Features – Page 20

Figment Preview – A Charming Musical-Adventure Guided By Nightmares

September 1, 2017September 9, 2017 by Chris Wheatley, posted in Previews

Figment is an inspiring adventure title taking players into the depths of the mind. The developers, Bedtime Digital Games, crafted a story inside of the surreal world of the mind, filled to the brim with witty and often adult humour, a rich, authentic story and gorgeous hand-drawn graphics set to an awe-inspiring musical score too charming not to dive headfirst into. After a couple of hours with the preview of the upcoming indie musical game, Figment is shaping up to be a mechanically sound adventure-platformer with its own bold musical setting and unique spin on the genre.

Playing as the dry and carefree protagonist – Dusty – you’ll traverse the mysterious realm of a troubled mind, all the while bickering with your winged side-kick, Piper. Exploring the environments and worlds that seem to be ripped straight out of a un-released Pixar film, Figment places musically delightful bosses throughout the game, taunting Dusty as you progress through the levels. Catchy and mischievously villainous songs ring about as you dodge and slash your way to defeat the devilish representations and embodiment of nightmares.

*Dusty and Piper gearing up for their adventure.*

Figment’s graphics are presented in beautiful isometric style camera angle, with a unique hand-drawn art style and some of the most surreal locations I’ve seen to date. With charming puzzles and mechanisms to solve as you venture further into the depths, the gripping and intriguing narration lies atop the gameplay in Figment, comfortably polished and fluid.

The combat takes a page from a number of hack-n-slash titles. Smooth and slower-paced than most of the hit arcade games that are released today, Figment shows the player the importance of patience and strategy when dealing with nightmarish enemies. Boss enemies were each unique and performed song-and-dance numbers during the fight which always left a catchy tune with me while playing. Requiring specific strategy to persevere, each enemy found throughout my playtime – though there were few – proved different and casually challenging in their own distinct way.

figment2 — *Many puzzles are scattered throughout Figment like turning windmills to clear poisonous fog.*

But the combat is not the main focus of Figment, as there are many puzzles and riddles to solve that are scattered throughout the levels – many of which are centred around musical themes, such as pressing correct keys on an organ or finding and placing valve buttons on a trumpet to unlock further areas. Other various puzzles include tasks like unlocking pathways by swapping and placing items, finding synapse batteries to operate specific objects in each level, discovering hidden memories and of course, fending off nightmarish evils along the way.

*Shifting gears, turning valve wheels and flicking switches all have unique outcomes.*

Figment is gearing up to be a puzzling title brimming with dreadful enemies, surreal and imaginative levels, intricate puzzles shaping the world around you, an all-too captivating musical score while backed with clever and humorously dry dialogue. The themes in Figment showcase a troubled and disturbed mind but not without adding a much more bearable approach than what it suggests. Taking the player through nightmares we all face and replicating them in obscure and fiendish worlds, one way or another Figment is looking to shine a light on the dreadful topics and trauma of a distressed mind.

We can expect to see Figment this September coming to PC, Mac, Xbox One, PS4 and also recently announced, the Switch.

Piczle Lines DX Review (Nintendo Switch)

August 31, 2017 by Stephen Carter, posted in Reviews

Without the practice of science, man would never have made it out of his beloved cave. We would still be bashing each other with clubs and starting fires (that’s how I imagine the cavemen behaved anyway).

But if there’s one thing for certain, it is that the world would be a much safer, and boring one, without mad scientists. You could say that all scientists were a little mad, but it’s the ones that conduct their experiments willy-nilly with little regard for their or others’ safety that categorise them as truly mad.

With that in mind, this is the reason why we find ourselves here; science has created a rather charming and unique puzzle title. At least, that is the story behind Piczle Lines DX, after a scientist creates a camera which pixelates items which it takes images of. The result? His world is pixelated and needs restoring by joining the pixels back up to make an image of his lost items before they are transformed back again.

A quick tutorial lays out the land for how the game works; each square has a colour and a number. Each referring to how many squares away its counterpart is of the same colour. Once matched together, the pixels make a complete picture which then restores the item back to the real world.

Of course, the early stages take place on a much smaller grid to get you familiar with the formula. Even then, some of the earlier stages can catch you unaware, making you backtrack and question your matches. I found that the best technique to employ is to try and find the easier pairings, such as the 2’s and 3’s, and also the outer edges. This way you can be certain these don’t need amending later on.

Piczle Lines makes use of the Switch’s dual functionality by allowing you to play in two different ways. Whilst docked, you can play with the Joy-Cons to navigate and select your pixel to manipulate. However whilst in tablet mode you can also play using the touchscreen which I found to be the most appealing and easiest method.

