Powerwash Simulator has proven through its previous DLCs that the creators at FuturLabs are having just as much fun as their player base. Stepping away from the backyard, Tomb-Raiding mansions, and pineapples under the sea, the latest addition to Powerwash Simulator offers the epitome of muck and grime. Warhammer 40K is not a family-friendly universe. It defines the very word “grimdark.” Choosing this as the next location to go for a relaxing romp with a powerwasher is a fascinating decision that ultimately pays off.

The first thing players will notice when jumping into the Warhammer 40K DLC is the monumental scope of your location. The Tomb Raider DLC gave us faithful recreations of Croft Manor. Back to the Future acknowledges it was a film set. This, however, doubles down on the immersion. You are not the plucky powerwasher who was hired to clean up. Instead, you are a Techpriest of the Adeptus Mechanicus. You have been conscripted into the service of the Machine God to restore and cleanse the machines of war. Everything about this premise is executed to perfection and suddenly you’re playing a different game entirely.

All five stages of this DLC take place on a Forge World, a planet controlled by the Adeptus Mechanicus in service of the Imperium. It is an incredibly detailed, explorable space. The level is filled with gothic architecture and an abundance of burning candles for praising the Omnissiah. It even features enormous, cathedral-like windows to peer out into the depths of space.

A Different Kind of Cleansing in Warhammer 40K

While playing the Warhammer 40K DLC, your usual scrubs have been replaced with the garb of a Techpriest. It’s a great detail, but sadly only one you’ll notice in multiplayer. I did not see the suit as a purchaseable option in the store which is a bit of a missed opportunity; Who doesn’t want to see a Techpriest cleaning the family’s station wagon? Even making it unlockable after completing the DLC would be a fantastic reward. Your trusty powerwasher is now the MKII Aqua-Santica Arquebus to keep the theming in line. It’s a beautiful and clever touch. It too, however, is restricted to the Warhammer 40K stages.

There are a lot of machines of war to choose from for this DLC. There is no shortage of options from the 41^st millennium that might need cleansing. When it was announced, I thought we might even see something like Roboute Guilliman’s armor or perhaps the Golden Throne itself. What we have are five compelling and engaging stages that unfortunately come with a few minor missteps.

The Omnissiah Likes It Really, Really Shiny

The first stage is a great way to kick things off. The Ultramarine Land Raider is not only a large and imposing piece of machinery, but the details in the dirt and the mud add so much: bootprints, xeno-blood spatter, claw marks. It engages the player with the lore of Warhammer 40K by showing rather than telling. It’s a straightforward enough stage to complete easily and get the player hyped up for the next piece.

Stage two, the Dark Angel’s Dreadnought, is a logical escalation. Who doesn’t want to check out one of the series’ classic mechs? It’s an imposing model, tucked away in the corner of the stage. You’ll need to use the extra ladders built into the stage to scrub the model clean, but it’s worth it. This presented my first issue; While the Dark Angels tend to use a dark green color scheme, the Dreadnought uses more yellow tones. This would be fine, however, the illumination to show any dirt you missed also happens to pulse in yellow. It made it bothersome to find those pesky missing corners, but not enough to hamper the experience.

Beautiful Machines Brought To Life

This led to stage three and the moment I felt my shoulders slump. The Astra Militarum doesn’t get as much love as the Astartes, so it is nice to see them get featured. Giving us a tank, however – something with a significantly similar build to the Ultramarine Land Raider but smaller – felt more like filler than anything else. The details of the tank are great. Tools strapped in place, the gun turret, the bootprints at the manned gun on top. Love and care have been put into designing the stage, but it feels too familiar after already cleaning the Land Raider. I find myself playing to finish and move on, not to enjoy the gameplay.

With all that said, you’ll understand why stage four – the House Hawkshroud Imperial Knight – manages to be both satisfying yet sigh-worthy experiences. Here we have another mech. One so incredibly huge that the stage has built-in multi-tiered scaffolding to attempt to clean it from head to toe. While the Dreadnought was an engaging challenge, the Knight felt tedious. The muck was engrained so deeply into the inner workings of the Knight that you need to climb up and under the plating to get to it all. It also doesn’t help that the armor is, yet again, a yellow tone similar to that of the highlight to find all the dirt.

Yellow Armor Plating Makes For Dreary Cleaning

It’s an awe-inspiring model to see. It was a step up in terms of challenge from the Dreadnought, but it ultimately felt like more of the same. Why couldn’t it be from another Chapter? There are plenty of options to choose from in Warhammer 40K that wouldn’t make us have to repeat the ‘where is the dirt?‘ issues from blending in with the yellow plating.

With two sets of similar levels, the final stage would have to be something to change it up. In each of the previous Powerwash Simulator DLCs, the final stage is always the largest and most challenging. The Warhammer 40K DLC does not disappoint, capping things off with a Blood Angels Thunderhawk. When the stage loaded, I found myself wandering up and down the platform just marveling at the size of it. I tried to find a place to start, somewhere to begin tackling this beast before me. The unique shapes and paneling on the ship make it very easy to compartmentalize and break down into smaller, bite-size pieces. This is easily the most relaxing stage for me in the DLC. It’s a joy to restore it to its former glory and make it battle-ready.

You Are Adeptus Mechanicus

The previous Powerwash Simulator DLCs offered some unique features which surprised and delighted me. They set a new level of expectation in the hopes of something a little extra. The Invisible Car from the Spongebob Squarepants DLC was inspired. The Delorean and Doc’s Train from Back to the Future came to life at the end of the stage. I had hoped to see something like this in the Warhammer 40K stages. So much loving detail is put into the entire experience to make you feel like a Techpriest, but it just didn’t happen. The Land Raider could have sped off towards the giant hangar doors. The Knight could have powered up and taken a few steps. Little additions like that would go a long way to making the experience that much greater.

