Platforms Available On: Xbox Series X/S and One, PS5/4 and PC.
Reviewed on PS5, a PS4 code was very kindly supplied for the purpose of this review.
Overview
As the sun sets on the last day of summer camp, the teenage counselors of Hackett’s Quarry throw a party to celebrate. No kids. No adults. No rules.
Things quickly take a turn for the worse.
Hunted by blood-drenched locals and something far more sinister, the teens’ party plans unravel into an unpredictable night of horror. Friendly banter and flirtations give way to life-or-death decisions, as relationships build or break under the strain of unimaginable choices.
Play as each of the nine camp counselors in a thrilling cinematic tale, where every decision shapes your unique story from a tangled web of possibilities. Any character can be the star of the show—or die before daylight comes.
How will your story unfold?
YOUR STORY, THEIR FATE Will you dare to check what’s behind that trap door? Will you investigate the screams echoing from within the forest? Will you save your friends or desperately run for your life? Every choice, big or small, shapes your story and determines who lives to tell the tale.
A STUNNING CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE Cutting edge facial capture and filmic lighting techniques, combined with incredible performances from an iconic ensemble cast of Hollywood talent, bring the horrors of Hackett’s Quarry to life in a pulse-pounding, cinematic thrill ride.
ENJOY THE FRIGHT WITH FRIENDS Place your faith in up to 7 friends in online play*, where invited players watch along and vote on key decisions, creating a story shaped by the whole group! Or, play together in a party horror couch co-op experience where each player picks a counselor and controls their actions.
CUSTOMIZE YOUR EXPERIENCE Adjustable difficulty for all gameplay elements let players of any skill level enjoy the horror. And if you prefer to watch rather than play, Movie Mode lets you enjoy The Quarry as a binge-worthy cinematic thriller. Select how you want the story to unfold, kick back, and munch on some popcorn in between all the screams!
Overview taken from the official game description on the Playstation Store.
Review
Lately there seems to be an influx of horror games on the games market and to be fair they are mostly much of a muchness, The Quarry however seems to break the norm and try to do something a bit more unique. The Quarry is a mix of your normal horror adventure mixed with an FMV title, basically the graphics are good enough to make it look like you are watching a film rather than playing a game mix that with the impressive actor line up along with incredible likenesses it’s definitely a story you can become invested in.
The bulk of the game is mainly you watching a cutscene and then making a choice that determines the path of the game story which gives the story play through a unique feel as each play through will be different depending on the choices you make. The story is centering around nine camp counselors who get stranded in the woods for one more night at the end of the summer full of memories and fun times, but is it going to prove one night too far? The game feels just like a teen horror film and fans of this strand of horror genre will feel right at home.
Normally I would say a game that is cut scene heavy is a bit of a turn off for me as it’s quick to lose interest, however with The Quarry with the power being firmly in the hands of the gamer there is a lot more interest within the story keeping you at times on the edge of your seat and at other times firmly hiding behind that seat. You don’t play as a single character but spend portions of each part playing as each character as you build the story through your own path. As you watch the cutscene you are given a window of time to make a choice if the time passes then the choice is made for you.
The game does have multiplayer modes, first you have the couch co-op mode which works a little different to what you may be used to as you use the one controller and pass round the controller depending on which character your friend is assigned to. The other mode is the online mulitplayer “Wolfpack” mode, for this mode you need to make sure that your friends are all on the same system or on PC with each player having a copy of the game. The host can invite up to seven additional players to join them, but what is different here is the additional players don’t take on the roles of the other characters they become the directors and the fate of the story is in their hands as they make all the decisions for you, working on a voting system where the decision with the most votes wins, a little different to most co-op games but it works well.
The Movie mode is something that could be of interest to some gamers which basically gives you a bit of a smoother flow albeit a slightly watered down version in terms of the content, allowing you to sit back and enjoy the game as a movie if you so wish, this mode is locked in the standard game until you’ve completed the main story or if you purchase the Deluxe version it is unlocked from the off.
