Review: Tennis World Tour 2

Daniel Waite
-
0
Review: Tennis World Tour 2

When you purchase a sports title these days, you know exactly what you are going to get. In-depth single player modes allow gamers to forget the online slog and concentrate on making the star player or team of their dreams. Online play connects friends and strangers from across the globe, as they attempt to slog it out to be named champion for that moment. I used to be an avid sports game fan, purchasing most franchises year in, year out. Yet, one sport failed to make that list, and that was Tennis.

Tennis World Tour 2 by developers Big Ant Studios and published by Bigben Interactive and Nacon is a classic modern sports endeavour with a few twists. It’s the sequel to the warmly received Tennis World Tour. Can this latest addition kick on from these humble foundations and challenge its nearest rival AO Tennis?

It provides you with everything you’d expect.

Like many sports titles, there is an expectation that we will be treated to hours of single player gameplay, and fun with our friends. TWT 2 has the usual setup; Exhibition matches, custom and set tournaments, career mode, online, training with challenges, and finally an in game store. Except for your career, you are treated to an array of sporting stars to choose between. The roster of characters can be improved with additional DLC if you so wish, but it isn’t necessary if you are happy with the selection of today’s players. Each match can be altered to suit your needs, with different venues and courts available to select.

I tried my hand at the online mode, which I found to be smooth, easy to find a match, and a simple process from start to finish. What put me off, however, was how unbalanced the match making was. I’m not particularly great at this game, and to get good would take hours of practise, but every match I took part in, I had my ass handed to me. It was a baptism of fire, and left me wondering if I was doing something wrong, or if I needed to simply “Get Guuuuddddd!” This failure at being the online champion left me spending my time in the reasonably in-depth career mode.

Smashing a winner from the baseline never gets old!

A thorough career mode keeps you playing.

Like the other modes, I wasn’t left reeling in surprise at any of the items on offer once I started my career. You create your player, select their sex, appearance, basic skills, and name. You are teased with selecting new equipment, but as you have no money, this bit is a moot point. Once your shining new athlete is ready to rock, you are free to choose how you wish to progress. Tournaments can be entered, some have entry requirements, some don’t. Exhibitions can be played, training and challenges completed, or you can take a rest day to recover from fatigue. 

As you can see, the core concept of the game is as expected, and frankly I assumed little else. XP and money are earned by playing in matches, and dependent on success it will multiply considerably. You can level your player up once you have enough XP, and this increases set skills depending on which branch of the tree you focus on. Purchasing new equipment vastly increases your abilities, and the lack of real life purchasing power was a welcome change. TWT 2 cannot be accused of creating a buy to win culture, as everything has to be earned on the court.

The difficulty is real!

I’ve already alluded to my lack of ability with this game, yet that isn’t entirely a reflection on my aptitude for the sport. The standard difficulty is really tough. Your opponents have cat like reflexes, and laser guided sights. It’s absolutely brutal, and I unashamedly had to notch down the levels to win. You may not incur such a tough time, but I’d say the casual gamer will find this more of a challenge than expected.

To ease some of these problems, the developers kindly provided skill cards. These magical documents help to level the playing field. You can increase; power, spin, accuracy, speed, stamina and more. It’s a great idea in theory, but unfortunately you don’t always know what your opponent will choose, so the even keel is more like a molehill ridden plain.

Serving is a fine art, plenty of practice is required to be an “ACE” at this skill!

Sweaty players and grunting like a wildebeest.

As the years have gone by, sports titles have come on leaps and bounds with their realism and player modelling. This would be a fair statement to make in TWT 2, except for a couple of minor points. There were odd moments where my young opponent would turn to the camera, and her once smooth, youthful face appeared as old and haggard as a grape that has long been lost under your sofa. Also, it unnerved me that every player was sweaty no matter how long they’d been on court. A strange shimmering glow surrounded them like a greasy hue. It’s not game breaking, but in a modern title I’d expect more attention to detail.

Other than the small issues, it presents itself well. The courts are of high quality, and the variety of backdrops were impressive. The player animation was smooth and realistic enough. The standard camera forms a bird’s-eye perspective, allowing for easy observation of all the action. It was strange that the players never changed ends in career games. You permanently played with your back to the camera, this reduced realism, and was an odd choice.

Grunt, grunt, grunt!

The collective noun for a group of wildebeest is a “Confusion”, and strangely, that’s very apt, as it describes my feelings towards the audio. We all know that tennis players make an almighty racket when playing; they scream and shout like a demented banshee after its prey. But this is no excuse for the amount of unnecessary grunting that takes place in TWT 2. I can only liken it to a “Confusion” of wildebeest running rampant. It was an unhelpful distraction and reduced realism. The irony is that you can choose the grunting level for your pro, I chose occasionally, but she still huffed like a steam train in every match. 

Enough about that, and if you put it to one side, you have a decent audio with a mixture of realistic sound effects and high-tempo songs. I enjoyed the thump of the ball on the racket, and the squeak of shoes on the court. Each surface has a specific noise that represented the change in material, and this was a nice touch.

Grass courts are hard work. Slower balls require more accuracy.

Easy to pick up, but hard to master.

The controls would be a nightmare if it wasn’t for the excellent tutorial. It explains the fundamentals and offers challenges that help to master them. You are free to jump in and out of this section as much as you wish, but the only way to improve is to practice. It’s a painful Catch 22. You lose because you are rubbish, and you are rubbish because you keep losing. Directing the balls was hit and miss, as was the timing of the shots. It lacks finesse and leaves you frustrated nearly every game. It was as if you were playing with one hand tied behind your back.

