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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

+ Over the top physics

+ Plethora of references to other video games

+ Fun customisation

+ Hilarious NPC behaviour

+ Great fun with other players

+ Replayability

– San Angora is pretty small

– Some of the jokes feel dated

Developed by: Coffee Stain North

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

DISCLAIMER: This review was originally written for The Xbox Gamers at xboxgamers.com.au as a member of their review team, and the digital code was provided by them for the purpose of this review. The review as originally published can be found on their website HERE.

More often than not spirituality and the supernatural find themselves hand in hand, a yin and yang of themes that compliments as easily as it contradicts. Within the opening moments of The Chant it is made clear that the Brass Token developed third person horror action-adventure is continuing the trope. 

Players assume the role of Jess, invited to a spiritual retreat on an isolated island by lifelong friend Kim. Still haunted by a tragedy that defines their past, the girls have little time to reminisce or dwell as the supernatural and spiritual worlds collide, dividing the group and pitting them against the warped realities of their own minds and desires.

Packed with exploration, puzzles to solve and demons to overcome, inside and out, Jess and co are in for the fight of their lives both spiritually and literally. As weird, ominous, and wild as things get in The Chant, it’s honestly surprising that it ultimately feels like it could have gone much further.

The Chant opens with a cinematic and gameplay sequence in 1972 before players take on the role of Jess in the present day on the very same island. A creepy ritual is interrupted, leading into a brief tutorial of movement and traversal mechanics. The tone is immediately set, dark, gritty, and colourfully supernatural. Tragedy, loss, and the cultist pursuit of spirituality that is infused with dark and sinister energy are ever present themes that influence the narrative as much as it informs the gameplay.

Fittingly, the three core elements of one’s energy; mind, body and spirit heavily factor into the gameplay, not just in the actual mechanics but also in terms of progression. Each of these are represented on screen as small circular meters that are consumed through various actions and replenished by certain plants.

Mind energy dictates Jess’s focus and control, if this depletes entirely, she will experience a panic attack that turns the screen to black and white while the sound of her heartbeat dominates the audio. Mind energy can be replenished by consuming lavender, only three of which can be carried at any time, with the same limitations on the other energy types. A secondary means of restoring Mind is by meditation, holding a specific button that transfers Spirit energy into Mind energy.

Body energy simply represents Jess’s health and can only be restored by eating ginger. Once the Body meter is fully deployed, Jess will die, and players will return to the nearest checkpoint. Surprisingly, the checkpoint system is extremely generous and frequent. Considering my playthrough was on the hardest difficulty, this was a very welcome gesture.

Finally, Spirit energy is what allows Jess to use special abilities gained by the story-related prisms she obtains. With progression, the player unlocks a different coloured prism which in turn offers a single unique ability such as slowing enemies for a brief period, repelling foes and inflicting knock-back damage, and even summoning ghoulish hands from the ground to ensnare unsuspecting enemies to name a few. These each consume varying amounts of bars from the Spirit energy meter and can only be regained by consuming spirit caps.

The three energy types each have a handful of upgrades available via a shallow skill tree. Upgrades can be performed by spending Prismic Crystals which can be found within the environment. Each upgrade path has three levels, costing slightly more each time but offers an evengreater perk such as decreased damage, slowing time with perfect dodges or increasing the effects of meditation for instance.

Mind, body, and energy experience is also gained and attributed to specific dialogue choices, though the option to contribute to conversations between Jess and the other characters are very few and far between, rendering this system almost redundant. Consuming plants to restore energy will increase the experience of the respective type while performing certain actions such as killing enemies increases either Body or Spirit, dependant on the enemy type. 

There are three endings to The Chant and each one is tied to Jess having higher experience in each of the three energy types. It is admittedly impressive how energy is woven narratively and mechanically as effectively as it is, and it adds a sense of immersion to the spiritualistic experience that Jess embarks on. It also makes for a more interesting dynamic than a traditional health and stamina system.

As the story unfolds new areas open that are full of lore to collect in the form of documents, a bestiary and projector reels, with the latter being watchable by inserting them into projectors scattered throughout the environment. The documents offer genuinely fascinating insight into the five characters Jess is introduced to Kim, Maya, Sonny, Hannah and their leader, Tyler. The bestiary offers insights into the various monstrous creatures that occupy pockets of energy on the island called Gloom. 

The Gloom appears as a crystallised, prismatic barrier that is coloured, coincidentally matching the prisms worn around the neck of the six core characters and can only be entered by someone who just so happens to have that coloured prism. These areas constantly drain Mind energy and host an array of Gloom creatures that will attempt to kill anyone who enters their realm. In some instances,the enemies are required to be defeated to remove the Gloom and reveal new pathways forward for the story while also opening areas that house lore, consumables and crafting material.

There are three melee and throwable items that can be crafted, each with their own strengths and abilities. One melee item act as a general all-rounder while the other two favour combat inside the gloom or outside of it. The throwables can also be planted as traps that will act differently when thrown, offering just enough variety to justify a six-weapon wheel. Their respective crafting materials appear equally frequently, resulting in a balancedcombat experience that is essentially only swinging or throwing.