The Powerwash Simulator – Warhammer 40K DLC is a meticulously crafted experience that delivers more immersion than any of the previous DLCs. The level of detail in the environment, stages, and the very mud you cast away adds so much more to the presentation than one might expect. You can feel the love FuturLabs has for doing this property justice and it shows. Despite some minor grievances with similar stages and the use of colors that blend with the dirt guide, the Warhammer 40K DLC is another feather in the stellar cap of Powerwash Simulator’s DLC library.

**An Xbox code supplied by the publisher**

The post Powerwash Simulator: Warhammer 40K DLC – Cleansing Grime in the 41st Millenium appeared first on COGconnected.

Since I first started cleaning up the neighborhood when Powerwash Simulator launched, I have found myself infinitely entertained. It’s a game that provides endless moments of zen and relaxation, capped with brightly colored charm. It’s a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, as evident by the various DLC expansion packs they have put out. Back to the Future seems like a choice out of left field. Its undeniable charm translates surprisingly well into Powerwash Simulator – even better than the expansions that came before.

The Back to the Future expansion offers five new levels for players to clean; Doc Brown’s Van, The Delorean, the Hill Valley Clocktower, the Holomax Theater, and Doc’s Time Train. The Van is a great first level. It’s recognizable and set in the parking lot outside of the iconic mall. Cleaning Doc’s Van is like a tantalizing tease of what’s to come for fans of Back to the Future. It isn’t an especially unique level, but it hooks you into playing more.

The Delorean is almost the stand-out stage in this pack. Much like the invisible boat from the SpongeBob DLC, The Delorean is the most fun for its interactive feature. All of those exposed wires and technical bits in the back take only a tiny blast of water to clean. That endorphin-ringing ping of a job well done sings out into the night sky with dozens of pings as you blast clean the iconic time machine. It’s a simple stage to clear, but the best part is when you are finished. The Delorean revs up and screeches down the tarmac, turning back towards you and ripping its way up to 88 mph before disappearing. It’s not only a rewarding finish, but one of the few times a stage/vehicle actually does something other than looking sparkly and neat.

A DLC Of Delightful Departure 

My absolute favorite stage to date – across all of the DLCs – is the Hill Valley Clocktower. It’s large, expansive, and has multiple heights. Players find themselves right up next to the clock, complete with burn marks from lightning blasts and the Doc’s footprints in the dirt. Cleaning the inside workings of the clock and the bell might seem tedious but I found it very relaxing. It was easily one of the longer stages I’ve played but it was so much more enjoyable.

Similarly sized was the Holomax Theater. It’s a straightforward and enjoyable stage, however a few of the final pieces I needed to clean simply weren’t pinging. The indicator showed no dirt left. Normally the game is forgiving – the larger the object, the less precise you need to be with all of the dirt – but this time it was as if some of the dirt was clipping into unreachable crevices. Constant blasting for far too long eventually let me complete the level. It’s a beautiful design, but it just didn’t seem to captivate so much.

And finally, the Doc’s Train. It too is a fairly large stage with a lot of unique parts to polish up. I still didn’t find it quite as memorable as the Clocktower or Delorean. Curiously, upon completing the train, it also had a fun animation of taking off… however, one final part was left at 99% complete, so the stage never actually finished and I was left stranded there on the tracks.

Nostalgic and Unique Level Design

Overall, Back to the Future is one of the most enjoyable additions to Powerwash Simulator so far. Each stage is nostalgic, brightly colored, and great fun to explore. I appreciate the added touches of the train and Delorean moving in the environment when completed, and I hope to see more interactions like that in the future. Similar to the SpongeBob DLC, I found that the auto-complete ping is a fair bit more forgiving than in the base game. I remember struggling with vehicle wheels and undercarriage much more in the base game as there would be just a few tiny specs of dirt left which I couldn’t quite get the proper angle on. That sort of thing just doesn’t happen anymore, and for that I am grateful.

Powerwash Simulator: Back to the Future is easily the most enjoyable DLC so far for me. Each stage was a lot of fun, and it shows that the folks at FuturLab know how to make the most out of their experience. Back to the Future really set a new bar for Powerwash Simulator, and I can’t wait to see what they have planned for the future. For more information on the Back to the Future DLC for Powerwash Simulator, check out the official link here.

The post Powerwash Simulator: Back to the Future DLC is the Best Use of Your Time appeared first on COGconnected.

Working from home has become the norm for a lot of people. You get up, have some coffee, and sit at your desk, ready to start the day. What if your job was just that simple? What if you simply had to sit down at your desk and not touch a thing? Developed and published by ForwardXP, Please, Don’t Touch Anything: House Broken is a delightful puzzle-solving/ escape room-esque experience in VR. Players are set up with a nice little home office, complete with a simple desk featuring a big red button. Your instructions are simple; don’t touch anything. It’s right there in the name. If you manage to avoid the tantalizing temptation of touching anything, you will eventually be rewarded with one of the game’s 15 unique endings. But where is the fun in that? Press the button!

Pressing the big red button once makes a simple toggle appear, and each successive button press makes some new and interesting features of the desk come to life. In fact, try hitting that big red button over and over just to see what happens next! For taking place in one small room inside your home, there is quite a lot to do, and some of the puzzles can be especially challenging until you get the hang of it. Everything in arms reach will play a part in at least one solution.

Many of these solutions, however, rely on the same early step of entering the same code into a pin pad. Were there a few other early puzzle options to branch from, I feel it would be a little more engaging. Once I realized so many puzzles needed that same set-up to complete, I began each run doing the same thing.