This being said, if you can master the controls and become the champion of the court, then you’ll keep playing. The choice of tournaments, events, and equipment is vast. The thrill of coming up against the big named players is fantastic, and beating them inspires you to keep going. If you look at the achievements, and online play, then you have got a lot of game for your money.

TWT 2 is good, but nothing more than I expected!

There were no high expectations when starting this, and it didn’t wow or blow me away. It delivered exactly what I thought it would; a fun, challenging and updated tennis experience. For lovers of the sport and genre, you will appreciate this much more than I ever will. I’m not willing to invest the time required to excel at this, but I still get to enjoy a well made title with some minor annoyances. Do I recommend you play this? I do, but to get the most out of it you must love tennis. If you want to own a copy for yourself, then it can be purchased here! It’s time to pick up that racket, create your player and become a ‘GOAT’.

Review: The Dark Eye: Memoria

Jonah Ehlers
-
0
Review: The Dark Eye: Memoria

A sequel to 2012’s The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav, Memoria tells the singular tale of two heroes from two ages. A point-and-click graphic adventure with some fantastic lore and characters; this follow-up in The Dark Eye series provides genuine quality in storytelling, to newcomers and returning fans alike.

Memoria picks up more or less where the story of Chains of Satinav left off. Your companion is in need of your help and thus, you go out seeking the aid of Fahi, a traveling merchant. He offers a trade; you solve a riddle and he helps your friend. The riddle turns out to be part of a 450 year old tale. The forgotten story of Sadja, a princess who journeys to find an ancient artifact which may turn the tide of battle against hordes of demons. Classic fantasy plot. 

This story, however, does not fall victim to the cliches or narratives we have seen time and time again. Instead it finds its own thread in a fully realised world devoid of exposition dumps and played out plot devices; for this I was truly grateful. I have endured countless films, shows and games which just bombard you with uninspired lore and history. They often give you little or no time to digest what you have learnt before the next dump arrives. In The Dark Eye: Memoria, the world and its people are presented to you naturally. Aspects of the previous entry are presented in an easily digestible way for newcomers to the series, at times simply through implication.

As a point-and-click title, gameplay is of course not the star of the show. Even with that in mind I was still pleasantly surprised at how well crafted some of the puzzles were. None of them were too difficult, which allows for a wider audience to enjoy it without being slowed by overly complicated obstacles. However, there will be a few which try your patience and resolve. A handful of them left me scratching my head for a good 15 minutes. On one or two occasions I gave up on thinking. I just resigned myself to trying every possible combination of item, spell and interactive part of the environment until something gave. In those moments I felt like somewhat of a fraud. Thankfully for my ego, this feeling quickly faded as I found new challenges to overcome using only my evidently limited skills of deduction.

The game does include a hint feature if a helping hand is needed. Otherwise I fear there may be a few instances of deeply infuriating obstacles for some players. A standout possibility is the forest in Chapter 3. The area is a labyrinth, every turn holding as much potential to loop back to where you started, as it does to lead you to your goal. I pray I never find myself lost in the woods IRL.

The game and its areas are a true beauty; this is where the title shines. Like scenes straight out of a painting, every frame is lovingly designed and filled with little details to add an extra layer into this lovingly crafted world. The only area where it fell short visually was in the facial animations of characters as they spoke. Their facial movements never quite matched up to their speech. I couldn’t help but chuckle as their mouths thrashed about during serious dialogue. A small gripe in the grand scheme of things, but highly noticeable when the rest of the game is so gorgeous.

One of the first characters I was introduced to was the child of Fahi, the traveling merchant. Instantly I was a little worried, as more often than not, children’s voice lines sound atrocious in games (I’m looking at you Metro 2033 Redux). Lo and behold, as soon as the child spoke I cringed. This was short lived thankfully, as almost every performance was enjoyable throughout the story. The only exception to this was on one occasion late game, when another pair of children spoke. I especially enjoyed the performances of Sadja and the ensouled staff she comes across. I find myself wishing the voice of the staff could tell me ancient tales around a campfire. Music is not as plentiful or noticeable here, with ambient sounds more prevalent during Memoria’s eight chapters. When music is present, it’s not really anything to write home about unfortunately.

There are two issues I should raise from my playthrough on the PlayStation 4. The first of which is some odd audio distortion in Chapter 3. This is the chapter in which Sadja needs to navigate through a forest; every twist and turn made this distortion worse. The sound would return to normal once I paused and unpaused the game, but eventually returned after I moved through a few more screens. 

The second issue was in a couple of instances where I would try and leave an area, a voice line from my character would go off; essentially saying I should complete the objective in my current area first. No problem, but I couldn’t turn around. I would point my analog stick to the direction I wanted to go, but the voice line just repeats again. The only way I could fix this was by reloading a previous save, which is not automatic. Meaning I may have had to go back and redo everything from my last save point in order to return to where I was. This happened twice, once in chapter 1 and again in chapter 8. This problem will most likely be addressed in future console patches. Perhaps the movement didn’t translate as well from the usual method in point-and-click games on PC.

Barring these technical issues, I had a phenomenal time with The Dark Eye: Memoria. The world, characters and story all met and then exceeded whatever expectations I may have had for them. Visually gorgeous and creative obstacles make for a deeply engaging story that I will not soon forget.

