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Construction Simulator – Review

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We’ll be upfront, we haven’t played a ‘sim’ video game in a long long time, especially one like this one!

Our expectations in playing Construction Simulator (CS) on our Xbox Series S was coming off a low base. We honestly didn’t know what to expect, and weren’t thinking about getting hooked on such a game. Well, we didn’t have to wonder for too long, as we found Construction Simulator such a breath of fresh air compared to the plethora of other genres we’ve been playing lately. We even managed to drain our controller, which left our construction crew and company perilously close to failure, that’s how darn good this game is – it makes you care and take responsibility for the success of your construction empire.

30 million Construction Sim fans can’t be wrong in loving this series, so better make that 30 million + 1 now. Aastragon Entertainment and Weltenbauer have ensured the player could build (pun fully intended!) a construction empire on a myriad of gaming systems, from the PC, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®5, to the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles. CS includes a co-op multiplayer for up to four players, the largest fleet of vehicles in the history of the series and numerous new and once again significantly expanded features in a completely revised, modern look. Coming in new to this series, we have to say, it’s been a pleasant surprise.

Will you become the next Multiplex or Lendlease? Or will you become a Grocon, where you start off all high and mighty, only to go down the building gurgler – your destiny is literally in your hands. Where else could we realise our childhood dreams of becoming a builder or using an excavator – thankfully, CS offers this in the comfort of our lounge room!

The extensive list of licensed vehicles, machines and equipment from the top manufacturing brands is quite impressive, as are the huge maps across Europe and the US with different and challenging campaigns featuring 90 jobs! It’s not just pure building, this is an all encompassing simulator, including maintaining your construction yard, refuelling and vehicle maintenance and renting construction gear from your dealer, just to name a few. We can’t really compare to real life as we aren’t in the industry, but the publisher assures us that the earthmoving systems and driving physics have all been revamped, making them very close to lifelike – which is great to know.

We’d go so far as to say that Construction Simulator is our fave ‘sim’ for 2022 so far! We have no doubt the 4-player co-op multiplayer mode would be even more fun than the solo campaigns, but nevetheless, this game is the complete package, no matter how you play it! Go and build and have some fun!



Disclaimer: Xbox Series X|S review code for Construction Simulator was provided by HomeRun PR.

Turn Your Xbox Series X|S Into A Legit Emulation Powerhouse

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PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

Say what? Yep, you read that title properly, you can legitimately download and install emulation open source apps from the Microsoft Store for your Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S consoles!

Sick of setting up emulation on multiple devices? Do you want to centralise all your gaming, both modern and retro, on the one console? If you have an Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S, this is now a reality!

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

Thanks to gamr13 and the rest of the clever dev community, the process to turn your Xbox into an emulation beast is simpler and does not need any funky bypassing with whitelisting, going into dev mode or other illegitimate modifications.

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

If you have an Xbox One, you can play everything from the 8-bit era all the way up to the 32-bit consoles, like the PS1. If you are part of the crowd that has an Xbox Series X|S then you can play old school games from the dawn of video gaming all the way up to the Dreamcast, GameCube/Wii, PS2 (limited) and PSP! You’re basically making your Xbox console into a RetroPie killer!! Woohoo, we can finally play Virtua Tennis 3 (PSP) on our Xbox Series S!!!

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

We know what you are thinking, how complicated is it? Do you have to fiddle with controller configuration? Well, it actually isn’t complicated at all and the controller configs are done for you – even we were able to get it setup in less than 15 minutes – obviously this depends on how many retro games you have – which we will not discuss here.

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

Instructions:

  1. Fire up your Xbox Series S or X;
  2. Go to https://gamr13.github.io using the Edge browser on the Xbox and on the GAMR13’S APPSTORE tile, click the Download App button;
  3. In the Microsoft Store, click on the Get button, followed by the Got It button;
  4. Quit out of the Edge browser;
  5. Open Gamr13’s </> AppStore from your dashboard;
  6. Install the emulator(s), tools and games you want from the AppStore; then quit;
    1. NOTE: RetriX is a great front-end if you prefer it to RetroArch
  7. Use the Durango FTP app to copy/transfer over the required BIOS files and game files (roms) – obviously we won’t link these here as you should legally own these files.
    1. NOTE: If you prefer, and we highly recommend it, use an external drive (256GB USB-3 stick) to host your required files (BIOS, games etc).
  8. You are all done! Enjoy your nostalgia!

