Reviews
SteelSeries Alias Pro Review
Oct 23, 2023
From the static-filled days of yesteryear to the crystal-clear audio experiences of today, the importance of high-quality audio cannot be overstated. In the realm of professional-grade microphones, SteelSeries has consistently impressed me with their innovative approach to audio solutions. Their latest offering, the SteelSeries Alias Pro XLR Microphone + Stream Mixer, is a testament to their dedication to providing creators with top-notch audio tools. Whether you’re just someone who wants to sound good to your friends, or impress co-workers, or kickoff a career in content creation, there is nothing better than the SteelSeries Alias Pro.
Cities: Skylines II Review
Oct 19, 2023
It’s somewhat odd sitting down to play a game for the first time that you already know how to play. Cities: Skylines II is one of those games, mainly because I never stopped playing Cities: Skylines as it has received constant support and DLCs for eight years running. Colossal Order has come a long way since Cities in Motion , and this is a complex and rewarding game that showcases lessons learned. Cities: Skylines II is a great monument to city builders by overshadowing its predecessor through improving upon it in significant ways to be one of the best city builders ever made.
The Jackbox Party Pack 10 Review
Oct 18, 2023
Has another year already passed? Short of being a national holiday, Fall is Jackbox Season, and Jackbox Games Inc. brings us the 10th installment of the very popular party game, The Jackbox Party Pack! Let’s throw some respect at Jackbox Games Inc. for releasing ten whole packs of games in nine years. That’s no easy feat! On top of that, almost every release has been excellent, or at least a few key games were the highlights. Just think, nine years of the game that’s been a banger for parties, hangouts, sleepovers, and streams. Then there is this year. This year, The Jackbox Party Pack 10 includes some of the strongest sets of games in any one pack, period.
ENDLESS Dungeon Review
Oct 17, 2023
Amplitude Studio’s latest Endless entry certainly has it’s limits. It didn’t take long for me to find the cyclical gameplay loop wearing thin on my patience. Don’t get me wrong, Endless Dungeon does some interesting things, with it’s tower-defence aspects probably being the most unique to the roguelike genre and utilising twin-stick shooter controls for exploration. But the moment-to-moment gameplay I found to be a little repetitive and lacking.
Total War: PHARAOH Review
Oct 10, 2023
“I want to get into Total War, which game should I start with”? This question is one of many that keeps me up at night. My usual answer is “What are you looking for”? Do you want a more sandbox experience, do you want epic battles, do you want to relive the story of a major leader? It’s the same with Total War: Pharaoh, did you hope this would return to the “best” era of the Total War franchise? To a lot of people, it won’t. But what is the “best” era of Total War? To some it’s the return to its “roots” with Total War: Rome, to others it is the period between Medieval II and Shogun II. Well, there is still a big user base for Total War: Empire. One thing these eras all share in common: the lack of character driven storylines, was first introduced in Total War: Warhammer and has been a staple of the franchise ever since. That aspect remains unchanged for Pharaoh..
Assassin’s Creed Mirage Review
Oct 04, 2023
Taking place nine centuries after Assassin’s Creed Origins and only 11 years before Valhalla, Assassin’s Creed Mirage tells the tale of Basim Ibn Is’haq. If you played Valhalla, you know how his story unfolds and ends — so I won’t spoil that for you. But know, in Mirage, you are getting his origin story. You won’t have to have prior knowledge of Basim to play Mirage.
Forza Motorsport (2023) Review
Oct 04, 2023
It’s been many years since Forza Motorsport 7, but Turn 10 Studios has turned the key and reignited the beast that is Motorsport. Have the years of development time been worth the wait? Are they able to make something that was getting stale fresh again? Read on, dear driver, read on.
ABRISS – build to destroy Review
Oct 03, 2023
ABRISS – build to destroy is a towering creation from three college students known as Randwerk. In just over a year, it has gone through Early Access to 1.0, and this is an example of Early Access done right. This is one visually stunning, unique tower-building simulation and destruction game. Playing it feels like all the times you’d build something with LEGO, K’Nex, or even Jenga blocks, and then bring over one of your favorite villain figure to knock it all down and watch it crumble – only for you to rebuild it and do it all again. A few minor issues hold it back from achieving the heights it should, but it’s clear that ABRISS delivers on many fronts, offering an experience that’s both engrossing and visually captivating.