The immersive nature of the game is like no other horror game I’ve played and I really feel that was a big strength for the game along with the strong leading cast it really gives that different level of authenticity and level of immersion. All in all if you like the teen horror genre then you’ll definitely be at home playing this.
Graphics and Sound
The graphics of The Quarry are definitely it’s strength, the game worlds are incredibly detailed and authentic and the character likenesses are very good and definitely look like the people they are supposed to be portraying, the developers have done a great job enlisting big names such as David Arquette and Ted Raimi along with many others putting their names and their likenesses to the game this really gives the game a greater strength. Even allowing the fact that I was playing the PS4 version on the PS5 the graphics were still very high quality
Similar to the graphics the sounds of the game are great, the soundtrack is great and works well with the overall atmosphere of the game. The voice acting is incredible using the big name voice acting works well at giving the game that authentic feel and almost feels “Hollywood”.
Summary
Time now then to put my thoughts into a summary, overall I was pretty much taken back by the scale of graphics of the game even though I was playing a last gen version the graphics were still great on this gen, the immersion of the game got me straight away and I was invested from the off. I’m not one that keeps going back to story games as once it’s done then it’s pretty much done but I am intrigued enough to play through it again and try a different configuration of choices to see the difference in the game. If you like teen horror or looking for a bit of a different title then seriously look this one up.
Verdict – Out of 5⭐
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Excellent
I give The Quarry a top marks score of 5⭐ cinematic visuals with an immersive story, the interactive side I really enjoyed and felt it gave a more rounded experience.
Grab your copy of The Quarry on PS5/4 now click here
Platforms Available On: Xbox Series X/S and One, PS5/4, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Reviewed on Xbox Series X, a code was very kindly supplied for the purpose of this review.
Overview
Milo arrives on Earth to find that he’s way too small, everybody’s gone and a day hasn’t passed since 1991! Team up with the mysterious tinykin and use their unique powers to create ladders, bridges, explosions and a lot more! Find a way home through a sprawling ant-sized metropolis, and unravel Earth’s biggest mystery!
-Explore cities of ants, beetles and other insects built inside of a giant house -Meet characters everywhere you go and learn their stories and history -Catch over a hundred tinykin in each city, and use their special abilities to climb higher, break down doors and solve the city’s problems! -Skateboard around on Milo’s tiny soap-board! Jump, grind and hover around the house -Collect upgrades to improve Milo’s bubble-pack, build out the Ardwin Museum and complete Ridmi’s mysterious machine!
Overview taken from the official game description on the Xbox marketplace.
Review
Cast your mind back to the late 80s (if you’re an 80s kid like me) there was a film out Honey I Shrunk The Kids (one of my favourite ever films) where a mad cap inventor manages to shrink his kids, well fast forward a few decades and here I am still wondering what it would be like to be that small. Tinykin is a game where you play as Milo who has landed on Earth, but everyone is gone, vanished without a trace so it’s down to you to find out why with the help of the ever inventive tinykin, a very helpful breed of aliens similar to lemmings happy to work together to get where they need to.
You need to navigate the surroundings of a modern two-storey house, pretty simple for most normal folk but those who happen to be the size of an ant this can become a perilous task but with the help of the tinykin working together with you making the impossible more or less possible – albeit slightly challenging but this is supposed to be a game don’t forget.
You work around the game area collecting eggs as you go these in turn produce tinykin and the more of these little beings you get to utilise witha set amount available in each room in the game, from throwing to stacking all to the benefit of you. This game is purely a puzzle solver there is no combat whatsoever which means you must use your brain over power to achieve the goal. The puzzles are tricky but not to the point of distraction it’s more a case of knowing how to utilise the tinykin and when.
The overall game is a good mix of puzzling elements and exploration with you utilising your skills and knowledge of what is around you to your benefit. The game itself is vast and will keep you entertained for a good while, there is alot going on that will keep you engaged throughout.
Graphics and Sound
The graphic style of Tinykin is good, the developers have gone for a more cartoon style that really fits the overall feel of the game. The game world is very well created and looks really good especially when you are moving about the house in such larger scale.