Review: WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship

Frances Addison
-
0
Review: WRC 9 FIA World Rally Championship

It only took me a few minutes of playing WRC 9 to realise that reviewing this game was going to be very difficult indeed. If you want a short summary of my thoughts, it’s this: long-time players of rally driving games will find a lot to enjoy here; everyone else probably isn’t going to have a good time. To some extent this is to be expected and it’s not really fair to criticise a game for playing to its primary audience, but there’s a certain amount of nuance here that’s worth exploring.

First, the good. On a technical level, WRC 9 is brilliant, from the graphics to the music to the controls. Everything feels very polished and the environments are stunning, even when they’re whipping past the windows at 100 miles an hour. Similarly, the controls are very easy to learn and feel tremendously responsive, so with enough skill you can expertly round a corner using just the slightest twitch of the thumbsticks.

This performance holds up remarkably well on old-gen consoles as well. As an Xbox Series X/PlayStation 5 title, I was a little worried going in that my six-year-old Xbox One was going to fall apart under the pressure, but aside from a handful of lengthy load times, I didn’t encounter any performance issues. Even those load times weren’t a particularly significant hurdle, and they were worth it to experience the beauty of WRC 9’s environments.

On the content side of things, there’s still more to enjoy, with a whole host of game modes to let you play WRC 9 in whatever way you want, for as long as you want. The main game, such as it is, is a career mode which involves managing your team, maintaining your relationship with car manufacturers, training, and participating in events, and there’s a level of complexity involved in these elements coming together that you might not initially expect. However, if you’re not looking for that kind of strategic gameplay, you also have the option of the ‘Season’ mode, which allows you to participate in the racing championships without any of the other features slowing you down.

For more competitive play, there is of course the option of online races to pit you against real players, as well as time-dependent challenges that really test your skills.

So with all of this said, why have I come away from the game so conflicted? The root of the problem boils down to a simple concept: approachability. Rally racing is already a fairly insulated market and it can be a difficult sell to someone who wouldn’t normally pick up this kind of game, which is why it is incomprehensible to me that this game has been made so unfriendly to new players.

At the very beginning of the game, you’re going to be faced with a screen that asks you how experienced with racing games you are. If you’re a returning player you can skip the tutorial stages but, should you need it, new players will have the option of telling it that they are a complete novice with no prior experience. Having selected such an option, you might expect to then be put through a tutorial that explains the controls and some general tips on how to actually control the car in a way that is both fast and accurate – this does not happen.

WRC 9 explains the controls, yes, but then immediately throws you into a series of training courses that do nothing to explain how you might succeed. Things like knowing when to use the handbrake, how to take corners at speed without losing control, and how to handle adverse weather are all vital skills in WRC 9 and they are given no consideration at all in the tutorial. These are obviously concepts that aren’t important to players who already have experience with racing games, but as someone new to the genre, they’re an indispensable part of learning how to play. Without them, the early part of the game is near unplayable without a lot of trial and error – or leaving to find some tutorials online – and the endless crashing gets old very quickly.

Another, much more minor annoyance for me was the navigator, the person who sits beside the driver and calls out upcoming features of the course. Everything they say is accompanied by simple icons on-screen that do a great job at quickly and clearly demonstrating what you need to look out for, even if you’re unfamiliar with the game genre. Personally, I found that the icons on screen did the job well enough on their own and as the navigator talks very quickly in shorthand that is difficult to understand for new players, I had hoped to find the option of turning off his audio. While you are able to change the language he speaks in, which is a nice touch, there doesn’t appear to be an option to switch the feature off entirely, leaving him as a vaguely annoying distraction throughout the game.

To someone who has played and enjoyed these types of games before, WRC 9 probably won’t have anything to particularly surprise you, but there will definitely be something in there worthwhile. The game is extremely well put together and it’s clear a lot of work has gone into polishing it up to the highest standard possible. Sadly, however, if you’re someone who hasn’t really got into rallying before and is looking to try a new experience, I have to advise that you skip this title and look for something a little more approachable.

Review: Supermarket Shriek

Josh Tyler
-
0
Review: Supermarket Shriek

In Supermarket Shriek you tackle all sorts of challenges, all while being a man and a goat screaming in a shopping cart. Needless to say, this game has a lot of charisma. Between the screaming, Heinz beans and all of the cartoonish slapstick found in this game you can really feel how much passion is behind it. 

But how is the gameplay? In single-player, you control both characters in the shopping cart, and their screams and by using that you can manoeuvre your way through the levels. This could be as simple as racing to the end, but it could be a level where you have to race something, collect items, or smash through towers of Heinz beans. There are also some secret levels which are amusing references to other games.  

In co-op, which the game seems to be designed for, the characters are split between you and the game is much tougher for obvious reasons. There’s also a different ending depending on whether you’re playing single player or co-op and I’ll just say that the single player ending is somewhat sad. Other than the very beginning and end of the game there’s not really any story at all, but that’s fine for this type of game. 

However, when it comes to progressing through the levels there’s a bit of a problem. There are several streets in the game and at the end of each street the game requires you have a certain number of stars to access the final level of the street to go to the next one.  

So how are stars earned? Well, each level has up to three stars you can get per level. One you get by completing the level and the rest you can get by getting being faster and/or getting higher scores. The thing is, this only seems to exist to artificially extend your game time.  

There is an argument that could be made that perhaps the developers want you the master the lower levels first otherwise you won’t be able to do the later levels, but I found that pretty much no matter the level it’s easier on the second try anyway.  

You might also suggest that it’s so you can skip levels you’re not good at or don’t like, but the number of stars you need often require a majority of two stars from every level or three stars from some levels. Therefore, skipping levels doesn’t seem to be a good reason for doing this either. You can’t skip the end of each street’s level regardless. 

