REVIEW / Post Human W.A.R. (PC)

 

I love strategy games. Quite a lot of you will probably know this by now. What I absolutely don’t love is that too many companies out there are using this genre as a cash cow. I really loved games like Dungeon Keeper, Settlers, Age of Mythology, (check that one out it’s amazing,) and so many others back in the day. I was part of that generation that saw the original release of Command and Conquer before Westwood Studios got eaten … but that’s a rant for another time. There was a definite golden age in both turn based and real-time strategy. Then the clever sods out there realized that something being turn based meant they could unbalance things with micro-transactions, making it impossible to build and progress without dipping into your wallet. Then a genre that I really loved all went a bit dark and sour for me.

 

 

Thankfully, it would appear that in a sea of unscrupulous greed there are a few companies that just want to make games for people to enjoy. This, for me at least is a bit of a bright light because it tells me that there are still gamers out there writing and making games. As long as this continues there will be something to temper the hard business aspect to the craft that we love. This brings me nearly on to one such crew of devs and more specifically onto the game I’m going to be discussing today, Post Human W.A.R.

Post Human W.A.R. is set in an era where the human race has done what the human race does best and made itself extinct. The game focuses on three factions namely the R-Patch, robots that were looking after humanity before the fall and a race of parasites called the Wraak. The later is broken into two factions. You have the larger race of Wraak who attach themselves to various different species of animal and want to see all traces of humanity removed, then you have the Anthropists. These are a specific group who reside on simians, (apes, monkeys, sloths etc.) These mimic the behavior of humans and believe there is a lot to be learned from them. Suffice it to say none of these factions are fond of each other.

 

 

I have to say that I’ve really enjoyed playing this title thus far. One major problem with any building game it that it often comes down to who has the biggest army and can squish their opponent. You can’t do this with Post Human W.A.R. and this instantly makes the game a lot more appealing. You select your troops at the beginning of the match and that’s all you get. If you do something daft and get your units killed off that’s just your look out, you won’t be getting any more. Another important point is that this isn’t a resource management game. You’re not interesting in building various structures so there isn’t any micro-management necessary. So why is the game fun? It makes you think differently and that’s good enough as far as I’m concerned.

The best way I think I can describe Post Human W.A.R. is that it’s a little bit like chess with a few objectives thrown in. There is very much a board game feel to this title and this is something I really like. Each map is broken into a series of hexes and your units move around these tiles and attack depending on their movement scores and their range. Some of these tiles add other effects to the units standing on them, so the map’s terrain actually becomes part of your strategy. You don’t want your troops moving on ground that’s going to slow them down for too long but you might want your enemy landing on tiles that will damage them if they stay put. The more options you are given to improve your strategy the better as this all makes for fun play.

 

 

The campaign mode currently consists of six levels per faction, each with a different objective. I’ve been playing through the Wraak campaign and I’ve actually had to re-start each level a few times before completing it. The thing about being able to choose your troops at the beginning of the level, (within reason, they cost points and you only have so many to spend,) is that you need to select the right ones. The Wraak army contains everything from penguin tossing polar bears, to owls, to armadillos.

Each of these animals his it’s pros and cons. Some of these beasts are ranged, others airborne, then some are faster or beefier than others. One of the missions I’ve completed, for instance, sees you attempting to take out an Anthropist force before it escapes. You need to find a balance between fast units that may be able to outrun the enemy but aren’t very strong and your slower ones that are much more adapt at meting out damage. It takes a few goes before you get that balance right. This makes for replayability and is therefore definitely a good thing.

 

 

I’m talking about one force here so I’d best give you a speedy overview of the other two. The rules remain the same in that units fall into several classes but there are differences between the factions. Don’t expect miracles, these differences are generally, (but not always,) fairly cosmetic. The R-Patch are re-purposed household appliances and the like. I have to admit, there’s something pretty disconcerting about getting hunted down and butchered by a machete wielding oven on legs. The Anthropist army contains everything from pistol toting chips in kaki’s and safari hats to chilled out but amazingly lethal gorillas, to the obvious crossbow carrying sloths. This is totally a matter of what floats your boat but there’s definitely enough humor embedded in this game to make you smile.

Post Human W.A.R. is also very much a multiplayer affair and will see you taking charge of one of the three factions and going out to decimate your opponents base or kill their commander. Something else that’s interesting in this game is that destroying a base doesn’t equal an instant win, instead it starts a timer. Each turn from then on sees your opponent’s entire force lose life and  it’s warriors start dropping dead one by one. The ultimate goal is to wipe out your opponents army and this is a very good way of doing it but it doesn’t guarantee a win. What does is killing your opponent’s champion. At the beginning of a match each player chooses a unit to take charge of the rest. This is done in secret. If you find and kill that unit it’s game over and you win. This obviously adds it’s own level of strategy and brings another layer of depth to the game.

 

 

Talking nuts and bolts, controls are smooth and responsive, which they should be, this is turn based strategy not a lesson in rocket science. Graphically the game is colorful and the animations are light-hearted and smile inducing. The sound is a slightly different matter. The music is fine and the sound effects are good but get fairly tired quite quickly. Talking monkeys are great as long as they aren’t saying exactly the same thing over and over. This won’t bother a lot of you but it became a bit cringe inducing to me after a while.

