Original Review for Xbox Gamer Dad can be found on their website, www.xboxgamerdad.com, HERE.

Magic has driven the fantastical world of Aveum into decay under an oppressive regime. Replacing guns and traditional weapons with spellbinding gauntlets and sorcery, Immortals of Aveum puts a magical spin on the First-Person Shooter genre with frantic elemental gameplay that literally puts power in the player’s hands to stand alongside a legendary faction known as the Immortals.

Playing as Jak, a teenager pickpocketing his way through the world alongside a group of other youngsters, the emergence of a dormant power awakens within him during the opening moments of despair. Possessing the power of a Triarch, an incredibly rare ability to wield all three forms of Aveum’s magic simultaneously, Jak is unwillingly thrusted into the Everwar, a millenia long struggle for control over the magic of Aveum.

Fast paced gameplay, light environmental puzzle solving and a world full of secrets and new abilities to discover come together in the Ascendant Studios developed adventure that offers a fun alternative to traditional FPS titles that constantly evolves and challenges players to master the magic at their fingertips in extremely satisfying fashion.

Blending a medieval type of world with highly advanced technology sets Immortals of Aveum apart from traditional FPS settings by delivering a world that is unique in its arcane aesthetic and how it is explored. The contrast of styles works wonderfully and sets the stage for Jak’s adventure as one that is consistently unique and exciting.

Jak’s place in the world of Aveum is driven by circumstance, removing him from his humble beginnings in a war-torn society, he is saved by the Immortals during a tragic series of events and cast on the path of fighting on the frontlines of the Everwar with his newfound magical abilities. Rising through the ranks of the Immortals takes him on a journey of self-discovery, uncovering secrets of both sides of the war and learning what’s truly at stake.

Supported by an interesting, well developed and diverse cast of characters, Jak’s companions remain interesting and continue to develop throughout the course of the adventure in ways that meaningfully raise the personal stakes of their relationships with each other while also unravelling their individual parts in the grand scheme of the Everwar’s brutal history and imminent climax.

Playing on the medium difficulty my playthrough of the rather linear adventure took just ten hours, surprisingly short but one that feels perfect to capture the magic of Immortals of Aveum without overstaying its welcome. Riddled with plot twists and meaningful character development the main quest line of the story is just the beginning of what’s on offer, with a wonderful world of hidden secrets and challenges accessible before and after the credits have rolled.

My full 10-hour Playthrough can be found here:

The gameplay in Immortals of Aveum continues to evolve throughout the adventure, with new abilities constantly introduced that challenge the player to juggle and master the magic within via engaging gameplay and puzzle solving. Equipped with gauntlet-like arm accessories known as Sigils, Jak can fire elemental magic in various capacities by alternating by the three core sigils at his disposal. Red magic acts similar to a shotgun with high impact, close range strikes that deal slow but devastating damage. Green magic offers more rapid but weaker ranged attacks and blue magic feels more like single shot assault rifles or high-powered pistols if comparing to traditional FPS arsenals.

Equipping newly found or crafted Sigils based on the three primary-coloured Sigils allows new ways to customise the combat playstyles with varying damage, rates of fire and complimentary impacts such as homing projectiles, explosions and slowing of time. Switching between the three Sigils is the simple press of a button, akin to switching guns. Understanding the diverse variety of enemy types is key to combat as the colour of the enemy or their shields indicates which Sigil will be most effective, for example the red Sigil will deal more damage against red enemies while using blue magic will still deal damage, albeit less than red.

It’s simplistic yet effective and challenges the player to think a little rather than simply blasting through anyone with anything. On top of the standard Sigil attacks, special abilities can be unlocked that deal incredible damage, with one of each Sigil colour becoming available through story progression to pack a greater magical punch to the larger enemy types introduced later on. These require brief cooldowns and can be replenished by using a totem to restore Mana, the magic required to unleash them. As well as these special attacks, an ultimate-type ability is available that unleashes a powerful, continuous beam of energy that combines all three Sigils and their respective types of magic that decimates any enemy found in its path.

Less impactful abilities are also available that allow Jak to use a Lash that can pull weaker enemies up close for intimate encounters or pull him up to larger enemies, a disruption beam that can stagger enemies and a Lumpet throwable that can slow an enemy’s movement. These each have brief cooldowns but with the variety of combat options at the players disposal, managing all of the cooldowns for the different types of abilities is easy given the fast paced and instant Sigil switching nature of the gameplay. Not only can these abilities be used in combat, but they can also be used on specific parts of the environment for traversal, platforming and puzzle solving.

Blending primary attacks from the Sigils, casting the special abilities and manoeuvring the battlefield with snappy movement, a dash ability, hovering and double jumps keeps the action frantic and fast paced at all times. The absence of the ability to mantle or clamour onto higher platforms restricts traversal somewhat, a feature that would significantly improve the ease of traversal. The inclusion of a magical barrier that serves as a shield that can be summoned is a godsend, allowing Jak to play defensive while still casting attacks from behind it. This too has a cooldown after it’s been broken.

The combat is incredibly satisfying and the rate at which new combat elements and abilities are introduced which keeps the adventure refreshing and evolving throughout. Environmental puzzles are rather simple, tasking the player with utilising the appropriate Sigil with their corresponding coloured objects in the environment, opening doors and new pathways that have special chests tucked away with new gear, gold or crafting materials.

Forges are scattered throughout the world where Jak can craft and upgrade gear at the cost of gold and elemental materials found in the wild or dismantle unwanted pieces in exchange for gold and materials. As well as improving his gear, Jak can unlock abilities within a skill tree allocated to each of the three colours of magic by spending Ascendant points, essentially level up points in the traditional sense. Enhancing the stats and passive elements of each of the three types of magic allows the player to truly empower each type of Sigil to compliment their playstyle and preferred Sigil of choice.

Immortals of Aveum is a genuinely beautiful world to explore and experience, packed with gorgeous vistas and diverse biomes, interesting enemy design and strikingly colourful combat encounters. Aveum is consistently vibrant and alive despite the deteriorating state of the world. Punchy sound design, ominous and dramatic scores punctuate the epic adventure from start to finish, highlighting the world ending stakes at play in the power struggle for the magic of Aveum.

Surprisingly modernised language and colloquialisms inject a delightful spin on the high fantasy setting, replacing the traditional old English feel of this type of game with a balance of accents and performances that give Immortals of Aveum a slight edge.

+ Very fun, energetic gameplay

+ Well developed cast of characters

+ Interesting story

+ Perfect length that doesn’t overstay it’s welcome

+ Modernised take on the setting is refreshing

– Missed opportunity with lack of co-op or additional game modes

– Inability to mantle doesn’t make sense

Developed by: Ascendant Studios

Published by: EA

Release Date: August 22 2023

Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PC

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* DISCLAIMER: A digital code was kindly provided to Xbox Gamer Dad for the purpose of content creation, and as a member of XBGD, this title was covered by Games of DAYNE. *

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All digital photography captured in-game by Games of DAYNE

The post REVIEW | Immortals of Aveum first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

Amidst the vast sand dunes of Atlas lies a ravaged and broken world inhabited by malevolent monstrosities known as the Wraith, loyal to an ancient tyrannical Sun God named Thelos.

In Atlas Fallen, players are thrust into the role of the Unnamed and discover a powerful Gauntlet that channels the powers of another fallen god, taking them on a journey to become a champion of the people to end Thelos’s rule once and for all. By manipulating the sands around them to glide across the sea of sand, manifesting powerful weapons and raising gigantic structures, the Unnamed gauntlet bearer must liberate the people of Atlas from the oppressive regime.

Countless inhabitants have errands and side quests to keep the player busy outside of the main quest line, along with an abundance of exploration and puzzle driven distractions and goliath enemy encounters all await the player alone or in co-op with one other player in this Action-RPG.

The Priests of Atlas worship the evil Sun God Thelos and have essentially enslaved the population of Atlas and stripped them of their names, leaving the masses known as the ‘Unnamed’. Upholding the divine order via the exploitation of Atlas’s inhabitants, a rebellion rises with the introduction of the player’s Unnamed hero. A very simplified character creator lets the player create their Unnamed before the discovery of Atlas Fallen’s most significant gameplay mechanic, the Gauntlet.

Once used by another God in an epic encounter against Thelos, the Gauntlet is tethered to the spirit of its former champion, channeling their spectral presence to communicate with and appear to our Unnamed hero. With their guidance, the Gauntlet is gradually upgraded with story progression to become more than a bond with its former wielder.

Not only can it be used as a sand manipulating weapon that can perform devastating sand-infused and super powered attacks, it can also be used to manipulate the terrain by raising gigantic structures to become platforms and crushing Thelos’ literal shackles upon the sands. Perhaps the coolest function of the Gauntlet is the ability to glide across bodies of sand for faster traversal across the handful of explorable biomes of Atlas.

There are three difficulties available to the player to experience the story of Atlas Fallen, including easier combat that allows the player to focus on the story and exploring the world without being stumped by too difficult of a combat challenge while those looking to test their grit on the sands against the colossal monstrosities with harder combat encounters can choose to do so.

The main quest line itself is very straight forward and clearly laid out with unmissable quest markers and a clear path forward, taking around 8 hours when just focusing on the story. There are at least another dozen hours of mega boss encounters, exploration, puzzles, collectibles and secrets for the completionists looking to maximise their time on the sand.

