Review: FINIS
Developer – k148 Game Studio Publisher – Jandusoft Platforms – PS4/5 , Nintendo Switch ,Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, PC (Reviewed) Review copy given by Publisher FINIS is a game unlike any other, offering a unique psychological evaluation experience rooted in the principles of the Lüscher test. The concept is intriguing, as players are tasked with selecting colors that correspond to various emotional and psychological states. These choices ultimately dictate the path you will embark upon in the game. The Lüscher test, which analyzes one’s emotional and psychological state based on color preferences, serves as the foundation for the gameplay. Each color represents a facet of your personality, and your choices throughout the game lead to a deeper understanding of your inner workings. As you journey through FINIS, you encounter eight different paths, each aligning with a specific color choice. This multi-pronged approach adds a layer of complexity to the psychological evaluation, making it a fascinating experiment. The choices you make directly influence the evaluation you receive, providing insights into your current mindset and emotions. The game encourages introspection, raising questions about whether your color selections are influenced by your true preferences or external factors. It becomes an exercise in self-discovery, challenging you to accept the possibility of a different reality than you initially perceive. However, while FINIS excels in its utilization of the Lüscher test for psychological evaluation, it falls short in terms of storytelling and narrative. The promise of 21 different multiverses, each tailored to your chosen path, sounds intriguing, but the execution leaves much to be desired. The visual narratives within these multiverses, despite being diverse, lack depth and fail to engage players on a meaningful level. The overarching storyline is unclear and often disjointed, making it difficult to invest emotionally in the game’s world. Furthermore, despite the promise of hundreds of possible combinations based on your choices, the final assessment often feels arbitrary, leaving players with a sense of disconnectedness from the game’s intended psychological exploration. The potential for a thought-provoking narrative is there, but it remains largely unfulfilled. While the psychological evaluation aspect of FINIS is undeniably captivating and thought-provoking, the game’s storytelling and narrative elements fall short of their potential. The 21 multiverses and eight different paths offer variety, but they lack the depth and coherence needed to create a truly immersive and engaging gaming experience. Nonetheless, the exploration of the Lüscher test within a video game format is a commendable and unique endeavor, and for those interested in introspective gaming experiences, FINIS may still be worth a try.
Review: Laika: Aged Through Blood
Developer – Brainwash Gang Publisher – Headup Publishing Platforms – PS4/5 , Nintendo Switch ,Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, PC (Reviewed) Review copy given by Publisher Laika: Aged Through Blood is a game that truly revs up the excitement in the crowded world of indie gaming. It’s a western-inspired motorvania set in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and it offers a unique and thrilling gaming experience that will keep you hooked from start to finish. One of the standout features of Laika is its vehicular combat on a fast and agile motorbike, and it’s a real wheelie good time. The controls are as smooth as a well-oiled engine, and the combat mechanics are a joy to master, shifting the gears of excitement into high gear. Racing through the wasteland, performing daring wheelies and engaging in epic battles on your trusty motorbike is a wheelie good ride that sets this game apart. The game’s visuals are absolutely stunning, with a beautiful, hand-painted post-apocalyptic world that oozes atmosphere and detail like chrome on a classic bike. The art style is unique and captivating, and it adds a layer of immersion to the game that few others can match. The world feels alive, and the attention to detail in the hand-drawn landscapes is commendable. However, Laika isn’t just about fast-paced motorbike action and gorgeous visuals; it also boasts a deep and compelling story that’s as riveting as a biker’s memoir. At its core, it’s a tale of a mother-daughter relationship, vengeance, and loss that’ll make your heart race like a turbo-charged engine. The narrative is well-written and engaging, and it adds an emotional depth to the game that you might not expect in a motorvania. Laika’s journey for vengeance to reclaim what her people lost is a captivating one, and you’ll find yourself rooting for her every step of the way. The world of Laika is incredibly