Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II Review

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II follows the story of Senua from the original Hellblade. She begins her journey in a slave ship, going to who knows where. She aims to find and kill all the slavers, so step one is complete.

As with most things in Senua’s life, this doesn’t go to plan. The ship encounters a dreadful storm that slams it into the rocks and spreads its inhabitants into the sea. Exhausted and defeated, you are flung onto the shore, looking for rest.

Sadly, there is no rest; the waves crash into you and threaten to drag you back to the sea if you don’t get up and move. You drag yourself out, then make it off the shore and start looking for survivors. 

The beginning section of Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is agony for Senua, and the player feels every part of that. There are no markers, tutorials, or prompts; just fog, rain, and the voices in your head.

It is very frustrating, and I can see a lot of players getting turned around and even outright lost despite the size of the map being pretty small. On top of that, you are thrown into combat with no tutorial or button prompts, just the voices in your head telling you that you need to hit harder or dodge quicker.

The whole section felt like moving through mud, and Senua’s frustrations matched my own as I slowly made my way off the beach. 

It turns out this was all by design.

During the production of The Godfather, director Francis Ford Coppola was adamant that Michael needed to go to Sicily. We needed to see Micheal return to a normal life before having it ripped out from under him. We needed to see, just like Micheal, that there was no going back.

The studio kept saying there was no room in the budget. Luckily for us, Crazy Joe Gallo was gunned down, and the money was suddenly found. Sicily would be the catalyst for Michael to accept his role in the family, from being an outsider to the Don. I don’t know if this island has a name, but the island is Senua’s Sicily. 

Before we go any further, though, let me explain the combat because even after beating the game, I still don’t fully understand it. The combat is intense and hectic, with the voices telling you what will happen if you lose.

“They will eat you,” one of the voices told me. Such close and visceral combat would likely feel like that, the constant threat of what happens if you lose—the manic swinging of a person trying desperately to survive against a creature of darkness.

One word comes to mind: RAGE. Unfilited and pure, you feel the struggle and the anger bubbling inside you as you desperately try to find an opening against your opponent. 

The aura, attitude, and essence of true combat are there, but it doesn’t always make for fun gameplay. Thankfully, there’s an easy mode if you are struggling.

That may be the point. Maybe the developers want you to understand that the battle isn’t easy. Whether it’s combat in the arena or combat in your mind, the fight never truly ends. All you can hope for is a moment of respite from the constant storm bashing you against the rocks. 

Outside of combat, you have exploration and puzzles. There are a couple of side objectives to find, like the totem poles that talk about the land you are in. There are also these special trees that light up and bloom if you find them, but I found three the whole time.

The puzzles start out very frustrating because there are no prompts or indicators. There is one early one where you need to light a torch with your torch. Sounds simple, right? But when you walk up to it, there is no prompt, so you hit the button at the wrong spot, and it doesn’t work.

Well, what do I do now? Obviously, after figuring it out, you know, for the rest of the game, but the first time might leave you confused.

Something unexpected happened to me about halfway through the game. I was going through a cave and had to give up my light at certain sections. A strange sort of calm came over me as I walked through the pitch-black cave towards my goal. I realized that this whole struggle and journey had been about one thing: acceptance.

Not only accepting your fate but embracing it and becoming the person you are meant to be. Everything clicked after that cave, and I fell in love with the journey, even if the combat was still a train wreck. I’ve beaten the game now and am still unsure if I am bad at parrying or if it is only meant to work at certain spots.

The Stoics speak of the lower and higher self, about raising above the lower self to be who you truly are. Watching Senua ascend from her lower self to the higher self, to accept her place in the world—not just accept it but embrace it—was truly a sight to behold.

During one of the earlier sections, I was walking through a broken-down village, and one of the voices said, “Life is just endurance here.” Life is just endurance everywhere, which is what the game is trying to tell you. Yes, things suck for you, but they suck for everyone else also. It’s through the struggle that you become who you are meant to be. 

Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II is a classic example of the old mantra: get past the start, and you’ll love it. If you have Xbox Game Pass, you have no reason not to try this game.

Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER Review

Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER provides a fantastic futuristic experience that we were all too eager to dive into. While we would have appreciated more runway with its brief tale, ES88’s hunt for the Golden Butterfly is well worth a trip down memory lane.

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Sand Land Review

Sand Land’s vehicular combat is entertaining from start to finish, but bizarre progression pacing and the repetitive nature of the side content makes this a hard sell for those approaching the series for the first time.