While the Gloom monsters only appear in the Gloom, an assortment of cultists roam outside of them that can be either fought or avoided by running away, dodging, or shoving. For those in favour of a pacifist playstyle it is possible to complete The Chant without killing a single cultist, as I did in my playthrough and even an Achievement for doing so. Killing them is admittedly much easier and quicker but the stealth approach makes for a nice challenge. There are a handful of boss encounters which are little more than ‘get a few hits in, retreat and repeat’ ordeals that feel uninspired and underwhelming.

Throughout Jess’s ordeal the island is constantly in darkness, both thematically and in the literal sense of playing out in the dead of night. The lack of vibrance is balanced out by moody dark tones, effective lighting, and the trippy visuals of the elements within the Gloom occupied areas. At all times the island feels creepy and tense, instilling a dread and fear of what may be lurking in some of the tighter environmental pathways in particular. Whether running through the forest, navigating the spooky abandoned housing quarters, or trekking through dark caverns, The Chant constantly feels menacing and ominous, wonderfully complimented by the ominous score with its sinister overtures. The overall audio-visual presentation is unsettling and effective.

The character models leave a lot to be desired, especially when compared to Jess. Whether it’s a cutscene or gameplay, Jess is far more detailed than her on-screen counterparts to the point where it’s impossible to not notice how much more she stands out. It’s a shame, as Jess looks great and the details in her face in particular feel livelier and more animated. Enemy design is delightfully creative and embraces the weird and wonderful nature of its supernatural themes.

In terms of voice acting, Jess again feels far more believable when compared to the rest of the cast. Tyler especially is presented visually and verbally as a stereotypical cult leader in a manner that breaks the immersion of the white clad cast of characters fighting for their life under the guise of a spiritual experience.

The Chant is a different type of experience than I expected. For better or worse, the freedom to explore and dive deeper into the lore encourages exploration but the constant backtracking becomes stale, despite the introduction of a somewhat confusing fast travel system later in the game, and the island feels as though it has little to offer outside of the lore. The tale it tells is interesting and appropriately weird and supernatural. I completed The Chant in just over five hours on the hardest difficulty, without killing a single cultist, and discovering over ninety percent of the collectibles with reasonable exploration. I worry a playthrough on easy while showing no mercy to the cultists could cut that time in half, leaving little more than an interesting story with a unique energy driven approach to the gameplay.

For those that yearn for a supernatural adventure with unique gameplay mechanics, The Chant packs just enough in to leave the player feeling satisfied. Aside from seeking out the alternate endings, which would require an entire run focused on a particular playstyle, adding another pair of three-to-four hour runs, there is little to return for. The Chant doesn’t go quite as far as it could in embracing the weirdness of the supernatural, but it does enough to leave the experience feeling positive and unique. The infusion of energy into every layer of the game works very well and overall feels unique and worth experiencing.

+ Energy interweaved into the gameplay and story

+ Interesting story

+ Cool enemy design

+ Simple, effective gameplay

– Backtracking dominates later sections

– Little replay value

– Underdeveloped characters with the exception of Jess

– Supernatural themes played a little too safe

Developed by: Brass Token

The post REVIEW – The Chant first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

DISCLAIMER: This review was originally written for Qualbert at qualbert.com as a member of their review team, and the digital code was provided by them for the purpose of this review. The review as originally published can be found on their website HERE.

Sonic the Hedgehog recently raced past his thirtieth birthday, a milestone decorated by dozens of games, television shows and feature films. The iconic blue mascot of SEGA has sped his way through countless 2D and 3D adventures but for the first time in the franchise, Sonic has finally found himself in his very own open world adventure, Sonic Frontiers.

Referred to as open-zone rather than open world, Sonic Frontier’s approach the genre is appropriately experimental, bringing with it multiple gameplay mechanics, ideas and characters that worked in previous titles, culminating in a definitive Sonic experience that is ultimately unlike any that has come before it.

Freedom to explore, new takes on classic stages and the chaotic fusion of speed and combat take Sonic into a new frontier of possibilities that works far more often than it doesn’t. Sonic Frontiers isn’t just a great Sonic game, it’s a great take on the open world, platforming formula.

Spanning five explorable worlds that comprise the Starfall islands, a handful of narrative threads weave in and out of relevance towards a predictable outcome that doesn’t feel as fleshed out as it could have been. Sonic family favourites Tails, Amy and Knuckles are each tied to one of the worlds for players to collect Memory Tokens to further these individual threads. There is a disconnect between almost every individual plot thread and the overarching story that prevents the whole thing from feeling complete or meaningful, the emotional weight of what the story is ultimately trying to accomplish feels undermined as a result.

The mysterious Sage and Dr Robotnik/Eggman admittedly introduce an interesting antagonistic dynamic to multiple layers of the narrative, despite the latter being featured less heavily than one might expect given his decorated past with everyone’s favourite hedgehog. Sage speaks in brief, vague bursts that animate her in a fashion consistent with her nature and purpose in the story that compromised her development just enough to keep her from feeling as emotionally relevant as she otherwise could have been.

