As the Star Wars franchise enters its 35^th year it is fitting that Traveller’s Tales have launched LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga on all platforms. All nine entries of the Skywalker Saga of films have been adapted, rebuilt from the ground up to stand apart from the multiple LEGO Star Wars titles that have been released since 2005.

Following suit with the addition of voiceovers in more recent LEGO titles developed by Traveller’s Tales, The Skywalker Saga features voice acting for all characters, some of which are reprising the roles from the films, variety of television series or previous entries in the game series.

Featuring an assortment of key set pieces and essential story beats, a score and sound design faithful to the Star Wars universe, there has never been a more definitive, authentic and legitimate LEGO Star Wars title than The Skywalker Saga.

In an exciting move, the story can be played out by starting at any one of the three trilogies. For those who may not be as familiar with Star Wars, the original trilogy of films consisted of Episodes IV – VI, this was followed by the prequel trilogy that was comprised of Episodes I – III and finally the sequel trilogy of Episodes VII – IX. With Episodes I, IV and VII available immediately, the subsequent Episodes of each trilogy are unlocked by completing them in order. For example, completing Episode I will unlock Episode II, finishing Episode IV will unlock episode V.

For players who grew up seeing the original trilogy first it is nice to be able to start there while newer and younger players may choose to start with the sequel trilogy. This freedom of where to start this galactic adventure is great, especially for fans of the films who understand the story and much like the films, don’t need to go through them in order. Players that may not have seen Star Wars or just aren’t as familiar as the die-hard community it has developed over 30+ years can just as easily follow the game through in chronological order and absorb the extensive narrative in a more coherent format.

Traveller’s Tales have done an excellent job in rebuilding the gameplay in a new game engine, delivering action packed gameplay that remains simplistic in its approach and accessible for younger audiences. The ability to throw a lightsaber, deflect blaster bolts and manipulate surrounding objects with the force has never felt more satisfying or accessible. Cover based shooting mechanics and the variety of melee combos keep each of the 300+ playable characters feeling exciting. Coupled with simple puzzles to solve and objectives to complete, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga has enough depth to satisfy older players while not alienating the younger player base.

A closer, more focused camera perspective breathes new life into the over-the-shoulder third-person gameplay. The level of detail in each character is so realistically created that each piece of the LEGO builds showcases the shiny gleams of armours and hair pieces for instant while also showing the worn out and weathered clothing of some of the more rugged characters. The level of detail is staggering and manages to establish a LEGO title that is looking far more polished and full of minute details than it has any right to be. As characters, and especially vehicles are destroyed, the satisfying explosion of LEGO pieces is a joy to observe.

Level design is flawless and encompasses a wide range of objectives, set pieces and legendary moments from the films. Anakin Skywalker’s epic podrace is meticulously realised and the battle of Yavin and Hoth are so faithfully recreated that each of the five levels that comprise each Episode feel like a brief overview of the entire movie, leaving out any unnecessary sequences and ensuring that critical story beats are not only included but explored and presented in a manner that on Traveller’s Tales could deliver. The variety of locations and worlds are stunningly presented, resulting in a Star Wars experience that can’t be faulted in its overall presentation.

In between story missions, players typically have the freedom to explore surprisingly large hub areas across a number of planets. These areas are teeming with optional side missions, collectibles to find and secrets to uncover. To further expand the scope of these areas, and the missions themselves, some areas are only accessible with certain characters or with specific skills, some of which won’t be possible until later when new characters have been unlocked either automatically or by purchasing with Studs, the in-game currency that rains down from ever defeated foe or object destroyed in the environment.

This not only adds to the immense replayability of The Skywalker Saga, either alone or co-operatively with another player in local split-screen but it encourages players to explore thoroughly along their adventure and to invest in the right characters for the job. Simply breezing the story of all nine episodes, consisting of 45 missions overall, will take as little as ten hours but to actually explore everything will take dozens more. This caters to those players who only want to play through the story to do so without being forced into exploration while also serving those looking to find everything that The Skywalker Saga has to offer. When considering the incredible amount of characters to unlock and collectibles to find, players can be kept busy for a very long time.

An upgrade system is well implemented that allows for players to spend collected Kyber bricks on perks that are shared by all characters or specific class-based perks for the characters that comprise those. None of these are detrimental to the core gameplay experience and they aren’t required for story progression. Given the already low difficulty level of the game, these advantages are driven by fun than more-so than necessity.

Outside of the 45 main story missions are countless optional side-missions to tackle that can be accessed from the many overworlds. Every previously visited planet can be fast travelled to at any point, making it simple to explore every corner of the playable galaxy. As well as the typical action and platforming the player can just as easily settle into the cockpit and take the fight to the stars in a range of aerial missions to mix things up. There really is no shortage of activities to keep players engaged outside of the story and Traveller’s Tales have done an excellent job at ensuring these are fun, diverse and replayable, both alone or co-operatively.

