The long-awaited arrival of the Wakandan king and his kingdom have finally arrived in the War for Wakanda expansion in Marvel’s Avengers. Black Panther takes centre stage in the largest single content drop since the launch of Marvel’s Avengers last September (review HERE).

New enemy types, two new villains in the form of Ulysses Klaw and Crossbones, a stunning new biome set in the futuristic, hidden African city of Wakanda and Black Panther himself offer enough variety to reinvigorate the game and steer away from the repetition of the locations exhausted by players for nearly a year. Packed with dozens of outfits, unique gameplay, and his own skill tree to master, Black Panther goes a long way in ensuring the players embrace Wakanda… forever.

Black Panther is introduced in an exciting opening mission that sees Ulysses Klaw laying siege to the Wakandan capital with his own special forces, a varied and challenging new assortment of enemies that bring new offensive and defensive abilities that require a little more strategy than simply button mashing.

Klaw wants Wakanda’s vibranium, aware his black-market variant isn’t worth as much as the real deal, and has aligned with the emergent villain of the Marvel’s Avengers campaign, Monica Rappaccini, to bring war to Wakanda. Accompanied by Brock Rumlow, better known as Crossbones, the duo provides an exciting challenge for the Avengers including an epic boss battle against both of them at the end of the disappointingly short main mission chain of the expansion.

As with Kate Bishop’s Operation: Taking AIM (review HERE) and Hawkeye’s Operation: Future Imperfect (review HERE), Black Panther’s War for Wakanda main mission chain takes just a scratch over an hour and a half. The story it tells in that brief window is excellent however, showcasing the sibling relationship of Black Panther’s King T’Challa and Shuri, the loyalty of his commander Okoye and connection to his people he swears to protect. The relationships of T’Challa, including with his nemesis Klaw, are the backbone of the story and are wonderfully fleshed out considering the criminally short runtime.

Luckily, the fun doesn’t stop with the main mission chain and the handful of missions that comprise it. Black Panther has his own iconic mission chain to complete which awards players an awesome regal attire for T’Challa and there are plenty of other war zone missions to tackle solo or with up to three other players in co-op. Thanks to a recent update to Marvel’s Avengers, gone are the days where a Strike Team of up to four players could only have one of a given character, now a whole team of Black Panthers can take the fight to Klaw so everyone can enjoy the exciting new gameplay of the Wakandan icon.

Black Panther feels incredibly unique, his swift and furious clawed melee combat is a blast to experiment with, combining his ranged dagger attacks and making the most of his vibranium infused heroic abilities to unleash punishment in an exciting fresh fashion.

The heroic abilities can be upgraded to unlock some awesome variants such as the summoning of two Wakandan warrior spirits to the fight, accompanying the giant spirit Panther that lays waste to all foes in its forward trajectory while also providing an impressive buff to Panther himself for a limited duration.

Very surprisingly, combat isn’t the only strong suit for Black Panther with his traversal game being just as exciting. Joining Captain America as the only other current hero that can double jump and wall run, Black Panther puts his own spin on these with his style and the scraping of the rock face by his vibranium claws as he crosses them.

Developer Crystal Dynamics have managed to flex their muscle in the ancient ruins department by creating some stunning caverns and platforming sequences that are reminiscent of their iconic work on the rebooted Tomb Raider trilogy. New and challenging environmental puzzles that would be suitable for Lara Croft herself have been introduced for T’Challa to master and the genuine head scratching a few of them are likely to cause are a much-needed breath of fresh air to those already in place in the base game.

The entire biome of Wakanda feels so exciting and different, brought to life in such stunning detail that it genuinely feels like its own game. Loaded with ruins, new building types, a complete makeover for every interactive object such as loot chests, health canisters and containers that house resources all have a Wakandan flavour that feels authentic to the region they inhabit.

The new Wakandan outpost is no exception. By far the most visually impressive and meticulously detailed outpost to date, Wakanda’s is full of Black Panther’s army that salute him as he walks past, the most intelligent minds of the city working on the hyper-futuristic technology on display in every room and includes the ritual chambers of his spiritual elders. The detail is incredible, and the immersion is unlike anything else established in Marvel’s Avengers so far.

