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Crash is back. Like seriously back. No remasters on show here, just an original story riding the tailcoat of success that the N Sane trilogy & CTR has brought to the current gen platforms over the last couple of years. Crash Bandicoot is a name synonymous with the founding of the PlayStation. He has long been the official mascot of Sony’s iconic brand. His journey to 2020 however, has been something of a bumpy ride following a winding path of hit after hit after hit after…. miss.
Another Ratalaika game, another short romp to a platinum trophy. I have played many Ratalaika games over the years and at one point bought loads of them for easy to grab platinum trophies. I have since stopped that but don’t mind reviewing one now and again. Their quality is very variable, let’s see where Prehistoric Dude on the PS4 sits in the Ratalaika quality spectrum, shall we? So, Prehistoric Dude, which is a very uninspired title by the way, is about, well, a Prehistoric Dude. What has the world come to when you can’t even have a meal eating your favourite food in peace? Your massive piece of ham has been stolen and that is basically the plot here. Your job is to track down the large dinosaur-shaped fiend who stole your dinner from you. Good luck with that one!
The Great Perhaps throws up some interesting scenarios and as it released during the summer period, during peak “lockdown”, it did feel somewhat strange to think of the parallels between the world you’re playing through and the one we live in. Playing as an astronaut you come across a strange artefact; a lantern. The lantern enables you to see glimpses of the past but also lets you switch back to the present time, you’re tasked with finding out what has happened to the post apocalyptic world you’re living through in the hope you can save the planet. In terms of the story it’s fairly slim on the explanation front and it’s clear the developers wanted to focus more on the gameplay element. You have an internal guide who will help you out on your journey as you travel through the different areas and as you get used to the lantern and it’s function you’ll become more accustomed to solving the games puzzles.
Fan or not, we are currently in an age of remasters with games such as Resident Evil 2 & 3 and more recently, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2 receiving the remaster/remake treatment. What has come as a total suprise to everyone is the release of a Commandos 2 & Praetorians: HD Remaster Double Pack. With gamers currently screaming out for other remakes such as the long rumored Mass Effect Trilogy, how do these two relatively unheard of strategy games fare now they are thrust back into the spotlight?
“A love letter to ‘90s classics for the Amiga and PC” is how developer Studio Evil refers to Syder Reloaded. Hot off the tails of the Steam release, known as Syder Arcade, Syder Reloaded allows players to experience high octane shoot ‘em up action to a pumping soundtrack and flashy visuals. Does this game have what it takes to bring back the glorious shmup days of yore? Or is Syder Reloaded a love letter that gets lost in the post?
To lead an original Avengers story, to take some of the most beloved characters in the multi-verse and to build something that attracts new enthusiasts as well as respect and engage the super fans alike is bold, brave and sadly just a little out of reach for this developer. Yet, there’s enough on show here to keep the audience playing and exploring the world created by Shaun Escayg and the writing team at Crystal Dynamics.
I think all of us can relate to having that one tycoon game that left us staring at a screen for hours, completely unaware of the time passing. There’s something about management games that draws many of us in and becomes addictive, whether that be running your own theme park or building your own city. I’m not sure what this power lust and control says about humans… When I saw Chef in our games list, I was happy to review it, having spent many hours on titles such as Rollercoaster Tycoon and Planet Zoo. A restaurant sim was something I’d never really played before, besides old flash games on the family PC on rainy days. But was it a recipe for disaster or the creme de la creme of restaurant tycoons?
Superhot is the most innovative shooter I’ve played in years… Or have I just been programmed to say that? I can’t be sure myself. What I can say for sure is, Superhot: Mind Control Delete made me feel like a bullet-dodging, katana-wielding, Tron-esque John Wick and I loved every second of it!
Regardless of what the date is, the internet is always full to the brim with video game industry rumours and news. On one day in particular it is important to remember (more so than usual) that not everything you read online is true. April Fool’s Day has given us some brilliant gags over the years from IGN’s 2008 trailer for a movie based on The Legend Of Zelda, to Valve putting Half-Life 3 on the Steam store. These types of pranks always provide a great laugh but usually lead to nothing.
