It doesn't matter if you play video games for fun or for a living; having the proper tools can improve your enjoyment.
There is a lot of necessary equipment that every player should have in their toolbox, from cosy chairs and headsets to cutting-edge graphics cards and monitors. The top five accessories that every gamer needs are covered in this piece.
At its core, this experience (I hesitate to call it a game) is a puzzle action horror, with the visual style of a graphic novel. It’s hauntingly beautiful, with even the mundane settings (including a farmhouse and a kebab shop) being painted in sepia tones or pastel reds to give them an otherworldly effect.
Blocks Tracks Trains is a creative and unique offering developed by a one-man Indie developer and is a real labour of love to be enjoyed by everyone! Since its soft release a few months back, it has garnered lots of interest and has been improved and extended. Now with a full release, Blocks Tracks Trains is unveiled in all its glory on PC and Steam Deck. It will entertain and fascinate those of you eager for something different and its creative potential is endless! Blocks Tracks Trains is, by definition, not a game, as it has no real obstacles or goals. It is a creative building toy. There are no resources or hours of grinding - it’s a limitless sandbox that will stretch your imagination. |
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I reviewed Mikel’s Zelda and Chill from Black Screen Records back in 2021, and thought the lo-fi aesthetic really worked with those familiar melodies and tracks.
When I found that I would be covering this record, I had a faint worry that it would be quite close to Mikel’s take on the songs – but those worries were unfounded, because whilst Mikel’s stripped-back, mellow journey through Zelda is a work unto itself; focused on enhancing the groovy, lullaby aspects, this album takes a far more moody and expressive, jazz-fuelled take through the songs that are more engaging and alluring when compared to the more hypnotic and Zen approach of Mikel.
Your character is a forever-bouncing girl on a pogo stick who must bounce her way through twenty levels – with each group of five representing one of the four seasons.
The natural repetition of the genre is spiced up here by an insane amount of unlockables that make the grinder part of me twitch into action.
There have been some tasty games in the genre over the last year or two – mainly courtesy of DotEmu - (and I know it’s older than that, but I have to mention Mother Russia Bleeds) and Fight ‘N Rage absolutely has to be mentioned in that conversation.
From the Wayo Records website:
Initially released in 2005, KiRite is a collaborative album of music and story
presented by the legendary duo of Yasunori Mitsuda (composer) & Masato Kato (game creator), both are widely known for their work on cult games such as Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross.
The universe of Masato Kato is fantastic, strangely cold and yet warm and soothing.
The Five Seasons of KiRite will immerse you in the fascinating story of Kotonoha and KiRite,
Its dreamy melodies and the bewitching voice of Eri Kawai will make you travel through the five seasons of its unique universe.
Fully translated into English and remastered for the vinyl format,
KiRite's story and music are now available worldwide in this new 2 x LP Gatefold format.
Don't wait any longer to (re)discover this masterpiece by Yasunori Mitsuda!
But - and this is a big but - it’s interesting. And interesting goes a long way.
The past few years have seen a renaissance in throwback first-person-shooters attempting to recapture that retro magic, with highlights including Ion Fury, Dusk, and Prodeus. But, for me at least, few have nailed it quite like Fashion Police Squad.
Originally published to huge acclaim and popularity in 1984, with over 12 million copies sold, Joe Dever’s classic Lone Wolf gamebook series have been fan favourites ever since but not widely available.
Author Joe Dever passed away from cancer in 2016. It was his final wish that his son, Ben, complete the remaining unfinished books in the series and bring all of the books back into print for a new audience.
In the case of I’m Too Young to Die: The Ultimate Guide to First-Person Shooters, it was the sections on oddities and ultimately unsuccessful titles that had grazes with greatness that really caught my attention.
It was eye-opening to find out just how much experimentation was going on, especially in the world of PC gaming in the mid-’90s, and I found myself marking a page to watch some gameplay footage of these games - that had somehow passed me by in my formative years – before continuing my reading and inevitably repeating the process a few pages later, always a good sign when reading a book such as this.
Whilst the action/RPG entries are what really stick with me, it’s quite astonishing how well the original game holds up as a high-score arcade classic; not to mention the co-op goodness of Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair.
Leading digital lifestyle accessories brand, Trust Electronics Ltd, is pleased today to announce the launch of its brand new Muta and Muta Wireless gaming controllers. An exciting addition to the company’s portfolio, the controllers offer attractive features that every gamer is sure to enjoy and they have also been designed with sustainability in mind for greener gaming.
The Trust Muta is available to buy now from Amazon for £39.99.