Look For Clues Around Every Corner

Please, Don’t Touch Anything is built for people who love escape rooms. It’s more than just solving a puzzle put in front of you. Players have to look for solutions and patterns in unique places. This sort of game is perfectly paired with VR as you not only manipulate the objects around you but also have to move around the environment for clues. Finding potential clues by physically searching feels far more rewarding than uncovering them in a brick of text on a screen. I found myself closely inspecting everything, trying to parse out any hidden features that could help me solve the room.

Interaction with the objects is fluid and quite charming to behold. Anti-gravity makes everything not bolted down float and spin in the air. Chalk can be used on the chalkboard in a realistic and immersive fashion. I know this is the nature of VR gaming but it doesn’t make it any less impressive when it is pulled off so flawlessly.

Upon activating the aforementioned anti-gravity, I sat in the room and toyed with the clipboard, chalk, and other floating debris. Tossing them in the air to watch them spin, colliding off of each other in the air. When I first grabbed the coffee mug, I juggled it back and forth to myself before throwing it at the wall for fun. It shattered, then respawned on the desk. VR games like this provide the opportunity for childlike wonder, a brief reprieve from the world, and a chance to just marvel at the surreal.

A Delightful Reprieve From The Mundane

The majority – if not all – of the solutions to Please, Don’t Touch Anything: House Broken’s puzzles end in outlandish ways. Beginning in such a mundane place and evolving to something unexpectedly comical and weird is refreshing and rewarding. The UFO ending is my favorite, offering a variety of interactive moments and some genuinely fun effects. The Fly ending was mildly unsettling (without spoiling it, of course), and let us not forget that simple toggle. After that single press of the big red button, the toggle appears. It stays there through the remainder of your session, regardless of what you are working on. Carelessly bumping the toggle will set it off, and… well, don’t hit the toggle.

Please, Don’t Touch Anything: House Broken is brimming with charm. It has a cheeky sense of humor with some genuinely complex, head-scratching puzzles that are satisfying to solve. There is so much rich gameplay packaged into a small, simple room. The physics of each object feels great, and the graphical detail – even on the Meta Quest 2 – is sharp enough to trick the senses. I experienced no issues with environmental interactions, no bugs or glitches, just smooth, challenging puzzles. My only minor issue was how many puzzles required the same starting interaction. Given the varied endings, however, and their complex solutions, this is easily overlooked. It’s the most engaging fun I’ve ever had sitting at a desk.

*Meta Quest 2 Code provided by the publisher*

The post Please, Don’t Touch Anything: House Broken Review – Please Touch Everything appeared first on COGconnected.

Putting together a team of roguish heroes, slaying terrible monsters, and saving the day is the name of the game. Originally published as a gargantuan board game in 2017, Gloomhaven is an epic fantasy quest using unique card mechanics to defeat evil and progress through a sprawling story. The board game, weighing in at nearly 22lbs, is quite an achievement to overcome. Translating such a monumental tabletop experience into a video game is not an easy feat. How successful has Saber Interactive been in bringing Gloomhaven to a digital format?

Releasing on PC and Mac in 2021, Gloomhaven is a turn-based adaptation of the hit game which topped gaming charts for years. The game utilizes a unique card system in which each card has an upper and lower action. Players select two cards to use and may choose one upper and one lower action on opposite cards. This same feature carries over into Gloomhaven’s video game counterpart as an integral part of gameplay.

Gloomhaven Is More Puzzle Than RPG

On the surface, Gloomhaven is a straightforward turn-based RPG. After playing through the game, however, it isn’t as simple as it seems. Once cards are used they go into the discard pile. As an action, players can take a short or long rest to regain cards at the cost of “burning” one. This permanently removes the card for the rest of the session. When a character can no longer draw two cards they will be automatically exhausted and faint. Given that each character can only have nine cards, this creates a finite number of actions a character can take per session.

Strategy becomes absolutely integral to survival. Each action taken needs to be impactful and tactical. You are not only engaged in combat but also racing against the clock to complete the mission in time. This makes for an intriguing card system. The combinations players can make are exhilarating, and pulling off a well-executed plan feels so good. The downfall of this system, however, is that cards are also used for movement.

With Gloomhaven’s movement tied to this mechanic, it becomes less of a TTRPG and veers more harshly into a tactical, puzzle experience. One wrong decision early in a mission can spell doom down the road. The RNG selection of which card gets burned should you choose a short rest can be devastating, only mitigated at the cost of sacrificing HP. Once I discovered this, I found myself approaching Gloomhaven more as a puzzle than a fantasy RPG. It lost a bit of its charm in that the aesthetic no longer felt like it mattered, only trying to pick the “right” options over having fun with it.

A Unique Card System

Gloomhaven offers tutorial missions to familiarize yourself with the various classes and core mechanics. For the most part, they do a good job of introducing the game, but even these tutorials felt lacking in proper guidance. Commands in how to rotate an AoE were just wrong, forcing me to try every button. Requests to perform a task didn’t actually explain how to do it. One tutorial in particular guided me through a class’s abilities. Despite how many times I tried, I continued to run out of cards before I could win the encounter, leaving me more confused than anything.

Having originally launched on PC and Mac, I can understand the UI being better suited to a mouse and keyboard. Many games designed for PC can struggle to operate as efficiently on a console. I found navigating the combat of Gloomhaven to be a chore. Button commands and interactions are often unclear, save for letting you know which card you’ve selected. There is far more trial and error involved than there ought to be. Winning an encounter in Gloomhaven doesn’t feel as satisfying as it should. The RNG destruction of a card to replenish your hand means potentially losing a key ability that renders the rest of the fight pointless.