It’s the 19th Century in this roguelike expedition simulation game where you will need your wits about you and a strategy to survive perilous expeditions. In Curious Expedition take control of one of history’s most famous characters on a grand quest to the unexplored far reaches of the world. Race around the world against your fellow explorers in a cut-throat competition to gain fame and fortune, all of course in the name of science. Will you strive to raise your reputation by donating your discoveries to the museum or will greed motivate you to sell those discoveries for a fortune?
Waves of enemies, unique skills and tactical gameplay coupled with exploration, dungeon crawling and flexible character development. Tower of Time is a game that takes a mix of tower defense combat mechanics with some classic tactical elements and adds them to a dungeon-crawler set, in a tower. Seems interesting enough in concept but does it work?
Road to Guangdong is a game about the importance of family and how traditions get passed down throughout generations. Set against the evocative backdrop of 90s China, we take on the role of Sunny. Sunny has just inherited the family’s restaurant, which has fallen on hard times. As a last ditch attempt to save the restaurant, Sunny and her Great Aunt, Gu Ma, set off on a road trip in search of long-lost relatives that hold the secrets that could reverse the restaurant’s failings and bring the customers flooding back. As Sunny and Gu Ma set off on their journey they have to contend with not only the generation gap between themselves, but also their choice of transport – Sandy, the family’s old beat-up car.
I have played RPGs for a while. I have even written reviews on them and enjoyed them. However, Bug Fables is an experience I will never forget. Why is that? Was my experience with Bug Fables a positive one or negative? Let’s find out.
It’s a me ….. wait … 35 Marios? You are not misreading that, or the title. This is Super Mario Bros. 35, a game that was announced and subsequently released to coincide with the world’s most famous plumber’s 35th anniversary. Does this experience reach the same heights of the original NES games or does it sink like a defeated blooper on World 1-3? Find out after the “jump”.
“There must be more in life than waiting for something to happen.” One of many sentences the main character in The Longing said to me. The indie title from Studio Seufz intrigued me for so many aspects. First of all, it’s a title from Germany, the country I was born, raised, and still living in. It originates from the same state as I am from, which was another reason why I wanted to try it out.
Remastering a game from a beloved franchise can always be a dangerous game, especially one that’s held in such high regard as Xenoblade Chronicles. There are three groups that will be picking up this game and it’s important they’re all treated with the respect they deserve. Firstly you have the dedicated and hardcore fans that will want to have everything as it was, with minimal changes as to not risk damaging the memories of a game they hold dear. Then you’ll have the players who are familiar with the series but may have missed this entry; essentially they’re going back in time to try out a game whilst comparing it to the newer entries in the series.
After finishing my play-though of Manifold Garden, I’ve been left with a strange mix of elation and melancholy; a longing for just one more of those beautifully crafted, wonderfully challenging and intensely peaceful levels. Yes, it’s fair to say that I loved playing this game. Everything about Manifold Garden is right up my street; it has a unique concept, a compelling soundtrack and it’s full of intriguing puzzles and impressive visuals. It fills your mind with the experience it creates so that it’s easy to lose yourself in the game without feeling time pass. All of this combined is my equivalent of gaming catnip.
Death and Taxes is a puzzle game where you play as a newly spawned Grim Reaper. Set in an office building we are given the task of deciding who lives and more importantly who dies, through the admin of quite a lot of paper work. With a new quota of who lives and dies being set each day we can choose to either ignore these or follow them dutifully. However there are consequences…
If an Asgardian-set game inspired by 90’s shooters mixed with an awesome rock soundtrack sounds the slightest bit appealing then I’m sure, like me, BPM will probably spark your interest. The fundamentals of BPM are simple, a crosshair pulses in time with the beat. By using the on-screen signals and by quite literally playing it by ear, shots, reloads, dashes and more must all be conducted on the beat. I played the drums a fair bit when I was younger and (at least attempt to) dance every week so I know how to move in time to the beat.
This impressive collection of games boasts updated HD graphics and improved resolution as well as controls optimised for the Nintendo Switch. Most excitingly out of the 3 titles included is the chance to be able to use the joy-cons in Super Mario Galaxy to mimic the original movement controls utilised by the Wii-mote. As if this wasn’t enough the icing on the cake for this plentiful offering is the inclusion of the OG soundtracks for the games being featured as well. Plenty for fans both old and new to sink their teeth into but the proof is in the pudding.