https://blackscreenrecords.com/dying-light-2
The original Dying Light - released by Techland in 2015 - is a game that I’m very familiar with, having completed it twice (once solo and once in co-op), as well as making my way through the DLC. I always secretly pined for a vinyl release of the OST for the original as the audio was memorable, harked back to the synthtastic ‘80s and had some gorgeous melodies.
Sadly, it was not to be and so Black Screen Records announcing pre-orders for the Dying Light 2 soundtrack within a few days of the game itself being launched is very much welcomed as it’s a very strong and emotive OST that Olivier Deriviere (A Plague Tale, Streets of Rage 4) is clearly very proud of, and rightly so.
There is so much choice now when deciding what to play next and there is also the question around should I buy my next game or should I join Game Pass?
Well, with Game Pass games changing on a regular basis it can be tough to try and work out exactly where you should get your next game from.
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| "Whilst driving through Bristol my car doors and associated bodywork fell off exposing just me and my driver's seat!" |
After recently spending a hundred million ice ages in cryogenic isolation following myself and my immediate family contracting Covid, we decided a family trip was in order to get back out into the world and spent a couple of days in Bristol.
Naturally, as part of the trip planning, I had a quick search for anything gamey-gamey in Bristol and came across the HOVG, and I’m glad I did – as we had an awesome afternoon there!
Kukoos is a 3D platformer that is a clear love letter to the classic 3D platformers that have come before it but also with enough of its own magic to really bring alive the genre again on this PC release.
Kukoos is currently in Early Access on Steam and I have been lucky enough to play the game after the devs fired over a copy a couple of weeks ago for us to take a look at.
The first part of Darkest Dungeon by Red Hook Studios appeared in 2016, becoming for many gamers a real revelation. It surprised literally with everything: stylish (albeit cartoonish) drawings, high complexity, and the abundance of random events that can affect the gameplay. My initial introduction to the game was on the PlayStation Vita. And it was one of the best games on Sony's dead handheld console! Neither microscopic fonts nor FPS sagging at the most dynamic moments was a hindrance.
It’s been a while since I used wired earphones/earbuds and – whilst the £19.99 RRP is fair, the Roccat Syn Buds Core highlight why I moved away from in-ear, noise-cancelling buds and towards over-ear / wireless versions. That said, these proved to be at their best when gaming whilst in a sedentary position.
As stated above, the Roccat Syn Buds Core come with on-wire controls and their own cloth case, very cool to include in your Switch case or to throw in your pocket as protection when on the move or possibly commuting through public transport.
Consequently, bullet hell is a genre I admire from a distance. Deep in my bones I know I’m never going to be good at it but I can appreciate what works and what doesn’t.
All of which brings me to indie dev Last Boss 88’s SHINORUBI, a new early access title “inspired by classic shooting games”. You know the drill, pick your ship and jump into a vertically scrolling battlefield teeming with enemies, power-ups and thousands of bullets. The developers promise “all the best aspects of Japanese bullet hell games” in super shiny Ultra HD.
When I previously covered Bitmap Books’ A Guide to Japanese Role-Playing Games (https://www.gamesfreezer.co.uk/2021/10/bitmap-books-guide-to-japanese-role.html) I felt quite certain that I had read the definitive ‘gaming book’.
It was so rich with information and so well-presented and researched that I couldn’t imagine it really being bettered. It was a pleasant surprise then, when receiving A Gremlin in the Works, as the book had a totally different and arguably bigger impact on me as I read through it.
It’s extremely early days, but following my time with the book, I can very much imagine this ending up in my year-end list for 2022…and it’s currently January.
Designs graphics and developing a crucial part in the product and gaming industry. In any case, to make a decent game, you want the right platform and devices.
This article will address the absolute best platforms for gaming application development.
You can check here to hire a game developer.
Any excited individual making portable applications will genuinely cherish and like these developers and tools, we are going to introduce.
Music by M.R. Miller
Released across multiple platforms in 2020, Stone Lantern Games’ Evergate tells the story of two kindred spirits named Ki and Ha, spirits that travel through memories of past lives; ranging from China in 1715 through to Alaska in 1838, England in 1942 and beyond – to New York in 2071. The accompanying triple album soundtrack is comprised of over two hours’ worth of music, re-telling the spirits’ tales of love, separation, breakup and reconciliation across not just time itself, but also the afterlife.
