Hey, welcome to what is hopefully a halfway-professional-seeming blog! Here you’ll find articles and reviews concerning video games and the general world of gaming.
Let's Do This One More Time - Five Games You Need to Play Multiple Times
The credits have started rolling and another enjoyable video game seems to be over and done with - but are you the type to put it down forever, or pick up the controller for another go? Some games hold up on their own as fun adventures no matter how often you play, but others have their own special reasons to start over. Multiple endings, new stories, hidden secrets you might have missed; what makes you click “Play Again”? I’ve gathered a handful of games here that need to be played multiple times for the true complete experience - and since this tends to involve finishing the game in the first place, SPOILERS abound. You have been warned - enjoy!
Baldur’s Gate 3
Welcome to the Forgotten Realms - trust me, you’ll be here for a while. Thanks to the sheer amount of choices, branching storylines, hidden quests and character interactions, no two playthroughs of Baldur’s Gate 3 will be the same. I’m currently on my third playthrough and have found so much that I missed on previous runs despite thinking I was thorough. You could be 1,000 hours of playtime in and still find entirely new areas and interactions!
There’s dozens of different classes, races and backgrounds that all have different dialogue options that can completely change how a quest plays out. Play as an aggressive fighter that chooses violence at every opportunity, or a charming bard that can smooth-talk through any problem. Try your hand at playing one of the half-dozen Origin Characters with their own special plotlines and interactions, or brave the gruesome Dark Urge playthrough that twists the whole story around. The adventure is yours to shape over and over again!
Slay the Princess
You’re on a path in the woods. And at the end of that path is a cabin. But…have you been here before? The Narrator insists that the Princess locked in that cabin’s basement will end the world if you don’t slay her, but the multitude of voices in your head can’t seem to agree. Kill her, spare her, argue with her, threaten her, rescue her - any option you take will add another personality to the chorus in your mind when you next find yourself on the path in the woods.
The Princess herself changes depending on your past choices - in one loop she might be a blushing damsel or a cold psychopath, and in the next she might be a howling beast or a scared prisoner. Eventually, something comes to “collect” the Princess at the end of each path, asking you to find more pieces of herself and encounter more unique variations of the Princess as you unravel this maze of mysteries and looping timelines.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
VERY long ago, the galaxy far far away is at war (again) and there’s lots of sides to choose from. The eight different character classes - ranging from Jedi and Sith to soldiers and bounty hunters - all have completely different storylines to experience. They have different companions, different abilities and gear, different plotlines, different enemies and boss fights; you’ll be visiting the same planets as each character, but the unique storylines make them all feel distinct each playthrough. For example, you’ll be exploring the dark alleys of Nar Shadaa from the perspective of the cunning Imperial Agent searching for a rogue defector, or the same world’s bustling casinos as the crafty Smuggler tracking down their next big job.
The storylines converge in the DLC expansions set after the main game, but each class still has their own unique dialogue and interactions with the new cast of characters - especially once the forces of the Republic and Empire are forced to work together against a new threat. Will you work alongside your old enemies or try to sabotage your former allies from within? The fate of the galaxy is up to you!
The Henry Stickmin Collection
It’s never been more fun to fail over and over again. In this collection of choose-your-own-adventure games, every step could potentially result in hilarious blunders that are just as fun to “collect” as the good outcomes. There are over 300 different “endings”, successful or otherwise, with each story path featuring dozens of possible outcomes. Throughout all 6 games, Henry gets subjected to all manner of slapstick abuse, complete with snarky comments from the game usually about how dumb that idea was. The best part of the games is playing them repeatedly just to see all the funny jokes at poor Henry’s expense!
It’s often the silliest options that lead to success - the series runs on “so crazy it just might work” logic. Breaking out of prisons, infiltrating high-security vaults, evading capture and destroying evil hideouts; Henry does it all in the silliest, most nonsensical fashion as he bungles his way to victory after countless mishaps.
Nier: Automata
Here’s a game that really proves that every ending is just another beginning. In this post-apocalyptic action-adventure with a philosophical story, once you beat the “final boss” and the credits have rolled, the game starts over again - but with a whole new story. Each “ending” in Nier: Automata is just one chapter of a larger overarching storyline. Some chapters change perspective between the three playable protagonists - the cold and analytical 2B, her naive companion 9S, and the aggressive prototype A2 - as they experience the same events from very different viewpoints. Then your home base space station gets corrupted by a virus, everything goes to hell and the story really kicks into gear.
A labyrinthine narrative exploring the ideas of life and free will from the perspective of a bunch of advanced androids, it takes a dozen “endings” to actually experience the true extent of Nier: Automata’s story. There’s also a handful of endings hidden behind dying in certain ways, like activating 2B’s self-destruct (what did you expect to happen?) or eating a fish (it makes sense in context).
The best kinds of stories are those you can enjoy time and time again. What games made you want to replay them multiple times over? How often did you restart any of these games, or any others? Let me know! Feedback, reblogs and likes are all much appreciated!
Thanks for reading!
Hurry Up and Wait - Five Video Game Sequels that Took Their Sweet Time
Waiting - it’s always the hardest part, isn’t it? It’s especially tough when you’ve been waiting years and years for the latest entry in your favourite game series (Silksong fans have been wearing those clown wigs for 6 years now!). Sometimes, the developers had outright left the series and needed to be convinced to return, sometimes the series changed hands through multiple different teams that couldn’t settle on an idea, and sometimes it’s just that tricky to create the game the way the devs want. Maybe you’ll get some mediocre spinoffs in the meantime, or remakes with fancy new graphics, but nothing quite compares to finally getting your hands on that long-awaited sequel. I’ve gathered up a handful of series that had notably long waits between entries in this article - the wait’s always long, but it’s (almost) always worth it. Enjoy!
Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped (1998) - Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time (2020)
We’ll start off with probably the most appropriately-titled example, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time releasing a whopping two decades after the previous main entry (and in an entirely different millennium to boot). After Naughty Dog developed the original Crash Bandicoot trilogy, there were various spinoffs released in the meantime - mostly racing games and the like - all developed by a multitude of different studios before the series fell into the hands of Toys For Bob. They eventually produced a full remake of the original trilogy in 2017, completely remastered from the ground up, quickly proving there was still plenty of love for this classic series to go around.
Afterwards, they began planning a brand-new Crash game, ultimately deciding to make it a proper continuation of the old trilogy, retaining the mechanics and tone that players loved - and, as it says on the box, it was about time! Not only did the new game revolve around time-travel and dimension-hopping (much like Warped), but the fans (and even the characters in the game itself) have been waiting a long time for something like this.
Half-Life 2: Episode 2 (2007) - Half-Life: Alyx (2020)
It’s not quite the fabled Half-Life 3, but it’s pretty damn close. A prequel to Half-Life 2 developed exclusively for VR, this adventure stars Alyx Vance before she becomes an ally to Half-Life’s silent protagonist Gordon Freeman. Valve made numerous attempts to make new entries after Half-Life 2: Episode 2’s notorious cliffhanger ending, but nothing came to light until they decided to explore VR. Developed by the largest team in Valve’s history, every detail of Alyx was built from the ground up for VR - physics, controls, level design and environments, combat, pacing, all of it!
Received as the “killer app” for VR, Alyx was all about pushing the limits of what was possible for the platform with highly impressive mechanics and programming, as well as telling an action-packed story that quite literally puts the player in young Alyx’s shoes. Valve saw Alyx as a return to the world of Half-Life, and they seem open to the idea of future entries - perhaps even the mythical Half-Life 3. A fandom can dream…
Fallout 3 (2008) - Fallout 4 (2015)
War never changes…but games about it sure do, and it takes a while. Fallout is another example of a series being swapped back-and-forth between numerous studios each game, with Bethesda taking over from Interplay Entertainment and Black Isle Studios for Fallout 3. Being juggled by so many different studios may have resulted in the longer development time between the main numbered entries, while Obsidian Entertainment released Fallout: New Vegas in the meantime after just 18 months of development in 2010. Built in a brand-new engine for the series, Fallout 4 featured a fully-voiced playable protagonist among numerous other changes, improvements, and redesigns on the elements of Fallout 3.
Of course, FO4 was still affected by the infamous Bethesda-brand bugginess, and some of the changes such as the simplified dialogue and divisive side activities lead to a rather mixed reception at launch that made some wonder if the 7 year wait was worth it. FO4 continued to be updated and supported with numerous DLC releases and add-ons, on top of countless patches and bugfixes to smooth things over, until 2017 when Bethesda decided to focus more on the (even more divisive) next entry, Fallout 76 - but that’s a whole other story.
Baldur’s Gate II (2000) - Baldur’s Gate III (2023)
After constantly changing teams throughout its history, Larian Studios scored a critical success when they took the initiative for Baldur’s Gate 3. With Baldur’s Gate 2 leaving a big legacy to follow, BioWare and Black Isle Studios developed numerous remakes and spinoffs in the interim, all receiving a fairly mixed bag of reception. All the while, a third entry was attempted (and cancelled) by multiple other studios before Larian, but the wait for the true sequel was Absolute-ly worth it!
Going from the isometric sprite-based visuals to a vast, fully modelled and animated 3-D world certainly stretched the development time, but upon finally releasing, BG3 blew all expectations out of the water and won a record-setting number of awards. It features thousands of hours’ worth of content, characters, dialogue, locations, encounters, secrets, treasures, branching storylines, and more, where every single step you take and choice you make opens up a new path to follow. No wonder it took so long to get right! Larian has since wrapped up post-launch support for BG3, but they’ve more than earned the break after taking so long to release such a masterpiece.