The fact that you have to grind out stars wouldn’t be so bad if you didn’t already have to play most levels more than once to begin with as you can often be blindsided by bottomless pits or walls you couldn’t see and hitting buttons when you couldn’t have known what they activate.  

All this in co-op can be a pretty frustrating experience as you have to coordinate and both learn the levels and then replay them enough to get enough stars to proceed. 

All in all, Supermarket Shriek is pretty fun, but there are just some pacing issues that will make it hard to go back to, because you’ve probably gone back to each level at least once by the time you finish the game. However, if getting better scores and times is your thing, then this game will be up your alley.  

Review: Bonkies

Daniel Waite
-
0
Review: Bonkies

There are lots of things I’m confident about in life, and two of these are; Space is a wonderful, mysterious entity that mankind loves, and that computer games are a relaxing pastime. You wouldn’t combine these two subjects easily, but many an excellent gaming titles have been created using space at its core. With this in mind, I looked at a new outer world experience known as Bonkies.

Developed by Studio Gauntlet and published by Crunching Koalas, this puzzle/construction title asks you to control an array of spacesuit wearing monkey. Their only aim is to solve the puzzles as quickly as possible to gain their delicious bananas. You must flit from planet to planet solving each stage, while aiming to soar off to pastures new.

The gameplay is split between two modes; a Solo campaign, and a Couch Co-op. Both follow a very similar path, and you’ll be enraged and entertained in equal measures. If you thought that getting out Monopoly at Christmas guaranteed an argument, you’ll be amazed at how quickly friendships fail, and marriages end, once you play Bonkies. (These things may not actually occur.)

It makes your blood boil!

The premise of the game is simple; start each task, scan the stage, observe the highlighted shape that needs filling, and move the blocks to ensure you fill the space correctly. If you don’t place the blocks in the highlighted area correctly, then the puzzle will not move on, and you will have to adjust the blocks to ensure 100% coverage is obtained. Sounds easy, right? Chuck into the mix that each of your monkeys move using a Jetpack, and the slightest of nudges sends the tower falling, and you know that failure is just around the corner.

Gently, gently catchy monkey.

Your blood will boil over into a rage induced rant as a fellow monkey undoes all your hard work. This combined with the ever ticking clock moving closer to zero, and you’re in for an uncomfortable and challenging gaming experience. This is where my understanding that this should be a relaxing pastime is completely wrong! I’ve never been so on edge while playing on my console. I’m glad that I don’t stream as the faces that this game made me pull were a combination of; weird, wonderful and scary. The noises that came out of me matched the theme as they can only be described as “not of this world”.

It sounds like hell, so why play it?

Admittedly, this is one of the toughest games that I’ve played in a long time. Not in concept, no. But in ability, patience, and luck. It’s a deceptive one as each level that you face is well explained, easy to understand, and simple on the surface. But when you combine all the horrendous elements together, you get a title that kicks your ass at every opportunity.

If flying around space hauling boxes to make specific shapes wasn’t tough enough, Studio Gauntlet went one further. Exploding boxes, glass surfaces, hovering containers, and rocket ship launchers (it’s enough to give you a headache). In a game that is about accuracy and balance, these extra ingredients to the mixture made for a really complicated dish.

Can those monkeys resolve all the issues on Earth? Not without a lot of screaming and shouting first!

Like the brutal nature of the Dark Souls franchise, Bonkies draws you in to keep on playing. It’s addictive as hell and has that just one more try feel about it. No matter how much it made me want to smash my controller to pieces, that feeling of overwhelming rage dissipated the moment I was victorious. The simple approach tricks you into believing success is just around the corner, but in reality time will wash away from you, and you’ll be found rocking in the corner of your living room begging to get to the next stage.

A game that makes you this angry shouldn’t be so cute!

No matter how angry those darn monkeys made me, (did I mention this game made me rage?) I couldn’t help but love their adorable little faces in their absurd spacesuits. The world is a colour-explosion, with some brilliantly varied backgrounds that could easily distract you if you allowed it. Several environments are seen throughout, which helps to add a variety to the gameplay, and stops it from feeling repetitive. Of course, that is as long as you can complete the stage that you will no doubt get stuck on. The simple, yet bright imagery works really well, and with no issues it sits at the higher standard for an indie title.

I really enjoyed the audio, though there wasn’t much to it. The music was only apparent when you completed a level, and it was always a welcome sound. Like a crowd at the end of a marathon who cheer you over the line, this repeated tune felt euphoric after the epic battle that I had just faced. The sound effects were as expected and to a good standard. The whooshing of the Jetpack and the crashing of the explosive crates were highlights. The audio is underwhelming, but the developers balanced it perfectly with the hectic nature of the gameplay. If there had been a constant upbeat soundtrack, I would have switched the game off.

It’s all about the accuracy!

In a game of fine measures, the control setup is vital, and luckily it has been delivered and designed well. An easy-to-understand mapping awaits, with a well designed tutorial that explains the fundamentals. The action flows smoothly, allowing you to move the grabbing arm and control the blocks through the air. You feel in control of all the action throughout, and the only time you fail is because of your own inadequacies. Practise makes perfect with this, yet I don’t feel there is enough time on earth to make anyone perfect at this.

Select your team, give them a name and be prepared to argue relentlessly.

Having spent around 10 hours of my time on this already, I know that I’m going to lose an awful lot more trying to get to the finish. It oozes replay value if you can suck up the constant dents to your pride and skill levels. It’s unbelievably tough, with an achievement list to match. I have no idea how many hours this game will take to complete, but you will have fun and angry times trying to get everything unlocked.

