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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.
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@an-aussie-button-masher
Hello there!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
2024 Gaming Wrap-Up
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!
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!
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!
An Aussie Button-Masher
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
Thanks for reading!
An Aussie Button-Masher
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!