Oh yeah, if you are having troubles playing your PS1 or PSP games in RetroArch, then check out the DuckStation or PPSSPP Gold standalone apps respectively. DuckStation has the added benefit of upscaling PS1 games to 1080p at 60fps, making PS1 games look absolutely amazing. The standalone FlyCast emulator works great for Dreamcast, just in case you can’t get your DC games going on RetroArch.

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!

If you prefer video instructions, then you can follow gamr13‘s tutorial here.

RetroArch setup

RetriX Setup

NOTE: This post is informational only. The reader accepts all risk and responsibility in installing and configuring any of the applications/tools/emulators mentioned in this article. These are all open source retail apps available on the Microsoft Store.

PLEASE NOTE: This is now an outdated post and it’s instructions SHOULD NOT be followed or used!



Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium Launches In July

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Put Your Arcade Skills to the Test When Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium Launches This July

Get ready to relive some of your favourite arcade memories when Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium – chock-full with 32 classic Capcom games – releases worldwide on July 22, 2022 on Nintendo Switch™, PlayStation®4, Xbox One and Steam. Retro fans and arcade novices alike can experience (or re-experience!) arcade mainstays like STREET FIGHTER, SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS, BLACK TIGER, MEGAMAN 2 – THE POWER FIGHTERS -, A.K.A. MAGIC SWORD and more. Friends and family can even get in on the action with local multiplayer available across a number of titles.

Similar to the original Capcom Arcade Stadium released last year, players can expect an abundance of customization and gameplay options in Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium, including:

  • Online leaderboards: Climb the ladder and see how you stack up against other players.
  • Display settings: A variety of display settings (Normal, Arcade, Full Screen), screen filters, arcade cabinet designs and frames to personalize every gaming experience and maximize the feeling of playing at your own home arcade.
  • Gameplay options: Including adjustable Game Speed (from “Very Slow” to “Very Fast”) and Difficulty Level to increase accessibility – or to give yourself an added challenge.
  • Rewind: This Rewind feature is available across all Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium games and allows players to jump back 10 seconds in time to save themselves (or a friend) from any unforeseen dangers. Whether you’re struggling to defeat a boss or want to practice a tricky segment of a game, the Rewind feature unlocks a whole new dimension of gameplay.
  • Invincibility mode: Play all the titles in the collection in an invincible state, available as free DLC!

All players start out with SONSON, the 2D side-scrolling platformer first released in 1984, for free. Players who pre-order or purchase Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium before August 5, 2022 will receive the “Display Frames Set 1,” which gives players access to 32 title-specific display frames that open new customization options for their digital arcade cabinets. Additionally, players who pre-order or purchase Capcom Fighting Collection™ before September 30, 2022 will receive Three Wonders, which packs three arcade games into one, as a bonus game for Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium.

With Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium, players have the freedom to build up their own personalized collections by purchasing individual titles. For maximum nostalgia, players can choose to purchase the “Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium Bundle 1” for access to all 32 titles.

Original Capcom Arcade Stadium players also receive bonus content in Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium, including:

  • Capcom Arcade Stadium Music & Lights: Players who have save data from Capcom Arcade Stadium receive access to this new feature that allows you to change the colours and music for the menu screens.
  • Instruction Card Backgrounds: Anyone who purchased at least one title from Capcom Arcade Stadium will be able to set instructions and key art from  past titles as their background for the game.

Lastly, to celebrate Capcom’s 39th anniversary and the first year since the release of Capcom Arcade Stadium, we are making Street Fighter II – The World Warrior – available to download for free in Capcom Arcade Stadium through July 21, 2022.

The full game list for Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium is below. Prepare yourself…it’s a long one!