Unfortunately for players bored of the base game’s primary antagonistic force, A.I.M.bots are back too, bringing the same android enemy variants players have defeated thousands of times. Their return undermines the unique haven and fresh concepts that Wakanda otherwise delivers spectacularly. One of the new enemy types introduced are small, medium, and large sized spider bots that unfortunately aren’t what players are looking for.

Androids and robotic enemy types have overwhelmed Marvel’s Avengers enemy offering since the beginning so it’s a genuine shame to see another variant added. To further drive home the point of “here is something new but also kind of the same” is a large mech that is pretty much the same as the large dreadbots from the main game. The method to defeating it is slightly different, but the similarities can’t be ignored. Attacking red points on the feet that reveal further weak points and when they do have been triggered a final device is exposed and ready to be destroyed to reduce the giant mech to scrap.

It’s such a shame to see slightly different versions of the key repetitive enemies we already have. The inclusion of A.I.M.bots, the introduction of the spider droids and the slightly-different-but-still-too-similar-to-dreadbots F.U.S.E. mech enemies are the weakest link in War for Wakanda. Unsurprisingly, everything else works so well because it’s new and fresh.

Wakanda is so beautiful to take in, by far offering the most striking landscapes to explore and the stunning attention to detail in the caverns and ruins adorned with Panther statues and symbolic imagery of the Wakandan’s is simply breathtaking. The tribal score and bits infusion of upbeat and energetic modern music are epic and add layers of tension to each enemy and boss encounter.

War for Wakanda is exactly what Marvel’s Avengers needed. Bringing the most exciting and enjoyable new hero into the fold with Black Panther, introducing a visual marvel of an outpost an incredibly fresh new biome, this is what players have been asking for. New characters, new locations, and new ideas and with the exception of the tiring A.I.M. inclusion, War for Wakanda hits the spot.

+ BLACK. PANTHER.

+ Wakanda as a biome

+ Great story

 – A.I.M.bots and rehashed ideas

 – Main mission story is far too short

Developed by: Crystal Dynamics

Published by: Square Enix

Release Date: August 17 2021

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

* The War for Wakanda expansion, and ALL additional heroes are available at no additional cost on all platforms *

– 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.

To see all the latest news and reviews from the team at Game News Aus, including this review, click HERE.

Don’t forget to also follow Games of DAYNE on: Twitter, Facebook and YouTube!

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

The post Marvel’s Avengers: War for Wakanda (Expansion) Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

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 –

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.

To see all the latest news and reviews from the team at Game News Aus, including this review, click HERE.

Don’t forget to also follow Games of DAYNE on: Twitter, Facebook and YouTube!

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

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.

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.

To see all the latest news and reviews from the team at Game News Aus, including this review, click HERE.

Don’t forget to also follow Games of DAYNE on: Twitter, Facebook and YouTube!

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

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.

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.

To see all the latest news and reviews from the team at Game News Aus, including this review, click HERE.

Don’t forget to also follow Games of DAYNE on: Twitter, Facebook and YouTube!

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

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

Godfall received some pretty mixed reviews when it originally launched alongside the PlayStation 5 in November but after a handful of updates, it started to be received the way it deserved. With the Fire and Darkness expansion that arrived with the PlayStation 4 launch of Godfall, my review of which can be found HERE, it seems to be unanimous that Godfall is where it should have been nearly a year ago. Adding a new realm to explore, new challenges and new gear – including the Cursed tier, Fire and Darkness has brought Godfall to heights as epic as its premise.

The expansion wastes little time in introducing a menacing new antagonist in the form of Moirax, a dark and towering monster that introduces himself by draining the life force of the Seventh Sanctum, leaving the player’s character Orin alone and dispatched with the wave of his hand. Four new story missions and five hunt missions encompass the new narrative and it feels as epic and grand in scope as the base game, providing a satisfying yet brief expansion that meaningfully enhances the overarching world of Godfall.

The new Fire realm is hauntingly stunning, peppering the dark, dull and ashy landscape with vibrant blue flames that truly add an ominous feel to the fiery domain. Continuing the trend of each realm having unique enemy designs and variants, Fire and Darkness feels unique and fresh, offering fun and new varieties to the environment, enemies and combat encounters. Considering this realm is also the largest one to date it had a lot to live up to but luckily, Fire and Darkness manages to fill the landscape with beautiful visuals and meaningful content that prevent a feeling of emptiness from creeping in.

