NextGen Player

Must Play - Dolmen

2022-05-18T19:30:00.140-04:00

By Paul Hunter

Here's another game high on my 'must-play' list: Dolmen, the new third-person action RPG in a unique horror sci-fi setting, from Prime Matter and Massive Work Studio. The companies recently announced that Dolmen is launching on May 20, 2022, for PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. Pre-orders for the game are on now.

Why I'm so hyped for this game is because of its awesome looking cosmic setting combined with its challenging Soulslike gameplay that mixes melee combat with ranged weapons. Having just beat Elden Ring and Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, I'm ready and excited to tackle my next brutally challenging game. I'm also a big fan of the horror genre, so Dolmen is certainly hitting all the right notes for me.

From what I've seen so far, Dolmen has an elaborate upgrade system and a huge range of gear for your chest, hands, legs and head to really customize your character to your liking. You can also imbue your weapon with elemental properties to exploit enemy weaknesses and cause status effects. Graphically, Dolmen looks like quite a stunner as well, another reason I can't wait to dive in.

Coinciding with the game's release, the team behind Dolmen has released a new trailer showcasing the co-operative and multiplayer modes. The game supports up to four players online, cool! Here's the launch trailer so you can take a look:

I think Dolmen is looking great and I can't wait to play soon. If you want to know more about the game, including the day one bonuses, here are the official description and features from the publisher:

About Dolmen:

Set in a sci-fi universe where humanity has colonized several star systems using space travel, technology, and genetic manipulation to adapt to the conditions, Dolmen has players battling across a distant planet - Revion Prime - trying to unravel a mystery of alien species, corrupt corporations, and unknown dimensions.

Dolmen casts players onto a hostile alien world known as Revion Prime. Your job? Bring back samples of a crystal with particularly unique properties; the so-called "Dolmen". These crystals are capable of allowing interaction between realities, revolutionising space exploration and changing the known world forever.

Day One Rebel Set:

The Day One Edition contains numerous unique items for players, enhancing their journey across Revion Prime. Created by genetically modified humans – the so-called Xenospecies – the gear helps the user adapt to the rigors of space. The Rebel Set contains a full set of armor, a sword, and an axe; ideal for dispatching your enemies and keeping you safe from harm.

Key Features:

Dynamic Combat. In Dolmen you will grow stronger with each battle! Experience a rich combat system with various weapons and moves at your disposal. Switch natively between melee and ranged combat to overcome the most challenging enemies Revion Prime has to offer.
Energy Mode. Energy management is key to victory in Dolmen.Energy is not only used for ranged weapons, but also for activating "Energy Mode"."Energy Mode" imbues your melee weapons with elemental status effects, letting you take full advantage of your enemy's weaknesses.
Discover a mysterious planet. A devastated, darkly beautiful world is waiting to be explored. Will you find all the secrets that Revion Prime has to offer? Or will this cruel world push you to the brink of death?
A challenge awaits. Surviving is the last thing this world wants you to do. Will you see your timeline erased or will you overcome the challenge that awaits you?.
Encounter gruesome bosses. Revion Prime offers a plethora of gruesome monstrosities that will put your skills to the test.

Must Play: FOBIA – St. Dinfna Hotel

2022-05-17T21:54:00.000-04:00

By Paul Hunter

I've had my eye on FOBIA – St. Dinfna Hotel for awhile now, so it was exciting to learn today that the survival horror game launches on June 28 across PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and Steam.

Paired with the release date news today was a four and a half minute trailer showing rookie journalist Roberto Leite Lopes in the spooky hotel solving puzzles, gathering clues and fighting a creepy-crawly mutated spider. The gameplay looks like a good mix of Resident Evil's inventory management and puzzle solving combined with Outlast's camcorder mechanics, all set in an opulent hotel overrun with an Aliens' hive-like mess. I'm really digging the sharp graphics and can't wait to explore every inch of this gorgeous looking hotel. The combat looks intense, too, with Roberto having limited ammo and battles taking place in tight hotel hallways.

According to the official information from developer Pulsatrix and publisher Maximum Games, you'll be able to use the game's camera to see into the past, present and future to help you decide how to act next. The hotel is full of mind-bending worlds where different eras collide and you'll need to uncover clues to unravel the hotel's mysterious. Take a look at the latest trailer to see this game in action:

Pretty cool, eh? FOBIA – St. Dinfna Hotel was already on my must-play list but after seeing that trailer I'm even more excited to check it out next month. Curious to know more about the game? Here are the official description and features provided by the publisher:

Treze Trilhas is home to the St. Dinfina Hotel, a decadent site that is the subject of numerous rumors including mysterious disappearances and paranormal activity. Hoping to break the story, amateur journalist Roberto Leite Lopes travels to Santa Catarina following a tip from his friend Stephanie.

His investigative skills will be needed not only to uncover the truth but to survive when reality is turned upside down with his discovery of a camera that reveals different timelines, a fanatical cult, human experiments, and apparitions roaming the halls. Solve puzzles and scavenge for anything to stop their hunt as the past, present and future collide.

Key Features:

Explore a grand hotel. The Unreal Engine brings terrifyingly realistic visuals to this first-person horror experience.
Survive the horrors. Scavenge for supplies while you run, hide, or fight the monsters that stalk the corridors.
Unravel the mystery. Worlds collide in a twisting narrative full of puzzles and conspiracies.
Look to the past and the future. Interact with different timelines using an enigmatic camera that connects parallel realities to uncover the many secrets hidden in the walls of the hotel.
A twisting narrative. Control two separate characters at different points in time as their stories converge into singular cohesive retelling of events.

NextGen Take - The Ascent

2022-04-16T20:30:00.562-04:00

Three things I like about this game, and two I don't

By Paul Hunter

Playing The Ascent the past week on PlayStation 5 was a good reminder that I need to take review scores with a grain of salt and give every game their fair shake. I remember last August thinking the game looked interesting but the middling reviews made me put it on my 'backburner' list. Well, curiosity finally got the better of me, so I thought the PS5 release was a good chance to jump in. I'm glad I did because I instantly got hooked, played through the entire game and loved it.

If you're a fan of top-down shooters like Housemarque's Dead Nation or Arrowhead's Helldivers then you'll want to check out The Ascent. To find out why, let's descend upon the futuristic dystopian world of Veles, here are three things I liked about the game...and two I didn't.

Liked: The Action-Packed Gameplay

Following The Ascent's short intro, you're immediately thrust into battle and aside from some brief visits to a few non-violent hub town areas where you level up and resupply, the action never lets up. I really enjoyed the wide variety of enemies to lay waste to, from your main heavily-armed adversaries in the Ascent Group to a range of security robots big on firepower to feral critters that attack in swarms, ready to tear the flesh of anyone who wanders off the beaten path. At random intervals you'll also get invaded by mercenary minibosses with huge health bars that drop high-quality loot and net you sweet bounty credits from the local bartenders.

Most main missions culminate in cool boss battles, preceded by short cinematics introducing the hulking behemoths you're about to face. Some of the highlights are an armoured brute wielding a massive chain gun, a tough-as-nails robotic spider that hatches mini spiders and a fast, flying combat robot that unleashes waves of missiles. Boss battles in this game are pretty intense and especially on the harder difficulty settings will push your abilities to the limit.

Another big plus is the range of weapons you can find on the battlefield or purchase from the town's arm dealers. The weapon types on the surface seem pretty ordinary, including SMGs, shotguns, assault rifles, pistols and rocket launchers, but what's neat is most of them come in four varieties: ballistic, fire, energy and digital. Most enemies are weak to certain types of fire, like most humanoid creatures being susceptible to ballistic or fire, while digital ammo shreds machines. It's a great system that encourages you test out a range of weapons to discover which ones work best for each type of enemy.

Liked: The Cyberpunk Aesthetic

You can get a flavour of just how great The Ascent's cyberpunk game world, called Veles, is by checking out the images in this review—but the game looks so much better in action. In true cyberpunk fashion, the hub towns are rundown and overrun with crime and shady characters, while the busy streets are plastered with red, green, yellow and purple neon lights. All around you'll see street signs and business signs in a number of languages like English, Korean and Japanese, all adding to the futuristic cyberpunk theme.

Almost all of Veles is comprised of metal and wires, whether that's the city streets, merchant shops or the secretive subsurface levels that hide the city's inner workings. Anyone who enjoys movies like The Matrix, Blade Runner or Total Recall will surely love the dystopian cyberpunk vibes on offer here.

Liked: Loadouts and Upgrades

The Ascent includes a bunch of great RPG elements that really got me hooked deeper into the game's mechanics. My favourite is the character upgrade system where killing enemies nets you XP, and after collecting enough you'll gain a level along with three skill points. These points can be funnelled into eight different attributes that can increase your max health or energy, reduce your roll cooldown time, increase your reload speed, bump up your weapon accuracy, plus a few other valuable perks. This allows you to really fine-tune your character exactly to your liking, for example you can make your character a fast and agile bullet sprayer, or go for a tankish build with high health and heavy knockback resistance.

I also enjoyed the dozens of different pieces of equipment you can get for your head, torso and legs that affect your defense stats for different types of firepower, plus they can have attribute perks like increasing your max health or reload speed. Each individual piece of armour has a disinct look, too, allowing you to customize your character's style. You can channel your inner Star-Lord with a simple leather jacket and helmet, turn into your own cyberpunk version of Iron Man, wear beefy space marine gear like Marcus Fenix, plus plenty of other futuristic styles.

Didn't Like: Energy Health Regen

One gameplay element that I found super annoying is how enemies regenerate their health if they walk too far away from their starting positions. Combat in The Ascent is fast and furious, and sometimes you may need to create some space between you and enemies to reload, heal up or just to catch a breather. But if you move even slightly out of the combat zone enemies usually retreat and immediately heal back to full. Not only is this irritating but it takes away from the game's immersion.

This auto-heal gets even worse for the really tough enemies—there where a few times I got minibosses down to 20% health or less, but needed to back up a bit to heal or reload. Sure enough my adversary would retreat and bam, they're back to up 100% health. Ugg, just annoying. While I don't think this auto-heal system should be in the game in the first place, the devs could have at least made the regen slower so you have the chance to dive back into battle before they're all healed up.

Didn't Like: Spongy Enemies

In the latter half of the game enemies can get quite spongy, which took away somewhat from the fast-paced flow of combat. I would have rather had large waves of weaker enemies rush at me, similar to say Smash TV versus having a handful of tanky enemies attack and slow the pace of combat down. You can upgrade weapons to counteract some of this, but the upgrades are quite low, like increasing your gun's max damage by one or two—oh yay. I still enjoyed myself towards the end game but certainly the first half of the game has a much better flow of combat.

The Verdict

The Ascent is an excellent top-down shooter with a great cyberpunk aesthetic, exhilarating combat and some neat RPG systems to boot. If you like arcade action and fast-paced combat, this is the game for you. It's a great start to what I hope is a new franchise because I certainly would be down for a sequel, a few years down the road.

Final Score: 8/10 - Great

The Ascent details

Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
Developer: Neon Giant
Publisher: Curve Digital
Genre: Twin-stick shooter
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

A key was provided by the publisher.

NextGen Take - Kirby and the Forgotten Land

2022-04-08T20:00:00.470-04:00

Three things I like about this game, and one I don't

By Paul Hunter

The powerful and cute pink puffball, Kirby, has arrived on Nintendo Switch in his first full 3D mainline game. In Kirby and the Forgotten Land, you float off on an exciting quest to explore a mysterious world where nature has overtaken much of civilization. There you’ll discover curious abandoned attractions from the past like a shopping mall, a circus and even a gigantic amusement park.

I've been playing the game every night with my family since launch and have beat the main quest, and now I'm rapidly working towards 100% completion. With that in mind, let's fly on over to Dream Land to see what this game is all about, here are three things I liked about the game...and one I didn't.

Liked: New Mouthful Mode, Evolved Copy Abilities and Co-op Gameplay

Kirby's new headlining ability is Mouthful Mode, which he discovers at the beginning of the game after inhaling some enemies—and to his surprise, also a car. But instead of consuming the car, Kirby's body wraps around it and he's able to control it. There are a dozen other funny and useful Mouthful objects Kirby can transform into, like a cone, lightbulb, vending machine and water balloon. Each one helps Kirby overcome specific level challenges and often times holds the secret to finding hidden collectibles, like the 300 Waddle Dees sneakily tucked away in the game's 40 stages. Mouthful abilities are a great addition to the Kirby series as they introduce fun new gameplay mechanics, add variety to stages and just look hilarious in action.

Another excellent addition are Kirby's new Evolved Abilities that supercharge the 12 standard Copy Abilities in the game. Most abilities can be upraded two or three times to increase its power and attack rate, plus some upgrades can add useful new properties. As examples, Kirby's Bomb ability can be changed into a powerful homing bomb, while his Ice ability can produce snowmen that roll like projectiles to damage enemies. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is a pretty easy game to complete using just the base Copy Abilities but when you upgrade them expect to be a near unstoppable pink wrecking ball. Considering I play Kirby games to relax and have fun (and not for a challenge), I rather enjoyed mowing through enemies with all the new Evolved Abilities.

While on the topic of gameplay, I have to mention how incredibly fun it is to play Kirby and the Forgotten Land two-player co-op. The second player becomes Bandana Waddle Dee, a spear-wielding buddy that has a variety of spear thrusts, multispear attacks and a spear throw. If Bandana Waddle Dee strays too far from Kirby he'll automatically move to his position—making him a great choice for younger players. If your Waddle Dee buddy happens to lose all his health during a level, he'll respawn with a push of a button after a brief time out, another reason why he's perfect for newcomers. I discovered by accident, too, that if Kirby and Bandana Waddle Dee walk close together they'll high five each other and restore health. How cute is that?

Liked: The Absolutely Adorable Presentation

Kirby games are generally very colourful and nice to look at, but seeing his world come to life in full 3D takes the cuteness to a whole new level.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land feature six unique worlds that offer different colour palettes and themes, anywhere from lush green plains to a tropical water resort to a huge amusement park spanning several stages. Everything looks really good with vibrant hues, lots of subtle details and eye-catching animations. This is certainly the best-looking Kirby game I've seen yet and I can say from experience that kids will love all the visual variety.

There are lots of fun, notable levels too, like my favourite that includes a fast-paced rollercoaster ride where you have to shift Kirby's weight left or right to nab all the collectibles. There are also a few spooky ghost levels abundant in neon lights that offer nice eye candy, and levels with flying sequences for fun on-rails excitement. There are plenty of big boss fights that also visually impress, like Gorimondo the punkish-looking ape and the oversized sentient palm tree Tropic Woods that’s rooted in trouble. Overall, it's a great looking game and a welcome change of pace after recently playing through mature titles like Dying Light 2 and Elden Ring.