This card mechanic is featured in the original tabletop version of Gloomhaven and it works in that physical medium because it’s a cooperative experience. You are face to face with friends, planning and strategizing together to be an effective unit. The video game does offer co-op play, but so much of Gloomhaven’s success in both mission victory and its greatness as an experience comes from the human interaction.

Deceptively Tactical

It’s a generally appealing game with decent graphics. Gloomhaven appears to be a fun turn-based adventure but requires a significantly higher amount of strategy than expected. Assigning unique quests to heroes, and having an ever-changing party when they finish their tasks, those are the ideas that make Gloomhaven stand out in a fun and engaging way. The actual mechanical experience feels like being asked to solve a Rubik’s cube every five minutes rather than immerse yourself in a fantasy world. For some, this might be exactly the tactical experience you want. For most, it’s more of an exercise in exasperation than imagination.

**PS5 Code provided by the publisher**

The post Gloomhaven Review – More Exasperation than Imagination appeared first on COGconnected.

The debut title from Ascendant Studios, Immortals of Aveum, has arrived in all of its beautiful glory. Telling the tale of the Triarch, Jak, Immortals of Aveum sets players on a quest to protect Aveum itself from the growing threat of the Everwar at the hands of Sandrakk.

A first-person linear magic shooter, Immortals of Aveum takes inspiration from some truly phenomenal and noteworthy games; Destiny 2, DOOM, Bioshock, and even Metroid Prime. It can be easy to get caught up in such a breathtaking and exhilarating experience, but there is more going on with Immortals of Aveum than you might think. This isn’t just another shooter, and we have eight beginner tips to help you get the most out of your Immortals of Aveum experience.

#8. Don’t Upgrade Gear Too Early

A short time into Immortals of Aveum, players will have access to Jak’s full loadout. This includes one of each of the three colored sigils, one of each totem, two rings, and a bracer. You’ll find a variety of these items out in the world, as well as new ones for purchase and upgrade at any forge. Immortals of Aveum doesn’t flood you with gear but offers them just steadily enough that there is no point in spending resources to upgrade them early on. The gear you find as you progress is often on par or better than your current gear. Save that gold and essence for later on when you find Epic loot or items that synergize with your play style.

#7. Do Upgrade Your Pouches

The most expensive gear in the game is also the most valuable. As you explore Aveum you will discover Health and Mana Crystals to keep Jak in top shape. By default, Jak can carry three of each, and in some encounters, this is not enough. With a high price tag comes the opportunity to carry even more of these life-saving items which will undoubtedly make progress significantly easier, as even one more Health Crystal can mean the difference between life and death. Saving up the 50,000+ gold per upgrade, however, is no simple task.

#6. Try Each Sigil Type

As a Triach, Jak can wield Blue, Red, and Green magic. These represent Control (precision) Violence (explosive) and Entropic (chaotic) weaponry. Each colored sigil comes in three variations, meaning you have nine possible weapon types (Arclight, Shrikebolt, Javelin, Fragfire, Burstfire, Breachfire, Stormshard, Maelstrom, and Seekershards) at your disposal. Given that Immortals of Aveum offers unlimited ammo and lightning-quick weapon swapping, there is no reason not to try each sigil out and see how they fare for your play style. Having a loadout for any given situation is crucial to survival in Aveum.

#5. Combo Your Skills

Jak is not only equipped with sigils, but a host of other spells you’ll unlock along the way. Comboing them together makes for far greater control of the battle and is an essential key to survival. Even something as simple as using the Lash to pull an enemy towards you only to blast them out of the air with a red Breachfire sigil is highly effective. Later abilities will let you shatter shields with stone spikes, fire a volley of seeking missiles, or even stop charging enemies in their tracks. Don’t rely on just one tactic in battle, use your full arsenal to turn the tide and dominate the forces of Rasharn.

#4. Keep Moving

Much like the recent DOOM games, Immortals of Aveum requires players to think on their feet and keep moving. Archers, swordsmen, casters, and all manner of foul beasts will attack you in tandem, and it is up to you to fend them off. Slinging spells and shields, floating through the air, and blink dodging will keep you alive as long as you keep on your toes. Never stand in place for too long, and use the environment to your advantage in battle.

#3. If It Glows, Shoot It

Every object in Immortals of Aveum with a hint of magic is going to emit some form of colored light. Sometimes it’s a crystal that can only be shattered by a particular totem. Perhaps it is a color-specific button required to unlock a door. Of course, sometimes it’s a jar with bright yellow gems letting you know it’s full of precious currency. In most cases, anything worth interacting with in this world is going to radiate brilliant light. If it doesn’t react to your spells, you simply don’t have the right one yet. Be sure to come back!

#2. Remember The Puzzles

Immortals of Aveum is full of puzzles, both combination and traversal. You’ll need to unlock specific skills and spells to complete them, so it can be frustrating to see the solution but can’t quite complete it. Much like a Metroidvania, Immortals of Aveum wants players to backtrack through previous areas and discover hidden treasures throughout the world. Try to keep track of anchor points for the Grapple skill and other unique features you can’t yet interact with. My gear was all level nine, but upon following a newly accessible route I uncovered a blue sigil at power level 20. This leads to the final and most important tip for Immortals of Aveum.

#1. Explore Every Nook and Cranny

Aveum is a large place. While the game may be linear, every path is dotted with something hidden just out of sight. Sometimes it’s a shielded path or a mysterious button to a greater puzzle. It could be hiding gold or other loot. Running from point to point in Immortals of Aveum will progress the story but leave players missing out on so much more. Hidden paths and clever puzzles abound around every corner, and the game is so beautiful it really is worth it to stop and smell the roses.