Each of the twelve Valorplates each received several new skin variants to unlock by fulfilling certain requirements. These are merely cosmetics that offer coloured variants but they are worth the effort to unlock with the fun themes they each represent while also adding a much needed reason to continue the endgame grind.

It is worth mentioning that on the day Fire and Darkness launched, as well as the PlayStation 4 version of Godfall, players were also treated to the free Lightbringer update as well. This introduced the titular Lightbringer game mode, designed with co-op in mind, tasking players with defeating the Heart of Darkness freeing portions of the Sanctum’s light while defatting waves of enemies. It’s a blast in co-op and offers countless hours of a fun to the endgame loop and grind for better gear.

The new Cursed-tier items can be earned which require cleansing by completing associated challenges, a further enticement to players looking for more bang for their buck. A level cap increase from 30 to 50 seemed steep originally but considering the combined content from Fire and Darkness and the Lightbringer update, as well as the new gear and loot associated with them, Godfall has so much to offer than it did in November that is worth investing in.

Godfall feels more like a complete package that offers dozens of hours of new content with Fire and Darkness and the Lightbringer update, enough to entice new players and managing to recapture the attention of existing players that wanted that little bit more to justify returning. It’s fun, its dark and twisted and most importantly it feels rewarding with its wealth of new loot and customisation offerings.

+ Stunning new Fire realm

+ New Valorplate skins

+ Menacing antagonist and dark story

+ New endgame content

– Surprising lack of new Valorplates

– Familiar gameplay with the exception of Lightbringer mode

Developed by: Counterplay Games

Published by: Gearbox Publishing

Release Date: August 10 2021

Platforms: PlayStation 4/5 and PC

– 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.

To see all the latest news and reviews from the team at Game News Aus, including this review, click HERE.

Don’t forget to also follow Games of DAYNE on: Twitter, Facebook and YouTube!

The post Godfall – Fire and Darkness Expansion Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

Originally planned as the final story expansion prior to the announcement of second year content for Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, The Siege of Paris adds the French location and a few new ideas but essentially feels like more of the same.

Continuing the heavily political narrative themes of the base game and the previous expansion, Eivor is enlisted by a pair of foreigners to travel to their homeland and help bring down the Mad King, Charles the Fat.

It is impossible to ignore the visual similarities 9th century France has with the English territory that comprises the bulk of Valhalla’s experience. Lacking the same visual punch and unique qualities that Ireland presented in the previous expansion, Wrath of the Druids, Valhalla’s France looks like more of the same. Considering it plays essentially the same and provides a story that treads the same political waters, The Siege of Paris struggles to feel unique and like a meaningful addition to the ever-expanding experience.

My review of Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla can be found HERE.

Having spent nearly eight hours tackling the story it was hard to feel satisfied in the sense it had essentially been told countless times throughout the core Valhalla experience. The format of wandering between new locations completing fetch quests, escorting characters and typical go here and kill this guy becomes all too familiar almost immediately.

The implications of the teases Catholic Church infiltration and radicalisation by cultists was interesting but ultimately wound up being a mystery unsolved. At least with Wrath of the Druids the cultist sub-plot was interesting and fleshed out rather than teased and possibly abandoned though it can’t be ruled out this arc won’t be returned to with the newly announced second year of content.

My review of the Wrath of the Druids expansion for Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla can be found HERE.

With combat all but perfected with Valhalla the addition of a new and deadly weapon is certainly welcome. The large, double-handed scythe makes for a fun toy to dismantle the opposing forces and has some satisfying animations and executions. Its ridiculous size becomes normal after a few combat encounters and the fact that it’s nearly twice the size of Eivor is certainly comical at first.

Adding to the weird and wonderful additions of the world of Assassin’s Creed, as has become standard for the franchise, and especially with Valhalla, a new and completely ridiculous mount is available. A bear. With horses, giant wolves, a lynx, a lion and now a bear to choose from, the wacky side of Assassin’s Creed makes the dull moments of constant back and forth more enjoyable while being able to ride these crazy mounts.