The lack of traditional cutscenes restrict the story to brief, rather static character dialogue exchanges peppered with artistic flashbacks telling the tale of how Thelos’ reign of terror began. The story is certainly interesting but having it explained via dialogue rather than shown downplays the grand, epic nature of the tale and the stakes at play.

Despite having developed The Surge and Lords of the Fallen series, Deck 13 Interactive have deviated from the souls-like formula used for those games and have leaned into a more traditional Action-RPG experience. Limb targeting from the pair of The Surge titles has made its way into Atlas Fallen however, and this plays a significant part in the combat encounters with the larger Wraith enemies.

An icon is displayed in the top left of the screen during an enemy encounter to show which limbs of a Wraith’s body are covered in Catalyst pieces, marked as red, or yellow for parts not covered in Catalyst pieces. Destroying all of the Catalyst pieces is required to defeat the Wraith while destroying the yellow limbs only increases the chance to receive loot. The simple lock-on and target switching mechanics make it very easy to switch between different limbs or enemies during combat.

Armed with only a primary and secondary weapon, combat offers up a ton of experimentation thanks to the Essence Stones that players can find, craft and upgrade. These are activated via progression of the Momentum Gauge during active combat. As damage is dealt, momentum is built and the Momentum Gauge bar is increased, reaching up to three tiers. With each tier of the bar that is reached, a new ability can be manually unleashed while up to three other Essence Stones have their abilities passively activated.

The Essence Stones fall into six categories; Survivability, Damage, Momentum, Tricks, Healing and Cursed, with the latter awarding powerful effects with a negative cost such as reduced defence or slower cool-down times. Mixing and matching a healthy balance of all categories is certainly advantageous but players can also build their character to favour damage or healing for example, particularly useful for co-operative play.

For my playthrough my character was tailored towards high damage output, utilising 11 of the 12 Essence Stones that can be customised at will to focus on damage increases and powerful attacks. Aside from executing powerful super-powered abilities, the Momentum Gauge can be used upon reaching each of the three stages to unleash a devastating ability called a Shatter. This temporarily crystallises foes while inflicting massive damage, leaving them open for a flurry of attacks without fear of retaliation.

Just as momentum is gained by inflicting damage it is also reduced by receiving it too. On top of the abilities that become available with higher momentum, the standard attacks also grow more powerful as the weapons increase in size, a mechanic referred to as Ascending. This essentially means the higher the momentum, the greater the damage output but, to prevent this from making the player too unstoppable, the same effects apply to the enemy. The higher the players momentum, the more damage they receive.

Deck 13 have introduced such a clever combat system that encourages players to balance their combat style, challenging them to strategically utilise their Momentum Gauge by deciding whether or not to execute a Shatter and reduce the Momentum Gauge back to zero in an effort to reduce enemy damage back to its default stats. It can be crushing to hold onto momentum only for the enemy to capitalise on it and win the battle.

Evasion by dashing is an effective method of repositioning on the battlefield to avoid damage and can also be used to reach flying enemies to engage in aerial combat. Up to three evasions can be performed before a brief cool-down period recharges them, alternatively, every successful hit on an enemy instantly recharges the evasions. Moving from aerial combat to ground encounters is seamless, ensuring ease of managing the varying enemy threats that are typically group encounters.

As well as evading, the player can also parry which initiates the Sandskin ability, briefly crystallising the enemy and leaving them vulnerable for further assault. Rounding out the defensive suite of combat options is the Idol, a customisable item that allows the player to regain health. Additional charges can be unlocked to allow for more uses and the passive effects of the Idol can be changed by equipping a different one, offering faster recharge for example.

There are 16 Wraith enemy types divided amongst three categories; Lesser Wraiths, Greater Wraiths and Colossal Wraiths. As the names of each category suggest, the Wraiths dramatically increase in not just strength and power but in size too. The Greater and Colossal Wraiths are typically flanked by Lesser Wraiths that continue to be summoned throughout the encounters. From a design standpoint the Wraiths all look exciting and distinct, sharing a common overall aesthetic of sandy, rock armoured beasts that compliment the world design perfectly.

Taking down these enemies brings its rewards. Slain enemies drop Essence Dust, a resource also awarded for completing quests. It can also be spent to unlock new Essence Stone slots to allow the player to reach the maximum of 12. Upgrading is done at Anvils, objects scattered throughout the explorable worlds that need to be activated by utilising another of the Gauntlet’s abilities, Raise. Glowing greenish-blue areas can be raised to uncover Anvils or chests containing loot. There are also large structures that can be raised to create new platforming pathways and access to previously inaccessible plateaus.

Outside of progressing the main story, Atlas is teeming with side quests and errands to complete for the many NPCs scattered throughout its plains. Heavenly Shrines used to worship Thelos can be destroyed, giant Watchtowers can be deactivated, treasure maps can be found and their secrets revealed and brutal Elite variants of Wraiths lay waiting to be vanquished. There are plenty of these activities to distract the player from their quest to liberate Atlas and they all feel meaningfully implemented and rewarding to complete.

The world of Atlas is truly stunning, the detail in the environment truly depicts the remnants of a great civilisation that has been lost to oppression and decay. It offers four large regions to explore which each bring a different aesthetic and feel that truly capture the essence of the fallen world. Vast seas of sand, decaying underground labyrinths and even patches of lush forests remind the player of what the world once was before Thelos and his loyalists enslaved the populace.

Each region is riddled with puzzles, collectibles and secrets to discover on top of and beneath the sands which offer countless hours of exploration. From the many NPCs and Wraith that populate Atlas through to the many challenges on offer, everything looks great and fits within the world we’re left to save.

Beautiful orchestral scores and dramatic battle overtures enrich the fantastical landscape of Atlas Fallen, this is well supported by the punchy sound design battle and the monstrous howls of the Wraith that wander the plains.

+ Beautiful world

+ Plenty of activities outside the story

+ Deep combat mechanics

+ Excellent customisation

+ Interesting story of rebellion and oppression

– Mechanics can be overwhelming in the beginning

– Lack of cutscenes and dialogue driven story progression hinders the pacing

Developed by: Deck 13 Interactive

The post REVIEW | Atlas Fallen first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

Telltale Games reinvigorated the point-and-click genre by injecting a narrative driven focus, heavy emphasis on choices and consequences, and adoption of beloved IPs that spanned film, television, comics and other video games as an episodic series. With earlier works such as CSI, Sam & Max, Monkey Island, Jurassic Park and Back to the Future, it wasn’t until the launch of their original take on The Walking Dead in 2012 that catapulted the studio to household name status. Following a string of critically acclaimed and fan favourite titles, Telltale suddenly shut its doors in October 2018.

Less than a year later, Telltale was resurrected in August 2019, and with the exception of a highly anticipated sequel to The Wolf Among Us, would be working on new titles from new IPs, seemingly leaving the future of some of their biggest titles in the past. Fast forward to July 2023 and their first new title since their resurrection, the first of five episodes of The Expanse: A Telltale Series, has finally launched.

The Telltale formula has returned with all new bells and whistles, featuring significantly improved visuals and gameplay. Players are once again reintroduced to a variety of choices that may have minor or significant consequences throughout each individual episode and the broader scope of the entire season. While it’s incredibly exciting to see Telltale Games back in the fold, The Expanse is not without its issues.

The Expanse: A Telltale Series serves as a prequel to the 2015 television series of the same name which ran for six seasons. Players find themselves in the role of Camina Drummer, who is voiced by Cara Gee, the actress from the show, aboard The Artemis. In this first episode, titled “Archer’s Paradox”, very little information is provided to the player in regards to the world the television series takes place in.

Immediately there is a disconnect between player and character, further extending to a disconnect with the world and events taking place around them. There are dozens of instances of what can only be assumed is slang in presumably alien dialect that disrupts character conversations and inhibits the flow and connection between the player and the cast of characters we are supposed to care about.

Despite being the protagonist, it feels difficult to form an emotional attachment or investment in Drummer. An absence of personality, character depth and emotion are traits not just present with her, but with the broader cast at large. The Expanse, only one episode in, is by far the first and only episode from any Telltale title that fails to feel interesting, meaningful or as though our choices have weight.

An unlikeable cast of characters isn’t the only glaring issue present in The Expanse as the story itself is also the first and only instance in my experience of Telltale’s earlier work that is uninteresting, lacking any sense of direction or purpose and completely fails to provide a hook or anticipation for future episodes. The events that transpire in episode one provide extremely minimal details on the world we are playing in, the purpose of our character and crew and reaches its conclusion in as little as 45 minutes. Admittedly, the playtime can be longer for those who explore thoroughly for data logs and collectibles, though an argument could be made the playtime shouldn’t need to be bloated by exploration when it doesn’t contribute to the story in a meaningful capacity. Not only is this first episode short, considerably shorter than previous Telltale titles, but the absence of any plot points or cliffhangers to maintain player interest before the next episode arrives, with each new episode arriving every two weeks.

You can check out my full playthrough of the first episode below.

Improved visuals and and reinvigorated gameplay work wonders in establishing the new visual tone for Telltale Games in 2023 and beyond. There is no denying how slick the first instalment of this interstellar adventure looks, and the refined gameplay is certainly a welcome addition. The introduction of zero gravity gameplay mechanics are excellently used, allowing the player to walk into walls of certain sections only for the screen to readjust its orientation as it becomes the new “ground”. Floating through wreckages is also a fun new twist to the traditionally grounded gameplay from Telltale Games library, pun intended.

