Review

John Wick Hex – Review

February 21, 2020 By Mat Panek

Prepare to suit up and take down your enemies in John Wick Hex from the team at Bithell Games, out now on PC, PS4 and Xbox One.

John Wick Hex is a fast paced turn-based strategy game centring on everyone’s favourite killer of boogeymen. While some people may feel that a property like John Wick would make a good first-person shooter, the team at Bithell Games have managed to perfectly turn the fluidity and speed that Wick is known for into a turn-based strategy game that feels action packed. Players move through levels on a hexagon based grid with their actions being noted as “time taken” on a bar at the top of the screen. Enemies also have a time bar just below the player’s which allows you to plan your approach depending on their actions. An enemy may be planning to draw his weapon and shoot Wick allowing the player not enough time to fire first but perhaps enough time to roll away or even disarm their opponent. All actions take differing amounts of time from firing weapons, reloading, healing yourself and even just standing or crouching. Once a level is completed it can be replayed back at full speed in a fluid action scene demonstrating John Wick’s skills.

Levels are diverse and stylish, leaving each one’s approach in the hands of the player and their own particular style. Slow and methodical is often a winning strategy, with players made to think always a few steps ahead just like our protagonist. Carrying out certain moves will require the use of “focus” meaning that Wick will often need to take a short break and recompose himself before he can continue. This can be done at any time but allowing your focus to drain in the middle of a fight can prove to be fatal. Patience is certainly a requirement to playing John Wick Hex as levels can often be difficult and go from bad to worse in an instant requiring multiple playthroughs to get right.

Those familiar with the John Wick lore will love all the subtle nods to the movies and expansion of the universe in general, while newcomers are in for some exciting discoveries about these popular characters. The game has a wonderful comic book styling to it, featuring bright neon lights and dark dingy alleyways, that feels perfect for this kind of action. John Wick Hex offers a lot in the way of replayability and will push a lot of players to their limits while trying to get that perfect playthrough.

Not for the faint of heart or low on patience, John Wick Hex is a fantastic game with a lot of style and charm that might just push back a little too hard for some players to fully enjoy.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mat Panek, Chief Reporter
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

Disclosure: John Wick Hex [EPIC Games Store] was kindly provided by Power Up PR for this review.

Woven – Nintendo Switch Review

February 10, 2020 By Mat Panek

Prepare to unravel the tangled tale of Woven, out now on the Nintendo Switch from the team at Alterego Games.

Woven is a rather laid back Adventure game with puzzle elements set in an adorable wooly and stitch filled world. Players take control of an unlikely hero named Stuffy, a well meaning but incredibly clumsy creature that stumbles across a strange mechanical firefly called Glitch. Together they will attempt to discover why all these metal machines have suddenly appeared, what has happened to all of Stuffy’s friends and Glitch’s missing memories. The game is accompanied by a charming storybook style rhyme, that tells the story of our heroes as players progress through the land. By collecting blueprints and using the knitting machines spread throughout each world, players will reshape Stuffy into various different animal designs to solve puzzles and traverse obstacles. Becoming strong animals will allow players to move heavy objects and becoming nimble characters will increase players movement options.

Stuffy starts off as an elephant but quickly players will begin to find blueprints for various other animals from aardvarks to giraffes and deer. Although there are dozens of different animals there is only a handful of required skills, this means lots of animal skills overlap leaving it up to the player to find and use the animals that they love. It is possible to mix and match body parts and fabric types however players see fit, making each version of stuffy as unique as you. A keen eye and exploration is certainly rewarded as hidden throughout the world are a myriad of different blueprints and fabrics for players to use.

Controls are fairly simple and most puzzles can be worked out with ease meaning that players both young and old can enjoy Woven. We did find a handful of rather ambiguous puzzles that took us a little bit longer to figure out than they should have but this certainly didn’t ruin our experience. The world surrounding our heroes is adorable and relaxing for the most part and we found it an enjoyable place to explore and observe with lots of nice little touches spread around.