So I think I’ve pretty much done the overview and the bits I liked about my time with the game thus far … now what don’t I like? First is that the multiplayer seems really quiet at the moment. I’m not going to be too hard on this, it’s a new game and Rome wasn’t built in a day. This might be a time zone thing or it might come down to a lack of a large player base, (new game syndrome,) but sitting waiting for a match gets really old really quickly. Lets hope that this rights itself in time. The other thing that’s making me a little bit nervous is the appearance of a shop. You get coins by completing so many matches with a certain faction etc etc, (you know the score,) and you spend these on new avatars and skins for your units. As long as this is all you’ll ever be spending them on I don’t have any issues but the minute I see a shop I can’t help but see the lingering shadow of mico-transactions. My little note to developers. Please find other ways of giving us cool stuff. I remember a time when you were genuinely rewarded with unlocks by being good at a game and this didn’t come down to how many matches you could win each day, it came down purely to skill.

 

 

All in all, Post Human W.A.R. is a pretty solid start for an interesting little title. Is it world-breaking? No it isn’t. Is it going to win any awards for being the most different thing to hit the market in ages? Not really. Is it something you can play for a good few hours knowing that you’re enjoying yourself and will probably have quite a bit of fun with your mates? Yes it is and as far as I’m concerned this is enough. Not every game needs to be a ten out of ten title to be good. This falls into the category of well worth playing but probably isn’t going to win many awards, still, well worth a go.

 

 

 

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.

The post REVIEW / Post Human W.A.R. (PC) appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2Cii6sW

REVIEW / Battlerite (PC)

 

Last fall, TVGB had the opportunity to preview Battlerite during its early access phase. We were incredibly impressed with the game and looked forward to its future. It didn’t disappoint. One year later and Battlerite is going strong and gaining quite a few accolades in its wake. In the month of November, it made Steam’s top 10 list for player count with an astounding 45,000 active users. It also ranked as the #2 top-selling free-to-play game on Steam. That’s right. This amazing arena brawler that gamers are crazy about is now FREE-TO-PLAY!

 

 What makes Battlerite great?

Combat in Battlerite is short, fierce and comes with a steep learning curve. Players must masterfully utilize their champion’s nine different abilities on various maps in order to defeat their opponents in intimate 2v2 and 3v3 confrontations. While matches typically only last 6-8 minutes, combat is no less intense as any other MOBA.

 

 

Battlerite relies heavily on teamwork and strategy. For unlike similar games, there’s no respawn timer or items to buy. When someone dies, they’re not coming back. I hated this mechanic at first. If I died early, I was stuck doing nothing but watching my team win or lose (usually lose) for what could be several more minutes. However, this ended up making me a better player. It drove me to learn the game quickly and “git gud” as fast as possible. Battlerite earns my respect for that.

 

 

And speaking of learning the game, character load-outs also required a lot of study. Similar to the Heroes of the Storm talent system, in Battlerite players can upgrade their champion’s abilities. These upgrades, aptly named “battlerites,” can be adjusted or swapped around before a match to suit your needs in combat. Battlerite offer a plethora of damage options and utility to a hero, adding a much-needed layer of diversity and customization to the game.

 

Room for improvement

As a seasoned MOBA player, I genuinely enjoyed Battlerite. It’s a refreshing addition to the genre that I’m sure will only get bigger and better as time goes on. But it’s that same experience that gave me issues with it as well. For one, the characters have too many abilities. Something I thought I would never say about a video game character but it’s the truth. Nine is simply too many for a MOBA. I kept finding myself reading and memorizing the abilities of characters I’d played dozens of times before.

 

 

Another issue I have is the lack of shared team vision. Having most of my screen go black, especially in a team fight, simply because I walked behind a wall is one of the most infuriating things I’ve dealt with in a MOBA. I hope it’s a change that happens in the future as I can’t describe how dumb I think the mechanic is. What purpose is there in having an ally lose sight of their team in any videogame?

 

tl;dr

With its diverse pool of champions, intimate battle arenas and unique combat elements, Battlerite will make a great addition to any MOBA player’s library; doubly so now that it’s free on Steam! Players wanting to spend a little cash, however, can purchase the $30 All Champions Pack which unlocks all current and future champions forever. There’s even a $50 package that unlocks even more. Download it today.

The post REVIEW / Battlerite (PC) appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2zUGdrG

REVIEW / Glo (PC)

 

I got a little excited in the first few levels of Glo when my little black square illuminated some cryptic text as it moved through the darkness. The minimalist graphics combined with the unexpected intensity of storytelling, reminded me inexorably of Thomas Was Alone, the incredibly popular minimalist puzzle platformer from 2012 which told a rich story using only colorful, four sided shapes. As the levels progressed, they required reflexes that began pushing the game’s genre more solidly to platformer that puzzle. And my mood quickly deteriorated from excitement to whatever you call that feeling that makes you want to throw your computer against the nearest concrete surface.

 

 

As several of the reviewers on Steam have noted, Glo is a novelty among platformers for two aspects:

1. Every level is completely dark, except for a faint glow coming from the black square controlled by the player, the small square bullets that the player can fire, and the square exit that the player is trying to reach.
2. It offers an extreme degree of difficulty that isn’t “opt-in” (i.e. the “extreme”, “impossible”, or “hardcore” modes), not only due to the low visibility but the frankly diabolical design of each level.

