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PowerSlave returns to current Gen consoles with PowerSlave Exhumed from Nightdive Studios.

PowerSlave Exhumed has made it’s way to the current generation of consoles from Nightdive Studios and combines all of the content from both the Playstation and Dreamcast versions of the original release. Players take on the role of a covert specialist sent to investigate a recently sealed Egyptian city. While being trained for any manner of event you are still somehow not prepared for what awaits you within the sealed city of Karnak.

Graphically it is on par with the original Doom game with similar mechanics. Controls are reminiscent or the classic title as well. Compared to the original version of the game though I can’t say how it compares as I never played either edition on the older consoles. Where Doom sucked you into the world with it’s dynamic sounds and music, PowerSlave failed to keep my attention in the same way.

The story felt a little forced, like it was included as necessity and not part of the actual experience. The game felt more like it was made just to check the boxes that Doom created in order to capitalize on that market. If you are looking for a game that looks and feels like it was intended to be a Doom clone without the ambiance or story then look no further.

Who doesn’t love a good “who done it” story? Lacuna brings that to a retro 2D platform and is the first release from DigiTales Interactive.

DigiTales Interactive is an indie developer that first released Lacuna directly to Steam and later to consoles and we had a chance to try it out. A few acts of terror threaten this dystopian world where things aren’t as perfect as they first appear. These acts sow the seeds of chaos and risk setting the universe in flames. This slippery slope begins with the death of a diplomat who was actively working to broker peace with your own nation and it is YOUR job to investigate the who, what, where, when (not so much this one) and why.

The game itself feels similar to those “Choose your own adventure” books where your actions and choices determine the outcome of the story. Graphically it looks and feels like some of the old 16 bit games from my youth and the gameplay very much solidifies this feeling. This was one of those titles that checks a lot of the boxes I look for in an entirely new experience but failed to hold my attention even with the promise of more action to come, many of the puzzles and investigation elements just felt tedious.

Our friends at Iceberg Interactive shared their remastered Eldritch horror title Transient for the Xbox One.

Iceberg Interactive updated their classic title, Transient, for the current generation of consoles with the Extended Edition. The game begins in the distant future, the world was nearly ended and a scientific effort strives to carry the world through the fallout. You wake up in a facility with a weird skull mask on your head and start on your adventure. With the music and the overall ambiance the game is very much meant to be a horror title but as you explore the world this adventure honestly feels mores like the game was more of a game of exploration.

The game is extremely linear but is full of puzzles to keep things interesting. Best part of these puzzles is that they feel organic, none that I have experienced so far felt forced. Any game that brings in inspiration from HP Lovecraft is worth a try in my book but when you add in a gorgeous world and engaging story and you have a game that is worth playing until the end.

IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO WARNER BROS I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON THOSE I MISSED!

Recently the fine folks at Warner Bros (their home page is here) had sent me codes to some of their movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. For the first part of this series we talked about Scoob, Birds of Prey, The Way Back, Goonies 4K, Beetlejuice 4K, Full Metal Jacket, Sherlock Holmes 4K and Sherlock Holmes A Game of Shadows 4K. Part 2 ‘twas massive and discussed V for Vendetta 4K, 300 4K, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy 4K, The Hobbit Trilogy 4K, Blade 4K, Bill and Ted Face the Music, Tenet and The Wolf of Snow Hollow. Part 3 talked about Wonder Woman 1984, The Little Things and Judas and the Black Messiah. Part 4 discussed Tom and Jerry the Movie and Godzilla Vs Kong. Part 5 was all about Wrath of Man, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Space Jam. Part 6 had discussed Mortal Kombat and Those Who Wish Me Dead. Part 7 discussed In the Heights, The Conjuring 3: The Devil Made Me Do It, Zack Snyder’s Justice League and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 20 Years of Movie Magic edition. Part 8 discussed A Clockwork Orange, Space Jam: A New Legacy and Shawshank Redemption. Part 9 talked about The Suicide Squad and Reminiscence. Part 10 discussed The Outsiders, Cry Macho, Malignant, the Many Saints of Newark and the Mad Max film collection. We have returned for Part 11 to talk about Dune, Matrix: Resurrections, The Batman, Dog and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.