A staple of the LEGO titles has been its comedy and The Skywalker Saga is no exception. Comedic elements are woven into every aspect of the story from cutscenes to dialogue and they excel in keeping the whole experience light, enjoyable and engaging for players of all ages. It’s very rare for a title to throw so much humour at the player without tripping over itself or outstaying its welcome but The Skywalker Saga has a far greater grasp of its comedic tone than it has any right to, constantly surprising me, as a 31 year old and lifelong fan of Star Wars, without coming across as cringey or redundant.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a passionate love letter to not only Star Wars, but to the LEGO series of titles within that uber popular universe that Traveller’s Tales have so wonderfully mastered. Enjoyable gameplay, mission variety, replayability and humour are just a few notable elements that they have consistently nailed throughout their seventeen years of developing these titles. Whether this is the first LEGO Star Wars experience for new players or the latest for returning fans, there is no denying that LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is the definitive version of the franchise and holds itself high as one of the very best Star Wars titles ever to grace the video game medium.

+ Simple, enjoyable gameplay

+ Extensive replayability

+ Mission variety

+ Excellent humour

+ Local co-op support

+ Genuine, authentic Star Wars sound design and presentation

– Lack of difficulty options, too easy for older players

– No online co-op functionality

Developed by: Traveller’s Tales

Published by: Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment

Release Date: April 5 2022

Platforms: Xbox One/Series X|S, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch and PC

* A digital code was kindly provided to Games of DAYNE by Warner Bros for the purpose of this review *

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

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Taking to the skies as a fighter pilot in the arcade biplane shooter, Red Wings: American Aces, is a satisfyingly simple and enjoyable affair that integrates objective based missions, engaging aerial dogfights and a 30+ mission campaign. A striking comic-book inspired art design and an upbeat, funky and energetic score keeps the fast-paced action light.

The campaign can be enjoyed solo or co-operatively with a second local player and a trio of battle modes are available for two players to compete against each other while online functionality brings the action to players in up to 10 player battles in three solo and three team-based game modes.

With a fun skill tree to experiment with, new planes to unlock and an assortment of skins for them locked behind challenges, Red Wings: American Aces is a playful aerial shooter that keeps things, simple, accessible and enjoyable.

Red Wings: American Aces is a spin-off of 2020’s Red Wings: Aces of the Sky, with both games sharing a near identical visual presentation and gameplay mechanics. American Aces feels right at home on the Nintendo Switch with its simplistic controls, cartoonish, comic presentation and short missions that accommodate even the briefest of gameplay sessions. A well executed tutorial explains all of the gameplay mechanics with simple, easy to understand instructions and exercises.

The gameplay relies primarily on taking down enemy fighters by shooting them down, with or without zooming in or locking on to targets. Four special commands are available that each require varying lengths of cooldowns before they can be reused.

• Barrel Roll – an evasive manoeuvre that can be executed to avoid the enemies line of fire, as well as being an offensive tool that can eliminate an enemy target with contact
• Quick Comeback – a u-turn manoeuvre that lets the player turn instantly with an overhead or downward action that can put you hot on the heels of the plane that just zoomed past
• Squadron – an enemy can be locked on to and a powerful ally is spawned in to engage the target
• Fatal Takedown – when an enemy is injured, by lowering their health bar to a specific level, an execution can be performed that sees the player pull off a cinematic pistol kill at an impressive distance

Each of these four skills can be upgraded to reduce their cooldowns, enhance their effectiveness or provide other perks such as increasing the number of planes summoned with the Squadron command from one to five for example. Alongside these twelve upgrades are eighteen more than provide passive perks to weapon overheat reduction, critical hit chance and damage increases for instance. These skills are all upgraded by spending gold stars which are awarded during missions, with up to three gold stars awarded for meeting completion time or score requirements.

Mission variety is just broad enough to keep things fresh with objectives ranging from simply eliminating X amount of enemies, defending or destroying observation balloons or flying through fuel supply rings in non-combat scenarios to name a few. With each mission taking mere minutes to complete this variety is welcome and helps ensure that even a short play session is comprised of an assortment of objectives throughout the campaign.

Environmental elements such as electrical storms, sandstorms and clouds can impair the player’s view, reduce their skill charges and inflict damage, adding exciting elements of drama to the missions.

Charming cartoonish visuals and the energetic soundtrack that keeps the action upbeat at all times are both well implemented. By avoiding a more typical 3D or photorealistic approach American Aces feels lighter in tone and that compliments the gameplay wonderfully. The sound design is sharp and consistent with the chaos that ensues these dogfights and lends to an overall essentially flawless audio-visual presentation.

Red Wings: American Aces is a brief but accessible aerial shooter that is enjoyable in its simplicity and offers enough mission variety, co-operative, competitive and solo game modes to satisfy the casual gamers. Players looking for a bit more depth or replayability will come away wanting but the fast paced gameplay itself can’t be ignored, resulting in a fun shooter that keeps things simple in every aspect.

+ Charming visuals

+ Enjoyable, simplistic gameplay

+ Mission variety and assortment of game modes

– Lacks replayability for players expecting depth

– Brief campaign

Developed & Published by: All In! Games

Release Date: March 31 2022

Platforms: Nintendo Switch and PC

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

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The premise of Sockventure is all too relatable for younger players. Being told to pick up after ourselves before we can play some more video games feels like a prison sentence when we’re young but becomes a normal part of growing up, and before we know it, we’re telling our kids to do the same. Taking control of a young boy to pick up his socks and run them through the washing machine, the mother says to use imagination while we wait for the washing to finish. Almost instantly, the wild imagination of the boy comes to life and the washing machine becomes a cursed and dangerous platforming playground for Supersock, a hero tasked with navigating the deadly and ever-changing interior of the washing machine to find the boy’s favourite socks.