Liked: The Minigames and Collectibles

When you're not out inhaling enemies or bashing bosses, you can spend some down time in the lively Waddle Dee Town that's full of establishments and characters to chat with. Kirby even gets his own house that you can personalize with your collection of figurines, or read through a full book detailing many of Kirby's past adventures.

The town is also the location of several charming minigames like the two-player Help Wanted café game where your goal is serve a lineup of hungry Waddle Dees their favourite dish. It's super challenging on the hardest difficulty and reminds me of Overcooked. Atop the hill there's also a Colosseum where you can battle previously fought mid-bosses and end bosses to win Star Coins and other rewards. It's the only spot in the game where you face off against Meta Knight and a few other of the game's strongest foes.

There are plenty of other fun distractions in the town like a fishing pond where you try to nab the biggest Blipper fish, and a Gatcha Machine Alley where you can trade in Star Coins in hopes of getting new figurines. There's also a café to order food, an item shop to buy helpful buffs and a weapons shop where you can upgrade Kirby's Copy Abilities. There's so much to do in town and it's a great addition that extends the life of the game by several hours.

Didn't Like: The Tedious 100% Completion

While I thorougly enjoyed playing through the game and trying out all the minigames, getting 100% completion in the game can get a little tiring. For starters, each stage has three to five "clues" telling you where to find the hidden Waddle Dees, but only one clue unlocks per run of the level. There were many levels where I had to play through them upwards of five times to figure out where that last Waddle Dee was hiding, which felt a bit like unnecesarry repetition.

Then there's the gatcha figurines that are needed to get 100%, which forced me to reply levels over and over again to gather enough Star Coins. Using coins in the gatcha machines is hit or miss as often times you'll get a figurine double and will have wasted the coins. Whereas other Nintendo Switch games like Super Mario Odyssey were fun to 100%, Kirby and the Forgotten Land towards the end game feels a bit like a grind.

The Verdict

My family and I had a total blast playing this latest Kirby game and certainly I recommend it for Kirby and platforming fans alike. It's a joy to explore the 3D worlds and the new Mouthful abilities and Copy Ability upgrades are great additions to the series that I hope carry forward to future games. If you're looking for a fun, easy-breezy co-op experience for your next family games night, this is the one.

Final Score: 8.5/10 - Great

Kirby and the Forgotten Land details

Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Platformer
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

The game was purchased at retail.

NextGen Take - LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

2022-04-05T19:00:00.486-04:00

Three things I like about this game, and two I don't

By Paul Hunter

I'm having an absolute blast playing LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga on my Xbox Series X. Over the last 17 years I've played dozens of LEGO video games, including the prequel trilogy, original trilogy and The Force Awakens, but none of them compare to the incredible scope and quality of The Skywalker Saga. It's the most ambitious LEGO game yet, featuring adaptations of all nine episodes from the Skywalker Saga films, all built from a new and more powerful game engine.

Let's hop into our X-Wing and get this journey under way, here are three things I liked about the game...and two I didn't.

Liked: The Huge Gameplay Improvements

Gameplay in The Skywalker Saga is lightyears ahead of the previous LEGO Star Wars games in so many different ways. The most significant is the new combo system that feels like it's straight out of Devil May Cry. You can now effortlessly chain together punches, uppercuts, lunging kicks, air juggles, ground pounds and more using your three attack buttons. It looks even cooler when you're using a Jedi character and acrobatically destroy enemies with your fancy lightsaber twirls. By comparison, past LEGO Star Wars entries had stiff combat that was far less fluid, so the difference is like night and day.

I also love the new over-the-shoulder blaster camera that puts you right into the action. The zoomed-in camera really immerses you in the combat and it improves your shot accuracy, too. It's such a blast to play as characters like Han Solo or Princess Leia as you storm Imperial ships and take out waves of Stormtroopers in this new up close and personal view.

It's also impressive how TT Games has made every vehicle and rideable creature have a unique feel, from the lightning fast Imperial Speeder Bikes to Luke Skywalker’s nimble T-65 X-wing to the super-cute yet super-slow Banthas. There are well over 100 vehicles to unlock and they're as much fun to control as they are exciting to collect.

Liked: The Astonishing Amount of Content

Wow, what a massive experience this game is. You get LEGO video game adaptations of all nine films from the Skywalker Saga, including five unique levels from each film (45 levels in all!), and that's just the tip of the content iceberg.

The Skywalker Saga has over 1,100 blue Kyber Bricks to collect—with over 700 of these requiring you to solve fun mini puzzles. There are shooting drills to complete within a specified timeframe, simple and hard platforming challenges, puzzles that require specific character skills, Bricks that can be bought from merchants, plus absolutely hilarious and well thought out mini games that reward you with a Kyber.

On top of that, there are 140 side missions that can task you with simple things like tracking down a food thief, all the way to planet-hopping adventures that have multiple steps to complete. Most of these side missions reward you with iconic unlockable characters from the Star Wars films or expanded lore, and some even give you Kyber Bricks as well.

As if that weren't enough, there are 23 planets to explore each with their own hub world and some even having multiple different areas to visit. You can experience the lava rivers of Mustafar, the swamps of Dagobah, the seedy, sandy cantinas of Tatooine and the forests of Endor, just to name a few. Every planet has unique NPCs to chat with, puzzles to solve, challenges to undertake (like vehicle races or target shooting exercises!) and side missions to complete. All planets have space you can explore as well using famous starships like Darth Maul's Scimitar, Darth Vader's TIE Fighter, the Millennium Falcon and even an Escape Pod. There's just so much content in this game!

Liked: The Luscious Graphics

As you can see from the images embedded in this review, damn these graphics are so good! The Skywalker Saga uses an all-new game engine and visually the results are impressive. The iconic planets really pop with their mixture of realistic textures and authentic-looking LEGO buildings, vehicles and characters. From the futuristic halls of Kamino to the massive Federal District of Coruscant, this game is absolutely filled with eye candy.

The impressive graphics also extends to the cutscenes where you get close up views of the hilarious and cute LEGO Star Wars characters, like LEGO Yoda, Boba Fett, Kylo Ren and C-3PO. They're so well animated, too, and the voice acting work across all nine episodes is top notch. The amount of effort that went into making every character look pixel perfect is exceptional, and gave me huge motivation to unlock all 380 playable LEGO Star Wars characters.

Didn't Like: The Pesky Bugs

Yeah, unfortunately The Skywalker Saga continues the LEGO video game series tradition of having game-breaking bugs. I've had the game freeze up on me a few times, there were a couple of times where I couldn't shoot in starship levels and I had to restart a few side missions because they bugged up midway through. The issues were relatively rare—I've restarted the game less than ten times over the 40 hours I've played—but still, the bugs are annoying. It's especially disappointing since the game was originally scheduled for release in 2020, but got delayed by nearly two years. The pandemic obviously was a big reason, but with all that extra time I was hoping the game would release in a fully polished state.

Didn't Like: Some Puzzles Aren't Intuitive

Also continuing the LEGO Star Wars tradition is the odd side mission puzzle that doesn't have an intuitive solution. For a game clearly created to appeal to children, some of the puzzles are tough and it's not obvious how to solve them. Like for example this one spot where I found a soccer net and after a few minutes of looking for a ball, I decided to chunk a random bush into the net—and to my surprise, that solved the puzzle. If you're a parent thinking of getting this game for your kid, you'll likely need to help them out with some of the more obtuse puzzles.

The Verdict

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a massive experience that all Star Wars or LEGO fans should check out. It has pick-up-and-play controls easy enough for children to enjoy, plus all the characters, starships and unforgettable film moments that parents will love. Everything has been improved upon compared to the previous entries, from the stunning graphics to the super-smooth gameplay to the enormous about of puzzles to solve. The Skywalker Saga is one of the best games of the year so far and an easy recommend.

Final Score: 9/10 - Amazing

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga details

Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Developer: TT Games
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Genre: Action-adventure
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

A key was provided by the publisher.

NextGen Take - Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin

2022-03-25T21:00:00.691-04:00

Three things I like about this game, and two I don't

By Paul Hunter

The minute a game gets announced with Team Ninja's name associated to it, I'm immediately interested. They've created some of my all-time favourite games like the modern Ninja Gaiden entries and both Nioh titles. So when I heard that Team Ninja was teaming up with Square Enix to create Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, a Soulslike game set in the original Final Fantasy universe, I was naturally very excited.

To my surprise though, the trailers seemed rather so-so with ho-hum graphics and a gruff lead character in Jack that was hard to get past. I still decided to check out Stranger of Paradise, if only to satisfy my Nioh itch after last year's excellent PS5 remasters and I'm glad I did⁠—the game turned out to be way better than expected. So let's descend upon World A to discover what Stranger of Paradise is all about, here are three things I liked about the game...and two I didn't.

Liked: The Characters and Story

Given how much I was initially put off by Jack, Ash and Jed (your starting trio of characters), I'm genuinely surprised at how intriguing the story got a few hours in. My main early beefs with these self-proclaimed Warriors of Light is their flat personalities and annoying lowkey grumbles. And it's not just the odd awkward "grahh" or "hmmph" here or there, they make constant groaning noises and hilariously one conversation was simply all three saying "rugghh" in succession. You learn right at the game's start that all three characters lost their memories, but it's like they also lost their ability to hold meaningful conversations.

Thankfully, as the game progresses the story gets much, much better. There are several interesting plot twists that make you completely rethink the original Final Fantasy's story and characters. New heroes and enemies get introduced at a regular click that have more engaging personalities and also have the bonus effect of making conversations with Jack more compelling.

Perhaps most shocking is that I actually started to really like Jack's stoic nature by the story's midpoint, particularly because his personality actually starts to make sense given the hell he's been through. Plus, it became funny to hear him routinely channel his inner Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and demand other characters shut up and focus on the mission in such an aggressive, dismissive way. I was half expecting him to yell "know your role!" but alas he never did take it that far.

I don't want to get into any more details for fear of spoiling the story, but needless to say, Stranger of Paradise tells an excellent tale if you're willing to give it a chance to open up.

Liked: The Job Classes

Stranger of Paradise features a whopping 28 job classes, divided into Basic, Advanced and Expert classifications. Final Fantasy veterans will be familiar with most jobs on offer, which range from the iconic Red/Black/Red Mages to combat specialists like Knight, Warrior and Swordfighter, plus specialty classes like the Berserker, Dragoon and Paladin. Each job grants Jack associated abilities, such as the Dark Knight's Souleater job action that consumes your own HP to enhance your attacks with additional dark damage, or the Monk's Focus ability that uses MP to gradually recover HP.

In order to not overwhelm you with jobs, you'll gradually unlock more advanced jobs as you complete the prior jobs' skill trees. What's great is that if you want to unlock all jobs, the game basically forces you to try out every job and gain around 15-20 levels before you can access the next job. I say great because by playing as each job I was able to appreciate their strengths and weaknesses and it allowed me to really hone in and focus on my four or five favourites.

I found it interesting to control signature Final Fantasy jobs in real-time combat, considering my first exposure to these jobs were in the slower paced turn-based classic games on Super Nintendo. Being able to perform a Dragoon Jump attack or flick on the Berserkers 'Berserk' mode during fast and furious combat was extremely cool. And with more than two dozen jobs to choose from there's plenty of playstyles to experiment with, whether that's all-out aggression, mid-range magic, or long-range projectile movesets.

Liked: The Deep Character Customization

Jobs are just one way that you can customize your Jack in Stranger of Paradise. There are a bunch of other systems you can tinker with to create the ultimate enemy-shredding wrecking machine.

Gear is one of the best and easiest ways to upgrade or modify your character. Each class specializes in certain weapon types, of which there are eight in total including Maces, Knuckles, Axes and Greatswords. Each weapon has access to specific attacks, whether that's the lance's long-range AoE attack or the mace's fast and versatile blunt melee swings.

You can also equip armour for your head, arms, torso, legs and feet, and some one-handed weapons allow you to also wield a shield. Weapons and armour come in five basic rarity types, along with a sixth ultra-powerful rarity called relics available during the post-game. As the rarity increases so too does the odds of getting better weapon/armour perks, plus better-quality gear tends to have higher job Affinity. Your job Affinity impacts how rapidly your job rank rises, and if you gain enough Affinity you'll unlock job-specific passive abilities or stat increases that greatly improve your survivability. The Cyclic Warrior, for example, can gradually increase your MP limit, while the Tyrant can restore HP when targeting enemies weaknesses. Perks like these can make a world of difference, especially when playing on the hard or ultra-hard Chaos difficulty.

Stranger of Paradise has a bunch of other systems to fine-tune your character, such as class-specific abilities, equippable attack combos and weapon-imbuing to unleash fire, water, lightning and other elemental attacks. There's a whole smorgasbord of tinkering options for those wanting to meticulously build their character to their exact liking, but for those less interested the game also lets you 'optimize' your loadout with the click of a button. I've completed the main story and have put over 40 hours into the game and I'm still learning ways to further optimize my character, a testament to just how deep the customization is.

Didn't Like: The Muddy Graphics

So...I'm guessing 'high quality' graphics weren't in this game's budget. Because damn are the visuals hard on the eyes. Considering how beautiful Nioh is it's utterly appalling how soupy the graphics are in Stranger of Paradise. Seriously there are PS3 games that look better, and after recently playing Soulslike games like Demon's Souls PS5 and Elden Ring, playing Stranger of Paradise feels like stepping back in time 15 years. In moments of complete irony, there are a few times during missions where a party members comments that 'everything looks the same' and it's 'easy to get lost'. Uh, yeah.

Thankfully there are some graphical highlights like the cutscene character models and most of the bosses, but that's like 10% of the game. The other 90% are missions with fuzzy graphics, many of them with an unnecessarily dark filter, almost as if the developer was so embarassed by the graphics they purposely made levels near pitch black to hide the god-awful textures. You'd think playing on a PS5 would bump the graphics up to at least a 'decent' level, but no, this version looks terrible too.

Didn't Like: Chaos Difficulty Balance

I really did not have much enjoyment with the post-game Chaos difficulty. Unlike Nioh that had what I consider to be an excellent post-game with new higher-tier gear and a harder difficulty that was properly balanced, after beating Stranger of Paradise there's not a lot to keep me coming back. That's because frankly, the Chaos ultra-hard difficulty you unlock feels so frustratingly unbalanced.

For starters, most enemies including the weakest in the game can kill you in two or three attacks. Given the aggressive pace of combat, it's very hard to avoid all enemy attacks, which this mode certainly seems to want you to do. You do have a Soul shield to block most attacks without taking damage, but your Soul meter drains incredibly fast and takes forever to recharge. Also, and even worse, some key Job abilities are completely useless on Chaos difficulty. For instance, the Monk's Focus heal is way too slow to matter, and ditto goes for the White Mage's Regen that restores like 60 HP every three seconds, meanwhile enemies dish out around 1,000 damage with every attack.

