PC Reviews

Nex Machina Review – Dodge, Dip, Dive, Duck and Dodge
PC Reviews

Nex Machina Review – Dodge, Dip, Dive, Duck and Dodge

Nex Machina, a collaboration between Housemarque (Resogun and Alienation) and legendary game developer Eugene Jarvis (massively famous for Defender, Robotron & NARC), is an explosive arcade experience that gives a strong nod towards the fun coin-op games I used to play down the arcades in the 80s/90s. As I patiently wait for the game to load I am greeted by the intro screen showing a machine of death, its eyes glowing on and off, red with power.  The retro arcade electronic music kicks in and I am prompted to press X to continue. Gameplay A list of game options presents itself and allows you to either experience arcade mode; an arena; or a single world.  A grin crosses my face as I see that local 2 player co-op is supported (I'm easily pleased as I seldom get to play on my own...
Dead By Daylight – Death Has Never Been Creepier
PC Reviews

Dead By Daylight – Death Has Never Been Creepier

Dead By Daylight is the latest asymmetric horror survival game out on the market. This one having been developed by Behaviour Interactive and published by Starbreeze Studios. With such a simplistic four versus one method the game takes on the hunter versus hunted gameplay head on. Gameplay Essentially the premise behind the game is you either play as a survivor or a hunter. As a survivor you have to fix up five generators scattered in random places through the seven locations. Each location being that where the hunters became killers. Fixing a generator involves standing in front of it holding down a specific button for a very long time. Or at least it feels that way. Every now and again you have to press another button which gives you experience points that can be later redeemed against...
Drifting Lands Review – A Nostalgic Return To The Shmup Era
PC Reviews

Drifting Lands Review – A Nostalgic Return To The Shmup Era

There ain’t nothing wrong with a little shmup and grind…or is there? Alkemi is a small french independent studio focused on creating original and polished games with a tendency to mix genres in unexpected ways. The main goal of the team : creating medium sized games with high production value, appealing to hardcore players but not exclusively. Story Drifting Lands takes place in the skies of a shattered planet. Centuries ago a huge cataclysm fragmented and froze this world in a state of partial disintegration. Powerful and mysterious gravitational anomalies keep the huge chunks of rock from drifting away in space or collapsing into a single body. The last floating continents fit for human civilization are controlled by big private corporations acting as totalitarian states. These so c...
Victor Vran: Overkill Edition Review – Wanderer, Adventurer, Hunter
PC Reviews

Victor Vran: Overkill Edition Review – Wanderer, Adventurer, Hunter

Victor Vran: Overkill Edition, developed by Haemimont Games and published by Wired Productions is an award winning isometric action RPG crawler that lets you take on hordes of demons and clever bosses as you battle through your adventure as Victor Vran. Originally made for PC, Victor Vran: Overkill Edition makes its debut on Playstation 4 & Xbox One.  Having been completely rebuilt from the ground up, the new improved version running at 60FPS includes two new expansions; Fractured Worlds and the head banging Motörhead: Through the Ages. “We’re delighted to finally bring Victor Vran to consoles, answering the call of many Victor fans,” said Gabriel Dobrev, CEO at Haemimont Games. “We are incredibly proud to have collaborated closely with Motörhead during the development of Mot...
Le Tour De France 2017 Review – Cycling Got Tactical
PC Reviews

Le Tour De France 2017 Review – Cycling Got Tactical

Le Tour de France 2017 is developed by Cyanide Studio and published by Focus Home Interactive and attempts to bring the excitement of the event to consoles. Having never played a Tour De France game before I was intrigued to see what the appeal was. I mean they release them pretty much every year so somebody is buying them somewhere. If you are unaware of this annual cycling event then you probably aren't reading this review, but for those of you who want to know, let's get stuck in. The Tour de France is an annual multiple stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally making passes through nearby countries. The race was first organized in 1903 to increase sales for the newspaper L'Auto; which is currently run by the Amaury Sport Organisation. The race has been held...
Renowned Explorers: The Emperor’s Challenge Review – Let’s Go Exploring!
PC Reviews

Renowned Explorers: The Emperor’s Challenge Review – Let’s Go Exploring!