Grand Theft Auto V (2013) - Grand Theft Auto VI (2026)
Okay, technically I’m cheating a little with a yet-to-release game, but come on - it’s Grand Theft Auto VI! It’s arguably the single most anticipated game release of all time after GTA V’s record-shattering reigning success. It has a big legacy to follow so Rockstar Games has been working hard to make the best continuation possible, ultimately pulling development away from their other online services like Red Dead Online just for more dev resources for GTA VI. Starting development shortly after the release of GTA V, GTA VI triggered a massive game of 4-D chess played by development teams across the world, all rearranging their own game release schedules and announcements just to avoid being overshadowed by such a behemoth of hype.
The development of VI was not exactly smooth sailing either - in 2022, Rockstar was hit by what is considered the biggest leak in gaming history. Hours of early-stage unfinished content of VI were revealed in the leak, including the setting and main protagonist duo, which may have been part of Rockstar’s decision to delay the release by a full year. Still, it’s done little to slow down the hype train.
In the words of Shigeru Miyamoto, “A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad.” It certainly seems these games followed his advice! Were you part of the crowd anxiously awaiting these releases, or are there any other games you’ve been waiting forever for? Let me know! Feedback, reblogs and likes are all much appreciated!
Thanks for reading!
Everything You Should Know About DOOM: The Dark Ages
In the first age, in the first battle, when the shadows first lengthened, one stood…and in DOOM: The Dark Ages, that battle will finally be shown in all its bloody glory. In this prequel chapter of the modern DOOM entries, players will control the mighty Doom Slayer - or Doomguy, as he’s colloquially known - in this first-person action-adventure shooter against the endless hordes of Hell itself. Backed by the unwavering Sentinel army and the mysterious angelic Maykrs, Doomguy’s going full medieval on these demons with shields and maces alongside energy blasts and lasers.
While developers id Software compared the previous game, DOOM Eternal, to playing a fast and manoeuvrable fighter jet, The Dark Ages has been described as like playing a tank - a heavier, stronger, unstoppable juggernaut of destruction. The Dark Ages releases on May 15th on PC, Playstation 5 and XBox Series X, but until then, here’s a (somewhat) quick recap of everything you should know about the game - with all this extra knowledge at the ready, the only things the demons fear will be you. Enjoy!
The Story So Far
If you’re not caught up on DOOM’s (surprisingly convoluted) lore, I’ll try to be concise.
After saving his Mars and Earth from demonic invasion in DOOM 64 (1997), Doomguy locked himself in Hell just to keep fighting demons at the source. Eventually, he stumbled into a different universe, the home of the angelic alien Maykrs and the Sentinels, a race of warriors rescued by the Maykrs from Hell’s unrelenting conquest. Doomguy was welcomed into Sentinel ranks and trained alongside his new brothers-in-arms, while the Maykrs decided to investigate these “demons” Doomguy was so obsessed with - and, inevitably, a war against Hell broke out once more.
Defending his new home with merciless fury, Doomguy became the single scariest thing the demons have ever encountered…but then the Maykrs had a different idea. Allying themselves with Hell (and taking plenty of Sentinels with them), the Maykrs betrayed Doomguy and lured him into a trap, entombing him in Hell. Millennia later, scientists from a different universe’s Mars found Doomguy on an expedition and brought him back with them - as well as allowing the demons to invade this universe. With no other options, Doomguy was unleashed to fight yet another demonic attack, and thus DOOM (2016) begins.
A War on Two Fronts
Let’s rewind back to that war between the Sentinels and Hell - that’s where The Dark Ages takes place, in the midst of the action. Backed by the unwavering Sentinel King Novik and the enigmatic Maykrs, Doomguy faces off once more against the full might of Hell. At the forefront of the demonic army is the powerful Prince Ahzrak, who has formed an alliance with the ancient eldritch forces of the Cosmic Realm, transforming his demons into Lovecraftian horrors as a gargantuan Cthulhu-esque monster grants new power to Ahzrak in a mysterious bargain. With the demons more terrified of Doomguy than Ahzrak, the prince seeks to confront the slayer and stamp out the sole individual standing between him and total control of demonkind.
Meanwhile, the ever-manipulative Maykrs have placed Doomguy under their control, quite literally putting him on a leash to restrain him and deploy him like a weapon of mass destruction instead of a soldier. An unwilling minion, Doomguy must break free of Maykr control while battling Ahzrak’s demonic army and ancient horrors at the same time - unleashing endless fury on anything in his path along the way.
With Friends Like These…
Doomguy may be a one-man army, but having some backup is always handy - and for the first time in the series, The Dark Ages will feature Doomguy charging into battle alongside allies during gameplay! The Sentinels, led by King Novik (whose ghost was seen in Eternal), will battle demons at Doomguy’s side. Among them will be Captain Valen, known eventually as “The Betrayer” in Eternal, and Novik’s daughter, Commander Thira. Meanwhile, the Maykrs will be pulling strings from beyond the battlefield - it’s unclear if their leader the Khan Maykr will make an appearance, but Doomguy’s “handler” Kreed Maykr is in charge of controlling the Slayer; time will tell if he’s truly on the Sentinel’s side.
The most important new ally, however, is Serrat: Doomguy’s trusty cybernetic dragon mount. That’s right - you’ll be able to ride a mecha-dragon into battle, dodging explosive attacks and dive-bombing massive demonic targets, belching fiery death unto the hellish hordes below. Is there anything more metal than that?
Hell Unleashed
Demonkind will be sending their biggest and baddest after the feared Slayer, and even classic enemies are getting a menacing makeover. Their leader, Prince Ahzrak, is a powerful demon lord with sights set on ruling the entirety of Hell, but first he needs to take out Doomguy - it’s hard to rule by fear when your army is more scared of the enemy than they are of you. Returning enemies from older games are getting a redesign; the fire-slinging Imps now resemble their bulkier look from the original DOOM, while Cacodemons gain a bizarre brain-like new visage. Standing above the hordes are the mighty Agaddon Hunters (referenced in background lore from Eternal) as the new “elite” enemy type akin to Eternal’s dreaded Marauders, requiring a more tactical approach to defeat.
With the introduction of the Cosmic Realm, many of Ahzrak’s minions have been merged with ancient eldritch powers, creating especially dangerous miniboss-style enemies that unleash bullet hell attacks that must be dodged and parried in order to get close enough for the killing strike. Above them all looms the ominous, enormous Cthulhu-esque monstrosity commanding the Cosmic Realm - a perfect size for a badass boss battle as Doomguy pilots the mighty Atlan mech.
Big Frickin’ Guns
Now onto the good stuff - what’s a DOOM game without the tools of destruction needed for ripping and tearing all those demons apart? The Dark Ages’ medieval techno-gothic aesthetic brings some genuinely creative new weapon designs to the usual arsenal of firepower. For example, there’s the Flail, a new medium-range melee weapon that lets Doomguy lash out with a chained spiky ball to knock enemies around. For something really over-the-top, there’s the Skull Crusher - a fun new toy that uses ground-up demon skulls as ammo, with skulls being fed into a woodchipper at the top of the gun to rapidly spit out bone shards at enemies.
To complete the medieval shtick, Doomguy even wields a new shield - a Captain America-style arm-mounted buckler that can block and parry attacks, before activating the vicious saw blade within and throwing it at foes to rip them to shreds. Finally, the new version of the beloved BFG is a massive crossbow that spews demon-annihilating green energy blasts.
But wait, there’s more! Remember the giant Atlan mechs strewn about the battlefields in Eternal, or the half-built one sitting conspicuously in Doomguy’s home base? Yep, in The Dark Ages, you’ll get to actually pilot one of these bad boys in special large-scale levels that let you take the fight to the towering Titan demons on even ground.
That’s about all there is to know about DOOM: The Dark Ages before it releases on May 15th! I personally can’t wait to get in and start ripping and tearing those demons - let me know if you’re excited too! Feedback, reblogs and likes are all much appreciated, and thanks for reading!
Masterclass Casting - Five More of Gaming's Best Voice-Acting Performances
What’s one of the most important aspects of a good story? Good characters. What’s an important part that makes those characters so compelling? That’s right, good voice-acting. From hammy drama to heartbreaking sorrow, a talented voice actor can be the difference between a dull cutscene and the most memorable moment of storytelling you’ll ever experience. There are so many incredibly talented voice actors within the world of gaming that I had to make a second list as a follow-up to one of my oldest articles, which you can read here!
Sci-fi thrillers, fantasy adventures and everything in-between - no story is complete without great voices, and I’ve gathered a small list of some of the most standout performances I could find here. Be warned - this article contains HEAVY SPOILERS for all games present, but if you’re ready, read on for some of gaming’s best voices!
Neil Newbon as Astarion (Baldur’s Gate 3)
Dressed as sharp as his fangs, Astarion might seem like a vain, snobby narcissist (and in fairness, he is), but you’ll soon find his character goes far deeper than initial appearances suggest. Throughout the journey across the wilds of Faerûn, Astarion’s story unfolds as one of the cycle of abuse and torment, barely hidden beneath a veil of aloof snarky sarcasm, and Neil Newbon’s performance of Astarion’s shallow facade melting away to reveal the haunted victim beneath is nothing short of incredible.
Once the party finally confronts his vampire master and abuser Cazador and ends the centuries-long cycle of torture, Astarion’s scream of rage and grief being unleashed once his master is finally dead shows off the height of Neil’s talent. He clearly had a blast acting out Astarion’s more indignant and hammy moments as well - whether it’s a moment of harrowing angst or a hilarious reaction to the nonsense you’ll often encounter on the road, Neil puts his entire soul into every word.