Pizza Possum Review
Sep 28, 2023
You’ve heard of the pizza rat , but now there’s the Pizza Possum. Contrary to popular belief, opossums are nice and gentle creatures. As such, the game actually portrays them correctly, as scavengers. There’s no malice or malcontent, just the possum wants some pizza, and by golly, you’re gonna do it. It’s a simple concept, baked wonderfully for a golden experience. Pizza Possum may not set the world on fire, but it will be great for some quick games either solo or with a friend.
El Paso, Elsewhere Review
Sep 26, 2023
El Paso, Elsewhere is the second game in the “El Paso” universe, following up the first-person shooter of EL PASO, NIGHTMARE that leads into the events for this game. Coming from the folks at Strange Scaffold, this is a supernatural third-person shooter with slo-mo dives, and tools to vanquish werewolves and vampires with ease. Told like a noir piece, the game in its two parts feels like an ode to Max Payne. It’s this then where it disappoints, never reaching the heights of that game from either a story or gameplay perspective. It’s an enjoyable game in its own right, but has far too many quibbles to be fully enjoyed.
The Crew Motorfest Review
Sep 22, 2023
Hawaii is a dream destination for most, and The Crew Motorfest does things a little different by narrowing down its scope to just the island of Oahu instead of the entirety of the United States. I always thought that The Crew having an abridged version of the United States made it standout, but it’s really the vibe of “go anywhere, do anything”. It’s a game that aims to take Forza Horizon ‘s lunch money, and has been built on the back of Test Drive Unlimited, which is where some of the developers ended up after Eden Studios closed. The Crew Motorfest has a fantastic, colorful, focused open-world that makes it a racer not to miss and best in the series to-date.
Gunbrella Review
Sep 18, 2023
Gunbrella is doinksoft’s first game as part of a Devolver, but a special mention goes out to the excellent cat-themed metroidvania of Gato Roboto . Since making a couple of games published by Devolver since then, doinksoft really branches out and sprouts new leaves of creativity here. Gunbrella is a tight experience with equally tight controls and a fun premise that doesn’t overstay its welcome. With its intriguing premise, stylish visuals, and a unique gameplay mechanic, Gunbrella is one of the better action-adventure games where traversal is king.
Nour: Play with Your Food Review
Sep 12, 2023
Do you remember the tech demos that console manufacturers used to show off when they announced a new platform iteration? The PS2’s “rubber duck in the bath” demo from 1999 showing a single duck a submarine interacting with the water in a “realistic” way… And then how Sony upped their game and blew peoples minds with the PS3’s announcement and showed a version of the same demo, but this time dropped 100 rubber ducks in the bath and added two floating and controllable galleons… Those will always be stand-out examples of video game tech demos for me. Nour: Play With Your Food is the ultimate example of a tech demo made playable and more importantly made fun.
Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX Review
Sep 07, 2023
Don’t call it a comeback, because to some, the Raiden series has never left. Maybe it’s a custom cabinet, an arcade in Shinjuku City, or just someone’s gaming PC, the series has staying power. While we’ve seen recent entries, MOSS has gone back to update and remix their prior games. Earlier this year we had the release of Raiden IV x MIKADO remix , and now after a short delay is Raiden III x MIKADO MANIAX . It’s oft-considered the weakest of the series, but it manages to be the best of the two MIKADO versions to release. I think that the updates, inclusions, and overall gameplay make it the best entry into the series.
Baldur’s Gate 3 Review
Sep 01, 2023
I love CRPGs — Computer RPG, for those unfamiliar with the term. Some of my earliest gaming memories as a kid, aside from the Mario, Zelda, and Metroid games I had on my Nintendo consoles, centered around late nights playing games like Fallout, Planescape Torment, Elder Scrolls: Daggerfall, Wizardry 7, Ultima 7, and so many others at one of my friends’ houses. I didn’t really have a computer that would play these games until a couple years later so instead, I made due by digging into the library of Darren’s dads’ games with frequent overnight sleepovers and soda-fueled binges. Our favorite of the bunch and the one I remember playing most was Baldur’s Gate. The story of the dead god Bhaal, Lord of Murder, and its offspring to be known as Bhaalspawn, is seared into my brain despite not having played it in over 15 years. When my family bought a computer I could actually play games on, Baldur’s Gate 2 (and Diablo 2) were the first games I bought. I say this because for me personally, I approached Baldur’s Gate 3 with the sort of jaded skepticism that comes whenever a studio seeks to try and revitalize a franchise as celebrated as this particularly so many years later. Instead, Baldur’s Gate 3 not only meets expectations, but actually wildly surpasses them. In a year completely stacked with games worthy of topping lists in many others, Larian has managed to come through with what might end up sitting atop them all.
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