It should come with a free controller.

Rage, rage, rage! If you ever wanted a game to test your patience, this is it. For every copy purchased, a free controller should be offered as this is guaranteed to make you angry. If you can get through this without swearing, or clenching your fists, then you deserve a medal. A brilliantly fun game that will get under your skin and cause that awful twitchy vein thing in your forehead! With everything considered, do I recommend it? Hell yes! It made me angry, made me want to cry, and I made noises I didn’t know existed. It’s tough as hell, super addictive, and a game you simply have to put in your library. Get it now on your Xbox by buying it here! A short time discount is available so don’t miss out! Can you help the Bonkies on their path through space? Time, patience, luck, and a lot of controllers will help you get to the finish. 

Review: Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm

Kara Phillips
-
1
Review: Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm

Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm follows the story of a mute hero who is trying to save hundreds from calamity. Who just so happens to enjoy smashing pots. Does this sound familiar? To fans of the original Oceanhorn game, this is a must play. It switches the top-down perspective of the first game to an evolved Breath of the Wild-esque style. Although the inspirations behind Oceanhorn are still hidden, certain elements of the franchise glisten with familiarity to any Zelda fan. 

From Apple arcade to Nintendo Switch

Oceanhorn 2 was released as an Apple arcade exclusive in 2019, but came to Switch in 2020. The release to Apple was received poorly by fans and a lot of struggles were faced regarding control and glitches. These were resolved when it came to Switch and fans were able to enjoy Oceanhorn to it’s full potential. I found the controls a little tricky when I first picked it up. The lack of any jump button caused my natural instinct with an action adventure game to reset. After spending a while getting used to these controls you realize how basic they are and how easy they are to wrap your head round. 

Stunning sound design

The game has a wonderful soundtrack, with different music for each area you discover. Boss battles are kept tense with high strung music, and curiosity is reflected with different sound effects. The narration is fully voiced and each character engages in charming dialogue with our hero. Although there is a lot of narration from characters they often say mundane facts about the surrounding area or enemies. With such a plot heavy story line this lets the game down. There is so much which could be explored but is reflected with little engagement from NPCs.

Simple combat

When it comes to combat the controls are simple. A sort of slash, slash, block, which you’d find in most action adventures. You have to quickly learn attack patterns in order to protect yourself, but most attacks are easily dodged. There is no lock-on approach to combat which is frustrating when you’re facing several enemies at once. You raise your shield when expecting an attack but as soon as it’s dropped your camera returns to its original position. What’s even more frustrating is how useless your party members act around enemies. Delivering very occasional pointless hits, you can order your companions to attack specific enemies but they will hardly ever complete this objective. 

Familiar puzzles

You will encounter a number of different puzzles as you discover more of the map but to any fans of the older Zelda games you will have seen these countless times before. There is a minimal amount of guidance when it comes to these challenges but the simplicity allows anyone to be able to understand the concept. There are enough clues around to understand what needs to be done, you just have to look for them. Once again, members of your party can help to complete these but will usually be somewhat useless unless standing on a button or pulling a lever. You will probably just forget they are even aiding your adventure by the end of the game. 

The beautiful world of Gaia

The world of Gaia is undoubtedly Oceanhorn’s best selling point. Although your hero is led through the world with simple tasks, you still get to take in the world around you. Animation and graphics remain fluid throughout game play. Alongside the sound design mentioned earlier the game looks and sounds wonderful. 

Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, Oceanhorn lacks in something to make it stand out to its very popular competitors. It has the basic function of an action adventure, the combat, the puzzles, the rewards hidden in chests held just out of reach, yet something lacks. Even the story isn’t quite enough. It’s nothing we haven’t experienced before.

Final thoughts

If you are looking for a game similar to Breath of the Wild but with a smaller price tag, it will most certainly fill your needs. I definitely see myself picking this game up again in the near future. But if you’re looking for an entirely new experience, keep searching. Going into this after playing the first Oceanhorn game would definitely help your experience since you know what to expect.

Review: Outbreak: The New Nightmare

Alex Chessun
-
0
Review: Outbreak: The New Nightmare

Put enough zombies in a room with a typewriter…

A Resident Evil ‘love letter’, Outbreak: The New Nightmare is the 2nd indie title in a series that promises the moon but never quite delivers. False advertising it’s not, but rather the nostalgia-led expectation that this RE-inspired horror-survival game cannot possibly be as bad as it looks. Welcome to the Outbreak series.     

An archaic fixed camera, awkward controls and unfriendly interface exist as a dose of nostalgia for fans of a bygone era, but for everyone else are examples of ancient game mechanics that should be consigned to the long-forgotten past. 

We’ve started off on the wrong foot though, so let’s reset and continue as we mean to move on, with some positives – all two of them. Its Onslaught campaign mode (which exists alongside Story and Experiments) and the ability to kill zombies are the only decent features of this soulless offering, unless you count the sound of a reloading gun or the main menu’s “Outbreak” voiceover.    

“What year is it?”

Onslaught is a survival mode that provides wave upon wave of enemies and really should have been the main focus of the game, being that it’s the only one that’s even remotely enjoyable. With a ‘pick-up and play’ quality that combines well with the game’s character levelling up system and unlockables, you can use the waves of enemies to level up your character, allowing you to fare better in the main story, if you haven’t already soured on the experience. 
  

I realized afterwards that she just wanted to hug.