The challenge of the hundred levels + four boss levels will definitely please platformer purists, and the speedrun mode will add a significant amount of replay value.

 

 

On the aesthetic side, Glo’s look is fantastic. The player’s black square is only a fraction larger than those that make up the game environment, though the game environment blocks are outlined in various neon colors, creating a striking effect. Apart from the three main light sources (player, bullets, and exit), the player can also obtain special ammunition on some levels. While these special bullets can have some additional functionality, such as sticking to a far point temporarily for improved vision, my main observation is that the levels can be beaten without them. However, some of them are particularly spectacular, like the Glo Bomb. I also enjoyed how the players death resulted in tiny glowing debris falling across the screen even after the player had respawned.

 

 

The one big downside for me is that although the story seems promising in the beginning, it really doesn’t go anywhere. For one thing, developer Chronik Spartan’s press indicates that your adversary- the entity leaving the messages, setting up the traps, and keeping you in darkness, is the darkness itself. Environment as the enemy isn’t anything new, nor is the enemy taunting you as you pass through increasingly difficult challenges- that’s very Portal-esque actually. The problem is that unless the player is at least a little bit of a completionist, they’re not going to get the whole story. The messages aren’t necessarily directly in the path between the player’s starting point and the exit, and neither are the collectible “memories” that reveal the game’s backstory. 

 

 

I feel like there are different choices Chronik Spartan could have made to make the story feel like a more organic part of the game experience rather than an afterthought. There are lots of creative choices they made with the light mechanics that really set Glo apart, and I feel that if the storytelling had been a bit more polished this game would be getting a lot more attention. And that’s a shame, because Glo really does have a lot to offer.

 

 

 

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.

 

The post REVIEW / Glo (PC) appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2zTLdga

Monster Hunter World beta – First impressions

 

Capcom’s most self-explanatory title is back after a lengthy absence. Monster Hunter has always flown under my admittedly blinkered radar, and though the game was originally released on the PS2, I’ve only ever known it in the context of handheld consoles. I mean heck, until last weekend I’d never played a Monster Hunter game, but in this instance, I’m gonna go ahead and play the preconceptions are bad card: it’s clear from the get-go that Capcom are looking to re-imagine (though not re-invent) their franchise, so what harm can it do to come to Monster Hunter World with fresh eyes?

Can we talk about the amazing theme music and in-game score?

Monster Hunter World involves hunting monsters (in other news: rain is wet). Much like previous titles, you’ll take quest after quest, tracking down fearsome beasts alone or in groups of up to 4 in a variety of gorgeous environments. The beta offered a small glimpse of the full game: 3 quests, 2 environments, and a host of equipment items to try out at your leisure. It was a snapshot, an opportunity to jump right into the only thing that really matters – the hunting and slaying of gigantic beasties.

The quest selection screen. Yeah, it’s a little dated-looking, but that’s endearing.

And oh boy, was it fun.

Monster Hunter World is a relatively user-friendly experience, and the beta took the chance to make tracking and properly locating the three included monsters as easy as possible. Just follow the glow of your tracker bugs as they hop from footprint to claw imprint to mucus deposit, and eventually they’ll lock on to the scent of monster. The environments were daunting, at first glance – you’ll spend most of your time in a twisting maze of a forest that offered massive verticality and no open spaces. But the opportunities for fluid traversal are endless, from crawling under logs to climbing up hanging vines, and before long you’ll be a knock-off Tarzan dashing about this stunningly pretty world.

Dark, confusing, but not endless. Actually, pretty straightforward.

There is a sense of anticipation to a Monster Hunter game, it seems, when the chase is on and the beast is getting closer. Even though these were clearly three of the more bog-standard creatures on the Monster Hunter World roster, they were still more than impressive: I was particularly keen on the bipedal rock-monster with steam vents on his head. The environments are littered with smaller critters, which only serves to add to the immense spectacle of seeing your target for the first time. I spent most of my time playing with a friend, asking over and over the same question: is that the monster? Is that it? That one?

No, Will. That’s a frog. 

Oh, wait. That IS the monster.

Anyway. Once you’ve encountered your foe, weapons are drawn, and the Monster Hunter World brand of frenzied combat begins. It’s impossible to tell how much damage you’re really inflicting, but that’s okay – you’ll notice pieces of your target fall off every so often, and eventually the tell-tale limp will begin to show. The carnage can even occasionally be marshalled into some sort of strategy, if you’re lucky enough; the environment often comes to your assistance, and if you can find your way above the monster’s back, you can jump on and do some real – scripted – damage. For the most part though, it’s just a mad frenzy of hacking, slashing, and (if you’re lucky) dodging. And I loved every second.

Yup, there he is again.

I fought most often with the most powerful set of armour on offer, a set that in the full game would be constructed from materials scavenged from deceased monsters. The beta was simply showing off the variety, and explaining in brief how the stat system operates: some armours offer greater protection against elemental damage, for example, or improved stamina. As for weapons, well, there was only one option that really appealed to me – a spear, feathered in such a way as to allow for some seriously epic flying combos. But the game has all play styles covered, from fast dual-wield knives to warhammers the size of  small hatch-back; again, you’ll find that some offer fast movement speeds, whilst others have unique abilities (such as my feathery spear).

There. There’s my feathery spear. Or, in MH speak: the Insect Glaive.