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Lunar Lander Beyond Review

While Lunar Lander Beyond requires a delicate touch, the feeling that comes from mastering a perfect run and ship-shape crew cannot be beat.

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Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Review

Eiyuden Chonricle: Hundred Heroes is another Kickstarter project from an old-school development team. Is the game worth checking out, or should you sit with more modern games? Check out our review and find out.

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Spirit City: Lofi Sessions Review

Spirit City: Lofi Sessions is a fantastic (and pun-tastic) tool that dishes out good vibes as players knock out their tasks. While the title could use more customization options, we enjoyed getting down to business in its cozy world.

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Contra: Operation Galuga Review

The soldiers of Contra: Operation Galuga have the right moves for this mission, but the steep cost, short length, and awkward perspectives lead to a less-than-perfect execution.

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Well, it’s a mixed bag to say the least.

Within the first couple of hours, I shared a Tweet on X calling it one of the most boring games I ever played. If it wasn’t for the fact I was writing a review, I probably would have dropped the game there and then. I’m happy I didn’t, for the most part.

The game begins as protagonist Beelzebub, the Prince of the Underworld, and his merry band of loveable misfits fight to procure water for the Demon Village. Series favorites, such as Thief and Sheriff Rao, join Beelzebub on an adventure to seek out the Legendary Spring.

With an understanding and passion for the source material, there’s a meaningful and worthwhile narrative adventure here, one full of charm and heart. However, for those like myself, it’s like struggling through a barren desert, hoping to find an oasis.

And it took me about 15 hours before the exhausting, awkward translations and dialogue made way for a cast of truly memorable characters.

Without that initial struggle to find the connection with Beelzebub and friends, I’m sure fans will enjoy every moment. For those perhaps exposed to the series for the first time, it’s going to be a very hit-and-miss experience.

Much can be said about many of the gameplay elements of Sand Land. There’s a lot of fun to be had, but there’s a lot of work to get there.

Combat is separated into two main components: Beelzebub’s on-foot melee combat, a system you only really use when it’s forced by the story or environment, and a far more thrilling and rewarding vehicular combat system.

Beelzebub’s combat is well done. Basic combination attacks, special moves, and careful dodging combine to deliver a responsive and fast-paced battle system, but one that just pales in comparison to the alternative.

Would you rather stand toe-to-toe with enemy soldiers throwing well animated kicks and spins, or do you bring a tank to a gun fight?

The vehicular combat, as explosive and entertaining as it is, takes all too long to get started. A near seamless ability to switch vehicles during combat creates for endless combination attacks and variations of combat style, but it can take over half the game to unlock all the bots.

I share similar issues with the party and progression systems. While Beelzebub and his allies core upgrades are fast enough to obtain, the ability to truly unlock the maximum potential of the bots is locked behind a party member that joins in the final hours of the experience.

This makes the final hours of the game the very best Sand Land has to offer. An impressive customization suite boasts a huge selection of options for each of the vehicles, both mechanically and visually. However, Sand Land’s difficulty and additional content fail to motivate any real necessity to take the time to grind.

This is largely due to the unsurprisingly barren and uneventful nature of the game world. It’s a desert. It’s full of sand and, sadly, not much else.

You occasionally bump into side quests, treasure chests and characters, some of whom will be happy to return to the game’s central hub. Adding new buildings and facilities along the way, but for the most part, it’s as barren as you would expect a desert to be.

Even in later areas when, after what seems like a lifetime, you find some grass and trees, the world feels very much empty and lacking purpose.

Sand Land is at its very best during the humorously over-the-top boss battles. Mowing down tanks and enemy soldiers using an impressive array of vehicles and abilities. It’s just a shame that, outside the colorful cast of characters, the rest of the game can’t match the pace.

Sand Land’s vehicular combat is entertaining from start to finish, but bizarre progression pacing and the repetitive nature of the side content makes this a hard sell for those approaching the series for the first time.

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A decade has passed since the launch of Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag and the beginning of Skull & Bones’ development journey, yet it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. Enduring numerous delays, shifts in genre, and geographical transitions from fantastical realms to real-world settings, development has struggled through troubled waters.

Regrettably, the aftermath of that journey leaves Skull & Bones grappling to define its identity. It’s a clash of compelling ideas and concepts, each brimming with potential, yet few have been afforded the necessary time to flourish. While there are undoubtedly elements of Skull & Bones I’ve grown to love, its inherent challenges are evident for all to witness.