The game screams to me as a mobile game that is best suited to the Switch’s portable function and is great to play on the go or if you have a spare 10-15 minutes that needs filling. There are 100 levels in story mode to complete, with a further 200+ in puzzle mode to keep you going. Periodic updates will supply you with new levels free of charge should you exhaust the existing catalogue.

It’s a saving grace really that there are more levels to come as at £13.99 it seems a little steep to me. It’s fantastic to see that new games are coming to the Switch, tapping into its potential mobile market, but I feel that this may just be out of most people’s price range. If you fancy something new, however, and want to support what could be a flourishing indie scene on Switch, then Piczle Lines DX does come recommended.

Age of Fear 3: The Legend Review (PC)

August 30, 2017August 30, 2017 by Alisa Hail, posted in Reviews

Age of Fear 3: The Legend harkens back to 90s era turn-based strategy games with the added benefit of more modern AI. Though combat is really the main focus of the game, adventurers can choose from two narratives: a dryad sorceress or the drunken adventures of a dwarf lord. As a fan of both Tolkien and the occasional good ale, I chose the path of the dwarves, one of whom is even named Gimli in an apparent reference to a dwarf of the same name from The Lord of the Rings. The developers clearly designed Age of Fear 3 as a sort of tongue-in-cheek homage to the high fantasy genre itself. This approach might be a little hit and miss for most players, but the combat and other RPG elements provide enough strategic essentials to make it a decent challenge for casual players, and the AI along with other RPG elements adds enough depth to draw some interest for more advanced strategy fans seeking something fun without a huge time investment.

Each tale plays out largely through pages of text that appears between battles, followed by some dialogue between characters displayed using the tried and true dialogue boxes of yore. There is also some in-battle dialogue using the same boxes. The setup perfectly fits the retro style of the game. Unfortunately, the writing too often falls as flat as the dialogue boxes. The characters and story felt rather generic and often not very compelling. The tone was also inconsistent, with words like “noob” and a rather unanticipated reference to Twilight sprinkled in with uses of the word “ye” and other old-sounding English terms. Obviously, the attitude is meant to be light and a mixing of tones is fine for comedic effect, but given the general weakness of the storytelling, it only made me feel like very little time was placed on the narrative. I too often just wanted to move on to the next battle, and the story sort of felt like it was only there to give me some sense of progress rather than a memorable adventure.

Of course, the combat system is the real focus of Age of Fear 3. The game boasts clever AI and a movement system that allows units to manoeuvre within a parameter rather than in squared off sections or set directions. Indeed, the AI proved clever enough to target my weaker characters, even moving past stronger ones to get to them. It would mob my more robust characters, move away when it could sense I was setting up for a major attack, and even target my spellcasters or units with ranged weapons to get them out of the way first. I was constantly forced to think ahead and be very aware of where all of my units stood at any given time.

Since each unit can only take one action per turn, even moving was a major decision. I could, for instance, move my spellcaster to get him out of the way of an enemy unit poised to attack or use him to cast a spell that would help simultaneously take out multiple enemy units currently surrounding my weaker guys – but I can’t do both. Since my spellcaster had low health, this was a dire decision. In the beginning, the only way out was to try again, and this time be more careful about how I arranged my units on the battlefield, making sure to protract my weaker units and better anticipate my enemies’ movements. The ability to move a unit in any direction within a certain range is great, but I would also sometimes arrange units in a pattern that would end up blocking another unit’s movement in a way I did not anticipate. Turn-by-turn movement is a little frustrating. It seems obvious why it eventually fell out of style. However, it also adds to the overall difficulty, making the battlefield more like a game of chess than simply a challenge of might.

As your units fight their way toward victory, they will collect gold that you can use to purchase items or hire new units, as well as collecting experience points that can be used to upgrade your characters. For example, I could use my XP to give one unit more health or give my spellcaster the ability to use a turn to restore some of their magic. I can use my gold to buy new weapons, purchase potions to heal or alleviate poison, and even obtain rings that up my abilities or help protect me from harm. Anyone familiar with older RPGs such as Final Fantasy will be familiar with this type of system. Since units, aside from your two main characters, can permanently die, it also means keeping them alive and being able to use a character long-term requires mastering or at least becoming very familiar with this system.

Age of Fear 3: The Legend is clearly a work of love for a genre that had its heyday in a bygone era of gaming. However, modern strategy-based RPGs are still alive and well, if not necessarily making up much of the AAA market. For fans of the genre, Age of Fear 3 might not quite stand out among the crowd. It is, however, a pretty good trip down the road of nostalgia for those who miss the turn-based era and are looking for a new trip down memory lane. Tabletop strategy fans might enjoy the experience as well. The story might not stick with you, but the battles are fun and engaging enough to keep you on your toes. The upgrades and items systems add enough extra depth to make up (sort of) for what the story lacks. And, if nothing else, just grab a good ole glass of dwarfish ale, kick back, and see where the road takes you.