Delivery is expected from the end of February.
Based on the Andaseat Phantom 3 with smooth touch, scratch resistance, and stain resistance. DuraXtra™ premium PVC leather, the new Six Invitational 2022 Edition Gaming Chair from Anda Seat brings design, comfort, functionality and quality to e-sport fans.
The Six Invitational 2022 edition includes the Rainbow 6 Siege icons and features orange, green, red and blue arrows in a stylish design, sure to appeal to fans of the game.
Firaga Records and artist RoBTKA release high energy album ‘Needlemouse Mania’
Music label Firaga Records has just released its newest album inspired by everyone’s favourite blue hedgehog, Sonic.
With ten funky tracks to jam to, Needlemouse Mania from artist RoBKTA is the perfect soundtrack for Sonic the Hedgehog Fans.
Songs featured on the album include “Chemical Apex” from Sonic the Hedgehog 2, “Planet Wisp” from Sonic Colors and “Studiopolis” from Sonic Mania.
Two of the Gabriel Knight games are amazing, the 2nd one, in particular, is a beloved childhood memory (yes my parents didn’t seem to care about age ratings), I remember very fondly going through The Beast Within with my older brother and being obsessed with the word Schattenjaeger. Impressed with the FMV, it was a good time. What stops this series from getting any higher is the third game… it’s pretty much spent wandering around a very sunny French village, ostensibly hunting vampires and listening to a bored Tim Curry get sassed by a snooty French waiter. It is not as engaging as the previous entries.
Can I keep writing the words ‘near perfect’ or ‘special’ and truly mean it? When I say, ‘I would put this in my top 10 favourite games of all time’, is this just recency bias or do I genuinely think that this may be one of the most well-crafted games I've ever played?”
The more I've had to rewrite it and reflect on it, I keep thinking, “Yep, I do utterly adore it” and I genuinely think it may be one of the best gaming experiences I've ever had.
This is where I usually outline the plot, but all you really need to know is that you play as Neil Conrad, a grizzled member of the CDI investigating a recent murder, boom, done.
The less you know the better.
Hidden Deep is an atmospheric sci-fi action game heavily inspired by Aliens, The Thing, and Half-Life.
Explore, climb, swim, scan, blast and shoot your way through dangerous missions in a huge sub-oceanic mining and research facility. Fear the horrors that lurk below…
So let’s not beat around the bush: it delivers an absolutely godawful game of volleyball.
GameSir, a leading provider of innovative, high quality gaming peripherals is pleased to announce the Amazon availability its new VX2 AimBox.
Designed for use with multiple consoles, the VX2 AimBox improves on the previous VX AimBox with a built-in 3.5mm audio jack and PS5 games support. Like the original model, the VX2 features the most advanced technology for a keyboard and mouse adapter for PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch.
The GameSir VX2 AimBox is now available on Amazon.com for $49, Amazon UK for £42.49 and Amazon Canada for $65.99.
I first played Kingdoms of Amalur almost a decade ago, whilst I enjoyed it – I had expected something with a darker edge after learning of Todd McFarlane’s involvement, something with a more bite and personality. That said, it has often popped up in my mind over the years, and I occasionally felt the inkling that I should revisit the game without my initial prejudices, now knowing that the game was light in tone – I’d clearly approach the game more fairly and take more from the experience. Thus, when I was offered the DLC, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity – I’d get to dive back into the world of Amalur without replaying the base game, and so I began installing.
And thus began the mistake.
In Len's Island, you can build, fight, farm and explore. Experience your own path. Whether it's building the home of your dreams, tending to your crops and watching the sun go down; or exploring the mysteries of the Island and the darkness underneath, you may want to take a sword with you.
Lock on | Volume 002 | Q4 2021
Curl up on the sofa with this luxurious gaming journal as the Lost In Cult guys bring us another issue of this beautiful Lock On bookazine. After being blown away by the first instalment back in August 2021 I was sent the next piece of the Lock On story just before Christmas and have been working my way through the glorious writing and wonderful artwork over the last few weeks.
I’m glad to report to you that the journal is still delivering on all its early promise and vitally has retained that beautiful new paper smell that fell in love with in Issue 1!
