#Shooter Review

[miku-x-baki-yaoi-mpreg]

"...Sad pathetic mess. You feel pity and disgust but in a way only a being of pure grace can. In your violent mercy you terminate the worldlife" -cruelty squad third ending cutscene minor spoilers Today I've finally finished cruelty squad first of all what a good fucking game, the gunplay, the mechanics, the depth within the mechanics Top 5 game of all time nothing comes close to the art direction and the like genuine anxiety inducing,,,,,, everything about the game is anxiety inducing this game has successfully molded me into a dirty CEO millionaire and I'm proud of it if I go on any longer I will ramble for 2 more hours ill just point out the notable things and review and call it a day trauma loop is a perfect sendoff to the game best final level in any game I've played yet the writing and the dialogue are really good fuck especially the ending poems "Onion layer one. Onion layer two. Onion layer three. Onion layer n^n" his bars are so fire what???? fuck the golems 10/10 wouldn't recommend I look forward to Psycho Patrol R very excitedly Ville Kallio you have my upmost respect

[arcticgraverobber]

I just finished: My Friendly Neighbourhood!

I think many people groaned when they first saw My Friendly Neighbourhood - another kid horror game, put out for youtube channels to churn out video after video about: yet I try to be hopeful with these games - I even tried Garten of Banban (don't) - and with my love of puppets I was particularly hopeful about MFN, and it delivered on my expectations.

MFN has a child centric overlay, yes, but it doesn't have much in common with the likes of Five Night's at Freddie's or Bendy and Ink Machine at all. I'm not sure the game appeals to younger children all that much due to the lack of more overt horror elements, it seems too age appropriate: there's no gore, no dark mysteries for theory channels exploit - it wears it's themes on it's sleeve. MFN opts for a subtler creepiness, though even then the game is fairly light throughout. I think the younger audiences for these games are generally drawn to them not because of the elements taken from children's entertainment, but because they seem more adult while still wearing an approachable skin, and MFN neighbourhood wholly rejects that veneer of maturity.

As I said the game is not all that explicit, so don't expect to be going down blood soaked corridors or finding dismembered corpses - but the puppets, they never stop talking. The noise never stops. They are absolutely incessant, never stopping their monologues even when they've been taped up, talking over each other even when they are right next to each other. They only stop when they see you, delightedly greeting you and asking for hugs - which is how they kill you? I won't lie, I was confused when I first died, 'how on earth does that kill me?', but, I suppose I am supposed to being playing as an older man, so being knocked over a few times might be enough - and of course this game won't be showing a grizzly death.

The game play is a veritable love letter to Resident Evil and survival horror in general, taking elements from across the franchise: most resembling RE7 with it's first person perspective and the layout of the buildings, as well the fact that looking at your inventory doesn't pause the game when your in it, forcing you to always be vigilant - but the inventory also resembles the popular briefcase system from RE4, and they even have their own version of the Mercenaries thrown in. The puzzles are all very classic resident evil, and taping the puppets up is reminiscent of burning corpses or boarding up windows in the early games.

So: Resident evil with puppets? The only thing missing for me is some good FMV, so of course this was going to be a hit for me no matter what - but even in terms of Resident Evil clones, this is likely the best I've played so far, and probably also the most approachable. All of the elements taken are used effectively, not simply thrown in just because Resident Evil did it, and unlike many similar games including the ones it's aping, it takes every step to avoid the player becoming frustrated. It's map, similar to the those in the more recent Resident Evil entries, highlights which rooms still have things left to do in them, and when the game asks you to backtrack to gather things it actually marks them on the map for you! I had an actual gasp when I saw that, with how out of character it is for this genre as a whole.

