All posts by Jake Combs

Puzzle games and platformers are both rife with frustration but this feeling is usually accompanied by enjoyment. What happens when you blend the two and throw in cute slime? You get Gelly Break Deluxe.

ByteRockers brings us an adorable platformer and puzzle hybrid called Gelly Break Deluxe. You control one or both of two gellies, an orange and a green one, and when stacked together the one on top becomes a turret. When playing solo the turret gelly is controlled by one of the sticks where movement is controlled by the other. When playing together each gelly is controlled by one play and whichever is on top is the turret and can only point and shoot. Most levels will have three hidden gellies to find and most will give an audio cue when you approach them, even if you can’t see them.

The puzzles can be quite challenging as the stages progress but with a little patience can be overcome with minimal effort. The only truly difficult part of this game is finding the secret passage needed for the related achievement. I have completed every level I’ve seen and found every hidden gelly and yet I still can’t find this passage. I will keep replaying until I do because it is very well hidden but despite having to replay levels the are enjoyable enough that it’s worth it. For the complexity of some of the puzzles they remind me of playing Splosion Man, and that’s a good thing. This is a family friendly title that will easily end relationships if playing together- I suggest playing solo if you want to save your friendships.

You can pick up your copy on Steam, Xbox One, PS4 and Switch. Our copy was given to us by Byterockers for the purpose of this review.

Nothing brings out the frustration and rage like a game of Overcooked 2 and the newer stages that come with the Season Pass are no exception!

The kinds folks over at Team17 shared the season pass to their game Overcooked 2 with us and honestly this article took way to long to be written and for that we do apologize. Nearly a year ago we reached out to the developers and requested the opportunity to review the downloadable content for an already great game and they agreed. Now fast forward through the year and I soon realized my play style was not going to cut it for this coverage. When playing this game, whether the core title or any add one, I always did so with my wife. Between yelling at ourselves for missing a goal or one of us pleading with the other for one more level, it has always been the two of us playing.

Out of a sense of obligation to Team17 I have decided to continue only far enough to share thoughts on each dlc without my wife as we have found it difficult to find time to play the game together.

Too Many Cooks

This DLC pack is a chef only pack which adds a Cat, a Pink alien, a Unicorn, a Walrus and a Monkey. The Unicorn is the family’s favorite.

Surf n Turf

The focus of the meals in this pack is one food you’d eat on the beach or during summer. This includes smoothies, burgers and kabobs. We had a ton of fun with this one, one of the easier worlds by far, and even got to 3 stars with my children. It was quite amusing to use squirt guns to clean the dishes.

Night of the Hangry Horde

Conceptually this was my favorite of the worlds as it brought zombies into the game. Now with this game the zombies are made of food, just like the king and instead of eating your brains you cook them a meal and send them on their way.

Campfire Cook Off

Following the Trail Mix trail the chefs focus on making meals that are centered around camping- hotdogs, smores, pancakes and oddly pizza is even on the list. Where in most other modes of the game ingredients are stored in cases, this time they are stored in backpacks.

Carnival of Chaos

As one would expect the them of this DLC was around the carnival. You will see things like donuts, hotdogs, pizza and even combo meals. It even features magic portals and canons to launch you from one part of the kitchen to another. As the name implies it can get quite hectic at times but that’s nothing outside the normal from the Overcooked franchise.

Final thoughts on Overcooked 2:

Each add-on brings a unique set of recipes and challenges. Some are downright maddening but in summary this game in all of it’s forms has been a hell of a lot of fun and worth grabbing a copy, just don’t expect to get the 3 stars on your first few tries.

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. It is time for Part 6 and we are talking about Mortal Kombat and Those Who Wish Me Dead!

Mortal Kombat

The Mortal Kombat tournament summons champions from all over the planet and pits them against the champions from outworld. If the Earthly champions are defeated then armies from outworld will be able to invade and eventually conquer the planet. My expectations for this film were a little spread out on this. I expected to see some awesome fights and graphics but for the story I didn’t expect anything award worthy. Every expectation I had was met perfectly.

Those Who Wish Me Dead

This is a film adaptation of a novel and follows a young boy that tries to escape the men that killed his father for knowing too much. We never quite find out exactly what he knew but that isn’t integral to the story. The boy meets Angelina’s character, a fire jumper that is stationed at a lone tower, after her tower is struck by lightning and together they begin a trek through the forest to help him get in touch with news stations. This movie was filmed quite well and the cast were top of their game. Despite the great direction and cast the story I found this film to be lacking in anything that makes it really stand out. I want my films to entertain me or surprise me and this film did neither.

SO WHICH WARNER BROS FILMS DID YOU SEE? WHICH DID YOU ENJOY?