Skull & Bones Review

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Usually, this is the part where I delve into my experience with the game’s storyline. Taking a moment to explore significant characters, dissect important plot events, and offer my overall perspective on the narrative direction before transitioning to other meaty parts of the experience. In the case of Skull & Bones, well, the story doesn’t offer all that much. Relationships feel forced and rushed, never given the time to develop through trial and tribulation, and the overall plot just feels flat.

After completing just a handful of seafaring missions, I found myself unexpectedly hailed as a hero by the pirates standing on the docks of Sainte-Anne. John Scurlock, the esteemed Kingpin of Sainte-Anne, now celebrating my achievements, when just moments before he was mocking my lack of experience. I struggled to remain interested in the lives and motives of the characters I encountered, and feeling rushed to develop that interest didn’t help the situation.

It’s a disappointing execution of the story, but as is often the case with live-service games, the story is rarely a focal point. It’s a few hours in a grand adventure, often spanning hundreds or thousands of hours. So, leaving the underwhelming story off the stern, many other areas of the game are truly remarkable.

Despite the hurdles of delays and change of genre, one key component was clear in the development of Skull & Bones: naval combat was destined to be its cornerstone. This is evident by the level of quality and polish in the ship-to-ship combat, a captivating and thrilling experience from start to finish. It offers a deep layer of strategy and tactical thinking as you analyze the movements of enemy ships, looking to capitalize on the smallest mistake. This is all the while providing pure satisfaction derived from just blowing the ship out of something.

Every encounter, even the trivial battles against enemies offering little to no rewards, is an enjoyable one. Lining up the perfect mortar shot onto the weak point of a moving enemy ship, sniping enemy flares before they call for reinforcements, watching three torpedoes hit at maximum range for insane damage; the combat in Skull & Bones is quite simply at the top of its class.

This is enhanced by a robust ship class and customization suite that offers a surprising variety of build options and loadouts. Each boat can be tailored to suit a number of different play styles, with a variety of different armaments and furniture pieces designed to support a holy trinity style approach with tank, DPS, and support. It may be difficult to swallow that your support ship is firing balls of goo to help heal your hull, but it works nonetheless.

While clearly designed to support co-operative and multiplayer play, each of these roles functions perfectly well for solo players. Choosing the bulky tank class of vessels, I was able to sustain incredible levels of damage whilst ensuring enemy vessels prioritized me over my allies. Switching up to one of the ramming style DPS ships, complete with a bow-mounted flamethrower, plowing directly into enemies and leaving a pile of flotsam in my wake was equally fun. It’s a system that is perfectly suited to the live-service model, one that has a multitude of avenues for advancements and improvements but one that, alone, may struggle to keep players engaged through the rough seas of the early game.

Skull & Bones doesn’t really leave the dock for the first 30 to 40 hours. The early hours, including the immediately forgettable intro, are a combination of tutorial missions and fetch quests. Fetch quests that, even with the most beautiful of oceans and a fantastic combat system, quickly become stale. I was approaching the 35-hour mark when I hit Kingpin rank, the final rank before the prestige-style grind enters the arena.

It wasn’t until nearly 40 hours into the Skull & Bones adventure that the true essence of the game unfolded. The vast expanse of the Empire stretches across three distinct regions: the Coast of Africa, Red Isle, and East Indies. Each features different locations such as foundries, encampments, and settlements. I had to grapple with frustrating time limitations and the inherent drawbacks of the GaaS model, but eventually I could seize control of these strategic points, tapping into their resources to amass Pieces of Eight, the top-tier currency. These Pieces of Eight serve as the key to unlocking much of the end-game content, from named weapons to ship cosmetics and pirate outfits, bringing the live-service elements of the game to life.

It’s a completely fresh gameplay loop from the rest of the game. Sure, it’s still very much a glorified fetch quest with epic combat, but the Empire system is where you find the best rewards, the biggest battles, and the most epic PvP encounters the game has to offer. Prior to unlocking this feature, the largest battle I had was with three enemy ships. After my first attempt at a hostile takeover of a territory, that number was closer to 20. After capturing a location, funding its resource development, and then attempting to grab your haul, you have to travel back and deposit it at one of your central hubs – or you can risk it all and take a double-or-nothing gamble on reaching another location but with other players at your heels.

There is definitely a potential for problems in the very latter stages of the live-service grind. It will be relatively easy to max out multiple locations, stack up near infinite supplies of silver, and end up managing more of an economic simulator than a pirate game, but hopefully Ubisoft can address that before the average player gets there.

