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Review: Through the Darkest of Times

Jack Boreham

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Jan 22, 2021

Through the Darkest of Times is an excellent strategy game. Its central premise is to form and grow an opposition group within Germany. In response to the Nazi regime that has just come into power. Your organisation’s primary goal is to disrupt and eventually bring down the Nazi’s before its too late.

A built atmosphere

When I first started Through the Darkest of Times. I got struck by the tense atmosphere the developers Paintbucket games managed to build. From the early 20th-century wartime soundtrack to the cartoon black and white colour scheme. Through the Darkest of Times made me feel like I was in 1930’s Germany, and it put me on edge. Knowing the turmoil and future tragedy that would unfold within the next decade. The music and graphical tone are excellent as a result, creating an atmosphere that immerses you within the game.

An excellent strategy game

The games main gameplay mechanics are a stand out as well. As mentioned, you lead an opposition group that seeks to end the Nazi regime. In doing so, the game requires you to recruit several different characters. From all walks of life. Each with varying skill levels that will help you complete missions to grow your organisation and weaken the dictatorial regime. For example, one of your characters might be exceptionally good at infiltration. Thus, this character would be a perfect fit to take on missions such as to spy on the regime to gain Intelligence.

But it’s not as easy as it sounds. As the story progresses, the regime becomes more powerful and begins tightening its fist. As a result, missions become much more challenging with the Nazi’s posing a more significant threat to your characters and your organisation. A risk-reward mentality then kicks in with the game making the player strategically think where they should best place their characters on missions and at what cost. That cost could be jail or at worst death—none at which you want for your characters as the game does an excellent job at giving your characters’ backstories. Through dialogue options that make you genuinely care about there wellbeing. In general, a combination of these mechanics makes the strategic gameplay fantastic. I found myself spending hours weighing up the best strategy to expand my group while protecting its members.

A history lesson

The strategy entwined with the game is challenging but also educational. Through the Darkest of Times not only makes you feel like you are part of a political movement. But teaches you what it must have been like for those who were part of these opposition groups and of what horrors the population of Germany faced during Nazi rule. It also teaches you how they consolidated power. In this sense; the game gives you the player a short history lesson of Nazi Germany. It is educational and teaches people about the past, and this is always positive.

As highlighted Through the Darkest of Times is an excellent game. However, it does have its flaws. Firstly, although the dialogue adds backstory to your characters. The amount of discussion all bundled in paragraphs of several lines long made it tedious to read. As mentioned, I do understand the need to build your characters’ backstories. But the amount of dialogue was too much. Although not ruining the story. It could have done with better and more effective dialogue trees.

Similarly, the number of missions available was also overwhelming at times. There are far too many missions to choose from with no guide on what is best to do next for such as a large number of tasks available. There should have been at least the option of hints or prompts to point you in the right direction. Nevertheless, it does not take away from the great strategic gameplay mechanics Paintbucket games managed to implement into this game.

Verdict

As a result, Through the Darkest of Times is an excellent game. Despite some flaws in its dialogue and mission selection. It manages to capture the atmosphere and history of Nazi Germany, showing how effective video games can be as a medium in teaching past historical and political events. While at the same time, offering fantastic strategic gameplay mechanics that make the game stand out within its genre.

Review: Balancelot

Daniel Waite

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Jan 22, 2021

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Growing up, I have always loved the comical styling of Monty Python. Its satirical nature and absurd sketches always made me chuckle, though at a young age, I didn’t fully understand all the complexities. I was fond of the comic style sketches that punctuated all their work, and my latest review title reminded me of this.

Balancelot by developers, Jestercraft and AnvilBird Interactive has been available on Steam for nearly 2 years. It has finally received its console port, mainly thanks to the publishers’ Ratalaika Games. So what have we learned in the 2 years that it has been out? The Steam Community loves it. Scoring an 8 out of 10 from its user base, I was keen to give this one a go, mainly to see what all the fuss was about.

Why all the hype?

A satirical medieval themed game that explores the concept of demons taking over a calm and prosperous land. I know, not the most original start, but bear with me. You are a knight in the making in the quaint and mysterious kingdom of Fopdoodle. Everything was going well until demonic creatures arrived and ruined the peace. Lion-headed demons float around like they own the place, and evil monsters, namely snails, run riot, causing mayhem. Knights are called upon, and new challengers to this role must take part in a jousting tournament to make the grade.

As a poor man, you cannot afford a horse, nor are you considered worthy of the honour of the knight’s role, but this will not stop you. You grab the nearest thing available (a unicycle), equip your deadly lance, and begin your adventure.

You know you’re in trouble when a sun with a lion head is after you!

This has all been done before, or has it?

You are thinking, “This has all been done before. Seen that, done that, got the tee shirt.” Yes, if it was simply a side-scrolling, beat ‘em up title I would agree, but this has an almighty frustrating twist. Think Trials HD, Decenders, or Lonely Mountain. They are all challenging games that require patience, skill, and the ability to stay calm under pressure. If you combine this with a fun and absurd medieval cartoon world, then you come up with Balancelot.

You must balance your way through 50 difficult stages, each with a gradually increasing difficulty rating. You are tasked with leaping gaps, pushing logs, attacking your enemies, and collecting stars. This must all be done without dying, and while being timed from start to finish. Checkpoints are located across each level, and it is vital that you get to each one as death is a certainty. Perform gravity defying leaps, go from horizontal to vertical to pass through the gaps, and create new paths. It’s easy on paper, but in reality its soul destroyingly difficult.

Playing this is a full-body workout.

I remember when I first played games, I would twist and move with each turn of the plane or car on my screen. I knew full well that it wouldn’t help, but yet my body was compelled to perform those tasks. As I’ve grown as a gamer, this habit has died out (thank goodness), that was until I played this title! Ring Fit Adventure for the Switch has nothing on this one. It caused me to throw myself around desperately trying to balance my would-be-knight. I’m not suggesting that this will happen to you, but it’s a probable outcome, so be prepared.

The concept is basic, and absolutely fantastic. The action is broken up with cutscenes that are bizarre and hilarious. As you complete each course like some sort of unicycling Parkour ninja, you feel you should be awarded a medal for your efforts. Like death and taxes, failure is guaranteed! No matter how good you are, you will crash into boxes, or fall down the gaping chasms. This is all par for the course, so take it in your stride and learn from your errors.

Hand-drawn art and whimsical audio.

The 2D imagery is fantastic. Striking hand-drawn character models and delightful unique backgrounds make up much of this game. It’s simple, easy to look at, and reminiscent of Monty Python. The flow of the movement is smooth, and your unicycle slices through the stage like a hot knife through butter. The animation of the wheels moving is old-school and a joy to watch. As you collide with objects and fall to your death, it makes you wince in pain. The protagonist’s cardboard body cracks and bends as it impacts any surface, it’s truly horrific to observe. The vivid colours and bright tone match the notion that this was a prosperous kingdom. The dark, sinister appearance of your demon foes represents a classic good verses evil vibe.

It’s not just humans that want the demons to be destroyed.

The audio is a loud, annoying fanfare that is amazing. A repetitive tune plays throughout, but doesn’t get annoying. Its light-hearted tone makes you happy and goes a long way in stopping you from wanting to smash your controller into a million pieces. The constant squeaking of your one wheel, and the crunching sound of your bones will make you chuckle repeatedly.

It all sounds like a logistical nightmare!

For such a finely tuned game, the control setup is remarkably straightforward. Few buttons are required to keep you upright and moving, it’s a delight to control, and alleviated my fears when I first started. It’s surprisingly forgiving, allowing me to focus on having fun and overcoming the obstacles in my way.