Sonic Mania Review – A Familiar Rush of 16-Bit Nostalgia (PS4)

August 29, 2017April 19, 2018 by Chris Wheatley, posted in Reviews

The Sonic franchise has grown tiresome and abundantly stale over nearly two decades now, but the series continues to churn its legs, desperate for a break. The latest release from the famed Blue Blur, Sonic Mania, gives longtime fans the title they’ve been waiting for since the 16-bit days. No more clunky and confusing 3D adventure games, and out with the sub-par graphically enhanced, mechanically flawed 2D attempts at revamping the classic feel. Sonic Mania is here, and it delivers.

The Sonic community shouted valiantly for a rebirth of the tight and responsive 16-bit blue hedgehog, and – though it took awhile – the Sonic the Hedgehog developers finally responded. Using the ingredients that made Sonic the icon he was in the 90s, Sonic porting professional – Christian Whitehead – and developers Headcannon and PagodaWest Games delivered a 2D, side-scrolling title so spot on with the originals, one could easily mistake the new release for a 16-bit Genesis remake.

Speeding through new level designs, obstacles and a variety of branching pathways, Sonic Mania also delivers a few classic levels from the early years of Sonic the Hedgehog. With familiar platforming areas and enemies, these re-visited classics are now extended with tons of new areas to explore, where most new enhancements come when running through the second acts of levels. Completely revamped and re-imagined, new level designs introduce exciting platforming mechanics, surprising new areas, dangerous enemies and tough bosses – all with their own tactical advantages, and disadvantages.

Special stages make a roaring comeback, starting with the return of the iconic 3D sphere trotting stages from Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles, which reward you bronze, silver and gold tokens redeemable for secret unlockables. Introducing a new method of retrieving the precious Chaos Emeralds in the new “Big Ring” stages, players will have to put their skills and reflexes to the test in these new racing-style challenges.

Scattered in hidden areas across all levels, the coveted Big Ring teleports the player to new areas where they’ll be faced with chasing down an alien UFO that’s holding one of seven powerful Chaos Emeralds. Racing around what essentially resembles a small go-kart course, there are obstacles to dodge, rings to collect and more blue spheres to gather as you close in on the alien UFO. With a decreasing timer made up by your ring count, your speed set to a permanent Mach setting based upon your sphere total, and cliffsides, spike balls and shortcuts to keep the player acting quickly and precisely, these new additions keep the challenge of collecting all seven Chaos Emeralds exciting and new.

Making your way through the nostalgic feel of the old Sonic games, you’ll be able to play as the 3 most recognizable characters – Sonic, Tails (or Sonic and Tails paired together) and Knuckles. Every level contains numerous pathways, loopy-loops, floating platforms, climbable walls, all of the familiar item boxes including the useful standard, fire and lightning shields and tons of hidden areas – in which some are only obtainable by certain characters. Using Knuckles‘ popular glide technique and rock climbing skill, Tails‘ flying technique and Sonic’s famous speed and essential skills, players are sure to find tons of secrets like special items, 1-ups and Big Ring stages.

Past Blast: Red Faction Armageddon

August 28, 2017August 29, 2017 by Stephen Carter, posted in Past Blasts

This week I have decided to take a look back in anger at a game that split many gamers 50/50; Red Faction Armageddon.

But first, some admissions on my part; I have played this game before. Put bluntly, I disliked it. I never finished it and didn’t think twice before I got rid of it. Why then did I find myself picking this up on the cheap when the opportunity came along? Was it guilt? Curiosity maybe? No, it’s neither of these.

For the third time in my life, I’ll admit that I was wrong. Yes, that is a man admitting he was wrong. As much as it pains me to type these words, I think I may have drawn a conclusion too quickly about Red Faction. Having had the displeasure of playing some really poor titles this past year it has brought some perspective into my life.

I now find myself playing this again and I must say I’m enjoying it much more than I did before. Now I’m not going to start blowing the sunshine up its rear end, but there are things that the game must be commended for.

By the same token, there are things that the game does badly. Very badly at times, but there’s nothing that will kill the game entirely.

For anyone who doesn’t know, Armageddon was released on the back of huge success after Guerilla proved to be a bigger hit than expected. Offering an open world setting with un-rivalled destruction, the game won over the hearts of sandbox gamers. Sadly, this is where Armageddon falls down as it turns its back on the open world and shoves gamers deep underground.

Despite this though, there are still enjoyable destruction sections whereby buildings must be felled in order to progress and if you enjoyed it so much, you can even rebuild the bugger and bring it down all over again.