Despite how ridiculous Chaos mode is, I've managed to clear about half the missions, so it's not impossible but it's certainly not very fun. I usually play Dark Souls games up to NG+3 or higher, so I enjoy a good challenge, but the gameplay also needs to keep pace with the rising difficulty. And in Stranger of Paradise, Chaos mode often feels more cheap than fun, making me wonder whether the developers spent any time whatsoever play testing to try and get it right.

The Verdict

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is a flawed, but actually quite enjoyable action RPG. The story is surprisingly good, combat is incredibly satisfying and the excellent character customization goes very deep. Graphics are a major sore spot, as was the disappointing end-game content, but overall I'm glad I got to experience this game. I really do hope that Team Ninja follows up this game with more Final Fantasy Soulslike titles, because I'd be down to play another. I just hope any subsquent game has a higher budget so we can get graphics at least as good as Nioh.

Final Score: 7.5/10 - Good

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin details

Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
Developer: Team Ninja
Publisher: Square Enix
Genre: Action Role-playing
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

A key was provided by the publisher.

NextGen Take - Ghostwire: Tokyo

2022-03-22T20:00:00.676-04:00

Three things I like about this game, and two I don't

By Paul Hunter

While it's been a couple of years since I've been able to visit Japan (damn you, pandemic!), the past two weeks I've done the next best thing: immerse myself in Tango Gameworks' Ghostwire: Tokyo. After a decade of producing survival horror games, Shinji Mikami’s Tokyo-based development studio is branching out with their first ever action-adventure thriller set in a beautifully corrupted version of Japan's bustling Shibuya district.

I've really dug deep into Tango's latest AAA offering and I'm just a few hours away from nabbing that glorious platinum trophy on PS5. With that in mind, let's head on into Ghostwire's supernatural Shibuya, here are three things I liked about the game...and two I didn't.

Liked: How Authentic Shibuya is

Ghostwire: Tokyo sets you in the role of Akito, a young man who wakes up in Japan's famed Shibuya Crossing and discovers a fog has consumed the city and made most of the population disappear. The situation looks grim, but fortunately Akito survived the fog's dark power thanks to a spirit named KK who inhabited his body. Together the two must explore Tokyo to discover the source of the disappearances and unravel a sinister plot set in motion by a mysterious figure in a Hannya mask.

The incredible recreation of Shibuya is the real star of the show, featuring all the sights and sounds you'd expect from Tokyo but with a sinister twist. Iconic locations like the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, the 109 high-rise fashion building and Tokyo Tower have been recreated with exquisite detail, but all are eerily shrouded in darkness and completely devoid of life.

Looking beyond the landmarks, the narrow rain soaked streets and neon-tinged working-class neighbourhoods perfectly embody and vibe of real Shibuya. And it's so cool that nestled among all the contemporary commercial buildings and flashy lights are historic Shinto shrines with eye-catching torii entrance gates. Having visited numerous shrines in Tokyo, I thought it was so cool that Ghostwire shrines include accurate depictions of the offering box (saisenbako), water purification pavilion (temizuya) and the ceremonial wall of wooden plates (emagake). Such amazing details!

Those interested in Japan's folklore and urban legends will also immensely enjoy what Ghostwire: Tokyo has to offer. Yokai, the spirits and supernatural entities often featured in Japanese folktales, play a big role in the game's side missions. Many of the substories involve catching Yokai ranging from the curious frog-like Kappa to the living wall Nurikabe to the erratic Karakasa-kozo jumping umbrella. If you've played Koei Tecmo's Nioh series, a lot of these Yokai will be quite familiar. Without going into detail, a few side missions also explore Japan's most infamous urban legends and are among the creepiest moments in the game.

Liked: Combat Special Effects

Another aspect of Ghostwire: Tokyo that I thoroughly enjoyed is just how awesome the combat special effects are. Akito's supernatural attacks are all performed using intricate handweaving and with the game being first-person, you get a front row seat.

Your three main powers are wind, water and fire, and each has their own unique hand gesture to unleash the elemental blasts. Wind is your most common attack and shoots straight at enemies, serving essentially as your main pistol. Water deals spread close-range damage much like a shotgun. And finally, fire can be charged up to hurl an explosive ball akin to tossing a hand grenade. It's easy to switch between your supernatural powers and you almost feel like Dr. Strange mixing-up attacks, each with their signature hand weaves.

Visually it's also awesome that your elemental attacks slowly expose enemies' cores, which you can rip out of their bodies using neon energy strings that spring from your palms. Early in the adventure Akito gets a mystical bow that fires explosive arrows that again look awesome in action. Stealth is another tactic you can use, and if you sneak up behind one of the game's many different mystic beings you can forcibly reach into their chests to tear out their core. Very satisfying.

Enhancing all this visual goodness is the best integration of the DualSense adaptive triggers and haptic feedback since 2021's Returnal. You can feel the rumble of enemy cores getting ripped from their body, plus each elemental power has its own distinct controller shake. You can charge up your supernatural attacks and doing so will aggressively shake the DualSense, giving you a tangible feeling of just how much power you're about to unleash. It's pretty damn cool to say the least.

Liked: Collecting Souls, Tanukis, Relics and Shrines

I'll admit: lately I've been feeling really fatigued with the exhausting 'collectible checklists' most open world games have given us in recent years. That's why I was so pleasantly surprised at how much fun I had searching for stuff in Ghostwire: Tokyo.

The biggest reasons why is such a blast to collect is how great the game's level design is. The Shibuya map is actually not that large, taking just a few minutes to run from end to end, but it's densely packed and built with tremendous verticality. You can grapple to Yokai birds called Tengus to reach the rooftops, and it's there where you'll find lost souls needed to level up and unlock new abilities. On the city streets, undergrounds and building rooftops you can also find over 100 relics that can be traded into to mystical cats in exchange for huge sums of money. No matter what you're collecting there tends to be a huge payout, which kept me motivated for more than 30 hours to 100% complete the collectible list.

Another fun collectible are the Tanukis, Japan's distinctive raccoon dogs, which are scattered throughout the city. The Tanukis are shape-shifters that take on everyday objects like street signs or phone booths, but can be identified with their waging tails. It's equal parts cute and fun to spot a traditional Japanese ornament outside a Shibuya shop only to notice the flapping tail—oh,you've caught another Tanuki! Since the creatures are hard to spot, it's helpful that you can pay a small sum of money at a shrine's donation box in exchange for revealing the closest Tanuki on your map.

If you hunt well enough you'll also find over 50 mini shrines that you can pray at to increase your elemental power SP (the points used to cast the spells). They only increment your SP by one, but find enough shrines and you can more than double your SP stack by the final mission. Fortunately as well, your spiritual buddy KK gives you a Spectral Vision power that enables you to scan the nearby area for shrines, along with the other types of collectibles. Scanning can also reveal nearby enemies, so it's an essential ability that you can use whenever you want some intel.

Didn't Like: Lack of Enemy Variety

My biggest disappointment with Ghostwire: Tokyo is the lack of enemy archetypes, which makes combat encounters feel far too same-y. The basic enemies consists of a spectral business man with an umbrella, headless school girls and boys, a machette-weilding business woman, flying ghosts and ghastly police officers. There are subtle variations of these supernatural beings, along with a handful of rare mini bosses (like a creepy woman with oversized scissors) but that's about it. You'll battle the same ten or so creatures over the game's 15-hour main adventure.

Compounding the issue is how similar the enemies attack. Some will rush at you to give you a nasty kick or punch, while others hurl projectiles at you. That's really about it, and it makes battles feel repetitive quite quickly. The game's saving grace though is how visually appealing your attacks are—while the enemy variety is bland at least it looks super cool to kill them. Hey, it's something.

Didn't Like: Control Input Lag

Another complaint I have is how imprecise the controls felt, at least until I spent time in the menus tweaking various control settings to improve the situation. There's a noticeable amount of input lag, which can be problematic when you need to pinpoint enemies to attack or when you're leaping between rooftops. With the game's combat already being so-so given the lack of enemy types, the input lag just makes things worse.

Thankfully if you go into the setting there are a dozen or so controller tweaks you can do, like speeding up your character's turning acceleration, that does lessen some of the input lag. I never got to the point where the controls felt tight but they were slightly more responsive after a bit of tinkering. You get the sense that controls were optimized for PC, so hopefully Tango addresses the PS5 controls in future updates.

The Verdict

It's been a blast playing Ghostwire: Tokyo largely because of how authentic and awesome-looking Tokyo is. It feels great being in this game world, much like what SEGA's achieved with their Yakuza series. The combat needs improvement, but the bright side is graphically battles look amazing. I really like the enemy character models—the look creepy as heck—but I wish they had more attack variety. Really, the best part about Ghostwire is exploring every nook and cranny of this dense Shibuya that's filled with secrets and surprises around every corner. PS5 fans that love games set in Japan absolutely need to check this game out.

Final Score: 8.5/10 - Great

Ghostwire Tokyo details

Platform: PS5, PC
Developer: Tango Gameworks
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Genre: First-person action-adventure
Modes: Single-player
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

A key was provided by the publisher.

NextGen Take - Horizon Forbidden West

2022-02-27T15:00:00.468-05:00

Four things I like about this game, and one I don't

By Paul Hunter

I've been waiting five long years to play Horizon Forbidden West, the sequel to 2017's outstanding Horizon Zero Dawn, and damn did this game not disappoint. Guerrilla Games is one of Sony's premiere game development studios, known for setting new industry benchmarks for graphics fidelity and immersive storytelling, and Forbidden West certainly continues that trend. Anyone with an interest in action role-playing games, narrative adventures or open world experiences with massive content has got to check out this title.

So what makes Horizon Forbidden West such an impressive game? Let's jump atop our Bristleback and head on west to find out, here are four things I liked about the game...and one I didn't.

Liked: The Breathtaking Graphics

From the underground ruins of Dunehollow (Las Vegas) to the Isle of Spires (San Francisco) to Cliffs of the Cry (Santa Lucia), Horizon Forbidden West is a cutting edge visual feast. Guerrilla has done an incredible job adapting its proprietary Decima engine to PS5 to create a massive game world filled with lush foliage and microscopic details that seamlessly loads across regions.

Aloy's character model has also been greatly enhanced on PS5 with a much large polygon count and she looks incredible. The same goes for other key characters like Varl, Erend and Sylens who all look better than ever. You can especially see the upgrade when watching cutscenes where the character models are photorealistic and move way more naturally thanks to Guerrilla's improved motion capturing. You can really have a lot of fun with the game's pristine graphics and Aloy's stunningly realistic appearance using the game's robust photo mode that lets you pose her in over 50 different ways—everything from heroic poses to chill gestures to hilarious swan dives and canonballs.

Further cementing how impressive the graphics are in this game is the amazing day/night cycle that can turn bright golden plains into scarlet red sun downs and then purple-hued evenings. You can also manually adjust the time of day during photo mode to capture the exact lighting you desire. It's also impressive how many natural wildlife animals Guerrilla stuffed into the game to enhance the realism further, like pigeons, wild boars, squirrels, jays, rabbits, lizards, owls, crabs, lobsters and so many more. There are only a few games out there that can even come close to rivalling Forbidden West's immense beauty such as Sony's own Demon's Souls remake or Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.

Liked: The Machines

Horizon Zero Dawn featured 26 different types of machines and Forbidden West ups that already impressive number to 43. Then when you factor in that most machines have a few different variants, like fire, frost and poison types, you're looking at well over a hundred machines in all to find and fight.

Many of the new machines in Forbidden West are absolute marvels to see in action, like the impressive Slitherfang serpent that acts as a main miniboss, or the new Spinosaurus-like Slaughterspine that's one of the hardest heavyweight machines in the game. There are also some new docile machines like the Grazer and Lancehorn that drill for natural fuel to convert to biofuel and help expand on the machine's lore.

You can hack machines in the game by visiting the maps many Cauldrons to locate their cores containing information on how to override them. Overriding can turn machines to your side and can quickly turn the tide of the battle, plus there are a few Aloy can ride like the new Bristlebacks or the powerful Clawstriders, and even fly on the backs of Sunwings. Machines have always been a impressive part of this series and it's great that Guerrilla added so many huge, new powerful beasts to battle and control.

Liked: The Captivating Story

Horizon Forbidden West begins with a more grounded story for the first few hours, but it quickly expands and escalates into a mesmerizing sci-fi experience. Without getting into spoiler territory, I really enjoyed how the main conflicts ended up being precursors to even larger dangers out in the forbidden west. Plus, the cliffhanger ending begs for a third entry and I'm so here for that.

It's also impressive that the game is fully acted including all the side characters and quests that really helps bring the world to life. Most NPCs offering side missions will chat with you for several minutes to fully explain their plight along with general chitchat detailing who they are and their views on various elements of the forbidden west. In many open world games side missions are mostly checkboxes to tick off, but Forbidden West elevates the importance of these quests with fleshed out NPCs that are interesting to engage with.

Liked: The Side Content

Horizon Forbidden West takes about 30 hours to complete the main story but there's at least another 50 hours of optional content that you can undertake to 100% the game. A lot of that content is super enjoyable too, like hacking all the Tallnecks to clear fog off the map. The tallest machines in the game require thinking out of the box in order to scale their necks and eventually reach and hack their heads. I also had a blast exploring the cauldron dungeons that have their own puzzles to solve and eventually reward you with new machine hack overrides.

Other enjoyable side content include the Gauntlet Runs where you race other humans while riding machines, Relic Ruins that offer puzzles to solve and great rewards, and Rebel Outposts filled with tough enemies to take out and claim their spoils. To help hone your combat and gain skill points you can also participate in Melee Pit battles against fearsome human opponents, or venture to the many different Hunting Grounds to face off against a series of deadly machines. The world of Forbidden West is so enjoyable to immerse yourself in, so it's great that there's so much extra content to keep the experience going for 80 hours plus.

Didn't Like: Gameplay is a Bit Clumsy

As amazing as Forbidden West is, the one area I feel could use improvement is the gameplay. I find controlling Aloy to be a bit finicky and the cumbersome weapon wheel can take away from the combat's fluidity. Plus, you often need to craft new arrows or traps mid battle, further increasing the need to flip through menus when all I wanted was to get back into the action. There are also a ridiculous amount of skill tree unlocks, a good chunk of them you'll rarely use in battle or even care to use at all. The gameplay overall is serviceable and can get quite fun at times, I just wish there were faster, more efficient ways to swap weapons and your arrow capacity is too small. Small tweaks would really do wonders to improving the gameplay.

