PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate Review

PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate is an arcade style, twin stick shooter, puzzle game where you control a mining ship that heads deep into the planet to rescue survivors and collect gems whilst killing various enemies and avoiding deadly traps.

With Pixel Junk Shooter Ultimate, Q Games proves that sometimes simplicity is key as they provide a fun and easy to play gaming experience.

The controls are simple, using the W A S D keys and the mouse you navigate a series of changing levels, picking up the surviving miners and gems. The levels get progressively harder, with the first levels providing you with a nice learning curve that allows you to pick up the basics of the game and the mechanics. Before long, you are strategically planning every move and weighing up the potential consequences.

There are secret areas dotted around the levels and as a general rule they are well hidden, I certainly wasn’t able to find them all on my first attempt anyway. This provides the player with some replay ability, and will especially appeal to completionists. If you aren’t a player who likes to discover every nook and cranny, you aren’t forced to seek them out and can simply pile past them as you work your way through the game.

The game itself wasn’t overly long, but you get plenty of content for your money and if you enjoy replaying missions to get better scores, you will certainly see plenty of hours racked up in your steam library.

There’s a nice variety of enemies and as one would expect they become progressively harder and have different attack patterns the further you progress. Their designs don’t particularly wow you, but you quickly learn that figuring out how they will engage you is key, as some enemies will come from underground whereas others will even pour lava on you.

The graphics on the game are clean and simple and if you are looking to be visually wowed, you have unfortunately come to the wrong place. Each design seems to be carefully thought out and although they are generally basic designs it all seems to work. I’m not so sure that if the game had better visuals it would do much for the game, as I think it would lose some of the arcade feel, which I treasured throughout.

As an all-round experience Pixel Junk Shooter Ultimate provides a simple yet efficient game that appeals to the masses. It’s easy to pick up and play and doesn’t require you to dedicate a large amount of time to it in long sittings. It epitomizes what an arcade game should be, fun.

Score: 4 out of 5

Thanks to the publisher for supplying a code for review.

Bounty Train Review

Bounty Train is a unique game from Daedalic Entertainment. With its own unique take of the train simulation genre, you must strategically plan and maneuver between trade routes in order to complete missions and build a new rail route.

At first, the game is a little confusing as the tutorial for it lasts around 10 seconds and tells you how to send your train to a new destination. From then on out, you are on your own as you progress through the story, evade and defeat the enemies and make money from transporting goods on your steam train.

To proceed through the game you must complete quests for people in various cities, earning enough cash to purchase the license to travel to the next area. Whilst traveling around, you can get attacked by bandits or even stop to trade with traveling traders. You can meet a variety of passengers in the different cities who will have requests from you, such as transport them to Boston. You can also buy and transport cargo to different cities for a little extra cash.

The combat system can be flawed in places, as some enemies can stand out of your range and you literally get forced to stand still and take the damage whilst you wait for the battle timer to reach zero. The combat itself though is simple enough, you select your characters and click where you want them to go, who you want them to attack, whether you want them to drive the train and even if you want to put out fires on the train. The different options at the beginning of the game don’t feel very deep, however the further you progress, the more you value the different options available to you and can become quite manic when trying to fend off enemies attacking multiple carriages.

The Hardcore Mode is a really nice addition making the game's difficulty level so much higher. Within the Hardcore Mode you can’t save, load or even retry a checkpoint. I tested this at the start of the game by refusing to take the mission and the game actually ended with a short narrative of what happened to the characters. It’s a nice twist and it makes you play with a lot more emotion. You don’t need to keep it switched on either, you can turn it off whenever you wish so if you just want to complete the game to see what happens, you can go down that route.

In all honesty, when the game landed in my inbox I was very skeptical about it and was kind of dreading sitting down with it. It’s sometimes hard to resist the urge to prejudge and I can say after actually playing the game my opinion is completely reversed. It’s fun, challenging and deep enough that you can sit there for long periods enjoying the game. Currently available as an early access purchase on steam, this is certainly a title that will take many people by surprise.

Score: 4 out of 5

Thank you to Daedalic Entertainment for providing us with a copy of the game to review.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Rebirth 3 V Generation Review

Hyperdimension Neptunia Rebirth 3 V Generation (HNR3) is a Japanese style turn based Role Playing Game in which you take control of Neptune, a CPU that is one of the main superpowers in the world. From her home base of Planeptune you must take on quests and missions as you level yourself up and become once again the guardian that you were destined to be.

The story is simple enough to get involved in even if, like me, you haven’t played any of the previous titles. There is plenty of information available to provide you with enough backstory for you to push forward and enjoy the game. I found the dialogue in the game trying in many places and found myself having to fight the urge to skip quickly. It was acted out well, but the writing was poor and I felt it didn’t flow and was quite forced in places. Overall, it was easy to engage in, though and was actually pretty funny at certain points.

