Another classic Atari 2600 hit has returned with the Recharged treatment with Yars: Recharged!
Originally published in 1982 on the Atari 2600, Yars has returned with Yars: Recharged from SneakyBox and Adamvision Studios. The game features an alien bug that resembles a dragonfly that is sent to destroy the alien ships that have come to subjugate the planet. Do you have what it takes to survive this remastered bullet hell? As more bullets fly it is natural to panic and I am prone to panic in these situations.
I had only ever heard of the original game but never played. It was one of those that my friends steered my away from due to its difficulty in grade school. It’s THAT old! Playing this one is a ton of fun. If I had known this is what the game was like I would have likely played it when I was much younger. Graphically it reminds me of the Dead Space arcade game that was on the 360 but it is pure chaos. Some levels require pure luck to survive. If you like a game that is sleek and an absolute challenge you will love this game.
Are you smarter than a 5th grader is the quiz show turned video game that uses children as trivia support.
Are you smarter than a 5th grader is a quiz show centered around topics found in grade school education and proving how useless some of it is. The American Education system is nowhere near where it should be and I suspect this is secretly what the show’s creation was meant to highlight. Of course there are questions that everyone should know like how to convert tablespoons to teaspoons or millimeters in a centimeter but there are some truly useless answers there as well.
Each player answers the questions as best as they can, get it wrong and the show/game is over. You start with two questions for each grade and a final eleventh question that covers sixth grade topics. Answering the sixth grade question means you are truly smarter than a fifth grader. For a trivia quiz show it’s not bad. The actual show gave time to meet the students who would help you answer your questions and the game does as well. The problem here is these are fake kids so I’m not interested in their written commentary about their lives or schooling. Perhaps if they allowed the spot to be filled by an actual player instead of an NPS then I would care more about them.
Graphically the game is crisp, free of glitches and some solid rendering. It definitely fits in the current generation of graphics engines. Controls are very simple, only requiring the letter based buttons once in the game. Overall I had a good time with the game, pushing myself to answer without the “cheats” made it more challenging too. If you like trivia you will enjoy this one.
Crypto is back and this time he vows to Destroy All Humans, again!
Crypto is back and this time he vows to Destroy All Humans, again, in this remastered sequel to the remastered cult classic from THQ Nordic. The first game I had heard of but had no idea this sequel was released prior to being remastered, or reprobed as the name of the title suggests. I did some research on it while trying to recall the name of our grey alien bringer of chaos and came across the original release photos. Continuing off the story of the original game the mothership has crashed and it is up to Crypto to kill everyone and save the day. The story centers around tracking down the KGB as they further infiltrate the city and are responsible for shooting down the mothership.
Gameplay is just as chaotic and hilarious as the original. Hijacking the bodies of citizens is just as hilarious as before and the ragdoll physics makes for a great time with the levitation ability. The dancing mode makes for a great escape that is hilarious to watch- you force enemies, civilians and even cars to dance under the dance lights that appear on the ground around them. Watching the cars dance along with them is hilarious. If you played the original or are looking for a game where mayhem and abductions are the frequent play type then this is a must purchase for you. We had a ton of fun on this title in both single player and co-op modes- fyi it’s even better if you make a drinking game out of it.
Jim is climbing the corporate ladder in The Company Man and it is up to you to get him to the top!
The Company Man is an action platformer from Leoful and Forust Studio that centers around Jim as he climbs the corporate ladder. This game is not just full, it is overflowing, with workplace and corporate based puns. Jokes about the accounting department being so boring it’s like time freezes are translated into an ice themed level where you have to fight the accountants and their manager. Each enemy you defeat essentially explodes and is fired from the company. After each boss fight you earn a new ability and return to the building’s lobby where you can purchase coffee or speak to the receptionist.
The stages themselves are quite easy to navigate, all the while commenting about normal corporate activities with a more literal meaning that can be attributed to combat. The boss fights however have a steep learning curve but a little patience and you will be able to spot their tells and defeat them in no time. Having worked in Corporate America for nearly a decade it makes this game even funnier. On top of the corporate humor game play is engaging and enjoyable with easy to master controls. This game is a gem I suggest you don’t sleep on.
Peter must survive the Cold War but in the extreme colds of Antarctica in South of the Circle from State of Play Games.
In South of the Circle you play a Cambridge professor as he navigates love and the Cold War itself. Ultimately he ends up in Antarctica and must survive there after his plane crashes and he starts his trek through the frozen land to find help for himself and the pilot.