Packed with over 200 levels spread across seven chapters, and three bonus chapters, Sockventure requires players to master the precision-based gameplay to navigate and survive the wild world within the washing machine that the boy has developed. Sockhero learns new abilities throughout, is confronted by new challenges and obstacles with refreshing regularity and ultimately finds himself starring in a genuinely enjoyable and authentically challenging platformer developed by Nighthouse Games.

With the simple and comical premise established, Sockventure wastes little time in acquainting players with Sockhero and the ever-changing landscape within the cursed washing machine. Each of the seven chapters is comprised of multiple levels, transforming the inside of the washing machine into different states of deadly obstacle courses. A myriad of environmental obstacles and hazards such as spikes, saw blades, degrading platforms, flames and lasers to name just a few.

Initially limited to simply running and jumping, Sockhero’s repertoire expands regularly with new abilities that include double-jump, wall climbing, dash and more. The frequency of new introductions to gameplay mechanics keeps things fresh, exciting and make runs a little easier, despite the proportionate increase in difficulty and obstacles to overcome.

Littered throughout each level are coins to be collected. Most are on the natural path but others are often placed in a position just dangerous enough to challenge the player with the internal struggle of “is it worth it?” At the end of each chapter, the player is awarded up to three gold stars. One for completing the chapter within a specific timeframe, another for collecting all of the coins and finally for completing the chapter without dying.

Failure isn’t harsh, with the player simply being returned to the beginning of the level or to the nearest checkpoint that has been reached. Additionally, there is an option in the settings to increase the respawn points that. Help dramatically when some levels seem a little overwhelming. These additional points typically return the player to the nearest platform they were able to stand on instead. This accessibility goes a long way in allowing more casual platformer players to be able to push through instead of quitting in frustration. I am not ashamed to say I had to turn this function on around chapter four as the challenge had ramped up significantly by that point in Sockventure.

As the mission of Sockhero is to retrieve the missing socks after the cursed washing mission ate them in the beginning, once they are found they act as skins that the player can switch between at any time to provide a new look for Sockhero. My personal favourite is found early on, planting a banana on Sockhero’s head. This is a simple yet nice touch to award the player with something other than the satisfaction of overcoming the heavy trial-and-error based nature of the gameplay.

The controls are great and very responsive, considering the precision required to navigate the levels this is excellent news when compared to the plethora of other indie titles that struggle to nail the responsiveness of the controls which leads to frustrating failure. The trial-and-error style of the gameplay is much more tolerable as a result, and the solution is typically evident, it’s the execution of the player’s timing that will determine success.

Given the generous amount of abilities and mechanics that are drip fed into Sockventure throughout the experience, the game never feels stale and after a few deaths the way forward becomes even clearer and more achievable. The colourful environments and flashy animations keep the action vibrant, entertaining and cartoonish to the point that its charm is able to motivate the player to push through, succeed and see what’s next.

While the difficulty is generally manageable with a few attempts and a more cautious approach to the calculation and precision required to navigate the death traps, Sockventure does feel like its greatest difficulty spike happens a little too early, around chapter three. When new abilities come soon after things do get easier but pushing the difficulty back a chapter or two until these abilities are acquired may have made the experience one that feels more gradual.

Sockventure is fun, challenging and wonderfully designed, offering a staggering amount of levels rife with enjoyable obstacles, cool costumes to unlock for Sockhero and satisfaction of overcoming what may seem at times as impossible. Joyful visuals, fun stat tracking such as deaths and times, as well as a personal speedrun leaderboard, Sockventure is highly replayable for those players that enjoy seeing how fast they can complete runs with minimal or no deaths.

+ Fun level designs

+ Enjoyable environmental hazards and obstacles

+ Gradual introduction of new abilities

+ Cartoonish art design

+ Replayability

– Difficulty spike feels a little early

Developed by: Nighthouse Games

Published by: Versus Evil

Release Date: April 14 2022

Platforms: Nintendo Switch and PC

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

– Additional Links –

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Playing as Vinny, Five Dates puts players in the hot seat with five potential women to get to know through interactive video dates. Just like real life these can go well just as easily as they can go bad. The dialogue players choose for Vinny will determine whether there’s potential future dates to play through or not. Packed with humour, charm and of course cringe, Five Dates is an entertaining interactive rom-com that embraces online dating during “lockdown”.

Who is Vinny?

At the beginning of a new game, players are able to create their profile for Vinny with a very limited variety of options. A small offering of profile pictures are available, over half a dozen careers can be chosen, a number of interests and of course, zodiac signs. The choices made here will provide slightly alternate scenes that will have little to no impact in some areas while also having more significant impacts in regards to compatibility with the lucky ladies Vinny can choose to match with.

There’s little to say about Vinny without context of the choices made. His background can vary based on the profile creation at the start as well as the dialogue choices made. Who Vinny is can be different every time which lends well to replayability, encouraging exploration of potential relationships with these five women.