Much like the aforementioned catalogue of Telltale titles that game before, the gameplay loop primarily consists of exploring locations and interacting with characters and items of interest. It’s simple but it still works well in traditional Telltale style. The simplicity allows the narrative to take centre stage and draw the bulk of the attention of the player. A helpful ping system has also been introduced that further accommodates players that want to prioritise the narrative flow without wandering aimlessly throughout the explorable vessels and wreckages.

As can be expected, choices made by the player either in conversation or through their direct actions are remembered by the characters, tucked away for later reference within the episode and undoubtedly throughout the season with the release of each new episode. Some of these choices are simply to determine what type of relationship Drummer has with the other characters, whether that be pleasant and respectful or rude and assertive.

Larger decisions are also in play and without going into spoilers, one of these decisions I made was seemingly undone minutes later. Let’s just say someone was walking around perfectly fine despite a decision I had made that should have rendered that impossible. Unless this is somehow explained in later episodes, the passage of time between my decision and the impossible sight of witnessing it undone is an absolute blunder, almost as if the game had decided I had made the opposite choice. This shattered what little immersion my playthrough of the first episode had managed to establish completely.

+ Beautiful visual facelift

+ New gameplay mechanics are solid

– Story lacks any sense of direction or interest

– Unlikeable cast of characters, specifically the protagonist

– Ridiculously short compared to previous Telltale titles

Developed by: Deck Nine & Telltale Games

The post REVIEW | The Expanse: A Telltale Series – Episode 1 first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

Every story has a beginning, middle and an end, and the Star Wars franchise has one of the greatest critically acclaimed and fan favourite sequels of all time in the film The Empire Strikes Back. It delivered a stronger story, deeper character development, interesting new supporting characters, memorable moments and epic action set pieces. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor matches this energy on every level and delivers a remarkable follow up to 2019’s Jedi: Fallen Order.

Arriving just three and a half short years after it’s predecessor, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is here, taking everything that made Fallen Order the critically acclaimed hit that fans had been clamouring for and builds upon that foundation meaningfully while raising the bar in terms of scope, storytelling and engaging gameplay. Five years have passed for Cal Kestis in his battle against the Empire, with new hardships, alliances and further Jedi training keeping him busy.

Boasting broad new customisation options for Cal, his lightsaber and his loveable droid companion BD-1, recruitment of survivors for the settlement that serves as his base of operations, rideable mounts and a host of optional side quests, combat challenges and platforming puzzles, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has risen to the challenge of delivering a strong sequel and the greatest Star Wars video game to date.

Taking place five years after the events of Fallen Order, Jedi Cal Kestis has been through so much in a short span. As the Empire tightens their grip on the galaxy with their continued hunt for any Jedi that survived the Purge, Cal and his band of rebel heroes from Fallen Order have since gone their separate ways for reasons that are quickly explained.

This makes way for Cal’s new friends to be introduced, with the jet packing rogue Bode standing front and centre of his strongest and deepest new allies. Familiar faces from Fallen Order return and new characters are introduced at a steady pace, providing a diverse cast of supporting characters that are developed with depth, intrigue and purpose.

Throughout the course of the 12-15 hour story, Cal visits half a dozen planets in his war against the Empire, all providing meaningful movement for the narrative while opening the doors for new enemy types to fall to Cal’s lightsaber. Cal himself is a much stronger protagonist than his first outing, presenting a confidence he was lacking prior to owning his status as one of the last surviving Jedi. His interactions with the well developed cast of heroes and villains that stand beside and against him reinforce his newfound self-assurance and greater purpose, allowing him to shine as one of Star Wars’ greatest characters.

Some of the biggest moments in the story are foreshadowed too heavily to the point of constant predictability, which doesn’t take away from the impact they have but it would have been nice to be more surprised by certain beats and character arcs. Star Wars loves the idea of tragedy, temptation, betrayal and obsession, and all of these themes are well executed and represented in Cal’s second adventure, which can be continued after the credits or roll or started over in New Game +, bringing all cosmetics and skill upgrades with him.

A handful of difficulties are available that cater to players of all skill levels, including Story difficulty, which allows players to experience Cal’s journey with less resistance from enemies and puts a heavier emphasis on the story rather than difficult combat. Coupled with a variety of other accessibility options such as toggling spider enemies off for players that have arachnophobia, controller remapping and navigational hints, Survivor truly does its best to help players survive the Empire.

Cal himself has received significant customisation options this time around, allowing players to find, unlock and buy a variety of cosmetics, hair and beard styles. Cal can have his hair, beard, jacket, shirt and pants customised, mixing and matching different pieces instead of being tied to one complete set. The poncho from Fallen Order returns as an unlockable cosmetic but it’s very exciting to see some of the jackets, armour and other variations in play. Most pieces can have colours selected by finding colour pallets out in the wild too. The freedom to style Cal goes a long way in further personalising the experience in this epic sequel.

Lighstaber customisation is back and offers various components to be customised, utilising different styles of each component that can be found, unlocked or earned. The variety on offer lends to some fun and personalised styles, especially when switching between the assortment of blade and hilt colours. As well as the blaster and BD-1, these can all be modified at any workbench.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor balances the gameplay with combat, platforming and exploration, with each component superior to what was introduced in Fallen Order at every turn. The combat is more layered and flexible, platforming is made more enjoyable with fun new tools such as a grappling hook and a dash ability and exploration is significantly deeper in the half dozen worlds that can be explored.

As any self-respecting Jedi driven should be, lightsaber combat is at the forefront and this time around their are five different styles, referred to as Stances, to experiment with. Only two Stances can be equipped at any time and these can be freely switched as they become available through story progression at Meditation Points. Each of the five Stances play completely differently and have unique abilities and skill trees to further the experimentation and fun factor while offering players the choice to fight however they like. The five Stances are;

Single – the default Stance offers a single blade that balances attack, speed and defence

Double-bladed – this style is similar to that of Darth Maul, with a blade at each end of the hilt. This Stance is great for dealing with groups of enemies by offering increased speed and defence at the expense of attack

Dual Wield – two lightsabers offers the greatest speed with maximum aggression for swift but powerful combat encounters

Crossguard – the polarising style of Kylo Ren’s lightsaber features to small, knife like blades extending horizontally from the top of the hilt like a sword. This Stance hits the heaviest but is the slowest as a result of the trade off. This dispatches larger enemies very efficiently

Blaster – equipped with a single lightsaber and a blaster, this Stance offers the best balance in terms of range, allowing players to fire single shots that can also be charged while also swinging the lightsaber to deal with enemies up close

Experimenting with all five Stances is a lot of fun and while each Stance certainly has their advantages, None are forced upon the player and any pair can be selected for any part of the adventure at any Meditation Point. The gameplay for each Stance is equally fun and the overall combat when combined with the Force abilities is the best Star Wars has ever felt in a video game to date.

Joining Cal in the fight are companions Bode and Merrin, each appearing in specific story missions and in some free roam areas. They attack automatically but can also be manually activated to perform their special manoeuvres between brief cool-downs. These attacks are fun to play with and the tag team executions are very cool to see.

Meditation Points serve as a resting area where players can upgrade their skills with unlocked spill points, fast travel to other unlocked Meditation Points and to allocate Perks. When choosing to rest, the players health, Force and stem kits will be restored but defeated enemies will be respawned too.

As players defeat enemies, complete quests and objectives they will be awarded XP that contributes to Skill Points. These can be spent at Meditation Points on skills from three different categories; Survival, Lightsaber and Force. Survival offers health boosts, additional healing stim kits and defensive abilities for example while each lightsaber Stance has unique abilities and Force unlocks and upgrades the various Force abilities Cal has access to such as Push, Pull and Slam. XP is awarded generously and this leads to regular skill points for a constantly evolving gameplay experience.

There are a total of 25 Perks to unlock, some are staffed by story progression and others have to be found. Three special Perks become available exclusively for New Game +, along with the red and party lightsaber colours, which is unlocked by finishing the story. They offer various stat buffs and XP increases but some also come at a cost of attack, or health regeneration for example. Each costs a number of slots, a total of ten slots can be obtained by finding them in the wild and with story progression.

Traversing the beautiful open world has been made an absolute joy with the combination of double jump, air dash, wall running, grapple hook and launching from floating installations. Blending these elements together is a seamless exercise that feels precise yet incredibly simple to execute, despite the timed nature of wall running duration and dash distance for example.

The labyrinthian structure of the various maps is littered with things to climb and latch onto, and these objects have a distinct look that makes them stand out, even in the heat of series of aerial traversal techniques.

Where traversal and exploration comes undone is a terrible map function where locations are difficult to pinpoint in terms of their exact locations. Scaling walls or descending to lower levels is a nightmare when looking for an objective or specific collectible that easily leads to time spent getting lost. The map in Fallen Order was bad and even though this is better than that, it is still a long way from being efficient. The absence of a mini-map is brutal with the clumsy map design, rendering this the only aspect by far that falls short.

New to the series is the introduction of rideable mounts in certain parts of specific maps. There isn’t the complete freedom to take these beasts absolutely anywhere but the way it has been introduced works and offers a nice little speed boost that Cal can’t quite achieve on foot. These mounts can also be jumped off of to provide additional height to reach some of the sneakier, otherwise out of reach plateaus, further justifying their inclusion to maximise exploration.