The soundtrack of the game is good and does the job of adding more depth to the enjoyment of the game. The in game sounds are good, there’s no voice acting of note it’s more of a muffled noise but still quite fun.
Summary
Time now then to put my thoughts into a summary, overall I felt the game did what it sets out to do and that’s be an indepth puzzler/platformer that focuses on the fun experience for the players. I enjoyed the exploration aspect and was spellbounded by the scale of what was before me. I would definitely recommend the game to anyone who’s after a bit of a fun title to play through.
Verdict-Out of 5🌟
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Good
I give Tinykin a good score of 4🌟 a good overall fun title with plenty to do.
Platforms Available On: Xbox One, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.
Reviewed on Xbox Series X (via backwards compatibility), a code was very kindly supplied for the purpose of this review.
Overview
The alien invaders are everywhere, attacking everything and everyone! And when they die, the life-force they leave behind is an ultra-incredible energy source! Is there any hope?
Meet the Chenso Club: a growing group of fighters here to save the world. They’re using the aliens’ life-force to power up and beat them at their own game. Don’t let their adorable nature fool you – they will happily and brutally obliterate any threat that gets in their way.
Our heroines want any excuse to use their newfound powers. It’s up to you to master their moves, increase their power and show the world the might of the Chenso Club.
Master the girls’ moves, kick your reflexes into high gear, and battle your way through randomized stages to obliterate aliens.
Play solo or indulge the Chenso girls’ competitive nature with couch co-op.
Power up your heroine by sacrificing your health in shops and events.
Experience various fast paced and fun bonus levels and events!
Overview taken from the official game description on the Xbox marketplace.
Review
When you think of retro fighting platformers you think of awesome fighting, explosions, alien invasions and all out fun, well you don’t have to cast your mind back that far anymore as Chenso Club is that game, full of over the top fighting alien defeating action. You play as the Chenso Club: a growing group of badass fighters with the most important job of saving the planet from the impending invasion.
Think of a simplistic fighting mechanic and you’ll be on the right track, the combat mechanics are relatively straight forward with a strike to attack formula, proven to work for years in the various fighting platformers before it so this would be an ideal formula to copy. As you progress through the levels the difficulty of enemies goes up which increases the challenge, with the game’s difficulty increasing at a steady pace it feels like a real comfortable game to play and you really get a sense of enjoyment out of playing it.
The different characters are fun with each having their own unique abilities to get used to, my favourite character to use was Carmine with his hammer, easily taking out enemies with heavy blows when it comes to choosing between strength and speed I’ll always go for all out power.
The strength of the game comes in it’s co-op gameplay, this type of game is just made for this getting your mates together and taking taking out the alien onslaught. The co-op connection is seamless making it so easy to get into the game, you can play solo and it’s still alot of fun but the game comes into it’s own in co-op mode.
Overall I really enjoyed playing through Chenso Club giving me all retro vibes taking me right back to childhood, it does get a little samey after a while but overall a good bit of quick fire fun.
Graphics and Sound
The graphics of Chenso Club are full on pixelated goodness in all it’s retro styled glory which is exactly how you would want to play this style of game, polished modern platformers just don’t feel the same to me.
The soundtrack of the game is punchy and fun which really matches the overall feel of the game, in game the sound effects are great and really sound authentic which gives the game that true retro feel.
Summary
Time now then for me to put my thoughts into a summary, overall I found Chenso Club to be a good bit of retro fun, the mechanics are fun and easy to get to grips with if you’re into retro games or tempted to give it a try I would definitely recommend this.
Verdict-Out of 5🌟
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Good
I give Chenso Club a good rating of 4🌟 a good bit of retro fun.
Grab your copy of Chenso Club on Xbox now click here
Platforms Available On: Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series X/S and One and PC.
Reviewed on Xbox Series X – a code was very kindly supplied for the purpose of this review.
Overview
Grapple Dog is an exhilarating 2D pixel art platformer. Use your awesome grappling hook to clear tricky challenges as Pablo, the Grapple Dog! Exhilarating action – Jumping! Swinging! Collecting gems! Dogs! Grapples! Driving a little boat around! And most exciting of all, dog petting!