Finally, touching on an area of the game that struggles to find its place as much as the story, there is controlling of the actual character. You cannot walk around on your ship, and there is no on-foot combat. Rather, it’s purely an avatar for navigating towns, cities, and camps – most of which are very tiny locations that serve little more purpose than a menu with an environment. It feels a bit sour, considering the what-if scenario. Overall, it’s a minor, annoying time sink at worst.

I played through most of the game on the Xbox Series X but also played a fair amount on PlayStation 5, both co-op and solo play. Skull & Bones is perfectly suited for solo players, although the more challenging and exciting missions are definitely geared towards co-op and multiplayer play. It’s a lot of fun solo but whack that dial way up if you can sail with some friends.

If you can stomach the rough seas of the early game, Skull & Bones has a bounty of live-service content on offer. The end-game mechanics and loot loop rely completely and entirely on the combat system that, thankfully, is one that delivers with every firing of a cannon. Taking over towns and cities, conquering trade routes, climbing the leaderboards – Skull & Bones is a thrilling ride. It’s just a shame that it can take 30-40 hours to get there.

[infobox style=’success’ static=’1′]This review of Skull & Bones was primarily done on the Xbox Series X, although the reviewer also played the PlayStation 5 version. Digital codes were provided by the publisher[/infobox]

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Forza Motorsport Review

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Forza Motorsport starts by talking about how each car has a journey, from the showroom to the race track to the winner’s podium. Your journey begins with a choice: Which car will you start with? Once you decide, the racing can finally begin. The first cup is a tutorial that lasts a few races and teaches you the basics of Motorsport. After that, Tours opens up, giving you many different spots to race. I want to be clear: This is not Forza Horizon, and there is no open-world component. Forza Motorsport is all about the cars and the racing.

These guys figured out how to do racing long ago, and I am happy to report it’s still some of the best in the business. The cars handle like a dream, taking precise turns while the straightaways let you blast off and feel the acceleration. Due to the accessibility options, you can make it as easy or hard as you want. You choose your start position and how well the AI drivers brake and handle. On the easiest difficulty, all you have to do is steer, accelerate, and let the car brake for you. The more difficult the race, the more credits you earn.

Credits are used to buy cars, but you need to earn Car Points to upgrade your current vehicles. You get these by leveling up cars in races or in practice. The higher your car is level, the more parts they have unlocked for boosts. The best part is that you can automate everything for the best car with a single button. Anyone who wants to change the air in their tires, weight distribution, or anything like that can, but for novices like me, the auto feature is the way to go. The only downside is that the Car Points take a while to earn, so fully tuning a car can take hours.

Online starts you in a Qualifier Series to see how good you really are. If you wanted, you could tank it and race only noobs until you got found out. You’ll likely need to rent or buy a car for this, but renting is free; you just won’t earn Car Points. Unlike single-player, you can’t rewind, and there are qualifying laps you can do to place. It makes sense, but sometimes lobbies have 30 minutes of practice and other times, you load in with only five minutes left and can’t even qualify. Still, there are plenty of events and races to do with friends or against random players.

The other big thing about Forza Motorsport is their emphasis on clean and “pure” racing. You rack up Car Points by passing people and get multipliers by doing it without hitting other cars, driving off-road, or crashing. Making a mistake will reduce the bonus to one, no matter what. Online is even more intense because you are ranked by skill and how clean you drive. If you crash into drivers a lot, you are put into lobbies with other players who do that. It’s a sound system, but occasionally, the clean lobbies have players still crashing into you.

There is also this Rivals mode where you race against ghost cars and other players for the best times. The car is chosen for you, and a new ghost car appears each time you beat a rival. It is an excellent way to grind a track and level up a car quickly. Also, beating your friend’s ghost car score is always a good time.

I’m not too into cars and brands, but all the ones you want are here. Aston Martin, BMW, Cadillac, Hyundai, and Ferrari are just some that make the list. If you enjoy collecting cars, you will have plenty to do in Forza Motorsport.

As for tech problems, I had no bugs, frame drops, or crashes. However, online I had a couple of issues loading into lobbies. Nevertheless, it was always clean when racing.

While I still think Forza Horizon is the better series, there is no denying Forza Motorsport has the best driving around. Racing fans should pick up Game Pass and give it a go.

[infobox style=’success’ static=’1′]This review of Forza Motorsport was done on the Xbox Series X. A code was provided by the publisher.[/infobox]

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To say expectations were high would be a huge understatement. One of the biggest and most beloved AAA developers of the modern era tackling one of the most expansive and limitless genres imaginable, the exploration of space. The wait is over, the game is here, and boy was it worth the wait.