The story behind Armageddon is that you, Mason, have brought havoc on Mars by uncovering an ancient alien race which is intent on destroying all human life on the Red planet. Obviously, you want to make amends for this so you travel underground in order to bring back peace to the population despite them turning against you one-by-one.

From this perspective, the game sounds fine and dandy but sadly it’s not all plain sailing. One thing that the game does poorly is its script. The dialogue within the title is simply appalling at times. It is on two accounts; firstly it is so cheesy that it seems like it has been pulled out of an 80’s movie. Secondly, the local AI that travels with you makes remarks out loud which make you want to hit it at times or turn it off.

If you dare stray off the path you have to go down for more than ten seconds, it will shout at you to get back on track. It will do so repeatedly until you eventually oblige, which could be up to five minutes depending on how much exploration you like to do.

I say exploration in the loosest form possible though. This is a corridor-shooter, as opposed to offering you an open world to traverse. This would not be such a bad thing were the game well-known for this but it isn’t. The last title was an open world adventure that was at least a little dynamic compared to this ‘go there, do this right now in this manner’ affair we have here.

The game also seems to go through phases of being far too easy compared with sections of becoming suddenly harder as hundreds of enemy’s surround you whilst your bullets don’t seem to do much more than tickle them until they die of laughter.

After all that you’re probably thinking that it won’t be the game for you but hear me out. Red Faction Armageddon will get you through a “dry spell” so to speak. It will be faithful to you, just don’t expect blockbuster action or scripting as it falls short of the mark on this front.

Game Tune of the Month: Chrono Trigger

August 25, 2017August 25, 2017 by Sally Mettson, posted in Tunes & Quotes

Our ‘Tune of the Month’ for August is from Chrono Trigger. It’s considered to be not only one of the finest RPGs ever made, but also one of the best games ever conceived in time itself, or something like that.

It’s next to Secret of Mana on the top list anyway. By the way, can we please have a 3D remake for Chrono Trigger next? Thanks.

So how do you pick a song from a game with that kind of reputation? With difficulty, that’s for sure. In the end, we settled for the epic Magus Battle Theme music.

What’s it from? Chrono Trigger

Year: 1995

Platform: SNES

Composed by: Yasunori Mitsuda, Nobuo Uematsu

Gaming context: As players fought the sinister, evil genius Magus, this song played. It’s filled with menace and power. And don’t forget the ominous laughing, (or is that crying?) in the background.

What was your favourite song from the game?

The Escapists 2 Review (PS4)

August 25, 2017August 30, 2017 by Tanya Laolapha Pettersen, posted in Reviews

Ever since Team 17 released The Escapists in 2014, I have been looking forward to seeing what more they can make out of this universe. After releasing several DLC’s for the first game (some were fun, others not so much), and releasing a Walking Dead-version, it is now time to move on.

I got the awesome opportunity to test both the PS4 version and the PC version, which is really nice for comparison. Because testing both platforms takes time I have, sadly, not had the chance to test out the multiplayer part yet – it will therefore not be included in this review. However, if I manage to test it out in the near future, expect an update on it for sure!

The Escapists 2 is a strategy sandbox game with pretty pixel graphics, offering as much as 10 new prisons with various difficulties for you to twist your brain and escape in new, creative ways. Personally, I’ve only managed to escape from two prisons (no judging, I’m slow, okay!), but I’ve used a lot of time just wandering around the prisons and exploring what the game has to offer.

roll-call-is-mandatory — Always remember to uphold the prison’s schedule!

While I would normally prefer playing a game like The Escapists on the computer, I was pleasantly surprised when discovering that the game is equally comfortable to play on the PS4. It looks really good on both platforms, and the controls are smooth. Even though the controls (at least on the computer) are a bit different now than in the first game, I managed to adjust after a short while.

The music of the Escapists 2 is just as catchy as it was in the original game. It changes with different times of the day, which creates a nice and fitting ambience, and a great change of pace. With enough hours played, you’re going to start humming the music like working songs. I love that the prisons have different themes, and music that fits accordingly.

With as much as 10 prisons available, many hours of gameplay await you. As if that weren’t enough, in order to proceed and unlock the different prisons, you have to collect keys – and the way of collecting these keys is to escape the prisons in different ways. There are set ways that you can escape, and you have to do it the way the game was designed to earn the key. I am guessing that you don’t have to play every single prison in every way, but it is definitely a challenge for the achievement hunters out there. You have to get creative, though – some of the prisons are timed!

Deeper character customization is also available, and you unlock more stuff for your character as you play through the different prisons. This is a relevant addition in regards to the multiplayer function, as it, obviously, makes it more fun to be playing against others with your very own customized character(s). It also creates a greater sense of ownership to the character, I think. It’s the little things in life, you know?