Yuri Lowenthal as Peter Parker (Marvel’s Spider-Man 2)
Spidey may be all jokes and quips, but underneath the mask, Peter Parker is at heart a truly tragic character, always haunted by loss. His parents, Uncle Ben, Gwen Stacy - most of his defining moments are losing his loved ones. Add the corrupting influence of the alien symbiote on top and you get a storyline of Peter constantly swinging from goofy jokes to uncontrollable rage to sobbing grief. Yuri’s delivery of Peter’s attitude throughout the game is spectacular; Spider-Man 2 is far and away the best example of Yuri’s range more than any of his other portrayals of Peter.
Peter’s progression of joy at reuniting with his old friend Harry Osborne, to anger and jealousy as he is affected by the symbiote, to fear and heartbreak as Harry falls to the symbiote’s corruption to become the monstrous Venom - Yuri gives it his all every step of the way, and his performance in the final cutscene with Peter sobbing over his friend dying in his arms is absolutely heart-wrenching.
Humberly González as Kay Vess (Star Wars Outlaws)
In a galaxy far, far away, the criminal underworld is a cutthroat place where you’ll need to be tough and cunning to survive. Kay Vess is…still figuring that out. On the run from a ruthless crime lord and dragged into a dangerous heist, Kay and her loyal companion Nix need to be smart, sneaky, and resourceful in an adventure across the stars while war rages in the background. Humberly provides an excellent portrayal of the determined young Kay, who is used to relying on nobody but herself and Nix to stay alive.
Despite her normally-deadpan humour, Kay can switch from easy-going gunslinger to cold-hearted criminal at a moment’s notice and Humberly’s delivery never misses a beat - Kay’s not here to save lives or be the hero of the day, she just needs enough credits to survive and she’s not picky about how she gets them. In particular, a segment where her long-time friend Nix gets captured and Kay finds herself truly alone really allows Humberly to demonstrate her range as Kay’s heartbroken anger comes out in full force as she rescues Nix in a dangerous infiltration.
Valorie Curry as Kara (Detroit: Become Human)
A story of android servants gaining sentience and rising up alongside (or against) humanity, Detroit: Become Human stars three protagonists leading very different perspectives. There’s the analytical Connor investigating his own kind to determine the cause of the deviancy, the determined Markus becoming a leader amongst androids to rally for freedom, and then Kara, who simply wants to protect and care for a young girl and survive an increasingly hostile world. Kara has the most emotionally-driven story of the cast with some of the most tense and dramatic moments as she evades capture while keeping innocent young Alice safe, and Valorie’s performance really sells Kara’s maternal care that’s strong enough to break her free from her programming.
Depending on your actions in the game, Kara can either safely and sneakily avoid being discovered by humanity on her quest for safety, or survive a harrowing chase through the city, and Valorie plays both sides perfectly. Whether Kara safely escapes the city with her newfound family or finds herself facing extermination alongside the rest of android kind, Valorie’s acting talent never misses as she portrays Kara’s caring, protective nature.
Roger Clark as Arthur Morgan (Red Dead Redemption 2)
It’s 1899, the end of the wild west era, the early days of industrial society - and a brutal time to live if you’re on the wrong side of the law like Arthur Morgan and the rest of the infamous Van der Linde gang. Struggling to stay in one piece as they wander the countryside, the gang pulls daring heists and robberies just to stay alive. Throughout the story, Arthur Morgan can be played as either an honourable outlaw or a vicious killer, and Roger Clark plays both sides absolutely flawlessly.
Regardless of his honour and despite his violent ways, Arthur is a surprisingly introspective man and his views on the changing world around him are made all the more compelling by Roger’s low Southern drawl. As Arthur becomes deathly ill and knows his days are numbered, he can only spend what time he has left trying to protect the only family he knows before he ultimately dies - peacefully or otherwise depending on his honour - in a beautifully emotional scene thanks to Roger’s performance.
Of course, there are countless other extremely talented voice actors out there - for a few more examples, you can read my previous article here. If you know of any others that you’d like to suggest, let me know as well! Feedback, reblogs and likes are all much appreciated!
Fresh New Ideas - Five Games that Thought Outside the Box
Feeling that creative itch? Want to try something you’ve never seen before? Just when it feels like any given genre has been explored and iterated upon to its limits, some particularly bright developers arrive to shake things up! Whether it’s combining genres in ways you’d never expect or viewing familiar concepts from unorthodox perspectives, these creators twist ordinary ideas into the extraordinary. I’ve gathered a small handful of these games that really thought outside the box, bringing truly original, creative and clever premises to the world. Challenge your expectations and give them a try!
Stray
Behold: a game where you play as a cat. Normally, that’s really all there is to say when it comes to games with this sort of gimmick, but for Stray, it only scratches the surface. BlueTwelve Studio has managed to tell a genuinely fascinating narrative within a hauntingly beautiful world, all from the perspective of this smart little kitty, exploring a post-apocalyptic civilisation inhabited by the robotic caretakers that have inherited the city in humanity’s wake.
Wander around freely, climbing on everything in reach and investigating anything that catches this curious cat’s eye as you unravel the mysteries of the city. Accompanied by a little drone that helps the cat interact with the world, you’ll solve puzzles and navigate tricky platforming, talk with a charming cast of helpful robots, and generally act like a cat by sleeping on random objects or scratching up the furniture while experiencing a truly engaging story.
Killer Frequency
Solve a murder mystery…as a radio show host! A serial killer is on the loose tonight, and the sole surviving cop is out of town - it’s up to you to help your callers evade the psychotic Whistling Man. Answer panicked callers and figure out clues to safely get them out of harm’s way or even guide them through life-or-death scenarios all from your shabby DJ room. Between calls, you’ll rely on hidden hints, researched information and your own memory to piece together the mystery of the Whistling Man throughout this heart-racing night.
You’ll need to pay close attention and be on the ball at all times, because if you get anything wrong, you could get anyone killed: terrified teens, overconfident wannabe vigilantes, innocent people caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, or even yourself and your co-host! Alongside excellent voice-acting and some darkly hilarious moments of comedy, Killer Frequency is an intense puzzler that feels like playing through an 80’s slasher film.
Hi-Fi Rush
What do you get when you cross a good old-fashioned action-adventure platformer with a head-banging rhythm game? You get Hi-Fi Rush, the game where everything you see and do is to the beat of the music! Play as Chai, a loser with big dreams who has gotten himself wrapped up in a corporate conspiracy, parkouring through a maze-like campus city as a horde of security robots and ruthless executives hunt him down. A music player embedded in Chai’s heart (that’s probably not supposed to be there) and a magnetic robot arm (intended for cleaning up trash) allow Chai to battle enemies with a scrap-metal guitar against a bumping soundtrack.
The city itself bounces and rumbles to the music, and timing your attacks and moves to the beat will earn you higher scores and make you feel really cool. Become the rockstar Chai’s always dreamed of being in this game with irreverent humour, adrenaline-pumping action, challenging platforming and, of course, an absolute banger of a soundtrack including real songs from the likes of Nine Inch Nails or The Prodigy!
The Pedestrian
Welcome to a small-scale game with some big-brain puzzles! A puzzler with a unique perspective, The Pedestrian has you guide the little stick figure you see on construction signs, warning signs, and so on through a bustling background city. Rearrange signs on the wall like jigsaw pieces to form a path, then help the stick figure navigate the path to grab keys, move items, press buttons and find the exit. Along the way you’ll catch glimpses of beautifully detailed background environments as the city thrives behind the puzzles - you can really feel the effort that went into putting this game together despite the simple premise.
The game is increasingly difficult; some of the later puzzles will really have you scratching your head trying to determine how everything fits together, but it’s incredibly satisfying when it all finally clicks. Finally, a surprise twist on the usual mechanics near the end of the game will turn the whole adventure on its head, tying everything together in one of the most creative puzzle concepts you’ll ever see.
Dredge
On the surface, Dredge seems like just a cozy little fishing game, chugging around in your little boat, catching whatever you can fish up, and returning to port to sell your finds and buy upgrades…but whatever you do, make sure you’re back before nightfall, and beware what you might see in the eerie shadows. Once you start catching some strange, unsettling fish and begin noticing some odd quirks of the area, things get significantly creepier in this eldritch horror story on water: twisted and unnatural wildlife, disturbed townsfolk, weird lights in the darkness, and a mysterious “collector” urging you to search out unusual artifacts alongside your daily fishing.
You could always just stick close to the relative safety of town, but who knows what kind of valuable catches lay just out of reach? Soon you’ll find yourself venturing far beyond in search of more interesting waters, but be careful what you fish for - something’s under there, and it’s looking for you.
So, did any of these fresh new ideas stand out to you? Have you played any other particularly unique games with their own original concepts that might fit this list? Let me know! Feedback, reblogs and likes are all much appreciated!
Thanks for reading!
Mind Your Step - Five of the Best Platformer Games
Running, jumping, dodging…platformers were amongst the earliest staples of the video gaming world, defining the medium since the 80’s. Some things never change. Modern platformers may look fancier and have more involved gameplay, but the core concepts are still as solid as ever: patience and observation is key, and they’ll usually require intense focus, determination and sheer will to overcome the trickiest jumping puzzles and deadliest traps. Jump down into a handful of some of the best platforming challenges in gaming I’ve gathered here, from the simple but enjoyable to the toughest obstacle courses imaginable. Watch where you step!
Astro Bot
Astro’s crew of familiar friends from Playstation’s thirty-year history have been scattered across space with their mothership near-destroyed - it’s time for a rescue mission! This game genuinely feels like an early 2000’s game built with modern technology; there’s no online nonsense or pointless padding, just pick a level and go! You can feel the love that went into Astro Bot’s development through the colourful and chaotic level designs, the creative power-ups, and an absolute banger of a soundtrack, all amidst a constant game of pointing at the screen and going “hey, I recognise that character!” as you rescue icons like Ratchet, Aloy and Kratos or more classic faces like Sly Cooper or Jak. There are some truly brutal challenge levels, but watching your collection of bots grow and feeling the nostalgia of old PS1-era games make Astro Bot impossible to put down.