Sometimes single-handedly bringing the fight to the Empire warrants a break, a brief respite from the action to indulge in exploration and Survivor offers a handful of different types of tasks to entertain players. Specific NPCs can be found out in the world and recruited to join the Outpost that serves as Cal’s base of operations on the planet Koboh. Some of these NPCs offer items that can be bought with the various in-game currencies that are littered throughout the world while other offer an aquarium to fill with exotic fish or plants to find and grow in a garden.

A bounty hunter also tasks Cal with tracking down and eliminating 17 targets that is a fun challenge, with each bounty collected awarding a form of currency to unlock other cosmetic goodies. In addition to the 13 legendary adversaries to hunt and slay, including the infamous Rancor, there is also a mini game called Holotactics which lets players experience the holo-battle game Chewbacca is seen playing in A New Hope. There is plenty to do outside of the main story, with all visited planets accessible to return to after their initial discovery and can be revisited after the story has been finished as well.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor looks, sounds and feels like an authentic Star Wars experience, offering sound effects and a score that is both familiar and genuine to the themes we’ve grown to love over the last 45 years. The score in particular is faithfully beautiful and features themes with their own spin to feel personal to Cal’s journey. Sound design is remarkably faithful and keeps the adventure feeling genuinely delightful and true to the big and small screen experiences.

The environments within the visitable worlds are stunning, offering beautiful vistas, desolate wastelands and state of the art sci-fi infrastructure and the character models are all meticulously recreated or invented to be faithful to their affiliated factions. Separatist militia such as Battle Droids, Super Battle Droids and Droidekas are a joy to see back in the fold while Stormtroopers and their Imperial legions are always a menacing sight.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor raises the bar set by the already impressive and beloved Fallen Order. An action packed, emotional and heartfelt narrative tie the excellent gameplay and stunning audio-visual presentation into a beautiful experience that feels as true to Star Wars as any fan could possibly imagine.

+ Excellent gameplay

+ Solid customisation for Cal, his weapons and BD-1

+ Enjoyable story

+ Variety of side quests and optional activities

+ Striking visuals and sound design

– Map implementation is poor

– Mounts could have been implemented better

* A digital code was kindly provided for the purpose of this review *

Developed by: Respawn

All digital photography was captured in-game by Games of DAYNE on Xbox Series X

The post REVIEW | Star Wars Jedi: Survivor first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

Sprawling over a variety of unique and dangerous locations within the Californian apocalypse, the world of Dead Island 2 is packed with optional side quests, hidden locations and violent flesh lusting adversaries at every turn. Surviving alone or in co-op with up to three players turns the SoCal sandbox into a brutal playground where the toys are weapons crafted into sadistic variants with various elemental attributes and bone shattering mods.

Rising from the dead to surpass its predecessor at every turn, Dead Island 2 is the over-the-top bloodbath fans have waited nearly a decade to experience. With a gorgeous world to explore and hordes of undead to slay in satisfyingly brutal, gory fashion, the hype train has reached its final destination.

A cinematic prologue introduces players to the six playable Slayers to choose from, each armed with a pair of unique traits and differing stats that set them apart from each other. Slayer selection has no impact on the course of the narrative, with all survivors leading the player down the same path regardless of their choice.

The story kicks off when a group of uninfected survivors board a plane to transport them to safety from the emerging turmoil of the outbreak. The emergence of an infected passenger casts the survivors hopes of salvation in doubt as the plane crashes, leading players into a series of combat and traversal tutorials to equip them with the tools necessary to survive.

To avoid spoilers, little can be discussed of the main story without giving anything away. The intentions of supporting characters, their motivations and allegiances take the Slayer on a roller coaster of plot twists and interesting developments that remain interesting, if not predictable throughout the course of the 24 quest campaign that can be finished in less than 14 hours.

This play time can be significantly increased with exploration, a variety of optional side quests and tasks that offer new weapons, blueprints for crafting and more XP and cash to upgrade the Slayer and their arsenal. Playing co-operatively with friends also greatly enhances the replayability of Dead Island 2 and offers more mayhem beyond the rolling of the credits.

Throughout the story the Slayer meets several survivors typical of the genre. Quirky characters that border on insane, self-serving manipulators and even washed up, underpants wearing rockstars that are watching the world crash around them from the bottom of a bottle. They’re entertaining, cheesy, stereotypical survivors that bring levity and balance to the apocalyptic tone of Dead Island 2.

Melee combat takes centre stage and though ranged options exist in the form of guns and throwable items, it’s the bone shattering, blood squirting dismemberment from close quarters melee attacks that are rightfully focused on. Every weapon has unique stats that consider damage, force, speed and durability to help Slayers equip the best tool for the job. Eight weapons can be assigned to the weapon wheel and an additional eight can be stored in the players inventory and switched in and out of the weapon wheel with ease.

When a weapons durability reaches zero, represented by a health-bar type indicator, it will break and a new weapon must be selected to continue the fight. Broken weapons can be dismantled to provide crafting materials or repaired at workbenches at a cost. Choosing what weapons to hold onto is challenging given the size of the inventory that can’t be expanded though there is a Storage Locker that allows weapons to be stored for later.

The Storage Locker can be found at a handful of safe areas, accompanied by a fast travel map, workbench and in some cases a trader/merchant to buy new weapons and resources and to sell unwanted items. What makes the Storage Locker more valuable is that weapons stored can be accessed in your other playthroughs, for example, playing as Carla and storing a crowbar will make that same crowbar available to a different save file played as another Slayer such as Jacob. As all weapons have a level requirement to equip however, you may not be able to use that weapon unless the player has reached that level with the different Slayer.

Workbenches are a Slayer’s best friend. Broken weapons can be repaired, they can have their stats increased to match the player’s current level and they can be upgraded by crafting a wide variety of mods that apply a range of stats buffs and elemental damage. Some mods also come with a negative trait such as reduced damage, force or durability though the positives typically make the trade-off worthwhile.

Crafting materials are found everywhere, lying loose on the ground, dropped as loot from slain zombies and in the ridiculous amount of containers and chests that litter every single location.

A tier system is in place for all weapons, ranging from Common to Legendary, with higher tier weapons obviously coming later in the game. As mentioned previously weapons also have a level requirement to wield. Players gain XP by completing main and optional quests and from defeating enemies, with stronger enemies and some of the more dangerous variants offering higher outputs.

The mods and blueprints that can be bought or unlocked can be applied to all weapon tiers except Common, with higher tier weapons offering additional mod slots to create even more high impact toys to play with.

Complimenting the core combat system is the excellent card-based Skill Deck system that allows players to equip unlocked cards to five different categories that apply all sorts of exciting abilities and passive buffs. Cards are awarded for story progression, completing quests and some can be found in the wild through thorough exploration. Additional slots for each of the five categories become available over time and allow for some fun experimentation and builds. One of my personal favourites is a drop kick that sends zombies flying and this particular skill can be stacked with additional cards that apply fire and higher damage in general.

Some cards can only be equipped if others have already been selected while some require the player to choose between one ability or the other. For example, Slayers can select the ability to block and counter melee attacks or they can opt for an evasion move instead. Both serve the same purposes in avoiding damage though they each offer different options in terms of mobility or how the player wants to stand their ground when surrounded by a horde. The block is great but it leaves the player stationary while the evade keeps them mobile, it’s these subtle choices that allow players to feel more in control of their build that certainly lend towards replayability and experimentation with different builds in subsequent playthroughs alone or with friends.

The excessive violence and brutality in Dead Island 2 offers up countless means to dismember zombies, leaving their jaws dangling after a high impact shot to the face, limbs flying after being cleaved through with a sword and layers of flesh being whittled away by the over the top force and persistence of the Slayer to eviscerate every enemy. Beating zombies down until only their skeleton remains is disturbingly satisfying.

Environmental awareness is significant not just for keeping tabs on the flesh-obsessed zombies but for capitalising on the diverse manners of which to inflict elemental damage with electricity, fire and toxic waste. Enemies can be forced into water and electrocuted via electrically charged melee attacks, throwing a car battery into it or destroying electrical boxes just to name a few methods while fuel can be ignited to turn the area into an inferno.  The flexibility on offer to destroy the enemies is varied and satisfying, rife for experimentation and maximising the chances of survival when outnumbered.

Slayers traverse the world by sprinting, climbing, crouching and sliding. Unlike the original Dead Island and Dead Island: Riptide, there are no cars to drive, the world must be explored on foot or via fast travel maps to previously visited safe areas. Keeping players grounded furthers the immersion of the dangers of a world in turmoil and removes the safety net of added protection.

The streets are constantly populated with enemies and they constantly emerge to prevent Slayers from ever feeling particularly safe. The variety on offer features familiar types from Dead Island while introducing new variants to keep things hectic. Spitters, crawlers and towering hulk-like Crushers introduce new types of threats to each encounter that make crowd control just that little bit harder. A handful of boss battles throughout the story introduce even deadlier threats that can’t simply be clubbed like their street level counterparts and each offer exciting encounters that feel rewarding when overcome.

In a world littered with lifeless bodies, death and decay, Dead Island 2 presents a surprisingly beautiful sandbox for the apocalypse to unfold in. The streets of LA are joined by beaches, theme parks, piers and glamorous but abandoned mansions that are all so distinct and ominous in their own ways. Grotesque and visceral gore and detail animate the undead in a manner that is so excitingly disgusting and raw that it almost feels weird to say that death and decay has never looked so good.

