Set in the world of the hit Nickelodeon animated series, Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova is a race against time for the crew of the USS Protostar to repair their ship and rescue their friends before the system is destroyed by a supernova.

With stakes as high as this, Dal R’El and Gwyndala must overcome every enemy, obstacle and puzzle as if their very lives depend on it. Armed with a unique array of melee and ranged weapons to keep them feeling distinct, players can freely switch between Dal and Gwyn, or play co-operatively via local split-screen.

With plenty of puzzles to solve, secrets to find and enemies to destroy, Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova follows the footsteps of its on-screen companion, Star Trek Prodigy, bringing the near 60 year franchise to a younger audience.

It is worth noting that despite being in my early thirties, I personally have never seen a single episode or film from the Star Trek franchise. Fortunately, Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova does not punish me for this, so players in the same camp can rest assured that they do not have to know what a Klingon is or means.

On the flip side, Supernova does expect you to be familiar with the Star Trek Prodigy animated series as it almost immediately starts referencing characters and events via dialogue that are not explained in-game. Without spoiling anything, the family background of one character is discussed as though the player knows who the other characters being mentioned are, as well as their affiliations, and this takes place in the very first mission of the game.

This leads to story and character moments that don’t have the context or weight to a newcomer as they may have for viewers of the animated show. While Supernova tells a self-contained story that feels like it has a genuine beginning, middle and an end, it does so by referencing events outside of the experience of the game itself which undeniably strips away moments of significance.

Playable solo or co-operatively with one other player via local split-screen, players embark on an adventure comprised of twelve missions spread across three planets. Each planet is visually distinct and does a great job in establishing its own tone and identity when taking on the four missions attached to it.

Supernova gradually introduces new concepts and gameplay mechanics at an accessible rate. Combat is simple, tied to a melee strike and ranged attacks. With story progression players will unlock upgrades that can be purchased with crystals that are found throughout every mission. These upgrades are tied to increased stats and performance for each characters arsenal.

Traversal is very simple, players can run around and use a dash manoeuvre to cross small gaps or can interact with certain ledges to climb platforms. Coupled with the simplistic combat system, the general gameplay mechanics of Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova are fairly accessible but the depth may not satisfy older, more experienced players in the same way.

Melee combat is tied to a singular button while ranged combat is tied to a trigger. These ranged attacks will slowly fill an overheat bar that decreases automatically when ranged weapons aren’t used in quick succession and if the weapons do overheat, a brief cool-down will occur before it can be used again.

The enemy forces that will swarm Dal and Gwyn are known as Watchers, and they are represented by a variety of variants that each attack in unique ways. Some are melee focused while others are ranged, have powerful lasers, perform charged attacks, explode upon defeat and damage anything within a short radius or have healing areas that regenerate health for anything in close proximity. Various visual indicators and cues can be observed to understand the attack patterns and learn which Watcher performs which type of attack. If Dal or Gwyn take too much damage, they will need to be revived by the other with a simple button prompt.

Gwyn is more proficient with melee combat and can perform charged melee attacks that Dal can’t. Outside of combat Gwyn can create bridges with her melee weapon at specific places that Dal can climb on and cross, she can block laser beams, interrupting them and allowing Dal to pass behind her without taking damage.

Dal is more skilled in ranged combat and is able to shoot longer before his weapon overheats. Like Gwyn, Dal has unique abilities outside of combat. Dal is able to lift debris that Gwyn can crawl under and he is also able to activate his chameleon ability to turn invisible and avoid motion detectors.

For both Dal and Gwyn, their non-combat abilities are essential for story progression and solving puzzles. They are simple to understand, execute and identify when and where they are required.

If the player needs a hint of what direction their objective is they are able to use the Tricorder by simply tapping the left trigger. This highlights important objects and indicates the path with a waypoint. When there are paths present that go in a direction different to the Tricorder, this could either be a path that will become accessible later or simply an alternate path full of secrets or collectibles such as the Punnies, bunny-like alien creatures, plants or relics.

Each mission has a combination of Punnies, plants and relics to find and collect, some can only be accessed by using abilities of crew members not unlocked until later missions, meaning these missions will need to be replayed later.

Environmental puzzle solving is introduced in the opening mission and is increasingly relied upon to extend the length of missions with story progression. An assortment of puzzles and components are gradually introduced such as interacting with power cubes to power up cables and doors or power down by removing them, using switches to direct the flow of power and moving large boxes to shift the flow of a light beam to open doors and deactivate light gates for instance.