If I’m allowed to give some advice, get to know the place first – because each prison has its weaknesses. Get used to the routines of the prison, get a job and earn additional money by doing quests given by the other inmates. There are also ways of getting hints in the game to help you escape… But you have to be observant, and look closely. Remember that each prison is different, and needs a different strategy. Create a facade for yourself. Follow the schedule, don’t make the guards angry, and go do what you gotta do.

Personally, I don’t like the autosave function on a general basis. Therefore I get a tad annoyed when a game like The Escapists 2 has that feature because I have a need to be able to save when I want, not when the game decides to. My wish is that the game would enable a manual save feature.

I would also like information about the items you can craft in an update. Either a short description of what the item is or perhaps a little hint as to what you can use it for. I found myself stuck a couple of times because I didn’t know what to make and I didn’t know what they were for. Sure, I could’ve just tested it out, and figured it out on my own, but resources are pretty valuable in The Escapists, and I didn’t want to use my hard-earned resources for nought.

The recipes for the items and how to use them are different now than they were in the first Escapists-game too. For example: in the first game, one could hide the fact that you were digging a hole in the wall by placing a poster in front of it. Now, you have to make a fake wall out of paper maché – which is more logical, I guess, but it requires more resources and more work. It just took a heck of a lot of time to figure that out. However, it is the little things like that that makes The Escapists 2 feel quite different from the first game.

All in all, The Escapists 2 is a great game with a lot of potential, but there’s room for improvement with small things such as a manual save function and more information on items. The online and multiplayer function creates an even bigger replay value to the game, which is a huge plus.

The Escapists 2 offers new ways of escaping, more prisons, character customization, multiplayer (versus and co-op mode) plus online, new items to craft, more stuff to do. In short, the new Escapists is bigger, better, improved. It offers levels that are fun, but also challenging. Strategy is required, and it gives you a great sense of accomplishment if you manage to escape. It is a game that will definitely make the hours fly by, and is as addicting as it has always been.

5 Times Sonic Hit An All-Time Low

August 24, 2017August 24, 2017 by Nathan Franklin, posted in Viewpoints

Sonic Mania has raced onto the scene with critical acclaim, being noted as the best Sonic game in decades. By combining the speed and clever level design of the classic Mega Drive games with some fun modern touches, the Blue Blur is potentially on the verge of another golden age (don’t screw this up, Sonic Forces!). But, as with any successful platforming character, Sonic has had his fair share of hiccups over the past few decades. Well, alright then. Perhaps ‘hiccups’ is a bad word. How does ‘downright monstrosities’ sound? Hmm…that sounds a little more to the point. So, why don’t we go over some of these poor judgements on Sega’s part and hope that nothing like these horrid abominations are ever produced again?

Well, alright then. Perhaps ‘hiccups’ is a bad word. How does ‘downright monstrosities’ sound? Hmm…that sounds a little more to the point. So, why don’t we go over some of these poor judgements on Sega’s part and hope that nothing like these horrid abominations are ever produced again?

Shadow the Hedgehog

It was the game that nobody asked for. But we got it, anyway. This 2005 semi-sequel to Sonic Heroes starred the eponymous black hedgehog in his first (and, hopefully, only) solo game. The problems with this game were many; poor, glitchy level design, a dark plot uncharacteristic of a Sonic game and, of course, those damn guns.

The idea of guns being in a Sonic game was eyebrow-raising enough – but the way they were implemented into the gameplay was awful, as though the mechanic had been shoehorned in at the last minute. Stopping to shoot foes regularly just didn’t feel natural and contradicted the game’s attempt to be a fast-moving platformer. The vehicle sections were also tedious and out of place (when you can move faster on foot, what’s the point?). While the game boasted multiple endings and level pathways, you’d be forgiven for not wanting to endure a second playthrough of this awful stain on Sonic’s legacy.

Sonic Shuffle

By the time Sonic Shuffle hit the Sega Dreamcast in 2000 (2001 in European territories), Sonic had experimented with a number of other genres. There was the Game Gear Mario Kart-esque Sonic Drift games and also the arcade beat ’em up, Sonic The Fighters. Not content with those forays into other zones of gaming, Sonic had to have his own Mario Party-style party game.

Now, to the developers’ credit, they crafted a new narrative for the game to take place in and dressed it up in a plethora of bright colours. It’s just that they forgot to include the ‘fun’ aspect. The game was bogged down with a small number of below-average minigames and tedious loading times. You would be better off sticking with Mario Party than this boring clone.