Woven is a delightful and charming adventure game with a few simple flaws that prevents it from being perfect. Players that crave the simplicity and fun from classic puzzle platformers will thoroughly enjoy every seam and stitch in Woven’s unique world.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mat Panek, Chief Reporter
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

Disclosure: Woven [Nintendo Switch eShop code] was kindly provided by PR Hound for this review.

WRC 8 – Nintendo Switch Review

February 6, 2020 By Mat Panek

Scandinavian flick your way into WRC 8 on the Nintendo Switch, out now from the team at Kylotonn.

Being the official game of the 2019 FIA World Rally Championship means that WRC 8 has a lot to live up to and it is ready to prove itself. WRC 8 features a heavily redesigned career mode that includes an in-depth research and development skill tree as well as team and Calendar management. This gives players some fantastic options on how to run a team however they choose to suit their play style. Players can dictate which practice sessions are participated in to hone their skills and which aspects of the car and team they wish to invest in. The main campaign has 2 different modes including Front-Wheel Drive or All-Wheel Drive depending on how much of a challenge players are after. Apart from the campaign there is also the standard versus, practice or time trial modes to play. Additionally, Kylotonn has brought back the WRC eSport events to participate in weekly for those that like an extra challenge.

Featuring 14 Rallies and over 100 stages, there is plenty for players to sink their teeth into. The new dynamic weather system means that race preparation is crucial to gaining the upper hand. Rain and snow will visibly start to gather on the track and cause variation in the vehicle’s handling and traction, leading to some pretty hairy situations if you are not prepared. Rally is a tough sport and those not used to the driving style and skill required will definitely feel the pressure even at easier difficulties.

Graphics take a real hit in handheld mode but this is to be expected on the switch, while docked the graphics are notably improved and look great. Vehicle selection in the base game does feel a bit limited with only a handful of extra vehicles available outside of the major teams. Other vehicles are available to purchase depending on player preference but it would have been nice to have a few more of them included.

Fans of the WRC games and rally overall will love what WRC 8 has to offer the series but more casual racers may feel a little daunted. The Nintendo Switch has been craving some serious racing simulations since it’s release and WRC 8 is ready to deliver.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mat Panek, Chief Reporter
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

Disclosure: WRC 8 [Nintendo Switch eShop code] was kindly provided by HomeRun PR for this review.

The Fisherman: Fishing Planet – PS4 Review

January 15, 2020 By Mat Panek

Grab your tackle box and find yourself a nice spot at the lake in The Fisherman – Fishing Planet, the latest from the team at Fishing Planet LLC.

The Fisherman is an immensely deep and detailed online multiplayer fishing simulator game where players will seek out various species of fish across multiple countries and locations. Boasting life-like fish AI, realistic aero/hydrodynamics and over 110 different fish species in game, The Fisherman is certainly a leap forward for fishing sims. Players will have the chance to customise every part of their fishing kit, including but not limited to: rods, reels, leading lines, floats, hooks and even equipment bags. With so much variety and choice it can be a bit daunting at first for new players but the tutorial system is very detailed and spread out very effectively. Fishing is affected by multiple different conditions, just like real life, including time of day, weather and bait used so players will need to plan out each expedition depending on what they wish to try and catch.

On a standard PS4, The Fisherman visually looks good but has the usual sim game rigidity in certain secondary aspects like level elements away from the waterline but the details in the fishing itself are fantastic. Fish and fishing equipment are highly detailed and branded with different stats or visual flair so you can customise your character and load-out however you prefer. Equipment is also modelled to be as close to their real world counterparts as possible, meaning that rods, reels and fishing lines can break if used incorrectly or if too much tension is applied.

Being an always online game means that players can obviously play with friends but it also means that the game is constantly being populated with other players from around the world. This can help hint towards better fishing spots and adds to the sense of community around this title, which appears to be nice and strong. Fishing challenges and competitions are available to compete in online and bring with them some nice friendly rivalry and competition for players from all over the world.

Regardless of whether you are a casual fishing enthusiast or a die hard fan of the sport, The Fisherman – Fishing Planet has a lot to offer with the added benefit of not needing to wake up early in the morning.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mat Panek, Chief Reporter
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

Disclosure: The Fisherman – Fishing Planet [PS4 PS Store code] was kindly provided by Homerun PR for this review.

