#Games Review

[fridge-reviews]

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun

Developer: Auroch Digital Steam Deck Compatibility?: Verified Rrp: £18.99 (Gog.com, Humble and Steam), £19.99 (Epic)

This is yet another game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, I'm not complaining but when is Games Workshop going to give Warhammer Fantasy some love? I'm kidding of course, I know Warhammer Fantasy has Vermintide one and two as well as the whole Total War: Warhammer (or is it Warhammer: Total War?.... Total Warhammer?) series, and that's without mentioning the older games.

There's something about the setting of Warhammer 40,000 that makes it compatible with the first person shooter genre. I suspect it's the over the top nature of the universe. What I can say is that Boltgun is the Warhammer 40K game I didn't know I needed. The guns all feel great to use, having a good sense of weight to them as well as an audio and visual ‘kick’. The developers have really gone out of their way to make everything suit the 40K aesthetic. For example, the armour you collect in this game is called ‘contempt’, which is just so very Warhammer 40,000.

Visually the game uses 2D sprites similar to the original Doom games to represent your enemies. This is an interesting choice given the fully 3D environment, however, it’s a choice that really makes the game visually pop.  Something that I really love is the inclusion of a taunt button that has no practical use whatsoever other than to make the player feel badass.

This is very much a boomer shooter which despite its visual style harking back to the original Doom games plays far more like Serious Sam (minus the absolutely huge enemies).

---- If you’d like to support me I have a Ko-fi, the reviews will continue to be posted donation or not.

[sage-gamer]

I can't stop playing this game's demo!

Genuinely cannot wait for the full game to come out!!

[gamesline]

Kaichu – The Kaiju Dating Sim (PC) Review

Although middling in depth in some places, Elvie reviewed that Kaichu - The Kaiju Dating Sim still has a lot of charm. Read the full article

[jesterkindreview]

Severed Steel - Review

Don’t Stop Movin’.

When I was first looking at Severed Steel’s store page to get a feel for what kind of game it is, one of the mechanics it made a big deal about in descriptions is the fact that you can destroy the environment to make your own routes through its various levels. This, in my opinion, is a mistake; that element is there, it’s not a lie and it is quite fun, but it’s not the mechanic that I would say underpins and links every other mechanic to bring the game together into a beautiful whole. Of course, this raises the question of what mechanic I would say is important enough to get top billing, and the answer to that is pretty simple. Once you understand what kind of game this is - fast paced parkour shooter - then the central mechanic you need to know about is bullet time.

Severed Steel is far from the only game to have bullet time, but the way it chooses to implement it warrants the top billing that its destructible environment claimed in certain rundowns I saw. You see, using bullet time drains a pretty short timer, that only refills again when you get a kill- the only way you can regain health, too. At first blush, it seems relatively simple; play fast and use bullet time very sparingly, chaining kills to keep yourself alive. However... there’s a catch. This is a parkour shooter, and so there are a few mechanics central to that sort of game. They are, for the most part, variations on wall running, sliding, and dolphin-diving forwards. The catch I mentioned before is that while you are performing any of those actions, bullet time is free - and works even if the meter had previously been drained.

It’s this small-seeming mechanic that really brings the whole game together into a marvellous whole. Rather than being precise and judicious with your movements, you’re allowed to get as sloppy and aggressive as you want; rather than the game being almost incomprehensibly fast-paced, it ends up at almost Superhot levels of slowness... provided that you are always moving. Cover is irrelevant; wallrunning, sliding, and diving all guarantee that enemy attacks won’t hit you and can all be extended immensely with the now-free bullet time, so you don’t have to do anything other than ensure you’re always doing some sweet stunt for your character to be functionally immortal. That’s not to say the game is absurdly easy; there are a few caveats, like not being able to chain a dive into a wallrun and your character being so flimsy that a few bullets will take care of her if you do end up caught out of position and overwhelmed with numbers, or the level design of some areas featuring bottomless pits that you’ll surely perish in if you dive in the wrong direction, that keep the game feeling challenging even as you’re shrugging off bullets in ways that would make even Neo shed a single, tubular tear.