The sound design is on point in every regard, presenting the type of squeamishly satisfying crunch and splatter with every strike and defeat of a zombie. When coupled with the blood splashing visuals the audio-visual presentation is everything you’d expect from an undead nightmare.

+ Beautiful visuals

+ Striking sound design

+ Excellent Skill-Deck system

+ Fun combat and customisation

+ Highly replayable

– Predictable story

– Feels familiar in many ways to others from the genre

– Supporting cast fail to stand out

* A digital code was kindly provided for the purpose of this review *

Developed by: Dambuster Studios

All digital photography was captured in-game by Games of DAYNE on Xbox Series X

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The post REVIEW – Dead Island 2 first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

Reviewed on Xbox Series X

Originally announced in 2014 and three development studios later, Dead Island 2 has a lot of hype to live up to and a devoted fan base’s insatiable hunger for guts and brain to service. The first-person action RPG takes place in Los Angeles over 10 years after the events of original and puts players in the role of one of six Slayers, each with their own unique attributes to fight back against the outbreak and uncover the truth behind their significance to the future of the human race.

The satisfyingly twisted weapon crafting is back, allowing players to create deadly melee weapons that have an electrical kick, flammable impact or damage over time effect to name a few. With an arsenal as broad as the players imagination, the melee combat driven bloody journey is a violent delight.

Featuring a variety of visually distinct locations within the Californian sandbox to be explored alone or co-operatively with up to three players, Dead Island 2 outdoes its predecessor at every turn and proves itself to be the gory playground we’ve waited nearly a decade for.

Following a cinematic that sets up the prologue, the player can choose their Slayer from one of six, each offering a pair of unique traits that serve as the only meaningful difference between them, aside from the personality injected into their dialogue throughout the story.

The narrative is set in motion when a plane full of uninfected survivors is thrust into turmoil with the emergence of an infected passenger, kickstarting a chain of events that crash the plane and lead the player through a series of tutorials of traversal and battling the undead threat. To discuss the plot beyond this prologue would be a minefield of spoilers around the story, and the motivations that drive the Slayer and the supporting cast of characters forward. 

A broad cast of quirky survivors populate the story and each new location that is uncovered throughout it, breathing humour, tension and life in general to an existence that is otherwise rooted in death and decay. The premise establishes a theme of predictable storytelling that borrows from classic tropes of the genre that more often than not fail to feel genuinely surprising. That doesn’t prevent the story from being enjoyable by any means, it’s packed with interesting beats that keep the player invested and keen to see what’s around the corner, even if its biggest moments are obvious from early on. 

The near fifteen-hour story can be exponentially increased with the plethora of side quests and optional tasks that reward the player with new weapons, additional XP and money to spend on new weapons, tools and crafting components. Special enemies are also littered throughout the world that offer higher level gear that is well worth the challenge they put up and dozens of locked areas are packed with goodies once the player has explored to find the keys required to access them, rewarding players for returning to previously visited areas later on. Better loot is always a driving motivator in this type of title and the allure of more XP to level up the exciting variety of skills in the card-based Skill Deck system is equally rewarding.

Cards can be found through exploration or asreward for completing story missions and side quests, falling into one of five categories that each offer unique types of skills and perks. Additionalcard slots become available with story progression,and experimenting with different combinations is a lot of fun. Skills, such as a dropkick, can be equipped that can be stacked with associated cards to further increase the damage output orapply elemental effects. Selecting between a dodge or a counter function each play differentlyand further variety comes when effects are stacked with them by combining specific cards. The Skill Deck really does allow players to tailor their Slayer to their preferred play styles, offering impactful abilities that are fun to experiment with.

The core combat of Dead Island 2 is rooted in melee weapons though an assortment of guns arealso available for players that prefer to slay at range. Melee weapons have damage, force, speedand durability stats to weigh up to determine the best weapons for the job. Once weapons are used to the point of breaking, a new weapon will need to be selected from the weapon wheel to use in its place. Weapons can be upgraded and repaired at Workbenches found throughout the world at the cost of crafting materials and money. Materials are found almost everywhere, including as loot from slain zombies and in chests and containers. 

Weapons come in a variety of rarities and can’t be upgraded from Common to Rare for instance, but rather new variants need to be found, unlocked, or awarded. Various components of weapons can be upgraded, with more options available with thehigher tier weapons. Applying elemental effects, damage over time and stat buffs are just a few of the upgrade types available. Crafting an electrical blade to a wooden weapon can be quite the buzz and altering a sword to inflict a lethal burning sensation is satisfying, puns intended.

Enemy variety is respectable, if not a little safe and predictable. Caustic spitters, hulking brutes andscreaming psychos are joined by crawlers, runners, pounders and walking bile bombers to name a few. Fans of Dead Island, Left 4 Dead, Dying Light and games cut from the same cloth will have encountered most of the enemy types before but Dead Island 2 certainly finds a way to put its own spin on some of these, and the variety definitely keeps encounters anything but easy. The boss battles peppered throughout the story offer some legitimately tense encounters that are no walk in the park either.

Brutality in Dead Island 2 goes hand in hand with dismemberment as an exciting system is in place that literally leaves jaws hanging and limbs flying when that sweet spot is caved in or sliced. Thrusting a sledgehammer into a zombie’s jaw that leaves it dangling by a thread is as disgustingly enjoyable as it sounds. The violence is excessive in all of the right ways which keeps the mayhem as fresh and flesh-laden as possible.

Environmental observation is critical in Dead Island 2 as there are many ways for players to gain an elemental edge by introducing electricity to water, knocking enemies into environmental hazards and igniting nearby explosive canisters or fuel spills for example. Elemental damage causes an assortment of afflictions that can damage over time or impact enemy movements, granting the player a much needed edge, especially in group encounters. Amplifying the core combat to consider elemental hazards and traps is a lot of fun and leads to some interesting and exciting combat possibilities that are as visually satisfying as they are gruesome.

Sprinting, climbing, crouching and sliding are the only means of traversal. There are no cars to drive and plough through the hordes, coming as a surprise to players of the original and Dead Island: Riptide which featured drivable cars. The lack of vehicles doesn’t restrict player mobility though as the running speed is generous and the use of fast travel maps also makes it easy to return to previously discovered locations. By keeping players grounded, the danger of the outbreak is kept at the forefront and with the diverse and customisable arsenal at the players disposal, beating your way through LA is even more satisfying.

The stunning backdrop to this iteration of a zombie apocalypse is beautiful in its own right. Striking backdrops that would be at home on a postcard have becoming bloody, lifeless wastelands that are begging to be painted with the insides of the zombie masses. Character models are grotesquely realised and disgustingly gorgeous while the widely personalised weapons are unique and interesting to watch as they rip through the infected.

Satisfyingly crunchy and squishy sound effects are the icing on the cake of combat and the visually gut churning animations that accompany them. The audio-visual presentation is everything it needed to be in a world that is as beautiful as the insides of its antagonistic, undead masses.

It’s safe to say that Dead Island 2 ticks all of the boxes for a title that is definitely not suitable for young players. From the over the top violence of the combat to the explicit nature of the dialogue, this one is to be kept from the kids at all costs. The co-op campaign is part of the Dead Island experience but I was unable to be played this in time for this review.

Dead Island 2 has had one hell of a journey to see the light of day and it’s incredibly exciting to say that it lives up to the long gestating hype from its 2014 reveal. Better combat, more visceral gameplay and animations, a well implemented card-based Skill Deck system and masterful sound design all contribute to an experience to die for. A dense, dangerous and secret filled world offers as much gameplay as the player is willing to endure, presenting an abundance of activities to entertain long after the credits have rolled. The over the topviolence and crunchy melee combat go a long way in creating a world to satisfy the zombie slaying fix we’ve long waited for.

+ Fun Skill-Deck system

+ Beautiful visuals and gory animations

+ Enjoyable combat and satisfying sound design 

+ Weapon customisation keeps the toys exciting

+ Highly replayable 

– Story is predictable

– Supporting characters lean into cliches and stereotypes

– Feels familiar in many ways to other titles in the genre

Score: 8/10

* This review was written by Xbox Gamer Dad, a friend and associate of Games of DAYNE. While Xbox Gamer Dad puts the finishing touches on a brand new website, we’ve released this review here so that you don’t have to wait! *

* A digital code for Dead Island 2 was kindly provided to Xbox Gamer Dad for the purpose of this review *

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Reviewed on Xbox Series X

Minecraft, a game that is known worldwide for its creativity and exploration has again expanded into a new genre. This time taking players into the depth of a more competitive and combative version in Minecraft Legends.

Minecraft Legends is a story driven action/strategy game that will take the player on an adventure against a new foe, the Piglin, as they plan to take over the Overworld and all it contains.

In this game the player takes on the role of their Overworld’s hero-to-be as they are called on by the Caretakers of the Overworld to defend it at all costs. This is no easy feat as the player creates troops and defensive structures to assist in the war with the Piglins. In true Minecraft style, the player requires many of the resources from across the Overworld to craft and create, this time it is both troops and structures, the majority of which are well known within the Minecraft universe.