The supporting cast of Sonic, be it friend or foe, has never seen the in-game depth that they received in Sonic Frontiers. Tails finally feels like more than a side kick and Knuckles’ rivalry with our hero has never felt as playfully explored and examined as it has been here, an extremely refreshing feeling for a franchise that has consistently put Sonic at the forefront of every single adventure.

Despite the shortcomings, the highlights of the story are well executed, particularly the focus given to an extinct race of alien beings and the general David vs Goliath scale boss encounters Sonic finds himself in against each world’s Titan. To the surprise of no one, the tiny pop-culture phenomenon that is Sonic is always the smallest dog in the fight, always having to punch up in order to succeed and overcome the colossal odds stacked against him.

Players just looking to race through the story are looking at a 10-12 hour playthrough if ignoring the extra curricular activities that Sonic Frontiers has to offer. Completionists however will be able to do all the game has to offer, including unlock all of its achievements/trophies, in less than 20 hours total. As a pioneer in the speed-running space of video games, Sonic Frontiers actually presents a way to essentially unlock story progression without having to properly work for it with its surprisingly implanted fishing system, more on that later.

At its core, Sonic Frontiers places its largest emphasis on speed and exploration. Each of the five explorable worlds is packed with enemies, giant Guardian enemy variants for late-game conquest, challenges to complete that defog the map, character interactions to find and portals to activate and subsequently complete.

Navigating these worlds is accomplished by (surprise surprise)… sprinting. It’s no secret that Sonic is fast, that’s kind of his thing but Sonic Frontiers finally takes his speed to a whole new level. Not only can Sonic’s running speed be upgraded in-game by trading creatures that can be rescued, the settings of the game itself offers a host of sliders that can be adjusted that relate to Sonic’s base, top and turning speed to name a few, a very surprising yet welcome suite of tools to allow players to further feel the sense of speed that Sonic has long been associated with.

Each world has a handful of challenges to complete that defog the map and uncover new locations. These challenges can be as simple as platforming from point A to point B, successfully completing jump rope activities, triggering pressure pads and recreating Tetris structures to name a few. There is an impressive variety to keep them interesting and most can be completed in as little as a few seconds or as much as a minute or two.

Completing all of the challenges for a world fully defogs it and opens up the ability to fast travel between Portals. Like many things in Sonic Frontiers, at no point is the information revealed before the fact, leaving players thinking that fast travel isn’t an option unless they happen to complete all of the challenges in a given world.

Traversing the world is made easier by completing challenges, not just because it ultimately opens up fast travel but because new pieces of the environment are added to these locations such as rails to grind, launch pads to leap from and platforms to jump to that allow Sonic to reach areas that may otherwise be very tedious to figure out and overcome.

Portals populate the world and serve two functions. Their primary function is to be activated by collecting Gears, found as random drops from enemies, to transport Sonic to more traditional stages that feature the player trying to complete the run as fast as possible and with as many rings and Red Rings as they are able to collect. These stages feature some classics that have been masterfully reimagined and executed in the new style of Frontiers that are an absolute joy to experience. The secondary function of Portals is fast travel, unlocked by completing all of the challenges in a world as mentioned earlier.

Completing these stages awards up to 4 Vault Keys and can be replayed at any time. These Vault Keys are used to activate Vaults that award Sonic a Chaos Emerald, and collecting all 7 of the Chaos Emeralds allows Sonic to transform into Super Sonic.

Super Sonic is implemented differently in Sonic Frontiers with the form tied to a singular, story related boss battle in each world. Transformation isn’t possible outside of these encounters and the reason is perhaps as simple as the sheer boost to attack and speed that would otherwise make traversal and combat far too easy.

While it’s disappointing to not be able to activate the transformation as freely as previous titles, Super Sonic is epic, impactful and downright fun to play as and watch in action-packed cinematics that are interlaced with the battles themselves.

Combat is undeniably the weakest aspect of Sonic Frontiers by a wide margin. There is a skill tree with nearly a dozen abilities to unlock and experiment with but the core combat consists of button mashing in a manner that just doesn’t feel fun. Certain enemy types can’t be attacked straight away, instead requiring an opening to be created via the Cycloop ability, which is easily the coolest new ability Sonic has seen since the Super Sonic transformation.

Cycloop is used by holding a single button down while creating a loop by running around. Once the loop is complete, the player can release the button and the enemy inside will be damaged or exposed, presenting a window for Sonic to unleash melee attacks to finish the job.

The Cycloop can be used at any time, even outside of combat, which always generates rings, and is also required to solve some challenges and dig up treasure spots which may also include Vault Keys, Memory Tokens and Gears.

Purple tokens can be found in each world that are used to activate fishing Portals, transporting Sonic to a fishing spot with fan-favourite Big the Cat. Here, players can play a very simple fishing task that consisted of casting a line and reeling in their catch with a QTE. Every catch awards the player tokens which can be spent to obtain Memory Tokens, Vault Keys, Gears and a host of items required for upgrades to Sonic’s attack, defense, speed and ring capacity.