Initially the puzzles are pretty simple and short but as the game gets deeper they become increasingly longer and more complicated. Repetition sets in all too fast with the puzzles and it very quickly becomes apparent that solving puzzles dominates the core gameplay. Early missions take about 25 to 30 minutes to fully explore while later missions can take 40 plus. The missions feel unnecessarily bloated by puzzles and unfortunately this feeling sets in very early. The frequency, length and complexity of the puzzles and lack of a hint system I feel are likely to alienate younger players, possibly being too difficult for some and since they are tied to story progression, I worry this may prevent some players from even finishing the story.

At the end of each mission the player can be awarded up to three badges based on their performance in certain aspects. A Time Badge is awarded for completing the missions within a certain time frame, a KO Badge is awarded for finishing the mission by being knocked out less than a defined amount of times and finally a Mineral Badge for collecting a specified amount of crystals. Unfortunately, the badge requirements are only shown at the end of the mission and can’t be viewed again in any way before, during or outside of a mission with the sole exception of at the very end of that mission. Completionists in particular will have a tough time managing thorough exploration within a time limit they can not see. Collecting all of a particular Bade type are cheats which may incentivise players and make any subsequent playthroughs a little easier.

As the story progresses, four members of the Protostar crew are individually rescued. These members can perform unique interactions at certain parts of missions, encouraging replayability by revisiting earlier missions where these characters were not unlocked but their skills are required. As with all four of the rescuable crew members, they each offer a unique way to reach previously inaccessible areas and have a unique combat ability that can be triggered such as increased damage output or damaging enemies over time.

Dal and Gwyn can each select an ally ability to trigger at the start of each mission, either the ability activated upon any melee or ranges attack after filling a meter that is powered simply by inflicting enemy damage. The effectiveness of these ally abilities can be improved by completing up to two unique crew missions that can be accessed in the Protostar in between missions.

With a visual direction that serves as a faithful companion to the animated series that this game takes place in, Supernova has a charming visual identity that can be immediately associated by fans of the show. For newcomers, there is still a general Star Trek vibe that is given off by the characters and world design that playfully says “this is Star Trek”.

The score does a surprisingly excellent job at shifting tones and establishing themes of wonder, tension and drama. Playful sound design keeps the sci-fi elements ever present during combat and exploration.

Tessera Studios have done a great job developing Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova in a manner that is visually similar to the animated series that it takes place in. The story is interesting, even for a player who is not familiar with Star Trek but for players who haven’t seen the animated Star Trek Prodigy series however, there are story elements, mostly on a character level, that are referenced and seemingly important but are never explored or explained in depth during the actual game.

The increasing reliance, length, complexity and frequency of the puzzles very quickly eliminates any sense of pacing and creates a frustrating experience that unfortunately gives the game overall a sense of overstaying its welcome. If the puzzles were dialled back and less prominent, Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova could shine a lot brighter.

+ Cool art direction that matches the animated series

+ Interesting story, even for Star Trek newcomers

+ Variety of abilities to unlock

– References to story and character elements that aren’t explained in-game

– Puzzles get too long, too frequent and too complex, especially for younger players

– Mission badge requirements can’t be seen apart from finishing the mission

Developed by: Tessera Studios

Published by: Outright Games

Release Date: October 14 2022

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

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

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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 *

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The tale of a special red wine created by the Banydebosc family, said to possess the power to cure the Devil’s Fever, leads protagonist Marti on a mission to find it to save his family from said ailment in Horror Tales: The Wine.

Navigating an abandoned city, largely in ruins, leads the player on a first-person horror experience that twists reality and provides company in the form of a headless apparition that stalks the player at regular intervals. Unable to fight back, the player must run, solve puzzles and find the wine in the reality-bending horror tale.

The gorgeous Mediterranean setting features striking stone architecture, home to nothing but the remnants of a once bustling city left in abandon after the Devil’s Fevers pandemic. Navigating the buildings, underground catacombs and seas of wine provide an ominous backdrop to the player’s quest to survive the headless stalker and find the cure for his family.

Environmental puzzles challenge the player to find and use objects within the environment to open gates, passages, and create walkways to reach new plateaus to push forward. These puzzles are reasonably simple to solve, with the solution or required interactions typically nearby.