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

Recently the fine folks at Disney Studios (their home page is here) had sent me codes to several of the movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. With Part 1 we were taking a look at the live action version of Mulan. Part 2 discussed Soul and Raya and the Last Dragon. Part 3 looked at the live action story of Cruella and we have returned for Part 4 to discuss Luca!

Luca

Luca is the name of a “Sea Monster” that is a better person than most of us. He meets a fellow monster named Alberto and he learns that the surface world is not nearly as frightening as his parents led him to believe. Challenging a small town’s ideas on what makes someone truly human or that being different is not always a bad thing, this film is a fantastic tale that can be enjoyed by the entire family. In the short time since we’ve received this film we have easily watched it a half dozen times but probably more and it is still fantastic. This is the classic Disney storytelling that have made them the powerhouse they are today.

Have you had a chance to see this film from Disney Studios?

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

Recently the fine folks at Disney Studios (their home page is here) had sent me codes to several of the movies I missed so that I could share my thoughts on them with you. With Part 1 we were taking a look at the live action version of Mulan. Part 2 discussed Soul and Raya and the Last Dragon. We have returned for Part 3 with Cruella!

Cruella

Disney has decided to have a third try at making their classic animated film into a live action retelling. The first two featured Glenn Close in the role of Cruella. In this version we start with a much younger version that later grows up to become Emma Stone in the role. This is a rags to riches tale that honestly should have been it’s own tale instead of a reimagining of this classic. Estella starts for a ritzy department store as a member of the cleaning staff and after a frustrating day and a drunken evening manages to revolutionize the store display and gains the attention of a designer known as the Countess. During this role she learns that this woman is the reason her mother is dead and creates the persona of Cruella, using it to exact her revenge. As I mentioned this film easily stands on it’s on without needing to be tied to the classic character itself and would have been just as fantastic. Now I will mention that this is technically a family film but for younger members of the family it can be quite slow at times and may be difficult to keep their attention. Overall this was a fantastic film and I will be shocked if it isn’t at least nominated for awards this coming season. Anyone interested in picking up a physical copy will be able to do so when it is released on Blu-Ray, DVD and 4K on September 21st.

Have you had a chance to see this film from Disney Studios?

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. We have returned with Part 5 and are talking about Wrath of Man, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Space Jam.

Wrath of Man

Guy Ritchie has been one of THE best directors and when my contact at Warner Bros offered this film to us to review I jumped at the chance. Wrath of Man follows H as he takes a job as a crewmen on an armored truck and as the story unfolds we learn that there is more to him than meets the eye when he stops an armed robbery without a scratch. The film was absolutely brilliant. Ritchie’s control of the story is phenomenal and Statham delivered one of his best performances, ever!

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory

This is the original story starring Gene Wilder in 4k and is just as disturbing as it was when I was a child. In 4k it is more vivid than ever and watching it again I can appreciate the stellar performance by Wilder.

Space Jam

Space Jam is one of those films that you remember fondly and as an adult give it another chance and watch with your children. The problem with the film is not the story or the performances but the fact that these days staple characters like Bugs or Daffy are rarely seen and today’s children aren’t really interested in them at all. They have not invested hours upon hours in watching these characters. Some of their antics may not carry over as well in today’s culture but for the most part they were fun. It was great to see these characters return and share them with the family but I was the only one on the couch that seemed to enjoy the film.

SO WHICH WARNER BROS FILMS DID YOU SEE? WHICH DID YOU ENJOY?

Focus Home Interactive brings us a new offering in the Warhammer universe with Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground!

Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Storm Ground is bringing a new war to the mortal realms thanks to Focus Home Interactive and they were generous enough to share a copy with us! Playing the tutorial you must start as the Stormcast Eternals but after that first stage you unlock the ability to play as both Nighthaunt and Maggotkin of Nurgle. Players take turns moving and attacking with their units on a hexagonal map, each unit has their own default distance they are able to move and crossing difficult terrain will slow them down.

The movement mechanics look and feel like a cross between two of the different tabletop games set in the Mortal Realms- Age of Sigmar itself and Age of Sigmar: Underworlds. Visually, in every aspect I’ve seen so far, the game is absolutely stunning. I have read numerous comments about glitches in the game and after a couple hours I have yet to experience them myself.

As a whole I found the game to be an amazingly built adventure into the realm of death that exceeded every expectation I had for the game and on images alone they were already higher than most titles.

Green Hell is an FPS survival horror game based in the uncharted jungles of the Amazon where you must survive physically and mentally.

Creepy Jar is an awesome name for a game developer and those same minds brought us their newest release, Green Hell. Green Hell was previously released on Steam years ago but we were not able to play it until it was ported over to the Xbox One and we recently received a copy for the purpose of this review.