Immortals of Aveul is available now on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S. For more information, check out the game’s official website.

The post 8 Tips for Surviving the Everwar in Immortals of Aveum appeared first on COGconnected.

Exoprimal is a game with an outlandish premise, at least on the surface. The deeper you get into the story, however, something unique arises. While this may appear to be a simple squad shooter between Exofighters and dinosaurs, it isn’t so easy to pin down. Exoprimal is here to tell a story and choose a gameplay format to match it. This makes the enjoyment of the game a more individual experience in how you interpret it. While it is a clever approach, this meta-storytelling is not going to appeal to a wide audience.

Temporal portals have been opening randomly across the world. Through it, dinosaurs have been spilling out in catastrophic numbers, causing chaos for the last three years. Aibius, along with their advanced AI, Leviathan, has been developing Exosuits to combat this threat. You’ll play a silent protagonist as part of a patrol crew. You’ve been assigned to watch over the restricted Bikitoa Island for quite some time. Crash landing on the island, you and your crew unravel the truth behind the appearance of dinosaurs, the temporal portals, and so much more.

This all sounds like a great excuse to pit mech suits against dinosaurs – which it is – but with each Dino Survival completed, the story unfurls new and interesting plot points to keep things moving forward.

An Endless War Against Dinosaurs

At launch, Exoprimal does unfortunately only have one mode; Dino Survival. This is the game’s instances/campaign. Every time you begin, Leviathan teleports you and other Exofighters from across space and time to Bikitoa Island exactly three years in the past to participate in the wargames. Leviathan is designed to collect combat data from observing wargames to build a more efficient Exosuit for the ongoing threat. A valiant effort, but something has gone wrong in Leviathan’s programming. It continually forces Exopilots to repeat this same day over and over again – another mystery you’ll have to discover.

The date in question, why Leviathan is doing this, even the Exosuits themselves are wrapped in this narrative mystery. Repeating this day over and over again is an essential part of the story, like many time travel movies. It works wonders for the narrative, but it is much harder to translate to a game when players are completing the same missions over and over. If you aren’t here for the story, it might be hard to press on.

Yet you really should. The farther players progress in the story, the more content is unlocked. New and more dangerous dinosaurs appear. All new mission objectives and truly random events can occur while inside the wargame to keep you on your toes. The frantic nature of racing against the enemy team and dealing with the hordes of dinosaurs means you are on alert at all times.

Stellar Gunplay And Team Synergy Between Exosuits

Exosuits come in ten varieties at launch, with more planned later on. Each suit in Exoprimal fulfills an assault, tank, or support role. The abilities and strengths of each suit are very unique. Testing them all out in the training mode before diving into combat is a great way to see what suits your playstyle. Each Exosuit feels powerful and agile. This makes team synergies between suits, especially important, however, one of the best QOL features is the option to swap between suits on the fly, even in combat. Need a healer or a tank? A few button presses and you can hop into that critical suit ASAP.

Dino Survival begins with a choice; PvP, PvE, or Random for your final mission. Players are put into two teams of five and race to complete random objectives in one of the various environments across Bikitoa Island. The common objectives are cull missions to eliminate a specific number of dinosaurs or area defense, with others randomly engaging to change it up. Each time will also get the opportunity for one player to invade the other team’s instance as a large dinosaur to cause havoc and slow them down. Sometimes it will turn into a full 10 co-op mission against overwhelming odds with an incredible amount of mayhem. While I appreciate the option to make the final mission PvP or PvE, some unpredictable encounters will force you into one or the other. I’m primarily a PvE player and found myself groaning when I was forced into PvP.

Thankfully, each of the Dino Survival encounters only takes around fifteen minutes. You will gain experience and coins regardless of victory, so you are always progressing forward. Each suit has individual progress based on its use. There are also player and season pass levels that constantly unlock new cosmetics, features, and items.

A Plethora Of Cosmetic Customization Options

In Exoprimal, the Exosuits can be modified with armor and weapon skins, decals, and more. To start, there are three slots for mods that can greatly change your performance. There are also several universal mods that – when unlocked and upgraded – can be used for all Exosuits. Each Exosuit can also unlock two Exosuit-specific mods per slot. These help make very defined and specific builds. My Vigilant suit is built for doing huge, single-target damage from the air. My Krieger, however, is meant for mid-range and defense.

Yes, Exoprimal has microtransactions. No, they are not predatory in any way. You can purchase in-game currency to buy things, and there are a few cosmetic packs through the online store to get skins and decals. All of this content is entirely cosmetic just like most modern games, and the vast majority of items can either be unlocked via War Chests or purchased with coins. Players – after reaching a certain level – will earn a War Chest every other time they level up. It takes roughly two Dino Survival instances to go up a level, so you’ll be unlocking content very quickly.

An Unbelievable Narrative Full Of Unexpected Twists

Exoprimal is a very solid experience. It knows what it wants to be, but it doesn’t translate that idea well to the player. There is a well-written, occasionally campy story here. The kind of twists you would expect from a Capcom game are on full display. The gameplay is tight and solid; every second counts. It has been an absolute blast to play, but I can see how the repetition of gameplay – while crucial to the story – can get tedious for many players. You need to be willing to stick it out and see how the game evolves to get the full experience, but completing the same tasks – albeit on shorter missions – can be a slog.

The roadmap ahead for Exoprimal is bright. New Exosuits, game modes, and more are in the works. With just a little more content, Exoprimal could become something huge. As it currently stands, it is an addictive and greatly enjoyable experience for someone who wants to experience the story. Having only one real game mode at launch has done more harm than good. If it had been sold to us as a narrative game with multiplayer components rather than a drop-in shooter, it might have done itself some favors. There is great potential in Exoprimal and it is easily one of the most fun shooters I have played in a while. It just needs a little more to make it one of the best.