6 colorful worlds – Sail across the map to explore 6 worlds, featuring 33 levels filled with hidden collectibles to find, secret areas to investigate, spectacular boss battles to overcome, and bonus levels to master
Go, go, Grapple Dog! – A lighthearted adventure with tons of fun characters, you play as Pablo, the Grapple Dog! Sail with your merry band of fearless adventurers on your quest to stop the robotic overlord Nul from destroying the world
Overview taken from the official game description on the Xbox marketplace.
Review
A while ago I was lucky to have the chance to review Grapple Dog on Nintendo Switch – see the review here – if you need a more indepth review you can check that out, in this review I will be looking at the Xbox version and comparing my thoughts on both.
Grapple Dog is a retro 2D platformer, you take control of Pablo and his grapple hook as you work through the levels overcoming various challenges using your agility to get your way through them. In this game speed and agility is definitely the order of the day as you defeat enemies as you take down evil overlord Nul.
I did really enjoy the game on Nintendo Switch, on the Xbox I carried on with that enjoyment the game itself plays the same but with the Xbox Series X being a more powerful system it did feel a little smoother and looked slick and definitely think that fans of retro games on the Xbox system will enjoy this.
Out of the two games I think I’m edging more towards the Switch but that is really a personal preference as I love playing retro games on that system, it gives me old school GameGear vibes, but a professional opinion there is very little between the two and think it will just come down to whichever platform you prefer.
Graphics and Sound
I love the retro styling of Grapple Dog, it isn’t a cinematic marvel but it doesn’t need to be the emphasis of this game is more on the gameplay itself and that is the fun part. The pixelated graphic style is very well put together and really works to give it a traditional feel.
The soundtrack of the game gives a full retro feel to the game and feels authentic, there isn’t any voice acting as such in the game more a case of muffled sounds but that doesn’t effect the overall feeling of the game.
Summary
Time now then to put my thoughts into a summary, overall I really enjoyed the retro feeling of Grapple Dog, I felt the game gave a true authentic retro experience and felt slick running on next gen consoles.
Verdict-Out of 5🌟
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Good
I give Grapple Dog on Xbox a good rating of 4🌟 an authentic retro experience that feels slick on the Xbox.
Grab your copy of Grapple Dog on Xbox now click here
Reviewed on PC via Steam, a code was very kindly supplied for the purpose of this review.
Overview
Crossfire: Legion is a real time strategy game featuring tactical action in furious battles across a shattered version of the near future. Raise and customize your army to engage in intense online combat and carve your own path as you rise through the ranks. It’s a new generation of warfare.
Overview taken from the official Steam game description.
Review
You’ll probably know by now I love anything related to war and also love tabletop gaming, so RTS games really interest me as it feels like you’re playing a table top game on the PC screen – saves all the messing about having to tidy everything away.
Crossfire: Legion is an RTS game based in the near future of the Crossfire universe, where society is crumbling. You’ll fight between daunting skyscrapers, dig into a bayou and infiltrate heavily defended military bases as you get to know the main characters and goals of all three rival factions. The world is yours to conquer in this narrative-driven campaign full of over the top action and explosions, straight out of Jason Statham’s finest.
Customise your squadron as you plan you strategic attack exposing your enemy’s weaknesses and exploiting them. Plan out intense fire fights with your different units ploughing through the battling enemy and keeping them on the back foot. The game is built up of 3 factions the mercenary Global Risk, break away group Black List and the mysterious New Horizon, the first of the missions focuses on the New Horizon faction as you work your strategic way through the post apocalyptic landscape.
Use your best strategies to ascend the multi-player leader boards and take over your friends from around the world. Use the unique replay system to review your last battles and learn how to improve your strategic approaches.
This game is definitely giving me Command and Conquer vibes and that certainly isn’t a bad thing at all as I loved that series with it’s realistic gameplay – albeit in a sci-fi setting. Crossfire takes this formula and takes it into the not so distant future giving it more of a realistic and gritty edge, the campaign is heavily story orientated with some stunning cutscenes that really add to the immersive feeling of the game.