The Verdict

Horizon Forbidden West is an incredible experience that PS5 and PS4 owners shouldn't miss. The graphics are stunning, the story is engaging, the machines are awesome, and the end game content is vast. If the gameplay was a bit faster and more fluid this game would have gotten a perfect score. Minor gameplay annoyances aside, this is a clear Game of the Year contender that absolutely deserves to be part of your PlayStation game catalogue.

Final Score: 9.5/10 - Amazing

Horizon Forbidden West details

Platform: PS5, PS4
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Publisher: PlayStation Studios
Genre: Action role-playing
Modes: Single-player
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

A key was provided by the publisher.

NextGen Take - Elden Ring

2022-02-23T12:30:00.001-05:00

Four things I like about this game, and one I don't

By Paul Hunter

I'm over 50 hours into my Elden Ring run and I'm utterly hooked on this latest masterpiece by FromSoftware. And I don't call it a masterpiece lightly—Elden Ring embraces everything the developer has learned over the last 13 years crafting the Souls games and expands upon their legendary gameplay in so many novel way. It's truly their best effort yet and the crown jewel of their offerings. Elden Ring is bold, beautiful and brutal, exactly what I hoped this game would be and then some.

Let's head on into the sacred Lands Between, O'Tarnished one, here are four things I liked about the game...and one I didn't.

Liked: The Choose Your Own Adventure

The centrepiece feature of Elden Ring is its vast open world and my lord does it shake up the classic Souls formula. The Lands Between, the game's setting, is divided into several huge areas such as Limgrave the opening setting, the harsh lands of Caelid to the east and the Liurnia wetlands to the north, to name a few. What impressed me the most is all three of these huge regions (plus others areas!) are all accessible right from the get-go. This is a huge departure from previous FromSoftware games and means you can tackle most areas in the order you choose with few restrictions blocking your passage.

What's really neat is in many cases there's a usual way of progressing to the next area, typically beating a tough boss or finding a special key, but there are secret passages to bypass many of these gated spot. For example, while I was exploring Stormveil Castle, the first huge dungeon in Limgrave, I discovered a secret path around the castle's outside that took me all the way to Liurnia to the north. This essentially let me (at least for the time being) completely skip the first Demigod boss and begin exploring the game's massive second area. A similar situation happened when I went to explore the northern-most region: I found a lift that was inaccessible and thought the area was gated, only to later find a mine off the beaten path with its own rickety lift that brought me to this formerly inaccessible region.

The best part about this open-world structure is it means you're essentially never blocked from exploring more of the game. If you encounter an especially tough boss, like the fearsome Shardbearers, that absolutely destroy you, Elden Ring gives you two options: persist until you defeat the boss in usual Souls fashion, or go explore another area and return after you've acquired better weapons, armour, spells and stats. The freedom and flexibility to tackle areas and bosses in any order you choose is simply exquisite and feels like the culmination of FromSoftware's formula.

Speaking of the game world itself, holy hell is it gorgeous. Graphically it's the best From game yet and the variety of biomes is stunning to behold. Limgrave is a green and golden land filled with luscious waterfalls and an extremely bad-tempered north where lightning and rain crash down. Caelid to the east has red corrupted soil, nasty poison swamps and huge roaming beasts that makes this a particularly challenging place to wander through. To the north Liurnia features a massive central lake surrounded by cliffs home to several magical castles. Beyond that to the north east is a divine city filled with massive giants and castles that reach high into the sky. It's all so breathtaking to take in. And I need to mention the vivid use of colours—Elden Ring areas range from bright vibrant blues to deep royal purples to majestic golden yellows and it's such a huge contrast from the typically bleak environments found in the Souls games. I have hundreds of incredible #PS5Share photos I'm waiting to share after the game releases, and after everyone's had a chance to dive in.

I also have to mention one spot in particular that practically blew my mind. While exploring the eastern forest of Limgrave I encountered a rather subtle building housing a well lift and when I stepped on it took below grounds hundreds of metres to this hidden magical zone that was huge in size (at least a third the size of Limgrave itself!) and at the far end of this region was another lift that took me deep in the rotten lands of Caelid. It's just incredible that the Lands Between is huge enough and yet there's at least one massive underground zone as well. And it also reinforces the importance of searching the open world everywhere, you'll never know when you'll stumble on something that whisks you away to another big area.

Liked: The Immaculate Gameplay

Elden Ring is hard, very hard, so Souls fans need not worry there. But Elden Ring is by far the most accessible game of the series for multiple gameplay reasons.

For one, From has introduced stealth so now you can silently creep towards distracted or unaware enemies and get a backstab in before they've had a chance to respond. In some areas, like a mini fortress near the Stormveil Castle main entrance you can take out an entire army of foot soldiers using stealth. You also have ability to perform devastating jump strikes to deal extra damage, plus you can quickly jump on ledges and out of harm's way in the heat of battle.

Another big new addition are Ashes you can call upon that summon ghostly figures to your aid. Early in the game I found simple, weak helpers like a wandering pack of zombies or a pack of three lone wolves. But if you search far and wide, and beat some of the game's side mission bosses, you can find powerful spiritual allies that can dramatically shift battles in your favour. Ashes are such a cool addition, especially during times when there's no summoning pool nearby for you to find co-op partners.

When you begin your Elden Ring journey you'll be able to pick from ten starting classes across various playstyles. I chose the Prophet for his Faith-based incantations, mainly consisting of healing, holy and fire spells. The Astrologer is another magic-based class, this one focused on Sorcery and Arcane spells. There's also, of course, classes for those into melee fighting, like the Warrior, Samuria or Hero, and those into Dex builds like the Prisoner. Like all Souls games though, your starting class doesn't lock you in and you're able to upgrade your characters any way you wish by trading in Runes (the in-game currency) to Melina the Maiden, which you encounter early on.

Elden Ring also introduces Ashes of War that you can affix to weapons and armour, granting you new attacks. This system is awesome as the range of abilities you can equip is vast: there are melee attacks like spinning slashes, ground slams and sweeps, magic attacks like summoning storms or transforming your blade into a giant greatsword, plus buff abilities like a range of battle cries that can increase attack power or your character's stats. Ashes of War can be upgraded at the Table of Lost Grace, a hub zone area containing plenty of helpful NPCs.

As if that weren't enough, individual weapons can also come come with skills ranging from various parries to the ability to kick. Some of the most destructive weapons, usually acquired after defeating bosses, may even have their signature skills like unleashing a troll's roar or unleashing the Magma Wyrm's ground smash that triggers a blast of magma. The amount of weapon customization is impressive and absolutely worth spending hours testing out abilities to find ones that best suit your playstyle or helps you defeat troublesome bosses.

Elden Ring further enhances the gameplay by introducing Torrent your Spectral Steed. Accessible in all the Overworld locations, your horse is great for traversing long distances in short amount of time, particularly since it has a high jump and can double jump for ever more vertical reach. But you can also attack enemies while mounted and it's a great way to inflict damage from relative safety. There are plenty of bosses found in the Overworld and you can do these entire fights on your horse—if you're skilled enough to not get Torrent killed (don't worry, it revives right after battle!). It's so incredibly fun riding as the horse and gave me nostalgic Shadow of the Colossus vibes.

When you combine all of the above, from the stealth to the character customizations to horse-mounted mobility to the weapon variety to the spellcasting, combat in Elden Ring is utterly sublime. There are more combat options than any previous FromSoftware game giving you more ways to tailor your character exactly to your liking and more ways to tackle bosses. This is the best gameplay ever in a From game, and that's saying a hell of a lot.

Liked: The Jaw-Dropping Bosses

FromSoftware games like Dark Souls, Demon's Souls and Bloodborne are known for their epic boss battles but I think Elden Ring is the new benchmark for boss quantity, boss variety and boss 'wow' factor. The Lands Between is plastered with minibosses, whether that's powerful brutes wandering the lands, or the dozens of cave, caverns and crypts that act like the game's Breath of the Wild-type challenge dungeons. I quickly lost track of how many bosses I battled but it's easily several dozen and virtually all of them were memorable in one way or another.

The variety of bosses is also hugely diverse. You'll battle everything from fire-breathing dragons, to knights both mounted and on foot, to ferocious bears, to poison-spewing plants, to skyscraper-tall trolls, to magical creatures with glowing auras. The amount of effort From took to make each boss fight challenging and unique is just so impressive. From a difficulty perspective, expect a decent challenge from the minibosses and a gigantic challenge from the main story bosses, particularly the shardbearing Demigods.

I also need to point out how impressive and varied the regular enemies are. I fought massive land octopi that have devastation jumping ground pounds, aggressive bears that relentless hunt you down, fearsome red knights that can fell you in a single swipe, oversize dogs and vultures that attack in packs and can quickly rip your apart, plus my personal favourite the spider hands that are, well, scary as hell. It's absolutely mind-boggling the artistry on display here with all regular enemies having a distinctive look and personality.

Liked: The Improved Co-op and PVP

It's never been easier to jump into a FromSoftware multiplayer session than in Elden Ring. That's because they're introduced Summoning Pools indicated by the many Martyr Effigy's located around The Lands Between. Activating these stone carvings will reveal glyphs on the ground where you can initate co-operative or competitive gameplay. The Effigies centralize the multiplayer glyphs making faster than ever to find player matches.

It's also easier than ever to join multiplayer co-op sessions because the item you need to use, a Furlcalling Finger Remedy, can be crafted using readily available flowers found throughout The Lands Between. I acquired hundreds of the flowers during my 50+ hour playthrough and always had enough to craft as many multiplayer items as needed.

What's neat is, at least in the Overworld, you can also summon Ashes during multiplayer sessions and lead an army into battle. I've had as many as five Ashe helpers and two co-op partners at once, for a deadly eight-person squad that was no match for enemies in sight. I love how co-op friendly Elden Ring is and I'm fully expecting a vibrant and healthy online community for this game for years to come.

Didn't Like: Arcane Stat

Quite frankly, there's almost nothing to complain about in Elden Ring. Graphics, gameplay, performance, lore/story, and boss battles are all best in class. The only even modest complain I have is how some incantations you'll acquire later in the game have minimum level requirements for the Arcane stat, a stat akin to 'Luck' and one I'm sure most players will initially ignore. All the early spells are tied to Intelligence (most offensive spells) and Faith (mostly healing spells and buffs) so that's what I upgraded. But about a dozen hours in I got my first Arcane spell, which required a minimum Intelligence and Arcane stat. Other spells might have minimum Faith and Arcane requirements. I'm one that wants access to all my spells, so I had to spend 10+ level ups to boost my Arcane stat. So my advice to fellow spellcasters: Don't ignore Arcane as some of the best spells depend on this vital stat.

The Verdict

Elden Ring is a triumph. It's the best game FromSoftware has ever made, easily, and sets a new benchmark for the Soulslike genre. Everything about this game is perfectly polished and after 50 hours of logged game time I feel like I still have so much side content to explore. I'm easily going to put 150 hours into the game, and possibly even more. Not only is this the best Soulslike game ever, it's one of the best games of all time. An easy GOTY contender, Elden Ring is going to be talked about for decades to come. It's so damn good.

Final Score: 10/10 - Masterpiece

Elden Ring details

Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
Developer: FromSoftware
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment
Genre: Action role-playing
Modes: Single-player, multiplayer
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

A key was provided by the publisher.

NextGen Take - Sifu

2022-02-06T08:00:00.641-05:00

Three things I like about this game, and two I don't

By Paul Hunter

Over the past ten days Sifu has punched, kicked and slapped me silly but I'm loving the hell out of every minute of it. Sifu is the intense new Kung-Fu beat 'em up game from Sloclap, the acclaimed team behind 2017's Absolver. Releasing on PS5, PS4 and PC, this immersive brawler has a stiff difficulty but for those up to challenge you'll find a rewarding experience that'll take you from a martial arts beginner all the way to an unstoppable Kung-Fu master. Let's head on into the kwoon to begin our training, here are three things I liked about the game...and two I didn't.

Liked: The Super-crisp Gameplay

Sifu absolutely excels at its mission to bring the devastating techniques of Pak-Mei Kung-Fu to life. The combat system is a mix of classic Kung-Fu movie aesthetics mixed with the brutal close-quarters combat from films like John Wick and Kill Bill. To survive you'll need to master every aspect of the game's combat, from its precision parries, jumps, ducks and evades to the pinpoint strikes, grapples and kicks—and that's no easy task.

Much like games such as Sekiro, Punch-Out!! or Battletoads, Sifu demands a lot from you and forces you to improve your skills through good old fashion trial and error. While you might be able to survive up to the first boss by mostly mashing buttons, it's during this battle that you'll learn the hard way that you absolutely need to master parrying, leaping and dodging to survive. And while it's a tough lesson, getting a handle on the game's full range of combat mechanic is exceptionally rewarding.

With perseverance, bosses that originally smashed your face in will become manageable and even dare I say easy once you finally understand their movesets and how best to counter them. With all five bosses I went through the same cycle of initially sucking ass, slowly learning their ins and outs, and eventually smoking them good. Each time felt like an incredible accomplishment worthy of all the blood, sweat and tears that came before it.

Along with gradually increasing your skill as you play, you'll also gain XP used to unlock a couple dozen abilities that can further shift battles in your favour. These abilities are generally usual, such as letting you perform a running sweep or unleashing a flurry of thrusting jabs, and open up more ways to break enemies' stances or counter their attacks. Abilities also add a unique roguelike vibe to the game since you can buy them individually during each run, but if you spend a huge chunk of XP you can permanently unlock them. If you get stuck on a boss, and trust me most players will, you can still feel a sense of progression through skill unlocks that give you a wee bit more combat options the next time around.

Liked: The Aging System

Sifu's unique aging system is another huge highlight of the game. It works by having your character begin at age 20 and upping your age each time you die and revive. The more you die in a row the faster you age, so it's absolutely critically to refocus after each death. Once you pass age 70 it's game over and you'll need to try again.

Not only does your character's appearance shift from a clean cut 20-year-old all the way to a gray-bearded senior, but every 10 years your max health decreases while your attack power increases. This adds a great deal of tension in combat since you won't be able to absorb as many enemy attacks and you'll need to nail those perfect parries more than ever. And when you do stumble your opponent it's time to strike hard and fast with your old-timer damage buff.

What's also neat is how the aging system incentivizes you to go after the perfect run. When you beat a stage you'll move onto the next one starting at the same age, so if you beat the first boss (The Botanist) at age 32 that's the age you'll begin the second mission at every time. But if you later go back and totally crush stage one at age 21, then for all future runs you'll start mission two at that younger age. The aging snowball effect means it's crucial to replay levels and perfect them to give you a much higher chance at surviving the later, more challenging missions.

Liked: The Immaculate Level Design

Sifu is an utterly gorgeous game that nails the Kung-Fu movie aesthetic. The game's five areas all have a cool, distinct vibe to them, whether that's the neon dance club floors in stage two or immaculate business suites of stage four (that end up getting smashed to pieces!). The awesome music adds to the flavour as well and does a superb job of ratcheting up the tempo during heated confrontations.

