Tag: review

Aaero (Xbox One) review

Published on by Chris ScullionLeave a comment
Mad Fellows / Reverb Triple XP
Xbox One, PS4, Steam (Xbox One version reviewed)

FreeStyleGames was always a bit of an underrated studio in my eyes.  Specialising in rhythm action games, this British outfit was responsible for both fantastic DJ Hero titles, as well as the brilliant Guitar Hero Live.

Unfortunately, DJ Hero and DJ Hero 2 were released at a time when the plastic instrument craze was beginning to die, and Guitar Hero Live – an attempt to resurrect it – didn’t quite manage this.

It’s a real shame, because all three games are among my favourites in the rhythm action genre. I doff my cap to you, FreeStyleGames, you fallen geniuses (Activision made 50 staff redundant in 2016 and the studio was eventually bought by Ubisoft and renamed Ubisoft Leamington).

“The point, Chris,” you rasp in an impatient sputter. “Get to the bastard point.”

The point is that Aaero is the work of Paul Norris and Dan Horbury, who were the Music Team Lead and Senior Engine Programmers respectively at FreeStyleGames. And that’s why you should be paying attention to it. Continue reading “Aaero (Xbox One) review” →

Yooka-Laylee (Xbox One) review

Published on by Chris Scullion5 Comments
Team17 / Playtonic Games
Xbox One, PS4, Switch, Steam (Xbox One version reviewed)

Banjo-Kazooie and its sequel Banjo-Tooie were released back in 1998 and 2000 as alternatives to the glory that was Super Mario 64.

Both games were developer Rare at its best: colourful platforming worlds, witty dialogue, music that was catchier than bird flu and more collectibles than an amiibo addict’s shelves (I speak from experience here).

For a decade and a half fans had been hoping for a Banjo-Threeie, but after Rare was bought by Microsoft it started to look unlikely (the unsatisfying spin-off game Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts aside).

When Rare then switched its focus to Microsoft’s ill-fated Kinect peripheral, all hope of seeing a Banjo-Threeie died.

That’s when a bunch of former Rare staff members from the Banjo days decided “fuck it, let’s just make it ourselves”. Cue Playtonic Games with Yooka-Laylee. Continue reading “Yooka-Laylee (Xbox One) review” →

Virginia (Xbox One) review

Published on by Chris ScullionLeave a comment
505 Games / Variable State
Xbox One, PS4, Steam (Xbox One version reviewed)

I’m currently in full-on Twin Peaks hype mode.

David Lynch’s iconic TV series is making its long-awaited comeback next month, and fans – including me – are waiting with bated breath to see if it lives up to the classic ‘90s original.

If you’re in the same boat, Virginia may be worth a look if you want to scratch that Twin Peaks itch a little while you wait.

Set in the summer of 1992, it puts you in the oddly angular shoes of Anne Tarver, a junior FBI agent who’s been given a bit of a tricky task.

She’s been asked to investigate one of her colleagues, who’s been accused of… um, something or other.

Meanwhile, there’s an ongoing missing persons case involving a young lad who… to be honest, I have no fucking clue. Continue reading “Virginia (Xbox One) review” →

I Am Setsuna (Switch) review

Published on by Chris ScullionLeave a comment
Square Enix / Tokyo RPG Factory
Switch, PS4, PC (Switch version reviewed)

With an enormous new Zelda adventure available at launch, it’s understandable that Switch owners may not have been in a rush to buy another RPG that takes 25-30 hours to beat that they’d have to juggle alongside it.

Now that we’re nearly a month into the Switch’s life though, it might be worth giving I Am Setsuna another look if you haven’t yet done so.

Inspired by RPGs from the ‘golden age’ (the 16-bit era that brought us the likes of Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy IV), I Am Setsuna mixes old-school mechanics with polygonal visuals to give the traditional RPG style a more modern feel. Continue reading “I Am Setsuna (Switch) review” →

1-2-Switch (Switch) review

Published on by Chris ScullionLeave a comment
Nintendo / Nintendo EPD
Switch

“This should have come free with the Switch.”

When it comes to hot takes it’s hard to think of one that’s been more regularly bandied about. The combination of 1-2-Switch’s basic gameplay, its family-friendly focus and the increasing sense of entitlement among ‘gamers’ means nearly everyone and their Nintendog reckons this should have been the next Wii Sports style pack-in.