The game itself feels quite unique, or at least I have yet to play anything that came before that had this same feel to it. Some of the mechanics are tried and true across many games but this particular recipe feels new and that is rare. Before playing the game and before even seeing images of the gameplay I saw there was a tabletop version of the game about to go on kickstarter so it gave me a different expectation of the gameplay. I thought that the game would be an isometric game where you had to navigate the Amazon to some unknown end (I literally went into this game without doing any research on the story) and was shocked when I loaded the game up for the first time and was greeted to a first person shooter styled experience.

For the game mechanics you will likely recognize crafting mechanics similar to those in 7 Days to Die or the fact that any items that can be picked up as they are will receive a glowing outline like in so many other games. Graphically the rendering is not the best I’ve seen on the Xbox but I would say that it is on par with the earlier releases of the Xbox One. The story focuses on Jake and his Mia as they arrive in the Amazon. Their first step after making camp is for Mia to earn the trust of a local indigenous tribe. One day you wake up to her screams over your radio and you go charging into the jungle (as Jake) to find her. With several comments regarding Jake’s mental health throughout the tutorial led me to wonder if her voice was real. Very quickly you begin to question everything, like during the tutorial there was a path near your camp and after the tutorial the path is replaced by a stream. Very few games I have played have messed with your senses like Green Hell has and that was just in the first couple hours of the game. I can’t wait to see how else the game screws with my head.

Order of Battle: World War 2 is a turn based take on the battles of World War 2 by Slitherine Games.

Have you ever wanted to command troops during World War 2 over land, sea and air? With Order of Battle: World War 2 you can. Slitherine Games shared their newest Xbox One release to try and share our thoughts.

The visuals for the game are like something out of the early nineties. I don’t mean to say that this is garbage because I have played and enjoyed much worse. It’s on par with the original Command and Conquer games as far as the visuals are concerned but play style is quite different. Each turn you move your various troops up to a certain number of hexes (each varying from unit to unit) and most can also attack.

The gameplay is slow and tedious but still the game was enjoyable. I found myself on many occasions saying “just one more level” and after several hours I’d wonder where the time went. The game is tedious and everything about the interface screams that you need a mouse and computer to play this but it is enjoyable. Though it would likely be even more enjoyable with a mouse or an upgrade to the controls and interface.

Necromunda has been one of those games that will always hold a special place in my heart. Thanks to Games Workshop we have the opportunity to dive back into the underhive.

This is not the first time we’ve delved into the world of Necromunda, nor the first time we’ve received review materials from Games Workshop. As with any other item we’ve received the shared opinions are not influenced by the source. This isn’t the only Necromunda item we received either- we were sent a copy of the House of Blades and the Mercator Nautica Syphoning Delegation from Forge World and we will be discussing them each!

Hive War

Hive war includes two full gangs (House Escher and House Delaque), a full set of objective tokens and additional Zone Mortalis terrain. For both gangs these are the same as can be found in the normal gang boxes. Objective tokens are the same as the original Second Edition boxset as is the Zone Mortalis terrain. Each of the items in this box can be ordered separately but you are getting them at a discount getting them boxed together. The only difference in this box is that the rulebook is updated to include all FAQ changes prior to the book’s printing!

Set in the Warhammer 40k universe, Necromunda is a hive planet that produces munitions for the Astra Militarum. The planet is covered in massive hive cities but below these are the homes and territories of numerous gangs, most of which have aligned themselves to one of the major house- Escher, Delaque, Goliath, Orlock, Cawdor and Van Saar. Each house operates under strict morals and rules that members must abide by.

Gameplay is as solid as before- when you played with the FAQ rules previously there is no transition to the new rulebook. This is not a new edition, just an updated printing. Any chance at more terrain, models I don’t have, more objectives and additional models for your favorite faction is a win for sure and for me this box has that in spades. Escher have always been my favorite House to play so additional models are great as that will allow me to try some new load outs that will also appease the WYSIWYG crowd as these will already have the weapons.

House of Blades

In addition to containing the most up to date lore on House Escher, House of Blades features rules for the main fighter types- Queens, Matriarchs, Death-Maidens, Wyld Runners, Sisters, and Little Sisters. Additionally you will find rules for the various abilities or weapons used by this House and even how to hire the various brutes and thugs. This includes how to hire the Syphoning Delegation as well! This book is a must for fans of House Escher or any other House that wants to know more about their enemies.

Mercator Nautica Syphoning Delegation

The Delegation has some special ties to House Escher but can work with any law abiding gang. With this trio I love the concept draining the water from my enemies to then sell to others for a profit. Aesthetically they look like they might belong with a Tau army in 40k but really feel like a call out to days of first edition when we had elite members from high up in the Spyre coming down to eradicate some of the gangs. The chosen paint scheme GW used I feel is too bright so I will be doing something a bit darker but am looking forward to the task as well as fielding them with my Eschers.