Riverbond – Nintendo Switch Review

January 12, 2020 By Mat Panek

Gather some friends and prepare to hack, slash and blast your way through Riverbond, the latest title from the team at Cococucumber.

Riverbond is a funny, energetic, adorable and frantic voxel based, dungeon crawler. Up to 4 players can join together for some couch co-op fun and journey through 9 different dungeons on an epic adventure to restore peace and order to the land. Each dungeon is themed differently and enemies can range from different animals like pigs or crabs to cannon wielding parrots and bomb throwing books. Each dungeon is made up of a handful of areas with simple tasks or objectives before players must battle it out in a boss arena battle. Defeating enemies, talking to NPCs and opening presents are rewarded with points that go towards each players score. At the end of each dungeon, players are ranked on how well they do, this feature adds some nice competition between players but can be ignored for friendlier play sessions.

Players will collect a number of different weapons to defend themselves, these are often placed along the major pathways in each dungeon. Exploration is rewarded though, as hidden within each level is even better weapons to use and new player skins to unlock. Weapons include swords and guns of various varieties but certainly lean towards more humorous options like slapping fish, ice creams, umbrella spears and foam dart guns with over 50 in total to find. Before each level begins, even mid dungeon, players can choose a skin that suits them ranging from fruit, sushi, animals, special guest characters and content creators. With over 100 different character skins to choose from, players will most certainly spend a fair bit of time switching and choosing skins depending on their personal preference.

Each dungeon is beautifully themed and well laid out with lots of nice little touches and secrets for those with a keen eye. Levels are also highly destructible which we found to be joyously cathartic. Early levels can be a little slow at times but this helps to get new players familiar with the controls and the general game mechanics. Difficulty seems to be at a set level though which means that having more players will work in your advantage but having less or playing solo will prove to be more of a challenge.

Full of mischief and mirth, Riverbond is a fantastic couch co-operative hack and blast with a nice competitive streak that is best enjoyed with friends. Players of any age will surely love all that Riverbond has to offer.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mat Panek, Chief Reporter
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

Disclosure: Riverbond [Nintendo Switch eShop code] was kindly provided by Stride PR for this review.

Bus Simulator – PlayStation 4 Review

January 8, 2020 By Mat Panek

Please have the exact fare ready as it is time to play Bus Simulator on PS4 from the team at Stillalive studios.

Bus Simulator is a game in the ever expanding genre of “Simulator” titles that has you start off with humble beginnings and go on to forge a mighty business empire. Players start off by learning the basics in a bus supplied by your new city council that wishes to develop more public transport. Starting off with a single test route outside of the main city, players learn all the knowledge required for the daily operations of a bus driver. As a driver, players are required to maintain a bus route correctly by stopping on time, opening the doors, lowering the bus, taking fares, giving change and deal with any disruptive passengers. While this may all sound rather dull it actually takes quite a bit of concentration. After learning the basics though it is possible to hire other drivers and buy extra buses to create more routes. After showing the city council what a wonderful job you are doing it is possible to expand your routes to various other parts of the city or create whole new ones.

Buses are naturally far more complex machines than the usual vehicles we are all used to driving and every single button on the controller is used to its fullest. Between the use of actual buttons and a pop up radial wheel, controlling the lights, wipers, turn signals and doors are all spread out in a way that can at first feel daunting but becomes second nature after spending a bit of time with the game. Various buses are available to unlock and buy from the simple double door design buses to full accordion buses that take some serious skill to maneuver around the city. Buses can be customised with different paint jobs, colour schemes and decals to make each one unique or make your fleet all superbly uniform. It is also important to note the deep and rich business sim aspect of the game that will have serious entrepreneurs weighing up every buses positives and negatives to make sure their business is profitable and each route is planned perfectly for maximum efficiency.

As with other games in this genre, the vehicles are finely detailed but the environments are simple and basic while still feeling like a natural city. There is a lot of good humour spread throughout the world too and some of the little details are fantastic, well worth the time to leave the confines of your chosen bus and do a little exploring when possible.