The player has a camera that serves no purpose other than Achievements/Trophies. When toggled, the player is able to freely float around and pass through specific walls, backing out from the camera when the passage has been opened to be able to enter the newly revealed area.

What awaits the player is pointless on a narrative level but amusing at the same time. Tucked behind these hidden passages, as well as hidden throughout the city, are photos of cats that award Achievements/Trophies. While serving no purpose in the grand scheme of things, any day you can find a picture of a cat in a game is a good day.

Horror Tales: The Wine has an atmosphere of tension that follows the formula of other titles that occupy the first-person horror genre. It competently keeps players on edge despite rarely capitalising on that tension with a moment of terror. Lacking jump-scares and cutscenes, the exclamation point to the tension comes in the form of the headless stalker that appears in pursuit of the player on a number of occasions.

This stalker needs to be avoided by outrunning him, monitoring stamina at the same time as a depleted stamina bar will leave the player vulnerable to his attacks. It only takes 3-4 hits for the stalker to kill the player but luckily, checkpoints are generous and the player is typically spawned back in the same area.

Adding further tension to these encounters is the environmental puzzle solving typically associated, tasking the player with finding and interacting with things nearby to create an escape and temporarily lose the stalker before he returns later at the next pre-determined moment. Throwing puzzles at the player while having to escape the stalker works well, elevates the tension and provides the only sense of action in what would otherwise be comparable to a walking simulator.

Despite relying on player exploration, the way forward is pretty linear, offering up a few rooms for the player to search while still funnelling them forward in a way that counteracts the lack of a mini-map or clear objectives.

The art direction of Horror Tales: The Wine is surprisingly great. From the abandoned homes, empty castle, stunningly gorgeous red seas of wine and the beautifully effective lighting bring dimension to an experience that rests primarily on its premise instead of presenting an evolving story.

Taking as little as an hour to complete the experience is rewarding and worth playing. Ticking boxes visually and on an audio level with its effective sound effects, Horror Tales: The Wine doesn’t raise the bar for the genre but still manages to deliver an experience that still stands out from the pack.

It may not be the longest, scariest or action-packed experience, but the quest to save the family of our protagonist with a magical wine is intriguing, atmospheric and clever enough with its puzzle design that it feels worthwhile. Horror Tales: The Wine wraps up what little story it tells with an epilogue that mirrors the reflection of my experience, taking a moment to look back and remember it fondly.

+ Beautiful art direction

+ Effective sound design

+ Atmospheric tension

+ Clever puzzles

+ Stalker confrontations work well

– Too short

– Minimal story outside of its premise

Developed by: Carlos Coronado

Published by: JanduSoft

Release Date: July 30 2021

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

* Players looking to unlock all of the Achievements can find my 100% walkthrough made for Achievement Land HERE. This will get you all of the Achievements in an hour *

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Augmented with implants at birth, the inhabitants of the cyberpunk world that serves as the setting of Foreclosed are essentially corporate property. Playing as Evan Kapnos, the company that owns his identity has been foreclosed, and in just a few short hours his identity will belong to the state.

The blend of third person shooting and stealth with hack-based puzzles mashed with a comic book art design will take the player on a two-to-three-hour thrill ride as Kapnos fights to save himself.

The story is surprisingly interesting, layered with tension and revelations befitting of a thriller film. Corporate espionage, shady deals and manipulation keep the pacing tense and constantly evolve the narrative in a new direction. By taking place in a cyberpunk setting Foreclosed can capitalise on sci-fi concepts such as augmentation, telekinetic abilities and shield generation that create some dynamic gameplay experiences in the combat encounters as well as general progression and exploration.

Crouching to avoid enemy detection allows the player to sneak within close proximity of enemy, of which they can see as red silhouettes through walls and perform stealth takedowns by overloading their implants.

If stealth isn’t the preferred playstyle, then going in loud, guns blazing is an option but tacky aim mechanics make this more complicated than it needs to be and the bullet sponge enemies can take a ridiculous amount of shots before dying, even headshots aren’t guaranteed to get the kill in a single shot. Unlimited ammo and no need to reload compensate for the technical issues however and allow the shootouts to continue unhindered.