Whilst earlier I said My Friendly Neighbourhood wears it's themes on it's sleeve, that's not to say it's shallow, I can certainly find a lot of meaning in it, although many may consider it to be reading a little to deeply. The show is of course focused around a 'sesame street' type show, and focuses a lot on where this kind of art finds it's place - whether it may even be considered art. Whether art can be good and wholly kind, without being vapid and meaningless. This is contrasted in the background by a nonspecific 'war' which seem to be blamed by some of the puppets for why the show got cancelled, with the idea that before this war everyone was kinder and less cynical, and because of it they are no longer receptive to the messages of the show. I think this could be easily read as a some sort of prelapsarian fantasy, but I think that'd be unfair. The game does present the neighbour's wholly kind view in a positive light, largely, though not without pointing out criticisms of that out look. One of the notes in the game - which I will point out I was always worth reading, unlike with certain other games - details the issues with teaching a child to always be selfless, helping others with anything. This easily allows a child to be exploited, and encourages them to not care about themselves at all.

As well, being 'wholesome' is often a shield hidden behind by people wanting to spread their propaganda without critique. Is it even possible for art, created by a human with flaws and emotions, to be completely 'wholesome'. I would say not - My Friendly Neighbourhood serves to make that point, though putting out a positive front there are always darker things lying in the background, and the lessons of friendship the game imparts would be meaningless without them. Throughout the game you'll have opportunities for your character to console some of the puppet characters, often through sharing similar stories of hardships. Only through misery are these characters brought together, and without it such scenes would feel hollow.

At the same time, the veneer of darkness is often used to make media seem more adult and serious, similar to many of what might be called it's ilk in the 'kid horror' genre. Sort of parodying this, near the end it's explained that the reason that the puppets are so odd and aggressive is because they exposed themselves to other media, wanting to become more like other TV shows that were more successful than them. The most affected of these puppets reisde in the aptly named 'unfriendly neighbourhood', and look more like what you would expect monsters in your standard kid horror game to look like - all dark and edgy.

I think perhaps I may have said a little too much about a game that is primarily a silly game where you shoot puppets - but at the same time I think it's silly to dismiss a game - or any art - like that just because it parts of it are less serious. And while that is the main message I got from playing My Friendly Neighbourhood - don't let it stop you from playing it if you just want a fun silly time with puppets, that's there for you too.

Significance: 2/3

Grade: A

[hardcore-gaming-101]

Expert

This article is part of our Japanese Obscurities feature. We put out a whole book about them, which is available as both a full color hardcover and a Kindle ebook from Amazon! If you’d like to see more of these features, please check out the book and if you enjoyed it, leave a five star review so we can do a follow up with even more interesting, offbeat, or historically important Japanese games!

Although the 90s saw plenty of Japanese developed first-person shooters, only a few of them reached the PlayStation. Among these was Expert, a Wolfenstein 3D-like shooter where you play as a member of EXPERT, a SWAT team that must ascend and clear out a government building occupied by terrorists.

Read more...

[an-aussie-button-masher]

The Multiverse's Mightiest Heroes - A Quick Review of the Marvel Rivals Closed Beta Test

   Doom strikes! Across an entangled timestream converging around a duo of battling Doctor Dooms, various iconic (and some obscure) heroes and villains from across the Marvel multiverse are thrown into battle in NetEase’s Marvel Rivals! An upcoming hero shooter in the same vein as Overwatch or Apex Legends, Rivals hosted a closed beta test earlier this year that I was lucky enough to participate in. For two weeks, testers got to play as 23 different Marvel characters battling in the halls of Asgard or the neon streets of Tokyo 2099 in a surprisingly polished beta with only a small handful of standout issues. Testers could play as tanky Vanguards like Thor or Magneto, powerful Duelists like Iron Man and Spider-Man, or helpful Strategists like Rocket Raccoon and Luna Snow. I’ll share my thoughts on the closed beta here before the full game releases on December 6th 2024 - enjoy!

