feels pointless. Not in a bad way, it’s just you are given little guidance in order to progress. You wander around a large open-world map with the freedom to do as you wish. You can; play sports, drive vehicles, explore buildings, taunt or attack people, and more. With no real aim, the fun and shenanigans keep you playing.

Your bucket list shows your quests, whether it’s; losing limbs, jumping from buildings, eating food, electrocuting yourself or others, there is always something whacky to do. As you venture around the map, further areas unlock that increase the quests found within the bucket list.

I enjoyed that exploration was rewarded with more crazy tasks and this gave a rather shallow game a sense of depth. “What is the point of the tasks?” You may think! Completing the missions rewards you with items and vouchers. The items vary from; swords, axes, guns, and clothing. They are used to create havoc and maim the millennials. The tickets buy what a boomer desires most….. a free retirement.

Flying boomers.

Boomers vs millennials, a rivalry for the ages.

The millennials are a selfish bunch! They refuse to work instead they spend their time playing video games. No one is earning money and the pension pot is drying up. The retirement funds have run out, leaving the boomers to fend for themselves. This simply won’t do and the boomers must fight back while retiring for free. It’s tough, silly, and a little absurd, but this is a rivalry for the ages.

Like Goat Simulator, the protagonists have a looseness and fluidity to their movement. This lack of rigidity made playing the opening stages very frustrating but also amusing. With free rein in your virtual life, you are left to your own devices. This caused you to make repeated mistakes. You’d lose limbs, be beaten up and get into all sorts of trouble. Even when you get to grips with the mechanics you quickly realise that silliness and absurdity is the name of the game.

Just Die Already has a nice cartoon style.

If you love large cartoon worlds that contain many vivid colours and characters to interact with, then you’ll adore Just Die Already. Its crisp lines and unusual character models are great to look at, as are the variety of zones hidden within one city. You’ll discover; Zen gardens, a temple, a sports area, and more. It was brilliant how the developers crammed so much stuff into one open-world map.

The madness was enhanced with a blend of songs and styles. Each zone has its own sound that was perhaps a little clichéd. But the audio worked wonders and represented the crazy theme. Random sound effects emphasised the strangeness of this title. The humans made odd sounds, and each object was accompanied by an OTT noise. It was absolute madness, but I enjoyed every moment.

A boomer with a sword, what could go wrong?

Boomers would never be easy to control.

With jelly-like bodies and slow and painful movement to endure, controlling the boomers would never be easy. With both hands working independently and losing limbs a real possibility, no task was ever straightforward. It takes a bit of getting used to and along the way you’ll feel frustrated. But once you are familiar with it, it’ll make you smile more than you will scream.

Perhaps the goal of free retirement is the focus of this game. Yet, even with that in mind, I could only stomach this casually. I played for one to two hours, and my attention began drifting. Those short bites of action were great but any more and I lost interest.

These small chunks worried me its longevity and desirability simply weren’t there! So, when I read about a PVP upgrade, I was intrigued. Four boomers fighting to the death will add mountains of replay value and was a clever move from Double Moose Games.

Just Die Already is the sandbox game you never knew you wanted!

Just Die Already is ridiculously silly, and it doesn’t take itself seriously. With a large open world to explore, whacky tasks to complete and millennials to avoid, this is a casual title that’ll make you chuckle. I enjoyed it in short bursts and recommend you buy it here! With no retirement fund, you must fend for yourself! Become a boomer and argue and fight with anyone that disagrees with you. 

Your Honor Coming to DVD Monday

Andrew Edney
-
0
Your Honor Coming to DVD Monday

Oscar nominee and Emmy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Tony Award winner Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”) headlines the riveting SHOWTIME drama YOUR HONOR, available on DVD and to Download & Keep on the 31st May from CBS Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment. The three-disc DVD collection features all 10 heart-pounding episodes and exclusive, never-before-seen deleted scenes.
 
