Author: Guy

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
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Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, PS5 Review

Guy 1294 Views ,  ,  , 

Insomniac Games has to be an absolute Golden Goose for Sony. In 2019 they paid a mere $230 million for a AAA studio that consistently and more importantly quickly, churns out top quality games.

Only 7 months after helping the PS5 launch with Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Insomniac have dropped a new PS5 exclusive – Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart…and as expected.

It is a stunning example of a top tier studio putting powerful next-gen hardware to work.

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Returnal
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Returnal, Review (PS5)

Guy 1672 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

I have always hated games from the Rogue-Like genre. The lack of progression, the severe penalty for simple mistakes and if I’m honest, the feeling of games just being unfair. It does nothing for me.

Well…the genius’s at Housemarque have found the perfect Rogue-Like recipe. Cooking up a beautifully atmospheric, AAA quality, frenetic shooter.

In fact, at this stage of the year Returnal currently sits atop my Game of the Year list for 2021.

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NieR Replicant
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Nier: Replicant, Byte Size Review

Guy 1556 Views ,  , 

Nier: Automata arrived on the scene in 2017 and became an instant cult classic. Square Enix have as a result, seen fit to put some spit ‘n’ polish on the original Japanese version of Nier: Replicant, released in Japan in 2010.

Neir: Replicant ver.1.22474487139 … is a “Version Upgrade” bringing Replicant up to 60fps, adding a full voice cast and importantly modernised combat, akin to the brilliant Automata.

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Doom: Eternal The Ancient Gods Pt2
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Doom: Eternal – The Ancient Gods Pt2 – Review

Guy 1519 Views ,  ,  , 

Doom: Eternal’s stunning balance of strategy and aggression won it a place on the much coveted “Guys Top 3 Games of 2020” list. Now, Doom: Eternal The Ancient Gods: Pt2 has dropped and I have happily descended back into the depths of DLC Hell to shoot some demons in the face.

Picking up from the cliff-hanger at the end of Ancient Gods: part 1. Doom-Guys doppelganger is the ‘champion of hell’ and needs to be dealt with.

As I said in my original review and my part 1 DLC write-up. Doom Eternal does not have a story worth worrying about.

Take it as read, it’s about Heaven vs Hell, demons and monsters….. and its honestly nonsensical shite, and not the reason we play Doom.

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The Nioh Collection
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The Nioh Collection, Review (PS5)

Guy 1269 Views ,  ,  ,  , 

The word “Remaster” tends to go hand in hand with a console generation change. Sony and Team Ninja have seen fit to take advantage of the grunt in the new PS5 and give us a spit ‘n’ polished Nioh 1 & 2 in “The Nioh Collection”.

I for one don’t tend to find a lot of joy in the soulslike space, but the wider contribution these types of titles have made to video gaming cannot be ignored.

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Destruction Allstars
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Destruction AllStars, Review (PS5)

Guy 1466 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Guest writer and resident online multiplayer aficionado, Nina. Has taken Destruction AllStars for a spin.

Destruction Allstars is an enjoyable, well-made game. But if it has any hope of surviving for more than a few months Lucid Games and Sony need to keep nurturing and updating it.

The team behind Destruction AllStars is clearly passionate about this genre of game, so maybe there is hope for its future.

Only time will tell. Its true saving grace is that it is free this month on PS Plus, so why not give it a go.

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CONTROL Ultimate Edition
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Control: Ultimate Edition – (PS5/Xbox Series)

Guy 1663 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Back in 2019 I Reviewed Control on the PS4 and had some pretty nice things to say about it. Such as, “Remedy and 505 Games have made a confusing, engrossing and strangely approachable title…and I loved every damn minute of it” And “Well considered, impeccably balanced, yet still beautifully surreal – Control now sits atop of my 2019 Game of the Year list.”

The “Ultimate Edition” version for the next gen consoles has finally arrived and all my gushing statements stand. Control is still a brilliant, brilliant game. I played the Ultimate Edition on the PS5. It has been polished up to be even prettier and includes all the DLC packs; which I also reviewed and are very good as well.

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MXGP 2020
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MXGP 2020, Review (PS5)

Guy 2456 Views ,  ,  , 

The MXGP 2020 world of motocross and dirt bikes is not foreign to me. I have ridden MX and more recently Enduro race bikes, for many years. So, I do have context for how a race Motocross bike should feel, and frankly, explains why MX games have never grabbed me in passed installments.

MXGP 2020 on the PS5 is quite a different beast, I’m pleased to say.

To get the full run-down, check out our Video Review…and remember any Likes or Subs are a huge help!

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The Medium
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The Medium, Xbox S|X Review

Guy 1386 Views ,  ,  ,  , 

I think most would accept, Xbox’s Gamepass is the revelation of this generation. Over one hundred games to choose from and xbox exclusives are released straight to Gampass at launch. It is a brilliant, brilliant subscription service.  And, excuse my glibness, it saves gamers from mistakenly spending money on titles that are probably not destined for greatness, (*cough) like The Medium.

The Medium is the latest game from Blooper Team who made the brilliant “Observer”, a Sci-fi Detective adventure released in 2017. This time round, they have ditched the cyber-punky aesthetic and are channeling some silent hill-esque tension set in an abandoned Kraków resort in Poland. Its moody, inspired by the greats of the genre and has a fresh take on puzzle mechanics.

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Games of the Generation
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Games of the Generation – ‘Guy Edition’

Guy 1543 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

In my musing on the last 7 years of gaming, a few titles stood out for their impact on me. More specifically, there were certain games that were unique experiences worthy of a “Games of the Generation” title. Keep that term in mind. “Unique”. For me, for a game to hit my list it needed to be more that just graphically stunning. It needed to be like a fresh experience, not just a incremental refinement of previous titles in a genre.

I have been reflecting on this generation of consoles, specifically the Xbox One and Playstation 4. I must admit though, the Xbox One failed to capture my attention this gen. There was a couple of awesome months of replaying the Halo games in the Master Chief Collection. However, shortly after it was left unplugged and unloved, as the PS4 amazing exclusives captured much of my attention.

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Everdure Force
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Everdure Force BBQ – Review

Guy 2845 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

We tend to be a pack of nerds here at the Cottage. So as a slight departure from the normal Video Games and Tech reviews, I have found myself reviewing, of all things, an Everdure Force Barbecue.

Going into this Covid-free Kiwi summer I needed to upgrade my old BBQ and wanted something better than ‘average’. So I looked into various top of the line brands like Webers, Broil Kings and the Everdures.

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