Like most of you, I’m stuck at home for the time being. And you know what that means: more time for the ViveStream! Or at least, that was the idea; I recorded an episode last week, and it didn’t work out. The good news is, though, that I’m finally ready to bring you a game I’ve been planning on trying for a long time. Boneworks is a game that puts physics above everything else; in the length of this video, I never even get past the early tutorial stuff. But, fortunately, that stuff is fun and interesting too. Give it a watch below, and please feel free to leave a comment if there’s a Vive game you want me to try.
I think I’ve made it abundantly clear in the past that I don’t like horror games. I think I need to rephrase this slightly, though. What I don’t like is jump-scares. I play games to relax not have heart failure. I don’t have an issue with horror themes or games with a horror setting. Darkest Dungeon I absolutely loved; The Legacy of Kain franchise does horror very well too without the need for generating physical fear. With this in mind I was really interested to read about Dread Nautical. Here we have a horror title, but it’s turn based. If this is a game I can play and still have clean underwear at the end of it I’m totally there.
Zen Studios have announced that Dread Nautical will be coming to your console screens April 29th. For those of you wondering which ones, basically all of them; PS4, Xbox One and Switch are all getting iterations. You’ll also see it pop up on the Epic Games store if you’re a PC gamer using that platform.
Dread Nautical is a turn based, tactical RPG with roguelike elements. Mysterious, supernatural forces have overwhelmed the luxury cruise liner known as “The Hope” with malevolent monstrosities bent on wiping out any unsuspecting guests that get in their way.
After selecting one of four unique characters, players with traverse 20 randomly generated decks of the ship. As they travel they will have to search for food and other supplies. On your journey you will encounter 11 other colourful survivors. Whether these characters choose to join the fight will depend on your skills at social interaction. It will take smart planning with regard to who you take, how they attack and the skills you level up if you are to end your vacation alive.
The release of Dread Nautical to consoles and PC speaks to Zen Studios’ pursuit of developing a broad range of well-polished games to redefine our studio as more than just Pinball Wizards. We’re proud of everything we’ve brought to the pinball space, but are ready to take on new challenges in the broader gaming space.More importantly, we are incredibly excited to allow our dev teams the freedom to create games they want to play, including titles in the turn-based RPG genre like Operencia: The Stolen Sun and CastleStorm II.
Mel Kirk, Vice President of Publishing
This seems like it might have more of a board game feel to it with a nice eerie aesthetic. This proves my point very nicely about using horror tropes and settings without going full-blown fright-fest. For those of you out there that love a good tactical romp Dread Nautical sounds like a bit of a no-brainer.
If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Developer Sabotage has announced Sea of Stars; a retro-inspired RPG that serves as a prequel to their hit title The Messenger. The game appears to be a throwback to 90’s SNES RPGs with a turn-based combat system in the vein of Chrono Trigger and an art style similar to that of Secret of Mana.
The developers state that the “game focuses on engaging combat and unrestrained exploration, featuring freedom of movement seldom seen in this genre.” Sabotage also boasts a number of features including six playable characters, an engaging story, grind-free progression, strategic battles, and an enthralling universe. As evident from the trailer, Sea of Stars features a gorgeous 2D art style and cutting edge lighting effects that make amazing use of shadows in a changing day/night cycle.
Sabotage received critical praise for their previous retro-inspired title The Messenger in 2016. In addition to the notable ability to switch between 8- and 16- bit graphics, the game gained was heralded for its great gameplay, inspired storytelling, impressive visuals, and fantastic score.
Sea of Stars is expected to be released in March 2022. The project is currently seeking backing on Kickstarter, where a variety of reward tiers are available, but a minimum backing of about $18 USD secures a digital copy of the game. It appears that this nostalgia-fueled throwback will continue to “scratch the itches” of retro gamers while continuing to modernize the genre.
If you thought the simple, pixilated art of 90’s games was over and done with, think again. Fireflies is bringing back the retro look for a 3D action puzzle game that makes voxel art look like it belongs in an art exhibit.
Seriously, it looks that good.