   The majority of the cast has highly satisfying gameplay; bringing the thunder as Thor or zipping around as Spider-Man feels just as cool to play as it seems in the comics and films. Many characters should also feel very familiar to players of other hero shooters - for example, Storm’s controllable weather aura will remind Overwatch players of Lúcio’s switchable music - and I had no trouble quickly picking up how to play as, alongside, or against each hero despite the sheer number of them. Quick kill times means it’s easier to feel like you’re providing more impact per match even if it means more personal deaths - if all your scoreboard numbers are high, you can’t be doing too poorly right? The regenerating destructible environments also really set Rivals apart from the rest of the genre and keep things interesting. Someone hiding from you in a building? Just get rid of the building!   Of course, it was a beta test, so some issues are inevitable. I’m expecting most of these to be resolved by launch - but one can only hope. The lack of map variety was one particular problem; with only three game modes across four maps in total, it started to feel rather repetitive once I’d escorted Spider-Zero through Tokyo 2099 nine matches in a row. I’m also begging the developers to add proper Australia/Oceania servers - I, and plenty others, had to endure skyrocketing latency all beta long, getting repeatedly trapped in the loading screen for half the duration of many matches! I tended to be quite late to those first decisive team fights after staring at that 99% loading bar for several minutes.    Gameplay aside, this game’s artstyle is amazing. The characters all look incredibly striking and distinct, instantly recognisable yet with a unique twist on each one. Definitely my favourite look for Scarlet Witch in any of her adaptations. The voice acting is also top-notch, with an absolutely stacked cast; Troy Baker, Nolan North, Nika Futterman, Liam O’Brien, James Arnold Taylor, Yuri Lowenthal, and so so many more familiar talents. Finally, my personal highlight - lore! A hero shooter with actual in-game storytelling! Imagine that. Each hero includes a snippet of excellent writing found in their gallery that is just as compelling as the gameplay itself, showcasing various different story threads all slowly weaving together around the core conflict between two alternate versions of Doctor Doom. I’m just as excited to see how all their stories unfold as I am to play the game again when it releases on December 6th 2024.   I hope you enjoyed this quick review of the Marvel Rivals Closed Beta Test! Feedback, reblogs and likes are all much appreciated!

   Thanks for reading!

An Aussie Button-Masher

[3liza]

it stinks

[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.

[lilaclunablossom]

Metroid Prime Review

I played Metroid Prime. It was incredible.

Retro Studios perfectly translated Metroid game design into 3D, with a satisfyingly complex non-linear map, and puzzles that feel more alien than any Metroid I’ve played so far.

The environment design and atmosphere are some of the best I’ve ever seen. Every single region and room on Tallon IV is gorgeous and fun to explore, and collecting upgrades is just as satisfying as the 2D games. The graphics are amazing, with awesome lighting, and cool details like seeing rain droplets on Samus’ visor, or even her own reflection.

I got used to pressing R to aim decently quick, and after a while it became second nature. Plus with the lock-on it’s really not a problem. The sidestep dodge is fun, too, and the bosses are very challenging but rewarding.

The story is also wonderfully fantastical, with some really cool sci-fi ideas, and some very disturbing content for a first-party Nintendo game. I love how you collect pieces of the backstory through documents, like a traditional horror game.

Kenji Yamamoto and Kouichi Kyuma’s music is mind-blowing. It’s officially dethroned Super as my favorite soundtrack in the franchise I’ve heard so far. The synths are sweeping and beautiful, the grooves are badass, the melodies are fantastic. It’s perfect. In fact, this entire game is perfect. A total masterpiece. I can’t stop gushing about it enough. I’m almost completely sure it’s my new favorite Metroid.

5/5

[analogplaysgamessometimes]

Hey, y'all! I've been getting sidetracked a lot lately and haven't had much motivation to write, so my next full review is taking longer than I would have liked. This is also my first official post on Tumblr. Yaaaaay! In the meantime, I wanna shout out some completely free experiences I've played that I very much recommend! Some of which can be played in browser and take as little as five minutes to complete.

Discover My Body (2020)

Developed by Yames

A short, atmospheric body horror experience that sees you take on the role of a medical student supervising a Flowering. Available on itch.io

carcass (2024)

Developed by Tooth and Claw

A short psychological horror game involving themes of abuse, drug use, and body horror. You are the assistant to the Witch, working to expand your mind in order to create a more perfect form. Available on itch.io

novena (2018)

Developed by cicile richard

Less of a traditional game and more of a visualizer for a poem about the Ocean granting your wish. A beautiful experience. Available on itch.io

Operation: Harsh Doorstop (2023)

Developed by Drakeling Labs

An early access tactical shooter with a massive weapons sandbox and decent modding community. A military history nerd's wet dream. Extremely excited to see what this team puts out next, as apparently a huge update is close at hand! Available on Steam.