Bus Simulator is a terrific “podcast game” that will have you engaged enough to never feel bored but also relaxing enough to help players unwind after a long day with the help of a good podcast and a nice cup of tea. Fans of buses, Sim games and efficiency will definitely love all Bus Simulator has to offer.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mat Panek, Chief Reporter
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

Disclosure: Bus Simulator [PSN Store code] was kindly provided by Homerun PR for this review.

Spin Rhythm XD – Steam Early Access Review

January 7, 2020 By Mat Panek

Prepare to blast down the intergalactic note highway in Spin Rhythm XD from the team at Super Spin Digital.

Spin Rhythm XD is an intense and fast paced rhythm game where players can use a multitude of different input devices from a humble mouse or gamepad to a full on MIDI controller. Regardless of your chosen input method, players will have to spin, slide, tap and flick their way through various high tempo tracks in hopes of a perfect run and high score. Spin Rhythm XD is a new take on the beat rhythm genre that is more about positioning of the notes and the style and flair achieved to hit them. Players must line up an alternately coloured ring with the correctly coloured notes or bars while also spinning the ring when needed to rack up multiplier points. With numerous thumping electronic tracks available, it is certainly not for the faint of heart or those with slow reflexes.

Each track has 4 available difficulties, each of which will make the notes multiply and style vary immensely. Easy tracks usually involve positioning the ring for notes, a few tap bars and a handful of spins, as difficulty increases these become far more frequent and complex. Some tracks require players to spin multiple times in succession and quickly maneuver the ring to the next note as fast as possible. We played with both the mouse and gamepad, finding both feel fantastic to use but those with serious musical dedication will want to grab a USB or MIDI controller for a bit more finesse.

Although still in early access, Spin Rhythm XD shows immense promise and still currently being revised and updated regularly, giving electronic music fans a long overdue beat rhythm game to call their own.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mat Panek, Chief Reporter
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

Disclosure: Spin Rhythm XD [Steam code] was kindly provided by Stride PR for this review.

Bee Simulator – Nintendo Switch Review

December 24, 2019 By Mat Panek

Time to get busy as a bee in Bee Simulator from VARSAV Game Studios, out now on the Nintendo Switch.

If you have ever wondered about the life of bees and insects then Bee Simulator is the game you have been waiting for! Players take the role of a new worker bee as you try to save your hive and prepare for winter by exploring a vast level inspired by New York’s Central Park. As a bee players will collect pollen, race other bees, fight deadly wasps and communicate with other bees using sweet dance moves. Various actions, such as returning pollen to the hive, are rewarded with knowledge points which can be redeemed for alternate Bee skins, fancy hats and colourful trails. Apart from the single player story mode there is also a split screen mode where both players can compete against each other or just take in the sights and collect pollen.

On the Nintendo Switch, Bee Simulator is a very simple game graphically and looking too closely makes it feel a bit like a clockwork world. Taking a step back and enjoying the games simplicity gives it an almost childlike appeal though, making everything seem very charming and full of whimsy. Despite the limitations of the switch, it is all very beautiful, especially on some of the multiplayer maps. Wildlife litters the landscape and flowers are abundant and naturally spread around. There is a great scale to everything and Bee Simulator really makes the player feel small but in no way helpless.

Controls are a little touchy but fairly minimal which makes Bee Simulator a great game for new players to just pick up and take in the sights of a bee’s unseen world. Multiplayer is plenty of fun and a relaxing way to spend some time, we spent ages just exploring and poking at the world. Sometimes even literally by stinging the odd passerby! While more serious gamers might get a bit bored in co-op, casual players and couples will enjoy buzzing around the different locations and discovering lots of wonderful little details.

Bee Simulator is a whole lot of fun on your own or with a friend, regardless of if you enjoy completing every story and side mission or just stinging picnic goers and popping balloons. A mellow and relaxed experience full of interesting bee facts and information that makes it a great game for players of any age.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mat Panek, Chief Reporter
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

Disclosure: Bee Simulator [Nintendo Switch eShop code] was kindly provided by Homerun PR for this review.