With story progression the player can unlock telekinetic abilities to lift enemies and suspend them in the air, slam them into the ground or to pick up objects in the environment and launch them at their targets. The combination of shooting, telekinetic abilities and stealth keep options open for the player in the combat situations and the freedom to alternate between offensive styles keeps the combat interesting throughout the largely wave based affairs.

The player can explore the environments in search of devices that award XP by filling a wifi-like signal to track them down and interact with them. As the player levels up by earning XP from killing enemies, hacking things, and finding these pick-ups, XP turns into upgrade points which can be used to unlock new abilities, shield generation, methods to overload enemy implants and an assortment of weapon upgrades such as bullets that can pierce armour or turn the semi-auto pistol into a submachine gun. Using any ability takes a toll on the player’s implant and if it overloads the player will be temporarily stunned by the body rattling headache that accompanies it. These moments leave the player vulnerable so care must be taken when using any augment abilities to not overdo it.

Light puzzle solving is required at intervals that tasks the player with activating consoles, controlling container cranes to create bridges, and hacking panels to open doors for example, simple yet a welcome addition to the otherwise room-clearing shootout affair.

By adopting a comic art design developer Antab Studio have opened the floodgates to have fun with panel-like cinematics and layered gameplay windows that feel genuinely look and feel like a playable comic at times. This does however lead to some frustrating directional issues when it isn’t always clear where the player is when there are multiple panels to look at or when the free control of the camera is restricted, and the player can only walk forward or sideways. Some transitions from cinematics to gameplay and vice versa aren’t always clear which also creates some control frustration.

An ominous, tense and thrilling score keep the atmosphere urgent and unexpected, rounding out the overall thriller film vibes established by the stunning cinematic structure. Foreclosed oozes suspense in its presentation in a way that often overshadowed the gameplay.

Foreclosed is a surprisingly solid experience that is layered visually, thematically and within the confines of its simplistic but varied gameplay. The cool comic presentation is fun, and the thrilling atmosphere and score keeps things tense as the web of lies and manipulation-laden narrative unfolds for Kapnos as he fights to save his identity.

+ Amazing comic presentation

+ Tense atmosphere and score

+ Varied gameplay

+ Interesting story

– Gunplay isn’t great

– No replay value

– Camera issues

Developed by: Antab Studio

Published by: Merge Games

Release Date: August 12 2021

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

– Additional Links –

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The post Foreclosed Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

Developed and published by Paper Cult the cartoonishly violent Bloodroots is a wild beat ’em up ride that follows the player, as Mr. Wolf, embarking on a murderous rampage with an interesting drip-fed story that does its best to ‘justify’ it.

Death is simply one hit away, for the player and their enemies, and with a wide array of weapons and seemingly harmless objects like vegetables to be used as life-ending tools of insta-destruction, the rampage is a blast. Full of platforming elements and area clearance objectives, Bloodroots is pretty bloody good.

Three acts comprised of five missions and a boss battle are the format of Bloodroots‘ story, showing Mr. Wolf’s pursuit of the three bosses he seeks to destroy. A revenge story is the perfect set-up to justify the wild and wacky arsenal of weapons at the players disposal. Swords, axes, tables, carrots, fireworks and chain guns are just a very, very small example of the arsenal that can be used to take down every enemy in a single strike. Experimentation with these is a lot of fun and encourages the sampling of every single new object encountered.

To make things even more fun, as each level is broken into areas that need cleared before being able to progress, the final kill in an area results in a cinematic execution that is only as ridiculous as the weapon in hand. These are amusing, violent and over the top, really selling the tone of Bloodroots that Paper Cult have wonderfully established.

Each act takes place in a unique location and each mission inside the act is set in it’s own little section, preventing a sense of familiarity or repetition in the environment from setting in. The environments are beautiful designed, gorgeous landscapes to be painted over with the blood of the enemies. Every enemy defeated leaves a splashing trail of blood that makes for some lusciously red terrain. The playful art design may have a childish and cartoonish charm but the trail of destruction left behind by the player is certainly not an experience to be viewed by children.

Missions are scored based on the likes of number of enemies killed, the time taken to complete it, number of deaths and whether a secret wolf hidden in each mission has been discovered or not. Completing certain missions with scores also awards a unique hat that can be equipped, essentially a skin, that provides perks or abilities.

