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Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts

18/03/2024

Gloomhaven XSX Review 8.5/10 "How Deep is Your (board gaming) Love?" ๐Ÿง™‍♂️ @GloomhavenGame #IndieGame #GameDev

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Gloomhaven XSX Review
Although Gloomhaven was originally released on PC back in 2021, I wanted to cover it here on GF (on Xbox) in 2024 because I had such a rich experience with the boardgame on which it is based at one of our regular nerdy weekends away a few weeks ago. At said weekends, we tend to have several smaller, briefer games, and then a hefty one to tuck into for a good portion of each day. In this way we’ve played some pretty heavy hitters...but Gloomhaven always lurked at the back of our minds. 

14/03/2024

Radical Dreamers (Digital) Album Review By Britt ๐Ÿ’ฟ๐ŸŽถ @AmerigoGazaway #VGM #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl

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Radical Dreamers (Digital) Album Review
Radical Dreamers is billed as an album that blends “melodic hip-hop beats, razor-sharp lyricism and the allure of old-school RPGs Chrono Cross and Chrono Trigger”. I mean, all of that sounds good, so let’s give it a go.

13/03/2024

WWE2K24 PS5 Review 8/10 “Time to play the Game” ๐Ÿคผ‍♂️

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WWE2K24 PS5 Review
Yearly wrestling games - and yearly games in general - have always had a ‘one step forward, two steps back’ problem. In years’ past, match types and modes would be added in just to be removed in the next instalment, so this year’s edition has rolled around, and I was very eager to see if we were still heading forward… or if we were about to take an unfortunate step back.

Well, it may not be a huge stride forward but I’m pleased to say the WWE2K series is moving forward. Now, if you looked at the gameplay it will feel very similar to last years’ game aside from a couple of small tweaks such as super finishers and the ever-popular ability to throw weapons being added, but largely it remains the same and as DDP would say, “it's not a bad thing, it's a good thing”. The base gameplay is good, the lighting and character models are great, some gimmicks are outdated - but that's going to happen with how much wrestlers change in a year. The matches and combat have been a highlight since 2K22, you don’t need to reinvent the wheel. 

Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story Review 10/10 "If you have even the slightest interest in games as an art form, you must play this." ๐Ÿฆ™๐Ÿฆ™๐Ÿฆ™ @DigitalEclipse #IndieGame #GameDev

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Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story Review
Jeff Minter has been making my soul sing for three decades. I have hazy memories of being confused by the Amiga version of Revenge of the Mutant Camels in the early 90s, but Tempest X3 on PlayStation blew my young mind. Impossibly cool, brain-meltingly intense, and powered by a throbbing rave soundtrack, it felt like being allowed entry to the clubs the bouncers wouldn’t let me into yet.

Back then I didn’t know X3 was an inferior version of Tempest 2000 on the Jaguar, but it burnt a love of all things Minter deep into my gaming tastes. From there I hoovered up Space Giraffe (which looks incredible on Steam Deck OLED), developed a crippling late-night addiction to TxK that burrowed into my dreams, and played Polybius in VR for so long that after one session I fell down the stairs and hurt my shoulder. Worth it.

08/03/2024

Video Game Lo-Fi - Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest Vinyl Review By Britt ๐Ÿ’ฟ @CuragaRecords #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl #VGM

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Video Game Lo-Fi - Donkey Kong Country 2:  Diddy’s Kong Quest Vinyl Review
First off, I feel a fool! A fool I tell you! Up until receiving this record for coverage, I’d been under the impression that the second in the Donkey Kong Country series of games was called ‘Diddy Kong’s Quest’…but it’s actually ‘Diddy’s Kong Quest’ – I don’t feel too bad upon discovering this, as my fiancรฉe was also under the same misapprehension, I’d barely taken the cellophane off this Curaga Records release, and I was already learning.

06/03/2024

A Void Hope Nintendo Switch Review 8.5/10 "An enchantingly melancholic game with a world class soundtrack" ๐ŸŒฒ๐Ÿ‘ป๐ŸŒณ @EldenPixels #IndieGame #GameDev

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The team that brought us Alwa’s Legacy and Alwa’s Awakening has returned with A Void Hope, a 2D narrative adventure with a soundtrack provided courtesy of the monolithic skills of Waveshaper.

The game begins with a short prologue that sets the scene; a couple exist in a world where people are becoming ‘empty’, which is to say they slowly lose their memories, before becoming ghostly, wandering figures that ‘haunt’ the city. Whilst the female is the main character of the prologue, the narrative soon focuses on the male, who begins in a forest cabin and must make his way through the city to find out what has happened to his partner, before his memories completely elude him and he becomes one of the empty.

29/02/2024

Video Game Lo-Fi: Jazz Hop Standards Vinyl Review ๐Ÿ“€ @CuragaRecords #VGM #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl

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Video Game Lo-Fi: Jazz Hop Standards Vinyl Review

The latest entry that we’ve received here at GF HQ in the Video Game Lo-Fi series from Curaga Records, Jazz Hop Standards is a different beast to other entries in that it features more of a collaborative effort, heavier involvement of acoustic instrumentation, and in a more tangible sense – a full size, four-page booklet that gives background and context to the music, a welcome involvement that enriches the listening experience.