Celeste
Welcome to Celeste Mountain, where you’ll find treacherous pitfalls, ominous ruins, mysterious magic, floating strawberries and one very determined young woman. As Madeline scales the mountain, she also must confront her own anxieties and self-doubt, literally battling her inner demons in a narrative that’s just as compelling as the challenging climb itself. Often cited as one of the toughest platformers you can attempt, this climb is not for the faint of heart. Expect constant deaths and failures as you trial-and-error your way up the cliffs, but you can’t give up - just a little further, just a little higher! The feeling of clearing each part of the mountain and dragging yourself ever closer to the peak, all while Madeline overcomes her internal struggles, is a kind of genuine satisfaction few other games can match.
Super Mario Galaxy
It wouldn’t be an article about platformers without mentioning the Goomba-stomping pipe-traversing king himself, and his first galactic adventure was Mario at his peak. Super Mario Galaxy takes the usual 3-D platforming formula and flips it, twists it, and turns it inside-out with gravity mechanics that’ll send your head spinning. Rocket into the stars with Mario’s new allies the Lumas and their carer, the mysterious Rosalina, and scour the cosmos for Power Stars - and, of course, chase Bowser from one end of the universe to the other. As you orbit around planetoids and soar between asteroids, the gravity mechanics are constantly changing up in new ways from galaxy to galaxy alongside a host of fun power-ups and incredibly imaginative level designs. With one of the most beautiful orchestral soundtracks ever backing your journey and the iconic gravity-warping gameplay, there’s no question of Super Mario Galaxy being an all-time classic among platformers.
Rayman Legends
One less dimension does not make this 2-D sidescrolling quest any easier! The limbless legend Rayman and his friends sprint, leap and glide from one world to the next, rescuing the helpless Teensies in peril and battling fairytale monsters of myth. In true Rayman fashion, Legends is an excellent party game if you’ve got up to three extra friends to take the journey with you - or to cause havoc as you thrash each other about the levels and battle for control over the chaos. After each harrowing boss fight, the rhythm levels at the end of each chapter are a blast to play over and over as you run and jump in time with the music as the chaos unfolds around you, while the challenge levels scattered about will have you tearing your hair out with the precision and patience needed to clear these gauntlets and unlock new allies to play as!
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time
This very aptly-titled sequel may have taken 22 years to release, but Crash hasn’t lost a single step! The classic Naughty Dog linear platformer series returns, starring everyone’s favourite manic marsupial in a race across space and time itself. Rescue and equip the Quantum Masks to flip reality, manipulate time, toy with gravity and more as you sprint through apocalyptic wastelands, murky swamps and swashbuckling pirate fleets. In an interesting take on time-travel stories, there are several additional playable characters besides Crash and his sister Coco that all have their own separate adventures alongside Crash’s that impact the main adventure in ways you’ll only understand by playing their perspective. The platforming gameplay is punishingly precise as always - the slightest misstep will send you plummeting to your doom, so brush up on those jumping skills and keep your eyes peeled for unforgiving traps and hazards!
Don’t lose your footing now, because we’ve reached the end of the list. There’s still plenty of other great platformers out there though - if you know any that would fit here, or if you enjoyed any of the games on this list, let me know! Feedback, reblogs and likes are all much appreciated!
Thanks for reading!
Independent Imagination - Five Hidden Gems of Gaming
Generic shooters, gacha RPGs, the same sports games re-published over and over - many of those big triple-A gaming titles can often feel a bit repetitive, can’t they? Often focused more on making money and retaining engagement, they sometimes lose that spark of creativity and originality that make video games truly fun and memorable. Meanwhile, small-time indie devs across the world are putting in all the passion and imagination they can muster into some genuinely unique gaming experiences that all too often fly under the radar. Fresh new concepts, fascinating narratives, endearing characters, interesting worlds - take a look at some of the best examples of what independent creators can bring to the table. Show them your support and give these hidden gems a go!
OneShot
Little Nico is trapped in a strange, dying world and burdened with the only way to save it: a new sun, in the form of a large lightbulb they must carry around. Your job is only to get Nico safely back home…or at least, that’s what the eerily-aware game insists. Guide Nico across the world in this story-driven puzzle game, from the bleak outlands to the anxious inner city, meeting friendly new faces amidst the fear and discovering new puzzles and mysteries along the way. Why is Nico here? What has caused the slow decay of this world? Is it even possible to save the world and get Nico home at the same time? Possibly the most pressing question of all is…just who is this mysterious entity communicating to you - yes, you, the actual player - and what is their true motive?
Sable
It’s just you, your trusty hoverbike, and the vast open desert in this wide-open-world sandbox adventure. Embark on a rite-of-passage pilgrimage across the sands, enjoying the atmospheric scenery and helping out new friends where you can while you decide who you really want to be in life. Once the initial tutorial is done, the game stops holding your hand entirely - pick a direction that seems interesting and just go! No objective markers, no plotted lines, no railroading whatsoever in Sable; just a journey of your own making. Desert environments in games can often be a bit boring, but Sable breaks it up with varied aesthetics and colourful, distinctive areas full of all sorts of things to find and explore. As you climb, glide, drift and zoom across the dunes and strange structures, you’ll find Sable to be a highly relaxing game to play when you just want to chill out and ride around a while.
Wavetale
Switching climates to an open watery world, Wavetale takes us to a flooded shanty city surrounded by ominous fog that threatens to consume what’s left of the land. Sigrid, a young girl surviving with her grandmother in the remains of Strandville, meets a mysterious shadowy figure beneath the waves that allows her to not only walk on the surface of the water, but to skate across it at breakneck speeds as she investigates the source of the fog. Wavetale’s biggest strength is its’ exhilarating movement tech, combining the high-speed skating with dives, dashes, grapples and swings that make the map a blast to explore. The endearing sketchy artstyle, charming cast of characters, and genuinely intriguing mystery plot all make you want to uncover every single possible little detail you can find, but even just the fun mobility mechanics are enough reason on their own to keep playing.
Owlboy
A sprawling metroidvania with a nostalgic retro artstyle, Owlboy stars the mute young owl Otus and his friends on an adventure to save the floating sky village of Vellie from vicious pirates. Master the art of flight as you rise up through the maze of hovering islands and ancient ruins, carrying your allies around to help fight foes and navigate traps and puzzles, and discovering the secrets of the past that will decide the future! The game features classic metroidvania staples of exploration, unlocking new abilities, backtracking to previous zones to reveal new paths, and - of course - plenty of scattered collectables for the true completionists. The flying and combat mechanics might take a little getting used to, but the engaging narrative and lovable cast will be more than enough to keep you playing all the way to the end.
Planet of Lana
Returning to a more linear puzzler, Planet of Lana sees strange, unsettling robots invade your peaceful world and kidnap countless inhabitants - including your sister. Play as Lana as she embarks on a grand rescue mission, aided by an absolutely adorable little critter named Mui that helps Lana solve puzzles and navigate her dangerous homeworld. Some of the puzzles you’ll encounter are surprisingly difficult, but never frustrating; there’s always a sense of overcoming great odds and overwhelming danger as this tiny girl and her loyal fuzzy friend sneak past the deadly robotic invaders. A short and sweet game, this journey might only take two or three afternoons of playing to finish, but the simple gameplay, gorgeous hand-painted artstyle and fascinating story all make this an adventure to remember.
This is just a small taste of the limitless creativity you can find in indie games; which one seems the most intriguing to you? Have you tried any of these games, or do you have any recommendations yourself that could fit this list? Let me know! Feedback, reblogs and likes are all much appreciated!
Thanks for reading!
It’s that time of year again! I’m not talking about Christmas or whatever - it’s time for the yearly Gaming Wrap-Up where we take a look back at the past twelve months in the video gaming world. There’s no need to dwell too much on the real world; we all know how things are going at the moment. It’s a bit rough right now to say the least, but video games are always at least an enjoyable escape and there’s always new releases, updates, announcements and other news to look forward to. As we wind down for the holidays and prepare for whatever comes next, let’s take a moment to remember some of our favourite games and other related events that happened throughout 2024. Enjoy!
JANUARY - MARCH
The year had a bumpy beginning for those working within the video game industry itself, as a string of constant mass layoffs from many major development and publishing groups (such as Microsoft, Sony, EA, and Riot) has led to such jobs being on shaky ground for countless people and making their futures very uncertain. The layoffs continued throughout the early half of 2024, becoming a major factor in the strikes that would occur later on.
On a more positive note, 2024 had a strong start for most video game releases. The Like A Dragon/Yakuza series continued in Hawaii with Infinite Wealth, the sole developer of the deckbuilding roguelike Balatro was shocked at how enormously popular the game instantly became, and long-time damsel-in-distress Princess Peach finally took centre stage as the playable hero of Princess Peach: Showtime! Meanwhile, some highly-anticipated remakes of Final Fantasy VII and The Last of Us II released, but an awful reception to Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League certainly killed a lot of faith in the gaming corner of the DC universe.
APRIL - JUNE
Further along in the year, the 2024 Summer Games Fest was held, continuing to build up as a “replacement” for E3 as the main games showcase event of the year. Several exciting new titles were announced, including Star Wars Outlaws, Civilisation 7, and bizarrely enough an Among Us animated series adaptation! Speaking of adaptations, the Fallout live-action series also released, to be met with near-universal acclaim as a rare actually-good video game adaptation that remained faithful to the source material while telling a strong, original narrative.
The second quarter also saw the release of some popular games; Stellar Blade brought us a sci-fi action adventure that was just a tad overshadowed by the fanservice-y character designs, while MultiVersus (Warner Bros.’ fighting game counterpart to Super Smash Bros.) finally reached its full release after languishing in early access for the last couple years. Animal Well was the newest hit indie game, a labyrinthine metroidvania populated by wildlife and puzzles, and the current king of action RPGs Elden Ring received a major expansion dubbed Shadow of the Erdtree.