[street-corner-felines]

Zero Day Director commentary - With actor Andre Keuck

[notsogoodphotographer]

one of the greatest but also most underrated point and shoot cameras

back in 2012 Zony(yes ZONY) dropped possibly one of the greatest little cameras ever to be released. it’s almost unheard of to have a Full Frame point and shoot that sports a 35mm f2. That’s no ordinary 35mm f2 either, that is a Zeiss Sonnar glued to this tiny little camera.

Pros: Small, Quiet, Autofocus, Digital, Zeiss Sonnar 35mm f2, 24mp sensor w/ 14+ stops of Dynamic Range, Macro mode.

Cons: slow autofocus, expensive, electronic connections sometime struggle to talk when turning on resulting in E:61: error code. (there are work arounds) The mk1 doesn’t have a viewfinder so you have to buy one separately.

the copy i got came with the external view finder.

after shooting with the camera i have no issues pushing the cons right under the rug because the images that you are capable of capturing with it are beautiful! i treat this camera as if it was a point and shoot film camera, so the slow Autofocus doesn’t bug me too much. its an almost perfect documentary camera.

Sony released 3 versions of this camera:

Rx1 (2012): 24mp with 14+ stops of dynamic range

Rx1r (2013): Same sensor, as the original it just doesn’t have the Anti- Aliasing filter. removing that filter adds sharpness and resolution.

Rx1rmk2 (2015) (a mouthful): adds a 42mp sensor, updated Af, and a built in view finder. pretty much a Sony A7R2 in the body of a point and shoot camera.

[destroyerarcher]

Alien Hominid Invasion - A crashing dissappointment

Alien Hominid Invasion has finally released! Unfortunately, despite multiple years passing, it does not feel like the full game offers significantly more than the demos released across multiple periods of time. Note that this is an entirely new game from the original 2004 Alien Hominid and plays significantly differently from it, so if you are looking for a straight up sequel of Alien Hominid, it will disappoint.

One of the best parts about Alien Hominid Invasion is the core combat. Firing a gun in Alien Hominid Invasion feels great. Each weapon has distinct differences from other weapons in the game, which makes them the main source of gameplay variety. While some weapons feel sufficiently balanced, other weapons do not feel like they have enough punch without the right build, most notably the Megashot. It took me multiple seconds to kill a basic agent with that weapon, while with most other weapons it takes me about 1 second for a single basic agent. Even after stacking fire rate, megashot still feels like it isn’t particularly great. Invasion does feel like a 2d platformer looter shooter through and through, with how much loot you are thrown and the incorporation of light stat customization through stats such as life steal, regen on dodge, crit per hit, and more. The main problem with the loot is that there is often times no clear explanation of how significant the stats are, as even in the guidebook, regen is never specified on how significant it is, life steal feels like it heals way more than 1.4% of my total damage output, and there is no indicator on what your weapon’s base damage or fire rate is, among other omissions. That being said, when a build works well, it truly gives that sense of satisfaction of seeing it help you through a level when paired with the right strategy. This is enhanced by the mobility of the game, as it can make you feel a sense of speed at times.

Performance wise, the game runs flawlessly, and takes hardly any space. I also hardly experienced any bugs in my playthrough, although I experienced one bug, where there was a van stuck in the ground that caused me to get stuck and die. Mouse and Keyboard controls work smoothly for me, and do not feel clunky, but may require rebinding for a comfortable setup, as I rebound my keys. During the launch window though, there have been occasional problems with the servers not letting online co-op function, or leaderboards not displaying.