“Potential to build off!” a fan might think – if only the story had you shooting zombies as much as it has you looking at the map and pause menus. Some of these issues are RE nostalgia-related which, while intentional, are still notably irritating like the player’s bearings that are constantly confused by the game’s camera angles, the awful controls and the fact that you can only see your ammo levels and health on its pause screen.  

Get used to seeing this screen…

Outbreak: The New Nightmare brings its fair share of bugs and issues to the party though, making the experience that much more regrettable. So basic is the attack system that you can barely register that enemy has landed an attack. Your character doesn’t recoil in pain, often doesn’t make a sound and there’s no blood, forcing you back to the only area of the game with any degree of accuracy – its menu, or so you thought. Even the safety of said menu is a lie, as there’s a bug that allows enemies to continue attacking you even when the game is paused. The worst attack on your perception of video games comes in the form of the level design, however, which is atrocious, with all the rooms and corridors looking exactly the same, so you’d have to be some kind of genius to remember where you are going without your map, nullifying any fun you are having shooting the undead.       

What are these scallywags doing in this alley by themselves?

The horror genre is quite often used as a gateway into the gaming industry for indie developers, requiring minimal story, detail and gameplay to actually succeed, but this developer seems to be taking the cake and opening their own patisserie.

Considering how many other – very similar – versions this developer has released (5 as of writing), and with another coming this year, it’s highly unlikely that this game will receive a patch or update to fix its issues. It’s also unlikely based on the apology they give for the game’s failings in a screen that loads every time you play the game and the faux pas on the main screen that describes issues as ‘hints’ instead of getting around to fixing them.    

I’m not sure how to feel about this.

It’s impossible to recommend this game, or even this series, when it gets a new low-quality entry every single year. No story, tense music or any decent action to speak of, this feels like a fan-fiction web browser game getting a yearly FIFA update. If you’re an ardent fan of survival horror games, then perhaps it’s worth following the incremental updates as it may eventually result in a decent release, but let me assure you, it’s not now and it’s not Outbreak: The New Nightmare.

 

Seasons Update Arrives for Sea of Thieves!

Sean McCarthy
-
0
Seasons Update Arrives for Sea of Thieves!

Sea of Thieves enters a new era on January 28th with the arrival of Seasons! Learn all about earning Renown in the Seasonal progression system, the rewards you can earn, the optional Plunder Pass and much more…

Executive Producer Joe Neates goes into further detail: “The plan is for a Sea of Thieves Season to last approximately three months. Each Season will add new content to the world – for example, in Season One a new Merchant Alliance Voyage becomes a permanent part of the game – and we’ll also introduce new Events and challenges throughout the Season to keep you entertained. 

Seasonal content is free for all Sea of Thieves pirates to play, and its progression system offers a treasure trove of rewards to earn as you progress through levels of Renown – rewards ranging from in-game currency through to cosmetics, emotes and even Ancient Coins to spend in the Pirate Emporium! There will also be an optional premium element to Seasons via the Plunder Pass, which we’ve explained in its very own article. Access to Seasons will not be gated through this Pass, and as is the case with all our updates, the Seasons updates will be free for all players.

While this new approach shifts the pace of major content updates to every three months, it also allows us to craft more meaningful experiences for you all and return to a more predictable rhythm of release. As we said back in November, we’re incredibly proud of the amount of free content rolled out in 2020 despite all the changes and challenges of remote working. However, we had to be flexible with our plans for each month – so working to this new rhythm means we have more space to deliver new and engaging, world-enriching content.”

Sea of Thieves is available with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for the Xbox family of consoles including Xbox Series X/S, Windows 10 PC and STEAM. For more information on Seasons in Sea of Thieves head here:

Watch the Balan Wonderworld Demo Trailer and Play Today!

Sean McCarthy
-
0
Watch the Balan Wonderworld Demo Trailer and Play Today!

Play the free demo today to discover a wonderful world of wonder ! Experience the full game where you can play through 12 different tales and choose the way to save the day with over 80 different costumes. Don’t forget to bring a friend to play in 2-player co-op mode. Combine your costumed powers to find new ways to overcome obstacles and vanquish villains!

Balan Wonderworld is available on March 26th, 2021 on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam.

Watch the New ‘Persona 5 Strikers’ Trailer

Sean McCarthy
-
0
Watch the New ‘Persona 5 Strikers’ Trailer

Turn the tides of battle with the power of the Phantom Thieves! A newly released Persona 5 Strikers trailer shows off their unique combat abilities. Whether you play as Joker or Queen, harness their strength and strike back, Phantom Thief-style!

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

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

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

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

SEGA and ATLUS has revealed the pre-order packages and bonus items for each:

Digital Deluxe Edition – €69.99 / £64.99

Pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition from PlayStation Store, the Nintendo eShop, or the Steam Store! The Digital Deluxe Edition includes:

  • Exclusive access to the game four days early, on 19th February
  • Bonus Content Digital Download
    • Digital Art Book
    • Digital Soundtrack – Over 40 songs included 
    • Behind-the-Scenes Video – Making of the Music “You Are Stronger” and “Towards a Dream”
  • Persona Legacy BGM
    • Persona 1 and Persona 1 PSP remake
    • Persona 2 Innocent Sin and Persona 2 Eternal Punishment
    • Persona 3 and Persona 3 Portable
    • Persona 4 and Persona 4 Golden
  • All-out Attack Pack
    • Boost Skills Pack
    • Basic Affinity Skills Pack
    • Ally Buff Skills Pack
    • Armor Pack
    • Persona Points
    • Enemy Debuff Skills Pack

Standard Edition – €59.99 / £49.99

Pre-order Persona 5 Strikers from digital and physical retailers now! All pre-orders, digital or physical, come with access to the Bonus Content Digital Download. 