JULY - SEPTEMBER
The video game industry’s turmoil came to a head in the latter half of the year with the beginning of the SAG-AFTRA voice acting strike that is still ongoing as I write this. After a year and a half of failed negotiations and concerns over the threat of replacement by AI voice recreations (as well as pressure from the mass layoffs earlier on), thousands of workers began a labour strike that would hopefully convince their employers to offer fairer negotiations. In lighter news, Sony Entertainment’s attempt to enter the hero shooter genre with Concord resulted in a staggeringly hilarious failure - high prices and unappealing characters led to such a colossal flop that Sony had to shut down the games’ servers and issue refunds within two weeks of launch! Good job Sony.
Contrasting Concord’s embarrassment, the release of Astro Bot was met with universal adoration as a clever old-fashioned platformer that thrives on the nostalgia of Sony’s long history of titles since 1994. Following in Princess Peach’s footsteps from earlier, Zelda also got to helm her own solo title with a new entry in the Legend of Zelda series titled Echoes of Wisdom. Meanwhile, Black Myth: Wukong starred the monkey hero of the classical Chinese tale Journey to the West in an action RPG adventure, and Star Wars Outlaws threw players into the depths of the cutthroat criminal underworld of a galaxy far, far away.
OCTOBER - DECEMBER
We round out the year with - what else? - The Game Awards of 2024! Astro Bot walked away with a more-than-deserved Game of the Year and several other wins, though it’s not like it had a whole lot of decent competition for it. Of course, the only real reason people pay attention to the awards is for all the juicy announcements and reveals that come with them: sequels for The Witcher, Okami and The Outer Worlds, yet another Elden Ring property, a flashy new trailer for Borderlands 4 that I for one am obsessed with, and a surprise announcement of Naughty Dog’s new space-opera IP called Intergalactic: The Heretic.
Besides the award show, the tail end of 2024 also saw some popular releases including the Persona-esque medieval fantasy RPG Metaphor: ReFantazio, while Marvel Rivals jumped straight from the pages of a comic book to finally give Overwatch some truly strong competition in the hero-shooter genre. Finally, while it didn’t quite beat out Fallout in the awards for Best Adaptation, the second season of acclaimed animated series Arcane was still met with outstanding praise.
LOOKING AHEAD
So, where does that leave us for next year? We’ve got plenty of highly-anticipated games to look forward to in 2025, which still doesn’t sound like a real year we’re about to enter (what do you mean 2018 was seven years ago!?). It goes without saying that the biggest highlight of the year will be the release of Grand Theft Auto 6, which I’m not entirely exaggerating about when I call it the most anticipated video game release ever. Before that, however, we’ve still got the next few chapters of Toby Fox’s Deltarune and the superheroic hack-and-slasher Wolverine to keep us occupied, but the release I’m personally most hyped for is Borderlands 4 - I still can’t stop rewatching that trailer.
Oh, and, there’s also gonna be a Minecraft movie next year. So that’s…something. Maybe it’ll be one of those so-bad-it’s-good movies, but I’m not holding my breath. Not every adaptation can be as good as Fallout. Besides that, 2025 is looking to be an excellent year for the gaming world. So, despite the state of, well, everything right now, just hold on a little longer - there’s always something to stick around for, even if it’s just the next game you want to play.
Until then, I hope you enjoyed this look back at the gaming world of 2024, and I look forward to seeing you all again in 2025!
Happy Holidays!
Adapt, Improvise, Overcome: Five of the Best Survival Games
Have you ever wondered what you’d do if you were trapped in the middle of the wilderness, or on a lone island? The only real answer to that question is do your best to survive - better hope your best is good enough. Fortunately, there’s plenty of games to help practice. Survival games are actually a very specific subgenre of sandbox games; there’s less focus on creativity and exploration, and more on staying alive in some very hostile environments. Scrounge for food, gather resources to build shelter before nightfall, and most importantly: avoid whatever else might be lurking in the shadows around you. If you think you’ve got what it takes to survive the dangerous wilds, test your mettle against some of these hand-picked best survival games listed here. Enjoy!
The Forest
If being stranded on a tiny forest island in the middle of nowhere wasn’t bad enough, you’ve also got your missing son to find - assuming something doesn’t find you first. The Forest puts the “survival” in survival horror with the player desperately trying to stay safe and fed on an island populated by grotesque mutants and savage cannibals. It’s not a game for the faint of heart. Uncover the secrets of the island as you embark on a rescue mission, scouring the island for tools, resources and clues. Harvest, hunt and hide from things that go bump in the night while you try not to end up just as monstrous as the inhuman creatures that call the island home. You can also bring in some friends to help (slightly) dampen the horror as you work together to make the island your own; if you’re gonna be stuck here, you may as well get comfy. It’s very easy to get sidetracked with all the structures you can build for some reason; try not to forget your son helplessly awaiting rescue while you and your friends are busy constructing a gazebo or cutting down every tree in sight.
Grounded
Your own backyard might not seem like a tricky place to survive, but what if you were barely taller than an ant? Grounded stars four teens shrunken down in an experiment gone wrong like something out of an 80’s movie and trapped in the dangerous jungle of grass and bugs right outside an ordinary house. Explore the backyard, cutting down blades of grass as though they were trees and subsisting off dew drops and bug meat to stay alive, and uncover loose science equipment you can study to find out a way to go big and go home. Venture into spider nests that are much scarier when you’re no bigger than the spider’s mouth, avoid sinking into the dunes of the sandbox, and steer clear of the dangerous insecticide fog drenching one corner of the yard. The insects themselves have their own factions and don’t appreciate when you build your base too close to their territory - be ready to fend off attacks from ant colonies, ladybugs, beetles, spiders and a hundred other bugs that share the garden while you solve the mystery of why you’re here, who did this to you, and who else might be down here with you…
Subnautica
Many people consider outer space to be the scariest place to be stuck in, but under the waters of our own oceans is where all the spooky stuff really is. There’s a reason we know more about the make-up of Saturn’s rings than what’s beneath our seas - it’s just too darn scary to explore down there. Subnautica thrives on thalassophobia, that fear of the deep blue unknown, and cranks it up to eleven when you crash-land on a watery alien world with no way of knowing what lurks beneath the waves. Fortunately, there’s no hunger mechanic; it’s your oxygen that you really need to worry about as you descend deeper and deeper into the otherworldly abyss, searching for precious resources, clues about the planet, and a way home before you become fish food. Terrifying aquatic life lives on all levels; savage enormous leviathans in the reef, spider-like crabsquids in the caverns, and ominous warpers in the depths, all eager to try a taste of this strange new prey in their waters. Construct a base of operations spanning the watery crater as a safe haven, explore the sea in the marginally-safer vehicles, and above all else: watch that O2 metre…
Don’t Starve
“Say pal, you don’t look so good. You better find something to eat before night comes!” That’s all the advice you get when you awaken in the mysterious, desolated Constant with nothing but the clothes on your back - and in Don’t Starve, it’s sage advice indeed. Pick yourself off the ground and start foraging for resources, picking up loose sticks and rocks to make crude tools for hunting wildlife or gathering sturdier materials. Don’t Starve features roguelike-style permanent death and randomly-generated worlds, all rendered in a Tim Burton-esque art style for a creepily cartoonish aesthetic. Stay fed, stay dry, stay sane, and stay out of the consuming darkness of night - the Constant can mess with your head, until the shapes you think you see out of the corner of your eye become all too real and all too hostile. Starvation is, obviously, also a major threat; munch on random berries, raw meat, even strange-looking creatures - you can’t really afford to be picky here. If you can’t handle roughing it in the wilds alone, the sequel Don’t Starve Together lets you drag some friends along for the harrowing adventure as you desperately try to live long enough to figure out a way home.
Raft
The apocalypse has come and gone, the entire planet is flooded, and nothing remains save for a few tiny scattered islands and nigh-infinite junk drifting around. Welcome to Raft. Starting on a floating plank barely big enough for you (and, optionally, a couple friends) to stand on, you’ll need to grab anything that drifts by to build expansions for your raft and keep yourself afloat. It’s not just junk swimming around you though - beware the persistent shark that will follow you to the ends of the ocean, intent on biting chunks off your raft; careful not to let it eat it away entirely, leaving nothing left to chomp on but you! Paddle over to distant islands to gather sparse food and materials, research craftable equipment to build a bigger and better raft, and carefully maintain your thirst and hunger to survive. As you drift around, you’ll uncover lore scattered around detailing the end of the old world and the lengths some people have gone to not just to survive, but thrive - but at what cost? Are you truly alone in the world, or might you have some competition for ruling this wide open ocean?
So, how long are you lasting alone in the wild? Think you’ll have a better shot once you’ve tried any of these games? Let me know how long you survive in all of them, or if there are any other great survival games you think would fit this list! Feedback, reblogs and likes are all much appreciated!
What Did You Say Your Name Was? A Quick Review of Astro Bot
My history with Playstation stretches as far back as the classic Ratchet & Clank trilogy on the PS2, so I’ve got quite a bit of nostalgia for the earlier eras of the platform - and as a celebration of 30 years of Playstation, Astro Bot lives and breathes that nostalgia as one of the most flawlessly fun games I’ve played in years. Returning from his tech-demo playroom that was released with the PS5, Astro’s crew of 300 bots are scattered across the cosmos when the Mothership (which happens to resemble an enormous PS5) is attacked and badly damaged. Astro embarks on a grand rescue mission to find all his friends - many of whom are dressed up as various iconic characters (and some that are more obscure) from throughout all of Playstation’s legacy, such as Ratchet, Kratos, Nathan Drake, Aloy, and countless others. In this good old-fashioned platforming adventure with unique power-ups and endless collectables, let the most nostalgic rescue mission commence!