  • 1943 Kai – Midway Kaisen –
  • A.K.A. BLOCK BLOCK
  • A.K.A. KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND
  • A.K.A. MAGIC SWORD
  • A.K.A. THE KING OF DRAGONS
  • A.K.A. VAMPIRE SAVIOR – The Lord Of Vampire –
  • BLACK TIGER
  • Capcom Sports Club
  • DARKSTALKERS – The Night Warriors –
  • ECO FIGHTERS
  • Gan Sumoku
  • Hissatsu Buraiken
  • HYPER DYNE SIDE ARMS
  • HYPER STREET FIGHTER II – The Anniversary Edition –
  • LAST DUEL
  • MEGAMAN 2 – THE POWER FIGHTERS –
  • MEGAMAN – THE POWER BATTLE –
  • NIGHT WARRIORS – Darkstalkers’ Revenge –
  • Pnickies
  • Rally 2011 LED STORM
  • SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM MASTERS
  • SAVAGE BEES
  • SONSON
  • STREET FIGHTER
  • STREET FIGHTER ALPHA 2
  • STREET FIGHTER ALPHA 3
  • Street Fighter Alpha – Warriors’ Dreams –
  • SUPER GEM FIGHTER – MINI MIX –
  • SUPER PUZZLE FIGHTER II TURBO
  • The Speed Rumbler
  • THREE WONDERS
  • Tiger Road

NOTE: Press Release & Images supplied by Capcom Europe



Conducting Our Reconnaissance on the Recon 500 Gaming Headset and Recon Controller

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Objective reviews are always tough! What we love may be absolutely loathed by someone else. But, we are always up for a challenge, especially when it is to convince us that a set of products we’ve never used would blow our minds. This was the case with being urged to review the Turtle Beach Recon 500 headset and the Recon Controller on our Xbox Series S – let’s say that we didn’t need too much convincing to accept the challenge!

Now if you are not one for wired gaming peripherals, then you may want to stop reading here and go and play some video games. If you are intrigued and want to know our thoughts on the headset and controller, then read on!

Recon Controller (Wired) – Xbox (Series X|S & Xbox One) & PC (Win 10)

There is a lot to love about the Recon Controller. Firstly, it is versatile to be used on the latest Xbox consoles (Series X|S), Xbox One and also on any PC running Windows 10! The other very obvious one is the additional buttons and controls on the face that manage all of the audio controls – this was probably our favourite aspect of the controller, as we could easily mute/unmute ourselves instead of fiddling the same controls on our headset. The four EQ presets were also cool, which you can choose to suit your own aural tastes. The mic monitoring and control was a welcome feature, as we could manage and adjust our own voice for clear online chat comms.

From an ergonomic perspective, we actually preferred using the Recon Controller over the Series S pack-in controller – which we didn’t expect! The grips, which are purported to have micro-cooling channels and are a comfy shape to hold, did feel good in hand, especially when playing Forza Horizon 5 for a few hours. Even after a couple of hours, we didn’t suffer any sweaty hands or fatigue, which meant we could game longer without giving our poor hands a break. The analogue sticks were a tad clickier than the Xbox Series S controller, but that didn’t deter play and we got used to their smooth control pretty quickly. On the other hand, we immediately loved the D-pad on the Recon as it wasn’t as harsh with its clicking as the Xbox controller – it was way quieter,  meaning we can use it at night when the household is asleep.

The 3 metre (10 foot) cable is a nice length, but it depends how you have your gaming system setup – if you are sitting 4 metres away, then you may need to move your chair (or couch) a tad closer. Since our gaming chair is within a metre of our console, the cable didn’t really hamper our play. Another very welcome addition are the two (Pro-Aim) mappable quick action buttons underneath the controller. These buttons can be used to program your favourite functions, which you can also save up to four profiles.

The Recon Controller took us by surprise as it blew our expectations by a long long way. It is now our go to controller on the Xbox Series S. Having our Windows 10 laptop nearby, it is versatile to unplug from the Xbox and into our laptop to play on it. If you are in the market for another controller for your Xbox (Series X|S and XBOne) or PC, then you should seriously consider this one!

Recon Controller (Wired) by Turtle Beach retails for $99.95 on Amazon AU.

Recon 500 Multiplatform Gaming Headset – Xbox (Series X|S & Xbox One), PS4/PS5, Nintendo Switch & PC

It is always welcome to have a gaming peripheral that can be used across multiple devices, and let’s face it, we all have a mix of gaming system, from green, blue to red!

We used the wired Recon 500 headset with our Recon Controller on the Xbox Series S and let’s just say, they go together like hand in glove. However, the strength of the Recon 500 being wired with a 3.5mm jack, is that it can be used on pretty much all modern day consoles and PCs. Since we had recently reviewed the EPOS H3 Hybrid headset, we could pit the Recon 500 against it and see which one we preferred.