varied, offering a wide range of environments and settings to explore. From desolate deserts to crumbling urban landscapes, the game keeps things fresh and engaging throughout, like a scenic ride through changing landscapes. The missions are diverse, and you’ll encounter epic boss battles that are both challenging and rewarding, delivering a nitro boost of excitement. The variety of gameplay elements keeps you on your toes, and there’s always something new and exciting to discover around the bend. One of the most innovative aspects of Laika: Aged Through Blood is that it bills itself as the “very first MOTORVANIA.” This unique genre mashup combines the best elements of motorbike action and the exploration of a metroidvania game. It’s a novel concept, and it’s executed with finesse in Laika, making it a standout in the gaming garage. The game’s use of skill-based power-ups adds another layer of strategy and excitement to the gameplay. Learning when and how to use these power-ups is essential to your success in the game, and it adds depth to the already impressive combat system, like fine-tuning a motorcycle engine for maximum performance. Furthermore, the ability to reload your gun by performing a backflip is a small but satisfying mechanic that adds a level of skill and style to the game. It’s these little details that make Laika stand out from the crowd and demonstrate the developers’ dedication to creating a unique and memorable experience, like a custom paint job on a classic chopper. Laika: Aged Through Blood is a must-play for fans of both motorbike action and metroidvania games. Its fast-paced vehicular combat, breathtaking hand-drawn world, emotionally resonant story, and innovative genre blend make it a standout title in the indie gaming scene. If you’re looking for an unforgettable gaming experience that offers both challenge and depth, Laika: Aged Through Blood is the game for you.
Five Nights At Freddy’s is expected to earn $130 Million Globally in its opening weekend
Five Nights At Freddy’s is now available to watch on Peacock and at your local movie theater. Before its official release, the movie had received very mixed reviews from critics which led it to be below 30% on Rotten Tomatoes to begin with. The biggest criticism about the film was that it was rated PG-13 which limits how scary the movie can be compared to if it was an R-rated movie. Despite what the critics might say, the movie is on pace to be a success in its first opening weekend box office sales. The Five Nights At Freddy’s movie is estimated to make over $78 Million in its domestic opening weekend and $52 Million internationally making it over $130 Million globally. Jason Blum also shared that it “already made more than its production costs just from the sale of its streaming and theatrical distribution rights”. If the expected sales come through, Five Nights At Freddy’s will be one of the biggest horror openings in history. Opening weekend box office estimates for Blumhouse's ‘FIVE NIGHTS AT FREDDY'S’ movie! Domestic – $78MInternational – $52MGlobal – $130M Despite releasing day-and-date with theatrical on Peacock, the film looks to be a major box office success! Jason Blum has also reported the… pic.twitter.com/DgVwCRMGoq — JonnyBlox (@JonnyBlox) October 28, 2023 Will you watch Five Nights At Freddy’s?
Xbox Series S gets price increase in Brazil
When Microsoft released the Xbox Series S in 2020 it was made to be a cheaper option for those who couldn’t afford the Xbox Series X. Yeah the Series S isn’t as powerful or puts out the same quality of the Series X, but it can still handle modern video games. According to a new announcement from Microsoft, the company raised the price of the console in Brazil. The Xbox Series S in Brazil has increased to R$3,599 from its previous price range of R$2000 and R$2500 at retail stores in the country. In a statement Microsoft sent to The Enemy they only stated the price increase only impacts the Xbox Series S and not the Series X. “At Xbox, we remain focused on offering the best gaming experience at a variety of price points, so gamers can choose what best fits their gaming needs and budget,” the statement said. “In the coming weeks, we will begin to communicate price adjustments for Xbox Series S consoles in Brazil.” “The MSRP of the Xbox Series S base SKU will be updated at Brazilian retailers where Xbox Series S consoles are available”, follows the text. “We have maintained our console prices for many years and have now adjusted prices to R$3,599.” The Enemy also said this change is only applicable to the standard 500 GB Xbox Series S and not the recent 1 TB version that was released during the Summer. To put this into perspective, the Xbox Series S in Brazil is now the same price as the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition. Source: The Enemy via Klobrille