Dependant on the world the fishing is being played in, their is a varying cost of purple tokens to activate each cast. For instance Kronos Island, the first island, only costs one purple token whereas the final island costs eight. Proportionately though, the number of tokens awarded for each catch is also scaled to reflect the cost, making it ultimately more rewarding the more expensive it is to play.

This function, if known before starting out in Sonic Frontiers, essentially allows players to bypass the scavenging and collecting of Gears required to activate Portals and therefore unlock Vault Keys. Savvy players could find enough purple tokens to outright buy all of the Vault Keys they need to unlock the Chaos Emeralds without having to actually earn them all by playing the stages within the portals. They could also buy the Memory Tokens which are also required for story related interactions with Sage, Amy, Knuckles and Tails. Story progression can, for lack of a better term, be bought out for the most part which would allow players more interested in just experiencing the story to be able to do so with out spending a dozen hours collecting things.

Sonic Frontiers doesn’t attempt to raise the bar in the visual department. It does offer charming models of the uber-popular cast but definitely plays it safe in terms of environmental design and general art direction. Each of the five worlds all look distinct which is nice though a general sense of emptiness is present throughout all of them, there just isn’t enough meaningful content to populate them.

Easily the biggest issue in Sonic Frontiers is the distasteful texture popping that occurs with alarming regularity. Designed to allow Sonic to travel at ridiculous speeds, this title somehow managed to release without the realisation that the environment drops in around Sonic constantly as players whizz around at high speeds. It is distracting to no end, on many occasions it leads to the player running into something that wasn’t there until it all of a sudden appears. This unfortunately breaks a lot of the immersion established by the otherwise excellent sense of speed.

It is worth noting that Sonic Frontiers offers a default 4K mode as well as a 60 FPS mode, with the latter adding an unbelievable layer to the sense of speed. As a player who typically favours visual fidelity over performance, I can not recommend 60 FPS enough for Sonic’s latest adventure.

As always, Sonic is complimented by an electric, upbeat and energetic soundtrack that goes into overdrive with the Super Sonic boss battles in particular. Sonic titles always deliver a soundtrack that matches the energy of its protagonist which adds to the fun factor and chaotic speed of the gameplay.

The voice acting does little to add any emotional weight to key story beats though it does feature voice artists reprising their roles from other Sonic titles.

Sound design is wonderfully on point, with the familiar and satisfying sounds of rings being collected and lost always triggering a nostalgic sense of joy.

Sonic Frontiers is the culmination of three decades of gameplay ideas that have been cherry picked for experimentation in this new take on the Sonic formula. The inclusion and reimagining of the classic Sonic stages in both 2D and 3D work excellently, offering an authentic past and present vibe that compliments the mostly familiar gameplay mechanics.

There are some features, particularly fast travel, that aren’t explained that could deepen and enhance the initial experience of more casual players. There’s no escaping the poor combat and disastrous texture popping situations that unfortunately hold this experiment from reaching further heights.

There’s no denying that Sonic Frontiers is a risky take on the franchise but it’s one that ultimately pays off. The ideas experimented with mostly work and with a few tweaks here and there, the future of Sonic continues to look bright and another open zone outing is something that seems more certain than ever considering the positive strides the series has just taken with Sonic Frontiers.

+ Incredible sense of speed

+ The open-zone worlds aren’t unnecessarily oversized

+ Most in-depth characterisation of Sonic family

+ Perfect amount of things to do

+ Nostalgic reimagining of classic stages

+ Best original Sonic game in years

 – A lot of things are poorly explained, such as fast travel

– Super Sonic is tied to the four boss battles only, missed opportunity

– Minimal replay value

– Constant texture popping

– Poor combat

Developed by: Sonic Team

Published by: SEGA

Release Date: November 8 2022

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

The post REVIEW – Sonic Frontiers first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

For over twenty years the Bratz franchise has maintained a solid foothold in the fashion doll space and has spawned a variety of media such as animated television shows, music releases, a live action film, extensive clothing and merchandise and of course, several video games.

Bratz: Flaunt Your Fashion is the latest video game adaptation of the fashion empire, bringing the original Bratz Pack of Yasmin, Cloe, Jade and Sasha on a single player adventure that takes them from Stilesville to Barcelona, Seoul and the Stylin’ Soirée.

The girls set out to catch the latest scoops for their Bratz Magazine while looking as stylish and trendy as the player sees fit. With dozens of clothing and makeup options to unlock, Bratz: Flaunt Your Fashion gives players the chance to let the Bratz Pack do just that.

Starting out in their hometown of Stilesville, players can select which of the four members of the Bratz Pack they want to play as. Cloe, Jade, Sasha and Yasmin all play the same way and offer no gameplay advantage over the other and can be switched out throughout the experience.

The Bratz Pack are more than fashion reporters and run into everyday people that need their help. These optional quests see the girls typically looking for items or talking to other characters to complete. They are short, sweet and simple, and reward the player with money to spend on new styles at the fashion stores throughout the game’s three explorable cities and style points that convert into social media following.