The procedural permadeath elements don’t feel like they add enough variety to the game for what they detract from. Nearly every level besides the train level feels and looks the same, and I personally did not feel like the random modifiers really made the game interesting in a good way. Being unable to challenge a boss or try a specific objective or map without going through other tiles felt extremely tedious when trying to either test a build or complete the insane mode achievement. There is also currently no way to fight the final boss after completing the story without creating a new save or joining another player, which hurts the replay value of the randomized elements of the game in the postgame. There is also a lack of extra modifiers or anything that adds extra replay value after beating the story, further compounding the problems with replayability.

One of the biggest complaints I have about the game is the sheer amount of projectile spam that clutters the screen. This is what would have easily turned me away from the game if I did not enjoy the feeling of shooting a gun and moving around. The problem gets even worse in co-op, as the camera is not centered on the player character, and players cannot move horizontally infinitely, so if a player is on the other edge of the screen, will effectively stop progress of a mission until said player starts moving the opposite direction. The health bar is not fixed to the player or fixed in a set place on the screen by default, so I found tracking my stats difficult, and would often end up seeing my health drop because I got lost in co-op. While there is an option to have static health bars, it is buried in option menus and as a result, can easily go unnoticed by players. Compounding this problem is that there is nothing that stops two players in co-op from sharing the same color, and hats lack a transmog feature that lets players run the visuals they want without losing out on the stats for a build they like. I think if the hat was separated into the cosmetic that unlocks permanently for a save, and a new type of boost containing the hat’s current stats, it would be better for both guidebook completion and letting players select the visuals they prefer.

Another weird design choice is that countdown timers do not reset to the full amount after canceling them. It keeps how much time has already ticked down previously and I have started a level without wanting to do that specific tile, as the countdown by the time I reselected it was instant. Jumping into a new run after failing a previous run also takes a fair bit of time and gets tedious. It takes me 53 seconds to go from the fail screen to being able to properly enter a new run after being beamed down by the mothership, which adds up, really quickly, if you are failing runs very early. Achievement wise, this is not a very complicated 100%. The hardest part is doing all bosses on insane, so I recommend fighting the final boss on insane, otherwise rematching it will require replaying the game. I would also stay as long as possible whenever you see a land van, as those are rare and necessary for an achievement. Note that on co-op, if a player is not looking for the insane in the eyestrain achievement or already has it, they can play on a different difficulty while another player plays on insane, letting the player looking for the insane achievement earn progress upon killing bosses.

The main thing that I think causes the game to look repetitive very fast is not only the overabundance of green, purple, and grey, but the lack of contrast as well. For comparison, a screenshot from the Urban area of Alien Hominid HD, and a level from Alien Hominid Invasion, shows Alien Hominid HD having much sharper contrast, and Invasion being very diluted in terms of contrast between the same color. While there are two bosses that use colors that are not those colors, they are the exception and far from the standard. Overall, unless you are a fan of the Behemoth, I would wait for a sale.

[imperotenebre]

Ratchet & Clank Armi di Distruzione PS3 gameplay - L'evoluzione

Un nuovo inizio per la saga su PS3

[arcticgraverobber]

I just finished: Resident Evil 4 Remake - Separate Ways DLC!

The original Separate Ways DLC didn't seem like much more than a throwaway excuse to add more content - the answer to what Ada was doing all that time during the main game being: exactly what you expected her to be doing. I'm happy to say the remake is anything but, and likely surpasses the remake in my mind.

The voice actor change was something that I largely didn't notice in the main game - the controversy is not something I particularly want to talk about but from what I have seen it does make seem to make sense to change to a more appropriate actor, even though that may not be the actual reasoning behind Capcom's decision. Playing the DLC I went back and forth on how I felt about the new VA, initially thinking that I just hadn't noticed how bad she was in the main game because Ada has fairly little screen time. However, while I would've preferred someone more in line with the previous pefromances, allowing consistency within the 'remake verse' as it were, as I played more of Separate Ways I softened up on the potrayal - I think some of the more throwaway lines may have been a little flatter, but that can possibly be put down to this being a DLC and thus having tighter time constraints. Contrasting the lines that are repeated from the main game she sounds a lot better, and some of the performances later in the game are particularly memorable - in fact, overall this game has made me much more interested in Ada Wong as a character.