The campaign itself isn’t massive and does feel a little short however I did enjoy the play through and will continue to do so as it definitely has a replayability feel to it, yes it does feel like a generic rts and it’s not reinventing the wheel anytime soon but then it doesn’t claim to do that, the game definitely has enough content to keep me going and entertained throughout giving me a bit of an action movie feel to it, so grab the beers and pizza and dive in.
Graphics and Sound
I found the soundtrack was really good and felt it went well with the overall feel of the game adding more of an atmospheric feel to the overall gameplay.
In terms of graphics the game looks really good and felt the game worlds were really detailed and looked great giving the authentic feel to the game.
Summary
Time now then to put my thoughts into a summary, although the game does feel a little generic in terms of game content it does give you a great action packed experience and I certainly enjoyed playing through the game, I would say this is more of a beer and pizza type of game rather than a hardcore style bit that really suits my style so I’m more than OK with that.
Verdict-Out of 5🌟
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Good
I give Crossfire:Legion a good score of 4🌟 not groundbreaking but an allround decent game to play through with a few beers and a bit of pizza.
Grab your copy of Crossfire: Legion on Steam now click here
Platforms Available On: Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and Nintendo Switch.
Reviewed on PS5, a code was very kindly supplied for the purpose of this review.
Overview
Welcome to a new era of dance with Just Dance® 2023 Edition! For the first time ever, dance to BTS with “Dynamite” and other top chart hits! Now with personalization, 3D immersive worlds, and new songs and modes year-round,* you can experience a never-ending dance party all year long!
• New user interface: Thanks to a new, more modern, and intuitive user interface, everything is one click away: playlists, game modes, and songs! More time dancing, less time searching!
• Personalized experiences: Get a personalized experience with custom-made sessions and songs tailored to your preferences and playing habits. Also keep track of your progress on your account and keep tab of your scores! Just Dance 2023 Edition includes a one-month free trial of Just Dance®+
*Additional content made available on a rolling basis for a limited time during the 12 months following launch of the game; download required.
**Just Dance+is a streaming service, playable via Just Dance® 2023 Edition, that grants access to additional songs. Terms and conditions apply. Requires the connection to a Ubisoft Account (13[PLUS]), permanent internet access and the payment of a fee. Auto-renewal may be activated during the purchase.
Age and territorial restrictions may apply. Applicable platform account and platform subscription (sold separately) required. Persistent internet connection and Ubisoft account required.
Overview taken from PlayStation marketplace game description.
Review
Around this time of year (festive season) party games are at the forefront of people’s minds as many people begin to plan mass get togethers of family and friends, with party games providing the perfect slice of entertainment for the more serious performers but also the more shall we say drunken performers (I’m most definitely part of the latter).
Thanks to modern technology and the progression of smart phones it is now easier than ever to connect to the game, the last few titles in the series has had theaccompanying smart phone app where you can connect as a controller allowing your smooth dance moves to be monitored on screen and making it far easier to allow others to connect to the game.
All the latest chart hits are available for you to break some shapes too, including Harry Style’s smash “As it Was” and child favourite “Baby Shark” making it the perfect family fun title with many other titles available for all levels of dance experience. There are loads more tracks available through the new Just Dance+ service, a new subscription based system (available as an add on) which adds new tracks throughout the year giving you way more content for the game.
Thanks to the all new menu interface the menus feel smoother and gives an overall slicker experience to the game allowing the gamer just to focus on having fun. You can make things a bit more personal by making your own playlist picking your favourites enabling you to focus your skills on the different modes available. Whether you wish to play solo or with friends this game is bundles of fun (it’s far better with friends) choose either online or couch co-op it’s all there for you to choose.
Graphics and Sound
The graphics of Just Dance 23 are good, the menus are vibrant and so easy to navigate unfortunately no official videos but the visuals in game are really good and add to the fun party feel of the game. The avatars are good fun, I would’ve maybe liked a little more in terms of real videos in the gameplay but on the whole can’t fault the visuals at all.