Starfield Review

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Starfield is an odd game. Elder Scrolls, Fallout; I could recommend those to any RPG fan and feel confident the vast majority will have a fantastic time. I’m not sure the same can be said for Starfield. Some may get lost on the way, distracted by subsystem.

If you’ve been keeping up with the discourse surrounding Starfield, you’ve likely heard that the game suffers from a poor start, a prologue that disappoints when compared to the epic scenes of Oblivion and Skyrim, and while that may be the case for some, it’s not necessarily through a fault of the game itself. During my early hours of play, I was disappointed. Everything felt lackluster and outdated, lacking that Bethesda spark that has made their games magical for me since my early years in Daggerfall.

I finished the introductory scene, which was brief, and involved mining some rocks and shooting some space scum, and then I did what I always do when a sandbox world is placed at my feet: I went and got lost. In Elder Scrolls, I’d run for hours, gathering materials, speaking to NPCs, and discovering villages and caves. Fallout, same deal, just in a slightly more depressing environment. In Starfield, I took my ship to space and started landing on random planets with the coolest-sounding names.

Starfield’s galaxy is filled with barren planets, floating rocks in deep space that, simply put, are glorified resource nodes, but they beckon with the promise of maybe finding something special. Their primary function, at least mechanically, is to offer resources and materials for players to use in crafting and base-building, one giant ore node. In most games, that would be enough, that singular function would make sense. In a Bethesda game, you expect more.

And in reality, that’s what you get. Each of these barren planets hides several points of interest to investigate and explore. Sometimes it’s some exotic flora or fauna, other times it’s a frozen-over research lab or a heavily guarded encampment. You don’t need to explore many of these planets to find identical locations, objectives, and rewards, but this was never designed to be the main draw in Starfield and to a lot of the people complaining about the lack of incentive to explore these planets, I feel like you’re playing the game wrong. Sometimes, to give players something they want, you need to throw in something they don’t. The game is set 300 years into the future, you can’t colonize that much in such a short amount of time. It’s a necessary element, within the timeframe and setting the developers wanted to achieve, to have that level of nothingness.

That’s a strange thing to say about a sandbox environment, especially a Bethesda sandbox environment. This is a studio that puts out games where players have endless hours of fun cramming 20,000 potatoes into an airlock or watching endless cheese wheels roll down a mountain, but in reality, you don’t have to do any of it. It’s the equivalent of spending an entire day completing Radiant Quests in Skyrim and then complaining about the lack of content and variety in randomly generated quests…

For some players, exploring these barren landscapes, watching in awe at the realistic celestial mechanics of the universe, gathering resources, and occasionally investigating abandoned mines and structures, this is everything they dreamed of in a Bethesda game set in space, and for everyone else, it serves as a grounding and realistic reminder that space is vast, space is empty, space is deadly. It’s not some intergalactic theme park with attractions at every turn. To truly appreciate the colossal scope Starfield puts on the table, you have to understand, that everything has its purpose, everything serves to create one of Bethesda’s most impressive and immersive environments to date.

It took me a few days, and if you follow my Twitter, you’ll see a lot of negative reactions in my early time exploring Starfield, but eventually everything just clicked. This is where I think a lot of the criticism stems from, it takes a while to find your feet, but not in a sense that the game is at fault.

Starfield’s character creation system grounds the player in a universe unlike any other. Choosing various character traits and backgrounds provides your character with roots, a tangible history of events, and experiences to bring into the universe. These are much more than simple bonuses and passive effects. You can be a Xenobiologist, having spent years studying alien species. You can pick a religious background, cementing your place among the stars with those searching for a higher purpose. Or you can go ultra-realistic, start the game with a dream home, and spend much of your better years of life paying off a ridiculous mortgage and dreading the reception every time you go home.

Each of these choices spans throughout the entire game. Conversations I had in the first minutes of the game allowed me to use my Xenobiologist expertise to share my experiences with a passerby, and in the very final quest I completed, I was able to use my expertise to find the best way of eradicating a very dangerous alien species. All too often games throw a character into the fold and while you enjoy the adventure of that universe, the path you follow, seldom does it feel like you truly belong. Starfield’s character creation system, while simple, is incredibly effective at immersing players right from the very start.

Once I began to understand the real purpose of the barren planets of Starfield’s massive universe, I started to delve into the more curated content, side quests, factions; the usual Bethesda suspects. I have been a fan of Bethesda’s work for nearly 30 years, since my first dive into Daggerfall in the mid-90s, and Starfield’s writing has surpassed anything the studio has released to this point. I cannot count the amount of unique quest lines that I got lost in. Immersed from the very beginning to the very end, mostly, but we’ll get to that in a bit.