**PS5 code provided by the publisher**

The post Exoprimal Review – A Slow-burn Worth the Wait appeared first on COGconnected.

PowerWash Simulator unabashedly knows what it is. Unlike other task simulation games which take themselves seriously, PowerWash Simulator genuinely has fun with itself. When the game launched featuring, military crawling, unlimited ammo, and a zany narrative, we were set or great comedic adventure. FuturLab, the developers, then went on to add DLC content from other games, opening the door in fun new ways.

The latest DLC to grace PowerWash Simulator, the SpongeBob SquarePants Bikini Bottom pack, is entirely out of left field. The previous DLC such as Seventh Heaven from Final Fantasy 7 or Lara Croft’s obstacle course from Tomb Raider fit the motif of believable realism, this pack is something else entirely. Ignoring the fact the Bikini Bottom DLC is about power washing while underwater. FuturLab did a brilliant job recreating the aesthetic of SpongeBob, and each stage is a vibrant cartoon come to life.

Bikini Bottom: Defying Logic In The Name of Fun

I have greatly enjoyed the satisfaction from each level in PowerWash Simulator. The satisfying ‘ping’ of a job well done. Bikini Bottom presents six stages themed from the show, and each one is progressively more interesting and enjoyable… to a point. Conch Street kicks off the DLC with a familiar scene: SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward’s homes. Most PowerWash Simulator levels are straightforward, stoic structures with no moving parts. When cleaning Patrick’s home, however, players can raise the rock to clean underneath. This minor interaction, however small and simple, suddenly opens the door for more interactive stages in future content; an exciting idea.

Bikini Bottom Bus isn’t particularly unique from the usual cleaning of vehicles, although it is a lot easier to tackle than most conventional vehicles. The Krusty Krab stage, on the other hand, is the perfect size for a large level, and it adds some great verticality to keep things interesting. Cleaning the glove at the top of the Chum Bucket or the giant clam on the Krusty Krab sign is a lot of fun to climb up and clean.

As Fun As Cleaning An Invisible Car

The two best stages in the Bikini Bottom DLC, for me, have to be the Patty Wagon and the Invisible Boatmobile. Similar to Patrick’s home, the hood of the Patty Wagon can open to clean the inside of the engine. The unique shape of the vehicle – with all of its ingredient-themed layers – as well as the dial-filled control panel and complex engine, make for engaging interactions. The different shapes and parts of the Patty Wagon are a refreshing change of pace. It sounds so pedestrian to be enthralled with the hinge of the hood, but an interactive environment makes all the difference.

The Invisible Boatmobile is the perfect stage to follow the Patty Wagon. It might be another vehicle, but the clever design of the stage was unpredictably fun. As stated in the name, the Invisible Boatmobile is invisible! It has been covered in dirt and grime, so the level begins with a very dirty boat. As the dirt is cleaned off, the surface beneath is perfectly clear. This means the more it is cleaned, the less you can see. Perspective and angles are huge in this stage as you need to find where each nook of dirt might be hiding. Innovative interactions like this are so incredibly cool, and I hope it sets a precedent for PowerWash Simulator DLC in the future.

It is incredibly fun and relaxing to clean up in this game, but adding minor bits of interactive flare only enhances the experience. That is why, after so many brightly colored, fun levels, I found the final stage to be a bit disappointing.

Bigger Isn’t Always Better

The Mermalair is very large. It is a big space in a dark cave with a whole lot of things to clean. I felt like the Bikini Bottom DLC was progressively building more interesting and engaging stages. The designs are superb, and the Invisible Boatmobile set a high bar, but the Mermalair is just… big. Many spots to clean are in tighter areas, so certain angles are more bothersome than fun. The stage took three sessions of playing to finish, as it, unfortunately, felt more tedious than the rise of joy I experienced before. It certainly isn’t a bad stage, it just doesn’t carry that spark that came before.

The plot which carries through across the entire Bikini Bottom DLC about a dastardly dirt maker on the loose also falls flat. The story of being hot in the trails of the suspect drops off with the final stage, making it feel like an afterthought more than a central part of the story. It’s an unfortunate way to cap off an otherwise delightful experience.

From Chill Vibes To Exciting Engagements

PowerWash Simulator‘s Bikini Bottom DLC exceeded my expectations. I went in expecting the same relaxed experience as the base game and other DLCs but found myself engaged and having far more fun. The brightly colored stages and interactive features pulled me in to keep playing. I was hooked to find out the solution to the mystery of who was dirtying Bikini Bottom. Sadly, the final stage fumbles the landing of an otherwise enjoyable experience.

**Series X code provided by the publisher**

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Originally developed by Starbreeze Studios, Enclave HD has been given an upgrade courtesy of Ziggurat Games. It has been 21 years since Enclave originally launched – a title I fondly remember playing. The question, of course, is how well has the plight of Celenheim from the dark forces of Vatar held up?

The central crux of Enclave HD revolves around the classic battle of light and dark. To save Celenheim from Vatar and his dark legion of Dreg’Atar, the wizard Zale cracked the world in two to save his people. Those who serve the dark still seek vengeance against the light, and so you must stop them once and for all. Enclave HD is played across two campaigns; one for each faction. The Light campaign sets up the narrative of defending against impending doom. Players take the role of classic good guys such as humans, elves, and gnomes. The further into the campaign you play, the more playable classes you can unlock as you set out to defeat the Dreg’Atar.