YOUR HONOR had the biggest debut season in SHOWTIME history, consistently gaining viewership since its debut in December 2020.  The show follows Judge Michael Desiato (Cranston) as he treads carefully through a high-stakes game of lies, deceit and impossible choices after his teenage son, Adam (Hunter Doohan, “Truth Be Told”), is involved in a hit-and-run incident. Unbeknownst to Adam, the victim is the son of much-feared crime boss Jimmy Baxter (Michael Stuhlbarg, Call Me By Your Name) and his wife, Gina (Emmy® and Golden Globe®nominee Hope Davis, The Special Relationship), who might be even more dangerous than her husband.
 
The series also stars Carmen Ejogo (Selma), Isiah Whitlock Jr. (BlacKkKlansman), and Sofia Black-D’Elia (“The Night Of”). Guest stars include Golden Globe® winner Maura Tierney (“The Affair”), Amy Landecker (“Transparent”), Margo Martindale (“The Americans”), Lorraine Toussaint (“Orange Is the New Black”), Chet Hanks (“Empire”), Lamar Johnson (The Hate U Give) and Lilli Kay (“Chambers”).

Ubisoft Reveal First Look at ‘Far Cry 6’ Gameplay

Sean McCarthy
-
0
Ubisoft Reveal First Look at ‘Far Cry 6’ Gameplay

It has been a long wait since the original release date for Far Cry 6 was delayed but now Ubisoft are ready to reveal the first look at both the gameplay and cast of characters for perhaps the most anticipated entry in the series, especially for me. Im just hoping I get to use a bow once more and continue my “Oliver Queen – World Freedom Fighter” style of playing Far Cry!

https://youtu.be/YFMLi8ekeTE

Get your first look at Dani Rojas, and learn about the modern guerrillas from Far Cry 6 now! The main hero Dani is customisable for the player who can chose between a male or female gender and visual look for the main hero of the story. Dani is a local Yaran, defending their country from a tyrant’s rule. Join the revolution to push back against the oppressive regime of dictator Anton Castillo and his teenage son Diego, brought to life by Hollywood stars Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian, Breaking Bad) and Anthony Gonzalez (Coco)

In Far Cry 6, players are immersed in the adrenaline-filled, chaotic world of a modern-day guerrilla revolution. Welcome to Yara, a tropical paradise frozen in time. As dictator of Yara, Anton Castillo is intent on restoring his nation back to its former glory by any means, with his son, Diego, following in his bloody footsteps. Become a guerrilla fighter and burn their regime to the ground.

https://youtu.be/ILHFhLjIXpY

For the first time in Far Cry, experience a sprawling capital city: Esperanza, the most expansive Far Cry playground to date. Take down Anton in the seat of his power by staying hidden or engaging Anton’s army in an all-out firefight in the streets. From taking the reins of a horse to commandeering a tank, choose your favourite ride to fight against the regime or to just travel Yara in style.

Far Cry 6 will be releasing on October 7th, 2021 for PC and consoles.

Visit the official channels for more Far Cry: https://far-cry.ubisoft.com/ https://www.facebook.com/farcry.usa https://www.instagram.com/farcrygame_us/ https://twitter.com/FarCrygame https://youtube.com/ubisoftNA

Sumire now available on Switch and PC

Andrew Edney
-
0
Sumire now available on Switch and PC
Developer GameTomo has announced its vibrant narrative adventure game Sumire is now available for Switch and PC via Steam for $14.99. Both versions will be on sale with a 10% discount until June 3rd, along with an art book and original soundtrack bundle on Steam for 20% off.



Set in a picturesque Japanese village, the title, featured in Nintendo Japan’s Indie World, follows a disenchanted girl named Sumire who must embark on a one-day journey to see the spirit of her grandmother again. As Sumire encounters mischievous guides, magical forest creatures, and quirky townspeople, players will make irreversible choices that unlock one of multiple endings when the day’s sky fades from twilight blue to evening violet.