The atmosphere of the game makes it seem like it could lean more on the fantasy side but the reality is, this is very much a contemporary game. It centers around a child who has experienced abuse and domestic violence. Bosses are reminiscent of the child’s past experiences with real-life monsters, appearing large and menacing as the child imagines them to be. Indeed, much of the game revolves around the child being locked in their own mind. Submerged in the shadow of their past experiences, the child gains help from a psychologist, and of course the fireflies.
Led by Victor Romao, Lead Artist of Smart Studio based in Santo Andre, Brazil, Fireflies has already enchanted critics and proves you don’t need smooth graphics to capture an audience.
We wanted to do something different when choosing voxel in an unprecedented level of detail and size never seen in games before. This choice is also interspersed with what we are trying to communicate, because everything in life is built, like small pieces that fit together forming worlds around us.
– Victor Ramao
If that isn’t poetic to a T, then what is? Romao has truly done something dynamic. He has managed to tell a story through art, making the scenery and background of the game a character of its own. The voxel art is just as engaging to the player as it is to the main character. Fireflies pulls gamers in with its atmosphere and holds their attention as it tells the story of a troubled heart.
Fireflies is now available for PC on Steam, GameJolt, and Itchio. Check out more on the game here.
The gaming world (and quite frankly Hollywood, as well) can’t seem to get enough of the remakes, but what about re-releases? Well, that’s what you are going to get with Ziggurat Interactive. Pulling PC titles out of the 90’s like anyone was missing them, Ziggurat Interactive has partnered with GOG to release relic titles like Slave Zero, Fields of Glory, and Line of Sight Vietnam.
Slave Zero, 1999
Among these early game titles, most of which gamers have moved on from, Ziggurat Interactive is also releasing an “N-Fusion bundle,” a nice collection of PC games from N-Fusion Interactive. The bundle includes Deadly Dozen, Line of Sight Vietnam, and Elite Warriors Vietnam. I’m sensing a theme here.
Line of Sight Vietnam, 2003
Other games included in Ziggurat Interactive’s re-releases are Darklands, Nam, Fields of Glory, and more. Truly, you are a veteran player if you can recall any of these titles and to that, we make a toast to you.
And, it is nice to see these classics resurfacing because this is where it all began. You think you’re a master RPG player, now? Well, forget about Skyrim. Darklands was the original open-world role-playing game, with positive and negative reputation points to add up and hundreds of quests to complete that have nothing to do with the main story. Old school gamers traveled through medieval Europe where they would visit real historic places and feel historically accurate with job titles like religious studies and healers instead of clerics. That’s how it used to be done, kids. That’s what Ziggurat Interactive is all about.
Darklands, 1992
It’s good to know a group of people out there are dedicated to preserving these classic games. While outstanding and high-quality games keep making their debuts, it’s always a humbling experience to go back to your roots. The days of low-grade graphics and floppy disks may be long gone, but their influences remain.
Ziggurat Interactive’s collection of classic games is now available on GOG.com. There is more to see from them as new titles and classic re-releases will be available this year and next.
Cat Quest was a fairly successful action RPG released by Singapore-based team The Gentlebros in 2017. It was praised for its nostalgic recall of classic RPG mechanics while avoiding some of the tedious grinding necessary to progress through the storyline. Cat Quest II was released on multiple platforms in mid-September of last year, taking place narratively centuries after the original, now a tale of two heroes instead of one. Two ancient kings emerge from limbo to find their kingdoms overrun by monsters and under the thumbs of tyrants. Familiar characters from the first game- royal advisor Kirry and blacksmith Kit Cat- appear to help guide the duo through their first few adventures.
Very quickly, Cat Quest II resolves itself into the same open-world play that the original offered, with dungeons and sidequests offered openly, with only a recommended level shown before the player accepts the challenge. Kirry waits patiently at whatever landmark will begin the next quest that will further the main narrative, but while a side-quest or two is enough to level the players up for the next boss, there’s so much to explore that completionists will be near to overpowered by the time they get around to it. Kit Kat offers armor and weapons upgrades while after a brief encounter with the mages’ guild, they will offer upgrades to the spells, frequently moving locations for the convenience of the player.