In short, I have nothing but praise for Astro Bot. This is my Game of the Year. Somehow, it feels like a game from 2002 made with 2024 technology - colourful and varied environments, funky music, increasingly difficult platforming, and a barebones plot that’s just an excuse to collect lots of shinies along the way. Best of all, there’s no sign whatsoever of microtransactions or online requirements! I was won over by the game’s charm within the first ten minutes of playing, and almost 20 hours later it’s only gotten more fun. It almost feels weird to review a game without a single negative thing to say, but Astro Bot is just that good. My only complaint is about one or two of the more punishing challenge levels, but that’s more of a skill issue on my part than anything specifically wrong with the game itself.
It’s one long game of pointing at the screen and saying “hey, I know that character!” when you rescue bots dressed up like Knack or Sly Cooper, and excitedly wondering who you’ll find next. Astro himself is among the most adorable mascots in gaming at the moment - he even smiles and waves at you when you point him towards the camera! All those little extra animations and easter eggs make it clear that the developers had just as much fun making the game as I did playing. I would absolutely without a doubt grab any sequel Team Asobi end up making for this game, and hope little Astro is here to stay for as long as Playstation stands.
I hope you enjoyed this quick review of Astro Bot! Feedback, reblogs and likes are much appreciated, and thanks for reading!
This is Big Brain Time - Five of the Best Puzzle Games
Puzzles, wrapped in enigmas, wrapped in riddles, wrapped in video game mechanics - it’s time to put on your thinking caps and challenge your brain with puzzles all about physics, perspectives, timing and hazards. Every puzzle game is distinct, requiring different ways of thinking and new strategies to figure out in order to solve it, making them perfect (and fun) ways to exercise your mind and put your critical thinking to the test. So, do you feel like solving problems with your brain rather than combat? Take a look at these five excellent mind games, and work those brain cells - and no cheating!
Portal 2
An all-time classic amongst puzzle games (and the entire video game genre in general): it’s time to think with portals. A physics-based puzzler, Portal 2 revolves around a handheld portal device that allows the player to use a pair of movable portals to move themselves and puzzle elements around the room. These portals conserve all physics and momentum, allowing you to fling yourself around by dropping through a portal far below you to launch out of a portal on the wall. The sequel introduces a slew of new elements on top of the original Portal’s features - redirectable lasers, bouncy goo, launch pads and more. Trapped once more in a mysterious facility and taunted by a sadistic omniscient AI, Chell must solve difficult experiments and trials with her trusty portal gun as she attempts to escape into the bowels of Aperture Science and uncover the secrets of its past. It’s best to take your time with these puzzles; a good approach is to search each chamber, identifying every single element before getting started with any of them.
Superliminal
Have you ever looked at a far-away object and pretended to pinch it between your fingers as though it were actually tiny and close-up? Superliminal takes that idea and runs with it, in a surreal therapy session gone wrong where your own perception shapes reality itself. The game messes with your perspective - both literally and figuratively - as objects change size when you grab them depending on their distance to you as you solve puzzles with them; and things only get stranger from there. Your expectations are constantly subverted throughout the game - just when you think you’ve got a handle on how it works and start assuming things, it changes it up without warning and you’ve got to re-evaluate how you approach the puzzles. Here, it’s important to think outside the box as you let go of all your preconceived notions on how to overcome challenges, to take a step back from everything and figure things out from a new perspective.
Limbo
Let’s take things in a creepier direction with some spooky side-scrolling puzzles in Limbo, avoiding deadly traps and terrifying creatures as you make your way through a grim, monochromatic world. Guide this unnamed young boy on a search for his missing sister, and try not to get killed too much on the way - but don’t be surprised when you keep dying anyway. Frequent deadly failure is to be expected in this “trial-and-death” style of puzzles, where the boy’s gruesome ends are an important part of figuring anything out, moving objects around and working around hazards that can and will lead to instant, grisly deaths. Impaled on spikes, snapped up by monsters, crushed, ripped apart, drowned, splattered - it’s not a good day for this kid, but every new death is a step forward. The eerie atmosphere and creepy ambience sets you on edge for the entire adventure while you focus on surviving the trials - anything could be a trap in this ominous journey.
The Pedestrian
A clever and surprisingly difficult indie puzzler that puts you in control of someone we’ve all seen all throughout our lives: the little running stick figure seen on street signs and other things. As the city bustles in the background, you must rearrange various signs all over the enormous, detailed metropolis to open up pathways and connections, and guide the stick figure to the exit from building to building, warehouse to subway, construction site to apartment block, and so on. Don’t let the simplistic designs fool you - The Pedestrian gets increasingly tricky, throwing some real headscratchers at you as you progress, and more and more puzzle elements get introduced and stacked on top of each other. Remember to take this one slow and plan your path as you rearrange the signs for the tenth time - maybe there’s a connection combination you haven’t tried yet? Finally working it all out as everything clicks together is always the best feeling in these sorts of games.
The Outer Wilds
Wake up - it’s time to finally launch your rickety ship into the skies and explore other worlds! Discover all sorts of intricate details and puzzles in the system…until the sky turns red and you realise the sun’s exploded and you die. Then you wake up about twenty minutes ago, and it’s time to finally launch your rickety ship into the skies - yep, it’s a time loop. Explore, learn all the patterns and hidden details all going on simultaneously across several planets, die in a supernova, wake up at the beginning of the loop, and repeat. Test your memory and pattern recognition as you race from world to world, uncovering further steps in the process and piece it all together in twenty-two-minute loops. Discover the secrets of your world, your people, and your place in the universe in-between all the dying and re-awakening - and try not to cause any paradoxes or anything. That would be troublesome.
Nothing beats that feeling of putting the last puzzle piece in place - but the satisfaction of figuring it all out before that point is a pretty good feeling too. Which of these games were the most satisfying to work through for you? Got any other puzzlers you think would fit this list? Let me know! Feedback, reblogs and likes are all much appreciated!
Thanks for reading!
A New Direction - Five Games that Broke Their Series' Mould
It’s time to switch things up a little! When a game series runs long enough, it’s only a matter of time before the developers try taking it into a new direction to shake things up. It can be as major a change as shifting genre entirely, to more minor changes like moving away from established mechanics or aesthetics. Maybe the fans had grown tired of the status quo and demanded something fresh, or perhaps the new entry is handled by a completely different development team. Sometimes the changes are well-received and stick around for the rest of the series going forward, or it turns out to be a bad move and the developers just return to their usual style. Take a look at these five games that tried something new for their series, and see for yourself whether or not it ever works out - enjoy!
Tales from the Borderlands
So, you want to hear another story in the Borderlands universe? How about one that’s focused more on the actual story? The main Borderlands games are all first-person looter-shooters where the plot is generally just an excuse to move from one place to the next and shoot everyone there, but the spinoff Tales from the Borderlands is instead a narrative-based choose-your-own-adventure story in standard Telltale Games style. Instead of a badass bullet-spewing bandit-exploding one-person-army Vault Hunter, you play as an anxious middle-manager named Rhys and a somewhat overconfident scam-artist named Fiona, dragged together by a rapidly-escalating con that lands them in trouble with ruthless gangsters and on the path to a mysterious alien Vault. The game didn’t draw quite as much of an audience as the mainline Borderlands games, but those that did play it tend to laud it as the series’ best writing, and the events of the story is still strongly felt in future games with several characters returning for later instalments.
Fallout: New Vegas
War…war never changes. Except when it does, like it did in Fallout: New Vegas. Developed by Obsidian Entertainment - the creators of the first two top-down Fallout games before Bethesda took over for Fallout 3 - New Vegas naturally returns to the west coast setting of the original games, wrapping up a lot of the plot threads and arcs in that side of the wasteland. While it continues the first-person shooter style of Fallout 3, it also features a greater focus on RPG-like elements, including a distinct set of playstyle-defining unlockable perks, a karma meter and faction reputation system that affect the plot and behaviour of most characters, and a much wider variety of story paths that can be taken by the player. In the irradiated desert of post-apocalyptic Nevada, a lone Courier finds themselves dragged into a war for control of the shining New Vegas and treacherous Mojave Desert between violent gangs, struggling militaries and vicious cults - play your cards right, and you can single-handedly determine the future of the entire region. Despite being a bit of a buggy mess, the games’ open-ended nature and compelling narrative keeps it generally considered as one of the best RPGs ever made!
Super Mario Bros. Wonder
Even experimenting around in the same genre can lead to something new. For the longest time, the Super Mario Bros. 2-D platformer games were stuck in the same old aesthetics, the same old mechanics, the same old level structures, and the same old enemies for over seventeen years in an era ironically referred to as the “New” style, and fans were growing weary. Enter Super Mario Bros. Wonder, and suddenly Nintendo was willing to mess around with things! A new aesthetic with a gorgeous artstyle and snazzy animations, new mechanics and abilities, new playable characters, new music, a new Kingdom, even new voice actors - Wonder was a welcome breath of fresh air for this corner of the franchise. As Mario and co. explore the colourful Flower Kingdom in pursuit of Bowser, the levels constantly introduce new ideas and gameplay elements to keep things interesting, and fans absolutely loved it, with many hoping it leads to further experimentation from Nintendo with its flagship series.
Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One
Taking a renowned singleplayer series and hopping over to co-operative play, All 4 One remixes the usual run-and-gun platforming action of Ratchet & Clank into a multiplayer team experience. Up to four players together can control the headstrong Ratchet, the calculating Clank, the egotistical Captain Qwark and the villainous Dr. Nefarious as they (reluctantly) work together to escape the mysterious and treacherous planet they’re all stranded on. The game features a fixed camera angle and more linear levels, each loaded with obstacles and enemies that must be dealt with as a team, and a heavier focus on puzzles that require working together as a unit to overcome. Better hope you and your friends have good communication skills. Released in-between the more popular eras of the series in a time when some of the games were a bit more experimental and divisive, All 4 One wasn’t especially successful but the dozen or so people that actually played it enjoyed a decently fun party game. Fortunately, the series returned to its roots shortly afterwards, but All 4 One remains an okay entry to play with friends.
Doom³
Trading slaying for scaring, Doom³ took the high-octane demon-blasting action of the classic DOOM games and twisted it into survival horror. A reboot of sorts for the previous games instead of a direct continuation, Doom³’s plot remains fairly similar - mad scientists on a Mars base open a portal to Hell, demons invade and trash the place, and it’s up to one lone gun-toting marine to rip and tear through every demon in his way. However, there’s not so much ripping and tearing this time around; with slightly slower-paced action and a darker atmosphere, the games takes on a spookier survival theme with limited ammo, occasional jumpscares and a story taken much more seriously with little of the dark humour found in the previous games. While some fans considered the survival horror retooling to be the wrong move, slowing the gameplay down, Doom³ still managed to outperform the previous entries and brought DOOM once again to the forefront of gaming. That said, the modern DOOM games returned to the classic run-and-gun gameplay with very few of Doom³’s elements present, making the genre shift all the more distinct.
Don’t be afraid to try something new every once in a while! Even if it doesn’t work out, at least you now know what not to do. How did you feel about these games taking a step away from their series’ formulas? Got any other games that could fit this list? Let me know! Feedback, reblogs and likes are all much appreciated!
I Like to Move It, Move It - Five Games With the Best Movement
Can’t stay for long, got places to be! Something as simple as just moving around is surprisingly tricky for video games to make enjoyable - it can often be slow, clunky, twitchy, or just boring. Then, there are the games that do it right; whether they introduce unique mechanics, feature a variety of mobility options, or just really nail the basics in a way that feels satisfying. Reaching high speeds for the adrenaline rush, executing a complex manoeuvre a hundred times until it’s second nature, or just roaming around enjoying the feel of exploration - sometimes, the movement alone is the best part. Get a move on with these five games I’ve collected here that feature the best mobility and movement mechanics!
Spider-Man 2
In a game about everyone’s favourite web-slinging wallcrawler(s), getting Spider-Man’s distinct movement style right is crucial - and Insomniac Games nailed it. Swinging through Manhattan feels incredibly satisfying and realistic as the city whips by you, and the physics of the Spider-Men have real dynamic weight to them so you can build up speed with short rapid swings nearly brushing against the roads or reach the highest rooftops with longer, slower arcs. The sequel introduced web-wings for gliding on the winds, and other new tricks like slingshotting yourself across the city or using abilities in midair to gain height and momentum. Thwipping from one end of the city to the other to chase after criminals or violent mutated scientists gives a huge adrenaline rush; it’s a sign of a perfectly-executed movement system when it’s actually more fun to manually swing around instead of using the slightly-quicker fast-travel points.
Wavetale
Behold, a game with actually enjoyable water movement. Skating across the ocean surface in a flooded post-apocalyptic shanty town in Wavetale is just as creative as it is fun, building up speed as young Sigrid skims around, diving under and leaping out like a supercharged dolphin, and grappling onto hooks for massive speed boosts. Zooming around the waters from one corner of the map to the other, Sigrid can even outrun boats chugging along as she dodges the creepy shadow monsters threatening the town of Strandville! There’s pipes and funnels dangling above the waves to use as waterslides, launching you across the sea and keeping up your momentum - perfect for the challenging races that put your coordination to the test on lightning fast obstacle courses that snake around the drifting houses and shallow islands. For extra challenge, the game’s gigantic bosses will keep you on your toes as you duck and weave on the waves around their attacks that rain from above.
Super Mario Odyssey
Mario’s jumping talents get an overhaul in Odyssey, adding loads of fancy new moves and tricks to learn in this sprawling open-world adventure. His new companion, Cappy, allows for stylish leaps and bounces from one end of the kingdom to the other as well as “capturing” just about any creature Mario encounters. Capturing things transforms Mario into the target, granting unique abilities for even more new forms of movement - stretching into the air, blasting over the water, jumping over high obstacles, and dozens of other powers. It’s highly satisfying to master all of Mario’s moves and being able to sprint, roll and dive at Mach speed with perfectly-executed button combos. Speedrunners and players that really learn all the movement techs are rewarded with hidden coins and other goodies stashed away on seemingly impossible to reach areas, accessible only to those able to clear enormous gaps and scale sheer walls with expert timing and coordination.
Sunset Overdrive
Enter the high-energy “awesome-pocalypse” with a city hand-tailored for jumping, sliding and parkouring all over it. Sunset City has been overrun by the OD - aggressive mutants caused by a radioactive energy drink - and only a small handful of stubborn survivors remain in the locked-down city to enjoy the chaos. In SSOD, the player is constantly on the move from one jump to the other - bounce off that fan into sliding down a powerline into grinding along a handrail into bouncing off a car hood followed by dashing over a slobbering mutant and onto the next fan to bounce off, and repeat in a nigh-infinite chain of possible routes across the city. As you move, you’ll be blasting away at the hordes of OD, earning style points for fighting while performing sick tricks throughout the colourful mayhem. There’s precarious platforming and obstacle courses that take you high into the sky surrounding the tallest towers - don’t look down! The city also features replayable challenges scattered around for those that really want to test their mobility skills, parkouring across the chaotic cityscape as fast as possible.
DOOM Eternal
In the fiery arenas of DOOM Eternal, movement is key and staying still is death. Double-jumping, dashing, climbing and swinging through the air, Doomguy treats the devastated Earth and the plains of Hell as his own personal playground! The developers compared the movement in Eternal to flying a fighter jet, constantly dashing and weaving through enemies and their attacks - the demons can’t hit what they can’t see. The new Meathook attachment to your trusty Super Shotgun allows you to zip across the battleground, latching onto some poor demon on the other side of the fight and pulling yourself towards it to deliver a face-full of buckshot. Eternal features a higher emphasis on platforming compared to previous DOOM entries, with many levels consisting of winding obstacle courses with combat encounters in-between all the jumping and climbing. Staying on the move as you blast through demons gives a huge adrenaline rush, feeling almost desperately aggressive as one mis-timed dash could be the difference between the demon’s death and your own.
Now that we’re up to speed on some of the best movement systems in games, which is your favourite? Got any other games that would fit the list? Let me know! Feedback, reblogs and likes are all much appreciated!
Thanks for reading!
So Much to See, So Much to Do - Five of the Best Sandbox Games
Do you enjoy expressing your creativity? Prefer to do things at your own pace? Do you find exploration and collection a good way to chill out? Enjoy the ultimate freedom of choice in sandbox games! They’re not always about building blocks - sandboxes are defined by having a wide variety of things to do, with the game rarely railroading the player to specific paths, instead letting the player choose what to do at their own pace. They occasionally have stories, with the odd linear mission here and there, but there’s no rush to actually do any of these missions until you feel like it. The bulk of the games have no direct given objectives, letting the player set their own! With huge explorable maps covered in various items and other content to discover for yourself, endless replayability is a cornerstone of the sandbox genre. I’ve collected a handful of examples here, each fitting the staples of sandboxes while adding their own ideas - take a look for yourself below!
Minecraft
THE definitive sandbox game. There’s been plenty of attempts to recreate or outright copy it, but nothing does “open-world creative sandbox” quite like Minecraft. You’re dropped into the blocky wilderness with nothing but your bare hands and left to your own devices - it’s all up to you from that point onwards. You can explore the enormous and diverse world, building your perfect base wherever you like, or carve your way through the mountains and valleys to remake the entire landscape as you see fit. There’s minor nudges towards progression - achievements that hint at stronger tools and new mechanics to experiment with, a recipe book that lets you know what your resources could create, but it’s your choice as to what path you want to follow. Play on Survival Mode and fight for your life while you scavenge and mine for necessary gear, or try Creative Mode for limitless items and invulnerability to build (or destroy) whatever you want in a mind-bogglingly huge map - at 60 million square metres, Minecraft’s explorable zone is roughly the surface of Neptune!
Red Dead Redemption 2
It’s a rough life as an outlaw in the wild west, but it’s a free life - apart from the constant relocation and hiding from the law, of course. Wandering the beautiful west on your trusty horse through the burgeoning towns and windswept wilderness, RDR2 has countless unique encounters and interactions to discover; or, switch on Cinematic Mode and sit back to enjoy the gorgeous scenery as your horse automatically follows whatever path you’ve set. There’s plenty to do as an experienced outlaw like Arthur Morgan: follow the honourable route and help out wherever you can while avoiding the eyes of the law, or embrace the heartless criminal life, stealing and killing anything and everyone in your way. You can stick to the engaging narrative that takes you on a roundabout journey through the massive map from the bitter frozen peaks to the smog-covered mean streets of the city, or take your time and relax, travelling around at your own pace, collecting items, hunting wildlife, and just enjoying the view on the roads less ridden.
Terraria
Standing equal to Minecraft as the two kings of creative sandboxes, Terraria brings a greater focus on combat and gear progression with numerous boss fights and a map that evolves as you progress. The map itself may feel relatively small - the 2-D space makes it easier to explore from one end of the surface to the other - but the massive maze of caverns underneath is practically impossible to fully map out so there’s always something new to find. There are countless items to collect and enemies to hunt down, making Terraria a great game for the dedicated completionists. Between all the weapons, tools, armour, accessories, blocks, resources and decorations, the game boasts over 5,000 total items to find and craft, and Journey Mode allows the more building-inclined players to collect infinite amounts of them all. With continuous updates always adding a staggering amount of new content, the game has more than quintupled in size since launch over a decade ago!