Following a distress signal I was sent to an outpost on a distant planet. It was dark, fog filled the air, and the corpses of the scientists and guards stationed there littered the floor. Rain was thumping down, visibility wasn’t great. Then I encountered a Terrormorph. These xenomorph-like creatures have been attacking human colonies in the settled systems for years and there it was, ready to eat my face off. This single quest line took me across the star systems, searching for answers. What are they? Where do they come from? It’s a genius combination of the very best of the Alien franchise with a healthy dose of Starship Troopers, culminating in one of the most exciting and rewarding journeys I’ve ever had in an RPG.

And that’s one side quest, just one. When I wasn’t dealing with the Terrormorph threat, I was chasing down war criminals from the Colony Wars, I was climbing the corporate ladder, using stealth and espionage to frame rivals of the infamous Ryujin Industries, and didn’t draw a weapon for over 10 hours. I was infiltrating the space pirates of the Crimson Fleet, working for the authorities in an attempt to bring them down, only for the Crimson Fleet’s promises of a lost treasure to turn me traitor. I was a pirate, an assassin, a thief, a biologist, a soldier, a celebrity, a traitor, a hero, every single quest line is worthy of a feature story of its own and each presents choices and consequences that evolve in unimaginable and exciting ways. And these are just the loosely designed roles the game allows you to take, but in reality, they are limited only by your imagination.

I spent two days exploring the galaxy, looking to find the perfect planet to call home. It’s funny. An entire universe of planets to explore, untold secrets to discover, and I just wanted to find a planet with some water, some nice trees, and some cute animals, so Earth, basically. A universe of potential, and I just want to live here…dull. I found a good spot, not overly pretty, but it had some good resources I needed for expansion. Built some habitats, constructed some extractors, synced up my power grid, assigned my crew, and created enough storage to leave it on autopilot while I venture deeper into the abyss. This was days of exploration and discovery, trial and error, and all of it was good fun. I was an explorer, a colonist, a botanist, a researcher, an invader – seriously, I think I nearly wiped out an entire species of these annoyingly aggressive birds.

Eventually, I was even brave enough to dive into the shipbuilding, which is one of the most impressive features of the game. Sadly, it’s hidden behind quite an intimidating interface and a real lack of explanation or tutorial, but if you can brave the first few hours of stumbling through your own creations, the potential is jaw-dropping. You don’t have to go far to see Millennium Falcons, the Enterprise, hell, even the Planet Express has been created by talented folk in the community.

All those wonderful adventures, memories made, experiences shared, and then the main story stumbles along like a ship without a gravity drive.

It’s a familiar trope. You’re exploring every inch of the galaxy in search of ancient alien artifacts that hold the promise of revealing the secrets of the universe, the very fabric of existence. While it starts strong and ends spectacularly, the core component of the main narrative falls short. Between learning more about the alien artifacts, and an incredible cast of companions, you’re sent on expeditions to various planets to seek out these artifacts, and they are all nearly identical. You land on a barren planet, spend a minute running to the location, hover around in a room for two minutes, and leave, that’s it.

This dull and unimaginative routine is repeated over and over, and even the magical-like abilities you unlock can’t undo the feeling of monotony and boredom. Thankfully, this lasts a couple of hours at the most, but it’s an area of the game that is in stark contrast to the otherwise creative quest design. One day, I will take the time to write down my experiences of the end of the story, the mind-blowing finale that leads to the best implementation of a New Game+ mechanic I’ve ever seen, but not today. It’s too soon, and doing so will reveal and ruin a lot of things for a lot of people. Just know this. I have rarely invested more than a few hours into a NG+ and here I am in Starfield, day after day into NG+. If you love Starfield, follow your journey. Complete as much of the game as you can, and then finish the story. The adventure that awaits is nothing short of epic.

Building up to release my primary concern for Starfield was the combat. I’m a huge Elder Scrolls fan and while I enjoy Fallout, I never liked the combat system much. The guns didn’t feel great, the movement floaty, it just never felt right to me. A stark contrast to The Elder Scrolls, where I felt every swing of a blade, every casting of a spell.