It's also fun to see these eye-popping environments hide plenty of collectibles that expand on the characters and story. But what's even better is you'll sometimes find keys or keycards that unlock shortcuts through stages. These keys are total lifesavers since it means you can complete levels faster—and skips some mini-bosses along the way—to hopefully arrive at bosses at a younger age. Even though I generally use the shortcuts, from time to time I still do the full run through levels because they all just look so damn good.

Didn't Like: The Frustration

For a game all about teaching you to become a Kung-Fu master you'd expect a decent amount of challenge, but hot damn does Sifu go a bit overboard. It's brutally hard, unrelenting and utterly unforgiving, especially the tough-as-nails boss fights. Fortunately, I was able to weather through it despite there being more than a few times I wanted to pull my hair out. By the end, the pain was worth the gain as it felt amazing to finally make it to Yang the leader and roll the credits. Still, I can definitely see the stiff challenge putting this game out of reach for some gamers, and that's a shame given how incredible it is.

Didn't Like: Some Ability Upgrades

While there are a bunch of extremely useful abilities you can unlock, like regaining your balance after an enemy pushback or the punishing Focus moves, some of the abilities I didn't find all that useful in practice and they felt like a waste of XP. It would have been nice to unlock some more advanced combos to really deal out some vicious damage, or perhaps a few grapples to stop enemy rushes. But instead Sifu is all about more subdued unlocks with a few if any real game-changing new abilities. So while new abilities can certainly make some bosses slightly easier, make no mistake that a lion's share of your progress comes from straight perseverance and deepening your skills.

The Verdict

Sifu is a sheer delight to play with its immaculate gameplay and breathtaking graphics. Be prepared to get your butt kicked though, but if that appeals to you as much as it does for me, then this game should be at the top of your must-play list. That youngest I've been able to clear the game is age 46, and while I feel proud of my achievement, it means I still have a ways to go to become a true Kung-Fu master. And what makes this game so brilliant is how motivating and rewarding it is to replay missions and do better. Sloclap nailed it, beat 'em up fans shouldn't miss out.

Final Score: 9/10 - Amazing

Sifu details

Platform: PS5, PS5, PC
Developer: Sloclap
Publisher: Sloclap
Genre: Beat 'em up
Modes: Single-player
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

A key was provided by the publisher.

NextGen Take - Dying Light 2

2022-02-03T16:29:00.001-05:00

Three things I like about this game, and two I don't

By Paul Hunter

Techland brought life back to the tired zombie genre back in 2015 with their open-world survival horror Dying Light, a hugely successful game that would go on to attract over 20 million players worldwide. Seven years later the developer is back with their much-hyped sequel starring a new protagonist and set in Villedor (a.k.a. The City), one of the last bastions of humanity. Does Dying Light 2 take the story, combat and parkour-style gameplay to new heights? Let's venture into Villedor to see for ourselves, here are three things I liked about the game...and two I didn't.

Liked: The Progression Loop

The best part about Dying Light 2 is its addictive day/night gameplay loop that keeps me coming back for more, even after over 50 hours of logged game time. During daylight hours the more powerful zombies burn up when exposed to UV light, so they hide away in abandoned buildings leaving the streets filled with only the slow, slumbering Biter zombies that are easy to kill and even simpler to avoid. It's the ideal time to trek across the city completing story missions, discovering new survivor outposts, night shelters and other areas of interest. During sunlight hours I also enjoy taking on the game's many leisurely activities, like climbing windmills or doing across-city parkour runs, all while unencumbered by the zombie hordes.

When nightfall hits that's when things heat up: the stronger zombies emerge from their concrete shelters and flood the streets, making the city of Villedor a far, far more dangerous place. There are many deadly special infected creatures to watch for, like the Howlers that scream to attract all nearby zombies and the brutish Demolishers with Hulk-like super strength. Even the common Biters get faster and more aggressive with the UV effects no longer slowing them down. Nighttime also brings opportunity, specifically it's your chance to loot the inside of buildings while most of the special infected are busy outside. And a lot of the game's best goodies are tucked deep inside these abandoned structure so the risk is often worth the reward.

I thorough enjoy this day/night cycle as it keeps the gameplay fresh and can often lead to risky edge-of-your-seat situations. When the crack of dawn is approaching you often have to decide whether it's safe to keep exploring the inside of buildings knowing full well the zombies could return any minute, or to hightail it out and potentially miss collecting some good loot. This is especially true for the GRE medical facilities that are among the best places to scavenge but these buildings can be four floors or more and take awhile to pick clean. A few times I got three-quarters in when daylight was mere minutes away and I had to scramble out fast before the most deadly special infected retreated back inside. The clock can also work in your favour: if you engage the powerful special infected horde outside right before sunrise you can laugh and watch as they begin to burn up and rapidly lose their strength. It's moments like these where Dying Light 2 really shines.

Liked: The Skill Trees

Dying Light 2 features dozens of unlockable skills and the vast majority of them add even more fun and flavour to the gameplay. Skills are divided between Combat and Parkour, but it's the latter that really hooked me the most. Parkour skills are all about making you run, jump and move around the environment faster and more efficiently. There are skills to make you jump higher, run horizontally across walls, have safer landings and smoothly slide under gaps. The traversal mechanics—especially once you bank several upgrades—feels much smoother with wider variety compared to the original game.

Combat doesn't fare as well in Dying Light 2, which mostly revolves around awkwardly swinging sharp or blunt weapons to slice, slam and subdue the zombies. Still, there are some fun Combat skills to unlock like the Dropkick, my personal favourite because I love the thud of smashing into the infected and sending them flying. Plus, it's supremely powerful and can hit multiple zombies with a single kick. There are other extremely useful Combat skills as well, including the tried-and-true ground pound, or the Windmill sweep attack that hits all enemies around you.

Not only are the skills great, but I really enjoy how you gain XP for literally everything you do. Clamber up a wall, get XP, swing on the rooftop monkey bars, get XP, slide under an exhaust system, get XP. All these actions and more will net you Parkour XP and it's cool that you can see the experience gains in real-time right on the HUD. The same goes for Combat XP, everything from stealth kills or in-your-face zombie head smashing nets you experience points that you can later cash in to buy new skills. I really appreciate games that reward you simply by playing, and Dying Light 2 does that in spades.

Liked: The World Variety

Another huge plus for me is the wide variety of activities you can undertake, depending on your mood. One of my personal favourites is the Ultimate Fury Cricket where you have bat 20 zombies off a roof in under a minute to capture the gold. It's challenging and hilarious, great for when you just want to beat a few zombies to a pulp. I also love the parkour challenges that range from following checkpoints as fast as possible to deliver water to citizens to challenging the fastest times set by Nightrunners. These parkour missions really put your jumping, swinging and sliding skills to the test—and it's great that you can revisit these challenges after you've upgraded your parkour moves.

Another favourite activity of mine is climbing the city's many windmills, which again put your parkour skills to the test. Some of these windmill climbs are ultra hard as they require your entire stamina bar and precise jumping, and any miss sends you crashing to the ground. There's also military airdrops to collect and these often require you to find creative ways to scale tall building, working your way up scafolding and rope swinging across risky gaps.

I also had fun taking on some of the game's more interesting combat challenges like GRE Anomalies where you face off against a terrifying Revenant to gain Combat XP and loot inhibitors, the syringes used to upgrade your health or stamina. Revenant boss fights are particularly challenging because this special infected has the ability to revive and buff other infected so you have to contend with an unrelenting horde as well.

Didn't Like: Story Falls Apart

A few years ago I had a chance to preview Dying Light 2 at E3, and there the development team explained that the city has three factions (Survivors, Peacekeepers and Renegades) and you'll need to make big decisions that impacts on the city and story in major ways. As it turns out though, story decisions are far less impactful than what was explained and game does a really poor job of acknowledging past decisions. In several cases I'd ally with a rival faction or outright backstab a faction, only to have their leaders later speak to me as if I did nothing wrong. This inconsistency made for an unconvincing story that feels like it mostly plays out the same regardless of your choices.

It was also hard to get into the story of Aiden, the lead character, who journeys to Villedor in search of his sister Mia. She has very little screen time and is mainly shown during flashbacks of their time at a GRE facility. She's essentially a MacGuffin that propels Aiden's story forward, despite never giving the viewer a chance to really connect or care about her. While I don't need Dying Light 2 to have an Oscar-worthy narrative (I play these games mostly for the engaging gameplay and exploration), it would have been nice to see more thought and care put into Aiden's story.

Didn't Like: The Bugs

Another downside to Dying Light 2 is the occasional poor performance, whether that's frame drops, stuttering or even the rare crashing. These issues tend to crop up when battling the larger zombie hordes and make the already so-so combat more of a chore. The glitching is even more apparent when you try to do the game's much-hyped ability to leap over zombies and perform a flying kick. I found the hit detection to be very off, and when you add in the frame drops it made me want to avoid the move altogether. To the developer's credit, the day one patch fixed a bunch of the issues and they've released a few patches since, such as one that fixed the nasty infinite-death loop bug. Very likely we'll continue to see better performance as more patches release, which is appreciated.

The Verdict

I'm having a blast playing Dying Light 2 and could easily see myself breaking the hundred hour mark, or more. It's too bad the developers didn't add a new game plus mode—but it does seem like they're considering it and if so I'll be there day one. The parkour moves are the real highlight of this game: it's so much fun jumping, swinging and sliding your way through the city. The combat starts out just alright, but it gets much better as you unlock new moves and get weapon mods like adding fire or electricity. All in all, Dying Light 2 is an enjoyable experience and it's a strong recommend from me.

Final Score: 8.5/10 - Great

Dying Light 2 Stay Human details

Platform: PS, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
Developer: Techland
Publisher: Techland
Genre: Action role-playing, survival horror
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

A key was provided by the publisher. Last updated March 2022.

NextGen Take - Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection

2022-01-26T12:30:00.026-05:00

Three things I like about this game, and one I don't

By Paul Hunter

To help build hype for the upcoming Uncharted movie, starring Tom Holland, Sony has dropped two of the best Uncharted games on PS5 in the Legacy of Thieves Collection. Both titles—Uncharted 4: A Thief's End and Uncharted: The Lost Legacy—have received numerous PS5 enhancements to make these action-packed adventures even more immersive on Sony's next-generation console. Let's pack our grapplehook and swing on in, here are three things I liked about the game...and one I didn't.

Liked: The PS5 Upgrades

Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy looked impressive on PS4 and especially PS4 Pro, but they're absolutely stunning in this new collection on PS5. The games offer three modes for a customized experienced, and they are: (1) Fidelity mode for a sharp 4K resolution and a target 30fps framerate, (2) Performance mode that offers upscaled 4K and a smooth 60fps framerate, and (3) Performance+ mode with an ultra-fast 120fps framerate at a lowered 1080p resolution.

I had a chance to test out the Fidelity and Performance modes, and definitely prefer the latter for it's crisp 60fps action. The PS4 Uncharted games, and the series in general, has historically had rather loose gunfire action, but the bump up to 60fps makes a huge difference in gun accuracy and overall combat smoothness. The framerate increase also makes the traversal climbing and rope swinging feel even sharper for that extra level of precision. While I didn't have a 120hz monitor to test out the Performance+ mode, the games felt perfect at 60fps and I'm not too keen to play the games at 1080p anyways.

Another huge perk is the new DualSense features like the haptic feedback for incredibly immersive rumble effects. Much like the recent Call of Duty games, each gun felt individually tuned to provide unique force feedback, and the same goes for the context-sensitive punches and kicks Nathan, Chloe and Nadine throw. I was also particularly impressed with the rain effects that pitter patter through the controller very similar to Astro's Playroom, and how Chloe's phone makes the DualSense rumble exactly like a mobile phone does. The haptics also elevate the driving sequences quite a bit as you can feel the jeep tires gripping the ground, and I especially liked the intense rumble sensation when your tires spin in the mud. The games also make use of the DualSense's adaptive triggers, such as letting you feel the rope tension as you swing—pretty cool!

3D audio has also been introduced in the Legacy of Thieves Collection and that too adds quite a bit to the experience. During intense shootouts you can hear enemies from all around you shooting commands, giving you a good indication of where to turn next. But moreover, since a good chunk of both games has you exploring in pairs (Nathan and Sam, Chloe and Nadine) the 3D audio lets you stay aware of exactly where your partner is even when they're out of sight. The 3D audio is so realistic, there was a funny moment where I heard a voice from the other side of the room and thought it was my wife calling me, but it turns out it was Elena who had just arrived to save Nathan from his latest predicament (lol).

It's also worth mentioning that both Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy feature near instantaneous loading, so heading back into the adventure happens in a blink and reloading after you die takes just seconds. A pretty convenient feature that Sony fans have grown accustomed too from the PS5's hyper-fast SSD.

Liked: The Incredible Stories

Sony, and especially Naughty Dog, are known for top-tier Hollywood-quality narrative adventures, but even among Sony's best these two games stand out.

Uncharted 4 is the perfect sendoff for Nathan Drake who's been around the world multiple times over searching for history's biggest lost riches. Nolan North (Nathan) and Troy Baker (Sam) have amazing chemistry during the whole adventure, as do Emily Rose (Elena) and Richard McGonagle (Sully) with their incredible supporting roles. From the majestic black market heist in Italy to the explosive Madagascan city car chase, there's no shortage of memorable set pieces that'll always stick with you.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy was initially intended to be UC4 DLC but the project grew in scope and became it's own standalone release. It's deserving, too, because it really is one of the best Uncharted games yet with it's experimental open-world structure and outstanding performances from Claudia Black (Chloe) and Laura Bailey (Nadine). The majority of the game takes place in the vast wilderness of India's Western Ghats and there's a fun choose-your-own-adventure vibe as you can complete objectives in any order, or wander off to hunt down the eleven elusive Hoysala Tokens for a cool bonus reward. As great as the open world is, I really have to give my hats off to the incredible acting performances as they truly are the highlight of this game. Nadine and Chloe are such a touching pair that start off as business partners but end the game as BFFs. Seeing this blossoming friendship—and the many up and downs along the way—is so fun and rewarding on multiple levels.

Liked: The Naughty Dog quality

It still amazes me how much detail Naughty Dog packs into each and every one of their Uncharted experiences. The level of detail in both games is unreal and is arguably the best in the entire games industry. Nathan Drake, Chloe Fraser, Nadine Ross and all the other characters in these games have absolutely immaculate motion capturing that look real right down to the subtle smirks, eye moments and other facial expression nuances. By comparison, most games out there have cutscenes with unnatural character movements, and even when they look 'great' you can still tell they're computer generated characters. But not so these Uncharted titles: Nate, Sam, Sully, Elena, Chloe, Nadine, they all feel alive and move so naturally, it's such a testament to talent at Naughty Dog.