Stilesville introduces players to the map formula that continues on into Barcelona and Seoul. A total of five locations are available at each city with some only unlocking with story progression. The Apartment serves as the base of operations in each city and contains a wardrobe for players to customise their hats, glasses, tops, bottoms and shoes, as well as a vanity mirror to apply a variety of makeup styles. New style options are awarded for completing optional quests, opening chests found in the environment or bought from fashion stores. Customising their appearance is simple and keeps players and their chosen Brat looking stylish and fresh with the wide variety of options at their disposal.

Upon completion of some optional quests and most story quests, players need to interact with a computer in the Apartment to publish stories which converts their earned style points into social media followers, with certain numbers needing to be met in order to progress the story. New computers can be bought at tech stores which will significantly enhance the conversion rate of followers to make this much faster.

Aside from the Apartment, each city has a Mall location that is home to fashion stores, optional quests and a unique racing challenge and faster mobility tools such as a scooter, hoverboard and rollerblades. These can be rented with a one-off fee that lets the player get around the Mall much quicker and the optional racing challenge lets players test their speed and control.

The final location that all three cities share is the airport which lets players travel to the other cities once they have progressed the story. Once a new destination has been unlocked, the player is free to travel between them whenever they please.

With the three fixed locations of each city established, each one also has two unique locations that are related to events such as art exhibitions, extreme sports competitions and a fashion show that are tied to the main quest lines. Players can interact with characters at all of these locations, buy things and find chests as they work through the main and optional quest lines. The core gameplay is very simple, tasking players with simply interacting with people and objects. There are specific points scattered around every location where the player can take a photo, including selfies to unlock some additional style points.

At any time the player can access the map and fast travel to any unlocked location within the city or access their quest log to see where they are at with each of the main or optional quests they have taken on. A clues section is provided for the handful of quests that don’t give players the exact information of where to go or who to talk to. For instance, a clue may say what a character is wearing to help the player find them. It’s a simplistic system but it adds a little layer of thought to an otherwise straight-forward affair.

A handful of sequences function like quick time events such as dancing or singing by pressing the corresponding button with the events on screen. These are pretty simple and forgiving, with no consequence for failing to press them on time.

Bratz: Flaunt Your Fashion has a charming art design and funky soundtrack to keep the experience light and exciting for its younger target audience. Without having been exposed to much Bratz personally, a single frame of this title undeniably screams Bratz, and it’s that brand recognition that will feel so familiar and exciting to fans of Bratz in whatever capacity they’ve seen it in. Majority of the dialogue is presented as voice overs with minimal reading required which goes a long way in feeling more accessible to the youngest of players.

The simplistic gameplay, quest structure and customisation is an easy sell for young players. It does exactly what it needs to do for who it needs to. There is a good four-to-six hours worth of content on offer for players who want to seek out the optional quests and find all of the hidden chests and photo spots. Bratz: Flaunt Your Fashion ultimately delivers a casual gameplay experience that’s accessible, entertaining and surprisingly interesting for the quartet of fashion reporters.

+ Simplistic gameplay is accessible and age appropriate

+ Fun customisation

+ Quests are easy to follow

– Lack of co-op

– Limited replay value

Developed by: Petoons Studio

Published by: Outright Games

Release Date: November 4 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 as an Outright Games Ambassador. *

– Additional Links –

For more of my reviews, click HERE.

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

The post REVIEW – Bratz: Flaunt Your Fashion first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

Dragons are many things to different people. They are exciting mythological creatures that cover a broad spectrum of appeal that ranges from magical, fantastical presence to apex predators that epitomise challenging boss battles in a wealth of video games and even charming, almost pet-like lovability as found in countless films geared towards children. Perhaps the most notable franchise of the latter is DreamWorks’ Dragons and the numerous films and television series that have spawned since 2010’s animated hit How to Train Your Dragon.

DreamWorks Dragons: Legends of the Nine Realms is based on the Dragons: Nine Realms animated series that launched last year and stars a quartet of lovable dragons to unlock and play through 25 stages, telling a simple yet touching story with Thunder at the heart of it. Thunder has lost his family and must embark on a dangerous journey through five realms to be reunited. With each new dragon that is unlocked comes their suite of unique abilities and move sets to add variety to this single player experience, offering the ability to freely switch between Thunder and his unlocked friends throughout each stage.

Light puzzle solving, combat and exploration for hidden secrets will keep players of all ages entertained as they strive to reunite Thunder with his family and upgrade their team of dragons along the way. Boasting the visual charm of the screen franchise, DreamWorks Dragons: Legends of the Nine Realms is a faithful and genuine joy.

The story kicks off with the passing of a comet that upsets the natural balance of the Hidden World and unleashes a series of devastating tremors that separates Thunder from his family. Thunder is the hero of this tale and as such he is the first playable dragon that is introduced. As his name suggests, he possesses electric elemental abilities such as lighting strikes. The fire breathing Plowhorn, icy dual-headed Mist Twister Wu and Wei and sonic blasting Feathers are gradually introduced as playable dragons one at a time at the end of each realm. As with Thunder, they each bring their own elemental skills and combat to the playing field that are also required for unique elemental puzzles littered throughout each stage.