Playing on the PC I found that a general hack-and-slash approach was enough to get me through exploring and most of my questing without a problem – I didn’t even realize that the red pattern that appeared on the ground underneath an enemy was the range of their attack until the first boss fight. I was too busy stabbing to pay attention. And I never truly used dodge unless it was for a boss.
The big boss fights required a bit more strategy; blindly smashing through wasn’t an option, especially as the magic-user Cat King didn’t have the HP to stand up to it and the tank Dog King needed the cat’s cover fire to be most effective. It would’ve been really interesting to see co-op in action, but unfortunately, I did not get that opportunity. As one of the people who did NOT play the original, I was curious to see what was different – I was really shocked to see how much was the same, from the map to the enemies to the combat. I think the biggest changes are the addition of the dog kingdom as allies and an increase in detail to the artwork.
Overall, this really was an enjoyable little game- no stress, low stakes, but still an engaging colorful world with a solid story and unique characters. A little much with the puns, you’ve been warned, but it truly is that level of challenging that lets you blow off some steam without losing your mind to frustration. And, as a side benefit, it’s really easy to find a stopping point, so if you’ve got other stuff going on, it’s easy to turn it off and come back to it without losing a ton of progress. If you’re an RPG fan that has more pictures of your pet than your SO on your camera roll, Cat Quest II might be right up your alley.
This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.
From that headline you probably think that this isn’t a real story, I’ve just gone insane and started stringing random words together. Well you can’t go insane if you already are and no, it’s a thing. For shooter addicts out there Assault Android Cactus+ may be a very good thing.
Pre-orders for this title from the guys and gals over at Super Rare Games and folk at Witchbeam started March 12th. Physical copies are coming to your Switch systems and as with all pre-orders of boxed titles this one is coming with goodies. I’ll get into what these are in a bit, but first off let’s give you an idea what you’re dealing with.
Assault Android Cactus+ is, as I’ve already mentioned a twin-stick shooter. Set in a vivid sci-fi universe, Junior Constable Cactus is outside her pay-grade when she responds to a distress call and winds up stranded on a crippled space freighter under attack by its own worker robots.
Interestingly you don’t have lives in AssaultAndroid Cactus+. Things are going to get frantic because you’re dealing with a draining battery mechanic instead. Lights out probably isn’t a good thing so you’ll have to think fast and shoot faster as you charge head-first into waves of re-fitted robots. As you try not to get shot to bits you’ll have to circumvent transforming stages and of course massive boss showdowns.
There’s plenty to unlock and do in Assault Android Cactus+. Aside from the 25 stage campaign you’ll also have a boss-rush mode to try and survive. In addition to this Infinity Drive and Daily Drive will give you other fun ways to play. If you’re getting tired of all these modes this version is also getting an all new Campaign+ mode with remixed stages to add a bit of a fresh take on things.
Adding to all the above you’ll be able to choose from nine playable androids, each with their own personalities and distinct play-styles. For variety you can unlock game modifying EX options and just for a bit of fun you can explore the codex and developer commentary. That should be enough for even the most jaded player to go at.
I mentioned goodies before right? Well the Super Rare version of the game is being released with a 20 page full colour manual, interior artwork, exclusive sticker and three trading cards selected randomly from the five card set. As an aside having a manual might not sound like much but I remember a time when we collected those things, you were seriously miffed if your game came without one. In a digital age it’s lovely to have something to hold.
UPDATE: I’m seeing that copies of this title on the Super Rare games store are currently showing as out of stock. This of course doesn’t mean there won’t ever be any more so it’s probably worth checking back over time. Should you wish to do this you can find a link here.
Earlier this week, LEGO and Nintendo teased the announcement of a joint venture involving the Super Mario franchise. Speculation mounted as fans wondered if this would mean a Super Mario themed LEGO set, a LEGO-Mario video game, or both. The answer was revealed to lie somewhere in between.