The controls are easy to pick up and the mechanics seemed odd to me. Specifically the dialogue mechanics. You have a limited time to select one of two options where you are given an emoji to identify the type of response you are giving. The options don’t really appear to make a difference in the dialogue trees and you have no idea what the responses will be other than the good or bad implications of those emojis.
Graphically the game fits with indie titles, using what appears to be a limited color pallet with cell shading. Overall the story was slow paced and failed to drive home the urgency of your quest as you wander aimlessly trying to figure out how to rescue yourself and the pilot. With no real control over the story or the conversations it feels like you would be better off playing a FMV title instead or something with a faster pace as I fell asleep twice while playing this title.
Way of the Hunter is the latest first person shooter game centered around hunting the creatures of the forest.
Way of the Hunter is a hunting game where there is a mysterious deer meat virus and its your job to kill all the creatures needed to fund your endeavors. THQ Nordic and Nine Rock Games brings us this FPS game where the ultimate goal seems to be furnishing a hunting lodge. You play as River as he takes over his Grandfather’s ranch and use hunting to fund all of your endeavors.
Your first task after gaining access to the lodge is to visit your friend Echo. Echo is no real friend but a point where your voice echoes easily. After that you take your first steps towards hunting. The first hunting task is at the shooting range. There you practice adjusting your scope, breathing properly and aiming. It is all quite easy to pick up but leads you to a task your grandfather meant to do himself. The hills are filled with badgers and they MUST die. Hunting them was quite tricky at first. The trick is to anticipate where they are about to be and shooting there just before they cross that path. With each kill task you are given unlocks other kill tasks focused on other animals and harder kills.
Overall the game has what I would call mixed graphics, where some aspects are highly details and others not so much. Specifically the scenery is where all the detail is and it is beautiful. I thought it was a cool touch to see real weapons and real gear featured in the game to assist you with your hunts. The story is slow and the hunts even slower but are much more realistic than I anticipated. Walking through tall grass quickly, not worrying about my noise, is bound to scare off the animals I’m hunting and I thought firing the gun or being seen would be the only way to do that. I applaud the designers for their attention to realistic detail there. For a hunting game I liked the realism but was hoping for something more forgiving like hunting in Red Dead Redemption.
Player First Games and Warner Bros Games team up to bring us the new fighting sensation Multiversus.
From Alpha to Beta to official release we got the chance to play Multiversus each iteration from Player First Games and Warner Bros Games. Through the alpha and most of the beta we had only fourteen characters. I say only like it’s a small amount, it’s not but three more have already been added with a fourth on the way soon (we expect during the last week of September). We will break down our thoughts on all that are out currently here shortly.
Before talking about those characters we are going to discuss gameplay, controls and graphics. Graphically the game is crisp and fluid. Controls are smooth as hell and easy to learn allowing you to learn combination moves organically to become a force to reckon with. The only real failing of the game is that there isn’t a story mode of any sort. Hell, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and Smash Brothers all had a basic story with them when they first released. Each “season” the game features a battle pass system of rewards where you can earn character skins, emotes and more by earning XP. This system currently gives players MORE than enough time to earn the necessary amount before the season ends. This is for those players like myself that only complete the daily XP challenges and then saves the game for another day. Dedicated players will unlock these rewards long before that happens.
Overall this is a fighting game in the same way Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat are but more family friendly gameplay like Smash Bros or Brawlhalla. There is a secret adult audio mode that is disabled by default that you can turn on if you wish. Other than only a single character so far (Morty) there are really no “bad” words being used by the characters, it’s more of a change to their attitudes. Personally I prefer this because it unleashes sarcasm in my gameplay and some of it is hilarious.
Every game I have ever played before this game that had any sort of battle pass I thought was a waste of my time because the level of grinding required to get all the prizes were insane. That was before I played Multiversus. I love the cosmetic options you can earn like for Shaggy you can play as Uncle Shagworthy (if you were part of the Beta and purchased the premium pass).
You also can’t argue with the price, the game is FREE to purchase and play but most of the characters require in game currency (you can earn or purchase outright) to unlock characters. Never fear though, they even rotate characters so you can try four at a time beyond any you unlocked. If you like fighting games and characters from Warner Brothers then this game is a must for you. I am obsessed and have played daily since the Beta started.
Take a look at a trio of battles between my son and myself, we had a blast!