The difference being that this time around the player does not mine and craft their way to victory, they have companions to do the work for them that come in the form of Allay’s. These Allay can be instructed to mine and build while letting the player plan their attack or defence just as any hero would do. The Allay are controlled by the player through song and these melodies can be mixed and matched to the task bar via the player’s in-game songbook. By playing the right melody the Allay can collect resources or build defensive structures, troop spawn points as well as construct player upgrades. These upgrades are constructed at the Well of Fates located within the centre of the world. This location operates as a safe space within the world and is home to the Caretakers, the creatures who will guide the player throughout their journey.  These upgrades can improve abilities, storage, defences, the Allay and more to help the player accomplish victory. Do not forget to head back to the Well from time to time and construct upgrades as they are important later into the game.

With all of the differences this game brings, it is still a world that is pure Minecraft. A procedurally generated world that brings all the resources and enemies that Minecraft players know and love. The difference being that this time around the world is united against a common enemy, and the enemies of the previous games will become your greatest allies. Use them to your advantage. Need a wall gone? Find a creeper. Don’t want to get close? A skeleton will take out that long range target.

Minecraft Legends isn’t just about becoming the legend of your own world though, it’s also about working with, or against other team of players. The game offers options in co-op, competitive or solo to do that and they are:

Campaign – a co-op battle of 1 to 4 players in a procedurally generated world that has the player/s defending the occupants of the world. The world runs on a day/night cycle and the enemies evolve and advance over time, attacking friendly villages and constructing their own bases for players to attack.

Multiplayer – an online PvP battle between 2 teams of up to 4 players, putting players and tactics against each other to see who comes out victorious.

Lost Legends and Myths – There is currently only one event in here so it is unknown what this may expand into. Currently it is a wave-based defence as waves of Piglin are thrown at the player which increases in difficulty as they all try to destroy the players home base. Completion of this challenge brings with it a reward at the end.

With what the player will be doing out of the way, it’s now onto the world itself and it looks beautiful. In true blocky Minecraft style, it is full of colour and life, comes with a procedurally generated weather affected landscape, and easily recognisable resources, wildlife and characters throughout the land that any Minecraft fan will recognise. It’s a world that can be explored as much as the player wishes, while dealing with the Piglin threat, and I wouldn’t blame the player for doing just that. It is Minecraft, with an upgrade, and the graphics won’t disappoint. The sounds of the world are on par with the graphics which is great as melodies play a key part in this world. From the sounds of your Allay-commanding Lute, through to the grunt of the Piglins, nothing seems out of placeand the background music is set in true Minecraft style.

As the player adventures through the good-looking world, they will utilise a familiar, but different control scheme compared to the original game. It is familiar in that your Minecraft item bar at the bottom returns, but with tasks listed across that are used to instruct the Allay. The player also has 4 task bars to choose from by using the D-pad, with one for mining, construction, ally spawn points and upgrades. By selecting the corresponding task on the task bar the hero plays a tune and then an Allay goes to work. Left trigger to highlight the location, right trigger to build. Combat is the other side of the control scheme and can be as simple or as hard as the player wants it to be. Once the player has spawned their troops, or finds them out in the open world they can be gathered by pressing X. The troops will follow you around and attack these enemies with you.

The player can also send their troops in the direction they are traveling by pressing Yand those troops will attack anything in their path. Subsequently the player can leave their troops in one place by holding X when the preference is to operate solo. It can be as simple as that if you want it to be. If strategy is the player’sthing, the advanced controls can see the player command part or all of the troops to fight on different fronts. Right Trigger brings up the advanced directive options and you can control troops from there. The basics of this are shown throughout the game’s introduction and sees the player have a more refined control of the troops and what they do.

Minecraft has always been a family friendly game, and this one is no different. The enemies are vicious, and cute, the look is true to the Minecraft style, and the chatter is humorous and G rated, making this a game that the whole family can enjoy. The only difference now being that the controls bring with them a slightly different control scheme, with defensive placement and strategy become key to defeating the tougher challenges. Not saying that the younger kids won’t enjoy this at all, just that there is a more challenging side to the game should the player wish to take it on. The inability to play couch co-op in this game, which you can in Minecraft and Minecraft Dungeons, is a bit of a loss for this one though. Some of my great, and earliest gaming memories with my kids have been created in Minecraft on the couch together, but only being able to play online will stop this from happening for many families of young kids. There may be too much going on on-screen but I still miss it.

Multiplayer was unable to be tested as part of this preview though as time zones and opportunities were not within the schedule of this reviewer. There were positive signs and discussion around the PvP aspects of this game and it is something that this reviewer will jump into as soon as possible.

Minecraft Legends is a game that grabs the world of Minecraft and moves it onto another genre to capture a new audience, and I feel that it does that quite well. The game brings a constantly evolving world, new friends and enemies,and a new challenge to keep it fresh. My biggest annoyance is with the lack of couch co-op as Minecraft is better with the kids, but this won’t stop me from playing it at all. For a Minecraft fan, there’s a lot of familiarity, for a strategy fan, there’s a lot to love and for everyone else there’s Xbox Game Pass. This game is definitely worth jumping into, especially if you like playing games.

Verdict:

+ Enjoyable new direction for Minecraft

+ Basic and advanced controls for players of all skill levels

+ Minecraft style that we know and love

+ Variety  of solo, co-op and versus modes

 – Lack of couch co-op

 – May be a little  too much happening at once for younger players

Score: 8/10

* This review was written by Xbox Gamer Dad, a friend and associate of Games of DAYNE. While Xbox Gamer Dad puts the finishing touches on a brand new website, we’ve released this review here so that you don’t have to wait! *

* A digital code for Minecraft Legends was kindly provided to Xbox Gamer Dad for the purpose of this review. Minecraft Legends launches April 18 and is included with Xbox Game Pass *

Minecraft Legends launches April 18 and will be available with Xbox Game Pass.

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The post REVIEW – Minecraft Legends (by Xbox Gamer Dad) first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

Taking place in the 1890’s, over one hundred years before Harry first picked up a wand, Hogwarts Legacy casts the player in the role of an unnamed student commencing their studies in their fifth year. The adventure that unfolds is rife with exploration, well developed supporting characters, an interesting narrative and exciting spellcasting combat. Mastering new spells inside and outside of the classroom, forging friendships and the freedom to explore the Hogwarts castle itself and iconic locations such as Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest allow players to leave a legacy of their own design.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I want to preface my review by saying I do not share, nor support, the views of JK Rowling. Her opinions are undoubtedly harmful, hurtful and unacceptable. My decision to purchase, play and share my thoughts of Hogwarts Legacy don’t come from a place of similar views.

As soon as the game begins the player is tasked with creating their witch or wizard from an impressive suite of customisation options before launching the player into the prologue which wastes little time in introducing them to their role and forging a bond with Professor Fig who goes on to guide the player throughout the fifteen hour plus adventure. Upon learning of a pending Goblin uprising, the pair must unravel the sinister plot around the scholastic schedule of the player, balancing student responsibilities such as classes and assignments while also undertaking excursions into the broader Overland region that surrounds the castle.

Fellow students, professors, characters and creatures from all walks of life are interwoven throughout the story that inform not only the narrative but the gameplay elements that are discovered upon the way. What the player learns from them and the tools at their disposal can be put to use to carve a direct line through the story or to take in the wonders of the world around them and complete optional side quests and extra curricular assignments outside of the main quest path.

My full playthrough of the prologue can be found below.

Developer Avalanche Studios have crafted a satisfyingly cinematic story full of twists and turns and populated it with interesting characters and ideas. Diving into the past and experiences of key supporting characters, including the main antagonists – the Goblin Ranrok and dark wizard Victor Rockwood, explores and reveals each of their motivations and intentions in the looming power struggle. By the time the dust settles on the finale it ultimately feels as though the stakes were exaggerated and the big showdown to determine whether the might of the Goblins can overthrow the magic dwelling residents of Hogwarts fails to feel as epic or as high staked as the adventure suggested.

While the story might wrap up in underwhelming fashion the character development excels when it comes to the students, professors and other supporting characters. The personality injected into each of them in terms of depth and performance keeps them incredibly interesting and unique, with each character feeling authentic and full of unbridled purpose. What they say and do matters, whether it’s towards the story or their relationship with the player, the cast of characters that guide, help and educate them feel essential and would leave a genuine void were they not a part of it. I can’t recall the last time I personally experienced a video game that justified its entire supporting cast the way that Hogwarts Legacy has managed to accomplish.

Since the player’s character is starting their Hogwarts journey five years later than the other students, a rare exception that has only been seen a handful of times in Hogwarts’ esteemed history, a Wizard’s Field Guide has been provided by the Ministry of Magic to assist in the player getting up to speed. Full of challenges to complete, information to store and plenty of rewards to unlocks, this Field Guide is also home to the player’s inventory, gear customisation suite and more.

Gear can be obtained by looting, as quest and challenge rewards or by purchasing from vendors located throughout the world. Players can equip handwear, facewear, headwear, neckwear, cloaks and robes and outfits. As with most RPGs gear comes in varying rarities that increases in strength depending on its grade and higher tier gear can have Traits crafted and slotted to provide additional passive perks such as increased spell damage or decreased damage taken from specific elements for example.

Offence is the primary stat attributed to gear that provides an increase to attack damage but Defence can also be increased on gear items via crafting too. A wide variety of styles are available and luckily Transmog is a feature, allowing players to select gear with better stats but if they are unhappy with its appearance they can change it to look like any gear they have previously discovered. There is no need to wear a wheat sack as a head piece and wear a trash bag for trousers in Hogwarts Legacy, players can dress for stats and alter their appearance so as not to big down the experience by having a depressingly mismatched attire.

