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Dirt Rally 2.0 Game of the Year Edition is the most complete version of Codemasters’ excellent rally simulator that comes to solve one of the biggest defects of the original version, the lack of content. In this game, you will compete in some of the most iconic locations in the world, using both current vehicles and other well-recognized classics from the competition. Like the original version, it’s a very demanding title that requires a lot of practice on the part of the players, this edition incorporating several updates that refine the experience, and lots of content that has been released through the season passes together with other extras.
Rocket Arena exploded onto consoles and PC in early July, although you may not have felt the shockwave. EA released this new 3v3 online shooter with very little fanfare. I think I saw maybe two adverts for the game during its month of release. It may have had a short fuse but does Rocket Arena pack enough punch to make you take shelter?
Binding of Isacc meets Enter the Gungeon when Neon Abyss struts into town. This spectacular Roguelite has you literally falling into the abyss whilst hurling an endless stream of bullets, lasers and bubbles at a never ending supply of squishy monsters.
Dark Souls has become such a popular and influential series in video games that it inspired its own genre aptly named “soulslike.” Nowadays, these types of games are a dime a dozen, and Hellpoint is the latest game to follow the trend. Developed by Cradle Games and published by the cult favorite tinyBuild, Hellpoint garnered a lot of anticipation from gamers, and the day of its release has finally come.
As a kid of the 90s, I cut my big boy gaming teeth on games like Ion Fury. Futuristic, fast-paced shooters that were filled with gore, or at least indistinct red blobs that were meant to be chunks of scorched meat. Ion Fury was one of many games out in my youth, and while I never got a chance to play the original, I was delightfully surprised to be able to take this reboot/remaster/re-release – I’m not sure what they are terming it – out for a spin.
DISTRAINT 2 is an interactive, visual novel, horror game that deals with some deep issues. I don’t want to give too much away about the story in this review because part of the beauty of this game is riding the highs and lows of the plot. However, I feel it would be remiss of me to write any more about it without first giving a content warning: this game’s events centre on a suicide attempt and past trauma.
I’m a big fan of platform-adventure games such as Metroid and Castlevania. Their simple yet challenging gameplay has always been a lure to me ever since I first discovered Super Metroid and Super Castlevania IV way back in the 90s on the SNES. The Bloodstained series is considered to be the spiritual successor to Castlevania with both series being developed by Koji Igarashi. Igarashi conceived the idea of Bloodstained after his departure from Konami in 2018 and was prompted by many requests by fans for him to produce another “Metroidvania” style game. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon 2 is the third game released in the Bloodstained series so how does it compare to its already well received brethren?
The first imagery we ever saw from our initial glimpse at Death Stranding, was a naked Daryl Dixon cradling a baby. No explanation, no story detail. But it was from Hideo Kojima, so naturally, hype arose. However, for me, I never really pushed to find out what the game was about or watch any more trailers over the years. It was for PS4, and as an Xbox player, I was never going to play it, so why bother?
Sky Racket is a game which combines two classic arcade genres: “Shoot’em Up” and “Brick Breakers”. The world has been taken over by the evil “Korgg” and it’s up to RacketBoy and RacketGirl to defeat enemies and save the world! It’s always good to play a mix of genres but did the combination leave me with a smile on my face or was it all just a loud and annoying racket?
Puzzle games can either be hit or miss. Either they are easy or way too hard, and quite a few barely hit the middle. With Pode I believe a perfect balance was hit, and while I was afraid of what was coming up, I felt like the game did it great. How was it able to manage that? Read and find out.
Every once in awhile, Nintendo has an ace up its sleeve, an unexpected surprise that flutters from nowhere. Rewind a few months and our Kyoto based friends decided in May 2020 to unfold a brand new addition to the beloved Paper Mario series… oh and by the way it will arrive this summer! Cue the media frenzy, and excitement in the lead up to the arrival of The Origami King.