Starfield’s combat is in the upper echelon of FPS design and a standout in an RPG game. The guns look and feel incredible. Every shot is felt, every boost of the jetpack is exciting, and every combat encounter is thrilling and rewarding. The combat system is so good that if you are unfortunate enough to run into some duplicate content it doesn’t matter. Once the bullets start flying, it’s just endless fun. Over 150 hours in the game, I have not avoided a single fight through fatigue or loss of interest, something Elder Scrolls couldn’t even manage after that many hours. Quite the contrary. When a random ship approached me and asked if I was looking to extend my spaceship warranty, I was all too eager to enjoy the combat system once more.

Bethesda’s greatest writing to date. An absolutely fantastic cast of characters and companions, some of the most memorable in the genre, I got you, Barrett. Awesome combat. Everything feels so right. So where does Starfield go wrong? Well, it’s in the little things.

Many years have passed since Skyrim broke records and won hearts. Technology has progressed, and other developers have amazed, but certain aspects of Starfield feel old, dated, and out of place in an otherwise stellar adventure. Following an NPC through a busy city as they give you the low down on your next target, only for the important dialogue to be drowned out by random idiots walking past blurting out irrelevant crap. A heartfelt moment between you and a companion as you share your deepest feelings, whilst talking to the back of their head. Exploring the gorgeous cyberpunk streets of Neon as you walk through 4 loading screens in 15 seconds. Spending yet another 60 seconds waiting on a bench for vendors to restock their cash so you can sell your latest haul. Watching NPCs move in a robotic like state to their resting position, turning 90 degrees before continuing.

Singularly, none of these are huge problems and they have become almost beloved quirks of Bethesda, a bit like my favorite coffee cup that’s chipped on the top. It’s not the best cup anymore, but I loves it. But in a universe where I can sit on the moon and watch a gas giant orbit over the horizon, why am I still talking to the back of a character’s head? With that said, technically, Starfield is the single best release Bethesda has ever had. I never experienced a single serious bug or crash until well over 100 hours, usually issues with loading and saving, another problem that has impacted Bethesda’s titles of yesteryear.

Even now, as I consider my time with Starfield finished, it’s not over. I found some books that gave me the location of London and the Apollo landing site, I’m looking for the Jupiter probe Juno to see how it’s dealing with its new-found purpose, I’m seeking out the GLB-222 Supremacy, a lost ship rumored to hold millions of credits, it’s this endless scope, this fantasy of a living, breathing universe, this is what makes Starfield such a spectacular adventure.

Simply put, Starfield is Bethesda’s greatest-ever RPG. The living, breathing universe they have created is one of the most impressive in the gaming space and the sound effects and musical score push the immersion to near perfection. If only I didn’t have to speak to the back of NPCs head.

[infobox style=’success’ static=’1′]This review of Starfield was done on the Xbox Series X. The game was purchased digitally, with the Premium Edition upgrade and Game Pass.[/infobox]

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Redfall Review

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When you first boot up Redfall, you get a brief intro to what happened before you start playing. The town of Redfall has slowly been getting smaller and smaller without many noticing. By the time people figure out what is going on, it’s far too late. Vampires have been taking people, and now a full-blown vampire invasion is happening in town. You try to escape, only to have the sea cut you off with a massive tidal wave.

With escape no longer being an option, you can only do your best to survive in the town of Redfall. You play as one of four characters:

– Jacob is the stealthy sniper guy who can scan for nearby enemies
– Layla has kinetic abilities and can summon a vampire ally
– Devinder has anti-vampire moves like UV rays and lightning
– Finally, Remi gets a robot companion and C4

It’s a good selection, but the gameplay in Redfall is rough.

With Arkane Studios’ rich pedigree, I was expecting more stealth options. The lack of backstabs is a disappointment, though players can still melee from behind. The AI can be downright brain-dead when detecting you as well. On the other hand, sometimes a sniper will drop you from an insane distance and have you wondering where the shot came from. More times than not, though, the AI is lacking.

The bad AI translates into Redfall’s combat as well. You will mostly face off with various vampire types and cultists. The cultists do try to take cover, but then they will just sit there and get shot. The basic vampires rush you and eat bullets while they try to slash at you. Some of the different vampire types are fun, but those are few and far between. That and the gunplay doesn’t feel great. It feels like an Xbox 360 game – even if the flare gun is awesome to burn vamps with.

The town of Redfall is fantastic, but the gameplay is so bland. It’s mostly going here and killing vampires and other enemies, or going there and collecting something to bring back to the base. You can also open up various safe houses in town, and those have side quests with them as well. Vampire nests are another side activity you can do, but also proves to be not that interesting.