The incredible attention to detail doesn't end with the cutscenes, far from it. There are so many subtleties that increase the realism, like how Nate moves slightly faster or slower depending if he's hurt, the way characters naturally grab onto nearby objects as they move past them, and even down to the mud trails your car or boots leave.

What I also find so impressive is how Naughty Dog has recorded so many contextual dialogue lines. If you wander into a dead-end twice your partner might make a comment that you've already been there, or characters will sometimes let you know they think you're going the wrong way. There are lots of recorded jokes that come out during the driving sequences, like if you accidently drive the jeep through a waterfall Nate might crack a joke about getting everyone wet. My favourite contextual line though happened when Nate and Elena were exploring a cave and split up, only to find that they had both walked around the same circle. When they see each other they share a laugh, and I couldn't help laughing too. It's a completely missable dialogue if you happen to walk in a different direction, and proof in point about just how much detail Naughty Dog puts in their games.

Didn't Like: Limited Upgrades, No Multiplayer

As amazing as these two games are, it would have been great to see Naughty Dog go the extra mile beyond straight ports that take advantage of PS5's capabilities. Perhaps they could have added new treasures to find, or bonus content like behind-the-scenes artwork to really give loyal fans something extra to talk about. It's also too bad that the excellent Uncharted 4 multiplayer was cut, likely because the team is focused on making The Last of Us Factions 2 and didn't want to split their player base. All that said, these are unquestionably must-play, top-quality games and absolutely worth revisiting.

The Verdict

There's no question that PlayStation fans need to check out Uncharted 4 and The Lost Legacy so I highly recommend getting the Legacy of Thieves Collection for the definitive editions on PS5. Even if you've beat the games on PS4, the three graphical modes, DualSense features, 3D Audio, and faster loading enhancement are more than enough reason to revisit these classics. There's no better way to put it: the Legacy of Thieves Collection is absolute essential gaming.

Final Score: 9.5/10 - Amazing

Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection details

Platform: PS5
Developer: Naughty Dog, Iron Galaxy
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Genre: Adventure
Modes: Single-player
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

A key was provided by the publisher.

Thoughts on the Xbox + Activision Blizzard Acquisition

2022-01-18T23:55:00.004-05:00

By Paul Hunter

Well, today was a huge day in the gaming industry. First thing in the morning as we were all logging online, head of Xbox Phil Spencer announced that Microsoft intends to acquire Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion dollars. Assuming the transaction gets cleared by regulators, this will catapult Microsoft into becoming the third largest game publisher in the world, only behind China's Tencent and Japan's Sony.

To put the acquisition in perspective, it's the largest ever in gaming and dwarfs the second-largest acquisition, Take-Two buying Zynga for $12.7 billion, over five fold. And it's over nine times what Microsoft paid for Bethesda ($7.5 billion) just last year. To say that seismic changes are happening in the global games industry is a massive understatement.

I'm still processing this huge bombshell announcement, but I do have some initial thoughts (and will probably have a lot more to write about once this news fully sinks in!). I'll say right from the top that I'm not a fan of this widespread industry consolidation, mainly because it inevitably blocks content from reaching a wider audience across platforms, however, at the same time acquisitions like these are inevitable for the games industry. We've already seen this type of consolidation happening in the music industry (e.g. Sony's acquisition of EMI) and in the film/TV industry with Disney buying Marvel, Star Wars and 20th Century Fox. Given how huge (and lucrative) the games industry is, it's actually surprising that major acquisitions like Bethesda or Activision didn't happen years ago.

Thinking about how the Activision Blizzard acquisition will impact Xbox and PC gamers, there's really only good things to say. Game Pass subscribers will see legacy AB games come to the streaming service, adding even more value beyond the 400+ titles already available. Plus, all future AB games will hit Game Pass on day one, so we're likely talking about a few games every year, and that's on top of all Xbox Studios and Bethesda titles. The value proposition for Game Pass has reached the 'unreal' stage and it's hard to come up with solid reasons why Xbox fans wouldn't want to subscribe. With future Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Tony Hawk and Spyro games coming day one to Game Pass, the value is just too good to pass up.

I've seen gamers concerned the Activision Blizzard acquisition will only accelerate Microsoft's push for services and cloud gaming, which could eventually put physical media and digital ownership at risk, but I genuinely think that future is far off. Microsoft is fully aware millions of gamers like to purchase and own their gaming content, so I foresee that being an option for at least a couple more gens to come, if not longer.

Looking at the acquisition through a PlayStation gamer's lens, naturally the outcome doesn't look great. Microsoft will surely make most future Activision Blizzard games exclusive to their ecosystem, even with the news today that some content might still hit PlayStation consoles. If I had to guess, I'd say Call of Duty Warzone will continue getting updates on PlayStation, but I have to imagine the annual Call of Duty games will either be fully exclusive (most likely scenario) or be timed exclusive. There's a slim chance CoD games will hit day and date with PlayStation, but if that happens you can bet the Xbox version will have exclusive modes or content to make it the most desirable version available.

What's truly bizarre about this acquisition is it could mean former PlayStation mascots Crash Bandicoot and Spyro the Dragon could become Xbox exclusives. [Side note: It's ironic that Xbox took Nintendo's Rare character icons like Banjo-Kazooie and is now doing a similar purchase of a few Sony legacy icons!]. Having those franchises exclusive to Xbox's ecosystem is definitely a blow to PlayStation fans.

The saving grace though, and I know Sony diehards probably don't want to hear it, is that Xbox really is making Game Pass cheap and accessible (on PCs, mobile phones, and likely soon TVs), so PlayStation gamers could sub to Game Pass for a month for $15 if they really wanted to play a future Crash Bandicoot or Spyro game. I did exactly that with HBO and Game of Thrones—I subscribed for a few months when the seasons were running, and then cancelled during the off season. It's not ideal by any means, but it got me the content I wanted at a reasonable price.

As far as impacting Sony themselves, the Activision Blizzard deal really hinges on what happens with Call of Duty. According to NPD's 2021 data, Call of Duty Vanguard was the No. 1 selling game on PlayStation last year, and Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War was no. 3. If Microsoft decides to make CoD games exclusive to Xbox, they've effectively taken away Sony's top annual game revenue driver. And you have to imagine that a certain percentage of PlayStation CoD fans would flock to Xbox to play the next annual release, another blow to Sony. If Microsoft decides to continue publishing CoD games on PlayStation, and that's a big if, then the AB acquisition would surely have little impact on Sony's bottom line.

Few people seem to care about what the Activision Blizzard acquisition (and Bethesda) means for Nintendo, but I do feel they make a meaningful negative mark. Bethesda was just warming up to Nintendo fans this gen, having released Doom Eternal, Wolfenstein II and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on Nintendo Switch. But it sadly does feel like that's the end of Bethesda games on Nintendo. Looking at Activision, they released Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy, Spyro Reignited Trilogy, Crash Bandicoot 4, and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2 on Nintendo Switch. It's not hard to imagine future titles in these franchises not hitting Switch, and that's a shame. Much like PlayStation fans, Nintendo gamers will likely need to sub to Game Pass if they want to continue playing these franchises.

All things considered, the Activision Blizzard news is big but unlikely to shake up the gaming industry in major ways. Nintendo and Sony will keep on pumping out great first-party games like they've always done, and Xbox fans get a major boost of new content in Game Pass. The biggest potential impact is clearly Call of Duty, and PlayStation fans may be forced to migrate to Xbox or PC (or abandon the series altogether). At least in that scenario Xbox has the cheaper Xbox Series S model available, plus xCloud using devices you already own, so the cost barrier isn't outrageous (in comparison to having to buy an expensive PC or Series X).

I'll continue to post my thoughts on the acquisition whenever I have meaningful things to say, so be sure to check out my Twitter @NextGenPlayer and let's continue to the conversation! Like all of you, I'm really interested to see how all of this unfolds. Thanks for reading!

NextGen Take - Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain

2021-12-11T19:00:00.497-05:00

Three things I like about this game, and one I don't

By Paul Hunter

The original Big Brain Academy on Nintendo DS came about during one of the company's most experimental eras focusing on new IPs taking advantage of the console's dual screens and touchscreen controls. The game was similar to Brain Age with it's brain-bending activities but was more colourful and casual, perfect for multiplayer sessions with the family. A couple of years later a Wii sequel arrived introducing fun new games to measure your "brain's weight" along with an online mode where players can compete against one another.

Fast forward 14 years and the series is back on Nintendo Switch in Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain. This edition introduces new activities to test your mental muscle, a 4-player multiplayer mode to go brain-to-brain with friends and family, plus a cool new online Ghost Clash to challenge players around the world. It's time to flex that big brain power, here are three things I liked about the game...and one I didn't.

Liked: How Fun the Brainy Minigames Are

At its core, Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain is a puzzle game where you strengthen your brain by doing activities across five categories: Identify, Memorize, Analyze, Compute and Visualize. Each category has four minigames, so 20 in all, and every single one of them I found fun to play.

Running through the categories, the first is Identify and these activities require you to spot objects and patterns as fast as you can. My favourite minigame in this category is Whack Match, which is a fast-paced game where you have to whack moles that match specific pictures. It's so much fun!

Next up is the Memorize category where as you'd expect you quickly memorize objects and then test your retention power. There's a wild version of the shell game in this category that I love because every time you get one right the next round will add another shell or two, and it gets intense fast. My favourite Memorize game though, and also the hardest, is Reverse Retention that presents you with a string of numbers or objects and then you have to recite them back in the exact reverse order. It's easy when there's only two or three numbers to remember but gets super challenging when the lists swell up to five or more.

The third category is Analyze and is easiest one of the hardest. Returning is the classic Heavyweight minigame where you're shown a bunch of objects on scales and need to decide which one is the heaviest. Having play this in past Big Brain games, it was easy to pick up but still challenging to master. My favourite minigame in this group is Speed Sorting, a rapid decision-making test where you need to decide which picture fits a description. For instance, you might be shown a mountain, lion, bird and flower and be asked to identify which one is a plant. It sounds easy, but soon you'll need to rank objects from biggest to smallest, or fastest to slowest and it gets hard—especially when the clock is always ticking!

The fourth category is Compute and it's so much fun. It's a math-centric area that'll test your ability to add numbers, count fast, adjust time and even work with fractions. My favourite minigame in this category is Balloon Burst that tasks you with popping balloons in order from lowest to highest. What makes this minigame such a fun challenge is the balloons spin so you'll need to quickly identity upside down numbers (damn you 6 and 9!).

Last but not least, the final (and sadly my worst-performing, eek!) is Visualize. These minigames test your perception and ability to recognize shadow objects. I had the most fun playing Get In Shape, a game where you need to pick the pieces to complete the puzzle. At first you'll complete simple shapes like a two-piece house, but the difficulty quickly ramps up with 10-piece or more objects that are complex to build under pressure. I'm a right-brain thinker strong in the math and sciences so I think that's why I didn't do so well in visualize category. But hey, I still had a lot of fun so that means a lot.

Liked: Ghost Clash and Multiplayer

Brain vs. Brain has a solid single-player mode where you can practice activities or test your brain power, however, I had the most enjoyment playing the multiplayer modes.

My favourite is Ghost Clash, an asynchronous multiplayer mode where you face off against 'ghost' versions of other players, be it your family, friends or total strangers from around the world. The way it works is simple: players record themselves doing an activity and upload their 'ghost' data to Nintendo servers for other players to download and play against. Depending on whether you win or lose you'll gain or minus points from your trophy score, and this score determines the global leaderboards. Each month you'll get ranked on the "Big Brain World Ranking" that compares your scores to others. Ranking high can be challenging, too—as you gain trophy points you'll face off against increasingly tougher opponents in the ultimate brain vs. brain competition.

Big Brain Academy also has a Party local multiplayer mode for 2-4 players. It can be played while docked or in tablet mode with each player having their own controller or you can play in handheld mode with both players using touchscreen controls. Players then take turns spinning a wheel to decide which activity to play and the game tallies your total wins. If your family loves games nights in, this is a really fun game for some light-hearted competition.

Liked: The Funny Avatar Outfits

When you first start the game you'll create an avatar consisting of skin colour, hair cut, facial hair, outfit and accessories. At first the outfits and accessory options are quite basic, like a green shirt or a straw hat, but there are over 300 extra items to unlock. And you unlock items every three or four activities you complete, so quite fast. I've now got funny pajamas, a space suit, funky headphones, a thief mask and many other hilarious accessories.

You can also equip silly taglines that other online players will see like my person fav "Horses are better than people". You'll also unlock dozens more as you play the Ghost Clash mode. While all these outfits and taglines are ridiculous, they're good for a laugh and reinforce the game's fun, silly vibe.

Didn't Like

The main complaint I have with Big Brain Academy is simply the lack of game modes. The previous two games had more, so it's a bit disappointing at minimum the old modes like Mental Marathon or Mind Sprint didn't make a return. Ghost Clash is a nice addition, and there's a secret "Super Practice" mode you can unlock in single-player should you achieve a Gold rating in all 20 activities, but it still would have been nice to have more modes to extend the game's longevity.

The Verdict

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain is a real blast, especially Ghost Clash mode and the Party multiplayer mode. I really enjoyed all 20 activities and their inherent fun-factor encourages me to come back daily to see if I can beat my high score. If you enjoyed the previous Big Brain Academy games or are looking for the next family multiplayer title, this is the one.

Final Score: 8/10 - Great

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain details

Platform: Nintendo Switch
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Genre: Party, Puzzle
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

A key was provided by the publisher. Last updated January 2022.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain - Interview With Mateus Soto

2021-12-10T21:00:00.057-05:00

By Paul Hunter

To celebrate the launch of Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain, Nintendo of Canada gave us the opportunity to interview Canadian whiz kid Mateus Soto. Before the interview we had a chance to go brain-to-brain with 14 year old Mateus Soto, who won Canada’s Smartest Person Junior just a few years ago. We played Balloon Burst, Whack Match and a few other activities—and it was a lot of fun. Now, on to the interview!

Paul Hunter: You've had the game for a little while now, what does your Big Brain Academy training schedule look like?

Mateus Soto: It's very regular! I play whenever I feel like having a bit of chill fun or I wanna exercise my brain, and then I'll usually run through some of my favourite games which are the ones we just played. Whack Match is my most consistent and highest scoring, plus Shadow Shift and Balloon Burst being the runner ups.

Paul: With these games you're testing your brain in various way, do you find there specific times of day where you perform better?

Mateus: Maximizing braing power is a very personal thing, so it's whenever you like you're at your best. It could be after something or before. I like to play it midday whenever I want some kind of challenge but it's going to be different for everybody.