The singular most interesting concept introduced in The Siege of Paris is the rat swarms that accompany the plague. Dwelling primarily in the sewers or beneath buildings these swarms of rats will relentlessly attack and damage the player. They can’t be damaged or killed themselves, but they can be attacked and forced to retreat into grates in the ground. When the rats have retreated an object needs to be pulled over the top of it to prevent them re-emerging. There is always a conveniently placed object within the environment to be dragged to do so. An interesting idea fails to feel meaningfully executed due to their sporadic appearances, annoying pursuit of the player when they are encountered and monotonous means of repelling them.

Perhaps one of the strongest deviations to the norm in The Siege of Paris are the Infiltration missions. Essentially repurposed from the Black Box missions in the also French-based Assassin’s Creed: Unity, these missions provided a handful of possible ways to reach the target or infiltrate their hideout and present unique ways to assassinate them cinematically rather than simply approaching them and driving a hidden blade through their throat.

These made Assassin’s Creed feel like Assassin’s Creed again since the gradual evolution to the state of the game today. It was a welcome addition and one that should definitely be revisited in the future of the franchise to satisfy the strategic assassin impulses that haven’t felt the same in nearly a decade.

Visually impressive as always and while the locations look amazing, they don’t feel different enough to feel justified. Some solid voice work is provided for some of the new characters, King Charles the Fat in particular adds a layer to the tyrannical rule he imposes that is interesting to see brought to life.

The Siege of Paris feels more like the same Valhalla experience we had at launch in contrast to the excellently diverse and different feel brought to players with Ireland in the Wrath of the Druids expansion. The prospect of more content to come to Valhalla is one that both excites me and has me concerned if it is just going to be more of the same across the board. Fans of the series and Valhalla will likely be happy with new content regardless but as one of those players myself, the novelty is beginning to wear off.

+ Infiltration missions are a welcome addition

+ Scythe and bear mount are fun

– France doesn’t look or feel different enough to England

– Story still stuck treading overly familiar political territory

– Rat swarm idea fails to realise its potential

– More of the same overall

Developed by: Ubisoft

Published by: Ubisoft

Release Date: August 12 2021

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

* A digital code of the Ultimate Edition was kindly provided by the Publisher *

– 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.

To see all the latest news and reviews from the team at Game News Aus, including this review, click HERE.

Don’t forget to also follow Games of DAYNE on: Twitter, Facebook and YouTube!

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

The post Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla – The Siege of Paris 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.

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.

To see all the latest news and reviews from the team at Game News Aus, including this review, click HERE.

Don’t forget to also follow Games of DAYNE on: Twitter, Facebook and YouTube!

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

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.

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.

To see all the latest news and reviews from the team at Game News Aus, including this review, click HERE.

Don’t forget to also follow Games of DAYNE on: Twitter, Facebook and YouTube!

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.

Developed by Counterplay Games Godfall originally released as a launch title for the PlayStation 5 back in November 2020. Nine months later in a rare move Godfall has found its way to the PlayStation 4.

A third-person action RPG looter set in a mythological world of God-like warriors in striking armour, Godfall tells a tale of betrayal between two brothers with the player’s character Orin set to stop his brother Macros.

Combo-driven combat utilising a fun variety of melee weapons and a shield make for an enjoyable near-ten-hour adventure. Play time can be exponentially blown out by exploration, side-missions and grinding for better gear drops and customisation by farming resources.

Betrayed by his brother Macros, Orin must stop his brother from collecting a powerful energy known as Aetherium to become a god and destroy Earth. Upon discovering an AI-like entity known as the Seventh Sanctum, Orin is given guidance and tasked with bringing down Macros’ lieutenants to claim their Aetherium before Macros can. Each conquest empowers him with the Aetherium instead and only when all have fallen will Orin finally be powerful enough to confront his brother.

The story is simplistic in the sense it pits the player on a rather linear journey to gain strength and defeat the villain. Where Godfall takes a step above the generic path is its interesting lore and deep world building. The scope is so grand, mythological and fantastical, with new ideas frequently introduced that continue to evolve the story and world it takes place in.

The world of Godfall is divided into realm named after the elements of Earth, Air, Water, Spirit and Fire. Each of these realms have unique enemy variants and elemental resources required for crafting upgrades and new Valorplates, epic armour sets worn by legendary Archon warriors of the past.

