Category video game

El Hijo is a stealth game about a young boy named, wait for it, El Hijo. He must escape the monks who are raising him and find his mother.

El Hijo and his mother live on a farm that is raised to the ground by bandits. Prior to the arrival of the bandits his mother teaches him how to sneak around and avoid detection, setting up a slowly paced tutorial that will serve you through each stage of the game. After the bandits have destroyed his farm, his mother leaves him with a group of monks in order to save him from the bandits.

Very quickly he decides to escape the monastery and begin his magical adventure through mythical land meant to resemble the American Mid-West. In the end all that matters for our little hero is that he find his mother.

Honig Studios created hybrid stealth adventure with about as many puzzles as as a Lara Croft game. Graphics are a little on the simple side but stop short of just the going for the retro 8 bit. The stealth aspect of the game is handled superbly. Each piece of the environment can help you if you time patrols right and use them to your advantage. Overall I found the game to be quite enjoyable with more challenge than I expected.

In Sir Lovelot your goal is to woo the girl by bringing her gifts and climbing through her window, seems a bit pervy to me.

The above is a rather simplistic summary of the Sir Lovelot and his overall concept but it’s not entirely wrong either. Each level you must find a list of items to give to your princess and by the time you start the next level your Knight leaves another princess broken hearted.  Pixel Games crafted a platformer that I can honestly say is unlike any other I have ever played before.

Be prepared to die a lot. Most platformers allow you to get injured and recover your health but with Sir Lovelot each time you touch an enemy or an obstacle it is instant death. The good news here is that you respawn and any collectibles picked up or enemies defeat remain in the same state. Each stage feels very much like Splosion Man in that it is a fast paced platformer that has some similar jumping mechanics but missing the meat explosion when you dispose of your foes. This knight is also armed with was equates to a gun.

Conceptually this is an odd title as you are using mechanics that don’t fit with your typical knight in shining armor, but the game style is fast paced and quite enjoyable. What makes it stand out though is the womanizing nature of our protagonist but done in a family friendly way. Very perplexing but still enjoyable as a whole.

TinyBuild’s Kill it with Fire allows players to kill their eight-legged foe fire but so many other options as well including C4.

We have a saying in our house when we see almost any bug, but spiders and scorpions especially- “Kill it with fire” and with this game you get to do exactly that and more, at least as far as spiders are concerned. The folks at TinyBuild saw fit to share the game with us, not once but twice. We got to test it out on both the Xbox One and the Switch. Personally I only played the Xbox version while my son played both. I will speak to the game as a whole and mechanics followed by his thoughts on which platform is the better experience.

Each stage you must locate weapons, upgrades and of course the spiders themselves. Some allow you to smash, explode, shoot and burn them. I’m certain there are other ways to kill the spiders as well but I just haven’t found them yet. As you find ways to kill the spiders you’ll find each death counts towards unlocking various doors. Some will reveal new rooms, others will reveal hidden documents, a secret chamber or even a storage for ammunition. Visually the game isn’t the most gorgeous but with a game like this it doesn’t need to be. It feels like the goal was focused more on user experience than on a stunning visual and for most of us that experience is much more important.

I thought a traditional controller would be ideal for gameplay but my son, having played both versions, believed that the Switch version was the far superior method for the game. We will have to agree to disagree.

My expectation of the game was it looked like it would be fun but would be forgettable. I make it a point to play each title for approximately one hour, a testament to the quality of the game is how much time I spent after that hour. I played this for three to four hours so far and wish I had more time to invest in it. I can say that this game is not to be overlooked. I look forward to finding each of the hidden weapons and upgrades to use to kill those eight-legged bastards.

Warhammer Quest and Perchang team up again with The Silver Tower!

Perchang is not one of those developers everyone knows but those that do seem to love them, I happen to be one of these people. They have taken a beloved tabletop experience and brought it to mobile phones. The latest iteration of the Warhammer Quest line being The Silver Tower.