Even the way you interact with weaponry leans into the game’s aggressive vibe; you only get weapons from enemies, and they only have limited ammunition. When they run out... you just chuck them full force at whatever enemy you’re looking at, with enough velocity that they can and often will get a killing blow. If you’re lacking a weapon and there’s nothing on the ground to automatically pick up... dive at an enemy, activate slowmo, and aim a punch at them to nab the sidearm right off their belt, with enough time left in your trajectory that you can twist in midair and blow the guy away with his own stolen pistol. The variety of weapons on offer is relatively minimal- punchy pistols, spray-and-pray SMGs, and slow but monstrously powerful shotguns are the bread and butter that you’ll be swapping between as you play, with a few different variations for each one, but there are a few odd ones out like a grenade launcher stolen from heavily armoured goons requiring more precise shots to take down or flamethrowers from even tougher enemies that can only be damaged from behind to keep things spiced up. There’s even a sniper rifle, though the game didn’t bother with the laughable notion of putting a working scope on it; you’ll not be that far away from your opponent anyway, just dive and jam the barrel right in their face. The beauty of the variety is that you honestly don’t need it: I was perfectly content with any of the weapons you start with in various levels, as all the weapons are precise enough to function at the odd angles and timings you’ll be using them at. It might be tempting to pick favourites; why use anything other than, for instance, a punchy, precise pistol? Well, because the pistol runs out and your enemies are carrying other weapons, so don’t get too attached. Cycle through what’s available and adapt to what’s on hand!

It’s clear to me, all this considered, that the intended power fantasy isn’t that of breakneck speeds and godlike reactions, but rather the kind of gratuitous slow-mo action movie bullshit that many games attempt and many games entirely fumble with. I wouldn’t call Severed Steel a masterpiece in this regard, necessarily, but I’d be immensely dishonest if I implied it wasn’t extremely fun despite that. There’s a narrative running through this game, so to speak, but I would say that it’s largely irrelevant. The campaign is the most fun of the game’s three modes on offer, the other two being variations on level gauntlets with changing modifiers, but it isn’t really because of some compelling story being told- it’s really just that those levels, in that order, with those available tools, is already kind of just the most interesting and compelling version of this game to begin with. Still, if you’re like me and got hooked enough after beating the main campaign that you went to go check those out, you’ll surely find something worthy of spending some time on. If not... well, there’s always New Game Plus, right?

Accompanying these mechanics is a relatively minimalist art style conveying a few different cyberpunk-adjacent levels, and a pretty decent (but honestly not incredible) soundtrack. Neither of these things would be the draw here; the artwork isn’t breathtaking and we’re hardly talking Hotline Miami levels of soundtrack, but they’re both perfectly serviceable and add to the game’s overall charm, so I can’t complain too heavily about it. All in all, I’d recommend this game to anyone who doesn’t mind the almost vertigo-inducing twists and turns of the game’s FPS parkour nature. I had a blast with it, at the very least; amusingly, the game’s window (and thus what it shows up as in Discord’s ‘playing: [game]’ text) calls the game “ThankYouVeryCool”, and that’s pretty much exactly how I feel about it.

Have fun, and don’t stop moving.

[xinoblade]

Menudo sorpresón que nos hemos llevado los usuarios de game pass en xbox con este Vampire Survivors. La gente de PC sabe de lo que os hablo…

Un “roguelite” super adictivo en el que tendremos que sobrevivir a hordas de seres demoniacos durante 30 minutos hasta que nos venga a visitar La Muerte.

Para sobrevivir tendremos una serie de armas y ventajas que conseguiremos cogiendo las gemas de los enemigos que vamos aniquilando. Estas nos rellenarán una barra de nivel de XP, y al subir de nivel nos darán a elegir entre armas, defensas, magias etc.

Tanto las armas como todo lo que vayamos consiguiendo con cada subida de nivel lo podremos ir potenciando hasta 8 veces y después de esto se podrá evolucionar consiguiendo efectos aún más espectaculares.

Tendremos una serie de “logros” que seguir para saber como desbloquear más personajes, zonas nuevas, armas o poderes, así que tenemos diversión para muchas horas.