Now, about them characters, starting with the core fourteen.
The Iron Giant– This is the powerhouse of the game, the definition of the tank. He is literally the only character I’ve seen hit 300+ damage without being knocked off the map. His downside is he is slow and his hitbox is larger than any other character. Online players that typically use him spam his ground slam ability and his uppercut. Both are easy to predict and counter but if they hit it’s gonna hurt.
Taz– Taz was this game’s equivalent of Blanka in that he only had a couple moves that almost everyone spammed the hell out of to the same character. After his recent nerf though he feels clunky and oddly slow for a living tornado but seeing him turn opponents into giant cooked chicken makes it all worth it.
Velma– She has one of the game’s lowest and most powerful “uppercut” type abilities as the movie appears as her throwing a lightbulb above her head as she gets an idea and that lightbulb itself is deadly. She’s fast with some weak hits but between her uppercut and her police car special she should not be ignored.
Arya Stark– For me she is the most difficult to learn and yet the hardest to pin down and hit. By far one of the fastest characters in the game and her moves require accuracy more than button mashing. She has some of the most brutal combos I’ve witnessed and they are devastating. I’ve seen more videos where she has a flawless victory than any other character.
Batman– He can take a hit and is great for closing distances. His batarang is best used to weaken enemies than actually damage them. If you can chain your attacks you can land some devastating combos but those initial hits aren’t going to do much. Button mashing has worked more times with him than not.
Bugs Bunny– Bugs plays very similar to Tom and Jerry where both can be very troublesome to hit. His abilities can land some easy combos that do decent damage but expect to put more hits into your foes as he is one of the weaker characters.
Finn The Human– I am not a fan of Adventure Time and was hesitant to give Finn a try and immediately loved playing him. He is fast, hits hard and can take a beating. His air special up attack is truly devastating.
Garnet– Garnet is a character I have only seen pictures of, never watched Steven Universe before. She is more of a utility character that feels perfect in support, even though she is a bruiser. She hits hard but her attacks are mostly short ranged and require closing the distance but using her to connect to allies she can keep them from falling to their doom or being removed from the map very similar to Reindog and Morty do. This same ability protects her in the same way.
Harley Quinn– Harley is tons of fun to play. Her attacks are comical and she has tons of personality. She’s fast, excels at dodging and her hammer and feet pack a wallop.
Jake the Dog– As mentioned above I didn’t want to play this character due to not liking the show but due to his versatility and so many different move options he’s a lot of fun to play, just not a lot power behind his hits but his speed more than makes up for it.
Reindog– This is the only character that is original to this game and he is freaking adorable. This massive shaggy dog with horns may be support but he backs a major punch. Like Morty and Garnet, he can use his long distance ability to grab allies and pull them back to safety. This ability works to save himself as well.
Shaggy– The Shagster is by far one of my favorite characters to play. His rage ability makes me laugh every time I use it because it essentially turns him into the god mode shaggy from the memes. Even his costumes are great. Less skilled players focus on mostly spamming his side air special which is a flying kick. His hits can be brutal but if you combine his rage with throwing his sandwich you’ll get the most deadly projectile so far in the game.
Steven Universe– Probably my least favorite character to play, but that is mostly due to his short reach. He’s great as a support character but my play style is meant more for a melee or tank fighter. Boosting and healing teammates is not something I do often because I focus mostly on hitting my opponents. That kind of play style Steven does not work for.
Superman– There are some challenges made with certain characters in mind. The challenge that requires knocking out an opponent without being on or above the map itself was clearly made for Superman players. His side special ability when in the air grabs players and throws them to the side of the map. He can easily do this and have jumps left to get back to the map in time before falling himself. He hits hard and some of his combos are easy to learn. Even spamming the same attack and being hit with decay those attacks are still punishing.
Tom and Jerry– I’m sure I’m wrong on this but I swear this duo have more abilities/attacks than anyone else. What is great about using them is they are essentially fighting each other the entire match and your enemies are just collateral damage. They are a lot of fun to play despite the chaos they cause. They are fast, hit hard and can take a hit.
Wonder Woman– You unlock her by completing the tutorials and she is one of the most balanced characters in the game. She is also the only character to have her own daily challenges pop up from time to time where you must block a projectile with her shield (the one for side special attack is the easiest to control for this).
Now the latest three four.