Vinny regularly consults with his best friend Callum before and after dates in brief video chats that are all but guaranteed to make the player laugh. Callum is extremely excited for Vinny and his high energy and motivational insight is hilarious and fun, feeling like an authentic best friend/wingman in this situation.

The girls

There are five girls that Vinny can have video dates with but only three can be chosen per playthrough. Depending on how well the dates go, two can be chosen for a second date and only one can be picked for the third and final date. The five girls are all very different, with unique personalities, careers, beliefs and goals.

Maya is a Spanish language teacher with a very free spirited, fun and electric youthful personality.

Paige is a successful social media influencer.

Shaina is nurse and lives with her parents.

Grace is very self assured and confident, a successful partner at her law firm.

Saffron is a project manager at an animal warfare centre and into her yoga and vegan lifestyle. She’s lively, very fun and playfully goofy.

All five of the girls have their own secrets which can be revealed with careful dialogue selection and will give little away on the first dates. This encourages the player to explore each of the girls interests and personalities more deeply on subsequent dates with some of the big reveals being held off only for the third and final date.

Looking ahead

At the end of each date Vinny calls Callum for a debrief where they discuss how the dates went. After the first dates Callum will take to social media to check the girls out and see if there’s any new information that comes up. The player is able to scroll through their social media profile if they have one and look at pictures which may help him come up with new things to discuss should he choose to go on another date with them. These debrief can be very funny if the dates go well but can just as easily be depressing if they don’t.

The second dates are game dates and have Vinny and his two chosen dates playing the likes of “Never Have I Ever” and “Truth or Dare”. These games are a great way to find out about the girls and get more insight into their personalities.

The third and final date is dinner date where Vinny and his single chosen girl cook something and digitally have dinner together. At the conclusion of this date, dependant on the choices made, result in the pair either choosing to continue seeing each other digitally or not.

The clever integration of 2020’s “lockdown” is the perfect plot device to keep these characters knowing just enough about each other to decide whether they want to pursue a relationship when they are finally able to be together in person by continuing a digital relationship. Playing through the game at least five times to see each girl through to the final date is recommended and enjoyable. A single playthrough only takes just over an hour and future playthroughs can have every previously witnessed scene skipped to move things along faster and make alternate decisions at key moments.

Swipe left or right?

Five Dates is another enjoyable full motion video game from Wales Interactive. With seven characters to get to know, including Vinny and Callum, the wildly different personalities are entertaining and feel genuine. Just like real dates there’s moments that are funny, interesting, sad and outright awkward. The girls are each mysterious enough on the initial dates to make the player genuinely curious about them and considering the brevity of a single playthrough it is easy to justify multiple playthroughs.

+ Choices allow Vinny to have different backgrounds each playthrough

+ The five girls are interesting and entertaining in their own unique ways

+ Callum, the perfect wingman

– Scene transitions can disrupt the flow of a conversation

– Longer dates would allow for a little more character development

Games of DAYNE Rating

Developed by: Good Gate Media and Wales Interactive

Published by: Wales Interactive

Release Date: November 17 2020

Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch and P

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Morkredd is an atmospheric physics based puzzle title that can be played alone or with one other player via local co-op. By either controlling a pair of characters with each thumb stick or working together with a friend, Morkredd is a unique and interesting experience that showcases the power of both light and darkness in this monochromatic experience.

Unless specified otherwise, this review is written from the perspective of playing alone.

(Not) alone in the dark

Morkredd begins with a man and woman waking to be guided by a flaming orb. Straying from the illuminated radius of the light into the darkness will kill either of the characters. At the conclusion of the prologue, the flaming orb enters a larger orb that must be pushed by the characters, either alone or together.

The rule of staying within the illuminated area remains throughout Morkredd though the darkness can still kill the characters should they be caught in any shadow, even within the orb, that may be cast by the architecture of the environment or even the other character. Great care must be taken whilst pushing the orb forward through each level to progress to avoid one character’s shadow accidentally being cast onto the other.

Progression in Morkredd is simple in theory, navigate the orb until reaching a distinctly new location. There are a total of 6 levels and each is progressively more difficult than the last. As the story progresses new puzzles and mechanics are introduced for the player to solve such as levers, switches and pressure plates. Some of these can be solved by a single character but a lot require both to be doing something either simultaneously or closely after one another.

As with the puzzles, environmental hazards such as unguarded bridges or cliffs for the orb to fall off which results in the pair dying from the absence of light, or enemies that can only be defeated by shadows cast from the characters by strategically moving the orb. The gameplay itself is quite simplistic but it’s the complexity of controlling both characters, the orb and awareness of environmental elements that may cast shadows that makes Morkredd very much a trial and error experience unless absolute attention is given at all times.

The closing moments of the story are very unexpected, resulting in a very different approach to the gameplay that is both fun and frustratingly challenging. The conclusion of the story itself is surprisingly heartfelt in regards to the pair of characters and their determination in getting the orb where it needs to go.

Completing Morkredd alone is significantly more challenging than playing with a friend. The puzzles in particular are a lot easier to solve and greater control of the orb is obviously granted with an additional player. There is no right or wrong way to play Morkredd and players looking for an extra challenge will certainly want to try playing alone.