Ratalaika Games are renowned for releasing achievement friendly titles, and this is no exception. It takes less than 30 minutes to get 1000 Gamerscore, but this isn’t the end of the tale. It will take hours to get through the 50+ levels that are available, so patience and practise are a must for would be completionists. With the timer to record your results, and stars to collect en route, there is plenty to make you want to return.

Was the hype worth it?

The Steam Community is usually not far off the mark with their scoring, but for me 8 out of 10 is too strong. It is a fantastic game, with plenty of challenge, lots or replay value, and it made me laugh. But without it developing its concept from the basic premise, it stays in a comfortable, yet predictable place throughout. If there was more variety, then I’d consider a higher score, but as it is, 6.5 out of 10 is fair. Do I recommend it? Yes! It’s inexpensive and can be purchased here for £6.39 for a limited time. Can you overcome the demons that terrorise your kingdom? Will you be able to balance on a unicycle? Will your controller survive hours of this game? These are questions that only you can answer while playing this title.

Review: Ghost of Tsushima

Michael Hoade

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Jan 22, 2021

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An immersive experience:

Picture this: a Japanese field cascaded in white tulips. Two Samurai are locked in motion, readying their blades. Natures ambience acting as soothing resonance to the brutality that is about to ensue.

Cinematic moments like this are executed so well in Ghost of Tsushima. But, even more impressive, is when the scene fades out, and you’re presented with a combat system that is brutal, visceral and precise.

Sucker Punch has not only succeeded in making its duels feel visually epic, they have also developed a combat system with depth – that made each encounter a complete joy.

Ghost of Tsushima offers some of the best melee combat found outside the Soulsborne series. There is a simplicity found in the stance switching, the simple three-string combos and modest toolset that is provided to the player. This minimalist approach shines because of the excellent hit-detection; that makes every strike feel impactful and deliberate. Whereas in say the Witcher 3, Geralt’s movements looked pretty, but felt disconnected from the player’s input; every motion from Jin Sakai(the game’s protagonist), feels responsive to the player.

This is so important in helping to create an authentic, immersive experience.

This level of authenticity isn’t limited to the game’s combat, however. The island of Tsushima itself, is so beautifully and deliberately designed, so as to create an immersive experience for the player. From the various animals that act as unobtrusive tour guides towards most of the island’s key attractions, to the many roaming Mongol patrols that you can find and dispose of along the way.

Now, if I were to offer a small criticism of the game, it would be that there were a few too many collectibles. The initial charm of seamlessly following a Fox to a Shrine, is quickly soured when you realise that there are 49 of these. Yes, 49! This is excessive – and whilst thankfully not necessary to the core gameplay experience, does still undermine the curiosity invoked by the game’s beautiful, immersive world.

Nevertheless, Tsushima feels less like an atypical open world theme park, chock-full with every and any collectable, as you move from point a to b, without so much of a consideration for the environment around you. Instead, the player is strategically guided by clever gameplay systems, such as the waypoint substitute ‘guiding wind’; that are so well integrated within the island itself, that you never feel ‘taken out of’ the experience. This is something that many open world games fail to achieve. Kudos, Sucker Punch.

A simple, sophisticated story:

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Ghost of Tsushima tells the tale of Jin Sakai, the head of the Sakai Clan, as he seeks to defend his home from the invading Mongol forces, helmed by the cunning Khotun Khan.

However, the game also tells a tale of duty, honour, and sacrifice. These key themes transform the narrative from a simple, albeit well told, war story, into something a little more sophisticated.

Fundamentally, the events and characters featured in Tsushima are fairly simple to understand. There are a couple twists here and there, mixed with logical character development, but again, nothing that is going to change your life.

As a result, the story feels incredibly focused throughout, supplemented by a small, well developed cast and clear relationship dynamics established through use of flashbacks and side missions.

Without spoiling anything, by the end of the game, I felt incredibly satisfied with how events played out. I was increasingly impressed with how Jin had developed as a character; initially coming across as stoic and dare I say, a tad ‘generic’, to slowly unravelling what was a much deeper, more thoughtful character. Jin is a character who ultimately ties the story and themes together.

The supporting cast, with special considerations to Lord Shimura and Khotun Khan, also help elevate the simple story. Excellent performances from the voice actors, coupled with solid writing, adds a certain ‘maturity’ and sophistication to the game. The early exchanges between the resolute, paragon of pure ‘Samurainess’ Lord Shimura and the cunning, yet equally ruthless Khotun Khan, are suspenseful, thoughtful exchanges that are further elevated by the games sharp writing and great performances.

Also, just to mention, the English dub is superb. I usually try to play a game and/or watch a show in the authentic, native language, but, in the case of Tsushima the English dub helped me feel even more emotionally invested. Each performance feels grounded in reality, with moments of great emotion gracefully captured by the fantastic voice work.

A worthy next-gen experience(on the PS4!):

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Horizon Zero Dawn, God of War, and now, Ghost of Tsushima. These are all titles that I truly believe pushed the PS4 and console gaming to a whole new level, this generation. Excellent graphical fidelity and strong performances made these games feel truly ‘next-gen’ – whatever that really means.

When writing this review for Ghost of Tsushima, I replayed parts of the game on the PS5, and this made me really reflect on just how good the game looked – not specifically on the PS5, but on my 7 year-old, battle-hardened PS4. The game looks fantastic. Feels fantastic. The controls are responsive; the graphics are breathtaking; and this, combined with the excellent combat, exploration and story, truly made for a worthy next-gen experience.

Ghost of Tsushima was my personal Game of the Year. Whilst it is not necessarily a ground-breaking, revolutionary title(nor does it need to be), it just is very, very, very, very, good. And, I reckon most of you out there will agree.

Review: The Childs Sight

Daniel Waite

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Jan 22, 2021

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Horror is one of those genres that is guaranteed to divide its audience. You begin with the group that simply hate to be scared, this then expands into peoples dislike of certain styles, and those that simply hate jump scares. I sit in the group that enjoys the thrill of losing myself to the horrific moments that the developers have in store for me. When I saw the advertising for The Childs Sight by HANNMADE Studios and published by Forever Entertainment S.A, I knew it was a game that I had to play.

When you have a story that bases its main concept around childhood fears, it has to be careful not to ham it up too much. It would be easy for a developer to delve into the realms of make believe, and try to produce something so catastrophically scary, that it quickly becomes clichéd and laughable. So, does The Childs Sight strike the right balance between fear and imagination? Do you play this with the worry that something is going to jump out and end your game at the snap of your fingers? Having almost soiled myself several times during my time with it, I’d argue that they got it just about right!

What makes this scary?

The concept is simple. The world is seen through the eyes of an innocent child where you dredge up memories from the past that have long been forgotten. You must try to put your mind at ease by forcing yourself to remember what has scared you. Was it just the unknown, or maybe it was something more sinister? The tale is broken down into chapters of your early childhood, and each is separated into 2 stages; exploration and attempting to sleep.

That’s enough to give anyone nightmares. Creepy dolls in every corner of your room, no wonder the kid is scared!

Exploration.

The exploring stage is a respite from all the evils that haunt you. It allows you time to explore the surrounding area without the risk of being hounded by the unknown. Here you can experiment with items from your past, you may pick up toys, find notes, and investigate any portion of the restricted space. This part has little bearing on the second part of each stage, but it allows you to piece together your past and possibly the reason to why you find yourself in this position.

Sleeping.