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Embark on a magnificent adventure across the kingdom of Hyrule like never before in Tears of the Kingdom’s enormous three-tiered map: the mysterious sky islands, the familiar surface of Hyrule, and the ominous Depths. The surface is littered with a variety of collectables, sidequests, characters and challenges across a diverse landscape that features everything from fiery volcanoes to frosty mountain peaks and everything in-between. The sky islands are smaller, scattered around the clouds with unique mechanics, resources, and repeatable boss fights. The Depths, accessed through foreboding chasms dotting the surface, has a dark and oppressive atmosphere filled with difficult enemies and workstations containing various materials. As the heroic swordsman Link, piece together vehicles to explore the world more easily from different parts found all over the place - carts to cruise around the surface, or flying machines to soar into the sky or hover through the caverns. Between all the story content you can follow up on at your leisure, careful exploration is key to acquiring all the gear and other items you’ll need in the quest to save Hyrule from impending demonic destruction!
No Man’s Sky
When it comes to sandbox game map size, it doesn’t get any bigger than the vastness of outer space. How many planets are in No Man’s Sky’s cosmic playground, you might ask? Oh, only 18 quintillion procedurally-generated worlds populating 256 unique galaxies. That’s only more than triple the known size of our actual universe. Hop in your spaceship and explore through the stars however you like, harvesting different materials and hunting (or being hunted by) the diverse local wildlife - but be careful to check if the planet has a breathable atmosphere before jumping out without a helmet! Any star you see in the sky - and I do mean any - is an actual visitable system with its own planets, rewards and dangers. Between all the planets, space stations and other civilised areas can be found floating about, where you can upgrade your ship and learn new alien languages! You can even go online and encounter other players wandering the stars - assuming you even happen to bump into anyone by sheer chance in this enormous universe.
Naturally, there are plenty of other sandbox games to explore - the genre itself is practically a sandbox of games, each with their own variety of content and unique spins on the usual features! Which sandbox games are your favourite? Got any suggestions to add to these five examples? Let me know! Feedback, reblogs and likes are all much appreciated!
Thanks for reading!
The Multiverse's Mightiest Heroes - A Quick Review of the Marvel Rivals Closed Beta Test
Doom strikes! Across an entangled timestream converging around a duo of battling Doctor Dooms, various iconic (and some obscure) heroes and villains from across the Marvel multiverse are thrown into battle in NetEase’s Marvel Rivals! An upcoming hero shooter in the same vein as Overwatch or Apex Legends, Rivals hosted a closed beta test earlier this year that I was lucky enough to participate in. For two weeks, testers got to play as 23 different Marvel characters battling in the halls of Asgard or the neon streets of Tokyo 2099 in a surprisingly polished beta with only a small handful of standout issues. Testers could play as tanky Vanguards like Thor or Magneto, powerful Duelists like Iron Man and Spider-Man, or helpful Strategists like Rocket Raccoon and Luna Snow. I’ll share my thoughts on the closed beta here before the full game releases on December 6th 2024 - enjoy!
The majority of the cast has highly satisfying gameplay; bringing the thunder as Thor or zipping around as Spider-Man feels just as cool to play as it seems in the comics and films. Many characters should also feel very familiar to players of other hero shooters - for example, Storm’s controllable weather aura will remind Overwatch players of Lúcio’s switchable music - and I had no trouble quickly picking up how to play as, alongside, or against each hero despite the sheer number of them. Quick kill times means it’s easier to feel like you’re providing more impact per match even if it means more personal deaths - if all your scoreboard numbers are high, you can’t be doing too poorly right? The regenerating destructible environments also really set Rivals apart from the rest of the genre and keep things interesting. Someone hiding from you in a building? Just get rid of the building!
Of course, it was a beta test, so some issues are inevitable. I’m expecting most of these to be resolved by launch - but one can only hope. The lack of map variety was one particular problem; with only three game modes across four maps in total, it started to feel rather repetitive once I’d escorted Spider-Zero through Tokyo 2099 nine matches in a row. I’m also begging the developers to add proper Australia/Oceania servers - I, and plenty others, had to endure skyrocketing latency all beta long, getting repeatedly trapped in the loading screen for half the duration of many matches! I tended to be quite late to those first decisive team fights after staring at that 99% loading bar for several minutes.
Gameplay aside, this game’s artstyle is amazing. The characters all look incredibly striking and distinct, instantly recognisable yet with a unique twist on each one. Definitely my favourite look for Scarlet Witch in any of her adaptations. The voice acting is also top-notch, with an absolutely stacked cast; Troy Baker, Nolan North, Nika Futterman, Liam O’Brien, James Arnold Taylor, Yuri Lowenthal, and so so many more familiar talents. Finally, my personal highlight - lore! A hero shooter with actual in-game storytelling! Imagine that. Each hero includes a snippet of excellent writing found in their gallery that is just as compelling as the gameplay itself, showcasing various different story threads all slowly weaving together around the core conflict between two alternate versions of Doctor Doom. I’m just as excited to see how all their stories unfold as I am to play the game again when it releases on December 6th 2024.
I hope you enjoyed this quick review of the Marvel Rivals Closed Beta Test! Feedback, reblogs and likes are all much appreciated!
Everything You Should Know About Star Wars Outlaws
It is a period of civil war across the galaxy…a perfect opportunity to make it big in the treacherous criminal underworld! Massive Entertainment’s Star Wars Outlaws, an open-world adventure set in the famous galaxy far far away, puts you in the shoes of a cunning new scoundrel on the scene named Kay Vess as she takes on a dangerous heist job to earn herself a real reputation. Explore numerous planets - some new, some familiar - throughout the job, stealing right from under the nose of a notorious gangster and evading the Empire’s attention as you reach the top of the galaxy’s most wanted list. Outlaws is set to release on August 30th 2024, but if you need to catch up on any news beforehand, I’ve gathered here a rundown on all the details we know about the game for you to enjoy. Read on!
The Basics - A Good Blaster at Your Side
Outlaws is the first of its kind for the Star Wars gaming repertoire - a singleplayer, story-driven open-world adventure, at a considerably larger scale than the previous major games like Jedi: Survivor. It features wide-open free exploration of numerous planets in the galaxy far far away, in a choices-matter narrative where every move you make could earn you reputation across worlds or land you in trouble with the Empire. Explore, sneak, steal and fight your way across the most famous fictional galaxy in the most gorgeous high-definition graphics it’s ever been witnessed in - I almost thought a handful of the games’ screenshots were taken from some upcoming show!
Gameplay Details
The game truly allows the player to pick their approach to any situation. In action, will you go the stealthy route, or would you prefer a straight fight to all that sneaking around? Guns blazing is always an option, or you could send your faithful little companion Nix to distract enemies, grab weapons or activate diversions. When things get too hot, you can activate a special focus mode to slow down time - even in the midst of a high-speed chase on your speeder - and carefully line up your shots to take down your targets.
By completing certain jobs, attacking certain factions or making certain dialogue choices, you can earn reputation (good or bad) with the various crime cartels you’ll encounter - but of course, gangsters don’t play nice with each other. Pick your allegiances carefully, as working for one gang will often make you an enemy of another. When the Empire catches wind of your crimes, you’ll deal with Grand Theft Auto-style wanted levels as increasingly difficult stormtroopers, death troopers, walkers and even TIE fighter patrols are deployed for particularly troublesome scoundrels. When the pressure gets too high on the surface, you can flee to the stars in your ship - unless there’s a fleet of Star Destroyers or bounty hunters ready to ambush you in orbit for an all-out dogfight!
The Characters
So, who are the stars of the show here? The player controls Kay Vess (Humberly González), a scoundrel who grew up on the corrupt streets of the casinos of Canto Bight and wants to finally make a name for herself in the criminal underworld scene. Accompanying her are her faithful pet merqaal Nix (Dee Bradley Baker), who is excellent at distracting enemies and grabbing items, and Clone Wars veteran commando droid ND-5 (Jay Rincon) that has managed to stay mostly in one piece in the decades after the war and now works as a personal enforcer.
The game sees them pulling off a daring heist job that promises to put Kay’s name on the map, masterminded by notorious gunrunner Jaylen Vrax and targeting the mansion of the dangerous crime lord Sliro, who commands an army of bounty hunters to “discourage” any wannabe thieves. Additionally, Kay and crew will be tangling with various galaxy-spanning cartel gangs, including the Hutts, the Pikes, Crimson Dawn and more that will make either powerful allies or vicious enemies.
The Time and Place
The game’s story takes place during the events of the Original Trilogy - more precisely, in the year between Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. The Empire is busy fighting a full-scale war against the Rebellion, allowing the scum and villainy of the galaxy to thrive in the background. The familiar “used future” aesthetic of the Original Trilogy is ever-present in Outlaws, with the classic screen-wipe scene transitions, rusted chrome ships, and Kay’s extremely 80’s mullet and jacket.
There’s plenty of worlds to explore, both familiar and new - visit Jabba’s Palace on Tatooine (and catch a glimpse of a certain scoundrel frozen in carbonite), survive the mean streets of Canto Bight, and navigate the snowy alleys of Kijimi. Brand-new planets are introduced in this game too, such as the windswept savanna moon Toshara and the war-torn jungles of Akiva. The player will be able to soar across the open lands of these freely-explorable worlds on Kay’s trusty speeder bike, and fly through the stars beyond aboard her ship, the Trailblazer.
That’s all there is to know about Star Wars Outlaws before it releases on August 30th! I know I’m excited for this fresh new look at the galaxy far far away - let me know if you are too! Feedback, reblogs and likes are all much appreciated, and thanks for reading!
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