Sumire is a game about choice and regret. As the morning gradually unfurls into afternoon and night, our protagonist will come to terms with decisions she’s made that have affected her life and the lives of those around her,” says Michael Ely, Director at GameTomo. “We’re excited to witness players interpret Sumire’s journey in their own way, transforming a life unlived into a dream come true.”

Sumire will be able to accept or refuse requests from a variety of characters along her trip. The words spoken or actions taken during these meetings will grant players positive or negative karma, which in turn determine how the day ends. Fans should mull over their choices wisely, as Sumire may not come across the same opportunity twice.
Sumire is now available for Switch and PC via Steam for $14.99 with a 10% discount until June 3rd. The game’s soundtrack and artbook are also respectively available on Steam for $5.99 and $3.99 or for $19.97 as a bundle with the game. 

Review: Crashlands

Michael Hoade
-
0
Review: Crashlands

A quirky space odyssey:

–

There is something to be said for the way in which Crashlands manages to charm you almost instantly; with its quirky, bright presentation and endearing dialogue. A quick quip about a USB stick minutes into the game, quickly set the precedent for Crashlands distinct tone and undeniable charm. And the light chuckle the quip elicited drew me in instantly. 

You play as Flux, who alongside sidekick Juicebox, work as intergalactic delivery people. A simple – if a bit dull premise – is quickly undercut by your spaceship being attacked, and resorting to you crashing down on a nearby planet. This sets in motion the simple, but appropriate motivation for the gameplay loop. 

As a game, Crashlands is a bit of a mashup of different genres, but primarily you will spend your time chopping, crafting and building. Where the game excels is in how it manages to deliver a satisfying experience across multiple genres. 

The crafting system is deep, and the dialogue provides a regular source of entertainment. The story itself isn’t anything special, but the sheer variety of different characters you meet along the way, as well as the bond between the two main protagonists, provide enough memorable moments to add to the solid gameplay.

One of the game’s strengths is the sheer fluidity of its resource gathering – and subsequent crafting – loop. Menus are simple; fast travel in the form of teleportation pads speeds up the process, and these quality of life aspects help to alleviate from the potentially ‘repetitive’ nature of the gameplay. After all, Crashlands can offer a solid 40+ hours of gameplay with just the main story, and a bit of exploration.

Also – I appreciate having no inventory limit.

That being said, the crafting system alone isn’t enough – in my opinion – to sustain interest throughout a playthrough. So, what else does Crashlands have to offer?

Combat, pets and other adventures:

–

Crashlands’ bright presentation, comical characters and simple gameplay loop might be a bit misleading. There is danger here. You are trying to survive, after all.

Combat in Crashlands is fundamentally simple: each alien foe has a zone that they will hit(marked on the map) and your job is to dodge, weave and then whack them with whatever makeshift weapon you currently have. The bull headed, elephant footed ‘Wompit’ creatures are going to be your first adversary. They hop around and can hit you with an AoE attack. As the game progresses, you will take on increasingly tough foes and even bosses. 

Besides the occasional boss fights, and generally great visual designs, enemies in Crashlands aren’t all that interesting to fight. Combat feels clunky, which contrasted with the fluidity of the gathering / crafting systems, makes it feel tacked on; just ‘something else to do’.

However, one system that I found really engaging was Crashlands’ take on ‘Pokemon’ style breeding. 

When you defeat a monster, they will sometimes drop an egg, which you can then craft in an incubator. After a certain length of time, the egg will hatch and Flux will become the proud owner of a new ‘pet’. These pets can follow a few simple commands, including having them support you in combat.

I found the process of attaining eggs and breeding new pets to be a lot more satisfying than the combat, and it was beneficial to have something different to engage with.

One last thing to mention is the game’s side quests. During exploration, you will meet many different characters who need your help. Yes, unsurprisingly in a crafting centred game, most of these quests involve ‘gathering something’(or fetching, even…).