Wand handles can be found and equipped, offering the only form of customisation for your wand outside of choosing which wand to start with early in the story. As mounts become available in the story, they too can have their appearances altered in the Gear menu too.

Talents are the equivalent of skill points that are obtained by reaching a certain point in the story and are awarded when reaching a new level of progression by gaining XP. These can be spent in five categories, each packed with options to enhance various aspects of combat, exploration and crafting.

Collections documents every new thing encountered, whether it’s a beast, an enemy type and collectibles, this is reserved mostly for completionists seeking to uncover absolutely everything that Hogwarts Legacy has to offer.

Challenges are an excellent way to unlock exciting new cosmetics and perks by completing various tasks X amount of times. These encourage exploration and contributed to a steady XP flow to help players level up, essential for progression in the story as unfortunately, main quests are gated by level requirements, meaning players can’t simply power through the story but are forced to explore and complete other activities in order to continue the story.

The map is also located in the Field Guide and allows players to switch between a map of Hogwarts, Hogsmeade and the broader World map. All points of interest are visible, such as undiscovered side quests, fast travel points and activities. The number of fast travel points is very generous and since it shows the locations of ones not yet discovered it certainly makes open world traversal more accessible and clear in terms of where the player should go to trigger new fast travel points to ease the burden of backtracking. A very small portion of the map can be seen below.

Initially players must explore on foot and via fast travel points. With story progression players will be able to purchase a broomstick which can be used anywhere with the exception of a very few locations, a Hippogriff mount is also unlocked late in the game which can also be used as well as an additional secret mount which I won’t mention to avoid spoilers. These mounts are all very fun to play with and make traversal more enjoyable and unique. The broomstick can be upgraded with speed and acceleration boosts by completing a certain chain of side quests which is well worth doing.

Classes are just a small part of the Hogwarts Legacy experience, more so as a means of introducing the professors and students that will go on to become key parts of your adventure. Herbology, Charms, Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts classes for example all teach the player some essential spells but also how to grow different types of plants for varying purposes, brew potions for temporary buffs or other effects, all of which can be done inside their respective classrooms or later in the game in the Room of Requirements.

This room becomes somewhat of a customisable hideout that players can decorate with art, construct potions stations and herbology tables for instance. Eventually beasts can be rescued from the wild and stored in a Vivarium and can be fed and groomed to provided unique materials required for crafting Traits for gear. It’s a great way to further personalise the experience by affording players the freedom to have their own little place to call home all while being extremely functional and beneficial to maximise the ways the room can be used.

Outside of classes, Assignments are a special type of side quests that are available where teachers lay out a handful of tasks to accomplish before teaching a new spell when they have done so. Most of these are completely optional and typically only enhance exploration and environmental puzzle solving but some are tied to story progression, which is a little odd as they are supposed to be optional. Regardless, the tasks are very simple to complete and don’t take more than a few minutes, I highly encourage players to get these done as they become available to make exploration more accessible early on.

Before getting into the excellent spellcasting gameplay I want to first share a piece of advice I wish I had known earlier in my time with the game. Sebastian Sallow is a Slytherin student with whom the player becomes acquainted with early on, progressing his side quest chain is the path to unlocking all three of the Unforgivable curses available. Crucio, Imperio and the killing curse known as Avada Kadavra are only obtainable by completing Sebastian’s quests. These are easily the most powerful spells in the game and are a lot of fun to experiment with, so for all those players wanting to fight dirty… you’re welcome.

The crux of Hogwarts Legacy, pun intended for fellow franchise fans, is the spellcasting gameplay. Once spells are learned they can be equipped to what is essentially a set of four hot keys, using Talent points and reaching certain levels allows players to assign four sets of spells that can be switched between with ease. Spells can be assigned at any moment, even when in combat, and understanding their use and strengths is essential to late game success in particular. Spells fall into seven categories and have a variety of functions from damage, freezing, levitation and other throwing for example, each having strengths and weaknesses against different types of enemies.

Executing spells is a simple as holding RT on Xbox (R2 on PlayStation) and pressing one of the four face buttons, switching between sets of spells if the ability to do so has been unlocked via Talent points. Attacking is simple and luckily so is defence, with a button prompt appearing on screen for when to defend or dashing out of harms way.

The combat is so simple on the surface as far as actually casting attacks but the depth of the combat is wonderfully developed, especially when it comes to combining spells for maximum damage or crowd control when dealing with multiple enemies at once. Enemy targeting is available but the game does an excellent job at auto-targeting any available enemy, making combat accessible for players of all skill levels with regards to combat. Experimenting with different combinations of spells and unlocking new ones along the way keeps the combat feeling satisfying and refreshing while introducing new enemy types and alternate combat tactics throughout.

Hogwarts itself is full of secret passages, chests to find and loot, students to help with side quests and countless collectibles and other secrets to discover. The fact there is a larger world outside of the castle that is just as packed with things to do, enemies to fight and puzzles to solve goes a significant way to maximise player retention and keep the world exciting and dense with opportunity. There are dozens of hours worth of side quests, exploration activities and collectibles to find to keep Hogwarts Legacy at the top of player playlists.

Hogwarts has been brought to life with such meticulous detail and depth that is genuinely awe inspiring. The jaw dropping environmental art design is stellar and the variety of landscapes that players can explore each have a distinct look and feel to them that prevent visual repetition from setting in and dampening  the wonder of exploration.

The way the castle itself has been animated to be so lively and fluid, especially considering the likes of the rotating staircase and magically appearing passages for example, it’s all so faithfully adapted from the books and films we’ve come to adore throughout our lives, and childhood even in my case.

When it comes to character models Hogwarts Legacy looks as though all attention has been giving to the supporting characters, with background characters lacking the detail of their narratively relevant associates. Even the players character looks out of place, due in part I suspect to the customisation aspects that mean we could look a million different ways. It’s a shame to see our character not quite fit in when surrounded by key characters but the general immersion does not suffer as the world is so beautifully realised and the smooth animations maintain the authenticity of the experience.

Sound design and the score is such an integral part of this experience and both have been so flawlessly implemented. Beautiful, magical melodies accompany moments of enchantment when necessary and dramatic, ominous overtures that preclude tense encounters and secretive happenings. Each spell has a satisfying kick to their execution in their sound design and it’s fun to pay attention and listen for them in combat when they are being cast against you, making them identifiable even if they are coming from an enemy out of your direct line of sight.

I did stumble across a few technical issues throughout my experience such as doors not opening when I approached them and having to wait for a loading icon to spin in front of me until it was ready, sound effects disappearing and only being fixed by closing the game and restarting it and few occasions of the voiceovers getting a tinny and echo-like sound that would come and go on its own. Aside from that, my journey as a fifth year was considerably smooth.

The sheer scope and ambition of all that Hogwarts Legacy had to offer is genuinely breathtaking. Stunning visuals, excellent gameplay, meaningful exploration and incredible character development have all come together to deliver a unique and unforgettable showcase of the magic of video games.

Hogwarts Legacy is an enchanting triumph, offering an unparalleled experience of the wizarding world that has captured the imagination of Harry Potter fans for over two decades. Set over 100 years before the source material, the emotionally charged original story teeming with layered characters, satisfying magically infused combat and rewarding exploration, this is an adventure not to be missed.

+ Excellent spellcasting combat

+ Stunning audio-visual presentation

+ An open world full of fun activities

+ Depth of character development

+ Solid customisation

– Underwhelming conclusion to the story

– A few technical issues

Developed by: Avalanche Studios

The post REVIEW – Hogwarts Legacy first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

Borrowing heavily from the franchise that inspired it The Callisto Protocol throws players into the role of wrongfully imprisoned cargo pilot Jacob Lee on Callisto, a moon of Jupiter as the viral outbreak kicks off. The third-person survival horror adventure ultimately takes place in the giant looming shadow of a classic IP and attempts to tell a tale decorated with guts and gore that can stand on its own mutated feet.

The opening moments set players up as Jacob, portrayed by Josh Duhamel, upon his incarceration at Callisto’s Black Iron Prison at the hands of Sam Witwer’s Captain Ferris. The brooding, malevolent evil at the heart of The Callisto Protocol is unleashed almost immediately, establishing the gruesome uphill battle Jacob must overcome to not just escape the prison but the planet as well.

The premise is interesting but throughout the approximately eight-hour adventure, the story never really manages to get going.  Intriguing ideas are established however they are rarely  afforded the opportunity to breathe. Cutscenes are seamlessly integrated with the gameplay that maintains the cinematic scope and immersion at all times, providing a visual consistency that helps make up for the narrative shortcomings.

Throughout the blood-soaked experience only a handful of supporting characters are present, lending to feeling of isolation at most times. Karen Fukuhara, known for her role as Kimiku in Amazon Prime’s The Boys, toys with Jacob, blurring the lines between friend and foe and delivers the only real meat to the narrative outside of the virus. It’s a genuine shame that The Callisto Protocol under-delivers narratively considering how many other things it gets right.

Combat blends melee and ranged attacks with a stun baton and handful of guns, and later a telekinetic powered gauntlet is introduced, though the emphasis leans heavily in favour of up close, melee combat. Light and heavy attacks can be alternated to create combos and after executing one, a brief window emerges for a single shot to be fired at an automatically locked on weak spot. This combo ender delivers high damage and conserves ammo which is in limited supply, effectively encouraging more risky melee encounters rather than safer ranged onslaughts.