I could carry on like this for quite some time, but I’d be missing the point; this was, after all, only a beta, and any fully-formed opinions ought to be saved for the full game (note to self: call review dibs on this). That said, you’ll be able to tell that I had an absolute blast with my first ever Monster Hunter experience. The game is drop-dead gorgeous, the premise, as simple as the name suggests; I haven’t even begun to explain how enjoyable it was with a friend in tow, or why walking around with a bipedal feline companion was a special experience. Here’s hoping that the full game can deliver a full package of epic monster-hunting fun.

Bad. Ass.

The Monster Hunter World beta ran on PS4 for PS Plus members only from December 8-12th. A second, open beta ran from December 22-26th (ish), and though there are no whispers of any future tests, the game is due for release in 2018 on Xbox One and PC, as well.

The post Monster Hunter World beta – First impressions appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2E6qLvX

REVIEW / God Wars: Future Past (PS4)

 

I wasn’t completely sure what to expect when I started God Wars: Future Past. It’s not typically the type of game I play, but trying to branch out, I wanted to give this tactical RPG a chance. Looking back over the time I played it, I was extremely pleased with the length of the game and how much work was put into the backstory. While I’m not convinced that tactical RPG’s are my strong point in games, it was certainly interesting learning the mechanics and how to play it. I was instantly lured in with a cinematic scene that precedes a short bit of dialogue, before being launched into my first battle.

 

Jumping right into the game, God Wars: Future Past starts with some less-than-exciting dialogue between characters. Kintaro and others discuss rescuing Princess Kaguya. There is a LOT of backstory going on, sometimes it felt almost like the cinematic and dialogue scenes outnumbered the gameplay. After the intro you’ll get into what felt like an extensive tutorial/battle… although, it may have been extensive for me because it took some time to get accustomed to the controls. Once you get comfortable in the gameplay, it’s just a matter of keeping track of each of your characters’ health and what else they may need.

You’ll spend a turn either moving, performing an action (like attacking), using a skill, or healing yourself. Uneven terrains make battles progressively more difficult, but utilizing turns and skills of multiple characters that you control benefits you. Your HP, EXP, and MP is clearly displayed for you. Ending the battle will lead to another dialogue scene, and ending battles will also show your rewards and the experience gained. Eventually you will get other characters to help you win in future battles.

There were some things I really liked about this game. You utilize skill trees to spend points. The music was fun and enjoyable, and I liked learning new skills and figuring out the skills and moves (it took me quite a bit of time to get used to this and the menu). Learning how to scavenge boxes in a battle was exciting, as it used up a characters turn that otherwise could have been spent fighting enemies.

There were times where the camera angles got messed up, and I felt like some of the conversations between characters was at times underwhelming. I didn’t like having to press a button after every person was finished talking . . . to me, I felt like the scenes would have been more fluid if they didn’t make you press a button so frequently to continue the conversation.

Overall, I really enjoyed how long this game was. I could tell there was a lot of time put into the mechanics and animation. There was definitely a lot of thought put into the character dialogue, too. I personally don’t have many other games to compare God Wars: Future Past to, as turn-based games aren’t what I’m best at. But the amount of content and the fight scenes combined with the cinematic aspects made this an enjoyable experience.

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.

The post REVIEW / God Wars: Future Past (PS4) appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2zHO7Ve

REVIEW / PUBG (X1)

 

This is the written form of my review. For the video form you can go HERE.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds made its debut on consoles when it launched into the Xbox Game Preview Program earlier this month. I do not play PC games so I was one of the people that had to wait to give the game a try. Before this my only experience with a Battle Royale mode was Fortnite. I also want to note that I play on a Day One model Xbox One.

PUBG has been one of the most talked about games of 2017. That being said I went into the game with an indecisive attitude. On one hand, you always want to try the game that everybody is talking about, but on the other I burnt myself out on military shooters within the last decade between Call of Duty and Battlefield, and was not looking forward to another game with that kind of aesthetic to it. Fortnite on the other hand has a cartoony feel to it, that kind of aesthetic draws me in. I was surprised to find that I actually enjoyed PUBG more than I did Fortnite.

 

 

For anyone just coming out from under your rock, PUBG is a Battle Royale game. That means 100 people drop out of a plane into a wide world where they must scavenge weapons, armor, and health supplies to outlive the other combatants. The twist on the game is as the game goes longer, an electrified dome closes in faster and faster forcing the players to gather into a singular area.

Let’s get this out of the way: PUBG is in the Preview Program. It is not a finished game by any means and it shows big time. The game runs about as well as your obese, alcoholic uncle on Thanksgiving Day. The frame rate at times drops so terribly, especially when first getting into the game. To compensate for the amount of area the game has to load when your in the sky, the game has some very low res textures on the ground. So much so that you could think you are jumping into a game from the last generation, but with worse frame rate. The lag at moments when on the ground is just stupid. There are plenty of instances where you will have to open the same door about five times for it to register. I also should mention me and my friend had been kicked out of a game multiple times during our time playing.

 

 

I was happy to find out that while there are a lot of military items in the game, the game does not have a ton of that military attitude to it. In fact, there are a lot of times the game feels emptier than I thought it would. Despite the fact that there are 99 other people in the same world as you at the start of the match, you can go very long times without encountering other players, but then again there are matches where you land in the same area and are knocked out within seconds of touching the ground.