Renowned Explorers, by Abbey Games, is a turn-based strategy adventure game available on PC.  Set in the 19th century,  you are in charge of putting together a team of explorers each with their own skills and traits in a global search to seek out legendary treasures. Following on from their successful launch back in September 2015, Abbey Games released their first expansion More to Explore in May 2016.  This included for two new expeditions and introduced a new gameplay mechanic whereby resting the crew around a campfire revealed crew back stories and the chance to gain upgrades.  The expansion had such a great response that a second expansion called The Emperor's Challenge was introduced a year later. The Emperor's Challenge expansion takes you and your team of explorers to the Far ...
The Town of Light Review – A Chill Down Your Spine!
PC Reviews

The Town of Light Review – A Chill Down Your Spine!

The Town of Light, by LKA.it and Wired Productions is a first person story driven game that tells the chilling tale of Renée as she returns to her former home, the Volterra Psychiatric Asylum located in Tuscany, Italy, where she had spent much of her youth.  Here Renée goes back to discover the secrets of her past and reveals the psychological, sexual and physical abuse that happened within her asylum. The Volterra Psychiatric Asylum has been inspired by real life Italian institutions that were shut down in the late 1970's due to the passing of an Italian law that instructed all asylums to immediately close and return civil rights back to patients.  As a result, the now derelict asylum is strewn with the haunting remnants of wards, operating theatres, kitchens and through the eyes o...
Rising Storm 2: Vietnam Review
PC Reviews

Rising Storm 2: Vietnam Review

1960’s music blaring – check. Helicopters – check. 64 player US versus Vietnamese matches on a variety of interesting and unique maps – CHECK. Rising Storm 2 puts you in the shoes of one a range of different soldiers and classes with the aim of battling it out in an unforgiving and hard-core FPS where team work and communication is vital. Gameplay Rising Storm 2 is a follow on PC only FPS title from the makers of Red Orchestra, a hard-core and challenging range of FPS titles which really does rely on good team work and not Call of Duty-esque run and gunning. With the choice of two battling sides, both equipped with a variety of different solider classes, you are tasked with finding a class suited to your play style and then either attacking or defending points from the onslaught ...
Crossout Review – Craft, Ride & Destroy!
PC Reviews

Crossout Review – Craft, Ride & Destroy!

Crossout, by Targem games in collaboration with Gaijinent Entertainment (the people behind War Thunder), is a thrilling free to play battle set in a post-apocalyptic world whereby you get to craft and drive your own vehicles into the arena.  The year is 2021 and a mysterious viral epidemic known as the "Crossout" has swept the planet killing or changing people into suicidal maniacs.  Those that are left on the planet conceal their mutated features and battle with one another for their survival. Gameplay My first impressions of Crossout was that of Mad Max meets Destruction Derby however there is a lot more going on than just driving around and bumping into other vehicles, oh no, you have guns, rockets, chainsaws, spikes and blades as well as a whole host of other vehicle stopping weapons...
Oh…Sir!! The Insult Simulator Review – Words Hurt
PC Reviews

Oh…Sir!! The Insult Simulator Review – Words Hurt

Oh...Sir!! The Insult Simulator has hit consoles, and with it comes insults so cutting that you will feel like a paper snowflake at Christmas by the time you are finished. The game is developed by Vile Monarch and published by Gambitious Digital Entertainment. Coming in at only ~350MB you would be entitled to think that this game was light on fun, and you would be wrong! So what exactly is Oh...Sir!! well its exactly what its title suggest, an insult simulator. You take the reigns of one of many characters, each with their own personalities and sore spots and head out on a short journey to insult people and defeat them. Gameplay Its straight forward 1v1 gameplay, set out like a fighting game with a health bar at the top of the screen. With a few games modes available including a tourn...