We are not looking at Witcher 3 levels of engagement here, but most of these side quests offer valuable rewards in the form of new crafting recipes. Having these new recipes also helps with story progression, and thankfully the volume of these quests is pretty modest – especially considering the games length. 

Fine in small doses:

–

I think the most important thing to be aware of when it comes to Crashlands, is that this game was originally a mobile title. And, by nature of mobile gaming; Crashlands is best experienced in small doses. 

By playing it this way, the game’s charm and solid crafting systems are less hindered by the inevitable repetitive grind that comes with mobile titles. Crashlands fundamentally isn’t going to suddenly win you over 10/15/20 hours in with new layers of gameplay or magnificent story developments. 

But, if you’re looking for a relaxing, intuitive title littered with personality and charm – Crashlands is a solid – if unremarkable option. 

All the Trailers and News from SEGA’s “Sonic Central” revealing Sonic’s 30th Anniversary Plans

Sean McCarthy
-
0
All the Trailers and News from SEGA’s “Sonic Central” revealing Sonic’s 30th Anniversary Plans

Announcing new console experiences, Sonic Colors: Ultimate and Sonic Rangers, further details on Netflix’s Sonic Prime, mobile news, musical events and much more!

Yesterday, in honor of Sonic the Hedgehog’s 30th anniversary, SEGA hosted the first-ever “Sonic Central” livestream event, broadcasted on the official Sonic the Hedgehog YouTube and Twitch channels. During the celebratory event, SEGA revealed a plethora of upcoming entertainment experiences starring the Blue Blur himself. The stream kicked off with the creators of the upcoming Netflix animated series Sonic Prime. While no celebration would be complete without a little music, SEGA unveiled that they will be celebrating Sonic’s 30th anniversary with a live orchestra event on June 23rd featuring music from Sonic games over the last 30 years with a special preview coming during Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest Kickoff Live! on June 10, with special guest performances by Crush 40 and Tomoya Ohtani.

Following the opening segment, SEGA jumped into the medium where it all began, with a slew of supersonic gaming-related announcements bringing the Blue Blur to the following console, PC, and mobile experiences this year:

  • Sonic Colors: Ultimate & Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps: SEGA revealed Sonic Colors: Ultimate, an adrenaline-pumping remaster of the beloved 2010 platformer, Sonic Colors, alongside a colorful debut trailer here. Sonic Colors: Ultimate is set to release both digitally and physically on PlayStation®4, Microsoft Xbox® One and Nintendo Switch™, with a digital-only release on PC via the Epic Game Store on September 7, 2021. Fans can pre-order Sonic Colors: Ultimate today here to receive the exclusive “Baby Sonic” keychain and other bonus items. In addition, SEGA unveiled a teaser to the two-part animation series, Sonic Colors: Rise of the Wisps, the first short-form animation featuring full dialogue and a voice cast including the return of legendary Sonic voice actor, Roger Craig Smith.
  • Sonic Origins: SEGA is working on a new compiled series that includes Sonic the Hedgehog 1, 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles as well as Sonic CD. Fans who are looking for a nostalgic gameplay experience can check out these classic hits for some non-stop Sonic action and fresh content, with more information coming soon.
  • NewSonic Team Game: Get ready to take on a new journey in the next flagship Sonic title from Sonic Team, the team that brought you Sonic Generations and Sonic Forces.
  • Tokyo 2020: Sonic is headed to the Olympic Games! Dress up your Avatar as Sonic and compete in 18 fun-filled Olympic events in Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 – The Official Video Game™, coming to all platforms on June 22nd and available for pre-order today.
  • Platform Expansions: This year Sonic is more available than ever with Sonic Mania and Team Sonic Racing now available on Amazon Luna. In addition, on June 1st – Sonic Forces, Team Sonic Racing and Sonic Mania Are coming to PlayStation Now! And later in the month on June 24th Sonic Mania will be available on the Epic Game Store.
  • Mobile Game Special Events: Sonic Forces: Speed Battle mobile will get a very special character, allowing players to harness the power of Chaos Emeralds and blast into battle as Super Sonic, with private races coming later this year as part of a limited-time event. In Sonic Dash, players can sail into a special pirate-themed party and unlock Pirate Sonic and Captain Shadow, collecting other prizes along the way. Sonic Racing is bringing in the classic feel, with classic characters, cars and three new tracks in a classic zone, along with some old school remixes. Finally, this October, prepare for a fright as the Warehog bounds into Sonic Forces and Sonic Dash. Look out for his arrival around Halloween and Unleash your power!