In between each mission the player is returned to a campsite which acts as the hub world. Here they are able to switch their current hat, talk to the ghosts at the campfire, select missions to replay or continue the adventure. Let’s talk about them ghosts. As the player exacts revenge on each boss they return to the campfire area and can be talked to. It’s a fun concept that works well in the grander scheme of the story.

The levels are cleverly designed and full of environmental hazards such as fire, spikes, moving objects and of course dozens of enemies that want to insta-kill the player. Some levels favour verticality and have cannons or jumping pads to reach higher plateaus, adding a welcome variety to the visual design and typical traversal which consists of jumping or using certain weapons such as swords to dash across wide gaps.

The boss battles are fun and epic, throwing various smaller enemies at the player to keep things chaotic. It is important to mention that if the player is struggling to survive with the one-hit kill situation they can toggle an Invincible Mode to allow the game to be enjoyed for the story and experience without the difficulty. Additionally, the player can also toggle an area clear, both that and the Invincible Mode can be found in Options, to instantly clear the area of all enemies and allow progression. While some will view this as cheating, I think it is smart to accept these features as accessibility tools for casual players that want to experience Bloodroots without the pressures of perfect runs.

Bloodroots is suspiciously enjoyable with its ridiculous arsenal of ‘weapons’, cool execution animations, beautiful art design and fun platforming. The ability to revisit previously completed missions and unlock all of the hats and their associated perks adds some replayability. Playing the story legitimately took just over three hours but with the accessibility-friendly Invincible Mode it can be completed in a little over an hour. As this title is a part of Xbox Game Pass I highly recommend checking it out. It’s a bloody treat.

+ Beautiful visuals

+ Cartoonish violence

+ Ridiculous weapon variety

+ Accessibility options (Invicibility and area clearing)

+ Challenging insta-kill dynamic

 – Too short

 – Ending is a little predictable

Developed by: Paper Cult

Published by: Paper Cult

Release Date: July 15 2021

Platforms: Xbox One/Series X|S, PlayStation 4/5, Nintendo Switch and PC – Bloodroots is available in Xbox Game Pass

– Additional Links –

For more of my reviews, click HERE.

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

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The post Bloodroots Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

Whether you’ve watched the show or not chances are you’ve heard of Doctor Who. Spanning decades of television, movies and almost every type of medium possible, Doctor Who has rarely made an appearance in video games on console, primarily featuring in mobile or small-scale PC titles but for the first time on Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo Switch, fans will be excited to see the arrival of Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins.

Presented in the format of a mystery, essentially visual novel title, the experience unfolds through a phone. Browsing its contents for messages, pictures and clues, the player must find out what happened to a pair of amateur investigators who set out to rescue the titular doctor who has found himself trapped in the past.

Playing an unnamed character that happens across a lost phone, the player must use the phone to learn what happened to its previous owner. It isn’t long before contact is established with military organisation UNIT operative Petronella Osgood, serving as a guide for the player to unravel the mystery. Regular guidance is provided by Osgood and conversations with her occur in the form of selection from a list of responses.

Seemingly regardless of the choices chosen the conversation steers the player in the direction they need to go in order to advance the story. Primary objectives are noting important information, piecing together damaged data fragments and getting information out of other characters. The story can be completed in as little as an hour depending on the depth of optional exploration of the contents of the phone and alternate endings add a little replayability for those curious to see how other decisions pan out.

Reading text messages, emails and studying photos comprise the bulk of the experience which is nestled with easter eggs that fans of the Doctor Who universe will appreciate more than a complete outsider with no knowledge of the franchise such as myself. The phone itself is pretty easy to navigate due to its realistic design featuring the likes of time stamps, layout and general accessibility that a genuine phone possesses.

One aspect of the experience that fails to feel justified is the inclusion of a handful of jump scares, a term I use extremely loosely. These are very poor, cheesy and undermine the experience. Unless these are an actual part of the Doctor Who television series, in which case they may be appropriate, they have no business in The Lonely Assassins and undermine the serious tone established by the rest of the game.

Characters from the Doctor Who universe that make an appearance are portrayed by their actual actors which is an excellent touch and adds depth to the immersion of this experience for fans while also giving newcomers a taste of what the television experience may be like.

The telling of the story through a mobile phone is surprisingly effective thanks to the authentic Doctor Who experience afforded by the actual actors, layered details of the fan-favourite universe and impressive production quality. Fans of the series are certainly going to find more reasons to enjoy the experience than those that know nothing, with The Lonely Assassins feeling like little more than a well-presented visual novel that still manages to tell an interesting story, despite lack of prior knowledge in regards to who is who if you’ll excuse the pun.