Black and white

The monochromatic visuals allow the light and darkness to have their own weight, their own power on the screen that feels both safe and dangerous. This balance tells almost as much of a story as the narrative that unfolds and evolves with the gradual complexity of the gameplay and puzzle solving.

A later level offers a fun contrast to the very black and white world the player becomes accustomed to. The world of Morkredd is dark and gritty and the often haunting and ominous score is a beautiful companion to the visual aesthetic.

More-kredd

Morkredd can be completed alone in as little as two hours but how long it takes other players will depend on their ability to solve the puzzles and the extent of trial and error. Playing co-operatively Morkredd can be completed in just over an hour. Regardless of how Morkredd is played, it is an absolute joy.

Striking visuals with fun and challenging puzzles keep it interesting and engaging throughout. A longer experience would have been nicer but the story it manages to tell throughout its short run time is effective nonetheless.

+ Striking visuals

+ Challenging puzzles

+ Co-op support

+ Surprising final act

– A little too short

Games of DAYNE Rating

Developed by: Hyper Games

Published by: Aspyr

Release Date: December 10 2020

Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC

* Morkredd is available with Xbox Game Pass *

– Additional Links –

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Gears 5 saw the introduction of Hives, a mode pitting a trio of characters against the unrelenting Swarm in an attempt to destroy it from the inside out and escape alive. Previously only available as a multiplayer mode, Gears 5 now has a standalone DLC called Hivebusters which serves as an origin story for Scorpio Squad.

Keegan, Lahni and Mac, all previously playable characters in Gears 5 comprise the elite team. With the sole purpose of infiltrating Hives and destroying them from within, this story shows how they came to be the unstoppable force they are today.

Taking place in the brand new jungle island locations of Weilehi and Galangi, ancient ruins, indigenous villages and abandoned COG facilities become the playground for this elite trio.

Scorpio

Traveling on a Condor in the middle of a violent storm, Keegan, Lahni and Mac have been hand selected for a secret mission, the destination of which is unknown to them. Forced to bail as their Condor is stricken by the Swarm, the plane is sent hurtling to the beaches of the tropical island below.

Upon reuniting the trio search for the cockpit in an effort to use the radio to call for extraction. Encountering a Swarm soldiers on the ground, they must fight until help arrives and transport them to safety, narrowly avoiding an attack from an unseen acid spitting monster that decimates the Swarm from the trees.

Greeted by Hoffman, the three are sent to a hive beneath an abandoned COG doomsday bunker to destroy it with a bomb. With the plan not going as smoothly as hoped and Scorpio barely escaping with their lives, a backup plan is established that sees them seek out the acid spitting monster from the beach to extract its venom to create a more powerful bomb capable of wiping out the Swarm as they had witnessed.

The adventure that follows is an adrenaline pumping thrill ride full of danger such as volcanic activity and ancient ruins overrun by the Swarm for Scorpio to survive. Each of the characters’ backgrounds are reasonably fleshed out as they push forward with their mission and it becomes clear that these three share a bond that make them the perfect team. Their characters themselves aren’t as interesting as how they ultimately accept each other which is a shame, creating an uneven narrative on a character level while the overall story works better despite this.

This 6 chapter story takes about 2 and a half hours on the lower difficulties and feels like an authentic companion to the Gears 5 campaign. The harder difficulties will of course challenge even the most capable players and is certainly a true test of skill.

The Squad

The campaign can be played as any of the three characters with the other two being controlled by AI or other players locally or online. Playing as Keegan, Lahni or Mac has no consequence on the story, instead, character selection will only be different based on the unique ability that each character possesses.

Keegan can deploy a temporary ammo source to replenish ammo for himself and those around him, Lahni has an electricity infused knife and Mac can summon a shield that moves with him. Each characters abilities can be upgraded by finding hidden upgrade packs in the world. If playing alone, ally abilities can be triggered with simple controls. Each ability requires a brief cooldown which is displayed on screen before they can be used again.

Getting swarmed

The gameplay is exactly as can be expected when compared to Gears 5. It’s fast paced, tight and as responsive as ever. The assortment of weapons at the player’s disposal is varied enough to satisfy players of all types whether they like getting in close or plucking their foes from a distance.

As players of the series have become familiar with, enemies will attack furiously and from all angles, particularly on higher difficulties. This keeps the experience a challenge at all times and allows breathing room for only mere moments before throwing more chaos at the player.

Gears 5 has always excelled with its gameplay and Hivebusters is no different. As far as mixing it up goes, the combat remains unchanged but some of the epic set pieces that include the likes of floating down a stream of lava on a giant metal door while gunning down the Swarm keep the action itself feeling fresh and distinctly unique from the base campaign of Gears 5.

Show me the power

Hivebusters looks absolutely phenomenal on the Xbox Series X. The world of Gears has never looked more stunning by offering a lush and vibrant jungle backdrop for the most part, flashing colours the series has so long been without while also remaining faithful to its gritty and grungy locales fans have come to know and love.

The environment is hands down one of the most striking that can be experienced on any console, period. Hivebusters is proof that Gears can continue to freshen things up while not doing so at the expense of what has made it great for over 14 years.