I don’t necessarily agree. While some gamers bought the Switch for its built-in two-player functionality, just as many (if not more) are solo gamers who bought it more for its handheld capabilities.

As such, if Nintendo had bundled 1-2-Switch with its console, you’d have had just as many complaints from other people moaning that they would have rather had the system without the game for a cheaper price.

What we have, then, is a game that half of Nintendo’s audience has no interest in, and the other half wants for free. No pressure, then. Continue reading “1-2-Switch (Switch) review” →

Othello (Switch) review

Published on by Chris Scullion2 Comments
Arc System Works
Switch

“You are welcome, sir, to Cyprus. Goats and monkeys!”

That’s my favourite line of Shakespeare, that is. It’s from Act 4, Scene 1 of Othello, one of yer man’s great tragedies.

There are no goats in Othello for the Switch. And unless there’s an unlockable somewhere that I’m missing, there are no monkeys either. Just a load of black and white circles. Continue reading “Othello (Switch) review” →

Snipperclips (Switch) review

Published on by Chris Scullion1 Comment
Nintendo / SFB Games
Switch

When Nintendo first held its Switch preview events in mid-January, the general consensus was that Snipperclips was potentially the system’s secret weapon.

A co-op puzzle game that makes the most of the Switch’s JoyCon-sharing feature, Snipperclips put a smile on the face of anyone who tried it.

What remained to be seen, however, was how the game would perform outside of Nintendo’s controlled environment, and whether there was enough content in there to justify forking over your greenbacks for it.

The result is an emphatic yes… as long as you have someone to play it with. Continue reading “Snipperclips (Switch) review” →

VOEZ (Switch) review

Published on by Chris Scullion6 Comments
Rayark Games
Switch, iOS, Android (Switch version reviewed)

Most consoles have a hidden gem at launch, that one game that doesn’t get the attention it deserves because the main launch title is getting all the plaudits.

For many the Switch’s hidden gem is Snipperclips, but that’s not completely ‘hidden’ in the literal sense. Connect your Switch online and among the many news notifications you get from Nintendo are numerous reminders that Snipperclips exists.

For me, the Switch’s true hidden gem – in every sense of the word – is VOEZ. Continue reading “VOEZ (Switch) review” →

ACA Neo Geo (Switch) review directory

Published on by Chris Scullion8 Comments

This isn’t the first time a Nintendo system has been graced with the presence of the once-great Neo Geo.

In late 2007 the Wii’s Virtual Console service started getting Neo Geo titles. By the time the Wii died, over 50 of the beauties were available to buy.

While (at the time of writing) the Switch has yet to get a Virtual Console of its own, that doesn’t mean you can’t still get stuck into some retro goodness.

Enter the brilliantly-named Hamster Corporation, a Tokyo-based studio which has acquired the rights to a bunch of Neo Geo games. Continue reading “ACA Neo Geo (Switch) review directory” →

Shovel Knight Treasure Trove (Switch) review

Published on by Chris Scullion1 Comment

The first part of this review is aimed at those who have never played the original standalone version of Shovel Knight before. For those who have and just want to know what’s new in the Switch version, scroll down to the ‘Treasure Trove features’ section further down the article.

Yacht Club Games
Switch, Wii U, 3DS, PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Vita, Steam (Switch version reviewed)

Fake 8-bit graphics are this generation’s cel-shading.

Much like the early 2000s were flooded with games with flat textures and people going “ooooh, it looks just like a cartoon (except not quite)”, today we’re flooded with games with basic sprite-based graphics and people going “ooooh, it looks just like an NES game (except not quite)”.

Most of these are all retro style and no substance, the product of an indie developer whose lack of creativity when choosing an art style is inevitably accompanied by a lack of creativity in terms of gameplay mechanics.

Every now and then, though, you’ll get a game which does actually offer more than a brief “come see how old I look, ha ha!” message.

Games like Super Meat Boy, Retro City Rampage and VVVVVV combine retro visuals with genuinely compelling gameplay to earn their price tag and appeal to gamers of all vintages. You can most definitely add Shovel Knight to this list. Continue reading “Shovel Knight Treasure Trove (Switch) review” →