Told through narration and brief cinematics throughout each stage, the story unfolds at a steady pace that introduces new threats, friends, mechanics and challenges that keep it interesting and touching.

Spanning a total of 25 stages across five realms, each with five stages, the last of which is a boss battle, Thunder and friends can complete the adventure in around five-to-six hours.

Each new gameplay mechanic is cleverly covered via tutorials as they are introduced, the regularity of which is surprisingly generous, opening alternative ways to play and explore that prevents repetition from sinking its claws into the players experience.

Giant elemental crystal structures require activation at certain parts of each stage, colour coded and identifiable by the elemental symbol up close to easily assist the player with selecting the right dragon for the job. Thunder’s electricity activate the white crystals, Plowhorn’s fire triggers the red crystals, Wu and Wei use ice for blue crystals and Feathers sonic blasts the purple.

Along the way players will find small rocks that are decorated with the same coloured, elemental crystals that can be destroyed, rewarding the player with crystal shards that are required to upgrade skills for each dragon. Increased flight speed, evasion, damage output and other attributes can be unlocked for each dragon from the over-world at any time between stages. Defeating enemy dragons will also drop these shards, providing a regular flow to easily upgrade the dragons without asking the player to excessively grind.

Despite having unique elemental abilities and move sets, all dragons can fly at will to traverse gaping chasms, reach higher plateaus and gain combat advantages. The flying mechanics are simple to control and lend to a more playful dragon experience. Though flight is an essential part of progression through the stages there is not an overwhelming verticality to complicate things, rather the flight is capped at a few feet above the ground, eliminating any concerns over difficult exploration or a sense of getting lost. The low flying gameplay keeps the environment within view at all times and this is likely to feel more enjoyable for younger players and keep the way forward clear.

Each stage tasks the player with moving forward, activating giant crystals to open new pathways and a variety of enemies to defeat. They conclude by finding an enormous white crystal structure. There is an additional orange crystal structure hidden off the beaten track to find that unlocks the Challenge mode for each stage and these can often only be accessible by replaying the stage with new dragons in the team. The Challenge mode of the stages are more difficult and offer the orange crystal shards in greater quantity which are essential for fully upgrade each of the dragons. As this suggests, each stage is replayable at any time from the over-world, even stages where the later introduced dragons were initially absent.

The five explorable realms each introduce new enemy variants and associated elemental abilities that must be taken into account. Plowhorn’s fire attacks do more damage to an ice type enemy for example while doing less damage against other fire types. This approach keeps combat encounters from being stale, hack and slash type affairs and encourages understanding the strength and weaknesses of each of the four playable dragons. If one of the players dragons is low on health or defeated they can be switched out to allow their health to regenerate. Team management is as simple as a press of a button on the D-Pad (Directional Pad) and health regeneration is generous, restoring dragons to full health in a matter of seconds.

Jumping, flying, evading, shooting elemental attacks and a light and heavy melee combat system full of combos is simple to learn, understand and balance. The difficulty of combat encounters is pretty generous and won’t punish younger players in particular. At various times throughout the stages a white barrier will enclose the field and a certain number of enemies need to be defeated in order for it to drop and allow the player to progress. These little arena sequences offer the most action as majority of the other enemy encounters can actually be avoided by simply flying past and ignoring them.

Matching the visual style and charm of its film and series counterparts breathes familiar and accessible life into the title that will allow the youngest of players to make a stronger connection to the source material. Each of the five realms feels visually distinct and the enemy variants are cleverly tailored to incorporate the unique surroundings.

Developer Aheartfulofgames have cleverly crafted the experience to hit the nostalgic chords and deliver an approachable adaptation to the beloved franchise. The sound design is fun and endearing, delivering a score full of moments of tension and triumph that aren’t overly dramatic or mature.

Outright Games have once again added a strong licenced adventure geared towards a younger audience to their publishing portfolio, further solidifying their position as the leading publisher of broad and oftentimes unexpected licences that manage to entertain older players in the process. An opportunity was perhaps missed to include local co-operative play and bring the family together but as a single player experience it still caters to a broader audience of the franchise.

DreamWorks Dragons: Legends of the Nine Realms is a genuine treat for those who have watched the animated series it ties into while also standing on its own as a self contained adventure the whole family can enjoy.

+ Fun and simple gameplay

+ Accesible introduction of new mechanics

+ Interesting story

+ Challenge mode and replayability

– Lack of co-operative play

– Later stages are a little long

Developed by: Aheartfulofgames

Published by: Outright Games

Release Date: September 23 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 *

– Additional Links –

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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 *

– Additional Links –

For more of my reviews, click HERE.

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The post REVIEW – Star Trek Prodigy: Supernova first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

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 *

– Additional Links –

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The post LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

Tandem: A Tale of Shadows is a puzzle-platform adventure set in Victorian London that is as full of clever puzzle designs and constantly introduced new mechanics. Playing as Emma and her newfound teddy bear companion Fenton, the vanishing of a young boy named Thomas Kane drives the pair forward into his family mansion to find him.