Review: The Grinch: Christmas Adventures
Developer – Casual Brothers Publisher – Outright Games Platforms – PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series XlS (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch Review copy given by publisher The Grinch is on an adventure to ruin the day by stealing presents on his way during Christmas Day. Outright Games and Casual Brothers Limited brought the world a brand new game for the Holiday featuring one of Christmas’ worst enemies, The Grinch. This game is inspired by Dr. Seuss’s original illustrations that follow the story of the cranky, solitary creature who tries to frustrate Whoville by stealing Christmas gifts and decorations. Right from the start of the game, you are introduced to the story from Dr. Seuss of How The Grinch Stole Christmas word for word of how the book actually tells the story. After you are introduced to the game you’ll start off in Grinch’s Cave giving you basic levels to playthrough. As you progress further into the platformer you’ll approach new enemies and gain abilities, but you have to unlock these said abilities. Joining you on your adventure with The Grinch is Max, who can be controlled by a second player to provide a co-op experience. If you choose to play solo, you will be required to control both characters in order to unlock certain doors. While you are playing through each level you will be able to collect presents and there will be a certain number of puzzles to collect. The puzzles are an important part of this game if you want to finish the game and gain all of the abilities. There are three important abilities: Candy Cane Lasso, Jetpack, and Snowballs. In order to unlock any of those abilities you will need to complete puzzles and these puzzles come up after you collect a certain amount of them hidden along the worlds in this Christmas Adventure. It’s a neat way to unlock features in a game and does provide some replayability if you missed any throughout your playthrough. When it comes to the gameplay in The Grinch: Christmas Adventures at first it feels fresh and if you’ve ever played platformers you’ll find it very basic. While moving along into the Countryside or Who-ville you’ll start to notice the same thing repeat itself by going through houses occupied by gingerbread men or by Who’s to get to the other side while stealing gifts in the meantime. In order to defeat enemies in this game, either throw snowballs or jump on their heads like when Mario jumps on Goombas. You’ll find yourself running into Nutcrackers, Spiders, Stockings, Music Notes, and Christmas Trees repeatedly. After an hour of playing it can get a little boring after practically doing the same thing with a somewhat new aesthetic. The level design in The Grinch: Christmas Adventures is questionable because I’ve jumped down to certain areas of the game where there is seemingly no point in going as it leads to dead ends. Even the art of the levels remains the same, but maybe there are more Christmas decorations displayed with actual tall buildings occupied by Who’s. When finishing a level you aren’t quite sure sometimes if that’s the end unless you hear music bringing you to a screen sharing the percentage of what you collected. I wish there was something present that showed the ending providing a sense of accomplishment to kids playing this game. The Grinch: Christmas Adventures comes with uninspiring audio. After hearing the continuous moaning and groaning from The Grinch while jumping or performing an action I found myself getting bored and frustrated with it. Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to put a variety of music audio when playing through a level instead of everything being quiet besides jumping on top of enemies or dying. I was disappointed with the way this game ended. There was no music in the last mission creating an exciting moment, and completing it felt more like a relief than a triumph. There’s not much to say about the story. If you know the story of How The Grinch Stole Christmas then you will understand the entire game. Casual Brothers did a great job including portions of the book being narrated in the game. If there is a positive I can say about this game it’s the dialogue whether it’s the cutscenes of the book or during the game when playing where it teaches you how to use an ability or introduces new enemies. The Grinch: Christmas Adventures provides a short and basic playthrough with a maximum of 4 hours to fully complete the game including its Achievements and Trophies. Outright Games and Casual Brothers made it clear from the start that this is a kids game and The Grinch: Christmas Adventures definitely shows that. Although it may be a good option for the younger audience the game comes with its shortcomings in replayability, level design, audio, and gameplay.
