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Gaming Game Reviews PC / Mac PS4 Switch Console Video Content Xbox One

Minecraft Dungeons, Review

May 22, 2020 Richard Armitt 1458 Views Couch, Dungeon Crawl, Local Multiplayer, Microsoft, Minecraft, Mojang, Steve, XBOX

Minecraft Dungeons is an exciting addition to the Minecraft family. We’ve been playing the Mojang block builder for over a decade on a multitude of platforms. Since the Microsoft acquisition in 2014 Minecraft Earth, Stories and Minecraft Dungeons have been the diverse additions, on top of regular world updates.

Personally I love a good Dungeon Crawl, because nothing beats the smell of loot in dank tunnel.

The ingredients were already there after ten years of creativity and the story probably wrote itself. Surely it was easy to put together the landscape and inhabitants. The Minecraft palette and world are so familiar now and the engine breathes life into well lit scenes. This isn’t an RTX shaded version of the game, it’s pure and simple and full of joy.

Thanks to Microsoft / Xbox ANZ for providing the review copy.

Gaming Game Pass Game Reviews PC / Mac Xbox One

Halo Reach (PC): Finishing the fight on a new platform

December 19, 2019 Gerard Campbell 1173 Views 343 Studios, Bungie, Halo, Halo Reach, Master Chief, Microsoft

There’s no denying that Gregorian chants are a cornerstone of the Halo series. They’re unmistakable identifiers for the Master Chief and the fight against the alien covenant. Halo Reach is no exception.

So when the Gregorian chants fired up on the menu screen of the PC version, it brought a smile to both my face – and my ears (if my ears could smile, that is).

I’m not the world’s greatest Halo fan but I’ve played them all. Reach was always at the top of my list as my favourite of the series. Maybe it was because the story told of the close-knit camaraderie between the six members of Noble team. Cat, Emile, Jorge, Jun, Carter and Spartan B-312 (that’s you, by the way). As they take the fight to the covenant on the planet Reach, or maybe it was because Reach wasn’t about Master Chief. Whatever it was, Reach just resonated with me.

Gaming Feature Article Game News Hardware Indie Game iOS Nintendo PC / Mac PS4 PSNetwork PSVR Switch Console Xbox One

PAXAus 2019, being there and slightly square

October 20, 2019 Richard Armitt 1306 Views EB Expo, Expo, indie, Microsoft, PAXAus, Playstation, Sony, XBOX

After all the build up and fervour PAXAus 2019 has been and gone. It was a first visit for me, probably not the last, but my old bones are currently arguing against it. Having become something of a big hitter on the gaming calendar I was keen to see this year what all the fuss was about.

As an eclectic gathering of Gaming, Pop Culture and Cosplay it does the job well, and you can see from the eyes of the consumer that wanders the floors glassy eyed that they are getting all the shiny things they need. I enjoyed the relative tranquility of the table-top game area and retro section, it was a relief from the pressing crowds squeezing through the aisles.

The main event was loud, brash and exhausting, especially when I flew in for a single day with a maximum of six hours on the ground.

But, that’s me, at PAXAus 2019, being there and slightly square.

Gaming Game Pass Game Reviews Xbox One

Gears 5 Review – Spoiler Free (Xbox One X)

September 6, 2019 Barrie Clarke 1150 Views Gears, Gears of War, Lancer, Microsoft, Visual Masterpiece

Now, the first thing you may have noticed is that the Gears seem to have lost their ‘of War’ tag. But don’t fret, Gears 5 is well and truly the next installment in the fantastic Gears of War series. And lets just get it out there, it’s a good’un.

Following on from Gears of War 4, Gears 5 has Kait Diaz taking the lead role with all you favourite characters in support, including Jack, the ever helpful robot. That is all I will say about the story and characters as it is a fantastic, and emotional ride that everyone deserves to enjoy unspoilt. I have even moved away from my own screenshots and used generic promotional shots so nothing can ruin it for you.

Game Reviews Gaming Xbox One xbox360

Crackdown 3 Review – Xbox One

February 15, 2019 Richard Armitt 1131 Views Crackdown, Microsoft, XBOX, xbox360

A long time ago when the xbox360 was young there were games that defined the console, one of them was Crackdown.