Persona 5 Strikers is coming to PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Steam on 23rd February! Players who pre-order the Digital Deluxe Edition now will get access to the game four days early, on 19th February. 

Xbox Series X/S Exclusive ‘The Medium’ Launches into Xbox Game Pass Today!

Sean McCarthy
-
0
Xbox Series X/S Exclusive ‘The Medium’ Launches into Xbox Game Pass Today!

The First Xbox Series X/S game “The Medium” launches today, January 28th 2021, and it immediately goes into Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for both Xbox Series X/S consoles and PC. Take a sneak peek behind the veil and discover 9 intriguing facts, Easter Eggs and development hurdless Bloober Team successfully overcame during the pandemic.

The Medium is a third-person psychological horror game that features an innovative dual-reality gameplay and an original soundtrack co-composed by Arkadiusz Reikowski and Akira Yamaoka. Discover a dark mystery only a medium can solve. Use your unique psychic abilities to uncover its deeply disturbing secrets, solve dual-reality puzzles, survive encounters with sinister spirits, and explore two realities at the same time.

For more information on The Medium, please visit www.themediumgame.com; Follow on Twitter @TheMediumGame; Like on Facebook @MediumGame, or follow on Instagram @the_medium_game.

Access More Movies Than Your Friends

Andrew Edney
-
0
Access More Movies Than Your Friends

Have you ever wanted to watch the latest movies, only to find they aren’t available in your country?  

If you have already binged everything on your Netflix account, you may be craving something new or wishing you had access to more movies. It can be so frustrating to find that certain films are not available on your streaming service library, simply because of the country you live in. You’re already paying for a subscription, so you should have access to as much content as possible. A VPN will allow you to get the most bang for your buck. Everyone will be gathering at your house as movie nights with your friends will never be the same once you install a VPN.

You can even catch your favorite TV shows that might otherwise be unavailable, like the UK’s Dr Who series, which you can get from the BBC iPlayer streaming service.

What Are Geo-restrictions? 

The differences from country to country are usually because of geo-restrictions, which will determine the films you will watch. It is sometimes referred to as geo-blocking, and it is the process of restricting users’ access to internet content based on their geographical location. Using your IP (Internet Protocol) address, the technology will approve or deny your access to particular websites as well as governing your steaming services libraries. When it comes to streaming services, it is used for copyright and licensing reasons. However, a VPN will mask your real IP address and generate a new one that will bypass these restrictions, and many internet providers support them.

Stream More Film Content

A VPN is the coolest way to access and watch movies that are not usually available in your country, and it’s so simple too. If you want to watch movies like 21 Bridges above, which may be exclusively available in countries such as the UK or Canada, you can do this with ease. A VPN is an essential tool for dedicated movie streamers who want to stream the exact content they want no matter where they are in the world. If you’re traveling for work or on holiday with your family, you don’t have to miss out on your favorite movies. A VPN is the ultimate way to get the most out of your subscription. It doesn’t matter which streaming service you have; a VPN will give you access to more movies straight away, so you could be watching new movies just a few minutes after you install your VPN. 

Which Streaming Services Are Compatible? 

With a VPN, you can make the most of your favorite streaming content. Services including Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, BBC iPlayer, and many more are all compatible. A VPN will give you access to worldwide content with just a few clicks. Simply connect to a server in the country you want and log in to your account to see all the movies that are available in that country. By using a VPN, you could access all the movies on Netflix or Amazon Prime from the UK that may not be available in the US. If you’re a Disney fan, you may think you have all the Disney you need, but you can get more with a Disney Plus VPN. By choosing a specialist resource like Cyberghost VPN, you can make sure your streaming services aren’t restricted. 

What Else Can A VPN Do for Me?

As well as accessing all your favorite movies around the world, you’ll also have the added benefits of a powerful and trusted VPN service. Here are just a few of the other benefits you’ll get when you install a VPN:

  • It’s not just movies. You can access TV shows, games, and documentaries that you wouldn’t usually be able to watch in your country. This includes banned content or films that haven’t been released in your area yet. 
  • A VPN will protect your identity online by blocking your personal information from hackers and scammers. 
  • Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) is consistently monitoring what you do online. A VPN will protect your anonymity and keep your internet activity private, allowing you to browse worry-free. 
  • Public Wi-Fi connections have little security and are a hot spot for cybercriminals. Protect your devices when you connect to public Wi-Fi at the Airport, in the Café, or at your local restaurant. 
  • Next time you are shopping online, you can use your VPN to search for better deals, as prices will differ depending on your location. 

A VPN will not only give you access to movies from all over the world, but it will give you added security and protection too. You never know who’s looking over your digital shoulder.

Review: Vera Blanc: Ghost In The Castle

Daniel Waite
-
0
Review: Vera Blanc: Ghost In The Castle

When I look at the visual novel (VN) genre, I see a reoccurring theme with style and character models. More often than not you lose yourself in a story about young love, and their promiscuous ways, or it’s a mystery horror. But one thing that is always guaranteed is the characters are over sexualised with abnormally small waists, massive breasts, and enchanting eyes. This over the top representation reflects the desires of its major audience, and we in the West have just switched on to the captivating world of visual novels.

