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The Nioh Collection, Review (PS5)

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, Review (PS5)

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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Persona 5 Strikers, review

I wasn’t prepared for Persona 5 Strikers to be such a Persona game. By that, I mean that when I heard this was a mash-up of the Dynasty Warriors combat with Persona 5.

My assumption was that it would be primarily an action title, much like the recent Hyrule Warriors franchise. Do not fall into the same assumption.

This is a lengthy Persona 5 sequel with the turn-based combat swapped for more action-oriented engagements.

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Control: Ultimate Edition – (PS5/Xbox Series)

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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Games of the Generation – ‘Guy Edition’

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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Hitman III console review

Hitman III offers so much that is familiar but also tweaks things so that expectations are both wonderfully met and subverted. Crowbar, rat poison, wrench and screwdriver – the tools are the same. Although the levels in which they are expertly positioned are filled with so much character, beauty and depth that I know I’ll be peeling back the layers for years to come.

By now, IO gets what makes Hitman games fun. As a result the gameplay leans with the player, providing easement in all processes, making this the most player-friendly entry yet.

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Rainbow Six Siege – The State of the Game 2020.

We love the occasional guest spot from Nina, especially when its about her ass kicking abilities in Rainbow Six Siege…

A few years ago, I wrote an article for Koru-Cottage titled ‘Rainbow Six Siege: Why I Love it so Damn Much’. Since that article, Rainbow Six has seen a lot of dramatic changes.

So with this generation of gaming coming to a close, I thought now would be a good time to revisit my musing on my beloved Siege. To reflect on how the game has changed, discuss the state it is in now, and theorize about the game’s future.

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Destiny 2 Beyond Light, Review

Eyes up, Guardian. 

With Destiny 2 Beyond Light, Destiny 2 has received a major expansion and I thought it was time for a reconnaissance report.

Full disclosure, I have been an avid Destiny player for years now. I grant you I faltered early on, as I explained HERE. Since then I have been a dedicated Guardian. Fighting back the darkness going on 6 years now.

In fact, thanks to the PS5s new game-clock, I can sheepishly confirm Destiny 1 and 2 have received in excess of 1000hrs from me.

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Immortals: Fenyx Rising, Review

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, the 2020 Call of Duty

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 Remastered, XBOX

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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