Dune

This film is the first half of the latest adaptation of the novel but by far the most faithful we have yet to receive. This was always one of my favorite series and I only had one complaint- that we didn’t receive the full adaptation in a single release. I would have gladly sat through the full 4-6 hours it would have taken to watch it in it’s entirety.

Matrix: Resurrections

In the previous Matrix film Neo and Trinity sacrificed themselves to save the day. The film picks up with a video game designer who looks like Neo with flashes of events from the previous films and it seems like these are all part of a video game he designed. Things get crazier as we dive deeper into this meta rabbit hole and it was a fantastic ride all the way until the end.

The Batman

All heroes have to start somewhere and this is the Batman’s start. His first “super villain” and his first major case, all before the gadgets and masking of his voice. Sure it is yet another retelling of his origin but in the end this film was a fantastic story and was told wonderfully. I hope this same creative team gets the chance to do more.

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

This is the first film since we had Depp replaced and yet Ezra Miller still kept his role. The film follows Dumbledore as he brings together a team to fight Grindelwald and along the way clash with his follows and encounter new and old beasts. I continue to love the films in this universe but wish that we could have done so with maintaining the original cast.

Dog

Army Ranger Briggs and a dog named Lulu travel towards a funeral and along the way have to survive each other. The film does something that has been ignored for too long, focus on the psychological damage and necessity for healing after experiencing war. For this alone it is worth a watch but it is an amusing buddy comedy otherwise.

Which of these films from Warner Bros have you seen and which did you enjoy? Let us know on our Twitter page!

IT IS RARE FOR ME TO SEE A MOVIE WHEN IT’S STILL IN THEATERS BUT THANKS TO Marvel Entertainment I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP ON A FEW THAT I MISSED!

Recently the fine folks at Marvel Entertainment (their home page is here) had sent me a code to one of the movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on it with you. This will be a regular series and Part 1 we talked about Black Widow. Part 2 discussed Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Part 3 shared our thoughts on Eternals and straight to DVD release Spidey and his Amazing Friends. We are back this time to talk about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness!

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

This film picks up shortly after the events of Wandavision and Spider Man No Way Home, however only Wandavision is required viewing prior to seeing this film, trust me. If you haven’t seen Wandavision yet then do yourself a favor, stop reading and come back once you are caught up. Those that have seen the show will remember that Wanda created children in her grief and in letting them go managed to defeat Agatha and obtain the Darkhold. Fast forward to present day and Doctor Strange (from a different universe) races towards the Book of the Vishanti with America Chavez and being chased by a demonic entity. The creature kills this version of Strange and mistakenly sends America into the Multiverse. This film introduces many plots from the comics for the first time like the Illuminati and Incursions. Having been caught up on the various cinematic plot threads I found this movie to exceed my expectations and managed to even change where I thought the current story arch for the MCU was going. Overall I want to watch it again to see what I missed the first time.

Have you had a chance to see this film from Marvel Entertainment? If not it can currently be seen in Disney+ as well as purchased from your favorite distributer (releasing July 26th).

Exploding Kittens brings us another food based fighting game. Throw Throw Avocado is both sequel and expansion to its predecessor Throw Throw Burrito.

Ever since I was a kid I wanted to take part in one of those epic food fights where the whole school is involved. Sadly this dream was never realized but Throw Throw Burrito and Throw Throw Avocado are the next best things. Even better is cleaning up after this food fight is much preferred to a real food fight.

Players take turns passing cards around the table, scrambling to find matches until matching duel cards are played and the throwing of avocados commences. There is an added variation this time around called Leg Duel where the players stand back to back, take three paces, turn and throw them through their opponent’s legs in order to score a point. What makes it even better is chucking this little avocados at your own kids, even with hard a throw these things are so soft that they make a satisfying hit without injuring them.