ARK: Survival Ascended is now available on Steam; Console launch delayed
On October 25, Microsoft hosted an Xbox Partner Preview showcase that featured only third-party games that are coming out in the near future. One of the titles shown as ARK: Survival Ascended from Studio Wildcard featuring gameplay on Xbox. As of October 26, 2023, the game is now available only on PC via Steam. Ark: Survival Scended includes access to all of ARK’s worlds including Scorched Earth, Aberration, Extinction, ARK Genesis Part 1, ARK Genesis Part 2, and many more. In this sequel, there are Quality of Life improvements in many areas such as the User Interface, dynamic navigation for intelligent creature pathfinding, Wild Babies, Photo Mode, new Camera systems, new Map system, Tracking System, new Structures and Items, new Creatures, and a lot more. In the release announcement blog post from Studio Wildcard, they did talk about the state of the Console version. They announced that ARK: Survival Ascended has been delayed for Xbox and PlayStation until November. The reasoning behind this is they’re continuing their internal quality assurance process for ASA. Their development team found critical issues with the multiplayer version of the game that would have major impacts on the console versions. You can purchase ARK: Survival Ascended on Steam for $40.49 on sale and its regular price is $44.99.
Three New RuneScape Characters Are Now Available In Smite
Smite and Old School RuneScape announced they partnered up again to bring iconic RuneScape legends to the MOBA for the second time. The update already went live on October 24, 2023 and it brought three new skins from Gielinor featuring Sandwich Lady Amaterasu, General Graardor Ymir, and Black Plate Bellona. Here is more information about each character: General Graardor Ymir From the God Wars Dungeon to the Battleground of the Gods, mighty General Graardor is stepping up in his life quest against deities! Couldn’t grind him for the Bandos chestplate in RuneScape? Have your revenge in SMITE fighting General Graardor or playing him with this new Ymir Skin. Sandwich Lady Amaterasu Whether you’re more of a Triangle Sandwich or a Stale Baguette player, Ardougne’s Sandwich Lady Bakery will never close its doors on you in SMITE! That’s every RuneScape fan’s dream come true: you can now play from the unique perspective of the generous Sandwich Lady. Kindly offer a selection of free snacks to enemy Gods… and if they don’t pick right you get to bash them mercilessly with your lethal baguette! And no, you do not get to teleport anyone away. Black Plate Bellona Why choose between protection and style when you can have both? A valorous warrior in black gold-trimmed armor, Black Plate Bellona is ready to grind her way to glory! She is the free bonus reward granted after purchasing any three RuneScape Skins or cosmetic bundles as of today. You can purchase the Sandwich Lady and General Graardor on the RuneScape Event page in Smite along with a new cosmetic bundle containing a themed Jump Stamp, a Global Emote, and an Avatar. The three newcomers are also compatible with the famous Skill Capes. 69 capes ranging from the Herblore Cape to the Slayer Cape launched last year and you can use them on the new characters.