In terms of sounds the game’s soundtrack is great with lots of hits coming with the game and others available via Just Dance+ making the game feel authentic and relatable to the gamers it’s made for making the overall experience enjoyable. Yes the game is made for the more casual gamers out there but the graphics and sounds work perfectly well together to give an authentic fun time feeling game.
Summary
Time now then to put my thoughts into a summary, overall the game just screams out fun perfect for that new year bash, get a few drinks in you and dance like no ones watching and see the new year in in style, on the flip side the game isn’t just drunken fun (although it’s perfect for it) get the family together of all ages and just have fun, you really won’t be disappointed.
Verdict-Out of 5🌟
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Excellent
I give Just Dance 2023 an excellent score of 5🌟 the game just screams out fun, perfect for the best new years bash ever.
Grab your copy of Just Dance 2023 on PS5 now click here
Platforms Available On: Xbox Series X/S and One, PS5/4 and Nintendo Switch.
Reviewed on Xbox Series X, a code was very kindly supplied for the purpose of this review.
Overview
Turn your living room into a stage with Let’s Sing! Perform alone or grab a friend for a duet or friendly vocal challenge in both online and offline game modes. Have fun with the Let’s Party mode where you can harmonize with up to eight singers or climb to the top of the worldwide online leaderboards. Perform some of your favorite new songs as well as older classics from the new song selection featuring 30 exciting and popular tracks.
Take the stage with current smash hits like “Bad Habits” by Ed Sheeran, “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X ft. Billy Ray Cyrus, “Happier Than Ever” by Billie Eilish or “Butter” by BTS. If you’re looking for something a little more old-school, rock out to one of these classics: “Complicated” by Avril Lavigne, “Get The Party Started” by P!nk or “I Want To Break Free” by Queen.
Taken from Xbox game description
Review
At this time of year it’s the perfect time to get together with loved ones and friends and have a good giggle, the game I feel is perfect for this is Let’s Sing 2023 this years incarnation of the popular karaoke game.
Similar to last year they haven’t reinvented the wheel, just gave the wheel a bit of a spit and polish. For me Let’s Sing is a little bit like the karaoke version of fifa games – nothing major changes year on year just a bit of a content update and a bit of an overhaul of the gameplay to make sure it’s running smoothly.
Get ready to sing your heart out, or in my case at least try your best from a choice of 30 of the most popular hits all there to be murdered, sorry I meant performed all in a slick manner thanks to the updated “Let’s Sing” app that enables you to once again use your smartphone as your microphone eliminating the need for a compatible microphone (unless you already have one) which also makes connecting additional handsets easy too – so even Grannie can smash out a classic or two!!
I find these games are great for a little light hearted relief or great for parties but you can also take it seriously with the online multiplayer mode and see if you can be the best singer on the leaderboard, but for me on the whole I like the aspect of it that I can just have fun blasting out my favourite classics in my own home – “I want to break free” by Queen was a belter to sing!(not sure my neighbours would agree)
Although the game is great fun to play alone essentially it is more of a party style game which means it is more geared towards social gameplay, dueting with a friend is good but the best way is competive so you can go up against your friend and see who really has the X Factor.
If you’re looking for a completely new game in Let’s Sing 2023 then you’ll probably be disappointed as nothing much has changed from 22, but look at it from another viewpoint “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” would come to mind meaning you probably didn’t need to change much to keep the game as entertaining as the previous ones. The refresh of title choice keeps the game relevant although to be fair I went straight to the classics and pretty much stayed with them.
Graphics and Sound
In terms of graphics Let’s Sing 2023 is very well presented with the official music videos playing the backround and the words and timing clearly move across the screen. The devs have kept the cartoon avatar characters which keeps the game looking fun and feeling fun for all the family.
I mean the soundtrack is basically a jukebox with a brilliant selection and the colours are bright and bold which make them pop on the screen, appeals to the eye aswell as the ears.
Summary
Time then to put my thoughts into a summary, not a massive update to the game overall but still a great refresh of the title. If you are looking for a party game for the festive season then Let’s Sing 2023 is definitely one worth looking at with songs for all tastes and ages you won’t go wrong.