The Turtle Beach over ear headsets we have previously tried, all seem to have large cups, which for us, is great. Perhaps the shape of our head and ears are perfectly suitable for this, as the cups sit nicely over the ear, meaning they are comfortable and you get the best audio blast from the larger cup. Pitting these against the EPOS H3 Hybrid, we found the Recon 500 to be a lot more comfortable on ear. The headband is nice and soft, ensuring the top of your head is well looked after, especially if you don’t have too much hair to provide cushioning!

The build quality is pretty good and durable for a $130.00 headset, but it does not compare to the higher quality of the EPOS H3 Hybrid, but then again, the EPOS headset is 120% more expensive – so don’t forget that. More importantly, how does it sound? Well, the patented 60mm Eclipse dual-drivers that separate the high and low frequencies gives you an immersive and ultra-detailed gaming audio – It’s like having a massive soundstage between your ears. As mentioned earlier, the precisely engineered earcups (injected with wood pulp composite) deliver rich and natural sounds that need to be heard to be believed. We keep going on about the earcups, but that is because they are supremely comy and suit our head and ears so well – they are amazing!

Coupled with the Recon Controller, we were able to use the EQ presets (on the controller) to change the sounds, which the headset happily obliged. We did find an EQ preset that we liked, so we stuck to it. Playing modern games with such personalised sounds is a great immersive experience. We also tried the headset on our Switch, and just like the Xbox Series S, the sounds were crystal clear and meaty for us to fully enjoy our gaming experience.

We aren’t eSports professionals, we found the TruSpeak removable, noise cancelling mic delivered reliable and super clear voices in online chats. Having a removable mic meant that we could also use the headset with out smartphone to listen to some tunes.

If you are in the market for a gaming headset that you can use on pretty much on all current gaming platforms, and you don’t want to spend more than $130.00, then we’d say you can’t go too wrong with the Turtle Beach Recon 500 (wired) headset.

Recon 500 Gaming Headset (Wired) by Turtle Beach retails for $129.95 on Amazon AU.

image source: Turtle Beach



Disclaimer: The Recon Controller and Recon 500 headset were kindly supplied by Five Star Games for this review.

Review: EPOS H3 Hybrid Headset

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We are the type that get freaked out by noise cancelling over-ear headsets. This is a personal preference, so when we received our Ghost White EPOS H3 Hybrid headset, we were eager to try them out on multiple platforms, from our current gen gaming consoles, Windows 10 PC, to our Android and iOS devices.

The beauty of the EPOS H3 Hybrid headset is that it has multiple connectivity options, so no matter if you are using it on PC, Mac, Xbox (One or X|S), PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch or any other Bluetooth compatible devices, the H3 Hybrid can be your one stop headset, so no more carrying different headsets for multiple applications. Being an EPOS product, you expect a premium gaming audio experience, which we can safely say the H3 Hybrid delivers. The high quality digital audio extends to mundane uses, like those daily never ending Zoom calls – which we must admit, our colleagues were quite in awe of our headset and wanted to know more about them, which speaks volumes of the design.

The EPOS H3 Hybrid follows on from the success of the recently released H3 wired closed acoustic headset, but amps it up with multiple connectivity options, a removable boom arm, simultaneous Bluetooth® for audio mixing, and a very importantly, a long-lasting battery for on-the-go Bluetooth® audio – unlocking the Power of Audio anywhere. This is where the H3 Hybrid really shined – we took it to task during our 8+ hour work day, connected via Bluetooth to our PC, which we had multiple Zoom, WebEx and MS Teams meetings. We also had music pumping throughout the day, which was tremendous to listen to with amazing acoustic clarity and deep base (via EPOS’ 7.1 surround sound) – our ears were truly in aural heaven! Our work colleagues also commented on how clear we came across in our calls, so that is testament to the detachable boom arm (main mic, with the secondary mic in the ear cup – which can be used when the main boom arm is detached). Even after all that work day punishment, the battery was still green, meaning we had heaps of juice left to use our H3 Hybrid headset on our gaming systems. According to EPOS, the headset provides 37 hours of Bluetooth audio (between charges), which is great, as we loathe to be charging stuff every day.