This is the main section of the game, and where you spend 90% of your time. As a baby, sleep is important, but fear and anxiety stop even the youngest of minds from being able to complete this most basic of tasks. A creak of a door, the sound of banging, a rocking chair appearing to move by itself and more await you. As the chapters roll by, more fears are added to the list, and you as the player must remember the tasks associated with each. A carousel comforts and protects you, and you must keep this running at all costs. A night light hangs over your cot, this must be activated and deactivated depending on what fear you are experiencing. It’s a complex list of chores that must be abided by, and can confuse at first.

Why complete this long list of actions, why not just shut your eyes and fall asleep? There is something lurking in the dark, and by listening to the audio queues, and ensuring you do everything correctly is the only way that you will slow this abomination down. Drifting off to the land of nod takes an age, this builds suspense and gets your heart racing. You know you are doing everything you can to keep the beast from your door, but you never know exactly where it is. Have you done enough to keep it away, or will it reach through the bars of your crib and get you……When the latter happens, have a spare pair of pants available as it will loosen your bowels, and make you jump feet.

A memory game with a twist.

The long list of tasks and visual and audio queues becomes hard to keep on top of. It’s easy to confuse yourself with what must be done when you see or hear a certain thing. The developers have not helped the situation, as there is an expectation that you will recall every action required to succeed. It makes The Childs Sight a deceptively difficult title to play and complete, it’s a memory game with a horror twist. It’s an unusual combination, but one that works perfectly in this setting. There were occasions where I switched on the light when I shouldn’t, this sped up my impending doom, and caused me to express some terrible expletives. This is something that you must come to terms with and expect if you attempt to play this. Be prepared that failure is around the corner, and that your fears will catch up with you.

What’s the use of having such a delightful bear friend if he fails to protect you?

It’s all about the atmosphere.

You may think that it would’ve been easy for HANNMADE Studios to have a list of commands on the screen. A cheat sheet if you like. This would have been handy, but I believe that it would have made for a complex and untidy User Interface. Perhaps a scroll that showed a list instead, something that could be used at the press of a button? Again, it would have been nice, but babies can’t write. This would have been at odds with the whole concept, and wouldn’t have worked. Ultimately, the only way that the brilliant atmosphere and immersive nature of this title could be retained, was to make it as clean cut and straightforward to look at as possible.

The aesthetic qualities of this game are enhanced brilliantly through both the graphical approach, and the excellent audio. All the action plays out through a first-person perspective. A grainy sepia quality has been applied to all the imagery, this gives the gameplay a dated and surreal feel. As the world is viewed through the eyes of a child, every item is larger than life. The toys have bulging and overbearing eyes that look unnatural but oddly cute. The crib appears like a gigantic mega structure that engulfs our protagonist like the walls of a wooden prison. Finally, there is the unnerving and evil persona of the creature that haunts you. Its face peering through the bars as it grabs you is something that will haunt me for some time.

Headphones are a must!

There is no wonder that this poor child is terrified. As an adult playing this, I have felt his fear. Sitting in a darkened room with my headset on, I felt every crash of lightning, and every thud of thunder. The torturous noises that tease you throughout are enough to send you insane. A rhythmic sound plays out as you attempt to sleep, but this must be ignored as the finer noises are what’s important. These audio queues wake you from your slumber, and you must act upon them immediately. It’s stressful, worrying, but fantastic. It’s a basic concept done exceptionally well and makes this game the success that it is.

Your prison and protection from the horrors that haunt you. A suitable fortress for a baby to defend itself from the evil that lurks in the dark.

It’s as clumsy as a toddler!

I’ve alluded to the fact that you must remember a lot of sounds to partake in several actions. I’ve also stated that it is imperative that this is done quickly and accurately. You can therefore imagine my annoyance at the cumbersome control system that has been implemented. Looking around is a slow experience, like the baby has a turning circle of a tanker. When you pick up an item, it must be returned to the spot that it was found. Everything was as clumsy as a toddler taking its first steps, so in that respect the developers matched the lead character perfectly, but from a gaming experience it’s hard to swallow. For me, it needs to be more responsive. There was little to no urgency, and this contradicted the theme. Even babies can move fast when they need something, and I know I wouldn’t be waiting around when a monster was hunting me.

In modern day gaming, it’s all about the value for money and replay value. How does The Childs Sight fare in this category? Very well. At only £4.19 you get a lot of game for your money! In fact, you’ll spend more on new underwear to replace the ones you ruined during your time with this. Two game modes are available, the main story, and a time trial that asks you to survive for as long as possible. Alongside these 2 modes you will face a small but challenging achievement list. To gain your 100% score will require time, and perfection, so practise will be required for the completionists out there.

Is this more than just a horror game?

Though its laced with scary moments, it is more a horrific adventure memory game than a classic horror tale. It plays to its strengths, particularly well, and creates a brilliant atmospheric world that you can lose yourself in easily. The difficulty is high enough that it will challenge most gamers, but may be too much for some players. You have to immerse yourself in the audio portion of the game. Failure to do so will lead to frustration, so play this one with the sound cranked up, or through headphones. Do I recommend it? Yes, I do. A purchase can be made here if my review has tickled your fancy. Can you piece together the parts of your childhood that haunt you? Was it just your imagination that scared you, or was there something hiding in the shadows? Why not buy a copy and see if you can survive this dark horror memory game.

Review: Unspottable

Daniel Waite

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Jan 22, 2021

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Lockdown has brought misery to many people. The list of reasons is never ending, but isolation has to be near the top. As a species, we thrive in community settings and love to mingle with friends and family. Gaming has allowed many people to fill that void, physical friendships has given way to virtual ones, and families have bonded through couch co-op titles.

The party game scene was once considered a niche genre, and a small player base would buy every title available. They’d invite their friends around for a session, or plan gaming evenings with their family. For many people this has become the new norm, so this genre has exploded. Many weird and wacky titles are added regularly, so there is plenty to choose from. Because of being restricted to one household for such a long time, it was a relief when I saw my latest review title advertised. Unspottable from publishers and developers GrosChevaux, is a fun, family orientated party game.

There are plenty of these about. What makes this one stand out?

There are an awful lot of party and couch co-op games on the market. It’s flooded with choices, so to stand out, you have to create something special. I think GrosChevaux has done exactly that. Simplicity makes this so fantastic. Many levels await you and up to 3 other players in what is a giant game of hide and seek. Each stage has goals to aim towards, and points are awarded based on success. The player who reaches the set target wins outright.

Hide and Seek, that doesn’t sound that fun!

The idea of playing a game that you’ve played to death as a child may not appeal, but let me explain. A variety of stages are presented with many obstacles and objectives to be avoided and observed. Each playable character looks and acts the same as the NPC robots. You must hide in plain sight, observing your surroundings, trying to find who is a robot, and who is real. Punching someone gives away your position, but violence is the key to victory. Most of the stages require you to hit the opposition, smack a robot and it collapses, slap a fellow human, and you gain a point and they are eliminated.

So many robots, so few people. Just wait until the madness begins!

It’s not all about hiding from human eyes, though, robots can also attack you, as can the environment. Bombs will fall on you; dance moves must be observed and followed, instructors will order robots to punch and spotlights will give away your position. It’s a strategic nightmare, but everyone is in the same boat.

Planning ahead.

This is as much a game of pace and violence as it is guile and stealth. Running around like a headless chicken is all but assured to get you beaten up. Slowly, slowly, catchy monkey springs to mind when you choose an approach. If you believe that you have been clocked by your opponents, then you can perform a distraction that allows you to run and hide. The screen pans away from the action and you must decide whether you run or stand and bluff your enemies. It’s a brilliant twist and caused many arguments when my wife and kids thought they had got close enough to attack. It’s all about moves and countermoves. Think wisely and act quickly!