Those moments of encountering other players are the main appeal of PUBG. No matter what your loadout is looking like, getting into a gunfight with another player is one of the most intense situations in video games right now. That being said, the controls of the game on Xbox One are terrible right now. Yes, I hear all of you PUBG and PC fanboys, it is difficult to put that many controls on a controller with a limited number of buttons to input, but anyone jumping into this game from another shooter is sure to be scratching their head when trying to figure out how to do the simplest things like healing yourself, reloading, or aiming the way you want to. Also. the absence of aim assist in the game is one of biggest oversights I have seen this year (though I am sure it will come sooner or later). Scavenging items off of an enemy you just defeated is probably the biggest offender of the controls being bad.

 

 

When a player dies, a crate holding all of their items falls onto the ground near them. Depending on the player and their success of that match, they could have dozens of items on them that you are forced to click through, all of them in no particular order. There is no sorting by weapons or armor, and remembering the right button to press to just pick up an item, equip it, or attach to a weapon is tiresome and takes so long. You could spend upwards of a full 60 seconds standing in the open for others to shoot you while you are just trying to get items.

One of the most noticeable differences between PUBG and Fortnite I found is the vehicles. In PUBG, there are plenty of broken down vehicles, but there is a chance you can find one to drive around. I feel the game hits the right amount of vehicles needed in a match. I feel they are scarce enough that there won’t be many vehicle wars and plenty enough that you should have a good chance of being able to stay within the safe zone should you get lucky. I have witnessed moments where the electric field caught up to me and killed me because there was no way I could outrun it, and times where I was saved because I luckily did have a car. Anyone looking to get in a car, be sure to have caution. They are extremely loud and do run out of gas. While it is difficult to shoot anything in the game let alone someone in a moving vehicle, it can be done and your only defense will be trying to run the shooter over or driving away.

 

 

Before jumping into a game, PUBG allows you to choose from playing solo, duo, or in a squad of four people. Personally, playing solo was just okay for me. There are a ton of tense moments, but most of the time I was running into enemies before I had a chance to even get a weapon so death came for me plenty of times. Maybe if I gave it more time I could get into it more, but I enjoyed playing duo with a friend the most. While playing duo me and my friend were able to make call outs and witness those insane PUBG moments that really make this game as enjoyable as it is. If you have three friends to play squad with, I am sure that would be great too, but I had a team of two others that I knew and one random that most of the time would go off on their own and die right away, leaving the rest of us at a distinct disadvantage.

In the end, I had a great time playing PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. In fact, I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would coming into December and I plan on putting more time into it as the game grows. However, it is very hard to ignore the problems with the game as it is now. Strange controls, lag and ugly textures, being dropped from the game and no aim assist while using a controller on a console are some big issues the game has right now. That being said, the game just came to Preview which means there will be updates and improvements, some probably very soon. I think there is no question that in the future this is going to be a must buy for people who love online multiplayer experiences because there is nothing else like the feeling of an encounter in PUBG, I am just not sure at the moment that it is worth the money. Anyone looking to pay now are certainly investing for the future.

The post REVIEW / PUBG (X1) appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2kRc9c1

PAC-MAN Championship Edition 2 chomps its way to Switch

 

Everyone’s favorite dot-gobbler makes his Nintendo Switch debut with PAC-MAN Championship Edition 2 PLUS. After its successful September release on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, the title will round out the major platforms with its upcoming release on the Switch. The game releases on February 22nd, 2018.

A sequel to the original Championship Edition, the game continues the innovative, retro design while remaining faithful to the classic arcade-style gameplay. Switch players and PAC-MAN fans alike will experience intense mazes and fast action. Experience the familiar gameplay inside a three-dimensional world with exciting colors and upbeat music.

The Nintendo Switch version also comes with an exclusive two player co-op mode. Hence, the “PLUS” in the updated game title. Using the individual Joy-Cons, you and a friend can team up to clear stages quicker and get the highest scores possible.

Already receiving high praise from critics since its initial release, PAC-MAN Champion Edition 2 will be a welcome introduction of arcade-style games to the Switch. For new gamers especially, this updated classic will give younger generations a fun look into the older world of arcade. The sights, sounds, and overall fast-paced gameplay promise to draw in old fans as well as create new ones.

In addition, other features include new gaming modes like score attack and an adventure mode giving fresh takes on the familiar gameplay mechanics. The three-dimensional design gives tons of room for the new modes to pop in the environment. Overall, the Switch’s unique design seems it will go hand in hand with the fresh classic. The release promises to be as successful as its September predecessor.

Check out the trailer here and follow BandaiNamco on Facebook for updates regarding PAC-MAN Championship Edition 2 PLUS.

The post PAC-MAN Championship Edition 2 chomps its way to Switch appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2BlWZBL

New comprehensive trailer for Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory

 

The upcoming Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory is the followup to Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth, which was released in 2015. While there has been much buzz about the upcoming sequel from Media.Vision and Bandai Namco Entertainment, this lengthy trailer provides information on a multitude of gaming aspects, including story, gameplay and online competition. In a world where Digimon are misused by hackers, players will control Keisuke Amazawa. Keisuke was hacked and framed for wrongdoing and will enter the digital world in order to gain retribution.