The headset feels like a quality product in your hands, but how do they feel on your head and over your ears. Well, we can say that they felt pretty good. We did find that after 3 or so hours of continuous use, we had to take them off to give our ears a break, which again, is a personal preference. The headset can be adjusted via its built-in stainless steel headband slider, so no matter the size of head, it can be adjusted to fit accordingly.

There is no doubt the H3 Hybrid is designed and aimed at gamers that want one high-quality headset that has the versatility to be used both wired with their preferred gaming platform and simultaneously or separately connected via Bluetooth for other uses, like using a 3rd party chat app on their smartphone while enjoying latency free in game audio on their PC, which it does with ease and does it brilliantly. The headset is available in Onyx Black or Ghost White, so not much choice in the colourways – but who needs a turquoise headset anyway?! Inside the package, you’ll find the headset, USB cable, 3.5mm console cable and the boom arm cover plate.

With its renowned EPOS engineered high quality build, multiplatform compatibility, simultaneous Bluetooth connectivity, dual microphones, EPOS Gaming Suite (Windows 10) compatibility and the detachable boom arm, the H3 Hybrid does feel like a next-level headset which we highly recommend you try out! Now, to connect these babies to our pinball machines……

The Details:

  • Make/Model: EPOS H3 Hybrid (review unit – Ghost White. Also comes in Onyx Black)
  • Compatible with: 
    • Wired: PC, Mac, Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
    • Wireless: Bluetooth devices
  • Release Date: September 14, 2021
  • Price: $258.89 via Amazon

image source: EPOS

Disclaimer: The EPOS H3 Hybrid headset was kindly provided by Events Engine for this review.



Classic Xbox Games Specials!

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Checking in this morning, we noticed that Microsoft has unleashed their latest Xbox games sale, which has quite a few classic titles that piqued our interest! The beauty of the backwards compatibility of the Xbox means that no matter which console you have (after the X360), then these games will all work!

Go to the Xbox Games Specials to grab yourself a bargain. In case you were interested, these were our picks from this sale:

  • Castlevania: Symphony Of The Night ($4.97 / 50% off)
  • Castlevania Anniversary Collection ($8.03 / 75% off)
  • Contra Anniversary Collection ($8.03 / 75% off)
  • Metal Gear Solid HD Edition 2 & 3 ($7.48 / 75% off)
  • Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2 ($7.48 / 75% off)
  • Silent Hill: HD Collection ($12.61 / 75% off)
  • Final Fantasy VII ($12.07 / 50% off)
  • Resident Evil ($7.48 / 75% off)
  • Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection ($8.03 / 75 off)

 



Gears 5: A Rocky, Sometimes Brilliant Entry

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

When I played “Gears of War” in 2006 for the first time, I was instantly hooked. It was another first-person shooter game, but something about it felt new and fresh. The recently released “Gears 5,” the fifth instalment in the successful “Gears of War” franchise, seems more creative and still familiar than its predecessors.

Like most things in entertainment, the original is always better. But with “Gears 5,” The Coalition, the game developers, have really took the franchise to a new, inspiring place.

“Gears 5” centres on Kait Diaz, an Outsider of Locust descent. Playing as Kait, your mission is to uncover the origins of the Locust and Kait’s family. Several characters from “Gears of War 4,” like James Dominic “JD” Fenix, return; but don’t be fooled, it’s Kait’s game.

I’ve always enjoyed video games that have a snow setting. Maybe it’s my admiration and affection for the battle on Hoth in “The Empire Strikes Back,” or just my simple love for action sequences on powdery snow; Act 2 of “Gears 5” takes place in a wintery landscape where you parasail with a skiff over frozen lakes and snow-covered terrain. You can investigate dark tunnels and find collectables, but lurking around the dark corners are parts of the Swarm. You have to conserve your ammo. Finding journals at abandoned camps adds to the game’s overall story. The game feels enormous. You can get lost, and watch out for incoming ice chunks that can crush you. It was gratifying searching for the New Hope Research Facility. I learned the hard way that it’s very difficult to throw grenades in the frigid wind when you approach the entrance to the research facility.

image source: Gears 5

I haven’t played all of “Gears 5,” but from what I’ve played, I think it could be one of the best games of the year. It undeniably expands on the “Gears” universe. It’s very rare that I want to go back and play parts of a game that I’ve already completed. Act 3 of “Gears 5” is enjoyable, but I was wholly engaged in Act 2.