Bustin’ hives and takin’ lives

While the story itself isn’t as engaging as the brutal third person shooting, what Hivebusters succeeds in is providing a meaningful backstory for the trio that comprise Scorpio Squad in the Hives multiplayer mode. These characters are now more than just 3 elite ass-kickers, they’re 3 elite ass-kickers with a story and a journey that truly brought them together.

While they individually don’t bring a lot to the table in regards to emotional depth, what they are as a team has been impressively realised and displayed across an action packed Swarm slaying adventure that feels like a legitimate Gears campaign, albeit a brief one. Hivebusters is a must play for fans of the series, especially if it can be played on an Xbox Series X.

+ Breathtaking environment

+ Solid gameplay

+ Additional backstory for legacy Gears characters

– Individually Scorpio doesn’t stand out

– Fairly predictable and safe

Games of DAYNE Rating

Developed by: The Coalition

Published by: Xbox Game Studios

Release Date: December 15 2020

Platforms: Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC

*  Hivebusters is available in Xbox Game Pass *

– Additional Links –

For more of my reviews, click HERE.

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The post Gears 5 – Hivebusters Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

DarQ: Complete Edition is a side-scrolling psychological puzzle adventure set within the lucid dreams of a boy named Lloyd. Packed with striking monochromatic visuals and reality bending environment, this disturbing experience is challenging, tense and surprisingly deep. A combination of puzzles, enemies to sneakily bypass and a shifting sense of up and down keep DarQ engaging throughout its brief 2 hour adventure as per its original PC release in 2019 and includes a pair of additional bonus levels, one of which, “The Crypt”, is brand new for this release.

Lost in lucidity

Interestingly enough when it comes to the narrative in DarQ it isn’t particularly articulated in the game itself but rather found in the synopsis of the title on its digital storefront or website. Outside of interpreting these are lucid dreams by Lloyd’s interaction with a bed at the beginning of each of the games 7 chapters, which sees an alternate version of himself float from his body as the other fades, no details are ever spoken or found via written content at all. This obscure approach to the storytelling prevents DarQ from being much more than a series of puzzles to solve with creepy happenings and sensory driven enemies.

Luckily, the gameplay is interesting, challenging and enjoyable enough that the lack of a more obvious narrative can be somewhat overlooked. Lloyd is able to approach walls and interact with them which rotates the screen and makes the former wall become the floor.

This reality bending, physics defying mechanic keeps the environment visually interesting and adds depth to the environmental puzzle solving elements effectively. Instead of being limited to simply left or right as defined by a side-scrolling title such as DarQ, this shifting environment keeps players busy particularly in regards to operating objects such as levers that control doors and walls for instance. This comprises the bulk of puzzle solving, as does finding objects such as wheels to operate new mechanisms or finding severed arms to control out of reach levers. DarQ keeps its puzzles interesting while remaining relatively simple for even casual players.

There are a handful of enemy types in specific places throughout the DarQ that need to be bypassed with stealth. Crouching, hiding, and remaining still when looked at for instance are examples of how these enemies can be safely passed as there is no combat or any means of actually defeating enemies. They don’t feel particularly dangerous and being caught will only set the player back to the beginning of the encounter to try again.

A living dream

DarQ is stylistically brought to life with its sparing use of colour and creepy environments. Despite a rather static world with little animation outside of Lloyd himself, an ominous score establishes an eerie tone that is ever-present, adding tension to a pretty safe experience. How it balances these styles effectively with interesting gameplay and no real story to speak of is a little bit of a mystery but one that manages to come together for an effective and enjoyable overall presentation.

Dreaming of nightmares

Having the events of DarQ take place within the lucid dreams of a boy allows for the unique interpretation of environmental puzzle solving that isn’t tied to the laws of physics. The shifting verticality and creepy occurrences taking place in the background effectively create a dark and twisted world that remains enjoyable despite no real context of what or why anything is happening. The ambiguity of DarQ and Lloyd himself leaves the player open to theorise what they think it all means, and maybe that’s the point. Regardless of intent, DarQ is an effective and artistic experience that offers an enjoyable challenge in a brief but tidy package.

+ Striking art design

+ Shifting verticality

+ Puzzles aren’t too challenging

– Ambiguity of story

– Little sense of threat or danger

Games of DAYNE Rating

Developed by: Unfold Games

Published by: Feardemic

Release Date: December 4 2020

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and PC

– Additional Links –

For more of my reviews, click HERE.

To see this review and other content from my associates at BG4G, click HERE.

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DONTNOD return with another interactive psychological thriller that digs deep into the past and fragile emotional states of its cast in Twin Mirror. The cinematics do the heavy lifting and tasks the player with simply exploring various locations in search of clues and interacting with other characters in order to uncover vital information.

Having to follow up on their previous critically acclaimed titles in Life is Strange and more recently Tell Me Why, DONTNOD have raised the bar in the genre to a level that Twin Mirror ultimately can’t quite reach. Originally conceived as an episodic series, the decision was made to restructure the experience in an effort to avoid players having to wait in order to continue the story. Despite being a singular continuous narrative, Twin Mirror fails to hide the seams of where the planned three episodes would appear and the result is a somewhat disconnected experience.