This is also the first time Albert Wesker has been shown in any meaningful way, and whilst I enjoyed him well enough (though disappointed it's not DC Douglas) I feel like this may not be the best way to introduce him to players only familiar with the post 7 games. I do think it's important that these games stand on their own - and I really don't think this is enough of an introduction to go in to 5, as the end of the game seems to imply. My hope is that they at least put out a remake of the original, if not Code Veronica as well.

The DLC also introduces new abilities for Ada, unlike the original, where the main difference in game play was simply that you had slightly different weapons than Leon. Ada now can use here grappling hook both to move quickly to certain predetermined locations, and also to perform melee attacks on enemies from further away. While the change is fairly minimal, paired with new attack animations it's enough to make you feel more agile and fluid, suiting Ada's character.

Ada seems to have had quite a change in this - previously always the enigma, Separate Ways gives us just a little more of an insight into her background, and develops her as a character more than any of her other appearances. While a mysterious figure can be compelling for a while, it loses it's charm when it becomes clear that there are in fact no hidden answers to be found in the first place. Simple things, like Ada remarking that she thought she was 'done smelling burnt bodies' or her disobeying of Wesker's orders are enough to develop her beyond simply being a mysterious femme fatale.

This is certainly a good step if they are planning on also producing a remake of 6 after 5, though I still really hope they don't go straight to that. Separate Ways however, stands on it's own well, and again, maybe even surpasses the main game in my estimations.

Significance: 1/3

Grade: A

[hardcore-gaming-101]

Painkiller

The 2000s and early 2010s were a weird time for the classic FPS. With military shooters starting to take over with the boom of WWII games that would eventually become the modern military FPS, alongside the regenerating health and limited load outs of Halo, the torch for the classic run and gun monster massacre was limited to just two franchises, before later attempts started to compromise with ideas from the aforementioned Halo and Call of Duty. The most famous of the two was definitely Serious Sam, which has entered a sort of creative renaissance with the boomer shooter revival. The other series, however, might have an even bigger footprint of impact, one most people may not even be aware of. That series was Painkiller, starting with a 2004 PC game by People Can Fly. You may remember the studio more as the co-developers of Gears of War, Bulletstorm, and a little cult title you may not have heard of called Fortnite. Painkiller was their start, and the beginning of a massive domino effect that would shape the landscape of the FPS genre for decades to come. This is due mainly to former studio staff leaving to form their own studios, creating a surge of games that bare the DNA of this one game. This even includes project lead Adrian Chmielarz, who went on to create The Astronauts, the studio behind The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, and share hot takes. If you’ve played, say, the Shadow Warrior reboot series from Flying Wild Hog, congrats, you have experienced work of Painkiller devs, and there’s so many other examples.

Read more...

[stinkrascal]

the worst take i have ever seen is when someone on here said that basically anything horror related is just goreporn and theres no reason for things like that to be in art and, worst of all, people are bad if they enjoy things like that. like idk how else to tell you this, but disregarding an entire genre of storytelling just bc you think its icky is the antithesis of art imo. im sorry not every story follows a disney formula so its easier for you to grasp the main point:( must be rough

[fridge-reviews]

Deathloop

Developer: Arkane Studios Publisher: Bethesda Softworks Steam Deck Compatibility?: Verified Rrp: £49.99 (Humble, Steam and Epic) Released: 14th September 2021 Available on: Humble, Steam and Epic Played Using: Mouse and Keyboard and Steam Deck Approximate game length: 20+ Hours

With a gasp you wake up on the beach again. What was it this time? A sniper, gotta stay in cover next time. With a gasp you wake up on the beach again. What was it this time? Machete, got me from behind while I was shooting her friends. With a gasp you wake up on the beach again. What was it this time? Damn, cooked the grenade too long. With a gasp you wake up on the beach again. And again. And again. And again. Eventually, you’ll get it right. With each loop a clue and another step closer.