Much of the action plays out in front of you from a bird’s-eye perspective. A clear line of sight can be had for all players involved, but yet it’s madness to start with. Identifying your character is a challenge, but this issue is equal across the board. The art style is a simple cartoon approach that works really well with this genre. A mixture of backdrops keeps the gameplay varied and exciting. The use of colour matches each of the scenarios and brings each one to life. The hectic gameplay is aided by how smooth it runs. I experienced no issues or lag, which is impressive as the screen is bombarded with objects repeatedly.

Upbeat music and thundering hits.

The audio goes hand in hand with the visual presentation. Each of the levels has a different scenario and theme that requires a unique audio, GrosChevaux doesn’t fail to deliver. You are treated to a mixture of funky dance songs, sneaky slower paced tracks, and over the top adrenaline pumping beats. This combined with amusing and accurate sound effects makes this a great title to listen to.

That moment that you get schooled at Hide and Seek is an eye opening experience!

Other than the odd issue with identifying your character, I had no problems with controlling this simple to play game. If you wish, you can select a tutorial at the start of every session. With a clear explanation of the fundamentals and the controller layout explained before each match, you can’t go wrong. Unless you are my wife, of course (Luckily, she doesn’t read my reviews *PHEW*).

Party games bring people together and make you play again. How about this one?

Though the concept is as straightforward as they come, this game has ample replay value! It’s overflowing with competitive elements, and the objectives and different situations mean that no match is the same. With many characters to unlock, plenty of stages and a moderately challenging achievement list, this will keep you playing for hours.

With a lack of online play, it will restrict its audience, but I believe it’s hit the market at the right time. A captive crowd will love to compete and beat each other in this fun title. Do I recommend it? I do. It’s fun, simple, and will make you all have an argument. Think Monopoly, but finished much quicker. Available for £9.99 it can be purchased here if you fancy the latest party game to land on the virtual shelves. Blend in, observe your surroundings, and punch the life out of each other. Hide and Seek has never been so brutal, or such fun!

Review: Ocean’s Heart

Davide Roriz

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Jan 21, 2021

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Ocean’s Heart is the latest game by Max Mraz, which some people might know of thanks to Yarntown, a 2D hommage to Bloodborne. Ocean’s Heart was made in the Solarus engine, which was designed to make 16-bit ARPG’s of the likes of older Legend of Zeldas. With that in mind, it’s clear where Ocean’s Heart has drawn inspiration from.

Ocean’s Heart is an ARPG that focuses heavily on exploration, by giving players the ability to traverse through the world at their own pace. The game puts players on the shoes of Tilia, an aspiring Navy Volunteer which takes it after her dad. After an unprovoked attack on your small village by some pirates, you set out on a journey to find with your father, who was attempting to rescue a fellow friend that was kidnapped during the raid. The story obviously doesn’t just stay there, as soon enough you find yourself wrapped in a much bigger plot that threatens the world as you know it.

Plenty of tools to choose from

Just like any other ARPG, Ocean’s Heart has its fair share of combat. To be frank, I was never really into the type of combat in this kind of games, but I certainly don’t hate it. My issue with it is that’s overly simplistic. Simply put, you can attack as fast as you can smash each attack button, so you can quickly eliminate enemies. However, most of its problems stem from the fact that you can easily get stunlocked and stuck in tight spots with no ability to escape. Things can quickly get frustrating.

Aside from that, there is actually a decent amount of different weapons and items that you can add to your arsenal. There’s your starting sword, a flaming spear, a boomerang, a bow, bombs, a flail, as well as magic spells like lightning and a magic shield. It should also be noted that you just don’t get everything in the first few hours. The game regularly introduces you to new tools throughout your adventure, which keeps the game interesting and fresh.

Questing and exploration galore

When you’re not delving through dungeons or going at some of the many enemies in Ocean’s Heart, you’ll just be taking in the game’s world as you explore it. The game heavily incentivizes you to explore, not only by granting you more items, like potions, coins or ammunition, but also by allowing you to learn more about the world. There are plenty of people that you can talk with, to learn more about the history of the world, and who knows, you might run into a few side-quests.

I must say that I was surprised by the number of side-quests that the game has, and these aren’t exactly your typical fetch quests. More often than not, these actually present you with some kind of puzzle or tell small stories of their own which, despite not being mandatory to complete the game, they certainly add a lot of flavour to the whole experience. In this aspect, the game is very old-school in design, in the sense that there isn’t any sort of guidance system in Ocean’s Heart. Instead, you have to keep track of your objectives by consulting your journal, to figure out where you should head next. Sometimes, it can be confusing, especially since the world is quite huge, but I never found myself struggling with figuring out where I needed to go next for more than a couple of dozen minutes.

Closing remarks

Overall, despite not being a massive fan of its combat, Ocean’s Heart turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise. It can be as much of a soothing adventure as it can be challenging, as the peaceful exploration heavily contrasts with some of the boss encounters. It took me about 14 hours to complete the game, but I still have a couple of side-quests to finish. All in all, the game doesn’t overstay its welcome. It manages to stay and feel relatively fresh, by continuously introducing a few small mechanics throughout your adventure. In the end, this is an easy recommendation from me, especially if you’re a fan of games like Blossom Tales. I wouldn’t say that this is a MUST PLAY, as the game isn’t groundbreaking in any way, but it certainly can be fun, and that’s what matters in the end.

Review: Crowdy Farm Puzzle

Kara Phillips

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Jan 21, 2021

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Crowdy Farm Puzzle is a delightful 5-in-1 puzzle game which can be enjoyed by every member of the family.

First impressions

At first glance, Crowdy Farm Puzzle comes across as one of those games you wouldn’t really give a second glance. But upon picking this game up you find yourself spending hours leading animals home and helping out where you can. With five different puzzles to try, this game engages your brain in ways you don’t expect it to. Before you know it, you’re 45 minutes in to guiding a whole corral of livestock through a field.

The five available puzzles come with 30 different levels which vary in difficulty. You can go from sorting animals into likewise columns, or coloring the fields by walking them across. Either way, there is something to please everyone in Crowdy Farm Puzzle. Each game mode is fun and easy to understand. The puzzles are enjoyable and stray from becoming repetitive since different animals are incorporated before you have a whole farmyard on your hands.

Easy to enjoy

There is no storyline for you to understand in order to enjoy the game and it stands alone with just it’s puzzles. To many, this makes a game dull, but if you need to pass the time with some lighthearted brain teasers this is the game for you. It’s easy to pick up and you can just begin from where you left off without any intense backstory to shadow the game. There’s no pressure, you can just enjoy playing without worry. The lack of time constraint and no lives to lose also plays into this feature.

Repetitive nature

However, after a while, the soundtrack does get repetitive.There are no sound effects when moving through the game which would be an effective attribute when enhancing the farmyard scenes. My switch remained on mute for the majority of the time I played, since the same song repeated for the whole puzzle. However, I played alongside little to no background noise though since all 150 available puzzles required full brain power.

Price vs promise

Although the game is engaging, I feel like the price tag is a little steep for the content itself. Despite there being 5 different puzzles and 150 levels, with no story there isn’t a lot to keep you engaged. With puzzle games like Candy Crush still relevant and available for free on mobile devices, Crowdy Farm Puzzle faces the competition of large titles with little price. It’s enjoyable, sure, but for £5.49 ($5.99) it becomes questionable.