LEGO and Nintendo unveiled their project on Thursday in the form of an interactive, Super Mario-themed LEGO set. A Mario-Zilla toy, of sorts, is the focus of the sets. Mario is electronic and has a small screen on his chest that appears to play music and reveal his current status. The sets themselves resemble classic Super Mario levels, complete with baddies, warp pipes, question blocks and more.
The interactive experience plays out as giganta-Mario navigates a LEGO level. When Mario lands on a warp pipe or an enemy, the music and video screen on Mario’s chest respond as Super Mario veterans would expect. For example, when Mario lands on a question block, scrolling question marks appear on Mario’s chest before revealing a prize, with sound effects to match. The music changes as Mario runs out of time, encounters danger or reaches the goal flag.
Mario appears to be the only interactive character, though other confirmed characters include Yoshi, Koopa Troopa, Baby Bowser, Shy Guy, Piranha Plant (unconfirmed if it’s Petey), Blooper and Goomba. Traditional LEGO mini characters appear to be nowhere in sight. The children displayed in the demo are most likely not included.
This is clearly not a traditional LEGO set, a Mario-themed LEGO game or a LEGO-themed Mario game that many likely hoped for. However, the blend of licenses seems like a perfect fit and this idea is nothing if not extremely innovative. And this project may be the first of many. Which leaves us with one very important question: When is the Legend of Zelda LEGO set coming?
Possibly one of the worst kept secrets in gaming recently has been the often teased Battle Royale mode for the recently released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. However, the game has now been officially revealed and it seems that the highly anticipated mode will not merely be an addition to the game but will instead be a free-to-play game that will be available to download by everyone on Playstation 4, Xbox One or PC, whether they own Call Of Duty:Modern Warfare or not. The standalone game, aptly titled Call Of Duty: Warzone, is available from 12pm PDT on March 10th, unless you own Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, where players can get early access to the new mode from 8am PDT on the same day.
Many gamers will likely sigh at the sound of another Battle Royale game entering what has arguably become an overly saturated, albeit highly profitable, market; however, Call of Duty: Warzone looks to introduce a number of interesting new features that can hopefully keep the game feeling fresh. The game offers players two modes, a familiar Battle Royale mode that pits 150 players together in a fight to the death and a new cash-grabbing mode called Plunder. In Plunder, players team up in squads of three in a race to get their hands on the most cash before the match ends. Cash is earned by taking down enemies to steal their earnings or by completing the new in-game contracts which can be completed to gain cash. The objectives that players must complete for contracts can vary greatly too, with some requiring squads to open a series of Supply Boxes, whereas others may require a squad to secure a location on the map.
It’s not just the new Plunder mode that includes interesting an interesting new take on the Battle Royale genre as the standard Battle Royale mode also has a few tricks up its sleeve. The most notable is The Gulag, a separate prison area where players are taken upon their first elimination. Here the eliminated players are pitted against one another in a 1v1 match where the winner is rewarded with redeployment back into the fight to help their squadmates. Players can also be redeployed once their squadmates earn enough cash to purchase a redeployment token from one of the many redeployment stations scattered throughout the battlefield.
Speaking of the battlefield, no Battle Royale would be complete without a sprawling and interesting map for players to do battle on. Call of Duty: Warzone has players covered here with Verdansk, a large expansive city that includes over 300 points of interest. Players can zip across this map in one of the many vehicles available, including ATVs, SUVs, helicopters, and more.
More information on everything Call Of Duty, including Call Of Duty: Warzone, can be found here.
Fans of Germany’s best-selling tabletop RPG The Dark Eye will be thrilled to know that a Dark Eye PC game is scheduled to release this summer. The Dark Eye: Book of Heroes will spirit fantasy enthusiasts away to the world of Aventuria. Here, they will join forces with other adventurers and face off against a long list of beasts and creatures, collect special items, and run into some familiar faces and places from the tabletop franchise.
Well in line with games like Baldurs Gate and Neverwinter Nights, The Dark Eye: Book of Heroes is a party-based, cooperative game with the type of fantasy world most RPG players are used to seeing but never tire of and rich characters to go with it. CEO of Wild River, Marc Wardenga, says, “We couldn’t be more excited to bring this beloved tabletop franchise to the digital world,” and who can blame him? The Dark Eye tabletop RPG has been Germany’s best selling game for years and it’s finally joining the world of digital RPGs.