Deathloop is a FPS from the developers of the Dishonored series Arkane Studios (yes, they also made Redfall but that’s a whole saga unto itself). The game is set on the small Isle of Blackreef, where a strange group of people have somehow set up a time loop that resets itself at the end of each day. For most people, when the day loops they forget everything that happened. You play as Colt a man who for some reason retains his memories between the loops and has decided he’s had enough, it’s time the loop was destroyed.

The problem is, destroying the loop is not as simple as smashing a machine, you have to kill a specific group of people who call themselves Visionaries. Complicating this is the fact that they all have to die within the same loop, which is harder than it sounds because they’re all scattered around the isle. A second problem is Julianna, a skilled assassin who also retains her memories from loop to loop and wants to protect the loop.

In order to kill those Visionaries you’re going to need the one thing that can never be taken from you. Information. With each loop you learn something new, maybe even several things, such as where people are going to be and when. Perhaps that will allow you to lay out a trap, or at least find a time when they are at their most vulnerable. Of course, even if you fail and only kill one Visionary in a loop that’s still no bad thing. The Visionaries carry special items called ‘slabs’ which grant you an ability such as being able to go invisible or teleport short distances. The more of these abilities you can gain the easier the whole affair will be.

Of course, the Visionaries aren’t the only ones on this isle with something worth taking. You see the various enemies on the isle all carry weapons and sometimes items called ‘trinkets’. All trinkets fall into one of two types; personal or weapon. Weapon trinkets can be applied to a weapon and will have a passive effect such as increasing the damage or reducing recoil.  Personal trinkets work similarly to weapon trinkets but instead will give a passive benefit to your character or in some cases grant an ability such as double jump. Both weapons and trinkets come in one of four rarities, crude (black), sleek (blue), exemplar (purple) and unique (orange). In the case of weapons the higher the level of rarity the more weapon trinkets can be applied to it, and with trinkets the higher its level the more potent it is.

A loop lasts from morning til night, then you wake up on the beach again and all your equipment is reset and all enemies respawn (yes, even the Visionaries). The game splits the ever looping day into four parts; morning, noon, afternoon and evening. Each of the districts have different opportunities that arise at different times of day, meaning that you will likely spend multiple loops exploring a single district to work out how to do your perfect final run. There are only two ways to progress time which is either travelling between the districts or choosing to wait in the district select screen. Yes, this does mean that you could spend twelve hours exploring a district and when you leave it will still be ‘morning’.

As you might have noticed I mentioned that once a loop restarts everything is reset, so you might wonder what the point in gathering weapons and items would be since they all get reset back to zero at the start of each loop. There is an answer and the answer is ‘Residuum’. Residuum is a resource that can be spent to allow you to carry specific weapons, trinkets and slabs between loops. You can find residuum while exploring the districts but your main source will be through sacrificing weapons and trinkets you don’t need. Of course, you don’t have this power right away, nope. You need to find and complete a specific quest to gain it. I recommend prioritising that quest over anything else in the game, because without it the game is near impossible to beat.

While exploring the island you’ll get ‘invaded’ (to use Dark Souls terminology) by Julianna, or rather, a player controlling her. This player will lock down your tunnels for escape and hunt you relentlessly. If you do manage to kill them then you can get some residuim, a weapon, trinkets and sometimes a slab (or slab upgrade). You can’t avoid being invaded by changing the setting to single player or friends only because the game will instead invade you with an AI controlled version.

Verticality is the word that comes to mind when I think of this games level design. The developers clearly wanted to give the players as many options on how to approach a scenario. Do you go in guns blazing? Maybe sneaking through the vents or over the rooftops? Perhaps a mix of the two. The fact that the districts change depending on what time of day you enter them is great too, some windows are now closed, others open, perhaps a passage has appeared that wasn’t there before. So many options.

I love this game, it really scratches an itch that Dishonored left behind. One of the many things I love about it is that it’s really just one big puzzle. Admittedly, a very violent puzzle but still a puzzle.

If this appeals to you perhaps try;

The Dishonored Series The Sexy Brutal Thief 2: The Metal Age

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