While I didn’t care too much for the combat, I did like each of Redfall’s unique weapons. I mentioned the flare gun earlier, which can set vampires and humans on fire. There is also a stake launcher, which is exactly what it sounds like. Finally, the UV gun shoots out a laser that turns vampires into stone – a thrilling feeling. These are all cool ideas, but they are held back by subpar combat.

After completing enough story missions, you will unlock the Rook. As you kill vampires and beat missions, the Rook meter will fill. Once it fills up, the Rook is summoned, and you must face this hulking vampire. However, you will get some powerful loot if you can bring him down.

For some reason, this game doesn’t have matchmaking with random people. If you want to play with others, you will need some friends who want to play. Also, even if you play co-op, the host is the only one who keeps the story progression. That means if both players want to beat the game, they must go through it twice.

While I didn’t run into any crashes, the game doesn’t always hit the target of 30 frames per second. On top of that, you get T-pose bugs and stretchy limbs on specific models. Nothing game-breaking, but still there. Oh and you have to sell your items one at a time, which is insane with the amount of loot you get.

Redfall is a fantastic idea that just doesn’t pan out. Clunky combat, horrible AI, and boring gameplay make this one an easy pass.

[infobox style=’success’ static=’1′]This review of Redfall was done on the Xbox Series X. A digital code was provided by the publisher.[/infobox]

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Minecraft Legends Review

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Minecraft Legends begins with an invasion by the Piglins. They quickly take over the land, leaving the villagers defenseless. However, the protectors of the land – Action, Knowledge, and Foresight – quickly set off to find you for aid. When you are located, you are mining away in a cavern as they explain why you are the perfect person to save the world. You then make your character, and the game gets underway.

After a brief tutorial, the game truly opens up. Piglins have set up various camps and portals to keep spawning and raiding, with players tasked with putting a stop to the portals while protecting villagers. To do this, you can build structures and summon golems to aid in combat, providing a surprisingly tactical slant.

One can only spawn 20 golems to start, but this can be upgraded later as one upgrades their base. This is then broken down between tank golems, ranged damage golems, golems that charge enemies, and healing golems. That’s not a bad conversion, but when you add Zombies, Skeletons, and Creepers, you will have to make some hard choices.

Each unit has its strengths and weaknesses, but there are other factors to consider. One can only command so many units at once solo; while great for pincer attacks or flanking, it would be nice to have our more than 40 units charge the portal. Solo, you have to run to the units and then command them to charge. In co-op, everyone can control their own contingent of golems. This review was mostly done in single-player, but things truly shine in co-op.

As for the building, there are many defenses, traps, towers, and weapons/ramps to help you get the edge on enemy camps. The villages are pre-built, but you can put down other buildings and walls to protect them. If you ignore a village, the enemy will take over and players will have to reclaim it. The reward for having a town comes in the form of free daily resources. Having enough archer towers and walls will keep most towns safe, but always check to be sure.

The Piglin portals that you need to destroy are all very well protected. You usually have a gate, multiple archer towers, massive walls, some sort of killzone or maze to die in numerous times, and plenty of Piglins. Sometimes the portals are protected by a shield, tasking players with destroying special buildings to weaken them. Other times there will be a boss, and defeating it automatically eliminates the portal. It can get a bit grindy, especially with bosses having so much HP.

Minecraft Legends also started making me build ramps to climb up to the portals – which wasn’t as fun. Your little golem units don’t path very well, meaning trying to cross bridges results in some falling off. To top it off, they always seem to have a large unit or something that can push your soldiers off the cliff. They know it’s a problem and use it to actively hinder you. Again, this might be a better thing in co-op, because one isn’t running around trying to gather all units.

I’m starting to see a new trend in crafting games, which I like. Sons of the Forest let you use Kelvin to gather resources for you, and Minecraft Legends lets you put down a box, which allows little fairies called Allays to gather everything for you. It is the smoothest, least intrusive gathering system I’ve used in a while, and I hope to see more of it in the industry.

There aren’t really many side quests outside of helping the Zombies, Skeletons, and Creepers. However, the overworld does have various towers and other points of interest that will reward you with rare resources. The main collectible for me was the “First” golems. These are unique giant golems that deal a ton of damage. Reviving them takes a lot of resources but prove to be well worth it.

I didn’t run into any tech problems, bugs, or frame drops while playing.

While the tactical options are more limited when playing solo, Minecraft Legends is a blast to play. Pick it up if you are a Minecraft fan or if you just want to have fun playing a chill game with a friend.

[infobox style=’success’ static=’1′]This review of Minecraft Legends was done on the Xbox Series X. A digital code was provided by the publisher.[/infobox]

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