(https://www.gamesfreezer.co.uk/2021/08/lock-on-gaming-journal-issue-1-luxury.html)
Transient: Extended Edition exists in a Cyberpunk/Blade Runner-Esque future, but tops off the sci-fi with a healthy dose of cosmic horror and interdimensional shenanigans.
The game comes to us from devs Stormling Studios and publisher Iceberg Interactive, who have a good line in Lovecraftian games, having released the Darkness Within series in the mid-2000s, as well as the well-received Conarium back in 2017.
The original Transient was released back in late 2020 and is presented here with the bells and whistles we've come to expect for re-releases on Xbox Series S and X, namely 4k and 60fps.
Now, back then, the sound effects and music in games was a tad basic, to say the least. Polyphonic it was not. The surround sound back then wasn’t 7.1 or even 5.1. It was barely 1.1.
But as sound quality in games improved and games spread online, there developed the need to be able to hear and be heard in high fidelity. But, Luddite and lazy as I am, I’d not really embraced what this meant for headsets. My TV has decent speakers, but nothing special, and my old Turtle Beach headset was fine. Wasn’t it?
After an hour or two with a HyperX Cloud Alpha headset, I can say emphatically, NO.
Earn money and collect loot to upgrade your abilities, outrun the deadly hot zone, and outwit or outlast all your opponents to have the Last Word!
It looked like nothing I had ever seen before, I was 5 years old - so pretty much everything looked new to me - but this game was so visually different from the games that we usually played, as an adult; I now know this was my first experience of cyberpunk - a genre and style I would come to love.
Beneath a Steel Sky was a game I had never revisited, the childlike wonder was still my only impression, that was until I got this to review; and after 26 years, I finally replayed it and boy did it stand up to my first impression, it’s simply amazing. So now after so many years, a sequel has arrived, could it capture the wonder of my youth or should it have stayed in the ‘90s?
A little history: The Forgotten City started out life as one of Skyrim’s many mods, and it was successful. So successful in fact that the developers took the idea, built upon it, and fleshed it out into the standalone game I’m reviewing today, creating a gloriously designed Greco-Roman city, replete with fantastically written characters, period-accurate architecture, and a central gameplay mechanic that is simultaneously clever, fun, and educational (yeah, I know – they don’t go together often).
I went into The Forgotten City completely blind, and I would recommend that you do the same. It’s hard to review a game like this one without some kind of spoilers, so if you’d like to get the absolute most out of it, stop reading after this statement: The Forgotten City is 8-10 hours of adventure mystery romp, driven by fantastically written and acted dialogue. Play it.
When I saw that Jandusoft were releasing Smoots Golf, I leapt at the chance to cover it without even looking at the trailer, as I’d had such a good time with Cards of the Dead – and I love to golf!
Point and click adventures always bring a smile to my face, they bring back strong memories of my youth, sitting next to my big bro and going through games like Monkey Island or Beneath a Steel Sky, it’s a genre that - when done well - really can create some wonderful and interesting games.
Whilst I didn’t have my big bro next to me this time, even flying solo this game really struck a chord with me.
The world of arcade machines seems vast and full of undiscovered gold. I’ll regularly be reading books or articles on the subject and come across a handful of games that I didn’t even know existed. Often, they are variations on a theme, but I’m always keen to find out every last morsel of information available – especially if they are side-scrolling brawlers, a genre which I am particularly drawn to for its visceral, button-hammering thrills.
Coin-Op: The Arcade Guide is clearly a book made with a real passion for the subject matter, and whilst there are some rough edges in terms of clunky sentences, typographical errors and a very busy visual design – there’s a compulsive thirst to the way that the author presents the work, this is best captured in the introductory text to each section of the book; a real desire for the reader to share the joy and reverence that Darren Doyle has for these releases and the memories tied to discovering and playing them.
And there lies the rub. In reviewing Skatebird, I find myself constantly wondering whether Tony ruined me for other men. Birds. Games. OK, it isn't a great analogy but, we are where we are.
A question put to Indiana Jones by a member of the Brotherhood of the Cruciform Sword while facing a boat propeller-induced nose job, and a pertinent question to ask yourself before launching 6Souls, a new pixel art action platformer thrust onto the gaming scene in December 2021.