Putting you in the shoes of a super-human Agent, the game had you reclaiming an open world one task at a time and mowing down a hefty roster of bad guys. All sounds pretty familiar, well yes it was, but then there were Orbs and the way you skilled up and the subtle effects that came with those skills, not to mention the small army array of weapons at your disposal. Having recently hit the backwards compatible pile and being free to download I had a recent spin around the original and it didn’t disappoint.

Yes, by today’s standard the open world was fairly bare and the cel-shaded aesthetic wasn’t much to write home about. However, the game had chops, big furry, playable chops and people loved it.

There is a lot to like about Crackdown 3, while it may feel like an older game, it is built using a formula that works and you don’t have to worry about getting chores or conversations. As a great example of keeping it simple we have a Crackdown for people to enjoy, a game that doesn’t get bogged down in drawn out narrative, rather a game that wants you to play it.

Get out there and kick some ass Agents.

Feature Article Game News XBLA Xbox One

2019 on Xbox. What’s to come?

January 8, 2019 Barrie Clarke 1067 Views 2019, Anthem, Crackdown, Gears of War, Metro, Microsoft, Sea of Thieves, The Division, XBOX

So here we are, a new year and a new slew of games to look forward to. Most have been in the mix for a while now so there are no real surprises here but still an impressive list none the less.

Personally I am looking forward to The Outer Worlds and Wasteland 3 the most, but am also keen have a crack at Anthem and Metro Exodus. And lets not forget that all Microsoft Studios titles will release straight to Game Pass so if you aren’t a subscriber what more reason do you need?

Cheers, Barrie.

Feature Article Gaming PS4 PSNetwork PSVR Switch Console Xbox One

The Koru-Cottage Games of The Year 2018

December 16, 2018 Guy 1575 Views Alienation, Ashen, ESO, Fallout, Firewall, Forza, Microsoft, Moss, Mudrunner, Mutant Year Zero, Nintendo, No Man's Sky, PS4, Sony, Spiderman, Strange Brigade, Switch, XBOX

The end of 2018 fast approaches and what an amazing year of games we have had. Playstation have had more AAA exclusives you can poke a stick at, Xbox has changed the gaming landscape with the amazing offering that is Game-Pass and Fortnite…..well has taken all the money and given us silly dances in return.

But I hear you say, enough talk…….. what are the Games of The Year down at the Cottage?

Well, here we go.

Feature Article Game News XBLA Xbox One xbox360

New Family Settings and Tools for Cross-Play Now Available on Xbox

December 8, 2018 Barrie Clarke 1133 Views LIVE, Microsoft, XBOX

Microsoft recently announced the availability of cross-play updates to Family Settings on Xbox, which include two new settings parents can turn on and off in supported games, for both cross-network play and cross-network communication on any child or teen account.

With this update, Xbox is giving parents more choice in managing child and teen accounts for cross-network gaming scenarios.

Feature Article Game News Hardware Xbox One

Xbox Adaptive Controller Now In New Zealand

December 8, 2018 Barrie Clarke 1059 Views Adaptive Controller, Microsoft, XBOX

Microsoft is proud to announce that the Xbox Adaptive Controller is available for purchase in New Zealand for $139.99.

It is a first-of-its-kind device as an affordable, easy-to-set-up and readily available Xbox Wireless Controller designed for gamers with limited mobility.

Game Reviews Gaming Xbox One

State of Decay 2 – Daybreak Pack (Xbox One X)

October 3, 2018 Barrie Clarke 1395 Views Microsoft, State of Decay, XBOX, Zombies

Daybreak is the first real add on for Undead Labs great zombie survival game, State of Decay 2. There have been some weapons and cars made available via DLC, but nothing substantial.

Now six months after the initial game release will have seen most gamers, including myself, having moved on from State of Decay 2. And with so many great releases recently and in the near future it would have to be something pretty spectacular to draw gamers back in.

Game Reviews Gaming Xbox One

Forza Horizon 4 Review (Xbox One X)

September 26, 2018 Barrie Clarke 1240 Views Forza, Microsoft, XBOX

This time round we find the Horizon Festival taking place in the UK, near Edinburgh, and the big talking point is seasons. Different seasons bring different weather and, of course, different driving conditions.

It’s Forza Horizon. We all know it, we all love it. The fourth release in the series does not disappoint. It is more refined, more social, and most importantly more open.