[runawaymarbles]

Reading Mockingjay as an adult is extra devastating because. Of course the plucky teenager and her ragtag friends aren't going to sneak into a government building to kill the president with a bow and arrow. That's absolutely ridiculous. It's the kind of thing that's only possible in the kind of propaganda that Coin developed. But she's so good at it that in some ways she tricks the reader into thinking that's the kind of story this is, too--even after 3 books reminding us that pretty much everything that Katniss does the second she volunteers is manipulated by adults pulling strings to make propaganda in some form or another.

[hell0mega]

people are drawing Steamboat Willie Mickey doing all this crazy shit and whatnot, but you could always do that. you can do that now, with current Mickey, just fine. it's fanart and it's legally protected. hell you could take Disney-drawn Mickey and put a caption about unions or whatever on it and it would still be protected under free speech and sometimes even parody law.

what is special about public domain is that you can SELL him. you could take a screenshot and sell it on a tshirt. you can use him to advertise your plumbing business. people have already uploaded and monetized the original film.

you could always have Mickey say what you want, but now you can profit off it.

[reviewkun]

Introduction to Game Design

Game design is the intricate process of conceptualizing, crafting, and refining interactive experiences that captivate and engage players across diverse platforms and genres. At its core, game design encompasses a myriad of disciplines, including art, programming, storytelling, psychology, and user experience design, converging to create seamless and immersive gaming worlds. It involves the meticulous orchestration of gameplay mecha...

[jjkirbs]

GAME REVIEW - The Chant

THE CHANT is a firm entry in the new weird genre - inspiration clearly drawn from the likes of Stranger Things, The Thing, Beyond the Black Rainbow, Annihilation, Mandy, this is an enjoyable entry in this underexplored genre in gaming.

THE CHANT integrates elements reminiscent of these classics while carving its own narrative path. The game evokes a sense of exploration and nostalgia for players familiar with gaming hallmarks and a story full of intriguing concepts.

Jess is invited by her friend Kim to the isolated Glory Island for a spiritual retreat, rekindling friendships and to treat unresolved trauma regarding an accidental death.

Joined by Maya, Sonny and Hannah, they're led by Tyler, an easygoing new age brah with an omnious vibe - the guy screams B-Movie villain. Tyler, whose family owned the island, has set up makeshift tents amidst eerie remnants of rituals and chilling notes; neglecting the disturbing past of the island. The contrast between Tyler's casual approach and the island's ominous history is quite captivating - what does he know that we don't?

The game cleverly uses colours and symbolism related to a very 60’s inspired concept known as "Prismatic Science", whereby using chakras, geometry, mathematics, and physics, an innovative approach is devised to treat the human mind. By intertwining these esoteric concepts, it creates a captivating ambiance that connects the mystical with the scientific. It gets very Lovecraft and I'm totally here for it.

Similar to the captivating world-building and immersive environments of Control by Remedy Entertainment and BioShock by 2K, THE CHANT meticulously constructs its lore.

In contrast to most games that create tension and fear by restricting vision and/or immersing you in darkness, THE CHANT refreshingly flips this on its head - instead, it creates a sense of dread for bright areas drenched in vivid colours. As you will learn, the colours are indicative of the types of encounters you're about to face.

You’ll end up running towards the darkness for respite! 

The gameplay mechanics in THE CHANT exhibit similarities to Alan Wake, again by Remedy, offering a familiar and comfortable experience. Progression through the game is reminiscent of previous gaming generations. Such as finishing an intense boss fight, which will result in new powers, upgrades, keys, and/or pathways to new (and old) parts of the island enhancing gameplay and although old-school; ensures a sense of progression - a routine which becomes quite a comfort. 

On the island, you'll find various materials scattered around that can be used to craft unique items, including weapons. However, in a new age twist, rather than making typical proactive weaponry like knives or spears, Jess is a defensive combatant, making use of twine and sage to create smudge sticks that offer protection and makes use of salt to defend herself against enemies.

There is also an interesting mechanic of balancing three key metres: Body - Jess’s physical health, Mind - Jess’s mental health and Spirit - essentially her mana - how much magic you’ll be able to use. By getting Jess to meditate, you can adjust these metres, depleting one to boost another. Balancing all three metres is essential for overcoming the challenges Jess will face.