New players start with two characters and quickly get the opportunity to get a third. To unlock additional characters you can collect or purchase blue crystals. 100 will get you a random character and 250 will get you a guaranteed 3* or higher character. That’s not bad at all considering the fact that you will average about ten per day by completing minor challenges. This challenges vary from collecting gold to gaining experience or killing certain enemies. Either way you can easily get a new character pretty regularly. Recently though they added a third option where every week for about 5 or 6 hours you can get a special choice. Some weeks this choice is from all of the Death faction characters or like this week’s a 4* magic user. For those impatient enough you can purchase additional gems.

Gameplay is similar to previous versions in that during the player’s turn you move your characters across the map and then perform your actions. However, one slight difference to previous versions is that you could move your maximum distance and still perform an action but with Silver Tower you can only move short distance and then attack, attack twice or move a long distance. Visually the game is simply gorgeous and the animations of your characters are rendered just as crisply. The game is fast paced and a ton of fun. I sincerely hope the team is allowed to do a hybrid of these mechanics but include a story mode with the newer Warhammer Quest- Blackstone Fortress.

Have you ever wanted to build a bridge AND kill zombies at the same time? With Bridge Constructor: The Walking Dead you can!

Merging Headup’s series of Bridge Constructor titles and AMC’s The Walking Dead, players must help fan favorite characters reach the other side while keeping them alive. The Bridge Constructor games have been full of innovations including a partnership with the Portal franchise. The concept is rather simple, you have a gap of some sort and a vehicle or people need to cross. Queue the builder, that means you, builds a bridge of some sort.

Each stage has a resource limit to reach but is not required to finish the level. With The Walking Dead version of the franchise you must also kill the occasional zombie. Each stage shows a broken building or ravine to cross, many of which include zombies trying to eat characters like Eugene Porter and fan favorite Daryl Dixon. Characters like Daryl will aggressively remove zombie threats while others will use their brains to out think the walkers.

Like the other Bridge Constructor titles this game is quite enjoyable but at the same time absolutely maddening. Some stages I simply lack the imagination needed to build my bridge effectively enough to complete the level while using less than the resource limit. I love this game despite my skill though.

Have you ever argued about what your favorite dessert is? With Cake Bash from Coat Sink you can let the desserts fight it out themselves!

Smash Bro’s was one of the first titles that gave players a comical brawler where you can beat the snot out of your family members and not feel bad about it. Gang Beasts took it a step further and added some ragdoll physics. Cake Bash is now here to turn the cute level to a twelve while beating up on your family and friends.

Players choose their confectionary of choice and then the games begin. Each round players will have a chance to vote for which map they will play on. The main game has a specific rotation of bash levels, purchasing decorations followed by a challenge level. This repeats about three times ending with a final purchase section to grab as many decorations to lock in enough points to be the final dessert standing. After you have played a location or level once you can then do so in freeplay to unlock related achievements.

Some modes require precision and numerous attempts just to get them right. The caterpillar level is still not completed for me and I’ve spent about two hours on it so far. The game allows for a lot of replayability. In small doses the game is quite fun but repeating the same level will make you want to walk away from the game for a while. At $20 for the game it is a reasonable price but if you see it on sale this will become a must grab.

The folks over at GameMill Entertainment have delivered on one of the greatest franchises ever known- GI Joe!

Being a child of the Eighties I grew up with the original GI Joe cartoon series and to this day still read the comics. Other than the original title on the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) I have even played every video game title released for the franchise. Very few forms of media have captured my attention or devotion like GI Joe has. Several months ago I learned that this game was going to be released and reached out to GameMill directly to see if we could cover the game using a review copy and they graciously agreed.

Expectations

Having played the other GI Joe titles I was expecting a simple game with very linear levels using the likeness of some of my favorite characters. What we got was something entirely different.

Reality of this GI Joe Title

The levels are mostly linear but with a bit of room for exploration. Collectibles hidden throughout the levels means you’ll have some replayability but not enough to overcome the monotony of some portions of levels. The characters and story look like they straight out of the comics. The story is very linear but focuses on both sides of the war, not just the good guys. This game is far from simplistic too. Even on the easier difficulties expect to die, a few times per level. This game is not your typical walk in the park, in fact I know seasoned gamers that commented on the difficulty level. My advice to you is to start on the lowest difficulty and replay on the higher difficulties. Replaying the levels on the higher difficulty will allow you to use built in level modifications and have a much easier time on the level. The best mods are those that give unlimited ammo or bigger shields.