Alternating control between the pair is key to solving the myriad of interesting puzzles by using each of their unique abilities to aid the other. A missing child from a family of famous magicians, their mysterious mansion and the union of a little girl and a living teddy bear makes for an intriguing premise and it’s safe to say they are effective ingredients to a recipe that delivers in Tandem: A Tale of Shadows.

Existing on parallel planes, Emma is controlled from a top-down perspective while Fenton moves in 2D above her. The structure of each stage is to guide Emma to a key for a locked door while moving objects in the environment to manipulate the shadows for Fenton to traverse in order to activate pressure plates tied to doors that Emma needs to pass through. Tandem: A Tale of Shadows is simple in its premise but its pleasantly surprising puzzles which increase in complexity with story progression offer some genuine challenges that are rewarding to conquer.

The steady introduction of new ideas, mechanics, enemies to avoid and further ways to manipulate shadows keep the experience engaging, despite its brief runtime of approximately three-to-four hours. This creates some satisfying level design that fully embraces the dual-world aspect that the pair of controllable characters occupy. Some fun timing puzzles are born from the need to keep Emma from harm while also maintaining shadow bridges for Fenton to cross and reach solid ground. The regular introduction of new ways to play prevent the puzzle variety from feeling repetitive or tired.

Balancing light and darkness thematically, Tandem: A Tale of Shadows also capitalises on this visually which makes for an enchanting yet haunted world that is only as dangerous as the darkness allows it to be. Playing from either character’s perspective portrays the world differently which adds to the immersion of their duality. Emma sees things in light while Fenton’s vision is born of the darkness that she creates by moving crates, trolleys and her position with lanterns for instance. The overall style is simplistic but thanks to the appropriate focus on lighting the contrast is very effective.

Each of the five levels is broken into several parts that take Emma and Fenton through the library, boiler room and kitchen for instance, and each has its own unique feel. Considering the adventure unfolds within a mansion the aesthetic goes a long way in differentiating and tormenting these otherwise standard locations.

Accompanied by a haunting score and creepy sound design, Tandem: A Tale of Shadows looks and feels as dark as the tale that has drawn Emma into the mansion in the first place. The lack of character development and explanation of the world and the magic that inhabits it holds the narrative experience back and prevents context from escaping the shadows.

With such well-crafted puzzles and level design, a beautiful presentation and interesting story at its heart, Tandem: A Tale of Shadows feels rewarding with the conquest of each challenge thrown at the player. Without feeling overly difficult, the challenge fails to become frustrating by broadening the player’s scope of exploration due to the dual-world nature of Emma and Fenton’s unique perspectives. Manipulating shadows makes for engaging gameplay and some joyful visual playgrounds.

+ Clever puzzle design

+ Striking art design

+ Gameplay duality is fun and varied

+ New ideas regularly introduced

– Story fails to feel meaningful

– Lack of character development or world building

– No replay value

Developed by: Hatinh Interactive

Published by: Monochrome Paris

Release Date: November 3 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 *

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The post Tandem: A Tale of Shadows Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

From the very beginning of My Friend Peppa Pig it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between this video game and the uber-popular children’s animated series. Presented as an open adventure that doesn’t force the player in any one direction the wide variety of activities and interactions is largely available immediately. Aside from a handful of story driven cinematic and associated events the interactive experience is presented in a manner that truly represents player freedom and exploration at their own pace.

Opening with a fun character creation suite, the player is able to choose from a variety of different animals, body shapes, fur and clothing colours and accessories. The nameless player character is simply referred to as Peppa’s friend and accompanies Peppa and her family to a handful of locations full of things to playfully interact with.

My Friend Peppa Pig uses single button controls to make the entire experience as easy as possible. Interacting with the many points of interest is as accessible as a result and leans into the pressure-less exploration approach cleverly adopted by developer Petoons Studio. Peppa frequently suggests things the player can do but these don’t need to be followed, rather they exist to help the player push the story forward but not at the expense of the player’s freedom to explore at their will.

Beginning in Peppa’s house the adventure spreads out to a museum, Windy Castle, the playgroup, Peppa’s grandparents house and Potato City to name a few. These locations are all teaming with characters and objects to interact with, all of them wonderfully brought to life with a vibrant colour pallet that keeps the experience bright and playful at all times.

Drawing pictures at the playgroup, skiing down the slopes of Snowy Mountain and playing dress-up with Peppa’s toy-box are just a few examples of the types of interactions these locations offer. These aren’t tied to objectives, again reinforcing the idea that My Friend Peppa Pig is more focused on exploration, interaction and in some cases education.

The simplistic approach to the gameplay, storytelling and interactions truly sets this title apart as one of the most accessible games for the youngest of players set in the world of one of the most beloved children’s television shows of all time.

While exploring the various available locations the player may be tasked with optional objectives such as finding Daddy Pig’s missing glasses, catching chickens, planting seeds and retrieving Peppa’s brothers lost dinosaur toy. Any objective presented is entirely optional but if the player does choose to undertake them, they are all very simple and can be found in very close proximity to where the task was given.

With so much to do and explore, My Friend Peppa Pig doesn’t restrict replayability. The activities can be replayed multiple times  locations can be travelled to at will. A downside to the optional repetition of things is the inability to skip scenes previously viewed. One in particular is a few minutes long, travelling to Windy Castle with Peppa’s family. While little ones may want to go back they may not be as fond of hearing the same unskippable dialogue and scenes played every time.

