Game Reviews

Empire of Sin
GamingGame ReviewsMicrosoftPC / MacPlaystation

Empire of Sin review (PC)

Gerard Campbell 1706 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

When first heard about Empire of Sin (multi-platform). An X-Com style turn-based combat game set in 1920s American and featuring gangsters, I was intrigued.

Who wouldn’t want to be a gangster as he (or she) takes over the streets of prohibition Chicago, aiming for the top and with mechanics similar to the rather excellent X-Com games?

Starting in the 1920s prohibition Chicago, you’ll be taking over rival businesses such as speakeasies, brothels and casinos. In the quest to become kingpin of the city. Once you successfully take a joint from a rival you can then upgrade it with things like extra security, ambience and promotion to add value. As you’d expect during the prohibition, alcohol plays a big part in Empire of Sin and is used as a form of currency to extend your empire’s influence.

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Fenyx Rising
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Immortals: Fenyx Rising, Review

Dylan Burns 2034 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

Fenyx Rising initially presents as a light take on Greek Mythology. It has a colourful art style, cartoonish characters and a banter-heavy story presentation. After spending days with it, I can say it is as broad, deep and work-like as any major Ubisoft product out there. 

The sheer volume of tasks awaiting you stands in the dozens of hours. It is not a Breath of the Wild wannabe, although the similarities are many. Fenyx Rising is an adventure heavily reliant on simple physics puzzles combined with the sting of some very tough combat. It is also very customisable. Combat too much? Change the difficulty to easy. Just want to do puzzles? Seek them out from high ground and place stones on weight plates to your heart’s content. 

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Black Ops Cold War
GamingGame ReviewsPC / MacPS4PS5Xbox OneXbox Series SXbox Series X

Black Ops: Cold War, the 2020 Call of Duty

Richard Armitt 1662 Views ,  ,  ,  , 

Forget your Modern Warfares, this year its time for Call of Duty, Black Ops : Cold War. What a mouthful, that said, you can’t go through Silly Season without a new CoD can you?

Its been a decade since Black Ops first joined the roster, opening ups that whole Treyarch vs Infity Ward fan service argument. Much like the even numbered Star Trek movies it all comes down to taste. Black Ops for me back in the day was a hot mess, the campaign tried too hard to be clever. Throwing hallucinations and reveals at you in artillery style, it didn’t really do it for my taste. Some of the action pieces were superb, a lot of the story elements were forgettable. That was a decade ago, we don’t talk about the things we did then.

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Need for Speed : Hot Pursuit
GamingGame ReviewsPS3PS4PS5Switch ConsoleXbox OneXbox Series SXbox Series Xxbox360

Need for Speed : Hot Pursuit Remastered, XBOX

Richard Armitt 1615 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

I first discovered Need for Speed : Hot Pursuit around ten years ago.

It came in an unmarked padded bag and was a surprise review.

Knowing nothing about the game I went in blind, it was early in my ButtonmasherNZ days and I was keen.

Out of that came an overlong and excitable review, the game was good and had its turbo boosted hooks in me.

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Doom: Eternal the Ancient Gods
GamingGame ReviewsPS4PS5Xbox OneXbox Series X

Doom: Eternal – The Ancient Gods Pt1 – Review (PS4)

Guy 1639 Views ,  ,  , 

Doom: Eternal – The Ancient Gods

I was not a fan of Doom 2016. However, whilst reviewing Doom: Eternal I succumbed to the dark-arts of ID Softwares game design.

Doom: Eternal became my favorite First Person Shooter of 2020, hands down! So, obviously I jumped at the chance to go back into hell and play the new DLC.

If you haven’t played Doom: Eternal, them shame on you, go play it now! Then  play its DLC, The Ancient Gods.

I will happily receive your thanks in written and gift form.

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Sackboy Demon's Souls Review
GamingGame ReviewsPS4PS5Sony

Sackboy and Demon’s Souls Remake – Combo Review (Playstation 5)

Guy 2424 Views ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , 

A new Playstation generation has arrived.

