Previews & Early Access

Cranked Up Early Access Review – Rolling Around

3Jun

By KevinNo Comments

Cranked Up Early Access Review – Rolling Around

BBlack Studios bring us Cranked Up, the mesmerising adventure of a doughnut trying to get dunked into coffee. If that isn't enough to sell a game, then I dunno what is. Actually in hindsight, I don't like coffee, but I'm all over the sugary goodness that is doughnuts. So I decided to pop to the local doughnut shop and stock up for the adventure of a lifetime, and probably gain a pound or two as well. Gameplay I honestly do'nut know where to start with this. Cranked Up has left me in a little bit of a state if I'm honest. I kind of feel like I took a lot of acid before I had sweet cravings and the result may just have been the inspiration for this game. After several hours of phone-based therapy at huge cost I feel like I am now human enough to continue. Fortunately there is a tuto...

26May

By CraigNo Comments

PC Reviews, Previews & Early Access

Paradise Killer – Trouble In Paradise

It's not often I get to take a look at pre-alpha builds of games, so it's not really one of my strong suits to critique a game that's so early in its development. But when I was given the opportunity to look at Paradise Killer, I was instantly intrigued by its weird aesthetic and its detective-driven mystery-solving gameplay. I felt like it would be an interesting puzzle to solve. With that in mind, I set out on the timed demo build to see how far I could get. The following write-up is based entirely on an early pre-release build of the game that could be subject to major changes. Gameplay Paradise Killer is a whodunit murder mystery game, set on a strange island inhabited by gods. There have been many iterations of the island. It is destroyed and remade. Each iteration of the island is ...

Arcade Tycoon Preview – Come Push The Buttons

28Feb

By CraigNo Comments

PC Reviews, Previews & Early Access

Arcade Tycoon Preview – Come Push The Buttons

Developed by Squidpunch Studios, Arcade Tycoon is an Early Access management sim in which you take control of and maintain an arcade. I'm not usually one to look at early access games for review, however, lately I've been curious about giving this type of a game a try, so what better opportunity than to take one for a review spin. Arcade Tycoon released on Steam's Early Access program back in September and it was pretty bare-bones at the time, So I figured I would give the devs the chance to put some more content into it before I tackled the write-up. So let's get in and see where it's at right now. Gameplay Arcade Tycoon has a very simple gameplay model. It is a management simulator set in an arcade. You start the campaign by selecting a building, then start purchasing arcade machines i...

Warcraft 3: Reforged Review – Humans and Orcs And Undead

14Feb

By CraigNo Comments

PC Reviews, Previews & Early Access

Warcraft 3: Reforged Review – Humans and Orcs And Undead

Way way back in the distant year of 2002, Blizzard Entertainment launched the third instalment to the genre-defining Warcraft franchise. Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos released to both critical and commercial success, selling over one million copies by summer of 2006. The expansion, The Frozen Throne came out just a year after the original game, again, to amazing success. Fast forward to 2020, and Blizzard Entertainment remastered and re-released Warcraft 3 as Warcraft 3: Reforged. Let's jump in and see how Blizzard has done, remastering one of their greatest games. Gameplay Warcraft 3: Reforged is a high fantasy-set real-time strategy game. Taking place in the fictional world of Azeroth, Warcraft 3: Reforged follows the story of several different heroes from different factions. Warcraft 3: ...

Nanotale: Typing Chronicles Preview – Casting The Spell

13Nov

By KevynNo Comments

PC Reviews, Previews & Early Access

Nanotale: Typing Chronicles Preview – Casting The Spell

Introduction Early access title Nanotale: Typing Chronicles developed by Fishing Cactus and published by Fishing Cactus, Plug In Digital and 2P Games. Currently available on steam, Nanotale is the new adventure from the Typing Chronicles franchise and spiritual successor to Epistory. In a nutshell, it’s a dungeon crawl style RPG game that you can play purely with the keyboard. Replace frantically clicking your mouse button with desperately trying to accurately and quickly type words from fox, to flammable to cynicism. Think Mavis Beacon teaches typing, whilst casting spells to ward off hoards of enemies, it’s frustratingly fun! Nanotale: Typing Chronicles is an Early Access title, so expect the usual teething issues and bugs. However, the developers are constantly releasing fixe...

