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It would be fair to say that the Watch Dogs series of games has had its share of ups and downs, from unfulfilled promises to trailers that weren’t representative of the final product. All of this had an impact on the trust of the gaming community and the series fan base. When Ubisoft first revealed Watch Dogs: Legion back at E3 2019, the stakes were high. They promised an expansive open world where any NPC (non-player character) could be recruited into your team and they would have unique missions, skills and personality. This went beyond anything that a game had promised before, but did Ubisoft pull it off? We’re pleased to say that they most certainly did and have made Watch Dogs: Legion a must-buy for any action-adventure loving gamer.
Back in the 1980s when Transformers, G.I. Joe and He-Man and The Masters of the Universe ruled the roost, there was also a range of toys that brought sci-fi and dinosaurs together in spectacular fashion. Zoids hailed from Japan and ended up encompassing the world with its impressive range of wind-up mechanical creatures.
OkunoKA Madness on Nintendo Switch is an adorable little platformer game that takes us down the frustrating yet addictive road of masocore gaming, are you ready to jump in? Dive into the world of souls to take on the role of our hero KA, an adorable little blue guy who needs to save the Soul World from his Arch Nemesis, the Evil Os. The story is simple and told via short cutscenes that rely on the visuals of the artwork to tell the tale in an almost story book manner.
Originally released back in 2012, Kingdoms of Amalur was a game loved by many, but one that caused much controversy. This game was originally seen as a failure, and due to this the original publisher, 38 Studios, was forced to close. Nonetheless, I adored this game. So, as you can imagine I was very excited to hear it would be remastered for the latest consoles. I’ve waited a long time for this day. But, is it as good as I remember?
Lucas Martell’s Walkabout Mini Golf promises a mini-golfing experience with easy to learn controls and themed environments. But does the game score first place or is it under par? Find out in this Rapid Review.
In the near future, an economic crash caused by under-population and pollution leads to huge food shortages and starvation across the world. A reprieve from these desperate times is granted in the form of a unique device called ‘Bionodes’ which when implanted in a Human allows them to eat anything. However this device has side effects of its own which turned most of the population into mutants and are known as “ghoulification”.
“The beautiful game” is a phrase with a history that runs back to 1958. Football really has, for better or worse, the most passionate fans in the world. Those fans head out in their droves every year to buy the latest iteration of FIFA. Unsurprisingly FIFA holds the title for fastest selling sports franchise game series of all time. Every single year FIFA tends to face some harsh criticism. This is rightfully so when you consider last year’s Nintendo Switch offering reviewed by Harvey Fry here. The question is, do EA Sports really care about the gameplay and immersion into the football experience? Or, are they more focused on their bottom line, Ultimate Team micro-transactions and licenses? Well this year, I’m pleased to say comfortably, they’ve found a perfect balance of commerciality and customer experience.
When a decent combat system has undergone adjustments and refinements over decades, one would expect an easy victory for a third entry. Indeed, Trails II had it made; a turn-based JRPG style of combat that was host to a wealth of tactical options, with multiple types of attack, intelligent enemy AI and cross-party link skills. Trails III doesn’t simply phone it in as there are a few extra elements to dig into.
Monster Truck Championship is a different take on a racing simulation, there are so many different tracks to race on, and the feel to it is definitely superior to previous monster truck games that have been released before out there.
Taking characters from an RPG game and turning it into a crazy, hilarious and tough platform game, is not something that’s done every day. Prinny 1•2 Exploded & Reloaded comes bounding onto the Nintendo Switch from the guys over at Nippon Ichi Software and NIS America. Does this hard platform game live up to its lineage? Let’s dive right in.
Mini Motor was released in 2011 on Android, and I remember it well… After purchasing a new phone I was looking for a little racer to download, and I came across Mini Motor which reminded me so much of Micro Machines. Fast forward to the present day; I noticed a few weeks ago that it had appeared on the Nintendo Switch eShop with a new name and fresh coat of paint, so I needed to check it out again!
The Otterman Empire is a pretty simple game, both in terms of gameplay and design. With its simple character and level design, The Otterman Empire feels like a homage to the video game heyday of anthropomorphic animals appearing in everything. On the surface The Otterman Empire even feels like a Gamecube or PlayStation 2 game, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Those of us wanting a simple couch multiplayer game will find a lot of The Otterman Empire appealing despite its apparent flaws.
In 2018, Bamtang Games released Nickelodeon Kart Racers and to say it received mixed reviews is probably over-generous. Although I did not play the original, a kart racer is always appealing so find out what I thought of Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 in this Rapid Review.
The PlayStation 2’s Star Wars Battlefront II is a much loved game in my brother and I’s collection. Countless hours spent playing heroes vs villains mainly, but also taking down star destroyers in the space battles. I was pretty dreadful, confusing myself by spinning around and blowing myself up…but it was fun nontheless! The news of Star Wars: Squadrons had me longing to relive those days. With the new Battlefront‘s exclusion of space battles, they seemed lost to nostalgia. Though they were introduced in the second installation of the series, there were mixed opinions. So does Star Wars: Squadrons get space battles right once and for all? Let’s find out.
The story in Ben 10: Power Trip! sees Ben, Grandpa Max, Gwen on vacation in Strudelbek. After a quick pit-stop in the National Park, a chance encounter occurs. Ben comes face to face with his old nemesis, HEX, who plans on stealing the 4 magical Crystals. He plans to use the power of the crystals to manipulate the real world, summon his rift monsters and cause chaos!
You play with two characters in Lair of the Clockwork God: Ben and Dan. They each have different capabilities which you utilise to complete different parts of each level. Ben can interact with objects, talk to characters and craft items. He also has an inventory where he can store things that you pick up along the way. Ben can’t jump though, so he is reliant on Dan moving objects or standing on pressure pads when he needs to go up or downhill (unless there’s a gradual gradient).
Let’s get it out of the way, this game is about shooting aliens to strip animé girls of their clothes. There’s no way to make it sound any better than that. The game has a certain audience it’s looking for…however; a quick Google search would allow players to find all the naked animé girls they want without having to pay for this title. Waifu Uncovered tries to be funny, but it misses the mark with its childish and immature attempt at humour. Often it’s left until the boss fights at the end of each stage, but even the pre and post-stage screens have some text that feels like it’s written by the child in school who tried too hard to be funny.
It’s the Year of Our Lord 1919, and things are changing around the industrial backstreets of Birmingham. The streets of Small Heath are about to run red with blood, sweat, and tears. The Shelby family means business, and they are gonna take what they want. Remember “This place is under new management, by order of the Peaky Blinders”.
Huntdown is set in a dystopian future, in a city where gangs run rampant and the police have resorted to hiring bounty hunters to deal with the worst of the worst. Choosing from one of three possible hunters, players can enforce law and order on the streets as Ana Conda, John Sawyer or Mow Man. Each will start with a unique gun and projectile, and they all come fully loaded with quick-witted replies and catchphrases ripped right out of an action movie script. This game can be enjoyed in both single and multiplayer, but for the sake of this review, only the single-player experience has been covered.
Against the Moon is a turn-based roguelike deck builder with gameplay being a blend of Plants vs Zombies and Slay the Spire. As a big fan of Slay the Spire, what did I think? Find out in this Rapid Review. Against the Moon has detailed and complex lore which, to be quite honest, I struggled to comprehend. From what I could grasp, the moon is against you and some of the moon’s friends also stand in your way. To aid in the battle against the moon (see what I did there), there are some powerful heroes called “Ultori” who offer unique abilities and are the last line of defence.