What makes melee combat even more dangerous is the inability to spam melee attacks. After just three swings the enemy is able to get an attack in, requiring the player to make use of the single-thumbstick driven dodge mechanics. Holding the right thumbstick left, right or back will dodge an enemy attack while tapping in a direction at the very last moment before impact will trigger slow-motion and provide an opening for the player to retaliate. The stick dodge system takes only a few encounters to master and ultimately feels more fluid than a traditional button based system.

Utilising the GRP telekinetic gauntlet adds another interesting dynamic to combat that unfortunately makes the player feel a little too overpowered. Enemies and objects can be picked up and thrown, rendering actual combat unnecessary if used effectively. Enemies can be thrown over ledges for instakills, flammable canisters can deal immense damage and enemies at a distance can be brought up to the player for easy melee dispatching while they are stunned. Upgrading the GRP can increase the duration it can be used before the battery depletes, similar to a stamina system, and needs recharged automatically with a collected battery or over time with rest.

One on one encounters are effortless to survive, even on the hardest difficulty referred to as Maximum Security. The real danger is when surrounded by multiple enemies. Without an enemy lock on or targeting system, the player needs to be incredibly alert to the enemies on screen as well as audio cues that may indicate the position of an offscreen enemy about to enter the fray. Surviving multiple enemy encounters is a breeze if the player is on high alert and on top of making sure guns are reloaded and the best gun for the job is equipped.

Switching guns is not instant, the animation to do so takes a few seconds and can often be interrupted by enemy attacks or dodging. Taking advantage of every opening in combat is critical to ensure gun readiness and avoiding firing a gun that isn’t loaded. Healing is also not an instant process and is essentially impossible to do while in active combat, taking around five seconds to perform. The absence of an instant healing system makes melee combat even more dangerous, encouraging players to always be prepared when they find themselves alone. By denying players instant activation of healing or weapon swapping, the stakes are higher and create a more genuinely terrifying experience when enemies begin to swarm.

Death in The Callisto Protocol is oddly satisfying due to the implementation of some genuinely brutal, gory and violent death animations. Depending on the enemy type that kills the player, a variety of inhumane executions are performed that would not look out of place in a Mortal Kombat fatality sequence. Blood, guts and core are ever present in The Callisto Protocol and it’s cool to see it factor in to the player’s death as well as the mutated enemies.

Looting is a key component of the campaign, rewarding players with currency to spend on upgrading their weapons at 3D printer type stations. Ammo can also be crafted, new weapon types can be unlocked by discovering their blueprints, and buffs to their general performance are also available.

Playing The Callisto Protocol on the hardest difficulty setting, Maximum Security, increases enemy damage outputs but with effective dodging and situational awareness, the experience remains very manageable with the exception of a painful final boss encounter at the very end. Playing on easy, Minimum Security, is extremely simple and death essentially impossible. I highly encourage players to try Maximum Security, as the difficulty can be changed at any time if the experience feels to difficult. On easy it’s a horror game… for the monsters. The player is too overpowered for the monstrous enemy threat to ever feel genuinely punishing.

There are no lore documents or files to read, no additional backstory to discover and when combined with the very straight-forward and largely predictable main story, the narrative depth is undeniably lacking. Audio logs can be collected but do little to further inform the current situation on Callisto or the events that lead to it.

Atmospheric tension is delivered in spades, creating a harrowing backdrop for Jacob’s survival adventure. From the artistically creative environment, eerie emptiness and masterful sound design, The Callisto Protocol feels deathly alive and ominous at every turn. Stunning imagery and haunting sound effects help animate the static narrative with such finesse that it’s impossible to deny that every aspect of the audio-visual presentation as bar raising.

Character models are impeccable, with the faces of the cast in particular being second to none. The animation and detail are jaw dropping, easily delivering the most photorealistic character presentation I have ever seen in a video game, on console at least. The cinematic feel to the gameplay and its iteration of cutscenes are completely immersive.

It’s impossible for The Callisto Protocol to escape the similarities of the franchise that inspired it. From its setting, core gameplay, art direction and atmosphere, The Callisto Protocol could easily be mistaken as Dead Space if played by someone only familiar with its premise. For better or worse, The Callisto Protocol is a Dead Space title. It looks, plays and feels like one, despite being officially unrelated.

The Callisto Protocol is an excellent, linear, story-driven foray into the survival horror genre that has long been in desperate need of revitalisation outside of tentpole franchise, Resident Evil. Overpowered gameplay, a weak narrative, brief runtime and undeniable comparisons to Dead Space don’t prevent The Callisto Protocol from delivering a solid experience that genre fans will love. The impeccable visuals and atmosphere are truly genre defining.

+ Excellent atmospheric tension

+ Stunning sound design

+ Incredible visuals

+ Brutal violence and gore

+ Intuitive, simple gameplay

– Too linear

– Brief runtime

– Player far too overpowered

– Weak story

Developed by: Striking Distance Studios

The post REVIEW – The Callisto Protocol first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

Wreaking havoc in an open world is always an enjoyable yet simple premise and an easy sell for a lot of players. Throw in an extremely customisable goat as the playable hero and it’s a no brainer. Goat Simulator 3 is the follow up to 2014’s Goat Simulator which was a chaotic parody of the then-rising trend of simulator titles. Where’s Goat Simulator 2 you might ask? That’s part of the fun, there is no Goat Simulator 2.

Coffee Stain North’s playful humour extends far further than its title, offering a sandbox of unsuspecting people and countless ways to torment them as a goat. Playable solo or co-operatively with up to three other players, goats reign supreme in the fictional San Angora with a wide variety of challenges, references to other games and a goat-load of mischief. Goat Simulator 3 is all about kidding around…

Everywhere you look in Goat Simulator 3 is full of things and people to lick, headbutt and destroy. Objects and people can be dragged across the map by licking them, latching on with the goat’s tongue to take wherever the player wants. Tall buildings, skyscrapers, mountains and towering gold statues are just some of the literal highs of Goat Simulator 3 while explorational freedom and chaotic, over-the-top antics offer some of the most ridiculous gameplay highs to keep players as wild as their playable goat, Pilgor.

The ragdoll physics are just as amusing this time around, whether they are the result of poor Pilgor being hit by a car, launched by an explosion or manually triggered. Running, jumping, attacking and licking things are just the basics, I call them GoatSim101. Latching onto cars and skating behind them is fun but now players can actually hijack cars, not unlike GTA, and drive around with Pilgor’s head and chaos-seeking tongue flapping in the wind out the window. Additionally, Pilgor can also grind on power lines and metal railing to get around San Angora.

See a peaceful yoga routine by a group of people? Introduce yourself with a lick and launch them off a cliff. Observe a fight across the road? Headbutt your way into the interaction and show the silly humans which goat is the boss. Minding your own business on a trek up a nature path in the forest and see people literally wrapped around trees? Destroy the tree, destroy their dreams. No scenario is off limits and there is no shortage of unexpected human interactions happening that are irresistible to disrupt. Witnessing a police officer throwing handcuffs like ninja stars at a citizen, picking them up, carrying them in a ball and throwing them at a statue and telling them to “go be a good citizen now” was one of my favourite random encounters, you can see it in the video here.

The map of San Angora is uncovered by synchronising Goat Towers, revealing new points of interest and perhaps more importantly, allowing entry to the Goat Castle. Completing quests rewards Illuminati Points which can be spent to upgrade the castle from its crumbling origins to a regal sanctum fit for a king or queen of goats. Illuminati Points and Karma are rewarded for completing Events, which are the equivalent of story quests, and Karma points are awarded for completing Instincts which are essentially challenges such a performing backflips or emoting.

Goat Simulator 3 takes great pride in the unexpected. The things that are happening within San Angora and the many ways to run amok and cause chaos never ceases to amaze and present a world that is difficult to become bored with. There are no rules, no death and no leash. The stakes are 100% risk free and the rewards include wild customisation options for players to create incredibly unique, appropriately ridiculous and borderline insane varieties of their anti-hero goats.

Fur patterns and colours, jackets, hats and horns, boots and gear such as gliders and jet packs are just a few ways players can customise their goats by spending Karma. Some of my favourite options are the alternate animals the goat can be transformed into such as a shark that moves around on a skateboard or the amazingly named ‘Tall Goat’ which is in fact a giraffe.

The graphics are certainly dated but it somehow works in favour of Goat Simulator 3. This experience is all about simplicity and a more photorealistic art direction would remove a lot of the charm of the ragdoll nature of the gameplay. The dialogue sounds very stiff too but again it feels intentional, resulting in a bland audio visual presentation that works despite feeling like a game from 10 years ago. Fun sound design keeps the explosive, bleating and physics based antics feeling entertaining.

Goat Simulator 3 is a fun, wild, creatively dynamic playground for up to four players to live out their wildest goat fantasies. Teeming with references and parodies of classic titles, including an opening that is too good to spoil, the mayhem has clearly been lovingly crafted by Coffee Stain North to give players a sandbox world to rule their way. Licking, headbutting, grinding and ragdolling across San Angora is constantly amusing and satisfying, especially when playing with others.

+ Over the top physics

+ Plethora of references to other video games

+ Fun customisation

+ Hilarious NPC behaviour

+ Great fun with other players

+ Replayability

– San Angora is pretty small

– Some of the jokes feel dated

Developed by: Coffee Stain North

The post REVIEW – Goat Simulator 3 first appeared on Games of DAYNE.