Review: The Solus Project – A Project of Many Kinds

/ Dustin Murphy / 3 Comments

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Pros:
+Absolutely beautiful terrains and skyboxes
+Puzzles are tough and do require player willingness to explore
+Absolutely superb sound that offers atmospheric immersion
+Offers an amazingly well crafted survival filled exploration experience

Cons:
-Lack of tutorials or any form of guidance can be tough and downright frustrating
-Some bad designs can be quite frustrating for some players to enjoy
-Lack of guidance for tools and crafting is frustrating from the start

What do you imagine when you leave your home planet in hopes to find humanities last chance for survival? Do you imagine flying among the stars, seeing the rings of Saturn, the icy landscapes of Pluto or do you imagine skirting upon entirely new distances humanity had never seen? What if your travel through space was abruptly coming to a screeching halt due to a disaster, which has lead to you crash landing on a planet at the edges of the solar system?

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YesOjo is Working on a Nintendo Switch Projector

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

Ojo2

When we have a Nintendo Switch with us, we may not always have a T.V. where we are at. We may not always even have our current T.V. even available or you may be at a convention or party where a television may not be available. That may not be the case much longer thanks to a company called YesOjo, whom just happens to be working on a project called the Ojo Projector. It’s task is simple: It wasn’t to be the projector for your Nintendo Switch.

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Review: Emypre: Lords of the Sea Gates – The Waters Are Rising

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

Empyre_ Lords of the Sea Gates - 03

Pros:
+Extremely well executed story
+Unique reiteration of already existing isometric RPG combat systems
+Unique art style sticking true to the steampunk vibe the game owns up to
+Very well made sound systems including music and sound effects
+Rock solid performance on all video settings

Cons:
-Side quests can be skipped past, requiring no side adventure outside of the core game
-Lack of voice tracks could be problematic to some wanting to enjoy a voiced experience

Since the early 90’s, isometric RPGs have been a thing. Not a bad thing, but a thing. Games such as Fallout, Pillars of Eternity, and even Wasteland are rather large contributor’s to one such approach. They’ve all served as pivotal franchises within such a genre. Their turn-based gameplay in RPG elements almost seem like a carefully crafted approach to a genre that had once been side-scrolling turn-based games.

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Review: Senran Kagura Peach Beach Splash – Summer Makes One Last Splash

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SENRAN KAGURA Peach Beach Splash - Screenshot05

Pros:
+Amazingly well done combat mechanics
+All-star cast offering different views to similar stories
+Tons of customizations ranging from weapons, clothing, and ability cards
+DLC is moderately priced and completely optional. The addition of new outfits and characters is welcomed.

Cons:
-Grope simulator 2017 is a minor drawback, but can be ignored
-Higher difficulties are locked behind progression based upgrades
-Modes don’t vary outside of deathmatch or king of the hill

 

Six years ago, I was first introduced to the ladies of Marvelous’ Senran Kagura seies. A lackluster beat ‘up title that sold itself on its cookie cutter fan service in order to help move copies. The series itself wasn’t well inspired or even designed at the time of release. Just as anything else, things can sometimes get better or worse with time. For Senran Kagura things have gotten a little weird. Why did it get weird? Because the series has actually gotten better. Even it’s six years of main-entry titles and a spin-off’s have done the series a bit of justice.

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Review: Raiden V: Director’s Cut – A Lightning Fast Good Time

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

Raiden V Directors Cut_ss_07

Pros:
+A delightful throwback to the retro era of SHMUP games
+A complete retro experience in the modern era
+A nostalgic use of graphics and music
+Same-couch multiplayer is highly welcomed

Cons:
-Campy dialogue and the cheer system sounds override the amazing music
-Lack of online multiplayer in the modern era takes away from the experience

Growing up, I was used to the popularity of the SHMUP genre. A genre that consisted of franchises such as Raiden, Gunbird, and Darius. 20 years ago, when I was still in my pre-teens, these games weren’t hard to find, and every console to-date was loaded full with them. These franchises are fleeting fancies for esoteric collectors like myself. Even today, they’re a dying breed around the world it seems.

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Review: HyperX Cloud Stinger – A Budget-Friendly Entry Level Headset

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HyperX_Cloud_Stinger_01

Pros:
+Outstanding sound quality for a $50 headset
+Boom mic clears out a lot of feedback thanks to the boom mics setup
+Superb audio quality, easily on par with brands such as Bose and Kicker

Cons:
-Lacks voice feedback, making a bit harder to monitor your own voice
-Extremely long cords, averaging between 6-10 feet.
-Bass and Treble highs-and-lows can get muddled during intense moments of sound

For years, HyperX as a brand, has been elusive to me, a brand that I’ve avoided due to the lack of knowledge about their products. Over the course of the past few months, I’ve spent a lot of time using their entry-brand headset at $50 bucks known as the Cloud Stinger. A headset that easily sits upon the throne of excellent entry-level headsets, offering a superb form of craftsmanship ranging from its basic design, to its quality sound.

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Review: RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic – A Rolling Good Time

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RollerCoaster-Tycoon-Classic-SC03

Pros
+Being able to build your own roller coaster
+The Two Expansion Packs
+Fast Forward feature

Cons
-Not one park has unlimited income resources
-Loan on the money
-Having to buy everything, nothing is free

If you’ve ever played the endless fun game of building your very own amusement park also known as RollerCoaster Tycoon then you are obviously familiar game with the annoying song that we’ve all grown to love. We are all familiar with that annoying background music, now let’s be completely honest with one another, that song has gotten stuck in your head once or twice or once while you were creating a path to the water ride you just built.

It starts out slow and sounds like you’re driving in one of those old black hearses, then it picks up and gives you that first theme park ever vibe, you know the song I’m talking about, and if you don’t know what I’m talking about, then you are not true Tycoon Builder.

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‘Wolfenstein’ Has Always Been Anti-Nazi and Nothing Has Changed

/ Dustin Murphy / 1 Comment

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Whether you like it or not, the truth is there, and Bethesda Softworks isn’t ashamed to tell you: Wolfenstein is about killing Nazis. It always has been, always will be, and more-than-likely won’t change from that ideology in any way, shape, or form unless something new and more inspiring comes around. This creative pattern can be considered the heart and soul of the franchise since its inception in 1981.

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ECHO Director Martin Emborg Announces Release Date and More

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ECHO_Screenshot_Takedown

The launch of indie game ECHO is almost finally upon us as the game is set to launch on PlayStation 4 here in just a few days. For those unfamiliar with ECHO, lets take a quick peek and help you quickly become acquainted with this science fiction title that has fans of stealth games whispering in the dark.

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Review: Warriors All-Stars – Some Stars Shine Brighter Than Others

/ Dustin Murphy / Leave a comment

WarriorsAllStars_Screenshot07

Pros:
+Offers an excellent mash-up between the Warriors franchise and previously established franchises.
+Combat feels solid and well delivered across all twelve characters
+The over-arcing story feels quite unique and well delivered
+Each character offers unique approaches to each encounter

Cons:
-The game grows stale over time due to the unfortunate overuse of combat field designs
-Enemies pose no threat throughout the game, leaving difficulties worth being questioned
-Conquest mode would have been a solid addition for the title

At times, it’s hard to imagine what it would be like when some of your most absurd characters from the franchises you love cross paths. I’ve affectionately taken to such concepts thanks to the countless cross-overs we’ve seen in recent years with titles such as Capcom’s Project x Zone series and even Sony’s PlayStation All-Stars title. It’s interesting to say the least, but cross-overs sometimes have a lot of work cut out for them in order to bring together a cohesive story.

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