Play Both Sides of the War Between Celenheim and the Dreg’Atar

Upon completing this campaign, you’ll then unlock The Dark campaign. If you ever wanted to be evil, this is your chance to do so. Playing the Dreg’Atar gives players access to goblins, assassins, orcs, and other foul baddies. One of my favorite features of Enclave HD stems from reusing certain locations and missions from the enemies’ perspective. For the Light, you may need to escort a vital character through a town. Playing as the Dark, you must now assassinate this NPC and defeat their bodyguard. It is a neat tool to play both sides of the encounter. While this isn’t new by today’s standards, it was brilliant to see in the early 2000s.

Enclave used to have a few simple tricks to play the Dark campaign first; namely a button input or starting a file with a specific name. I tried these methods out and neither option worked, leaving me to have to complete the Light campaign before I could access the Dark. It was disappointing as I remember playing both campaigns simultaneously, swapping back and forth between each faction, and having a blast doing so.

Each mission is hiding a certain amount of gold which functions as Enclave HD’s collectibles. The more gold you find, the more you have to spend on better armor and weapons. Each mission lets you alter your load-out, selling items back for the value you purchased them to put towards something better. These improvements prove significant at higher levels. Moving from one sword to the next strongest one can be the difference between life and death.

Enclave HD is Enhanced, But Not Remastered

As noted, this IS still a game from 2003. The upgrades, while notable, are still somewhat slim. Metal surfaces and water look much better. The soundtrack is greatly improved featuring new music and effects. The enhancements, however, end there. Characters and the environment are still blocky as was normal for the time. All menus and cutscenes have also been left to their original appearance which proved more jarring than I expected.

Combat can prove a bit tedious in more ways than one. If you are defeated before finding a checkpoint, the mission fails and you can either restart or quit. If you do find a checkpoint, however, you have unlimited lives and will respawn on death. I greatly appreciate not losing my progress and having to start over and it feels like that should be the norm here. I do enjoy the arcade-like nature of the game, but a few QOL changes could have done wonders for the experience.

Enclave HD’s enemies have inconsistent hitboxes which feel clunky and uncomfortable. Many enemies, such as goblins, are shorter than the player. They require more precise aiming to attack while they easily pick away at your health. The trouble is there is no consistent way to aim. You can look around, but in melee combat, there is no means of knowing which blow will land. Ranged combat is notably better, with a green dot reticle and a circle that appears over enemies being targeted.

Swinging For the Fences in Combat

The AI in Enclave HD can be just as hit or miss as your sword. Some enemies will remain motionless while being attacked, while others will be incredibly aggressive. I appreciate the varied challenge to keep the player on their toes, but it felt inconsistent. Ranged enemies are also able to hit like a sledgehammer, even with the best armor.

At a later level, with the best equipment, I entered a small room with a very high ceiling. Two archers appeared at the top on opposite sides, so I could only see one at a time. Each arrow took a sizeable chunk of my HP, and they were able to rapid-fire. I was easily killed, yet the level had no checkpoint yet, so I had to restart because its difficult to even see them. This kind of cheap combat difficulty came up a few times in Enclave HD’s Light Campaign.

Despite the game being an enhanced release, it has its fair share of issues that ought to have been addressed. Mission objectives are very unclear, with some only progressing through sheer luck. Tasks are not explained, leaving the player uncertain about what to do and how to do it. This extends to weapons and armor. Your gear has a name and a sentence of description, but nothing that explains what it actually does. Some weapons appear to have combos and unique skills, but you won’t know until you put it in your loadout and play a mission. Enclave HD has certain levels where players can swim and if you thought aiming a sword was tough, wait until you end up underwater.

In Desperate Need of QOL

I also, unfortunately, had Enclave HD crash on me a handful of times. It was always after completing a mission, but some of those times it hadn’t saved. This means I have to replay the full mission I just did and hope it doesn’t crash again.

I was ecstatic to see Enclave HD coming back. I have such fond memories of playing it twenty years ago, and I knew I was going into it with rose-tinted glasses; the characters, the levels, the gear, everything. We didn’t need Enclave HD to be a full-blown remaster, but with a little more love it could be something truly great. An homage to classic fantasy and adventure games. I enjoyed my time playing Enclave only because I already knew the game. I don’t feel like enough improvements have been made to hold a modern audience, regardless of how fun it used to be.

**PS4 code provided by the publisher**

The post Enclave HD Review – An Uninspired Journey in HD appeared first on COGconnected.

First-person shooters have a reputation. When you hear the words “first-person shooter” you probably think of guns, multiplayer lobbies, and tight-knit maps of players trying to obliterate one another. Immortals of Aveum is not that kind of first-person shooter, and I mean that in the best way. I was fortunate enough to fly out to EA Studios in California and go hands-on with the game. Three and a half hours went by and it felt like a blink. Immortals of Aveum may be a modern shooter running on Unreal 5.2, but at its core, it feels like a love letter to some of the biggest and best shooters of the last few decades.

Immortals of Aveum is a first-person magic shooter which takes place in the lore-rich world of Aveum. The Everwar is raging, an unending battle for control over all magic. Sandrakk, the Tyrant of Rasharn, has pushed our heroes to the brink and is on the verge of conquering the world. You play as Jak, an Unforeseen, as he becomes a Magnus of the Immortal order. An Unforeseen is someone who is born without a connection to magic but develops it later in life. Jak is also a Triarch, an uncommon kind of Magnus who can harness all three types of magic.