There are at least 320 Digimon that players will have the option to tame throughout the game. Battle elements such as an active turn system and cross combos are touched upon, as well. Players can also compete online through a matchmaking system. The coins obtained from victories in online mode can be used to purchase accessories for Digimon. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory is currently scheduled for a world wide release date of January 19, 2018 for Playstation 4 and Playstation Vita.

The post New comprehensive trailer for Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2Bl0GaS

One Piece goes VR

 

Those of you who like pirates or anime … or pirates in anime will more than likely have heard of ONE PIECE. Many fans will definitely be at least acquainted with the videogames and some of you will be old hands with the titles released thus far. What you won’t be experts at is ONE PIECE: Grand Cruise for PSVR and the simple reason for this is that it hasn’t been released yet. Intrigued? Thought you might be. Read on.

Next year you will be invited to become a member of the legendary Straw Hat pirates in ONE PIECE: Grand Cruise. Step aboard the famous Thousand Sunny ship and meet Luffy, Zero, Nami and the rest of the gang. You’ll adventure with the crew and face fierce battles. Your aim will need to be good because you’ll be manning the cannons in order to defend the ship. You’ll be able to explore Thousand Sunny, chat to members of the crew and truly experience life as one of the Straw Hat pirates.

To add a wee bit more flavour to your VR experience, ONE PIECE: Grand Cruise is also expected to include both winter and summer experiences from the One Piece Tower in Tokyo. If you happen to really want to meet all of your favourite ONE PIECE characters in the most intimate setting available yet, you’ll be needing your PSVR, as this is going to be an exclusive for owners of the system.

Looking forward to this? Well, let’s wet the old whistle with a bit of a launch trailer, shall we? Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll have more info for you lot wanting to get your pirate on in the coming months, but for now that’s about it. Till 2018, then.

The post One Piece goes VR appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2l07rrz

TEAM REVIEW / Genetic Disaster (PC)

 

There’s nothing I enjoy playing more than a new rogue-like. There’s something truely enjoyable about being able to play the same game over and over knowing that you only have one life each run. It’s a brutal and utterly savage way to play but it’s a hell of a lot of fun too … well most of the time.It doesn’t matter what genre we’re in, be it a sci-fi shooter or a fantasy hack n’ slash the brilliant premise prevails. The game we’re going to be looking at today is a twin-stick, co-operative shooter called Genetic Disaster. Knowing how I feel about virtually everything in this genre, to avoid any bias, I just had to bring a friend along for ride and who better than my good buddy Will Georgiadis. Together we’ll be taking a bit of a look at whether this new addition to the rogue-like library is actually worth your time.

 

Will Georgiadis

Genetic Disaster is what they call a rogue-like top-down twin-stick dungeon-crawling shooter. If the sheer number of hyphens in that sentence had you weak in the knees, don’t worry: it’s pretty simple stuff. You’re given the choice to play as one of four unique characters – Panic, Bunker, Sneaky, and Devil. They each characterize a pretty bog-standard class, from the soldier to the heavy brute, the spy to the maniac. They also offer special chargeable abilities, and minor differences in walking and reloading speeds.

The levels are procedurally generated dungeons that change each time you begin a new game. Roaming the corridors of these dungeons – it’s the lair of a mad scientist, actually, but no matter – are the bad guys, who drop health and ammo when killed and who tend to become more aggressive and less forgiving the higher level you achieve.  The entire premise, then, can be summarized in one simple sentence: shoot your way from levels one to ten as you try to escape the evil stuff.

 

 

If you’ve ever played The Binding of Isaac (or, if you’re an old fart, Gauntlet or Rogue) you’ll know that roguelike games are unforgiving, seemingly unending in their vicious attempts to cut short your run. Genetic Disaster is much the same: the threat of permadeath, paired with the increasingly frantic gameplay, works to make the game a frustratingly addictive experience. It’s a tried and tested formula, and it always works, particularly when you’re playing with up to three friends, causing mayhem for all of 10 minutes as the friendly fire mechanic that this game touts so strongly reduces your efforts to rubble.

Genetic Disaster boasts some 65 unique weapons, each as goofy as the last. Plenty of these weapons proved to be more of a challenge than they were worth, often having limited range or a woeful projectile spread. In fact, Genetic Disaster threw several unexpected challenges my way, all of which were surplus to requirement; painfully slow reload times and small magazine capacities meant that busier areas required extraordinary dodging and careful use of the special abilities . Oh, and level 2 and above introduced enemies that launched homing projectiles, which in my humble opinion rather defeats the purpose of a top-down’s fundamental mechanics. Cover was limited, and enemies often spawned outside the visible area.

 

 

I could keep moaning about Genetic Disaster‘s many challenging features for hours, and you’d still come away thinking that I was just a filthy casual. So let me put it this way. All games need balance. Throwing in a bunch of stuff because you think it’ll be cool does not work, ever, and I worry that this is just what has happened here. Genetic Disaster contains elements of the sort of top-down tank shooter that we all played in our web browsers back in the day, but does not offer the caution and patience to match; it has the hallmarks of a frantic dungeon crawler, but offers enemies that almost exclusively keep their distance, launching projectiles that you often simply cannot avoid.