Sonic The Fighters

It should be obvious to anyone that Sonic simply isn’t suited to the fighting genre. He’s a platforming hero known for his speed and agility, not his resilience or fisticuffs. Apparently, though, Sega didn’t get the memo and thus, in 1996, Sonic The Fighters hit Japanese and American arcades (after which, it has been ported to a number of Sonic games collections since).

The game can best be described as a poor man’s Virtua Fighter. While it is true that Sega designed a number of exclusive characters for the game, they are mostly forgettable, due to having a very short supply of unique fighting moves. The fighting system is simply Virtual Fighter-Lite and is overall tedious and slow. You would be better off playing any fighting game but this.

Sonic R

Nowadays, most gamers will recognise games studio Travellers’ Tales for their seemingly endless supply of Lego video games. But, back in the day, they did some other things (Mickey’s Wild Adventure for the Sony PlayStation comes to nostalgic mind). One of these things, however, was co-developing the awful Sonic R, which was released for the Sega Saturn in 1997 and for Windows a year later. Now, as a concept, a Sonic racing game where the characters move on-foot, doesn’t sound too bad. But when this concept is brought to life via Sonic Team’s poorly-designed racing tracks and Travellers Tales’ poor programming, it makes you re-think that statement.

The majority of the game’s tracks are bugged with awkwardly tight corners and are short to the point of tedium. The characters are awkward when trying to turn corners and some of them are so slow and disadvantageous when compared to the other racers (I’m looking at you, Amy Rose) that they just aren’t worth bothering with on a whole. Add in the fact there are only five available courses and you’ve got yourself a stinker here.

Sonic the Hedgehog Genesis (GBA Port)

This is perhaps one of the lesser-known examples of bad Sonic games, but it’s well-deserving of a spot here. This lazy, (half-assed) Game Boy Advance port was developed by Sonic Team for the blue hedgehog’s 15th anniversary and is one of the worst Sonic games in existence. It takes the original Genesis/Mega Drive game and gives it a painfully-slow frame rate, poor physics and an awfully-downgraded soundtrack – in other words, everything that made the first Sonic great.

As a cheap shoe-in, Sonic Team did add an “Anniversary mode” – which is the exact same game save for adding the spin-dash that was introduced in Sonic 2 onward. Wow, Sonic Team really pushed the boat out with this one.

What do you think are the worst Sonic games ever? Are you enjoying Mania? Let me know below.

SpaceBOUND Review – Puzzle Platforming So Frustrating It’s Addictive (PC)

August 22, 2017August 22, 2017 by Chris Wheatley, posted in Reviews

Platformers and puzzle games draw a line not met by many other genres in the video game world. Both requiring precise and strategic thoughts and movements, while each provides a casual approach to the entertainment of gaming. The debut release from Gravity Whale Games, SpaceBOUND, gives new meaning to the term puzzle/platformer.

Players take control of two astronauts who have crash landed on an asteroid in the middle of deep space. Attached by a tether, both astronauts may be controlled separately by one player, or individually in cooperative mode. The idea is to navigate through an abandoned facility rigged with destructive lasers, electrical wires, various key buttons and other harmful and dangerous traps throughout the game. Unlocking gates, keeping both astronauts alive as you float about in zero gravity with your jetpacks, the tether is crucial for the tremendously challenging puzzles that lay ahead.

If choosing to play solo, each astronaut is controlled separately using either the keyboard or more preferably, a gamepad. The arrow keys will control one astronaut, while the W, A, S, D keys control the other. In terms of the gamepad, both analogue sticks make a much more efficient method of guiding your astronaut buddies to safety. The catch of SpaceBOUND is the tether linking the two together.

Floating around, bouncing towards and away from each other proves extremely difficult when trying to avoid the shifting lasers and dangerous saw blades. When you inevitably meet your end to the scorching burn of one of the mines’ many lasers or death traps, your astronaut(s) burst into a splattered bloodshed of frustrations and regret; leaving you to restart the relatively short, but tedious level from the beginning. Say both of your comrades just barely survived the beam that nearly singed your space suits into ash, if your tether breaks it’s back to the start of the level.

Though the tether line proves to be a minor liability and an extreme risk for ending your current run, it also acts as a strategic tool for throwing asteroid chunks, and even yourselves across the screen in a much more energetic manner. Catching rocks and then throwing them through a variety of lasers and obstacle, breaking down electrical lines guarding your way out and most notable pressing the button required to unlock the next area give players a true sense of accomplishment once the task has safely been completed.

With the short level length and a trial-and-error approach to puzzle solving, re-trying numerous areas throughout the campaign becomes more and more common, testing the player’s patience and platforming skills. The dual movements of the astronauts become second nature as you experiment with various methods of manoeuvring in sync with one another.