Final thoughts

I’d definitely recommend this game if you’re looking for something to pass the time with, but it’s no nail-biter. Crowdy Farm Puzzle definitely achieves the brain-teaser label. I enjoyed the variety of levels, but with no storyline to keep you occupied this game risks being easily forgotten. It’s not something I see myself picking up in the future after finishing every level.

Review: Budget Cuts

Ryan Bradshaw

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Jan 21, 2021

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Straight Outta Funding

Budget Cuts on the PSVR is the exact definition of a mixed bag. For everything that I came to enjoy, there was at least one thing that became an exercise in frustration. If you’re like me and only pull the headset out every once in a while, this will probably not be the motivation to do so.

The first 10 minutes are extremely reminiscent of the office escape scene from The Matrix. You’re sitting at your computer, locked within your cubicle jail cell when the McGuffin shows up. A small package containing a pager kicks off the story. You’re given the ability to move around with a teleporter/portal gun. It not only allows you to move through the halls of the office building, but up above the ceilings as well. The big bonus here, before making your move through the next portal, you’re able to see your next location through the opening. This allows for an additional dimension of planning that you don’t see very often.

Physically leaning in your chair to see around corners is always a great feeling. Being able to get a good feel for your surroundings is important in a stealth game. Fortunately, Budget Cuts gets that part right.

If you’ve played *Job Simulator*, you should feel right at home within the first few minutes.

Escape From Cubicle Mountain

Once you leave the main office area you start to run into the security robots…as well as the primary issues that I had with this game. The main issue is the learning curve. I am not the type of gamer that enjoys playing the same areas over and over again until I figure out exactly what the game wants. Especially in VR, I want a smooth experience, not a lesson in trial and error.

Budget Cuts wants you to feel your way through this world and unfortunately the world is cold and unforgiving. You can be killed in one hit and the enemies are a pretty good shot when it matters. Gently peaking around a corner can easily get you spotted. Dashing from spot to spot while being pursued is a pain due to the control scheme. If you’re caught you might as well head on back to the last checkpoint, and the long load times make this so much worse than it should be.

Sharp objects are your only friends here.

Like Die Hard…Without the Gunfire

The only way to survive is to sneak as much as possible. In any area that you can’t sneak, sharp objects are your only saving grace. Unfortunately, completing an accurate throw is more luck than skill. The motion tracking isn’t where it should be, but that’s probably a PSVR issue instead of a Budget Cuts issue. And a few times there were some issues with the physics and object interactions. Overall it compounded the frustration of death and long load times into something I found I had to force myself to play.

One place the controls do excel at is inventory management. After a few minutes of adjustment everything feels just right. Being able to swap any item back and forth between hands is a huge plus. I’ve always found the PlayStation motion controllers to be a bit awkward, but here they felt very smooth and efficient.

Within a few hours I was feeling pretty good. Everything was flowing smoothly and I had finally gotten the feel for the motion. Then it hit me…the game ended and the credits rolled after four short hours. Of course, replaying the game is an option. However, once the learning curve is conquered the challenge is pretty much gone. The enemies walk the same patrol routes. There are no changes to the necessary strategy. In any full length game this wouldn’t be an issue, but with a four hour playtime there’s honestly nothing to go back to.

To the game’s credit, there is an arcade mode that adds in a few new levels. Again, these didn’t last very long and once completed they offer little replayability unless you are just hunting for a high score.

Parting Thoughts

Overall I found myself being more frustrated with the game than actually enjoying it. The issues that are present are found within areas that stand out horribly amongst the average background of the rest of the game. If long load times, trial and error, and a steep learning curve will ruin an experience for you, look somewhere else.

Review: Judgment

Alex Chessun

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Jan 21, 2021

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There’s no escaping these eyes.

‘Judgment’ was released as ‘Judge Eyes’ in its Japanese release.

If you were to combine Phoenix Wright (Ace Attorney) and Kazuma Kiryu (Yakuza) you might just find yourself with Judgment’s detective protagonist Takayumi Yagami, who brings about an interesting change of pace to the Yakuza action-adventure series in a spin-off focusing on the tension and excitement of murder investigations.

Yagami is a disgraced ex-lawyer who throws away his profession after a client he acquits up and murders his girlfriend shortly after being freed from police custody. Torn with grief and believing himself responsible for the murder, Yagami drops his career completely, starting a private detective agency with his partner and ex-Yakuza, Kaito. Taking on odd jobs to pay the bills he helps out whoever will pay him, while slowly getting caught up in a nationwide scandal that will dig up the past he’s running from.

It’s not the size that matters, it’s what you do with it…

The story is an epic whodunit with unexpected twists and turns at every corner, and its players’ roles shifting and keeping you guessing along the way. Its presentation is highly cinematic with cutscenes both long and excellently directed and its soundtrack creating and holding tension brilliantly. Its 13 chapters feel like extended TV episodes, with its English voice acting bang on the money, and a cast that rivals or perhaps even improves-upon the Japanese recording. The character building is also superb, thriving in the grey and murkier areas of morality, making you feel sympathy for murderers and criminals as naturally as you do the main characters.

The graphics and animation offer further high production value with Yagami’s running animation very smooth and his wonderful mop of realistically flowing hair both looking great and making me feel incredibly jealous at the same time. The only negative in this regard is perhaps the slightly wooden facial movement of the characters in cutscenes, but it’s not terrible by any means.

According to Yakuza series Director, Toshihiro Nagoshi, one of the reasons for the series’ success is that its momentum has been maintained by churning out entry after entry in quick succession. In order to create a high-quality product in such a short development period, the series has had to use the game’s real-life inspired city, Kamurocho, in all of the 7 prior games. While this could be leveraged as legitimate criticism, when its world is as detailed and accurate in its design and contents, it’s very hard to argue against its inclusion. Its depiction of Kabukicho, an area in Shinjuku, Tokyo isn’t 100% accurate, but as a Tokyo-resident, I can attest to countless aspects (i.e. general building design, real shops, seediness etc) being absolutely spot on. Such is the city’s detail that it’s best to play the game with the mini-map switched off in order to appreciate it properly.

Kamurocho, the real-life inspired Open-World for Judgment’s setting.

Judgment’s activities also offer a level of quality that other Open-World games simply can’t, through a selection of classic SEGA arcade games made available through the in-game arcades. Differing for each entry in the Yakuza series, Fighter Vipers and Kamuro of the Dead (a House of the Dead influenced game) are just two that I’ve sunk hours into, but the arcades also include Puyo Puyo, Fantasy Zone, Space Harrier, Virtua Fighter 5 and Motor Raid. That alone is reason enough to buy this game. Drone races around the city are another fun addition, with the ability to customize your drone and upload your times online.

If you were to describe Judgment in one word ‘variety’ would be it, with the game throwing everything bar the proverbial kitchen sink at you to entertain and amuse, but still within a believable context. The serious main story shocks and surprises, but also happily switches tack after a long dramatic section by busting out its wacky humor. Playing a faux courtroom battle over a stolen dessert while screaming ‘Objection’ (aka Ace Attorney) is just one glorious example.

Side quests introduce some of the 50 characters you can build a friendship with and 4 of which you can romance. If you build enough of relationship with these characters, they may even help you in fights (i.e. a fast-food staff member might throw food across the street for you to use as a weapon). The level of interaction on offer here truly makes it feel like anything is possible for our protagonist.

A great smile might win you the Smile burger competition!