Paul: What would you say are the best activities to start out with for new players?

Mateus: Well you can always go into the practice mode and pick out the one you want. You can choose whatever activity you feel weak in, it'll be very different for everybody. For me that's obviously Whack Match, Train Turn and Balloon Burst. Those kinds of games help prepare you for the rest.

Paul: Let's settle the eternal debate, what's better for this game the touchscreen or button controls?

Mateus: Ohh, it depends on the game. I think certain games like Whack Match benefit from having your finger in one place and making one input as fast as possible. Then some other games like Balloon Burst where the timing is a bit more irregular and you don't know which balloon it'll go to then it's touch screen all the way.

Paul: What do you think is better to maximize your score, going fast and potentially be less accurate or going slow and careful but perhaps not complete as many rounds?

Mateus: Take your time I'd say. Absolutely take your time. If you miss one in any game there's a whole animation where you lose points and reset the screen so that lose of points if really going to hurt. You'll have to go through a whole other round to get back to where you were. So absolutely slow and steady is the way to take it.

Paul: Well that's why I lost the last couple of games (laugh), I was going a little bit too fast. Once thing I noticed as I played activities is I was unlocking presents that lets me accesorize my character. What are you thoughts on the presents and do you have any favourite customizations you've earned?

Mateus: I'm sure there are plenty more I have to unlock but I've got a few that I'm really a fan of like a lot of different cute outfits. Everyone's preferences will be different but I think there's a good enough selection to go around.

Paul: Yeah I unlocked the spy glasses a little while ago so that was an auto-equip for me (laughs). Have you had a chance to play the multiplayer Party mode, and if son what do you like best about it?

Mateus: The Party mode is really fun because you can go against anyone you want be it local or online. You can go brain-to-brain with friends, family and even people across the world. I like how you can set the difficulty to whatever you want so everyone is on an even playing field.

Paul: I see that Brain vs. Brain has a new Ghost Clash activity, how does this mode work?

Mateus: It works by setting up a replay similar to other games and you can compare yourself to another person live.

Paul: Cool well if you upload some ghosts let me know, I'd love to try and beat your high scores. What would you say to someone who's been trying an activity for several days but they just can't seem to improve their score? Any motivational tips or things you'd suggest?

Mateus: Take a break and take your time. If a game in particular isn't working for you, you could always try going to other games in the same category and those skills will transfer over. That's because they're all pretty similar to each other in terms of what parts of the brain they exercise. Just power through it, there will eventually be something that just clicks or a moment where you get lucky and that'll boost your confidence. And then you can take that to the next round and the next round after that.

Paul: Do you have any tips or tricks on how to get other folks to play with you? Like if I want to get my friends or family involved what's the best way to get them excited about Big Brain Academy?

Mateus: Just invite them over or challenge them! Do you think you can beat me? Everyone has a competitive side.

Paul: I was unlocking Gold Lobes as I was playing, I believe based on my score. Do you know these Lobes are used for?

Mateus: It's a medal system to track how well you're doing in a certain game. That way you can see at a glance what games you're best at. And I know it goes from Gold 1, 2 and 3, and I've got as high as a Platinum Lobe, which is 1,000 points or above. But the Lobe system is good because you can quickly see what your strengths are.

Paul: My last question, there's a larger Test you can take where you complete an activity in all five categories. What are your best tips when preparing to tackle the Test?

Mateus: Don't get in your own head. Make sure that you're calm and confident, even if you may not be entirely well versed in what you're doing. Fake it 'till you make it, it works. You can go a long way by believing in yourself!

Paul: Thanks for your time, Mateus, much appreciated.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain details

NextGen Take - The Smurfs: Mission Vileaf

2021-12-04T20:00:00.007-05:00

Three things I like about this game, and two I don't

By Paul Hunter

Recently, I tweeted images captured during my playthrough of The Smurfs - Mission Vileaf and was met with a bunch of "wait, there's a new Smurfs game?" responses. Clearly this title has flown under the radar but it shouldn't have, because it's actually an enjoyable experience, especially if you have kids.

Mission Vileaf is the first Smurfs title from Microids as part of their new multi-year, multi-title agreement with IMPS, the license holder of the Smurfs IP. It's a 3D action-adventure game with an original story starring Papa Smurf and his ace team of Smurfs who must stop their nemesis Gargamel from poisoning the Smurf Village and surrounding land. So let's head on into the Village Square, here are three things I liked about the game...and two I didn't.

Elden Ring Closed Network Test - Hands-on Impressions

2021-11-10T12:24:00.010-05:00

FromSoft's most ambitious and accessible Soulsborne game yet

By Paul Hunter

The moment I've been waiting for finally arrived: This past weekend I got to spend over 20 hours playing Elden Ring during an exclusive Closed Network Test media preview on PlayStation and Xbox (I chose to play on PS5). It's been two years since the game was first announced and as a huge, huge FromSoftware fan I've literally been counting down the days until the Network Test.

Given the pedigree of FromSoft combined with just how amazing the pre-release trailers and gameplay overview videos have been, Elden Ring being an "incredible" experience was practically a given. I mean, this is the studio that gave us Bloodborne, Dark Souls, Demon's Souls and Sekiro—some of the finest gaming ever created. But in many ways, Elden Ring has potential to be their greatest offering yet. I could tell during my weekend playthrough that FromSoft has taken the best elements from their previous games and elevated them to the next level, plus in a bold move, is expanding their Soulsborne legacy with the first ever open world adventure. And the risk has paid off in spades. Innovative, thrilling, expansive, stunning and incredible, these were just some of the words that came to mind as I dug deep into this phenomenal Network Test preview.

A Richly Detailed World

Right from the opening character selection screen Elden Ring gives you a visual treat with five character classes to choose from—Warrior, Enchanted Knight, Prophet, Champion, Bloody Wolf—all with distinctive looks. You don't actually get to see their starting stats, equipment or spells so the choice has to be made based on appearance alone. My two choices came down to the Enchanted Knight in full armour and sorcerer wand, and the Prophet dressed in a cloak, wielding a club and having an usual wooden wheel around his neck. I ended up going with the Prophet as I suspected this class is heavily magic based and I've always been a big fan of spells in games like Demon's Souls and Dark Souls. You're also given the choice between two body types before heading out on your adventure.

The Closed Network Test begins in the Cave of Knowledge, a tutorial area where you'll learn about various systems starting with Sites of Grace, Elden Ring's version of bonfires or lamps. The cave gets you accustomed to the numerous dark and foreboding catacombs, caves and mini dungeons you'll encounter as you traverse the rather large open world accessible in the Test. After battling my way through some rather easy-to-killed corrupted cave dwellers, I rode a huge lift and knelt down to open up a stone door. Behind the door was the beautiful realm of Limgrave spanning the southern plains of the Lands Between. This moment was absolute eye candy: Limgrave is bright with golden yellow and leafy green hues, plus it had a huge glowing Erd Tree off to the distance to my right and smaller Erd Trees in other far-off spots. Having just replayed Bloodborne with its blackened medieval setting, Elden Ring felt like a vibrant 180-degree shift.

As far as I can gather, the Lands Between, which is the main setting for Elden Ring, is comprised of six regions and Limgrave is first and southern most one in the game. But being just 1/6 of total game map I was astounded by how many different biomes and points of interest I encountered. There are sandy beaches where large grotesque tentacled creatures live, there's a murky swap home to the fire-breathing Flying Dragon Agheel, there's a blizzard mountain with low visibility and evil lurking within the snow, there's a mysterious and decayed Dragon shine island in the lower western region, and there's the monstrously imposing Stormveil Castle where you'll face the Network Test's deadliest boss, the formidable magic user Margit the Fell Omen.

Graphically every area was richly detailed but also steeped in lore, like you'd expect in a FromSoft game. Monuments would be destroyed making you wonder and think about the wars that must have taken place on this very land in ages past. I discovered four different caves and catacombs where aggressive creatures—both alive and undead—have taken up residence. Many of these challenge dungeons are small but contains enemies, traps and a boss fight that can reward you with valuable items like Runes (used to level up your hero and to purchase items) along with Crystal Tears used to customize your rejuvenating Flask of Wondrous Physick. Coming out of my play test I couldn't help but crave to know more about these creatures and the land like it's various factions, lore and war-torned history.

Most Accessible FromSoft Game Yet

Back in June, the game's director Hidetaka Miyazaki was quoted as saying that Elden Ring will have a "more manageable" level of difficulty compared to previous FromSoft games and that's exactly how I felt playing the Network Test. There are many new and streamlined systems in Elden Ring to customize the difficulty, plus overall I thought the bosses were tough but fair. Of the seven bosses I fought and beat, four of them were fairly simple to beat after one or two tries. The other three—the Flying Dragon Agheel, Margit the Fell Omen and the Holy Tree Knight—were more challenging but still around the "medium" difficulty level for a FromSoft game, roughly equal in challenge to Bloodborne's Cleric Beast or Demon's Souls Tower Knight. In other words, challenging but manageable after a few tries.

Perhaps the biggest way Elden Ring makes overcoming dungeons and defeating bosses more approachable is the streamlined multiplayer mechanics. For starters, you've now got a "Multiplayer" menu section with clear descriptions of the various multiplayer items used to start a co-operative sessions (or invade in PvP, if you prefer). In addition to putting co-op gold symbols on the ground, which other players will see in their world and are used to summon you, Elden Ring's Limgrave area also has numerous Effigy of Martyr summoning pool spots. These are essentially multiplayer "hub" zones that allow players to easily and quickly find partners to squad up with. The items used to initiate multiplayer can also be crafted, meaning a little resource farming is all you need to do to craft more co-op items—certainly much easier than in past FromSoft games.

Another way to make difficult zones easier to beat are the many Rebirth Monuments where you can summon spirits with your Spirit-Caller's Bell. You need to collect spirit items in order to summon them, and by the end of my weekend playthrough I had acquired five spirits. These ranged from a floating jellyfish-type creature, to an army of five weaker corrupted townsfolks, to an incredibly powerful armoured warrior that tanked damage and also was a heavy hitter. All you need to summon these helpers is to be near a Rebirth Monument and spend a bit of your FP gauge (a.k.a. Focus Points). Summoning is very similar to summoning NPC helpers in previous FromSoft games, only in Elden Ring the Rebirth Monuments are plentiful, including in some boss areas, so you can recruit helpers quite frequently if you choose.

Another significant way Elden Ring makes exploring easier compared to other FromSoft games are the new gameplay mechanics, particularly the stealth mechanic to avoid enemy detection. I was surprised at just how stealthy you could be: most enemies won't notice or hear you if you creep up behind them, letting you unleash a charged-up stealth critical hit that does tremendous damage and sometimes outright killing them. There was an entire enemy encampment with armoured soldiers that I took out one by one using stealth, with the exception of one warrior that was flanked by two guard dogs that sniffed out my scent.

Another new gameplay mechanic that can work to your advantage is jumping. Previous FromSoft games allowed jumping after running for a second or two, but Elden Ring has a jump button that makes some enemy fights a whole lot simpler. You can jump to high ground and quickly leap back down for a powerful jump attack. I also discovered that the Holy Tree Knight (normally a very powerful boss) can't jump, so I leapt onto a toppled stone wall and beat him easily using magic without him able to reach me.

One final way you're able to make challenging boss fight more manageable is through magic. Past FromSoft games like Demon's Souls and Dark Souls also had magic, but a lot of the powerful spells you'd acquire more towards the mid- or end-game. Not so with Elden Ring. My Prophet started with a powerful beast claw spell that ripped through enemies dealing 150+ damage, enough to kill most common enemies and seriously harm bosses. The rate at which I acquired spells was also pretty fast, within six hours I had gained a fireball, a close-range fire burst, a mid-range fire barrage, a holy magic blast, a knockback spell and a dragon roar that lowers enemy attack. Most of these spells I found easily by purchasing from vendors or killing these peculiar rolling glowing enemies that dropped precious items. I also found an "incantation" spell that I wasn't able to use (because my stat wasn't high enough yet), which is another type of magic similar to how Dark Souls has Sorceries, Miracles and Pyromancies.

Speaking of spells, many equipment items you get (like your swords or shields) come with skills that can have similar effects to spells. My Prophet started out with shield that could create a healing aura the proved invaluable when fighting bosses. You can also discover special items that can imbue your weapons with magic, such as fire or holy. When I combined spellcasting with skills and weapon imbuing, my character was a total wrecking machine—and this happened all within the first ten hours or less. It makes me very excited to see what magic and skills await further into the game.

Ultimately what I discovered when playing the Elden Ring Network Test is there are simply more ways to customize the difficulty and approach combat situations compared to previous FromSoft titles. If you want a harder challenge: avoid using co-op, don't summon NPC helpers, don't use magic or skills, don't use stealth and minimize your jumping. You can play the game using traditional Dark Souls mechanics like blocks, parries and solo close-combat boss fights, if a steep challenge is more your cup of tea. Elden Ring doesn't force you in one direction or another, it simply gives you options.

The Verdict

The Elden Ring Network Test was a sheer joy to play and even from this small chunk of content I can already tell it's shaping up to be one of the best game of the entire gen. I can't wait to revisit the game during the next test and be sure to stay tuned to my Twitter where I'll be sharing even more updates. Elden Ring definitely has potential to be FromSoft's best game yet, which is saying a lot given this studio's impressive history.

Elden Ring details

Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC
Developer: FromSoftware Inc.
Publisher: Bandai Namco Entertainment America
Genre: Action RPG
Modes: Single-player, Multiplayer
ESRB Rating: RP (Rating Pending)

A key was provided by the publisher.

Giveaway: Win a $99 Nintendo eShop gift card

2021-10-26T21:18:00.001-04:00

By Paul Hunter

It's nearly Halloween and to celebrate I'm launching a giveaway for three (3) $99 Nintendo eShop gift cards (CAD).

How to Enter

To enter, all you need to do is visit my Twitter (@NextGenPlayer) and go to this giveaway tweet, then reply and tell me your favourite dread-filled Nintendo Switch game. Please note: This giveaway is open to Canadian residents (excluding Quebec), see our site giveaway rules for more information.

The giveaway entry period runs from October 26, 2021, at 8:00 p.m. ET to October 29, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. ET.

If you're wondering what my favourite dread-filled Nintendo Switch games are, it's a tie between Metroid Dread and Luigi's Mansion 3. Both of these games are super spooky and super fun!

Good luck to everyone who enters!

Shin Megami Tensei V Digital Deluxe Pre-Orders Now Available

2021-10-21T21:30:00.095-04:00

By Paul Hunter

Today Atlus has released its DLC plans for Shin Megami Tensei V along with pre-orders for the Digital Deluxe Edition on the Nintendo eShop. The Digitial Deluxe Edition contains character boosts (currency, experience and rare items), three demon subquests (Artemis, Cleopatra, and Mephisto) and the “Return of the True Demon” subquest. This bonus subquest will have you take on the legendary nine Fiends, including the Demi-fiend from Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne, the strongest fiend of them all.