+ Actual actors from the series

+ Hidden Easter eggs for fans

+ Interesting story, regardless of awareness of Doctor Who media

 – Very short, little replayability for non-fans

 – Phone presentation wears thin early

Developed by: Kaigan Games

Published by: Maze Theory

Release Date: August 12 2021

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

– Additional Links –

For more of my reviews, click HERE.

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The post Doctor Who: The Lonely Assassins Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

Morris Lupton was once the curator of Shelmerston Museum, passing away in 2019 at 62 years old. Despite being dead, Morris embarks on one last adventure in I am Dead to prevent a not-so-dormant volcano from destroying the island that is home to the museum, his past and its inhabitants.

Light puzzle solving is required to uncover the memories of other ghosts, find their mementos and complete optional riddles in this puzzle/treasure hunt adventure animated with charming visuals and a relaxing score.

Immediately, I am Dead paints two pictures, excuse the pun. One is that it features gorgeous painting-like visuals and the other is that its protagonist is, as mentioned, dead.

Discovering the afterlife in fact exists Morris is soon reunited with the spirit of his departed dog, Sparky. Guided by his spectral canine companion, Morris needs to convince a fellow ghost to take on the role of the island’s spirit to stop the eruption.

To do so Morris needs to learn what he can about the ghost that occupies each of the six levels by interacting with characters connected to their past. Each of the six levels are in unique locations and can be panned around, zoomed in and out of and feature a wealth of items and characters that can be interacted with. Unable to physically interact with the world however, Morris does so by ‘slicing’. Slicing allows Morris to hone in on an object with impeccable detail and even see inside them. Slicing can be done to objects but also aspects of the environment. For instance, a building or a tent can be sliced to see what or who resides inside and often this is where key characters or object interactions are.

Each level has five memories and five mementos to discover. Interacting with specific characters will uncover the memory and the memento will be in that same area that corresponds with the memory in the form of an object that may be visible or might need sliced to find it hidden within something else.

Memories are text-based monologues that accompany images that are distorted and must be solved by rotating them with the triggers until reaching the sweet spot which can be felt by controller vibration. Aligning the image perfectly will complete that portion of the memory and unlock a new piece of dialogue before a new image must be aligned. This repeats a few times until the memory is complete.

From here the nearby memento must be discovered which is visually identified in the top left of the screen after completing the memory. Simply searching in the immediate area, slicing objects of necessary to find and unlock it.

Only by completing all five memories and finding all five mementos is the level ready to be completed which, in line with the rest of the game, is quirky, unusual, and interesting. Morris can summon Sparky, who becomes controllable by the player, to float around the location and bark at grey spirit essence, turning yellow when collected and take them to the ghost to reanimate them and allow them to commune with Morris.

Aside from the primary objectives tied to memories and mementos, each level has a list of riddles that need to be completed. Somewhere on each level there is point that serves as the starting point where a riddle can be selected, an object that needs found is shown on screen and the player must race to its location as fast as possible to complete the challenge.

The other optional objective is to collect Grenkins, island spirits that are released when specific objects are found, sliced, and matched up to a pattern. Sparky notifies the player when these are nearby. These are completely optional and are a fun complimentary feature to flesh out the game a little more.

Stunning visual playgrounds that host the memory/memento treasure hunts of each level are so vibrant and lively, a fun contrast to the very dead yet playable Morris. Some of the animations are goofy in a fun way, particularly Sparky. For a title so static and focused on its imagery I am Dead manages to feel so animated. A relaxing score and charming sound design round out a rather soothing presentation that relieves the tension most puzzle-based titles tend to create.

I am Dead tells an intriguing story, on an interesting island full of quirky characters. The message it conveys is effectively told through its presentation, fun puzzles. clever memories and mementos. Coming in at around an hour and a half to two hours for players familiar with puzzle titles I am Dead feels like an appropriate length while causal players won’t be too far behind as the puzzles are basic and only minimal trouble should be encountered looking for mementos when considering they are always immediately nearby.