There are 12 Valorplates to craft, each inspired by signs of the Zodiac, and each offers a unique passive trait, Archon Fury ability and augment constellation.

Archon Fury abilities are essentially special attacks that can be unleashed when a meter has been filled during combat, these temporarily empower Orin and allow for massive damage to be dealt while active. The duration of Archon Fury can be extended via skill tree upgrades. Augments can be assigned to the Valorplate’s unique augment constellation that improves Might, Vitality or Spirit – weapon damage, max health or life stone recovery and ability damage.

There are five weapon classes in the form of longswords, greatswords, dual blades, polearms and warhammers. Variants can be found through exploration, as enemy loot drops, mission rewards, opening chests or from the vendor in the Sanctum hub-world accessible between missions. A primary and secondary weapon can be equipped as can an assortment of gear pieces such as charms, amulets and rings that all afford passive traits and in most cases stat boosts.

All gear in Godfall comes in tiers ranging from common through legendary and can be Enchanted in the Forge at the Sanctum to have its rarity increased. Finding and upgrading gear is essential to become more powerful and tackle the end-game content which is largely centered around tower challenges, essentially wave-based combat that gets extremely difficult and requires high level gear to survive. Completing these awards alternate skins for Valorplates and valuable crafting resources as well as higher tier loot drops.

Each mission is fairly linear with a waypoint guiding the player towards the primary objective while also offering optional objectives that provide bonus rewards. As the game progresses new areas of the map become accessible. As each of the five realms only has one map the missions can feel visually repetitive, taking place in the same sections of the map until new areas are opened later. This unfortunately means majority of the game has the player passing through the exact same sections mission after mission. While each of the five realms are visually distinct it’s a shame the missions weren’t confined to unique parts of the map instead of being open.

Low ledges can be climbed and large gaps can be crossed by aiming at a floating blue phase node and holding circle to perform a fast, flight-like leap. Combat is less restrictive and actually quite enjoyable. Equipped with a shield that can be thrown like Captain America, it can also be used to block, parry or deflect projectiles. Mastery of this defensive asset can have major offensive implications that can turn the tide of battle, especially when outnumbered. The shield can also be used to destroy objects during the numerous environmental puzzles.

Regardless of weapon class, all weapons have a light and chargeable heavy attack. Using evade to constantly move around the battlefield and avoiding enemy attacks while stringing together combos of light and heavy attacks is highly recommended. Staying still is almost certainly a death sentence due to the poor lock-on mechanics and unavoidable enemy attacks when they are glowing red. These attacks deal significant damage and can’t be blocked or parried. The player is also unable to block mid-attack which requires more care and consideration for timing their next offensive or defensive move.

Health can be replenished by picking up vitality orbs dropped from defeated enemies, opening chests or using the recovery stone. When vitality orbs are picked up and the player is already at max health, they are turned into recovery stones which can be used by pressing square to restore health. These come in very handy especially against the higher-ranking enemy types and boss battles.

Special attacks can be unlocked via the skill tree to aid in combat. Aside from new combat abilities the skill tree contains stat increases to vitality, might and spirit. Skill points are earned by leveling up Orin, with a single point awarded with each level gained. Experience is gained from combat, completing objectives and missions.

The world is striking, visually beautiful in its varying levels of decay. Broken ruins, grand palaces, barren volcanic wastelands and water worlds are glorious to take in. Each realm feels grand in its own way and allows Godfall to feel as mythological and fantastic as its premise establishes. Character designs are cool and unique, with each enemy variant feeling different. The weapons and Valorplates are equally impressive and embrace the larger-than-life themes of the title overall.

The score is a blend of ominous, godly and tribal-like war music that really only makes its presence felt in combat. Stakes feel high and combat has an added layer of dramatic tension as a result. The overall presentation is competently grand and mythological, epic and world-ending. Godfall genuinely looks, sounds and feels like a realm of the gods.

Godfall is an enjoyable experience despite the repetitious exploration of the same environments in the earlier stages of the game. With progression each realm opens up a little more but not enough to make each realm feel less fresh and new. A poor lock-on system during combat and the inability to block mid-attack keep the combat from feeling more free-flowing but overall these issues are outweighed by the fun customisation and godly scope of the world that has been built.