Review: This Bed We Made
Developer – Lowbirth Games Publisher – Lowbirth Games Platforms – PS4/5 , Xbox One, PC (Reviewed) Review copy given by Developer WARNING: At Rectify Gaming, we are committed to fostering a gaming community that is inclusive, respectful, and safe for all players. We would like to emphasize that while the game may include the following themes and depictions, we do not condone or endorse any of these behaviors in real life. Please be aware that this game contains: – Alcohol & Tobacco (Mentioned and depicted)– Cheating/Infidelity (Mentioned and depicted)– Domestic & Emotional Abuse (Mentioned)– Depression & Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Mentioned)– Homicide, Blood & Guns (Mentioned and depicted)– Homophobia, Gender & Racial Discrimination (Mentioned and depicted)– Mental Health Issues & Institutionalization (Mentioned and depicted)– Stalking (Mentioned and depicted)– Wrongful Conviction/Imprisonment (Mentioned and depicted) Furthermore, we encourage players to seek help or support if they are personally affected by any of these issues in real life. Play responsibly and be aware of the impact of the content on your emotions and well-being. If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of Self-harm or Suicide, In Canada, you can reach out to Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 or visit kidshelpphone.ca. For assistance in the United States, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available at 1-800-273-8255, or visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org , aswell as you can Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a volunteer Crisis Counselor from the Crisis Text Line. We’d also like to thank Safe in Our World for being supportive of our work in Gaming and Helping support Mental Health Awareness through Gaming. In the dimly lit corridors of the Clarington Hotel, players are transported to a bygone era, February 17, 1958, to be precise, when the world was shrouded in mystery, and secrets lurked in the shadows. This Bed We Made, a third-person narrative mystery game, invites you to step into the shoes of Sophie, a nosy chambermaid with an insatiable curiosity. As she embarks on her routine shift, Sophie stumbles upon room 505, where a crimson light spills out, setting the stage for a mesmerizing tale of intrigue and suspense. The game’s gameplay is a captivating blend of neo-noir investigation and immersive storytelling. It effortlessly combines elements of classic mystery narratives with a touch of glamour and murder, drawing inspiration from the works of cinematic legends like Alfred Hitchcock. The choice to explore the three atmospheric floors of the Clarington Hotel sets the stage for an experience that is both visually and thematically rich. The attention to detail in recreating the 1950s ambiance is commendable, from the period-appropriate décor to the soundtrack that oozes nostalgia. The core gameplay mechanic in This Bed We Made is the indulgence of one’s curiosity. Players have the opportunity to delve deep into the hidden lives of the hotel’s enigmatic guests. Sophie’s role as a chambermaid affords her access to their most personal possessions, which, as it turns out, hold secrets that are both unsettling and mysterious. This aspect of the game is reminiscent of the voyeuristic experience in Hitchcock’s “Rear Window.” Exploring these intimate belongings in 360° and solving the puzzles they present is a highly engaging and immersive experience. One of the standout features of This Bed We Made is the ability to form confidential relationships with both hotel employees and guests. This adds a layer of depth to the game, as players must navigate the delicate balance of forming bonds with the characters they encounter. Choosing between the street-smart Beth and the book-smart Andrew as an ally not only affects the story’s direction but also offers a sense of agency and personalization, making each playthrough unique. The lifelike consequences of every action taken in the game are a testament to its narrative complexity. Every door opened and every choice made can significantly impact how the story unfolds, creating a dynamic and branching narrative. This level of interactivity keeps players engaged and invested in the outcome, as their decisions ripple through the narrative, leading to multiple possible endings. The narrative itself is a well-crafted tapestry of murder, forbidden love, and enigmatic mysteries. As Sophie, you will be drawn into a web of intrigue that binds the hotel’s guests, and uncovering the truth becomes an irresistible pursuit. The narrative pacing is commendable, with each revelation and twist strategically placed to keep players on the edge of their seats. The game’s art style and graphics contribute to its overall allure. The Clarington Hotel, with its moody and atmospheric design, becomes a character in itself. The attention to detail in recreating the 1950s setting is evident in every nook and cranny, from the vintage furniture to the clothing worn by characters. The choice of a third-person perspective allows players to appreciate the game’s aesthetics fully. The sound design and soundtrack in This Bed We Made are simply exceptional. The music perfectly complements the game’s atmosphere, evoking a sense of nostalgia and tension that is integral to the neo-noir theme. Sound cues are used effectively to build suspense and highlight key moments in the narrative. This Bed We Made is a remarkable addition to the mystery game genre. It successfully combines neo-noir aesthetics, immersive storytelling, and interactivity, creating an experience that draws players into the shadows of the Clarington Hotel. Sophie’s journey into the enigmatic lives of the guests, along with the game’s lifelike consequences, ensures that every playthrough is a unique and captivating experience. If you’re a fan of mysteries, narratives filled with secrets, and a touch of the 1950s, this game is a must-play. This Bed We Made invites players to unravel a tale where secrets, shadows, and crimson light converge, leaving you with an experience that lingers long after the credits roll.