Verdict-Out of 5🌟
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Good
I give Let’s Sing 2023 a good score of 4🌟 a decent refresh to the title could have had more of an update but on the whole still enjoyed the experience. Definitely recommend for the festive get togethers.
Grab your copy of Let’s Sing 2023 on Xbox now click here
Reviewed on PC, a code was very kindly supplied for the purpose of this preview.
Overview
Ripout is an online Co-Op horror FPS that will have players fight their way through procedurally generated derelict ships filled with mutants capable of reconfiguring their alien bodies. Survive with your trusty Pet Gun companion, collect loot, and customize your character to fit your playstyle.
Quote taken from Steam game description.
Review
FPS games are my favourite genre of game to play, with the influx of horror games into the genre lately a new title has appeared in the shape of Ripout a kind of Doom/Dead Space lovechild with a strange animal gun type thing which is incidentally awesome, an atmospheric co-op horror shooter that will most definitely keep you on your toes.
The controls took a little to get used to but I think that was more down to me being a controller player so not really used to keyboard and mouse, but once you do get into the controls the game does feel pretty fluid as you explore the derelict ships. With this being a horror game there are jumps scares in bucket loads and it’s best to play it with headphones (or not if you’re scared easily) as you hear footsteps around you,kind of handy to defend on coming attacks before they happen if you can.
As you work your way round the derelict ships taking you deeper into the game you come across enemies of differing challenges, be aware these enemies can attach those smaller creatures to themselves to enhance their own abilities, but the part that makes the hair stand up on your neck is the sound of footsteps, when you’re moving around with little to no light hearing those sounds flips your anxiety levels and has you spinning around trying to find where the sound is coming from.
The game is punishing in the way if you die you go back to the beginning, can be frustrating but also in one way you could say it makes the game that little bit more interesting. The length of the game is good and certainly big enough to keep you entertained without getting bored. A welcome addition to the game is the co-op mode giving you the option slay aliens with your mates, I mean what could be better?
Now I’d say go into this game with an opened mind, if you’re going into it thinking you’re playing a top end AAA title you may well be disappointed but if you are looking for a decent horror shooter with plenty of jump scares on offer then you’ll be happy playing this title.
Graphics and Sound
In terms of graphics I wasn’t expecting much but I was pleasantly surprised, the looked good and ran well with little to no lag at all. I really enjoyed the dark atmospheric gameplay giving a nod to horror films of old such as Alien (which I’m a huge fan of) the characters looked good and scary enough to have the desired effect (yes I jumped …. alot).
The soundtrack was good and added to the overall atmosphere of the game. The in game sound effects were great I particularly liked the footstep sound effect I really thought that elevated the atmosphere and gave it an authentic feel.
Summary
Time now then to put my thoughts into a summary, a good overall game with an dark atmospheric vibe, if you like games such as Doom and Dead Space then give this a look it’s not a rip off of those games but certainly a tribute.
Verdict-Out of 5🌟
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Good
I give Ripout a good score of 4🌟 an all round enjoyable horror experience a welcome addition to the genre.
Wishlist your copy of Ripout on Steam now click here
With 5 new playable Eternal Wells to conquer and 5 scary skins to unlock, Kao The Kangaroo’s Oh! Well DLC pack is the perfect way to get ready for a scare.
Guide Kao through new challenges set to test his skills. Jump, punch, climb and slide in this brand new playable content pack. There’s a host of fearsome new drip added to Kao’s closet. Look the part with 5 new outfits to unlock, tailor made to strike fear into the hearts of Kao’s enemies… and friends and family!
Taken from Xbox marketplace game description.
Review
A while ago I was lucky enough to take a look as the return of Kao the Kangeroo (see my Review here).
When you see a dlc expansion you always hope it actually adds additional content to the main game otherwise it just becomes a costly add-on, Oh Well definitely is an add-on rather than an expansion adding extra zones to explore and extra cosmetics to brighten up Kao rather than full on worlds to explore.