28Oct

By TC Staff WriterNo Comments

PC Reviews, Previews & Early Access

Planet Zoo Beta Preview – It’s The Shih Tzu

Planet Zoo is an upcoming management and construction simulation game developed & published by Frontier Developments. The game is a spiritual successor to the studio’s Zoo Tycoon release and gameplay similar to that of Planet Coaster. “Manage an amazing living world that responds to every decision you make. Focus on the big picture or go hands-on and control the smallest details. Thrill visitors with iconic exhibits, develop your zoo with new research and release new generations of your animals back into the wild”. Planet Zoo is scheduled to be released on 5th November on PC via Steam and you can pre-order today for £34.99 or £42.99 for the deluxe edition. Gameplay Planet Zoo is quite simply the ultimate zoo simulation game. It features authentic living animals who think, f...

Tech Corp PC Preview – Create your own Startup

17Sep

By KevynNo Comments

Gaming, Previews & Early Access

Tech Corp PC Preview – Create your own Startup

Ever wanted to start your very own virtual Technology based business? Well, now you can with Tech Corp! Currently in Early Access on Steam, Developed by Mardonpol Inc and being published by 2tainment GmbH. Tech Corp takes you from the early ’90s to present day and gives you control of just about every aspect of running your very own potential Tech Giant! Gameplay After giving a name to your Tech Startup, your next decision is the country/region you first start out in. Each region of the map presents a different technology requirement and demand. Once in your startup office, you begin by furnishing it with desks and rest areas. Then start about recruiting staff from Sales Executives to Engineers, Programmers to Research and Marketers. All with their own stats from the ability to en...

Biotope PC Preview – Experience the thrill of owning a virtual fish tank!

14Aug

By CraigNo Comments

PC Reviews, Previews & Early Access

Biotope PC Preview – Experience the thrill of owning a virtual fish tank!

Have you ever wanted all of the excitement that comes from owning fish, without actually having to go to the pet store? If so, then it is time for you to breathe a sigh of relief. The Developers at MBL Development have you covered. Published for PC on Steam by 2tainment GmbH, Biotope is available on Steam Early Access for $19.99USD. With the goal of making the most realistic aquarium simulator on the market, let's dive in and get wet with Biotope. Gameplay Biotope offers all of the thrills of owning and managing an aquarium, with none of the slippery floors that come with it. Once you begin, there is a choice between four different aquariums. Each one has its individual starting parameters. The tutorial tank is purely for learning the basics. Then, if you wish to start from scratch and b...

Down to Hell PC Preview – Hack and slash and die

16May

By CraigNo Comments

Gaming, PC Reviews, Previews & Early Access

Down to Hell PC Preview – Hack and slash and die

I haven't had much experience with 2d hack and slash games, so when I was presented with Down To Hell by Polish developers Red Dev Studio S.A. I figured I'd take a shot. It's very early in its development stage, so it's bound to be a bit janky, Let's find out! Gameplay In Down to Hell, you play as a mysterious lone swordsman, whom after being saved by a girl becomes indebted to her. The girl has become kidnapped by demonic forces, and it's up to you to save her. The gameplay in Down to Hell is very straight forward. The entire game consists of slaying demons that spawn in waves between sections of 2D platforming. There are a few bosses present in the current build. However, it feels like you have to grind out a lot of enemies for the experience to get strong enough to stand a decent c...

Steel Division 2 Beta PC Preview – Grand Strategic Gold

30Apr

By Craig1 Comment

Previews & Early Access

Steel Division 2 Beta PC Preview – Grand Strategic Gold

Over the past few weeks, I've had the opportunity to play some of Eugen Systems new World War II Real-time strategy game Steel Division 2. Having played the first Steel Division, I was thoroughly excited to give the sequel a proper try. This time around, the RTS action takes place on the eastern front, instead of Normandie. Steel Division 2 will be the first game from Eugen Systems to be independently published. I was a bit worried Steel Division wouldn't get a sequel due to almost half of the development team going on strike over unpaid wages in early 2018. Steel Division 2 was initially slated to be released on Steam on April 4th but was delayed to May 2nd. It has now been delayed again until June 20th so that the dev team could take player feedback and make changes to the game where ...