With that, the obligatory ‘Launch Games’ also rear their heads to show off the power of the new machine.

I have been lucky enough to get my hands on both Sackboy: A Big Adventure and Demon’s Souls Remake.

It is fitting in a way to have both a new Sackboy and Demon’s Souls come to christen the new console, as they have been stalwarts of the Playstation brand for over 10yr years.

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GamingGame ReviewsPC / MacPS4Xbox OneXbox Series X

The Survivalists Review (Xbox One X)

Barrie Clarke 1802 Views ,  ,  , 

Team 17 ventures into well known territory with The Survivalists.

And not a worm or Holy Hand Grenade in sight. The Survivalists has you in a familiar situation of being shipwrecked on an unknown island and having to plan your escape, and survival. 

Thankfully you don’t have to go it alone on this island. The local monkeys are willing to help you out for the price of some food or their freedom from caged life.

So if you have ever wanted to raise a monkey army then here is your chance.

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Crash bandicoot 4
GamingGame ReviewsPS4Switch ConsoleXbox One

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, XBOX Review

Dylan Burns 1908 Views ,  ,  ,  , 

Crash Bandicoot 4 is a difficult game. Negotiating this platform-hopping, crate jumping, dimension-swapping, time-slowing, enemy-infested gauntlet feels like you are learning a blistering guitar solo one note at a time, until you can almost play through it without stumbling. Almost.

It’s a journey conquered inch by inch, checkpoint by checkpoint, until you stand at the end, panting, spent.

Every level takes the form of attempt, die, repeat, die, repeat again. Usually, this is enough to make me bounce right off a game, but there’s something about Crash Bandicoot 4.

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PES21 Season Update
GamingGame ReviewsPS4Video ContentXbox One

PES 2021, Online Edition, PS4 Review

Richard Armitt 2563 Views ,  ,  ,  , 

PES 21 or more accurately Pro Evolution Soccer 2021 has arrived in an unusual year.

Historically 2020 is going down in flames and across the world sport is no stranger to lockdowns, delays and cancellations. What better way to get the rush of live soccer when you can’t, than to fire up a crisp new game and kick a virtual ball?

This year’s Season Update to last years very good PES is the answer.

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Star Wars Squadrons
GamingGame ReviewsPS4PSVRXbox One

Star Wars: Squadrons (Playstation 4 + PSVR)

Guy 2023 Views ,  ,  , 

Star Wars Squadrons, you say?

The close of 2020 is fast approaching, not to mention the end of the current generation of consoles. I for one did not expect this late in the piece to be blindsided by a wee budget priced title made by EA!? of all publishers, to come out of nowhere and insert itself squarely in my 2020 game of the year considerations.

Finally someone at EA has seen fit to make a game worthy of the juggernaut IP that is Star Wars. And to boot, they have drawn heavily from one of the all-time great video games of the past Star Wars: Rogue Squadron.

Back in 1998 it was THE flight/space combat game to play. It has baffled many a gamer pundit why it has been over 20 years since we could strap on an X-Wing at shoot stuff.

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Mafia Definitive Edition
GamingGame ReviewsPC / MacPS4Xbox One

Mafia Definitive Edition, PC Review

Richard Armitt 2306 Views ,  , 

With the release of Mafia Definitive Edition last month, 2K’s Mafia trilogy is now complete. 

When I reviewed Mafia 2 in August this year, I ended my review (based on the lacklustre Mafia 2 remaster) by saying: “I can’t recommend this package right now, especially given it’s incomplete until Mafia is released in August.”

Well, now that I have finished Mafia Definitive Edition, my verdict is easy: It’s definitely worth your time. Especially with the love that has been lavished in updating the original Mafia for today’s modern gamer.

A game that tells the rise [then fall] of Lost Heaven (New York) taxi driver Tommy Angelo through the ranks of a feared crime family during the 1930s.

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