Vera Blanc: Ghost In The Castle is developed by Winter Wolves Games and published by Ratailaike Games. The sequel to Vera Blanc: Full Moon, it captures much of the essence of the first, keeping most of the gameplay mechanics. Having reviewed the first chapter in the franchise and scoring it 7 out of 10, I was excited when I was offered the next instalment. Ghost In The Castle tells the tale of Vera Blanc, she is a mind reading detective who gained her powers after experimental treatment to cure her cancer.

A quaint village, and murder afoot.

This episode focuses on the troubles in a small village in Italy. The people tell a tale of a ghost that haunts the villagers. An old wife’s tale, you may think! Unfortunately not! Bodies are found, and people become scared. Reports suggest the ghost is responsible, but this cannot be true as ghosts don’t exist. You control our heroine as she seeks clues and questions the people of this sleepy community. Surely someone is lying, a ghost can’t be responsible for murder?

It’s important to know if he has a ring on it, After all, who cares about the murderous ghost?

It reads like a storyline from a Scooby Do cartoon, but once you scratch the surface, you realise its more in-depth. The gameplay is broken down over 6 days, where you are free to explore the town and question anyone you feel is guilty. You may play this as a true visual novel where the clues unveil themselves to you. Or you can spice up the action with a selection of mini-games. These will test; memory, observation, reading and more. The games are not challenging, but do add a layer of interest and difficulty above the base VN game. No matter which you choose, the outcome will be the same, but the length of playtime will be altered considerably.

A simple tale with many twists.

The concept allows for a simple tale to dominate the proceedings. You must work your way through the surrounding area questioning anyone that you suspect is guilty. Information can be obtained in the strangest of ways, and if you are getting nowhere, read their minds. “It can’t be difficult to solve a mystery when you can read thoughts!” Vera’s powers are limited, but it’s a handy skill to have. Even as you piece together information, the clever way the story has been written means you will keep you guessing right to the end.

It kept me captivated throughout. The selection of questions, the cast of characters, and the increasing points of interest meant that the plot didn’t get stale. The writing style can be clichéd, and some parts, though light-hearted were cringe worthy. I let this all slide, after all, the heroine is a large busted mind reading detective, how serious do you want it to be?

It’s a beautiful and quaint village until murderous ghosts appear!

Influenced by comic books.

It’s clear that Winter Wolves Games take their inspiration from the comic book market. The art style is fantastic and matches this genre perfectly. Scenes flick from one to another as if you were turning the page in a book. The colour palette and crisp lines are reminiscent of many major branded comics read by avid fans. Equally impressive was the unique nature of each segment of the village. This attention to detail brought the world to life and made every scene interesting to look at.

The audio brilliantly compliments the visuals. As the scenery changes, and the atmosphere alters, so does the music. The developers didn’t miss a trick, and they kept the songs flowing alongside the many changes. The words are key in a visual novel, but the music must be supportive. A mixture of fast-paced tracks and slow, sorrowful songs complimented the action perfectly.

You can skip all the text!

As you’d expect, the controls are simple to pick up, after all, you are just reading a book on your console. But what always amazes me is the chance to skip all dialogue, cutscenes, and every element of importance. Players are free to skip the heart and soul of this game if they wish, but other than to get to a specific portion, I’d suggest not doing it. A VN is all about relaxing and taking your time, so do just that. Grab a beer or tea, some cake or crisps, and unwind. There are worse stories to relax to. Trust me, I’ve read a lot of them.

Just what you need when an ungodly spirit is after your soul.

Ghost In The Castle has several endings, and multiple outcomes encourage you to return, increasing the replay value. Though I found most of the plot to be the same no matter which ending I went for. It was still nice to sit through it, knowing that I’d get an alternative finale. As the final curtain falls on this tale, you note that you have unlocked the simple achievement list. Ratalaika Games have struck again with an easy 1000 Gamerscore.

Is it worth it?

A Scooby Do style murder mystery might not be up your street, nor may an over sexualised mind reader, but don’t write this off just yet. The light-hearted nature of the plot, alongside the fun mini-games make this stand out from other visual novels. Winter Wolves Games have done well to create an excellent second episode, and I recommend you give it a go. If you want to try it out and give it a read, you can buy it here! Keep telling yourself that ghosts aren’t real, because eventually you will be face to face with one trying to stop another murder.

PS Plus Titles for February 2021 Revealed

Sean McCarthy
-
0
PS Plus Titles for February 2021 Revealed

Well I have to say, this is a very strong line up of games for PS Plus subscribers in February and again a real focus for those lucky enough to have snagged a PS5 console.

Hop into the driver’s seat with this in-depth look at the car-smashing, heart-pounding, thrill-seeking world of Destruction AllStars. Coming to PlayStation 5 on 2nd February. Active PlayStation Plus members can download Destruction AllStars at no extra charge from February 2 to April 5.

The controversial “Control: Ultimate Edition” is also included bringing the base game and both DLC Expansions; The Foundation and AWE alongside Expeditions end game mode, Photo Mode and all content updates since the release of the original game.

Set in a small fishing town called Denska, which is deserted, a lonely teenager having a difficult time in his neighborhood gains a magical paint brush and starts to paint his home town to bring vibrancy back. Ash discovers that his magic paint can cleanse the pollution from its streets and alleyways.

This is an extremely strong line-up for PS Plus in February with a definite focus for PS5 players and personally I have waited a long time to play Concrete Genie! This month’s Plus Monthly Games are Control: Ultimate Edition, Destruction AllStars, and Concrete Genie – all available from 2nd February, 2021.

1...370371372...1,616Page 371 of 1,616