Catherine: Full Body is to an extent both an expanded and a remake to the 2011 game Catherine. Developed by Atlus, Catherine is a tale of one man and his incredibly complicated love life. It’s a bizarre game filled with Demons, Sheep and a love triangle. While Catherine is a fine game and doesn’t necessarily need a reboot or remake, Catherine: Full Body takes everything from the main game and improves on it in every way.
Röki is, at heart, an adventure game heavily inspired by Scandinavian folklore that also includes elements of point & click games and a heck of a narrative. A tale of journey, loss and family, Röki is a totally non-violent, emotional experience – and what an experience it is. Players assume the role of Tove, a young girl living out in the wilderness with her father and younger brother, Lars. Lars has a great imagination and loves his tales of monsters. But, it seems they aren’t just tales anymore. One cold night, a huge, dark creature destroys the family home and leaves Tove and Lars running for their lives. Sadly, this monster captures Lars and drags him through a mystical portal – leaving Tove with only one option – jump into that portal and rescue Lars. This is where your magical journey truly begins.
Clash Force promises to be “a love letter to classic 8-bit run-and-gun action games and 80s cartoons!”. In reality, it is more of a postcard of influence than a love letter. The game definitely has 8-bit vibes but it’s no Contra or Metroid. It also doesn’t have the over the top action or dramatic tension found in all the best 80s cartoons. If Transformers or He-Man had been as flat as this game, we wouldn’t even remember them.
Virtual reality has brought a whole host of sport-inspired gaming experiences. From pinball, table tennis, boxing, to racing, virtual reality has allowed people inside the home to experience these thrilling and fun sports. This is something I’ve admired about VR, and with experiences such as Topgolf, the real-life arcade-styled golf park, being temporarily shut down due to obvious pandemic reasons, Pro Putt delivers a fun, immersive take on the driving-range-focused gameplay with a variety of easy-to-play hard-to-master content.
Online multiplayer games were once a rarity, but now however they are commonplace to the point of oversaturation. From PUGB and Fortnite to Call of Duty, Apex and more, there is a tried and tested formula that seems to reign supreme. So when I saw a code of an (as of that moment) unreleased online multiplayer called Tannenberg come along, I was certainly intrigued. Now, it wasn’t that online multiplayer aspect that caught my attention, but rather, the setting. A WWI game, a part of history that video games tend to overlook in favour of WWII, Vietnam, or more modern fictional wars. I knew nothing more about the game when I agreed to take the code, and that is just the way I like it. So, how did I find my time in the trenches? Did I go over the top for glory or was I left with underpants on my head, pencils up my nose crying wibble in the hope of being sent home? You will have to read on to find out.
The Punchies are a strange, sexless race that reproduce through combat – you heard me correctly! When these creatures fight, it generates a massive amount of power which leaves stars and galaxies in their wake.
Mike: Let’s not waste time here. Evan’s Remains is something special. The difficulty for us, I guess, it is explaining why, without giving anything away. I’m sure you’ll agree that this game sits in that pool of the story-driven experiences, the likes of Gone Home and Undertale, where the player benefits more by knowing less. But, Alicia, let me first ask you this: what made the game first resonate with you?
I am a big fan of dark and creepy games. They don’t need to be horror necessarily, but that dark, melancholy atmosphere, the creaking floorboards of an old house, or the shadows moving between the trees. Then you combine that with a story based in fact on a real place and draws inspiration from several different sources.
Yep, we’ve all said it. Followed by a thrust of our hands forwards and then back towards our chest, imitating the infamous Scorpion setting in his ranged stinger from this critically acclaimed franchise. Mortal Kombat 11 has found its place with casual beat-em-up gamers and pro players alike since its launch in April 2019, and with 13 months of optimisations and updates, we finally welcome the first major DLC for this franchise, ‘Aftermath’ to the fold. Our very own Craig Green already covered the main game back last year, the link to the review can be found here. We won’t be retracing these steps today and will just be focusing on the additions found as part of this pricey DLC.