The battle mechanics at first are a little strange and can be off-putting, however after not very long, you get used to them and begin to sweep away enemies with ease. Whilst in a battle you can freely move your character around a pre highlighted area. You want to try and position yourself so none of the enemies will hit you from behind whilst still trying to do damage to your opponents. The styles of attacks are simple enough, in essence you have a SP Skill which is your special attack, only useable when you charge up a bar below your health bar. You also have normal attacks which you can combo together to maximise damage. The three types of attack you should use, combo attacks, power attacks and defence breaking attacks, depend on your situation so you have to think tactically what is best for your current situation. The choice in attacks, even with your different styles of basic attacks allows for some combat and tactical decision making which I thoroughly enjoyed.

The character design of the main protagonists are what you would expect from a Japanese style RPG. The bulk of the females have a cute feminine charm however the fact that nearly all of them are top heavy quickly becomes annoying. I felt as though the art designers could have showed a little more creativity than just throwing big breasts into the equation. The armour and enemy design though is the complete opposite, each of which held their own appeal and I enjoyed seeing what wacky creatures I would come across next.

The control system was quite a handful on the PC version which I reviewed and felt quite clunky. I was forced regularly to check the button configuration to find out what button I needed to use to accomplish what I wanted to do. For me, this was the biggest obstacle to try and overcome as I couldn’t ever really relax into the game and just play it. I do feel that it would be much more natural on a controller and the button symbols that are in game suggest the developer feels that way also.

The music in the game is very good, providing the right mood and ambience when necessary. It’s never too strong that it overpowers what is happening in game however it has enough of an effect that it helps set the setting nicely.

Overall, I enjoyed the game with the combat system being the real game selling aspect for me. The dialogue was unfortunately a big turn off and even after a lot of gameplay I still struggled a little with the controls but even this wasn't enough to make me stop playing. I would certainly recommend taking a look at this game but I personally will opt for the console version in the future.

3/5

Thank you to Idea Factory for providing us with a copy of this game to review.

Amnesia Memories Review

Amnesia Memories is a Visual Novel that has just launched on Steam & PlayStation Vita.  Available as a digital download only, Amnesia Memories takes you on a variety of journeys where you must formulate relationships, assess friendships and avoid suspicion as you look to piece together your fragmented memory.

When the game first begins, you are greeted by a human-like character called Orion. Orion acts as your spirit guide, carefully guiding you and providing you with advice and information in a variety of situations. It is explained to you that you have lost all of your memories due to Orion becoming fused with you and he will accompany you on a mission to help you gain your memories back in a way that won’t result in him disappearing from existence.

Immediately you a filled with a pure appreciation for the artwork, each image crafted skillfully and vividly, drawing your eyes to every subtle detail in an attempt to absorb the entire image. Throughout the game the art style never wavers or becomes a chore on the eyes, a true testament to the quality of design. Every character was unique and easily distinguishable, each fitting for the Japanese art style.

The main protagonist of the game is a female character, a blank slate if you will, which you can use to project your own thoughts and feelings onto. Although you cannot customize her, you can at least name her. Once you have named your character you are faced with a number of parallel universes in which you can “return” too. Each world has a different story and although the characters within it remain largely the same, the attitudes and opinions across them can vary wildly. The variety that these different worlds offer is essential for this type of game. Diversity and decision making being key. Best of all, when selecting which world parallel universe to return to, you aren’t provided with any indication on what that world holds, so you are going into it just as blank as the main character!

The goals of the game are simple, try to retrieve all of your memories whilst conversing with the characters of the game whilst not raising too much suspicion. Keep your suspicion levels low by the end of the game and you will get the “good” ending. I personally did pretty awful at this and got what I would presume is the “bad” ending, however I won’t give you any spoilers here! To make your decisions is as simple as you would expect, with a simple point and click mechanic on the option of choice. I think in this aspect, simplicity is certainly better and I feel that is why you would be able to sit down and appreciate this game much more on PlayStation Vita. Sitting at my PC and clicking a mouse didn’t feel right for the game.

The music in this game really annoyed me at the beginning, however, once I got involved in the story and became absorbed by what it had to offer, I soon found the music to be a pleasant backdrop for the situations that I was in. It can become monotonous if you are in one area for a particularly long time, although, if you are progressing through the game steadily then this shouldn’t become an issue.

The storyline itself from the world that I initially chose was interesting and easy to follow yet sometimes it dropped off a little. I struggled to keep myself engaged at certain points as I was having issues with the character depth and development. Although they were good at a basic level, I felt in some instances the characters were just shells and I didn’t really feel like we got to know them well enough. This obviously may differ on the different worlds as more characters become more prominent than others and take a more leading role. In all four of the different worlds, you have a different bachelor to try and win the heart of whilst not scaring him away with too much knowledge of your amnesia. Once you have completed all four of the standard worlds, you unlock a fifth bonus world.