Accessible to a fault, the fighting system makes it possible to play the game as a button masher, but despite this, still manages to provide an addictive kung fu fighting experience with comically over-the-top violence. Yagami has two different fighting styles that are best used on either individual enemies or groups and also an acrobatic ability to launch off walls with some excellent high-flying wrestling manoeuvres. The series’ finishing moves, now called ‘EX Actions’, have come across from previous entries and are just as beautifully ridiculous as they’ve ever been with plenty of unlockables through its deep upgrade system. While they are relatively simple to pull off, using the environment around you as a weapon, like sending enemies through a shop window, is very satisfying. You can also pretend to be Jackie Chan by getting drunk and doing the drunken master technique. Try to tell me with a straight face that you haven’t always wanted to do that.

‘Deadly Attacks’ that lower your health ‘permanently’ until you visit the sewer-dwelling doctor (that’s not a typo), add an interesting gameplay loop, as visits to the unsanitary ‘professional’ don’t come cheap, necessitating that you work some extra side jobs unless you want to run into a boss fight with a laughably low amount of health. The only real knock on the fighting is that you tend to fight the same group of basic thugs over and over through random encounters without anyone really acknowledging it, which lessens immersion to a degree. Having a Nemeses-like system (from Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor) where enemies mention previous victories over you, but also level up and get promoted within the enemy’s ranks would certainly have been a welcome inclusion.

A not so friendly confrontation with guys you’ve likely fought numerous times by this point in the game.

Despite being one of the game’s main marketed features, the detective gameplay mechanics fail to impress, with the implementation of the investigative gameplay feeling underdeveloped and tacked-on, while never quite committing to giving the player control of the best part of investigating – the ability to theorize for themselves. Tailing people has a frustrating detection system making it feel like a chore and the pointless searching of empty crime scenes and maps seems completely redundant. Even LA Noire, arguably the greatest detective game ever made, failed to make tailing enjoyable, but it at least offered the player an option to skip the scenes. Instead of learning from this, Judgment offers a worse effort, including groups to tail and no option to skip the scenes.

Tension built by giving the player the responsibility to decide the crime’s culprit/motives is completely lost as the story’s secrets are unveiled through cutscenes moments before, making your conversation choices and evidence you need to present far too obvious. This wouldn’t be so bad if there were consequences for failure or difficult story-affecting decisions in other parts of the story, but as there aren’t, the addition of this mechanic feels relatively meaningless, like you’re a middle-man between the cutscenes and the game.

Judgment is a very good game that could have been great, if not for its uninspired detective gameplay mechanics. Aside from that one negative, it offers great drama, addictive action and a variety of activities that rank Judgment as one of the best the Yakuza series has to offer. It’s also a good introduction to the Ryu Ga Gotoku universe without having to play all 7 games of Kiryu’s story, making it a recommended title for new fans as well.

Yagami is happy with the review. Are you? Let us know!

Review: Bezier Second Edition

Thomas Dacombe

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Jan 21, 2021

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Twin-stick blaster Bezier is more than the mindless blaster its store pages claims it is. The unique visual style, immersive soundtrack, and captivating combo technique give a more engaging feel than most pick up and play arcade games you will find on the switch E-shop. Its multiple modes allow you to play for minutes or hours in an attempt to rack up a new high score. Even if the its story is convoluted and hard to follow.

Gameplay choices help keep things fresh.

In Beziers’ primary play mode, you have to destroy a specific amount of shields per level before choosing what area you want to move onto. Each area has different enemy types and changes up how you have to destroy shields. Some will have you shooting from different colored squares while others have you killing specific enemies first before you can damage the shield. The different ways that you have to take down the shields had me constantly thinking on my feet and forcing me to come up with new strategies. And having the ability to pick my path towards the final boss was a great addition and increased replayability of the main mode as each area offered something new. After a few runs, I knew the areas I wanted to avoid and those that could give me a better score and tried to perfect one run to the end. The game even shows you in the options what areas you have explored and how many times so you can track your favorite path as well as see the areas you have not yet ventured into.

As you choose between which area to explore, the game tries to explain a narrative based around the principal’s escape from a “Noah’s Ark” gone wrong inside a vast computer. As well as exploring more in-depth narratives about his relationship between evolution and god. Personally, the story flew over my head and added very little for me. It was hard to follow and understand what was going on even once I read the synopsis from the store page. Fortunately, I was able to look over it and continue choosing my path based on gameplay factors rather than story ones.

Satisfying combos keep you coming back for more in a variety of modes.

As well as aiming manually with the right stick, you are given the option to use auto-aim with the face buttons. Using auto-aim will cause you to overheat, and your fire rate and damage will decrease. It was great to have the option to switch between the two, when I’m trying to push up the score, I could use manual aim, and when I found my self overwhelmed, I switched to auto-aim. Being able to swap between auto and manual aim, alongside the multiple difficulty options, does a great job of lowering the bar for entry without taking away from the experience.

One of the more exciting mechanics in Bezier is the ability to chain together enemy kills and increase the score multiplier. This rewards using the manual aim as with the auto-aim, you might shoot something away from the chain, breaking it. It felt rewarding watching a circle of enemies linked together explode as the announcer exclaims, “MEGA CHAIN.” This combo mechanic kept me wanting to focus on getting better at using the manual aim as the pay off is both satisfying and rewarding with the amount of extra score you gain and the cool effects on screen.

As you fly around and destroy shields, you will pick up stars that’ll build up several special abilities in Bezier and increase boost and blasters as you level up. I found the special abilities to have little effect on the gameplay, and it was not clear what each was doing other than those that made it very clear to me with large visual effects and invulnerability. I often found myself just forgetting to use them and focusing on using the primary blasters, and when the mega power up happens, it was just a bonus.

Bezier has a couple of additional modes for you to try out alongside the primary story mode. Endurance has you taking on waves of enemies to increase your score, and daily mode gives you 4 minutes to get as high a score as possible on a leaderboard that resets daily. I enjoyed having these extra modes as runs in the main mode could take a while, so it was nice to have something to drop into for a quick session.

Entrancing presentation from visuals to the soundtrack.

The visual style of Bezier is terrific. Everything on the screen is vibrant and exciting to look at, from the enemy designs to the explosion effects. It all helps keeps you locked in on the experience paired with the music that builds in scale as you explore through the later areas resulting in a joyful track once you beat the boss at the end. The presentation here is all spot on and does a great job of immersing you in the world, which is no small ask for an arcade twin-stick shooter.

I enjoyed my time with Bezier way more than I thought I would after quickly skimming over the description on the store page. The visual style and soundtrack kept me entranced as I fought my way through the multiple levels and modes on offer to rack up that high score. Even though it’s got a slightly odd story that is hard to follow, and most of the weapons felt ineffective, I kept finding myself coming back for one more run over and over to explore the different areas and pull off some satisfying combos.

Review: Teratopia

Daniel Waite

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Jan 20, 2021

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The 3D adventure genre is littered with some amazing and memorable titles, and some not so great ones. It’s a category that I love to monitor, and it contains some of the most colourful and exciting moments found in gaming history. Publishers Eastasiasoft Limited offered me the chance to try out their latest game Teratopia from developer Ravegan. I looked at some footage, read some information, and eagerly jumped at the opportunity.

Teratopia is an action-adventure, 3D platformer that asks you to control 3 colourful creatures. They aim to rid the land of its invaders, and you must explore your homeland with either; Tucho, Benito or Horacio. Each of these furry beasts has its strengths and weaknesses. You must utilise them correctly to successfully remove the invaders from your world, all the while rescuing your friends that they’ve captured.

What’s it all about?

The game opens with a cutscene that shows the 3 factions of creatures living a questionable lifestyle. The “friends” have a competitive relationship where they want to prove they are better than the other, this is until the day of the invasion. The red monsters attempt to take them away, but Tucho fought and escaped his captors’ grips. And thus the story begins.