The Breakdown

This game has the look and feel of the comics, as if it was written by Larry Hama himself, and has the world mechanics to cater to nearly every game style. If you are a fan of GI Joe or of a challenge then this game is a must play for you. (Editor’s note: The fact that this game was provided for review had no bearing on the thoughts/opinions expressed here.)

Secret Neighbor Party Game by Arcane Wonders is here to make your next party deceitful!

Video game players have known about the naughty Neighbor for many years from TinyBuild, but did they know there is now a party card game? Thanks to a partnership with Arcane Wonders the Secret Neighbor Party Game is here. Arcane Wonders sent us a review copy to enjoy with the family and friends. With a global pandemic playing a game with the family is much easier than with friends or both.

In the Hello Neighbor franchise players try to avoid the Neighbor and sneak around his property, trying to uncover just what dark deeds he is up to. In the party game players take the roles of either the Neighbors or the kids. As kids you must manipulate others to get the keys. If they use all of the keys to unlock the basement then the kids win.

While attempting to procure the keys kids must collect cards in triplicate in order to use their powers. Secretly though Neighbors will be posing as children to undermine their efforts or steal the keys for themselves. If a Neighbor gets the key and the majority votes to use them and they refuse to do so then the Neighbors win.

The game was more fun than I expected. Party games have a tendency to feel tedious but the game was fluid, easy to pick up and everyone found it enjoyable.

Chronos: Before the Ashes is the latest Role Playing Game from Gunfire Games.

Chronos: Before the Ashes follows a young hero as they navigate the labyrinth to destroy the dragon that guides the monsters bent on destroying humanity.

The game begins with an old woman telling a story about why you are chosen and what it is you were chosen to do. She tells the assembled group that the people were once plentiful and then one day the beasts came. A chosen hero will travel through a portal, the source of the beasts, find their way to the dragon and either kill the dragon or die trying. Having never seen the game’s trailers and after seeing this intro I made the assumption that based on the name it would follow some of the ancient Greek myths. That was before I realized the spelling was wrong for it to be. The Titan of Greek mythology was Kronos so clearly it was not the story I thought it would be.

You finally get to play as the hero and enter a series of elevators that take you to a massive floating rock and with the help of a couple computers you activate a smaller stone that transports you to the labyrinth. The intro and ambiance of the level made me want to play more, it felt like Dark Souls meets World War 2 with Vikings. Controls were a bit clunky. The game has two different leveling mechanics, the first is your standard RPG leveling that gives you points to improve skills and the second is your age. Every time you die you age a year and starting at the age of twenty you unlock a new ability every ten years.

Between the innovative mechanics and the dark world this game is worth a serious look but don’t expect to fare well right away, between mechanics and the classic gaming tropes (find a locked door, follow a long linear path to key, return to door, rinse and repeat) this game will leave you frustrated and only wanting to play in small doses.

Woody is back to make Mr Rottweiler’s life miserable in the remake Neighbours Back From Hell!

Mr Rottweiler has been a thorn in Woody’s side for as long as they have been neighbors. Woody has finally had enough and has even dedicated a television show to returning the favor in Neighbours Back From Hell from THQ Nordic and Epic Games. This game is what you get when you take Kevin McCallister and put him in charge of Jackass but instead of willing friends the gags are on his asshole neighbor.

The game is spread across 25 levels, half of which are focused on specific rooms in Rottweiler’s house and make up the first two seasons. Seasons three and four focus on Rottweiler’s trips abroad. No way Woody was going to let him relax on his vacation. Just be careful because if the Neighbor catches Woody then you are in for a beating and you only get two beatings per stage before you end up losing.

The pranks themselves range from simple nuisances to deadly feats that should leave Rottweiler dead but somehow he keeps coming back for more. To use some items they require specific setups in a specific order to get the chance to use and the level gives your very little information on how to prepare for these. Thankfully for those levels there are several guides out there that will walk you through the exact process to get each coin for the level. With enough patience the game is quite easy and some of the pranks are hilarious when they work. The game makes for an easy 1000 Gamerscore and was surprisingly fun.