Combing this game with its predecessor makes for a longer experience that is pure chaos. This variation is the best way to play the game but not as suitable for younger players as the chaos can be overwhelming or they grow tired of the game before it is over.

Exploding Kittens brings us this latest gem to their library of game titles and I sincerely hope this isn’t the final installment in the Throw Throw franchise.

The Oatmeal returns to their classic card game with essentially an Ultimate Edition of Exploding Kittens with Recipes for Disaster!

There are very few titles where I will want every edition that is released but Exploding Kittens is one such title. The Oatmeal brings us their latest edition Recipes for Disaster. Overall the gameplay is very much the same. Each player will play an action of some sort in hopes that their opponent will draw one of the Exploding Kittens and be removed from the game. Of course if they have a defuse in hand then the Kitten will be returned to the deck.

Where previous editions or expansions added cards to your deck, Recipes for Disaster changes things up. Before starting the game you will choose your ”recipe” which will require the deck to be modified. Some remove certain cards entirely while other minimize the numbers of others. Each previous iteration of the game is included within this single edition and is the most complete release yet. These changes brings fresh new ways to play for any that needed it. For our family we are still far from sick of this game but these changes are welcome additions and look forward to see what else they come up with next for the game.

Gravitar is the latest Atari title to receive the Recharged treatment for the current generation of consoles.

The last time I had even heard of Gravitar was in the days when Atari gaming was in its prime. Playing it then I never got very far but my dad had the patience and skill to pilot the ship to victory. Fast forward a couple decades and not much has changed on my end with this Next Gen release.

In both iterations of the game you play a lone pilot trying to get home. While the controller themselves are entirely different the experience feels very much the same. A little too much acceleration when pointing the wrong direction can spell certain doom for this pilot. Each map is a new solar system where you must complete various challenges before being able to move on to the next solar system via a massive black hole. The question remains, will I ever bring this pilot home? For the now the answer is easy, its not going to happen. I al simply too heavy handed when it comes to a game that requires so much finesse and because of that I have yet to complete the first system. Despite my many, many failures I found the game to be challenging but enjoyable.

The next small boxed Warhammer 40k game is here with Fireteam, putting Space Marines against Necrons.

Fireteam is meant to be a way to introduce Warhammer 40k to new players, giving them essentially a small kill team that can easily be a starting force towards a solid 1000 point army when they graduate to a true tabletop experience. Being a skirmish type game it is meant to be quick paced and the designers have more than achieved it. As tabletop gamers we have have those friends or family members we want to bring into our hobby and box is a perfect way to do that with 40k.

One of the best things about this release is the value. It sells for about $50 at book stores and if you were to take the same models from Games Workshop directly would easily cost at least $100! Gameplay is easy to learn and the campaign mechanic is a great way to bring experienced gamers and newer players together for a story where the war is not decided by a single battle. Essentially you mix and match key elements of a campaign to tell the tale of this fight you are waging while unlocking special gear that will benefit you later. Overall this is a great value to players starting out with either Space Marines or Necrons and will make for an engaging way to introduce other players to this wonderful world of 40k.

Headup Games brings us Silver Chains, a survival horror game in the first person perspective but is it creepy enough?

In Silver Chains you play as Peter, a traveler who’s car has broken down, as he explores a dilapidated mansion in hopes of leaving. Of course your first steps into the house to search for help ends being rendered unconscious. You awake in a bedroom with no memory of how you got there. Now, I am far from understanding what is happening in this house and even further from finishing the story at the time of writing but I have an early prediction. That Peter grew up in this house and had escaped but after he died elsewhere the house has called him home (this prediction was written only 10-20 minutes into the story).

This game absolutely requires playing with the sound loud enough to draw you in, it is a critical part of setting the tone. The building itself is wonderfully crafted in completes the atmospheric package. The different rooms you get into have a ton of detail between peeling paint, doll parts hanging from the ceiling and doors filled with cracked wood. The game is full of tense moments that are not helped by the monster chasing you. I feel like I spent more time hiding in wardrobes more than actually exploring and it seriously had me on edge. For anyone that enjoys a good horror title this will be a great addition to your library.