The 5 different zones or “Eternal Wells” available all add it’s unique scary adventure although the expansion is more additional content rather than an actual expansion of the game think of this as more of an addition, but personally I don’t think this is a potentially bad thing as it adds a bit more interest into the game especially if you have started to become tired exploring the base game.
The spooky purple zones have opened up offering a unique twisted adventure with a similar threat awaiting you, the baddies you come across are similar to what you come across within the main game but with a spooky face-lift adding a bit more fun to the game. Each zone offers it’s own challenge whether it be traversing platforms or sliding down treacherous ice flumes all differing in challenge levels, the unforgiving part is failure takes you right back to the beginning so you may not want to fail!
As I previously said there are some cosmetics in the pack too, with magician’s hat, pumpkin head and unicorn horn probably some of the best looking but being purely cosmetic there isn’t any advantage to the game so purely just there to change it up a bit.
Summary
Time then to put my thoughts into a summary, the dlc Oh Well doesn’t change the game or blow you away but certainly does make the game a little bit more fun and might even reignite your interest in the game.
Verdict-Out of 5🌟
🌟🌟🌟
Good
I give Oh Well DLC a god score of 3🌟 it won’t change the world but worth grabbing if you want to refresh your game a little.
Platforms Available On: Xbox, PS4, PC and Nintendo Switch.
Reviewed on Xbox Series X (via backwards compatibility) – a code was very kindly supplied for the purpose of this review.
Overview
Family Man is a dark, story-led RPG that asks the question: When pushed to the limits of your own morality, how far would you go for the sake of your family?
You owe money to the mob, and you’ve got three weeks to pay it back. Will you flip burgers and earn an honest living while scraping the money together… or will you take on some dirty jobs for more cash, but potentially push your family away?
Every decision you make affects everyone around you. The neighborhood will blossom or perish under the weight of your decisions, while the path you choose may lead to your household becoming stronger than ever… or the breakdown of your marriage and relationship with your child.
Overview taken from Xbox Marketplace game description.
Review
I love anything gangster or mafia related played the games, read the books and watched the films, I really enjoy playing the games from theme as it allows you to delve deep inside the “gangster” life letting you get involved in all the bad things but in a completely legal way.
Family Man definitely ticks the box in terms of content with it’s gritty story and violent action it’s definitely a game you can sink your teeth into. The decisions you make throughout the game determines the path you take. The game starts of pretty run of the mill as you go about your daily business to the best you can, your good friend Bobby has a plan “an easy job” that will solve all the money worries, I mean what could go wrong?
Well everything and so the meat of the game begins as after a series of unfortunate events you are now endebted to the mafia and we know they’re not the best people to owe money to, this forms the main emphasis of the game as you need to get the money back doing any job you can some being slightly less legal than others.
Although there are some lose framework to work with you are pretty much incontrol of the game and you decide what to do and when but this causes a spinning plate effect as you keep the family life and mob bosses happy, highlighting how far a husband will go for his family.
The story itself is long enough to keep you engaged but also gives the replayability feel as you can replay the game and make different choices potentially giving you a different game, for all it’s simplicity it feels a really immersive game.
Graphics and Sound
The developers have gone for a more simple look to the game, it almost looks like a Roblox game giving the gamer a full on retro feel, the pixelated blood splats are amazing. The game worlds carry on with the simplistic vibes with every thing flowing well on the Xbox I had no issue with glitching or lags.
The soundtrack of the game is pretty chilled and works well with the overall game. Unfortunately there are no voice acting all the dialogue is made through subtitles on the screen when you interact with different characters.
Summary
Time now then to put my thoughts into a summary, overall I felt the game flowed well and the story was good I especially liked the aspect of the gamer being in control of the character’s destiny. As a single player the game works well maybe an inclusion of a multiplayer option like a team deathmatch mode would be cool at some point, but on the whole I liked the game.
Verdict-Out of 5🌟
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Good
I give Family Man a good score of 4🌟 a good retro feel game with a deep story, would definitely recommend if you like mafia stories.
Grab your copy of Family Man on Xbox now click here
Dave Chats Games 