26/02/2024

Persona 5 Tactica Nintendo Switch Review 8.5/10 “Let me in your heart again” ๐Ÿ‘ฆ๐Ÿ‘ง @Atlus_West #Persona5 @TransvaalGF

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I have a very strong attachment to Persona 5, it was released at a time that I would comfortably describe as one of the worst periods of my life. Everything had fallen apart, and for a while, everything seemed a bit hopeless.

Luckily, I have been a huge fan of Persona and the Megami Tensei series as a whole since the PlayStation 2 era, so, just as everything seemed bleak - enter Persona 5, a game I had pre-ordered the special edition for, and it made me feel good. I spent 128 hours playing it with nothing but joy in my heart, it was the thing I needed - it wasn't just a distraction, it really felt like an old friend, and the story and the cast of characters really resonated with me, so every time this universe gets expanded, I’m always hopeful that special feeling will still be there.

23/02/2024

Golfinite Nintendo Switch Review 7.5/10 "A surprisingly moreish golf title" ๐ŸŒ️‍♂️⛳️ #IndieGame #GameDev @pmurph0305

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As a keen – and yet impressively dreadful – amateur golfer, I’m always on the lookout for new golf titles to get me swingin’. Golfinite takes an interesting approach, in having a lot of depth to tuck into with the full array of clubs and shot styles available, as well as wind conditions and environmental hazards – the usual elements of golf games – but also taking a lighter approach in some of the wackier hazards that can get in your way, and the arcade-like power-ups that you can purchase with earned coins. These additions allow you to craft a playstyle that suits you, whether it be a ‘straighter’ style of plain golf, or more colourful and fun, which is a nice touch.

20/02/2024

Video Game LoFi: Pokemon Vinyl Review by Lo Fi Lee ๐Ÿ’ฟ #Vinyl #VideoGameVinyl #VGM @MateriaStore @CuragaRecords

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The next instalment in Curaga Records’ Video Game LoFi series takes on the behemoth that is Pokemon. Producers Besso0 and Save Point bring us ten tracks running the gamut of older entries in the franchise, pressed on classic black vinyl. The cover is the series standard holographic card with a nice shiny finish.

15/02/2024

Rising Lords Review 6/10 "Medieval Mediocrity" ⚔️๐Ÿ›ก️ #IndieGame #GameDev @argonwood

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Rising Lords Review

Life in medieval times was tough. The local lord or royal type wouldn’t think twice about forcing peasants to work for 28 hours a day in the fields, before sticking a spear in their hand and making them go and stab a peasant from a neighbouring village. All in the name of expanding the fiefdom and extending the empire of their glorious leader.

And Rising Lords lets you be that ‘benevolent’ ruler. This game has been loitering on PC for a few years, going through lengthy development stages before launching on consoles in its current form. A form honed and perfected to be a sleek mix of Risk-style battles and Civilisation-esque resource management, right? Right?


Wrong. Sadly. 

14/02/2024

Sims 4: Home Chef Hustle Pack Review 8/10 "This pack is well worth the investment" ๐Ÿก๐Ÿ”

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If you are an avid fan of The Sims, you might be interested in reading my review of the Home Chef Hustle pack. As someone who has spent countless hours in the Sims series, I am always eager to try out new games or stuff packs as soon as they are released.

This pack caught my attention because I felt that The Sims lacked in the cooking department, and I was curious to see how this pack would address that issue.

One of the most exciting features of this pack is the small gameplay element that allows you to run your own food stall. This feature adds a new level of interactivity to the game, and it was a lot of fun to experiment with different recipes and see how they would sell. The pack also comes with a range of new cooking equipment, including a pizza oven, a mixing bowl, and a waffle maker, which are great additions to the game.

13/02/2024

Sinden Lightgun Review "As I felt it’s heft as I lifted it out of the box, I simply muttered, “yes” ๐Ÿ’ฅ @SindenLightgun #Retrogaming

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Sinden Lightgun Review

As a collector of video games – as well as a reviewer of them – in my 40’s, I’ve seen a lot of genres come and go, get a new lease of life, get revisited, outmoded, souped-up, etc. and the one genre that burns me to the core most of all, seemingly swept aside by technological issues and the passage of time – is the lightgun genre.


Whether you were introduced to the genre through Duck Hunt on the NES, Point Blank on the PS1, House of the Dead on the Dreamcast, or Silent Scope, LA Machineguns, Time Crisis, or Beastbusters in the arcade, the chances are that you have some pretty strong memories bouncing around your noggin that involve that most shooty-shootiest of gaming genres (I also just remembered the Toejam and Earl Menacer game! What a multi-cart that was!), and they are fading away into the most distant past, as CRT TVs become harder and harder to get.


Quite frankly, unless you are a collector of video games and accessories from a bygone era, the most recent recollections that you’ll have would be of fiddling about with the incredibly tediously thin cable that came with the Nintendo Wii sensor as you tried to get it balanced on top of your TV without knocking it off,  yanking the cord out of the delicate sensor, or just strangling yourself to death out of sheer frustration – which often seemed the most practical option.