Given the highly interactive and simple approach to the gameplay, it feels less like a video game in the traditional sense. The narration and voice acting is authentic to the presentation of the TV show, maintaining the illusion that My Friend Peppa Pig is essentially an interactive episode. As such this may be less appealing to players outside of the target audience though as it has been developed with the youngest audience in mind, this does not detract from the experience.

My Friend Peppa Pig is an excellent example of how to introduce video games to the youngest of players. The high level of interaction, educational sequences and freedom to explore at the players pace is fun, simple and accessible. Peppa Pig is the perfect playground for the next generation of video game players to dip their toes into. Full of charm, playful energy and an authentic presentation, there’s plenty to keep the kids coming back for more to further explore the world of the TV sensation.

+ Incredibly simple gameplay

+ Fun interactions

+ Freedom to explore and revisit activities

+ Cool customisation options

+ Authentic presentation

– Music can be absent for lengthy durations

– Co-op would have been nice

– Some objectives lack clarity

The post My Friend Peppa Pig Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

The loveable and tiny blue wood-dwelling creatures return to the video game realm for the first time in 8 years in The Smurfs: Mission Vileaf. The mischievous wizard Gargamel has manipulated an evil plant known as the Vileaf to unleash widespread contamination of the village and surrounding areas that the Smurfs call home. Toxic critters of varied shapes and sizes threaten their peaceful community and can only be stopped by the collection of ingredients for a super antidote to the rid the lands of the poisonous plant.

Playing as Smurfette, Chef Smurf, Brainy Smurf and Hefty Smurf up to two players can rise to the task and embark on the adventure to save their home from Gargamel’s evil plot. With five regions and over fourteen unique locations within them to explore and save, The Smurfs: Mission Vileaf is a fun and at times challenging platforming adventure.

Handy Smurf has invented the Smurfizer, a device that shoots a healing spray that can reverse the toxic effects that plague the local flora. More than a simple spraying device, the Smurfizer is upgraded with story progression to allow the Smurfs to use it as a vacuum, temporarily glide and proper themselves forward. Additionally, collecting unique ingredients found in the five regions, various aspects of the Smurfizer can be upgraded at Handy’s workbench to increase glide time and the size of the the spray tank for instance.

The Smurfizer is simple to control and each of its unique actions are tied to a single button, making it easy to integrate with the platforming elements throughout each mission of the adventure. The fun customisation, which includes the colour of the spray, goes a long way in taking the simple mechanic in fun directions, especially for the younger players.

Every explorable area in The Smurfs: Mission Vileaf is populated with infected plantation that has been turned a deep red colour and can be healed only by the Smurfizer, restoring it to a lush green and revealing new areas to access or precious ingredients that were previously entangled in the toxic vines.

The ‘healed’ status of each location can easily be accessed in the menu and due to the upgrades to the Smurfizer that only come with story progression, each location will need to be revisited later to be able to fully heal the area. The entire world can be revisited once the story has been completed, encouraging replayability and completionism level exploration for players looking to find everything hidden amidst the Vileaf plagued world.

Able to jump and eventually glide and dash forward, traversal becomes more enjoyable and with each new ability, the locations open up in terms of verticality and the new access to previously unreachable ingredients required for crafting. As the game progresses these platforming elements become a little more difficult, especially with the introduction of critters that can be used to bounce on to gain height and combine with the abilities of the Smurfizer. While it doesn’t become overly complex the platforming in the late stages may consist more heavily of trial and error for younger players.

The premise is simply to stop Gargamel from using the Vileaf for his sinister disruption to the forest and outside of rhyming storybook cinematic at the beginning of each new mission, the storytelling is limited to the voiced dialogue of the Smurfs. It’s a shame the narrative doesn’t unfold in a more playful manner with charming cinematic, particularly to further engage younger players in the otherwise entertaining adventure that can be completed in less than half a dozen hours.

Each of the five unique regions are beautiful contrasted visually, from the lush forest, dark and gloomy swamp to the bright sunlit castle to name a few. Charming animation brings the Smurfs to life in a world full of critters that seemingly evaporate upon defeat, maintaining the family friendly approach to the platforming adventure. A playful score and cute sound effects, accompanied by entertaining Smurf dialogue make for an overall enjoyable presentation that feels appropriate to the iconic franchise.

The Smurfs: Mission Vileaf is a playful platforming adventure that doesn’t overcomplicate itself with complex mechanics. The simplicity of the experience makes for a great introduction to the genre for young players and despite a handful of challenging sequences late in the game, it remains fairly accessible to players of multiple age groups.

+ Smurfizer is a fun tool

+ Great, authentic presentation

+ Each location feels unique

+ Supports local co-op

– Story is minimalistic

– Some challenging platforming late in the game

– Slow movement speed

Developed by: OSome Studio

Published by: Microids

Release Date: November 16 2021

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

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All digital photography in this review was captured on an Xbox Series X by Games of DAYNE

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