Can you see my issue? I see no evidence of careful planning and meticulous testing. Well, almost no evidence. For my very first thought upon booting Genetic Disaster for the first time was: ooh, that music is spooky. And look at these gorgeous visuals. The funky cartoon aesthetic and Danny Elfman soundtrack are magical, and everything about the level design from a purely visual perspective makes me wonder if this wasn’t a bit of a one-sided labor of creative love.

 

 

Of course, this just makes it all the more tragic that more effort wasn’t put into the actual gameplay. Genetic Disaster is a 2-dimensional game, in several ways. The basic, thoughtless approach to the mechanics and gameplay is only accentuated by pleasing art styles; from spelling mistakes to imbalanced weaponry, there can be no doubt that at least half of the game’s title is accurate. Grab a friend or three, and the chaos may offset the shortcomings – for a time. Unfortunately, this is not one to hang around in your library for more than a week or two.

Gameplay: 4/10
Plot: 3/10
Design: 6/10

 

Alex Southgate

Personally, I have very mixed feelings about this game. My biggest problem is that this title doesn’t feel at all finished. I totally get that it’s still an early access release and that there is more work that needs to be done. The problem I’m having is that Genetic Disaster was officially released on the 15th of December and for me that should mean it’s a mostly completed, fully playable game that just needs some work. What we have is a shell of game. Granted, this title is completely playable but at the same time it’s totally hollow. Let me try and explain why.

The mechanics are definitely there. You choose from one of four characters, each with their own skill and are then unleashed into a series of dungeons of critters intent on killing you. In true rogue-like fashion you only get one run at it per life and the levels change each time you play. Sadly, that’s were the rogue-like fun ends for me. The whole point of this genre is that you have randomly generated occurances thrown at you. You might meet different characters or have to surpass certain randomly generated events. The only things that really feel random here are the maps, which for me at least is sort of missing the point.

 

 

As Will has mentioned the sound-track and graphics are really nice and to be fair the game is playable and could potentially be a lot of fun. As Will has also mentioned, however, that fun is hampered by a shocking camera, (nothing should spawn outside your viewable range that’s tantamount to cheating,) and an array of relatively useless weapons. It’s okay to be able to play with an arsenal of 65 weapons as long as at least two thirds of them are useful. When you find yourself using the same ones over and over again because the others are unbalanced this stops being a selling point and becomes a crap-shoot to see what works.

Something else I noticed pretty instantly was a total lack of story. I was expecting some sort of introduction or at least to know why I was playing one of the four courageous creatures. You get nothing, you’re thrown straight into the game and appear to be expected to figure the rest out for yourself. I completely understand that most shooters aren’t particularly plot-heavy, they aren’t that sort of game but we need to be given something. You should at least care enough to want to keep your little guy alive but not knowing why you’re there or what you’re doing kind of makes things a bit pointless. The same applies to any kind of tutorial, it’s very much a case of play about with the controls till you figure things out. I don’t expect to be hand-held but I’d at least appreciate a bit of a leg-up in the beginning.

 

 

There is only one playable mode thus far. This would be fine in an unfinished pre-release title but for an official release you’d expect to see something more. The online function, which for me is a big draw of any co-operative title isn’t there yet. This means that you can only play Genetic Disaster from your own computer. For any type of console play this isn’t as much of a problem as you and up to four local players can join a game but for pc this is incredibly limiting. There aren’t that many computer rigs that are designed for four players to be crouched around a monitor, you need the online support to actually be able to play comfortably.

I really want to say nice things about Genetic Disaster. This is my genre and I want to say the game shines with everything I love about rogue-likes. The sad thing is I just can’t … yet. I’m going to keep an eye to see if the bugs are fixed and the balancing issues resolved. I’m going to keep an open mind because I really want this game to be good and I certainly don’t want to just come down like a hammer when a lot of hard work has clearly been done here. For now at least, I’d give Genetic Disaster a look and have a play with it but don’t expect to keep coming back for more for long. Actually at the price it’s currently being sold at on Steam I might not even do that.

Gameplay: 5/10
Plot: 2/10
Design: 5/10

 

 

 

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.

The post TEAM REVIEW / Genetic Disaster (PC) appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2BIVaQ1

REVIEW / Invector (PS4)

 

Invector is a funky new rhythm game created by Hello There Games and famous EDM DJ “Avicii”. If you don’t know who Avicii is, you can come join me in the old-person-with-no-taste-for-new-music boat.  I went in to Invector without knowing a thing about it, apart from the fact that it was a rhythm game. With years of novice-level Dance Dance Revolution under my belt, I figured Invector would be enjoyable and fairly easy for me to pick up at a moderate difficulty level. I read a little more and realized that all of the music was by this Avicii guy, who was supposedly famous but completely foreign to me. I cringed, thinking of how the music would undoubtedly be so far out of my element that I wouldn’t at all be able to enjoy myself at all, let alone keep in time. I sighed, fired up the game, dove into the opening level…and fell in love.

 

 

Invector opens with the one song I knew at the outset – Waiting for Love – and introduces you to the gameplay. You control a little spaceship along a constantly-moving track, pressing buttons in time with the button prompts to earn points, in time with the music. At slow points in the music, you are flung off the track and fly through space (or any of the other environments you visit), earning more points by flying through rings.