Through dozens of levels full of traps and hurdles, an even more excruciating Time Trial mode and relentless mind-numbing puzzles for solo or co-op play, SpaceBOUND is the answer for 2D, zero-gravity platforming with a bemusing and often frustrating gameplay and level design. The tenacious gameplay and clever use of guiding two characters at once across a drifting minefield of death traps prove not for the faint of heart but requires players to act quickly and precisely, while using patience and your surroundings to accomplish uniquely difficult challenges in SpaceBOUND.

Severed Review (Nintendo Switch)

August 21, 2017September 20, 2017 by Nitchigamer, posted in Reviews

Developer: DrinkBox Studios

Platform: Nintendo Switch (eShop)

Price: £13.49

Developed by the talented DrinkBox Studios, Severed has been released on several platforms before, including the PS Vita, Wii U, 3DS, iOS and now most recently the Nintendo Switch. It’s an action-adventure game that gives the Switch’s touchscreen the biggest workout yet.

You play as Sasha, a one-armed warrior that is bestowed a living sword. She’s searching for her family, who have disappeared, and finds herself in a monstrous and deadly world. In this merciless place, you’ll solve numerous puzzles and will be up against a mixture of disturbing creatures. Luckily, Sasha is pretty handy with her sword.

Using the touchscreen on the Switch you swipe to defeat your enemies. The longer the swipe movement, the more damage you do. To counter incoming attacks you have to swipe at the right time, and at the right angle. Upon continually getting hit by some of the more fiendish enemy attacks, I wondered if the swiping mechanism was woefully imprecise at first. It’s not; it’s actually the opposite and requires a bit of practice and skill to master. Once you’ve mastered it though, Severed begins to click.

There’s no option available to play the game while the Switch is docked.

Once you start to get accustomed to the generously checkpointed combat, Severed throws in an RPG style upgrade system. As you’re about to finish off your enemies, time briefly slows down, and it’s here that you’ll get the chance to quite literally sever their limbs off. These limbs serve as upgrade points and can be used to increase the damage you dish out, reduce the damage you take and much more. There’s also a strategic transmute system, in which you can convert the giblets you’ve found into the monsters’ limbs you need for your next upgrade. It’s a rewarding process.

While exploring the clever map layouts, you’ll come across well-hidden heart and brain pieces that extend your health bar and magic respectively; you just have to eat them first! The puzzles found throughout Severed are smart too, requiring some thought to solve. It’s this blend of exploring, and the aforementioned touch combat, that is expertly realised.

To back up the impressive gameplay is the gorgeous, clean visuals that help to bring alive the ominous realm Sasha is stuck in. They look particularly great on the Switch’s ever-impressive screen. While the music, performed by the Canadian band Sonic Titan (feat. Pantayo), is suitably atmospheric and epic. The ending theme, “Take My Hand”, is powerful, to say the least.

Severed is short though, with the credits flowing down the screen more quickly than desired. After a few moderate play sessions, with one hand gripping the console and the other swiping away, I also found holding the Switch to be awkward at times.

Despite these minor issues, Severed is an excellent touchscreen indie title for the Switch and is one of the very best so far. If you’ve yet to play it on other devices, especially, it’s an essential purchase.

Starsceptre Review (iOS)

August 18, 2017June 29, 2018 by Tanya Laolapha Pettersen, posted in Reviews

Developer: 8BitMagicGames

Platform: iOS (iPhone, iPad)

Price: $1.99 (App Store)

Updated 17.08.2017

In our original review of Starsceptre, there were some issues with certain aspects of the game. The developer has now released a big update, dealing with all of these issues. Looking at the new product, we feel that an updated review is needed.

One of the more important updates that Starsceptre recieved was the change to the shooting-mechanic. Autofire is now implemented, and it is oh, so beautiful. Our thumbs are saved from carpal tunnel and cramps because of the incessant tapping on the screen. It is also possible to toggle the autofire on and off if you so wish.

Another crucial change was made to the cutscenes, where the game would skip them after each level – making us lose a big part of the story. Now, they are coming right on queue after the levels are completed. There has also been an addition to the main menu where each cutscene has been made available – so you can watch the whole story in one go. Pretty neat!

As minor improvements go, we really like the additions to the main menu. Along with the availability of the cutscenes, the settings button is a very valued one in our book. Here, you can toggle the autofire, as well as adding or removing scanlines. Even though it’s minor, they really come in handy.

The game might not be perfect, but it has definitely made some great improvements. Considering the one-man business behind this product, it is definitely something to be proud of. We have decided to up the score to a 4/5 as a result of these changes.

Original review:

Starsceptre is a retro Shoot ’em up game by Richard Morgan, the man behind 8BitMagicGames. It was made solely on a programming app on the iPad, when Morgan was commuting to and from work. Seeing the result then, consider me impressed.