Here's a full rundown of everything included in the Shin Megami Tensei V Digitial Deluxe Edition:

"Mitama Dance of Wealth"
"Mitama Dance of EXP"
"Mitama Dance of Miracles"
"A Goddess in Training"
"The Rage of a Queen"
"The Doctor's Last Wish"
"Return of the True Demon"
"Safety Difficulty" (Free DLC at launch)
"Japanese Voices" (Free DLC at launch)

Shin Megami Tensei V will launch exclusively for Nintendo Switch on November 12. In case you missed the gameplay trailer revealed earlier this year, take a peak at how awesome this game looks:

We're stoked to dive in, just three weeks to go!

NextGen Take - WRC 10

2021-10-16T13:30:00.276-04:00

Three things I like about this game, and one I don't

By Paul Hunter

The Fia World Rally Championship is turning 50 years old and to celebrate, the French developer Kylotonn and publisher Nacon have brought us WRC 10. The WRC series is known for its incredibly faithful driving realism and its plethora of exciting rally racing game modes.

WRC 10 is a bittersweet moment given that Codemasters has secured the WRC license from 2023 onwards. But it's really fitting that Kylotonn has produced what I think is the best game in the series yet with its improved physics, updated visuals and this year's enhanced career mode. So let's put the pedal to the medal, here are three things I liked about the game...and one I didn't.

NextGen Take - Hot Wheels Unleashed

2021-10-10T11:00:00.520-04:00

Four things I like about this game, and one I don't

By Paul Hunter

As the parent of a child who's currently obessed with Hot Wheels, my instinct was to assume that Milestone's Hot Wheels Unleashed racer was probably built with a younger audience in mind. And while I certainly think that's largely true after playing the game, I'm also totally impressed by how deep and competitive the gameplay is. Unleashed offers more than enough thrills to satisfy arcade racing fans of all ages—whether that's kids crazy about Hot Wheels or older gamers looking for their next racing obession.

I've spent a good chuck of the past week playing through the game's single-player career mode, participating in dozens of online matches, customizing my cars and tinkering around with the track builder. There's a lot to talk about so let's get this review moving, here are four things I liked about the game...and one I didn't.

NextGen Take - Puzzle Bobble 3D: Vacation Odyssey

2021-10-08T18:30:00.002-04:00

Three things I like about this game, and two I don't

By Paul Hunter

It's hard to believe but I've been a huge Bubble Bobble fan for over 30 years now. I remember playing Taito's legendary series starring the bubble dragons Bub and Bob in the arcades, and then taking that addiction home after picking up the Commodore 64 edition. I later got into the tile-matching puzzle series spin-off Bust-a-Move on SNES and most recently played 2020's Bubble Bobble 4 Friends on PS4.

Earlier this year when I heard about Puzzle Bobble 3D: Vacation Odyssey for PS4, PS5 and PSVR, touted as the 'next evolution' of the classic Japanese action puzzle game franchise, I was naturally intrigued. It takes the Bust-a-Move tile matching concept and puts it in a full 3D environment where your goal is pop a huge floating bubble mass. I've now played about 20 hours of Puzzle Bobble 3D, here are three things I liked about the game...and two I didn't.

NextGen Take - Centipede Recharged

2021-10-07T00:00:00.003-04:00

Three things I like about this game, and two I don't

By Paul Hunter

All right it's time to date myself a bit: I've been playing video games since the 80s, and I still have fond memories of hitting the arcade to play Atari's Centipede. The game was thoroughly addictive and persevering to get a personal best high score (and hopefully beating your friends!) was one of the main drivers of the fun. But of course the biggest reason why me and thousands of other gamers got hooked is because the gameplay loop is just so satisfying. From the moment you hit start in Centipede you're immediately thrusted into intense edge of your seat arcade shooter action.

When I heard that Atari was bringing back Centipede as part of their Recharged series, which is remaking classic arcade hits for modern consoles, I knew I had to be there on day one to check this out. After spending the past week playing this game for a few hours every night it's safe to say I'm hooked. Centipede Recharged certainly delivers on its promise, so let's head on into the mushroom-filled spooky forest and discuss three things I liked about the game...and two I didn't.

Must Play: Riders Republic

2021-10-06T17:30:00.001-04:00

By Paul Hunter

Riders Republic from Ubisoft is easily on our must play list this month. This massive multiplayer playground game feels like the next evolution of Steep and that game was a hell of a lot of fun with its mix of extreme sports like wingsuit flying, sledding, basejumping and speed riding.

Riders Republic takes the open world to the beautiful and sunny U.S. national parks such as the iconic Bryce Canyon, Yosemite Valley and Sequoia Park. The sports you participate in this time around are biking, snowboarding, skiing and the obligatory wingsuit flying. The game is releasing October 28 on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Why are we so excited about Riders Republic? From the trailers and what we know so far it's crystal clear the game is singularly focused on fun—and who doesn't want more of that. The open world looks gorgeous with its picturesque mountains, scenic roads and lush greenery, and the multiplayer events should be a blast to play with friends. There's a ton of different modes to try out like downhill racing, team vs. team competitions and and huge PvP races against 50 other players.

Today Ubisoft gave fans a taste of what to expect over the first year of post-game content. Take a look at the trailer to see:

It looks so fun! Here's a summary of the Year 1 content courtesy of Ubisoft:

It starts on day one with the Grand Opening Pre-Season. Players are invited to the Riders Republic launch celebration to play several multiplayer modes – Mass Race, Tricks Battle, Free for All and Versus – and unlock exclusive rewards through weekly challenges. Year 1 Pass owners will be able to explore the map with 2 exotic kits: the Rocket Bike and the Rocket Skis. Those new toys will allow players to revisit the game at high speed and create their own journey and stunts.
In Season One, winter comes to the Republic. The Winter Bash will introduce a seasonal progression where players can unlock content and rewards by participating in time-limited multiplayer experiences, events and special activities. Year 1 Pass owners will get access to additional exotic kits coming with exclusive skins and content, as well as an exclusive legendary cosmetic bundle to ride with style.
For Season Two, it’s Showdown time with the addition of the epic Showdown Multiplayer Mode, an explosive 6v6 confrontation played in wild arenas. Players will jump into arenas with their team to collect and bank more gems than the opposite team. Year 1 Pass owners will get additional exotic kits along with exclusive skins and content.
Season Three will bring the BMX Sport add-on to the Republic alongside BMX dedicated arenas as well as fresh playgrounds and events to discover. Exclusively for Year 1 Pass owners, the BMX Season will also bring the brand-new BMX career with new sponsors and events as well as a legendary cosmetic bundle.

Additionally, the Year 1 Pass gives exclusive Day 1 access to the Rocket Skis and Rocket Bike exotic kits and 7-day early access to all other exotic kits and the BMX sports add-on. The Year 1 Pass can be bought as a standalone or through pre-ordering the Gold and Ultimate Editions, here's a rundown of what each edition offers:

Gold Edition includes the base game and the Year 1 Pass including eight exotic kits that allow players to modify gameplay in the form of gear upgrades throughout the year; the BMX Sport Add-on and exclusive content added after launch. The Rocket Bike and Rocket Ski exotic kits will be available at launch.

Ultimate Edition includes the base game and the Year 1 Pass as well as four exclusive cosmetic packs: Cosmic, Rainbow, Neon and Skull’n Style. Players will also enjoy 20 helicopter tickets to reach their favorite in-game summits faster than ever.

With just three weeks (and a day) to go before Riders Republic releases we couldn't be more excited. It's time to put on our skis—we'll see you on the slopes!

NextGen Take - Castlevania Circle of the Moon (Castlevania Advance Collection)

2021-10-02T15:36:00.489-04:00

Three things I like about this game, and two I don't

By Paul Hunter

Lately Konami has been bringing back their classic Castlevania games. 2019's Castlevania Anniversary Collection kicked it off with updated versions of the earliest games like Castlevania 1-3 (NES) and Super Castlevania IV (Super NES). Now they're back with the Castlevania Advance Collection, which as the name implies focuses on the Game Boy Advance entries, plus Castlevania: Dracula X (SNES) tossed in as a bonus title.

Instead of reviewing the entire collection in one go, I've decided to give the four games their just deserve by playing them all to completion, one by one, and doing reviews of each. I'll begin with Castlevania: Circle of the Moon, the very first game in the series to release on Game Boy Advance in 2001. So let's venture on in to Dracula's Castle, here are three things I liked about the game...and two I didn't.

Liked: The RPG Elements

Circle of the Moon takes the classic Castlevania action-platforming and adds Metroid-type map exploration and RPG elements. It's an amazing combination but it's the RPG levelling and stat building that really stand out as my favourite feature. In most Metroidvania games, like the recent Metroid Dread and F.I.S.T., you'll need to rely solely on gaining abilities along with sheer determination to overcome the game's largest challenges. Not so with Circle of the Moon.

In this game your character Nathan Graves begins at level 1 but you'll gain levels and become stronger as you kill monsters that inhabit Dracula's vast castle. You've got several key stats that increase with each level, including Strength and Defense that determine your whip's damage and how much damage enemies inflict on you, respectively. You also have Intelligence, which determines how much MP per second Nathan regenerates, and Luck that determines how likely enemies will drop items. And finally you've got your HP and MP, plus your heart counter that affects how many sub-weapon attacks you can do.

Not only is it cool to level up and grow more powerful but it makes backtracking through areas you've previously visited so much quicker since you can slash your way through enemies like butter. It also opens up the possibility of levelling up to defeat particularly hard bosses, and this game has many of them. To further help you out, you can also equip armour and accessories to enhance your stats—and these items are randomly dropped from the demon you defeat. Getting an ultra-powerful item drop is such a rewarding feeling and can be the boost you need to progress in the game. I was hooked on these RPG elements and it made Circle of the Moon totally stand out compared to most Metroidvania games I've played.

Liked: The Dual Set-up System

Damn this combat system is awesome. The Dual Set-up System (DSS) gameplay mechanic consists of 10 "Action" cards and 10 "Attribute" cards that you can permanently acquire from enemy random drops. Each Action card can be paired with an Attribute card to give Nathan up to 100 special abilities total, and there are so many cool combinations.

The first card I acquired was Mercury, which imbues Nathan's Hunting Whip with elements like a fire whip, poison whip or holy whip. Most enemies and bosses have elemental weaknesses so learning how to exploit them is crucial for taking out the tougher foes. Later on I found a bunch more useful cards like Jupiter that regens your health and Venus the offers perks like +25% defense or gain double the number of hearts.

There are also a few end game cards that make bosses—including Dracula—absurdly easy. These include the Saturn card that makes familiars (like a bat, hawk or ghost) follow Nathan and attack enemies, and the Pluto card that lets you throw sub-weapons using MP instead of your hearts (a huge advantage since MP auto-regens!). The most powerful card though has to be the Unicorn, which not only has the ability to heal you repeatedly during boss fights but also can make Nathan entirely invincible. The DSS system is so much fun to experiment with and it's quite unique for the genre.

Liked: The Map Design

The last major highlight for me is the map design, it was well thought out. I like how you begin in essentially the final room of the game but Dracula hurls you deep into the catacombs where your adventure begins. You'll eventually work your way through Dracula's Castle, travelling though cool-looking locations like the tall Abyss Stairwell, the platform-heavy Machine Tower and the Eternal Corridor filled with challenge rooms.

In traditional Castlevania style every area is filled with secrets including breakable walls and spots you'll need to return to once you've acquired new abilities. I really liked how the main path has you naturally return to most locations after you've gained the new powers so there's not a whole lot of unnecessary backtracking to do.

My favourite area of the whole game is the Battle Arena that has you fight through 17 rooms filled with enemies and you can't use your DSS cards. It's the toughest challenge in the entire game, even more than the final confrontation with Dracula. Completing the Battle Arena nets you the second-best armour in the game, plus you have a chance to acquire some supremely powerful DSS cards. It's a really fun post-game challenge!

Didn't Like: The Frustrating RNG

While I've spoken really highly of the DSS system and the nice random drops you'll get from enemies, there is a downside: the atrocious RNG. Some of the more rare items have a 2% or less drop rate and that means potentially fighting the same enemy over and over again, sometimes hundreds of times. It can take hours of grinding to find rare DSS cards or powerful items, but the benefits can be good enough to justify the time. Still, it's absolutely annoying that out of my 12-hour playthrough at least 2-3 hours of that was spent grinding.

“I was hooked on the RPG elements and it made Circle of the Moon totally stand out compared to most Metroidvania games I've played.”

Thankfully there is an exploit you can tap into to make the RNG grind a little less irritating. The Castlevania Advance Collection includes a Rewind function that let's you backtrack a few seconds to a previous moment and try again. This lets you kill an enemy, wait a second to see if they drop the item you're looking for, and if not you rewind to just before the final blow and try your luck again. I ended up using that trick to obtain the last two rare DSS cards because there's a silver trophy (on PlayStation) for obtaining them all and I just wanted the maddening grind to be over.

Didn't Like: Missed QoL Opportunities

The Castlevania Advance Collection includes a lot of nifty quality of life improvements like the rewind feature, a quick save/quick load menu, and an encyclopedia that contains helpful knowledge on monsters and items (their HP, EXP, drops and weaknesses). But I still wish the game included more modern conveniences like the ability to drop pins on the map like you can in Metroid Dread. Plus, Circle of the Moon features a teleport system, but strangely enough the teleport doors are connected sequentially, so you might need to enter three or four doors just to get to the location you want. You'd think it'd be easy enough for Konami to code in the ability to choose your teleport location.

I also thought switching between DSS cards was needlessly tedious, every single time you go into your menu and manually select your two-card combination. This re-release should have included the ability to choose three or four of your most-used card combos and hotkey them to a cycle-through button. But unfortunately that's not the case so especially in boss battles I found myself constantly going into the menu to switch up my equipped cards. None of these complaints are deal breakers, just it would have been nice to see additional updates to streamline the game experience even further.

The Verdict

Castlevania: Circle of the Moon is an exceptional entry in this iconic vampire-slaying franchise and certainly a must play for fans. Considering the entire Castlevania Advance Collection is only $24.99 US, just this game is worth a good chunk of that value alone. I really enjoyed how fresh this game is given the unique RPG elements and the DSS card system. After playing Metroid Dread and F.I.S.T. this year, I have to say that Circle of the Moon holds up nicely compared to both of them. An easy recommend from me!

Final Score: 8.5/10 - Great

Castlevania Circle of the Moon (Castlevania Advance Collection) details

Platform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Genre: Action, Metroidvania
Modes: Single-player
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

A key was provided by the publisher.