There are a couple of small mini games as little time killers that I wouldn’t imagine you would use too often, one being rock paper scissors, the other being air hockey. Mini games aside, I would predict it would take around 30-40 hours to complete all of the worlds. Considerably more if you were trying to get each and every different ending for them!

Although this game isn’t for me, the quality is still there, which allowed me to appreciate it for what it really is. It is obvious that the game is predominately aimed towards female gamers, however male gamers can certainly enjoy it too. Considering the game doesn’t provide you with any movement at all, they have done an excellent job of making you feel in control on an entirely different level.

Score a 3 out of 5

Legends Of Eisenwald Early Access Review

Turn based Role Playing Games (RPGs) are potentially one of the toughest nuts to crack within the world of gaming. Aterdux Entertainment have decided to take up the mantle and boy have they done an outstanding job!

When you first begin playing Legends Of Eisenwald, the very first thing that grabs you is the truly stunning world that you spawn in. Across the entire map, you are treated to a vast array of visual greatness, from the buildings, to the trees, the whole area is visually brilliant. You begin the story in a prologue chapter of the game as one of the three classes, a knight (melee), baroness (ranged) and mystic (mage) each of which can alter how you battle alongside your forces and can even have minor alterations to the story.

The combat system itself is very similar to what has been delivered in previous turn based RPGs. You and the enemy army will take it in turns based on your individual soldiers speed and perform attacks and abilities. There is no skipping turns which is a very interesting feature as it prevents people from being too passive and just reacting to what the AI does. You can however use a turn when using a priest or healer and recover MP, so if you don't have any potions for them they won't become deadweight. Again, this is a nice addition, as in some well known RPG titles your mages become completely redundant when their mana pool is completely drained.

The way that you recruit units for your armies is simple. You travel to taverns and villages, and using one of the action commands there, you can select which units you want to recruit in order to strengthen your army. Unfortunately, I found using this method of recruiting to be very soulless and I never found myself holding any real attachment to any of the generic soldiers fighting for me. This is something I feel is vital in titles such as this, as your travelling companions should be emotionally taxing, whether you love them or hate them, ultimately you should feel something!

The music in this game is excellent for setting the mood and really supplemented the game without being too overpowering. All of the effects and background music was perfectly placed for what is unfolding around you, so as the game suspense builds then the music follows suit to add to the tension. One small gripe I had with the music however was when you entered an inn you are instantly hit with a lot of loud hustling and talking. This is great when it comes to representing the feel of the inn, but when you are trying to read an epic bit of text or some lore from an NPC it can be very distracting and completely ruin the mood.

Overall, I think this game is excellent to play and fans of the genre will truly be happy with what Aterdux Entertainment have been able to produce. It's a beautiful, gripping and lengthy experience that really picks up the player and throws them into a world of chaos that is in need of a hero. Retailing at £15 in the UK at the time this goes to print, it's a game that you really shouldn't pass upon.

4/5

The Digital Gamer

Destiny Review

The most anticipated game of the year launched worldwide today, but did it live up to the hype? Or is it another AAA flop? Lets find out.

Bungie has been under the gaming community's watchful eye since taking a step away from the notorious Halo series in 2012 and beginning a new project. As you can expect, when Destiny was revealed, the community erupted with excitement to see what this seasoned developer could accomplish when taken out of their comfort zone and thrust head first into the abyss that is game development. Bungie has stood tall and come back with a true masterpiece.

Destiny is a healthy mix of RPG and FPS with PVP and PVE elements that seem to flow seamlessly together. When you first begin the game, you undergo a slow introduction by taking part in a tutorial that helps you get to grips with the game mechanics, along with a guide of the city showing you where all of the noteable and important locations are. A few missions and a little bit of free roam later, you will reach level 5 and unlock the ability to compete online in the PVP arena.

The game really comes alive online, as the way you build your characters really allows each player's diversity to resonate on the battlefield. No longer is your playstyle dictated solely on the ability to choose different weapons. In Destiny, you can select your class, your armour, your weapons and even which abilities you use, all of which have varying effects. It really allows you to delve deep into your character, as you attempt to protect it's weaknesses and amplify it's strengths, allowing you to becoming a force to be reckoned with.

The entire game is played online and from walking around the main city, to completing missions, you see players everywhere. This can both be good and bad: good in the sense that it's excellent to enjoy the experience with friends and people you know; the bad being that on some of the servers, I found players trolling people by following them around stealing monster kills, driving around them on their vehicles and just being all round annoying.

Bungie has proven that they are not a one-hit wonder studio, and they can operate when they are not under Microsoft's wing. They have been put under immense pressure to perform and it's great to see that they have been able to  deliver what was promised. I strongly expect to see a sequel to Destiny in the future. They have created a foundation that gamers from a variety of backgrounds will be in awe of. The question now is, will the foundation be strong enough to hold fan expectations or crumble into a pile of dust?

Check back for more of our staffs thoughts on Destiny in the coming weeks!