You explore 13 different parts of the planet Teratopia. Each combines with the previous segment to create a seamless open world adventure. You have the freedom to explore each portion as you wish, and each path will lead to several surprises. You are expected to find and defeat the 11 bosses that belong to this monstrous family of red invaders. Each boss has an Achilles’ heel, and it is your responsibility to find it, and flaunt this weakness.

What makes this different?

Though the aforementioned genres are prevalent in the game mechanics. Another major concept that helps to form the backbone of the action, is its part brawler, part beat ’em up style. However, this doesn’t mean it’s all-out mindless button mashing, no, it requires planning and finesse!

Each of your creatures has its strengths; brawling, ranged, or agility and guile. They also have special elemental powers, and a group of minions to unleash. It’s hectic, fast-paced and unpredictable. It’s also more challenging than many of its peers, as you only have the one life per run. If you die, there are no checkpoints, you begin at the start of the stage losing all your gear.

Roguelite elements can be annoying.

I’m not a massive lover of the Roguelite/like movement. Losing my progress has never appealed to me, but in Teratopia the influence is minimal, so it enhances the gameplay. This increased difficulty ensures that you plan your approach, and you enter each situation knowing that failure is not an option. The way it has been implemented makes it more desirable to play and increases the replay value.

A colourful masterpiece with a drawback.

Like many of its peers, Teratopia has gone all out to create a delightful world to explore. It’s a colour sensation that is a feast for the senses. The landscape is varied, vivid, and alive with energy. Frankly, it’s brilliant to look at. What also impressed me was how smoothly it ran, even when the screen was overrun with creatures and projectiles. The change in backdrops between each zone helps to clearly identify when you are traversing each of the 13 levels. The detail on the character models is commendable and gives the game a high-quality finish. For all its positives, there is one drawback, you cannot freely move the camera. It was an annoying and an unfortunate restriction as it impacted the gameplay and broke up the immersive nature.

Ravegan has done an amazing job with the audio. A unique game needs an original soundtrack, and that’s exactly what you get. Orchestrated songs play throughout, adding atmosphere, drama and comedy to the situation. This matched with fun, yet expected sound effects made this an enjoyable title to listen to. The music is so good that it’s one of the few games that I recommend playing exclusively with headphones.

Silky smooth controls.

Plenty is going on in this game, so you may be worried that the controls will be a challenge to pick up and master. A basic tutorial is given at the start, and any new mechanics are explained clearly throughout. With a little practice, it all becomes second nature, and you soon forget about what you are doing as every command is silky smooth and responsive.

This genre is renowned for its collectables and replay value, Teratopia is true to this form. With character levels to increase, eyeballs to collect and spend, chests to find and unlock, and costumes to buy, there is plenty to find and do. If you then chuck in the Teratopedia (a guide to tasks and monsters you’ve encountered) and the challenging achievement list, there is a lot to make you return. Hours of fun gameplay are to be had, at around £10 it proves to be great value for money.

I think I’ve found my new addiction.

You know that you’re onto a winner when a game gets under your skin. Ravegan has successfully created that “just one more try” title that keeps you playing for hours. The simplicity of the premise, combined with the complexity of the game mechanics and approach, makes this a very addictive title to play. With an amazing combination of looks and sounds, easy and responsive controls and humour laced gameplay, it’s a modern day classic in the making. Do I recommend it? Yes, yes, yes! So buy it here! Can you help the 3 creatures take down the invaders and reclaim their homelands? Buy a copy, pick your favourite creature, and banish your red enemies for good!

Review: Mortal Shell

Jonah Ehlers

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Jan 20, 2021

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The phrase “souls-like” strikes fear in me. I have never once finished, or even gotten close to finishing a FromSoftware game. I have purchased and tried my hand at Dark Souls, Dark Souls III, and Bloodborne. Across each of these titles, I have never made it past more than three bosses. Whether it was due to a lack of patience, focus or simply my own lack of skill; these titles and their challenges hung above my head, a cloud of shame. I had always played videogames on normal difficulty, looking to experience the story and world more than seeking a challenge. As a result, each prior fight gave me instant gratification. I entered every battle, against basic enemies and bosses alike, with the confidence that I would win. In the Soulsborne games there was no such confidence. It was replaced with fear, and that fear led to doubt, hesitation, and inevitable death. I gave up on those titles, not even batting an eye when Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was released. I lived under the assumption that I was just not their target audience. That was until Mortal Shell.

Visually, Mortal Shell has a clear idea of what it wants to be. Set in this dark and murky world, it envelops you and everything in it with a grim tone of despair. The starting area and subsequent temples throughout the campaign provide the player with some decent variety. You’ve got the frozen temple of the Crypt of Martyrs, the swamps of Fallgrim, and the narrow stone walkways of the Seat of Infinity. While these visuals are nothing we haven’t seen before, they work well here and add to the atmosphere this title is committed to maintaining.

In terms of its sound the game feels somewhat purposefully barren, relying more on ambient sounds throughout its world. The rare occasion of music came during boss fights, which also has a minimalist, ambient feel to it. From a percussive beat with Imrod the unrepentant, to the deep and ritualistic sound of war drums and deep humming which accompanies Hadern. This selective choice of music and ambience works in the game’s favour; adding an extra layer of atmosphere.

The voice acting on display here is few and far between but works very well in those moments. It’s got this oddly soothing quality to it, everyone speaking in these low and morbid tones. Their words seem meaningful, but are just vague enough to sustain the intrigue characterising the world. The voice lines are strangely relaxing to listen to; I could probably listen to the old prisoner drone on for ages. Even the moaning of defeated enemies had me feeling just the slightest bit bad for them.

The Dark Souls inspiration is apparent from early on. The grim undertones in sound and sight, sprawling level design, the mysterious intrigue, even the loading screens. One can’t help but compare the two when many aspects of design and world building were clearly influenced by the 2011 title. The game even has you start out somewhat similarly as a nameless creature, looking like something straight out of the nightmares of Hieronymus Bosch.

The game does manage to set itself apart in a few ways, the most clear example is its class system. In Mortal Shell, the faceless creature known as a foundling, inhabits the bodies of slain warriors; Harros the vassal, Solomon the scholar, Tiel the acolyte and Eredrim the venerable. Each of these shells changes your health, stamina, and resolve. They each also come with their own offensive and defensive abilities. For example Eredrim has an offensive ability which allows him to deal extra damage to enemies that are alone, giving you an edge in boss fights, or in a particularly tricky 1v1 encounter. In order to upgrade this ability Tar and Glimpses are needed. Tar is the game’s currency and Glimpses are akin to skill points. It’s a simple and straightforward system, but it doesn’t take long to acquire every ability for a certain shell. Meaning the feeling of growth and progress with a favourite shell caps quite early on. It does however, incentivise you to experiment with different shells, as glimpses gained for one shell will not be shared amongst the others.

This leads into another defining characteristic of the game, the second wind mechanic. Upon getting your HP to zero you will be thrust out of your shell leaving you vulnerable. This event freezes enemies in place, but this is temporary, giving you just enough time to get up. You could of course just get right back to fighting, but one hit and you’re dead. The safest route is to run back to your shell and inhabit it once more, replenishing both your Health and Stamina. Unlike the Souls-Borne games where once you die, that’s it; Mortal Shell allows you to redeem yourself. This is a welcome addition in my eyes, as save points are not as close together as I am used to. Dying also means you lose all your Tar, you would need to get back to the place you died and reclaim a now statue-like shell in order to get your hard-earned currency back.