+ Beautiful art design

+ Soothing score

+ Cool memory/mementos concept

+ Interesting story

– Limited replayability

– Voiced characters would add to their depth

Developed by: Hollow Ponds

Published by: Annapurna Interactive

Release Date: August 9 2021

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

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

– Additional Links –

For more of my reviews, click HERE.

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

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The post I am Dead Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

To coincide with the cinematic release of PAW Patrol the Movie, a tie-in title has been developed by Drakhar Studio and published by licenced title powerhouse Outright Games. PAW Patrol the Movie: Adventure City Calls features locations from the big screen adventure as Ryder and the PAW Patrol team discover that Mayor Humdinger is up to no good and only their mighty efforts can save the day.

Featuring eight story missions and over forty mini-game missions that span four different game modes, PAW Patrol the Movie: Adventure City Calls offers hours of entertainment for players of all ages to enjoy solo or in local couch co-op. It’s a PAWfect family experience!

The 3D platforming adventure plays like a combination of a side-scroller and light platformer, offering an assortment of mini-games that utilise the unique abilities of each of the eight playable pups of the PAW Patrol. Two pre-determined pups take the stage of each of the eight missions and can be switched between at will if playing solo or controlled by a player each in local couch co-op.

Each of the eight missions have been carefully designed to be accessible to younger players. Aside from movement the only other control for most of the gameplay is the ability to jump. At a handful of sections in each mission there is a PAW Interaction which requires a specific pup to activate and use their unique ability to play a very brief mini game. For instance, Rubble can drill through rocks or swing a wrecking ball, Marshall can put out fires with his fire truck and Chase can use a grappling hook or zip line to reach new areas.

These are very simple sequences that have a brief tutorial before every instance to remind younger players how to complete them. Some missions have driving, flying, or swimming sequences which offer fun variety and keep the simplistic experience diverse enough to remain engaging and capture the interest of young players. Hundreds of pup treats litter the screen of each mission, as well as three badges to collect, to give players something to focus on as they push forward. Collecting these awards character cards and other things that can be checked out in the Extras section of the main menu, further providing a fun distraction for fans of the PAW Patrol gang.

Completing all eight story missions can take as little as two hours, approximately 10-15 minutes each if attempting to collect all of the treats and badges. As that is from the perspective of a 30-year-old father somewhat experienced in video games, it is easy to understand that each mission could take twice as long for the youngest of PAWsome players. Considering the wealth of mini games available outside of the main story, an experienced player can have everything completed in around four hours but again, young players have countless hours of replayable fun ahead of them.

There are four types of mini games to enjoy;

• Time Trials – Three vehicle challenges are available for each of the seven pups. These task the player with simply completing the trial while collecting as many pup treats as possible. Only three Time Trials are played as the pups themselves and follow the same structure

• Collect them All – These challenges can only be completed by collecting all of the pup treats in the level

• Obstacle Course – A number of checkpoints are scattered around each of the nine obstacle courses that players will need to run and jump around to collect, returning to the finish line before time expires

• Pup Boogie – Following a simplified rhythm game structure players need to press the corresponding button as it reaches the green zone, increasing their score and multiplier with successive hits in these three challenges

There are some fun and thoughtful, yet subtle inclusions that make the experience even more suitable for a younger audience. Considerations such as pups only being able to cross a road at marked pedestrian crossings and any cars coming from either side stopping for them to do so is a great way to remind young players of road safety while enjoying a video game. This may seem like a no-brainer to older players as they play through but there is no such thing as bringing too much attention to the importance of these observations to children.

Some features that may be easier to overlook for younger players such as in-game tracking for collectibles in the main missions and side-missions would be nice to have for older players but as the experience is geared towards a younger audience, it would be unfair to use these as criticisms against the title though to ignore mentioning them would be a disservice to the mature audience that read this review or play the game.

Visually, the experience is a faithful 3D adaptation of the beloved kids TV series, and the character design and environments are playful and charming, bright, and colourful and are wonderfully complimented by a very fun, energetic, and upbeat soundtrack. Drakhar Studio have absolutely nailed the presentation and feel of the PAW Patrol world. The only thing missing is any voiceovers for the pups, Ryder has the only speaking role in the game before, during and after missions.

PAW Patrol the Movie: Adventure City Calls is a great experience for young players. By offering story missions full of playful adventure, fun and accessible mini games, and a wealth of additional mini games to enjoy outside of the story and full local co-op support, the experience can be enjoyed by children with their friends, siblings, and parents. The brief runtime of each game mode or mission makes it very friendly for brief game sessions.