Welcome home, Sam

Players assume the role of Sam Higgs, an investigative reporter that left the fictional town of Basswood following a disruptive expose on the local mine. Two years have passed and Sam returns to Basswood to attend the wake of his best friend Nick. It’s a less than welcome homecoming for Sam as many of the local townsfolk blame Sam for the closure of the mine and disruption to the employment and very livelihood of the community.

Having turned his back on his home, his friends and even his girlfriend Anna, Sam’s return was never going to be as simple as attending the week and leaving as soon as possible. Old friends, colleagues and Nick’s daughter all have a lot to talk about with Sam, all of which are conversations Sam would very much like to avoid. The story barely begins to unfold before players are able to see that Sam’s actions, despite his lack of intent to cause such chaos for the town, have vilified him with little hope of redemption, acceptance or forgiveness from the Basswood locals.

The nature of Nick’s death has roused suspicion in his young daughter Joan, who happens to be Sam’s goddaughter. Joan asks Sam to look into it as she refuses to believe Nick died in a car crash as reported.

After a heavy night of drinking following the wake, Sam wakes to find his shirt covered in blood with no memory of what happened. Here the Mind Palace concept is introduced, freezing time and allowing Sam to explore a fractured version of reality to piece together identified clues and witness alternative scenarios play out before ultimately concluding the true series of events. It’s an interesting concept that is visited frequently throughout the 4-5 hour adventure and while some clues may be a little frustrating to identify, it works well. They are impossible to fail as an incorrect sequence will simply revert Sam to make the choice again which removes any consequence for sloppy detective work.

As Sam digs deeper into the events leading up to Nick’s death he is never truly alone. Accompanied by his imaginary friend referred to only as Him or The Double, Sam is often presented with choices that are typically good or bad in terms of the situation. For instance, The Double will express why a certain decision may benefit Sam or the investigation or why it may have a negative impact. Almost like a visual representation of Sam’s moral compass, the decisions made don’t seem to impact the overall story significantly and merely present slightly alternative routes to the same narrative conclusions.

The ending unfortunately fails to land on an emotional level and barely manages to feel as though the brief journey that lead to it is worthwhile and meaningful. Considering DONTNOD’s work in their previous titles it is very surprising to see Twin Mirror not only feel less emotional or resonating but for it to struggle to maintain interest or investment in the characters is a misstep in an otherwise excellent body of work.

Playing detective

Twin Mirror is an interactive adventure which places less emphasis on actual gameplay and instead focuses on presenting a more cinematic and episodic feel. This is particularly welcome considering the rather monotonous and uninteresting gameplay mechanics. Exploring an area and interacting with objects and the environment to uncover clues is less inspired than it sounds on paper. This feels largely due to the lack of likeability in protagonist Sam. By no means an actual detective, Sam’s background in investigative journalism  leads the gameplay and with uninteresting characters to interact with and the incredibly slow pace of the story itself, he struggles to feel fun, interesting or as if he genuinely cares. Despite his investigation being rooted in the death of his best friend, this feels like busy work to Sam and this ultimately translates to the player.

Piecing together sequences to determine how events played out loses all its weight considering failure is not an option. By allowing the player to continue solving these visual puzzles with no consequence for failure removes a sense of responsibility to careful decision making and undermines the gravity of the situation overall. Sam is investigating the death of his best friend, this should feel as though Sam is doing whatever it takes to get to the truth and by allowing his failure to be rewarded with continuous attempts to get it right any sense of pacing, tension and drama goes with it.

Static shock

Basswood and it’s inhabitants suffer from some significant texture drops and delayed rendering with alarming regularity made worse only by the stiff animations of the characters. Feeling and appearing very wooden, it’s difficult for Basswood to feel alive, joining the story and characters as having less dimension than its premise. The score however feels lively though it’s sparing use limits it from saving the dull moment to moment gameplay sequences. Missing sound effects such as car doors opening and closing in silence, lack of footsteps on occasion and out of sync dialogue really remove the player from the scene with such frequency that it’s hard to really feel invested in the scene or experience overall.

Cold case

Upon getting to the bottom of the true nature of Nick’s death it’s difficult to feel an emotional attachment to any of the characters by the time the credits roll. Nick’s daughter Joan is possibly the only character in the entire game to feel remotely fleshed out and believable from a motivation perspective. Sam doesn’t feel like he cares and as that attitude is pushed to the players own perception of him, Twin Mirror comes across as little more than a journalist digging for a story rather than a man seeking truth and justice for the death of his best friend. A solid concept that was poorly executed, Twin Mirror blemishes an otherwise flawless track record of emotionally driven interactive adventures from DONTNOD.

+ Interesting premise

– Unlikeable protagonist

– Lack of interesting supporting characters

– No consequences or meaningful decisions

– Underwhelming narrative

– Stiff animations

Games of DAYNE Rating

Developed by: DONTNOD

Published by: DONTNOD

Release Date: December 1 2020

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC

– Additional Links –

For more of my reviews, click HERE.

To see this review and other content from my associates at BG4G, click HERE.

The post Twin Mirror Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

Operation Taking AIM and all future Operations, heroes, villains and maps, are completely free!