 

 

Certain prompts may be labelled with multipliers, which obviously do wonderful things for your points at the end of the level. With enough points you also get the option to shake your controller and go flying along the track or through space, which is as fun as it is challenging (read: terrifying). With every few levels you complete, you are treated to a short story segment with the pilot of the spaceship, Stella. The storyline is pretty basic, albeit not unenjoyable, so the actual levels are the real driving factor to keep playing Invector.

 

 

Even in the tutorial level, I was delighted by the environment art, which was absolutely gorgeous in a lovely, stylized way (though it really does earn its epilepsy warning). The button prompts stand out brightly on the track and respond fairly to your controller input. As you play along with the music, you feel like a complete bad ass without being on edge about trying to pass the level. Invector is as thrilling and fun as it is relaxing and calming. Even when you know you’re doing terribly, I guarantee you’re still going to be having a lot of fun.

 

 

Each song is available in three modes – easy, medium, and hard. I started playing the first 10 or so songs on medium, until my ageing 25 year old reflexes reared their ugly head and I was forced to downgrade to easy. At this point, Invector really endeared itself to me because of how fair it was. It’s clear that Hello There wanted you to have a good time no matter your skill level with rhythm games, because you can change between your original difficulty and an easier difficulty at any point and continue through the story on that lower difficulty all the way to the last song (which is exactly what I did). However, if you started on medium and wanted to move up to hard on a later song, you will need to pass in medium difficulty first.

 

 

I really approve of how fair and respectful of the player’s enjoyment this choice was, and that’s absolutely a point in Invector’s favor when it comes to accessibility.  I managed to get my boyfriend (not a rhythm game player) and a fellow DDR player to have a go at the game, and both picked it up incredibly easily and had a lot of fun. If you choose to take on hard mode (or even medium in some of the later songs), you will be in for a challenge that will put your reflexes to the test. However, if you fail out, you won’t know until the end, and for me that’s preferable to getting kicked out mid-song like you would in a game like DDR for failing too hard.

 

 

As for the music, while it was completely new to me, I was surprised how much I enjoyed almost all of the songs, especially For a Better Day, which has been my ear worm for the past four or five days since first playing the level. Without trying to sound like a morals-conscious soccer mom, Avicii’s brand of EDM is inoffensive as can be. In fact, inoffensive is about the worst the music gets, and the rest is downright catchy and addictive. Invector has introduced me to a brand new (to me) genre of music and an artist I can really get behind. If Hello There and Avicii made this game solely to pimp the DJ’s music, then at the very least they have achieved that goal through me.

 

 

Invector also offers global leaderboards for each song on each difficulty, just in case you’re feeling competitive. However, if you’d rather not face up against the rest of the world, then you could try out some local multiplayer. The screen can be split to include up to four players, although I only tried it out with me and one other player. Despite all of the crazy lights and fast-moving environments, playing Invector on two player splitscreen was easy and just as enjoyable as playing alone.

 

 

I’ve searched high and low for criticisms of Invector. I’m still struggling to find any. Unless you absolutely despise rhythm games, Avicii, or EDM, Invector will have you grinning from ear to ear with every song.

 

 

 

This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.

The post REVIEW / Invector (PS4) appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2ktTp21

SOUL CALIBUR VI is announced

 

I’ve got an interesting bit of news here for those of you that love the souls series. No, not the one with the scary monsters and seemingly unlimited, gory, ways to die. The other one. I’m actually quite excited to be able to tell you that SOUL CALIBUR VI has just been announced.

Scheduled for an Xbox One, PS4 and PC release next year, SOUL CALIBUR VI will be following the 20th anniversary of the franchise. With this in mind, the weapons based fighting game that many of us know and love will be returning to its roots while offering us some brand new gameplay features.

Speaking of new … this iteration of the SOUL CALIBUR series has been built with the Unreal 4 engine. This being said, we can hope to experience some pretty stunning graphics as we journey through a series of signature 16th century stages.

So, what else is new? Well, in SOUL CALIBUR VI you’ll be able to experience a new feature called Reversal Edge. This allows players to take balance between attack and defense. Once activated, players can negate an opponent’s attack and counter it with a powerful strike of their own which will be highlighted through a gorgeous cinematic.

We all have our favorites character wise and there will be no exception to that rule here. We can expect the return of all of the past cast members that veterans will know and love. As would equally be expected there will also be a few new additions being made to the roster as well.

For those of you who’ve never really gone for brawlers, were too young to play this series, or have been sitting in a cave for the past 20 years, Soul Calibur is basically a story about two legendary swords. As with every story involving the battle between light and dark ever, this is also a tale of good and evil. The Soul Calibur is a good sword that will strengthen its virtuous wielder. The Soul Edge, on the other hand, is not nice, or virtuous in the least. This is a story about these swords and the motivations of the cast of warriors who want them, want to destroy them, or want other particular individuals not to have them.

This is a series very close to my heart. In fact, this was the first fighting franchise I got really good at. There’s something really satisfying about stringing weapon combinations together that I didn’t get from pulling combos in games like Street Fighter, Mortal Combat or Killer Instinct (some of you might need to look that last one up); this was a game I genuinely wanted to get good at. Personally, I could have done without the addition of a certain green Jedi, and all of the other weird extraneous characters that were just pointless fan service, but I think I can let that slip.  Let’s see what 2018 brings to a very playable series of games.

The post SOUL CALIBUR VI is announced appeared first on That VideoGame Blog.

from That VideoGame Blog http://ift.tt/2kFzRXH