GENSOU Skydrift – Nintendo Switch Review

December 17, 2019 By Mat Panek

Time to fly into the magical world of GENSOU Skydrift, out now on the Nintendo Switch from the team at illuCalab.

GENSOU Skydrift is a Touhou Project racing game set in Gensokyo, located somewhere in japan where the world of humans and yokai (spirits) meet. No prior knowledge of the Touhou universe is required to enjoy the game but it also probably doesn’t hurt. Players choose two characters to use, each with different stats and abilities, where one acts as the rider and the other becomes the board. While racing it is possible to switch between the two to maximise each characters strong points such as offense, speed and cornering. Each track is littered with magical boost gates that will propel players along but also charge up your spell meter that, once full, will allow players to randomly claim a spell card to use. Spells are either offensive, defensive or boosts but each player also has a special and devastating “Last word” ability unique to them.

Controls are simple and easy enough to pick up but are only displayed briefly in the campaign tutorial, there are no other real reminders such as if you jump into a versus match without prior knowledge. The controls are easily figured out though by just mashing the buttons as you race and hoping for the best. Players can tightly turn or drift around corners depending on their playstyle and character selection. The whole vibe of Gensou Skydrift is very cheery and extremely Japanese with lots of visual novel style over the top moments in the campaign. Courses are diverse and interesting, ranging from human villages to magical sakura trees either being a looping track or a start to finish sprint. In every mode apart from online there is some serious AI “rubber-banding” going on to keep things lively, so no need to feel discouraged if you fall behind but also a good reason to not get too confident while in the lead.

Feeling like an extremely colourful and cheery Kart racing game, Gensou Skydrift has some very obvious nods towards more established games in the Kart racing genre but still keeps things fresh enough. An interesting alternative for those in the market for another quick kart racing game or fans of the Touhou franchise but probably not for everyone.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mat Panek, Chief Reporter
Retromancer – Collector, repairer & fan of retro games & tech. Atari to Amiga, Nintendo to Sega! LD, Zip, Beta and a proud dad! One half of the TiredParents on Twitch.

Follow Mat on Twitter and Twitch

Disclosure: GENSOU Skydrift [Nintendo Switch eShop code] was kindly provided by Stride PR for this review.

Metal Slug: The Ultimate History – Book Review

December 5, 2019 By ausretrogamer

The very first game we bought when we got our Neo Geo MVS arcade machine was Metal Slug. That was quite a while ago, and we must admit, we have the series on pretty much every format – the games are that darn good!

Once we had heard that Bitmap Books was going to publish a book on this brilliant gaming franchise, our interests were obviously piqued. Upon receiving Metal Slug: The Ultimate History from Pixel Crib, we noticed this thing was heavy, which is a good thing when it comes to these kinds of publications.

If you have read any of our previous Bitmap Books book reviews, you’ll know what to expect from this published work of art – it oozes quality and quantity. When you hold a Bitmap Books tome in your hands, we guarantee you’ll be smiling from start to finish. Sam Dyer and his amazing team have done a wonderful job in bringing us a fully licensed art book on the Metal Slug series.

With unprecedented access to SNK‘s vast archives, this book contains some of the best high-resolution artwork (including concept artwork) and illustrations, with some being made publicly available for the very first time. Even though it is primarily an art book celebrating Metal Slug, this tome also contains eleven exclusive and detailed interviews with key members of the development team, including Kazuma Kujo, Takushi Hiyamuta, Andoh Kenji and Takeshi Okui, the latter two of which have never spoken about the series previously. These insightful discussions bust myths and reveal the real truth behind the creation and evolution of this esteemed franchise, extensively covering the formation of Nazca and the truth behind Metal Slug Zero – the version of Metal Slug when you only controlled the SV-001 tank. The book also dives into and explores the roots of Metal Slug, looking at Irem titles In the Hunt and GunForce II and how these arcade cult classics influenced what was to come later. This page turner is definitely a must for any fan of the Metal Slug series, and if you are into art, then this book is for you too.