Additionally, to celebrate the 30th Anniversary, Sonic will be making a few special cameos in several other games, including:

  • Two Point Hospital: Build up a hospital from nothing to a masterpiece, this time complete with exclusive Sonic in-game items, character customization options and hospital decor. Swap staff outfits to celebrate Sonic’s 30th, with items available in-game for free on July 22.

But there are more ways to celebrate! SEGA revealed a lineup of commemorative merchandise to celebrate the 30th anniversary that Sonic fans can cherish for years to come.

  • Licensed Products: SEGA will be collaborating with a robust list partners throughout the year to create brand new Sonic products, including exciting items like a Giant Eggman Robot playset from JAKKS Pacific Inc., a full-color hardcover Sonic encyclopedia from Dark Horse and more. As part of Sonic’s 30th celebration, IDW will release a special super-sized 80-page comic book featuring three tales of colorful heroes and dastardly villains. Commemorative 30th Anniversary gold and silver coins will also be available this year from APMEX.

To stay current on Sonic the Hedgehog news, follow Sonic on Twitter and Instagram, like him on Facebook, and subscribe to the Twitch channel and the YouTube channel. For more information, please visit www.sonicthehedgehog.com.

Dying Light 2 Gameplay and Release Date Revealed in Special Event

Sean McCarthy
-
0
Dying Light 2 Gameplay and Release Date Revealed in Special Event

Dying Light 2 Stay Human, will be released on December 7. The announcement was made during the first episode of Dying 2 Know, a unique and immersive in-game web series diving deep into the world of the game. Techland also launched pre-orders, available here.

The entire episode of Dying 2 Know (D2K) was filled with the latest news about Dying Light 2, including a unique gameplay trailer, which showcased the current state of the game and a story background. What is important, even players who haven’t played the first game in the series can delve into the world of Dying Light 2 Stay Human and fully enjoy it.

Pre-orders have just been launched, so each gamer can find an edition with unique content that suits them the best. There are three retail editions available: Standard, Deluxe and Collector’s, and three digital editions: Standard, Deluxe and Ultimate. Everyone who pre-orders any version of the game will receive an exclusive digital Reload Pack, featuring a unique outfit, weapon, and paraglider skins. More details about all available editions and its unique content can be found here, including the lavish Collector’s Edition of Dying Light 2 Stay Human. Pre-order your preferred edition right now and don’t forget that stock for the Collector’s Edition won’t last long!

The world of Dying Light is huge and for those players who have yet to experience it, Techland has prepared a Platinum Edition of Dying Light. It contains all DLC that has been released so far, at a best value, available on Steam, GOG, PlayStation Store (available only for PlayStation Plus members) and Microsoft Store. Right now is the best time to sink into Harran and learn the fate of Kyle Crane.

For those players who want to get more insight and updates on the Dying Light universe, Techland is working on Techland Gamers & Goodies. More information about it will be revealed soon!

Dying Light 2 Stay Human published by Techland launches December 7 on all platforms. Pre-orders will be available today via dyinglightgame.com/preorder. PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 versions will be available from 9:30 PM CEST, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S from 10:00 PM CEST.

Band together with fellow survivors on Discord, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

1...340341342...1,616Page 341 of 1,616