The story is simple – an evil race named Draxses is conquering planets, robbing them of their resources and enslaving their occupants. The Starsceptre is the only thing that can stop them, and with the help of Onalee, “the chosen one” to wield the Starsceptre, and Ensign Rook, the pilot of your spaceship, we must battle our way through the galaxy to defeat the Draxses.

back in time.png — “My game is all about skill and luck,” says Richard Morgan, “and as a gamer through and through I want people to win games on how well they play, not how deep their pockets might be.”

The twist in this game is that you don’t use traditional controls. To shoot, you have to tap the screen repeatedly, either with one or both hands. In order to move the ship, you have to move your device (in this case, my iPad) by tilting it to the respective side. Tilting the iPad towards you makes the ship loop backwards, and comes in handy for dodging – several boss fights require that you use this mechanic. Even though it takes a few minutes getting used to, one quickly adapts and it suddenly feels like a very natural way of playing.

The way the game is designed creates a highly immersive style of gameplay. However, even though the controls work well, they are perhaps too sensitive at times. The spaceship would flip repeatedly even though I did not order it to do so, which would ruin the flow of the game.

The game looks awesome by the way – it truly feels like you are in an 80s or 90s arcade game, and the music definitely fulfils this feeling. Starsceptre is by no means simple – easy to play yes, yet very hard to master. At the end of each level, there is a boss fight which requires certain tactics to defeat.

According to the developer’s home page, the game is being referred to as a “Tilt and Shoot” type of game, introducing a new hashtag: #tiltnshmup. Yeah, it’s got a nice ring to it.

I don’t think the developer spent much time on the voice-acting and dialogue, which was not good. At all. Luckily, this isn’t a big part of the game, because the dialogue would often get so cringe-worthy that I found it hilarious instead (maybe that was the idea?). I also encountered some trouble launching the cutscenes, where the game would just skip them, leaving me empty-handed storywise.

“Infinite chances to save the galaxy,” is the catch-phrase of the game, and for good reason: there is no game over. If you die, the Starsceptre will rewind time so you can give it another go. This function works really well with the flow of the game.

The game also receives both thumbs up from me because there are no microtransactions at all, “offering the full game for a one-off cost of less than a cup of coffee. All updates and all updates will be for free.” In other words, what you pay is what you get, and that sounds like a pretty good deal to me.

Is ‘Leaking’ In The Games Industry A Real Problem?

August 17, 2017August 22, 2017 by Stephen Carter, posted in Viewpoints

We hear about this all the time; developing company A has had some of its under-wraps footage leaked by irresponsible staff member B. Most likely, this staff member will be the intern, but either way, it’s still a common feature in today’s news. My issue here though is this: is this actually a problem where members of staff can’t be trusted, or are companies aware of the publicity they’ll receive as a result?

The material often contains several screenshots, which usually get left online, along with short trailers that detail certain aspects of the game. Be it multiplayer, or highlighting some of the single player campaign, the videos are usually pretty juicy and get that little bit more hype circulating around the game.

So knowing that hype will be created as a result, are some developers playing us for fools and playing innocent? Well, in some respects you would say definitely yes, as, given the fact that some material stays online, this suggests that they are not top-secret. A strong PR campaign can make the difference between being the top spot in the charts, or being pipped to the post by your closest rival. When people are already excited about your game, thanks to E3 and other expos, then how else to make them more excited than ‘leaking’ a video that is meant to be withheld?

Unquestionably, these trailers and screens will keep the forumites busy which in turn, for the vast majority, will result in sales due to the expectation put on the game. You see, the positives stack up when you think about this logically and you can see why companies would do such a thing. There never seems to be any fallout from any of these incidents whereby staff have been laid off or any of their staff have spoken out against the developer. More food for thought.

On the other hand, though, could game developers just be on the receiving end of poor personal discipline in their PR department? Well, maybe, considering the hasty withdrawals of some of the leaked content, I mean if it was purposely done then you’d leave it out there longer wouldn’t you?

Whilst the accidentally-on-purpose leaking of this information might help a company in terms of sales, it can also have a negative effect on their chances too. Rival companies can see the latest additions and changes that have been made to the game and therefore do their best to replicate or exceed them in their own game. It’s unlikely when the game is at a late stage in development, yes, but if it was possible then a rival company wouldn’t discount the opportunity.

Whatever the end scenario is, it’s unlikely that we’ll ever know how material crops up on the internet. Be it a clever marketing ploy or a genuine fumble of accounts, (or a bit of both), one thing’s for sure: 90% of the time, this will create a positive buzz about the game in development.

Back in Time

Category: Features