Like all RPGs, players will have the opportunity to create a compelling character to join the world of Aventuria. There are twelve professions and four species, all with customizable appearances. Each will also have a unique quest, task, and agenda that sets them apart and makes the player feel like they have stepped into the shoes of a true Dark Eye character.
Players will be able to coopt with up to four friends online or–wait for it–on the couch! Oh yes, the couch-coop days are returning for this RPG adventure and what a breathe of fresh air. Solo adventuring is also available, with NPCs acting as hired companions at The Inn of the Wild Boar.
The Dark Eye: Book of Heroes will be out to download this summer. Find out more about the developers, Random Potion, who worked so hard to put this amazing game together here, and the publishers, Wild River Games, here.
Well that was an interesting experience. Now before I go into the ins and outs of Not for Broadcast I just need to take a moment to ask one very important question. Where’s the bloody rest of it?! I’ve never been so miffed to come to the end of the currently playable bit of a story in my life! This broadcasting sim is absolutely brilliant and I’m a little bit thrilled to be able to tell you why.
In Not for Broadcast you take the role of a cleaner at a TV station. Well at least you are for about the first two minutes of the game until you realise that the news editor has made himself scarce and you’ve just been given a promotion. Having absolutely no idea what you’re doing and being given tips from a voice on the phone you must then go forth and edit the National Nightly News as it’s broadcast live. Sound fun? No it doesn’t and it isn’t but in the most wonderful way.
So before we go into real detail lets try and give you sort of an idea of the genre Not For Broadcast is sitting in. This is a game of madcap multi-tasking so there is definitely a puzzle element here. It’s very story driven so you could call it a visual novel … it’s got sim elements … yeah I have no idea where to put this title. I think this is brilliant as Not for Broadcast is going to appeal to players from loads of different camps. There is a lot of really clever humor running through this game too. It’s very British humor so the dark sarcasm might not appeal to all but being a Brit myself I was right at home.
Welcome to the editing suite. You’ll need to be on your toes if you are to succeed.
Your interface is the desk in the editing suite and this is where you’ll spend the actively playable sections of the game. Your desk is broken into zones and you need to keep an equal eye on all of them if you are to succeed. First you want to be watching you two main screens. One depicts what is happening live and the other what the viewers will see. There is roughly a two second delay between them which gives you a minescule amount of breathing room to do a bit of censorship should you need to. To the left of these are four more screens. These are your camera angles and you’ll be wanting to choose the best at all times. We wouldn’t want any naked bodies running around on national television before the watershed now would we? If you can imagine that all of these are functioning at exactly the same time you’re already splitting your brain in three directions. Then there’s the console.
While you’re trying to look at far too many things at once you’re also having to watch out for hazards like interference. This game is set in the 80s when fuzzy broadcasts were a very real possibility. You need to make sure everything is crisp and clear. At certain times of night your interference screen will come to life. You need to move a little white dot through a maze of objects. Hit one of these and everything is going fuzzy. This is while everything else is still going on. You’ll also need to set up headlines while bleeping out any swearing oh … and don’t get electrocuted it’s bad for your life.
Watching things back is a good way to learn from your mistakes.
So with all this going on you need to cue up adverts and make sure they run on time and check the viewer gauge. This thing is really important. You want that bar going up, if it isn’t your viewers aren’t happy and keeping them watching is sort of your job. Between your bouts in front of the editing desk you’ll have to play through some choice driven scenarios. I’m deliberately not going into these through fear of spoilers but the choices you make are really likely to matter when it comes to the overall plot. This isn’t something that’s been gone into in much depth yet but we’re only at the start of the Early Access road so that’s forgivable. There isn’t enough story there at the moment for your choices to matter. I’ve a good feeling this is getting remedied.