With a story that takes less than 10 hours and dozens of hours worth of end-game challenges and better loot-grinding Godfall has enough to satisfy those with a narrative focus, those that enjoy the thrill of the grind and quest to being unstoppable and players that like a bit of both. Godfall is very impressive on the PS4 and despite the obvious improvements it’s PS5 undoubtedly presents, it’s great for players who haven’t yet made the console leap to be able to experience it nearly a year later.

+ Valorplates and customisation

+ Enjoyable combat

+ Enemy variants and environmentally unique Realms

+ Epic scope

+ Interesting lore

– Poor combat lock-on

– Inability to block mid-attack

– Missions take place is essentially same location in each Realm

Developed by: Counterplay Games

Published by: Gearbox Publishing

Release Date: August 10 2021

Platforms: PlayStation 4/5 and PC

– 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.

To see all the latest news and reviews from the team at Game News Aus, including this review, click HERE.

Don’t forget to also follow Games of DAYNE on: Twitter, Facebook and YouTube!

All digital photography was captured in-game on PlayStation 4 by Games of DAYNE

The post Godfall (PS4) Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.

The titular Violett’s striking purple hair is as vibrant as the world her point and click adventure unfolds in. Having recently moved into a new home in the country with her parents, Violett is drawn to a glowing light in a hole in her bedroom wall. Upon reaching in and retrieving a glowing amulet, she somehow shrinks and finds herself in an otherworldly dimension.

Rife with puzzles and objects to find, collect and interact with, Violett Remastered is a noticeable improvement over its 2013 original and also offers new levels. The point and click adventure still provides a decent challenge for genre fans with its strong and memorable puzzles.

Violett Remastered is a tale told visually, with no text-based dialogue or narration, effectively communicated within the confines of its gorgeous art-style. When Violett and her parents move to an old house in the middle of nowhere, she has no idea that an old necklace hidden in her bedroom wall will send her on a wild, unexpected and puzzling adventure. Magically shrunken, Violett experiences the world from a much smaller perspective, with everything and every creature she encounters feeling larger than life. Over a dozen levels teeming with insects – giant from Violett’s newfound perspective – are also home to some clever and admittedly challenging puzzles.

As a point and click adventure, Violett Remastered certainly delivers in the puzzle department the genre is adored for. Violett is able to move between environments and interact with countless objects and characters that populate them, using them to solve puzzles that increase in complexity with story progression. Some of the interactions are well hidden amidst the vibrant backdrops and sheer density of the artistic landscape, making them difficult to find without through exploration. For players struggling with the puzzles there is an excellent hint function that highlights all possible interactions on-screen.

I am not ashamed to admit I had to use this several times, even though I had played the original title nearly ten years ago. While it highlights the things that can be interacted with it is still up to the player to determine which items from their inventory need to be used with other objects or characters to keep the story moving. This guided assistance certainly helps and when all else fails, trying everything within the inventory with all of the points of interest identified by the hint function will eventually get even the most casual of puzzle players through.

The areas Violett journeys through are so diverse and interesting, ranging from the likes of libraries, caverns, volcanos, islands and many more clever takes on the world from a smaller perspective. These locations are vibrant, exciting and cleverly designed.

The playful interactions and animations breathe life into this micro-world and it’s fun to have to put in the work to progress and see more of it. Playful sound design and an enchanting score keeps the atmosphere light and fun, a welcome approach to the presentation to compliment the potentially stressful puzzle-solving.

Violett Remastered is a genuine improvement over the original and a faithful representation of the beloved point and click genre. Casual and franchise fans can enjoy the experience at their own pace with the invaluable hint system available if things feel a little tough. The charming visuals in the delightful micro-world Violett finds herself in keep each location interesting and unique, a playful distraction to the increasingly complex puzzles standing in the way of progression.

+ Fun art and level design

+ Genuinely challenging puzzles

+ Excellent hint system

– Story is minimalistic

– No character development

– No replay value

Developed by: Forever Entertainment

Published by: Forever Entertainment

Release Date: June 4 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.

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.

To see all the latest news and reviews from the team at Game News Aus, including this review, click HERE.

Don’t forget to also follow Games of DAYNE on: Twitter, Facebook and YouTube!

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

The post Violett Remastered Review first appeared on Games of DAYNE.