As a father to three and four-year-old sons I can comfortably say we had a great time playing this together and I would be lying if I said the PAW Patrol titles aren’t a guilty pleasure of mine. By providing an experience that can be enjoyed by players of all ages, PAW Patrol the Movie: Adventure City Calls is a great addition to the family friendly space dominated by publisher Outright Games.

+ Fun, simple and accessible experience

+ Variety of game modes and mini games

+ Local couch co-op support

+ PAWfect length of missions and mini games

+ Charming audio-visual presentation

– Lack of any voiceovers for the pups

– A little too easy, perhaps even for younger players

Developed by: Drakhar Studio

Published by: Outright Games

Release Date: August 13 2021 (US/UK) | September 2 2021 (AU/NZ)

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

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

– Additional Links –

For more of my reviews, click HERE.

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

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

The post PAW Patrol the Movie: Adventure City Calls Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

Sci and Néro take centre stage as the heroes in the puzzle-platformer A Tale of Synapse: The Chaos Theories. With four worlds and 46 levels to explore within the visually delightful world of Hemeide, the duo tackle a variety of puzzles that will test their platforming skills and ability to solve math-based puzzles. This unique adventure is a fun take on the genre and can be enjoyed alone or co-operatively, taking advantage of each character’s unique skills.

The plot is a little difficult to follow, due in part to translation issues from French developer Souris-Lab. Grammatical issues, award phrasing and typos are a little too present. The game begins with an interesting set-up but almost instantly fades into the background as the world hopping adventure begins. It’s not always clear why Sci and Néro are doing certain things narratively but luckily the gameplay is enjoyable, respectably challenging and the beautiful backdrops the adventure unfolds in are a welcome substitute to narrative substance.

The stunning visual direction is a joyful wonder from start to finish, consistently decorating the screen with striking imagery, vibrant colours and worlds full of wonder. There is a cartoonish charm to the characters and the way they seem to be brought to the foreground is very effective. Each world looks fantastic and distinct, a visual treat throughout the entire adventure.

When it comes to gameplay this title is dominated by platforming, a decision that doesn’t work well with the locked camera issues. The inability to control the camera leads to the screen stretching or shrinking, leading to frequent mistakes when platforming and trying to land on specific platforms. This direction doesn’t take away from the quality of the experience but rather adds a layer of difficulty and potential frustration.

Solving the game’s puzzles requires some logic, especially as it heavily revolves around math based puzzles. There is enough variety and new ideas introduced to prevent A Tale of Synapse feeling like homework. Initially uncertain of how this type of puzzle would impact the experience I ended up pleasantly surprised but it, certainly standing out from the crowd of other puzzle platforms by adopting the mathematical approach.

Basic combat is present though it feels more like an afterthought. It’s not deep enough to be particularly enjoyable though it’s not too prevalent throughout the adventure to feel tedious. It works and kind of just exists rather than feeling like a meaningful addition to the gameplay offering.

Further gameplay mechanics that don’t quite work as well as they could is the dual protagonists each controlled by a thumb-stick. The platforming in particular can feel a little clumsy and frustrating, especially when coupled with the camera issues. Overall it adds a bit of challenge without feeling too difficult or infuriating, it just doesn’t quite lend to the most seamless of experiences.

There’s no denying the impressive visuals or creative world design in A Tale of Synapse: The Chaos Theories, the worlds which this adventure unfolds within is delightful to look at at all times. Some questionable camera issues and dual control of the protagonists don’t hold the experience back, they just don’t work as well as they could, a sentiment that is also appropriate for the combat system. Clever and interesting puzzles that require a bit of logic work surprisingly well and keep the experience moving forward at an appropriately rewarding pace.

+ Beautiful art design

+ Fun and varied puzzles

+ Clever platforming

– Lack of camera control

– Dual-controlled characters feels clumsy at times

– Combat doesn’t really fit

Developed by: Souris-Lab

Published by: Tesura Games

Release Date: June 30 2021

Platforms: Nintendo Switch and PC

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

– Additional Links –

For more of my reviews, click HERE.

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

For this and additional reviews, latest news, trailers and more from the rest of the team at Xbox Gamer Dad and One More Game, click HERE.

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The post A Tale of Synapse: The Chaos Theories Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.