Right … all of the above clear and making sense? No? Good. Add to everything that I’ve just mentioned the story. Aside from being really funny it’s also very dark and dystopian. This game really shows us how easily we can be manipulated as a species and how television can be used as a very clever tool for propaganda. The most inconspicuous of news stories can be laced with all kinds of nasty mental poison. The question is are you going to show what big brother, (in this case Advance,) want you to show or are you going to have a few morals? Morals aren’t safe but being a good little zombie isn’t going to win you any points either.
You’ll spend a bit of time in the archives. This is when all your hard work gets stored.
Not for Broadcast begins the night of the election. Advance has won and just come into power. They seem all nice and cordial, (and drunk,) but there is definitely something fishy about them. We aren’t given all of the info straight away and I’m not going to go into any greater detail than that. Seriously just play the game, all will become clear soon enough. One thing I will say is there is a lot more going on during your broadcasts than you’ll pick up while playing. You have access to the archives between levels where you can re-watch the show as a viewer. You also have access to rushes. Rushes allow you to mute the screens from your broadcast and watch the bits you weren’t concentrating on live. I recommend doing this for added plot and a few extra laughs.
What really makes Not for Broadcast special for me is the aesthetic. You aren’t watching a bunch of rendered characters on tv screens. One of the reasons why this title is taking some time in Early Access is possibly that everything is acted out. These are real people you are seeing and that’s brilliant. I need to commend the actors, they’re really skillful and do a lot for the story. This isn’t dodgy FMV, in fact sometimes you forget you’re playing a game. Top marks for making us feel included.
It’s interesting to see what’s going on in the backgroud. This is why we have rushes.
I have very mixed feelings about Early Access games. You’re being asked to put a lot of trust in a developer by giving them your money so they can complete whatever project they’re working on. This is always a gamble but sometimes it’s one that really pays off. I’ve played everything there is for now and I can’t wait to see what happens next. It’s that weird, sad, feeling you get when your favorite TV show finishes for a season. You know it needs to end for a bit but you don’t want it to. This is very much the feeling I got here. Honestly, buy in now. If the devs run off with your money, (which they likely won’t,) come back and shout and me later. You won’t get a vast amount of playtime to begin with but be patient, I truly believe it’ll pay off as things progress.
This review is based on a retail copy of the game provided by the publisher.
After a long pre-season,Pokemon Go‘s Battle League is set to begin its first season later this month. In celebration, a number of events will take place between then and now to get players ready. The season begins on Friday, March 13, but before the end of the pre-season, players at rank 4 or above will receive a Premium Battle Pass. Over the next few weeks, you’ll be able to catch some past and current Legendary Pokemon with these passes, including Darkrai and Giratina. For everyone who isn’t at that rank yet, all three Leagues are available until the season starts.
Beyond that, two more events will lead into the official start of the season. From March 10 to March 12, extra strong Pokemon will appear in raids, including Legendary Pokemon Registeel and Cresselia. Then, from March 13 to March 16, more powerful Pokemon will appear, along with a greater focus on Fighting-type Pokemon in the wild. This event will also add shiny Timburr to the game, as well as a number of bonuses for the battle league itself. There are too many details to include all of them here, but check out the official blog for more information.
It’s March. Spring Training baseball is well underway, which means the MLB season is nearly here. With the new season comes new the slew of excellent baseball games, namely MLB The Show and my personal favorite, Out of the Park Baseball. OOTP Developments recently announced that the newest iteration, OOTP 21, will release worldwide March 20 for PC and Mac.
OOTP 21 boasts updated rosters, many quality of life improvements, and some new features to help us GM/managers out during the season. I’m personally excited for the new scouting improvements, which should help streamline research on prospects in the minors and potential draft picks. OOTP 21 will also take a step forward regarding 3D gameplay (remember this isn’t MLB The Show-style graphics) that should make managing games more fun, including the ability to construct your own 3D ballparks.
Another new feature this year includes events that center around the All-Star game, which includes the Futures game (with all the hot prospects) and the Home Run Derby. And for all you fans following the turmoil of the Houston Astros* during the offseason, developers confirmed that no trash cans will be featured and that they will lose their draft picks this year but not next (they apparently have no way to control that, but you playing Commissioner mode can help!).