There’s an absence of any real stealth which to me feels like a missed opportunity, as it could have enriched exploration and encounter strategies. Incorporating stealth elements would have seamlessly aligned with the game's ambiance, offering players alternative methods to navigate the erie island and engage with the corrupted inhabitants. This is no Assassin's Creed but the bushes would have made for great stealth takedowns for example - Jess is adept at magic I suppose so it's a trade off.

One critique lies in the rapid acceleration of the plot, catapulting from 0 to 100 without so much as a pause for breath. While this pace can intensify the sense of urgency, some players might yearn for a more gradual buildup of tension and suspense, allowing for a deeper unfolding terror.

An aspect I can only say is a nitpick is with Jess's seemingly instantaneous mastery of magic, oh sorry, prismatic science, without any training or learning curve. This inexplicable proficiency might detract from the sense of character progression and immersion for some players, potentially warranting a more nuanced approach to skill development within the narrative and gameplay mechanics. Though it’s obviously easy to overlook and rather just, again, enjoy the game for its own sake.

By amalgamating inspirations from iconic sources, melding analogue horror with spiritual science, and crafting a richly detailed world akin to aforementioned influences, THE CHANT presents a daft yet enjoyable experience. 

By embracing design choices reminiscent of past generations, the game blends familiar gameplay mechanics with missed opportunities, creating an engaging yet imperfect journey into the new weird. 

[milkywayes]

there's downsides to ranking high in the hierarchy [prints]

[fridge-reviews]

Warhammer 40K Mechanicus - Blast Review

Developer: Bulwark Studio Steam Deck Compatibility?: Verified Rrp: £22.99 (Epic), £24.99 (Gog.com, Humble and Steam)

Once more we step foot into the universe of Warhammer 40,000, this time though rather than being a space marine or a hired gun we take on the role of being a member of the Mechanicus. With this game we also depart from the first person view point and instead see things from an isometric view as we command units. In this game the enemy you face against are the Necrons, for those not in the know think… technologically advanced (and I mean advanced even for the 40K universe) undead, it’s actually more complicated than that but if I were to cover that this review would be over twenty pages long.

In many ways this game plays similarly to something like X-Com, where you pick what missions you wish to go on. You won’t be able to go on all of them though as some have a time limit to them. Speaking of time limits, this game has an interesting risk and reward mechanic. You see as you explore the various ruins you raise the awareness of the Necrons to your presence. The faster you go the less of them you’ll be facing but you may also miss some rewards that taking a quick detour could have gained you.

The combat is turn based in nature which makes sense for these kinds of games, a real time battle would be very difficult to win, especially since you are usually outnumbered (and often out gunned too). Between the missions you get to customise your tech-priests making them more specialised, though doing this requires a resource called blackstone that you will attain as you play.

If you’re into Warhammer 40k this is a very good offering, it worked really well on the Steam Deck and provided some real challenge in the later stages of the game. Hell, I’d recommend it to anyone who likes a good strategy game not just those into 40K.

---- If you’d like to support me I have a Ko-fi, the reviews will continue to be posted donation or not.

[sage-gamer]

I downloaded the demo for Tiny Glade and made these little settlements!

This game is so freaking cute!

I followed the developer years ago on TikTok and remember the latest update at the time was building the paths and now look how far she's come!

I can't wait for the game's release in Q3!

[gamesline]

We don't know what in the world is going on in Sonic Frontiers, but at the very least, Rose seems to!

[rewardsgamesreview]

Elvenar Free Online Game

Elvenar is a free online game where players can build and develop their own fantasy city. Immerse yourself in an enchanting world filled with magic and mythical creatures as you expand your empire and uncover new technologies.

[hamletthedane]

my brother just called me late at night, barely able to get two words out because he was laughing so hard. Finally, through the wheezing, he told me “go google the new Gollum game. Please”

So I did. And now I just spent half an hour on the phone nearly dying. We just kept sending eachother pictures of Gollum from the game and LOSING IT all over again. I haven’t laughed this hard in YEARS.

[onlytrending]

https://www.techieness.org/post/world-of-warcraft-shadowlands-play2023