Lebron– Playing against him I felt he was a very week character that was easy to disrupt. Having tried him out for myself I realize this is not entirely the case. The way I play works well against him for most characters but is truly a speedy powerhouse, if you can get a combo off.
Morty– Morty is more of a hybrid. He’s a bruiser but also plays very much like a magic character. His abilities vary greatly between high damage close up hits to ranged attacks that still pack a punch but less than the melee hits. He is fast and excels at dodging. He is a ton of fun.
Gizmo– This adorable guy is the cutest in the entire lineup. His movies are pulled directly from the two movies like his singing, driving an RC car and using a makeshift bow and arrow. He isn’t the strongest hitter but he is difficult to nail down and hit.
Rick-When this game first came out my son asked me who I would hope to see added at a later date, my immediate answer was Rick and Morty. The next day they announced Morty and as of yesterday (9/28/2022) Rick was added to the game. We spent some time with him last night and this morning. He is so much fun to play. The chaos he causes feels like you are living an episode of the show and it is amazing. The only thing missing is all of his crazy and amusing dialogue from the show. The voice actor even sounds just like him!
In Hell Pie players swing a cherup connected to a chain to bash your way through the living world towards making Satan’s pie.
Working as a demon in hell is not as glamourous as one might think but a misdial of the phone by Satan leads to an adventure in search of ingredients for a pie. Not just any pie but a Hell Pie. Sluggerfly brings us this crazy title where you use a chained cherub to smash your way to victory. You play as Nate, the demon of bad taste and that’s not just a title. Look at some of his cosmetic options, Nate is in serious need of a fashion designer, of course this is hell so it’s safe to assume bad taste is more the status quo.
Once receiving a call from the lord of hell himself you are instructed to get the chef to make his pie immediately. Soon after you find the chef and reminding him of his duties he sends you out for ingredients.
Graphically the game looks closer to previous generation’s quality, i.e. Xbox 360/PS3. Controls are smooth and abilities can be unlocked to further propel yourself and the cherub through the maps. Overall the game is chaotic but was a ton of fun, I’m looking forward to my next adventure through the world to complete this pie.
In Endling Extinction is Forever you play a lone fox that must do everything she can to not only survive but also keep her kits alive along with her.
Produced by HandyGames and Herobeat Studios, Endling Extinction is Forever is a game that centers the story around keeping a mother fox and her kits alive in the diminishing wilderness. The first day of survival is escaping from a burning forest to then give birth in your den. On day two you must hunt to keep your strength up, either killing rodents or fish and taking them back to the den.
As the baby foxes get older and start to venture outside the den one is taken by a trapper and it is up to you and the fluffballs to retrieve it. Time is of the essence because the trail grows cold quickly. Additionally the surroundings change as time goes on, streams that were once traversable become polluted and no longer have fish to feed the family. It’s up to you to keep the four of you alive.
Graphically the game is on par with other indie titles and could have been much improved with a bit more details on the foxes themselves. Without knowing they are kits the baby foxes don’t really have any distinguishing features that make it obvious they are foxes. The controls are simplistic but fluid. Overall gameplay was good but added stress as you continued to play by forcing you to pay attention to the babies and keep their health up as a priority. The subtle changes to the environment really show the effects of humans on the environment is a sobering realization as I played will make you think about your foot print on the world. I suspect this was their intention. Overall it is a solid game with an important message that more people need to hear.
Put your singing voice to the test in a game that is NOT a rhythm game, like Rock Band, with One Hand Clapping.
Have you ever played a platformer where you used your voice to play and not just your hands? One Hand Clapping is the game that tests your voice to the limits. HandyGames brings us this adorable platformer where your voice brings the light and allows you to soar to new heights. As you move your character around the levels you must sing into an attached microphone to activate lights, levers and even helps you fly higher (when carried by an owl).
The game description hints that you will not be penalized for making mistakes. It says this and yet has these imposing shadow people that give you the feeling that you are going to die if they touch you. This team has done a fantastic job on the ambiance because I was so tense around these creatures and I did not want to put the claim to the test. The game could easily be win for players of all ages but I feel the requirement to make noise almost nonstop detracts from the game as a whole. The intention is for players to explore their own creativity and musical talent while playing. If you are like me and most of your game time is after the kids are asleep this is a bit more difficult to do without waking them up. However I do see an opportunity here that I just might explore. My youngest loves to sing and dance. I can give her the mic and do the platforming myself. Sounds like a great chance for some game related bonding.