They have been previewing these new features over on their Twitch channel, but you can find a preview of these in the trailer below. OOTP 21 is available for pre-order on their site with a 10% discount up through the first week of release. Steam users can drop it on their wishlist and get the 10% discount over there too when it’s available.
EQQO, from Parallel Studio, is a game inspired by Ethiopian ancient history. One of the most prominent forms of inspiration in the game comes from the churches of Lalibela. The churches, listed under UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), are unique in that early Christians built them directly inside of cliffs or in the grounds. They also contain frescoes (mural paintings) installed long ago and are traditionally visited by pilgrims in white cloths.
EQQO is now celebrating a more recent achievement in Ethiopian history. Just last year, Ethiopia planted a record 350 million trees in a single day. This act was committed in an effort to combat deforestation. It inspired the team that launched EQQO to create a DLC titled #EqqoDonation that allows players to not only plant trees in-game, but in real life as well. All proceeds from the DLC will be given to WeForest, a NGO committed to sustainability in maintaining forests and natural resources. A bundle containing EQQO as well as the new DLC provided by Nakana.io is now available in the American, European and Oceanian Nintendo Switch Eshop.
TheDarksidersseries appeared to die with THQ, but the franchise has since returned in a big way. WhileDarksiders 3’s review scores were mixed, the game did well enough to make back its budget, proving that players are still interested in the Horsemen and their stories. But instead of moving on to a direct sequel, we instead have this unusual spin-off.Darksiders Genesisstill features some of the elements you would expect from the series, including some basic puzzle solving, but the top-down view and focus on action set it apart.
That was really all I knew aboutGenesisgoing in; it seemed very Diablo-like. So imagine my surprise when I learned that the game only supports two players at a time, and only includes two of the Horsemen. I don’t understand this decision at all; this was the perfect game to make all four playable together, but not only did the design not go that route, they also decided not to support four players (as is the standard for this sort of game). It’s such a disappointing missed opportunity.
That being said, the two we do get work well together. I love Strife’s wisecracking, especially because of how out-of-place it is in a game like this. Other characters speak very deliberately and stay entirely serious, especially his brother War. This creates a fun dynamic between the two, as they sound like they come from completely different games, but in a funny way rather than a disjointed way. The pairing works well mechanically as well; War is a melee combatant and plays like most dungeon crawler games, while Strife uses guns and plays like a twin-stick shooter. A single player can freely switch between the two, or you can split up for split-screen or online multiplayer. It seems thatGenesiswas designed with multiplayer in mind, because it’s a real slog to get through some of the stages alone. Still, it’s a fun time overall.
Still, I enjoyed playing the game, but I did feel disoriented as I played. As a multiplatform game, it wasn’t designed for the Switch’s portable mode, and it shows; everything onscreen is so small that it’s easy to lose track of where you are, let alone appreciate the visuals or make sense of the things you pick up along the way. Don’t get me wrong, I love that there is a competent Switch version of this game, but playing in portable mode is far from ideal. It doesn’t help that there are too many types of collectibles, and that Strife’s controls in portable mode will hurt your hands.
Darksiders Genesisis a pretty fun game in general, but that’s the best I can give it. Besides the art style, the only thing that letsGenesisstand over the bevy of dungeon crawlers out there is Strife. He’s an entertaining character whose gameplay provides interesting options for players, and I hope he gets his ownDarksiders 4soon. In the meantime, you could do worse than
Forty-five minutes might not seem like much to spend with the new and improved world of Final Fantasy 7Remake, but the demo sure packs a lot of action and character development into that short amount of time.
Just about everything in the opening sequence is straight from the PS1 version. Midgard looks fantastic, and the music mercilessly gets you in your feels.
Now, we all knew this game was going to look amazing, but how does it play? Well, here is my impression of the battle system.