12/02/2024

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden Xbox Series X Review 9/10 "A wonderfully spun tale of love and grief" ⚔️ @DONTNOD_Ent #IndieGame #GameDev

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I’ve been hankering for an RPG to sink my teeth into, and when Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden arrived at GF HQ, I was keen to tuck in and get a few dozen hours of adventuring under my belt. What I didn’t expect was to get sucked into the world of Red and Antea so deeply, and so quickly.

Set during the settling of America in the 1600’s, the game begins with Banishers (effectively mercenaries that deal with hauntings) Red and Antea arriving on boat to New Eden - a small settlement near Boston - having received word from their friend Charles that their ghost handling skills are required in this fledging town.

09/02/2024

The Monty Mole Collection Nintendo Switch Review 8/10 "Modern Monty Mole Maniacal Manoeuvring" ๐Ÿป‍❄️ @pixelgamesuk #GameDev #IndieGame

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The Monty Mole Collection Nintendo Switch Review
The 8-bit home computing platforming scene is something of a golden era to a lot of people. Filled with extremely challenging games, great music, and a very ‘British’ sense of humour (and social commentary).

Whilst I have played Monty Mole - many years ago - I associate the games more with Rob Hubbard’s astonishing score than the gameplay itself, and so I was keen to delve into this collection and experience them for the first time, on a modern system.

07/02/2024

Pinball M Xbox Review 7.5/10 "The spookiest balls around" ๐Ÿ‘ป @zen_studios #IndieGame #GameDev

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Zen Studios have release Pinball M, a game that delivers horror thrills to pinball-lovers around the world through a pretty cool mix of franchises:

– Wrath of the Elder Gods: Director’s Cut – experience the eldritch horror unrestricted for free

– Chucky’s Killer Pinball: Step into a twisted realm where the innocent becomes sinister, and the playful turns menacing. Navigate through an eerie playfield where Chucky lurks in the shadows, ready to pounce.

– The Thing Pinball: Use your pinball skills and battle against the shape-shifting alien through the arctic chill of U.S. Outpost #31. Can you trust anyone, even yourself?

– Dead by Daylight™️ Pinball: Become the hunter or even the hunted in a thrilling fusion of classic pinball and the excitement of one of the most popular horror games ever created.

– Duke Nukem’s Big Shot Pinball: Enjoy the biggest, grooviest, most BADASS pinball table ever made packed with guns and babes. Push start and play with balls of steel!

06/02/2024

Bahnsen Knights Xbox Review 7/10 "My trousers began to slowly unbuckle themselves in anticipation..." ๐Ÿ•ต️‍♂️ @lcbgamestudio #IndieGame #GameDev

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Bahnsen Knights Xbox Review
The third in the initial trilogy of Pixel Pulp titles, Bahnsen Knights follows Mothmen 1966, and Varney Lake, visual novel titles – with a smattering of micro-games – in an 18-month period that has taken me on a journey that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed from a presentation and atmospheric perspective, but I can’t help but feel this most recent entry is the weakest of all.

30/01/2024

Best Month Ever Nintendo Switch Review 6/10 "Looking for a unique game that stands out from the rest?" ๐Ÿคฐ @Klabater #IndieGame #GameDev

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Looking for a unique game that stands out from the rest? If so, The Best Month Ever! might just be what you're looking for. This game will take you on a journey back to the 1960s USA, providing an experience unlike any other. 

You will follow the character of Louise as she experiences the joys and challenges of motherhood while also discovering her true identity as a person. The Best Month Ever! is a click-and-choice adventure game developed by Warsaw Film School Video Game & Film Production Studio.

26/01/2024

Arizona Sunshine 2 Meta Quest 2 Review 6/10 ๐Ÿ• @pixelhunted #IndieGame #GameDev #VRGames

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The VR dream isn’t dead, but it’s starting to look a bit wonky. The Metaverse is a joke, PSVR2 is dying on the vine and, almost four years after the release of Half-Life: Alyx, there hasn’t been a title that comes close to its production values and ingenuity.

Enter Arizona Sunshine 2. The first game released in 2016 across multiple VR platforms and, while an utterly boilerplate zombie shooter, at least delivered on its promise of letting you mow down hordes of the undead with a variety of high-powered weaponry. 

We’re now eight years on and the sequel has finally arrived. So, what’s changed?

25/01/2024

Video Game Lo-Fi: Super Mario 64 Vinyl Review ๐Ÿ’ฝ @CuragaRecords @MateriaMusic #VideoGameVinyl #Vinyl #LoFi #VGM

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Video Game Lo-Fi: Super Mario 64 Vinyl Review
There’s something about these lo-fi records that makes them feel oddly perfect all year round. The last time I covered one back in November, it was a very wintry  entry in the Curaga lo-fi series, matching perfectly with the change in weather.

As I listened through this Super Mario 64 record in quite bracing weather, it felt calming and warming, but I can just as easily imagine it seeming as mellow and engaging on warm summer days, adding a layer of groovy coolness to the proceedings.