Basements & Basilisks is a visual novel paying satirical homage to the world's greatest TTRPG. Make important choices, roll countless dice, build lasting relationships, explore magical lands and experience all the rest of the crap you expect from a fantasy game without the hassle of finding actual friends to play with!
In Slime Rancher 2 you get to continue the adventures of Beatrix LeBeau as she journeys across the Slime Sea to Rainbow Island, a land brimming with ancient mysteries, and bursting with wiggly, new slimes to wrangle in this sequel to the smash-hit, Slime Rancher.
In this video, Rich gets to experience the virtual world of baseball available in WBSC eBASEBALL™: POWER PROS. The most-played baseball game series in Japan is now featured in the World Baseball Softball Confederation’s eSport discipline.
💾Nintendo eShop Link (U.S.A)
https://www.nintendo.com/store/products/wbsc-ebaseball-power-pros-switch/
In this Ten Minute Taster video Rich attempts to build the town of Pixelshire and grow the community in a unique RPG sandbox which mixes life sim elements with town building, exploration, and combat.
Featuring access to the Netflix library at the press of a button, the N1 delivers a theatre-like audio-visual experience with Dolby Audio through dual 5W speakers and a large projection size of up to 120 inches
Dynamic smart projector brand, Emotn, is thrilled to announce the launch of its first and latest Netflix officially licensed projector, the Emotn N1.
Packed with native 1080P full HD clarity, 500 ANSI Lumens and a maximum projection size of 120 inches, the Emotn N1 instantly enters the extensive Netflix library after booting and presents its rich content in a crisp, clear and vibrant way.
Combined with Dolby Audio and dual 5W speakers, the Emotn N1's excellent picture and sound quality make viewers feel as if they've stepped inside the movie.
The Emotn N1 is now available for $399.99 on Amazon US.
To celebrate the launch, Emotn is offering a $50 discount coupon.
It will also be available on Amazon UK in the coming months
In Kaiju Wars you play out a Kaiju movie as the (hopelessly) outclassed military in this stylish 2D turn-based strategy game. Construct buildings and defend your city with cannon-fodder tanks, jets and more as the devastating kaiju grow in power with every attack.
But, for professional reasons, I was obligated to play the game prior to release and was sent a code by WB Games in order to do so. So here’s what I thought after coming to this game with zero excitement and a powerfully icky feeling at loading it up for the first time.
….It’s fine
Trust Gaming GXT 834 Callaz TKL Mechanical Gaming Keyboard with UK Layout, Compact Ten-key-less Design (80%), Outemu Switches, Multicolour LED Lighting, USB Mechanical Keyboard for PC, Laptop, Mac, available on Amazon UK NOW FOR £35.75 RRP £44.99 (21% OFF)
TOUGH PLAYER – Mechanical Outemu red linear switches last up to 50 million key presses – and hours upon hours of intense gaming sessions
TKL – A compact, tenkeyless design means no numpad; it saves space and reduces desk clutter – but offers a full-size gaming experience with 12 multimedia keys
PREMIUM DESIGN – A metal top plate readies your gaming keyboard for battle-hardened opponents – and gives your setup a sleek, professional look
TANK BUILD – Combined, the mechanical switches and metal top plate ready your keyboard for tough opponents, intense gaming sessions, and hours of use
LIGHT UP – Backlit, multicolour keys – with 20 colours and 6 colour modes – enable you to customise your keyboard to match your mood, playstyle – or anything else
Featuring over 50 levels of action, and a light upgrade system, Zeep must clench his metal fist, punch robots and move a serious amount of boxes in order to save the land.
In SteamWorld Build, you must escape a dying planet by building a mining town to dig up vital long-lost technology. Meet the ever-growing needs of your citizens, trade resources and defend your mine from the creatures that lurk below.
Ideal for use when travelling, it has 3 ports, delivering 65W of charge to up to 3 devices at the same time
Ugreen, the award-winning manufacturer of quality and affordable electronic accessories and consumer technology products has today announced the launch of its new 65W Nexode GaN USB-C 3 port wall charger. Perfect for use anywhere in the world, it comes with US, UK and EU plugs included which are easily switchable. With broad compatibility, it can easily charge up to 3 devices at the same time at high speeds.
The Ugreen 65W Nexode GaN Charger is available for £49.99/$55.99 on Amazon UK, Amazon US and the Ugreen website.
This re-release isn’t a re-master or remake – as the upcoming Gothic will be – but instead is a sort of lightly ‘touched-up’ version that adds full controller support, reduces – but doesn’t fully remove – loading times and has an improved UI. It does run at a mostly solid 60fps, which is a huge leap over the aforementioned Xbox 360 port, although probably level with the original PC version.