SquareEnix has been building up to this hybrid battle system for years. The action-based battle system games that predated Final Fantasy 7 Remake were regarded with mixed feelings. Final Fantasy XII was the first Final Fantasy I played that experimented with a type of action-based battle system while still holding on to the turn-based system, somewhat. Kingdom Hearts is all action based and a lot of people like it but those who are turn-based purists find it revolting. And, well, let’s not get into Final Fantasy XV.
Regardless of how you might have felt about these action/turn-based games, one thing that can be said about the Final Fantasy 7 Remake is that they finally got it right.
Much like the original game’s battle system, players will need to let their ATB bar fill up before certain actions can be taken. This beautifully keeps to the original wait-your-goddamn-turn system with which most fans are familiar. However, while the ATB bar fills, players can take to the action by attacking, dodging, blocking, and switching between fighting styles. For instance, Cloud’s basic fighting style allows him more mobility but if the player switches to Punisher Mode, his moves are stronger but he can’t dodge. If he dodges, he goes right back into standard fighting mode.
When the ATB bar fills, players get the chance to use potions, magic, and their limit break. These actions can be stacked which means you have to wait for all sections of the ATB bars to fill. The new battle system also allows players to switch between characters or command characters by switching the character battle menus.
I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this demo. Some things took a few trials to get right, like figuring out how to switch character commands rather than switching characters entirely but overall, I was more than impressed. RPG gamers have waited a long time for a fair mix of action and turn-based in a game’s battle system but the wait is over.
We can expect a lot to come just from what was revealed in the demo. The new battle system is engaging while not entirely throwing away the turn-based system. Final Fantasy 7 Remake is just what gamers are looking for, a flawless mixture of something new and something old. No game is perfect, but just from what the demo had to offer, it’s possible Final Fantasy 7 remake may challenge that thought.
I don’t think I need to tell any of you that I’m a roguelike fan. Of all the genres in gaming, this is the one I hold most dear. There are a couple of reasons for this. First off, these games are hard but fair. There isn’t any of this “git gud” nonsense that’s permeating other titles. You die frequently but you feel all the more rewarded when you do well. Secondly, your play-through is different every time which adds tons of longevity and last but not least there’s always tons of secrets to unlock and cool stuff to upgrade and find. With all this being said let’s come to Genesis Alpha One which has just hit our PC screens.
Genesis Alpha One is a roguelike shooter from the devs at Radiation Blue. This title isn’t just all about blowing things to bits, though. There are equally important base-building elements here. You will find yourself managing your ship while fighting off alien invasions, farming resources and discovering new, uncharted, planets. You may even need to resort to cloning yourself in a last-ditch effort to save humanity.
If this sounds like something that might float your boat, a deluxe edition of Genesis Alpha One is available on GOG and Steam. This version of the game comes with the awesome loot you get with any good deluxe copy. In this case, you’ll get a digital artbook, soundtrack, and Rocket Star CorporationDLC featuring exclusive weapons.
On top of all the wonderful stuff I’ve just mentioned, the deluxe version will launch with an update that improves lighting and graphics. On a less aesthetic level, enemy intelligence is also improved, along with new weapons for better gunplay and a new HUD system.
Something I really like is the ability you’ll have to explore the ship you’ve lovingly created in first-person. This isn’t something we see a great deal of in roguelikes and when you’ve gone to all that hard work, it’s a nice touch. The entire game is in this perspective. This is going to make those firefights all the more adrenaline-fueled.
As with any other roguelike game, you’ll have to be on your toes and think smart. You’ll need to build wisely and use your research properly because the aliens aren’t playing around. If you aren’t prepared for an attack you might be losing your ship and crew faster than you’d think.
There are versions of the non-deluxe game out for PC if you don’t want to go the whole hog off the bat. Console owners can also grab a copy of Genesis Alpha One but will have to wait a little while for the deluxe version of the game to be made available to them.
I’m really excited by Genesis Alpha One. Well … of course I am … it’s a brand new way of getting killed over and over until I get lucky or learn what I’m doing the hard way. If you’re like me and love lots of variety in your game or a bit of a bout of gaming masochism, this is a very good direction in which to look. Did I mention Team 17 were involved in this? I didn’t? Well … Nuff said really.