This statued version of a shell is also present in another mechanic unique to Mortal Shell, the harden ability. Holding down the button for this ability makes you impervious to damage, taking on a calcified form. Once hit, the ability recharges until it’s ready for use again. One could even harden in the middle of an attack animation. If hit while in this position, the attack carries on where it left off. This ability right here, was my saving grace throughout the campaign. It saved my skin countless times, and to be honest I’m not sure I could have beaten the game as easily without it. However, this means that at times it felt like a bit of a crutch. Often in boss fights, I would attack, harden, let them hit me, and then be assured of a hit, keeping my distance until it recharged and then repeating this process. This made for some pretty repetitive and long fights. A way to circumvent this possibility in future installments would be the inclusion of unblockable attacks, that ignore your harden ability. At the very least the attacks could send you flying back, or apply a status effect, such as poison or slowed movement.

Honestly, when all is said and done, the boss fights in Mortal Shell were a little lackluster. Their move sets felt limited and easy to learn, one could also bait certain moves out to open them up to attack. This made it very easy to manipulate a fight to your advantage once you got the hang of it. The stand out boss would definitely be Tarsus the first martyr, providing a good amount of challenge and variety in his moves, as well as a very intimidating second phase. That being said, I could not help but feel as though he was given the most time and attention when developing the game as every boss thereafter felt a little boring in comparison. I just wish every one of them brought the same challenge to the table as he did. I even managed to beat the final boss of the game on my first try. Coming from me, someone who is notoriously terrible at these kinds of games, that is not a good thing. I don’t want to feel hopeless when fighting a boss, but I also don’t want to feel as though I have it in the bag the whole way through, especially when the title presents itself as challenging. This aspect might disappoint die-hard FromSoftware fans.

I also wish there was more variety in enemy types, often between locations there would just be variations of the same enemy types you’ve been fighting since the first temple. Though there are definite stand outs, such as an enemy with blades jutting out of its torso. It removes these blades, using them as projectiles when at a distance and removing two to fight you with, close quarters. Upon getting its HP low enough, it rips its own head off and throws it at you as one last spiteful attack. Pretty Metal.

All in all, Mortal Shell provides the perfect amount of challenge for someone like me. I often felt inclined to press on; just one more fight, or one more save-point. That drive kept the game flowing quite nicely, ensuring that there was never a dull moment. It is a very streamlined experience, and that shows in its runtime. The title took me about 14 hours to complete the game, including a bit of light exploration. It might be a bit straightforward or easy for the veterans of the genre, but definitely has enough merits to justify a purchase. For more casual fans of Action or RPG titles, it also presents a great way to dip your toes into this more challenging breed of game. Give it a try and don’t be intimidated by a few deaths at first.

Review: Scott Pilgrim Vs The World – The Game Complete Edition

Sean McCarthy

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Jan 20, 2021

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Review: Scott Pilgrim Vs The World – The Game Complete Edition

When Scott Pilgrim Vs The World: The Game came out originally in 2010, I have to admit it slipped under my radar for a little until I picked it up on my Xbox 360. Mostly this was down to not actually knowing about the original Comic Book that the game is very much based on or seeing the film, something that has become a cult classic since its own release a decade ago. As a fan of side scrolling beat em up games when I did come to play it, I really enjoyed it, and following the 10^th Anniversary of the film and the game, I was actually rather excited to get to play it again in this special celebration edition. It was time to take on the League of Evil Exes one more time!

Whether it is the comic book, the film or the video game, the story of Scott Pilgrim is still pretty out there with basically boy plays in a band, boy meets a beautiful girl, boy falls in love with beautiful girl, boy is attacked by seven evil exes of beautiful girl and must fight to survive and win the love of his life. All rather straight forward. In the decade since both the game and film came out, I have become more familiar with the story via the film, growing a deeper appreciation for the world of Scott Pilgrim and having enjoyed the celebration of the 10^th Anniversary of the film’s release, I did get to thinking about the game that I had played and enjoyed but never really fully appreciated until now.

The retro art style is even more iconic now, playing on my Xbox Series S the big full screen 16bit visuals and animation is just beautiful, which you might think is strange to say but honestly in a world of RTX and 4K gaming, the retro look can look amazing especially when it goes big as it does here. I love the large character models. The levels all look amazing as well, and I admit to feeling more than a little nostalgic as I progressed through the stages remembering how much of the environment can be picked up and used as a weapon, I will never tire of roundhouse kicking a bin at an enemy for extra damage!! The musical score and soundtrack both hit all those retro buttons as well and it is quite joyful even when the game might be kicking your butt to have that soundtrack blasting in your ears with a good headset just makes it all the more retrotastic!

At the core of this game is the side scrolling fighting, a genre that has enjoyed quite the resurgence in the last 12 months with Streets of Rage 4 and Battle Toads remake for example releasing to great acclaim. Back on its original release, I found this to be a very good but problematic fighter. Happy to say that efforts have been made to tidy things up and smooth out the fighting system and it is still a very clever way of doing the combat. I love that you can still combo punch and kicks with jumps to bring the hurt down on the many enemies sent to take you out. As you progress you will “level up” and be given access to a new move such as the ability to kick a downed enemy or to hit an enemy behind you which may not sound all that impressive, but it is a game changer when you start out with a basic arsenal of moves and are being attacked from multiple sides.

The levels are designed as you expect with the objective to clear a section of enemies before moving on to the next section. Some of the later stages will be multi-part so working your way to the boss fight can be extra challenging but all the more satisfying when you get there. I always get a cheeky smile when playing side scrolling fighters now because when you know that every section is designed to lower your number lives and health to soften you up before the boss fight and Scott Pilgrim is brutal in doing this especially if you do try to play this solo because the game does not ramp down the action because you are on a solo run. Even on the “easiest” of difficulties, this game is a real challenge which can sometimes feel unfair especially when losing all your lives and hitting that “Press A to continue” black screen means replaying the entire level, even if you managed to reach the 2^nd stage for example. This is old school and as frustratingly gleeful as it can be frustratingly painful to reach the boss, fail to defeat the evil ex then be made to tackle the entire level from the start again. This feeling is even more reflective of the time the game first came out for those who treasured every 50p they put into any arcade machine for that one more go!

This complete edition also adds the DLC, extra characters Knives Chau and Wallace and the mini games that came out after release with the Dodgeball and Zombies minigames giving a good size of gameplay to work though alongside the main game itself. You can have co-op locally or you can go online although I have to admit trying to create or join a game with randoms has proved a little problematic since release but hopefully this will improve server side and with more people picking u the game as this really is great fun with friends.

The game does have other niggles though as I said above, the difficulty spike and punishment of having to replay the entire level if you lose can be off putting and maybe a game stopper for some players trying to go solo, there really is no “Easy” mode here and whilst this is by no means the Dark Souls level of difficult, it will be challenging even for players experienced with this genre. There were also times where the controls felt very sluggish and unresponsive which is not great in a fighting game. The upgrading system, which are shops hidden within the levels and can be easily missed, are never explained fully so it can be a bit of a mystery to new players as to what they do and how the items can be used to help you as you progress through the game.

But Scott Pilgrim Vs The World: The Game is still fun to play and if, in the last ten years, found a love for the comic book that inspired it or the film that became a cultural icon, then this game is a really superb way to help celebrate that fandom. As a fighting game, this complete edition is absolutely worth to be in your collection but as a trip down memory lane, the asking price is worth battling an Evil Ex or two to have!

Review: Evergate

Diogo Miguel

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Jan 20, 2021

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What happens after we die? Some believe that our souls move on to another place until they get reincarnated and that is exactly the concept that the developers of Evergate attempt to make use of.

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