I’m Kate Bishop, duh…

Kate is no stranger to sarcasm, exerting a playfully sarcastic energy that injects levity to the team despite the very grave and game changing stakes at play. Following a trail of bodies decorated with arrows, The Avengers find Kate more than capably holding her own against A.I.M. in a facility using stolen A.I.M. tech that grant her short range teleportation abilities.

Using this newfound tech to devastate A.I.M. through a brief mission chain that takes no more than an hour and a half to complete, Kate’s personality works well within the dynamics of the established team as she proves herself with confidence in her abilities to be a serious ass kicker while still running her mouth.

Tracking Tachyon pulses like a breadcrumb trail of A.I.M’s sinister plot, The Avengers must navigate this wild storm and save Hawkeye from Monica Rappuchini, antagonist of the main campaign. Learning all is not as it seems, the team must steal some tech to create a time bridge to travel one day in the past to save Hawkeye and foil Monica’s schemes.

Unfortunately, 2 of the boss battles are Dreadbot/Warbot encounters which have been thoroughly exhausted through the base game in both the story and the Avengers Initiative multiplayer component. The final boss encounter is a little more original though the enemy itself, the Super Adaptoid, is merely an alteration of the existing Adaptoid enemy type. Possessing powers of various members of The Avengers, the Super Adaptoid has a shield that can deflect and be thrown like Captain America, a gigantic hammer like Thor and Repulsor tech to fly like Ironman. This enemy is a nice addition to the extremely limited villain pool that consists entirely of Abomination and Taskmaster but isn’t varied enough to feel truly different from the enemy type he is modelled after. At the conclusion of this story extension a greater evil is revealed, setting up Hawkeye’s upcoming Operation Future Imperfect with ramifications for their universe as a whole.

Kate is wonderfully brought to life by the amazing Ashley Burch. Fans may recognise her as Tina from Borderlands 3, Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn and Chloe Price from Life is Strange. The  charm and charisma Ashley brings to Operation Taking AIM. and Marvel’s Avengers overall is most welcome.

Going extra curricular

Along with the main story chain, as with each of the other Avengers, Kate has an Iconic Mission Chain that upon completion rewards a unique cosmetic appearance. Completing this will likely come naturally by playing through Kate’s Operation and will also require the completion of Kate’s unique H.A.R.M. Room Challenge. It is easy to recommend doing her H.A.R.M. Room first in order to become familiar with her tech and abilities, making the story more accessible with familiarity in her playstyle.

Taking Aim

Kate is an expert archer mentored by Hawkeye. This style has translated very well into Marvel’s Avengers gameplay mechanics as she feels fast, effective and most importantly fun. Able to shoot single standard arrows, a trio of horizontal arrows or an explosive tipped variant, Kate is able to effectively clear out individuals or groups with ease.

If getting up close and personal is preferred, Kate is equipped with a katana that makes short work of her foes. Her abilities enhance her swordplay and ranged attacks by fusing her teleportation to allow for short range leaps to transport her closer to her enemies or allow an arrow to be shot that transports her to its destination too.

If the ranged and melee attack combos aren’t enough, Kate also has a decoy that can be deployed to draw enemy fire and can be upgraded to actually inflict damage on its targets as well. With further upgrading, Kate is able to occupy her decoy and take its place, making Kate extremely versatile in environmental traversal and for navigating the battlefield swiftly.

Kate’s Assault, Support and Ultimate Heroic Abilities are all a lot of fun to experiment with. Various options increase her attack range, damage and attack types that result in interesting combat opportunities. Each time Kate levels up the player is awarded one skill point to allocate to her skill tree. By completing all missions in Operation Taking AIM the player should easily be about level 30, with a level cap of 50 most of her abilities can be unlocked ahead of moving onto the Avengers Initiative missions to continue playing beyond this Operation.

Kate also has a Hero Challenge Card which is unlocked by spending 1,000 Credits. These can be obtained by completing levels of the base 6 characters challenge cards or purchased with premium currency. The Challenge Card itself can be progressed by completing a pair of daily and weekly challenges regularly or by purchasing Tier skips with Credits. New outfits, nameplates, takedowns, Credits and crafting materials will be awarded upon reaching every one of the 40 Tiers.

Kate hits the mark

Operation Taking AIM is an enjoyable content drop, the first of many to introduce new characters, villains and maps in the future. Unfortunately by not bringing a new map with this Operation and by recycling boss battles, the introduction of a new villain, while appreciated, is not different enough to be as satisfying as it could be. A new hero though has been much needed and Kate is such a fun addition to the team.

A feeling of repetition in the mission variety, locations and enemies hold the Operation back which is a genuine shame because Kate is such a wild personality with fun and unique gameplay. Feeling a little too tethered to the next Operation, Hawkeye’s Future Imperfect, this one doesn’t quite feel complete and perhaps upon the arrival of Hawkeye, a more concrete resolution to this story arc may be present.

+ Kate’s personality is a lot of fun

+ Unique and enjoyable gameplay mechanics

+ Story is interesting

– Recycled boss battles and new villain feels too familiar

– Feels like half of a two part saga

Games of DAYNE Rating

* For my review of Marvel’s Avengers, click here! *

– Additional Links –

For more of my reviews, click HERE.

To see this review and other content from my associates at BG4G, click HERE.

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