Act 3 feels a bit like any other first-person shooter game where you are inquisitively flushing out the enemy through a facility or abandoned factory. It’s still engaging but not as engrossing as the first two acts of the game. The game’s three-player split screen play is superb. And, overall, “Gears 5” is an exceptional entry in an already definitive series that keeps turning out brilliant gameplay.

 

Stela – Xbox One Review

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Get ready to set forth and fulfil your destiny in Stela, the latest title from Skybox Labs, out now on the Xbox One.

Stela is a wonderful journey portrayed as a 2.5D platformer that has players traversing through an unforgiving but beautifully cinematic world and witnessing the end of an ancient civilisation. Upon awakening in a mysterious cavern, players take control of an unnamed protagonist and make their way through various areas that are equally beautiful as they are deadly. Moving through devastated vistas, cinematic action sequences and solving puzzles, players will attempt to reach their journeys end. In juxtaposition to the stunning scenery there is an ever present tension in Stela, with very little safe refuge for players to stop and take in the sights. Hazards come from not only the decaying civilisation around you but also from savage beasts and mysterious creatures that inhabit the world.

From the first moments of the game, Stela is beautiful and at times becomes downright gorgeous. There are lots of very obvious cinematic moments for players to revel in but even in the downtime between these, every shot has been carefully positioned for maximum effect. The camera will often pan in or out as needed to really highlight the action or to give a better sense of grandeur. There is plenty of depth to the colour palette with each area feeling new and different but still eerily devoid of life. Adding to the ambience and overall style of Stela is the magnificent soundtrack, full of a diverse range of themes that includes subtle melodies to heart pumping tracks. Full of soft strings, ethereal tones, heavy horns and industrial sounds that really helps to magnify the tension, relief or sense of accomplishment the player feels from moment to moment.

Although most of the time the player is on a single plane, there are often times when the character will need to climb onto background ledges to solve puzzles or avoid danger. Controls feel excellent and are easy to understand with the player only needing to know simple grab controls for things like moving objects, sliding boxes or pulling switches. Mechanics are introduced gradually and start to overlap with each other to become more complex but often lead to some sudden deaths that remind us of the original Prince of Persia. 

Although Stela may not bring anything new to the genre, it is an absolute pleasure to experience. In a year full of beautiful games, it is one journey that should absolutely not be missed and one we look forward to getting a perfect achievement score in.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mat Panek, Chief Games Reviewer
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: Stela [Xbox One code] was kindly provided by Stride PR for this review.

 

 

The Fast and the Furious: Agent Shaw Video Game?

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By: D.C. Cutler, U.S.A.

I finally watched the Fast & Furious spinoff film “Hobbs & Shaw.” It was better than I expected. As I was watching the film, I thought, this would make a great video game. Certain action sequences would be perfect for a combat on different levels video game.

Dwayne Johnson and Jason Stratham had great chemistry; their dynamic was fun, but Vanesa Kirby as Agent Hattie Shaw stole the film out from under the two stars. She gave a standout, humorous performance that made my friend ask, when we were leaving the theatre, “Who was that?” Kirby gained attention in small roles in “The Crown” and “Mission Impossible: Fallout.” They were small, but she shined in both roles. I enjoyed her character so much, a new Fast & Furious video game centered on her MI-6 character could be intriguing.

There are several games based on the Fast & Furious franchise, but they are mostly driving, race based games. I’ve played a Fast & Furious driving game at an arcade and it was a lot of fun. However, it was slightly on the expensive side when it came to tokens.

image source: commonsensemedia

I’ve heard a rumor that an animated series based on characters from the Fast & Furious franchise is in the development stages; I believe for Netflix? Agent Shaw’s character would be perfect for a 30-minute cartoon. Perhaps Vanessa Kirby could voice the animated version of her character. Action packed animated series are hot at the moment, and the Fast & Furious name gets viewer’s attention.

An Agent Shaw game could be a first-person-shooter effort but the gaming industry seems to be saturated with them. And if you’re not Fortnite right now, it’s difficult to carve out your own niche in the market as a FPS game. With some really creative developers, a game similar to the Tomb Raider or Resident Evil series could be successful if done with some passion and Fast & Furious insight.

Goldeneye, one of the greatest first-person-shooter games, was based on a movie franchise. Like that classic, Agent Shaw could be just as thrilling with a modern-day spy feel to it.