Harness Magic in an All-New Way

Magic is broken into three types: Blue, Red, and Green. This is where the blueprint for the game’s “shooter” aspect comes in. Jak has three Sigils at any time, one for each color. Blue magic is force powers and physical manipulation, with Blue Sigils representing precision and long-range weapons like sniper rifles, scout rifles, or pistols. They of course have unique names in-game, but they fulfill these weapon types. Red magic is violence and anger. The Red Sigils are your close to mid-range, high-impact weapons. Shotguns, grenade launchers, anything that deals big damage at close range. Finally, Green Magic is about both life and death, the balance of nature. Green Sigils represent full-auto rifles and homing weapons.

You can only equip one of each color type of Sigil at a time. The unique weapon types under each magic color, however, mean plenty of room for versatile loadouts. Near the end of my time with Immortals of Aveum, I had a Blue Sigil which I could charge up with an auto zoom to snipe foes. My Green Sigil was a fully automatic rifle with the spread mostly under control. Finally, my Red Sigil fired a shot in close range which, after a second or two, left a huge AOE explosion. This doesn’t even touch on the Totems I had unlocked.

Totems offer both combat and puzzle-solving applications, each representing one of the three magic types. Lash can pull enemies from a great distance toward you. Limpin fires green-homing globs at enemies to slow them down, and the last one stuns and damages enemies. Combine these with your magic shield and blink dash abilities and you already have a formidable magic arsenal. 

Fast Paced, Impactful Combat

I played the tutorial and two additional levels. Thanks to Unreal 5.2, Immortals of Aveum takes full advantage of what the engine can do. Set pieces and the environment felt massive and alive. It’s the kind of immersive, living environment that you marvel at from Bungie.

Combat is fast and frenetic. It felt akin to DOOM 2016 – or for some older gamers – Hexen. The enemy AI often uses a decent level of strategy. Melee units will charge and try to flank you. Snipers will get to an advantageous position. Dedicated casters try to avoid the line of fire while calling down magic havoc on top of you. You have to be on the move and keep moving, using everything in your kit to survive the encounter. Blink dash and your magic shield need to both be used in conjunction and at the right time, you can’t truly rely on one or the other in combat due to their cooldowns. These can be mitigated and improved through gear, but at the base level, they need to be used at the right time. I found it encouraged a more varied style of play that didn’t let me rely on one or two tricks; I was constantly adapting for survival.

Loadouts are straightforward but offer a lot of customization to your build. There are three Sigils, one for each color. Three Totems as mentioned above, although they come in a variety of upgraded forms. Two rings that can augment your magic abilities or specific Sigil weapons. Finally, there are Bracers which, from what I saw, are there exclusively to enhance your defense and armor. It’s simple enough to offer customization without bogging you down in analysis paralysis. Each Sigil also only has three stats – damage, rounds, and reload time – making it even easier to manage. 

Jak also has a Talent tree to unlock new powers and strengths within each school of magic. The tree is not overwhelmingly complex, and Immortals offers respec at any time, although one dev said it might be possible to unlock every single node.

A Fascinating Narrative to Uncover

Possibly the best part of Immortals of Aveum is the fact it is a single-player experience, and it plays to all of those strengths. Without having to worry about multiplayer or PvP balancing, the spells you can cast, craft, and combo can be truly devastating. The game has a rich lore and, from what I managed to see, fantastic narrative pacing. It’s an experience that pulls you in and leaves you wanting to know more. Despite its light loot mechanics, this isn’t an experience all about the post-game and the grind. It’s a compelling narrative that happens to be a shooter. Like any good story, it will have a finite end, it just happens to be one estimated to take 25 hours if you only complete the story and don’t spend time on side content or exploration. 

Immortals of Aveum also features some great Metroidvania gameplay. While the levels are designed more linearly with branching paths and hidden areas to platform, you’ll still find areas you’ll need to return to with upgrades and new abilities. There is so much to see and discover, and it’s my hope people will go into Immortals of Aveum looking to take their time and smell the roses, to appreciate what Ascendant Studios has done here.

A Love-Letter to Classic First-Person Single-Player Shooters

When the demo ended and my controller rested on the table, I didn’t find myself upset. I wasn’t sad to stop playing, I was genuinely excited by everything I had just experienced. Ideas were swirling about the story. The bombastic set pieces and interesting level designs rested neatly in my mind. I couldn’t help but wonder what other magic synergies I could find for a more devastating effect. I wasn’t sad to stop playing, I was excited to turn to anyone who would listen to talk about what we had just experienced in Immortals of Aveum. There is a lot to be optimistic about here. This game is brimming with potential and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here. 

Immortals of Aveum will launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and Series X|S on July 20th. For more information, check out the game’s official website.

The post Journey Into the Everwar With Immortals of Aveum appeared first on COGconnected.

Developed by Visual Concepts, LEGO 2K Drive borrows familiar aspects from established driving games and assembles them together into something comfortably fresh. The game features a loose story about the player as the latest apprentice of racing champion Chuck Racington. Saturday-morning-cartoon-villain Shadow X is determined to defeat you “for some reason”. Much of the game’s humor, and even animation style, feel like an extension of the LEGO Movie. The narrative is playful yet thin, but the game isn’t here for an epic tale. LEGO 2K Drive is all about going fast.

What would a LEGO game be without customization? LEGO 2K Drive features a very impressive system for customization, allowing players to piece together all manner of vehicles. You’ll unlock new parts as the game progresses, test-driving them along the way. Each vehicle can equip preset stat blocks to enhance its abilities. These can be augmented through unlockable perks like recharging your boosters when breaking objects or enhanced stats for street vehicles.

If You Can Dream It, You Can Build It

It is easy to get lost in vehicle creation with so many options. I had a lot of fun trying out new builds and experimenting with hinges and glowing bricks, but I found the tutorial lacking. It covers the basics of making a vehicle but everything else is trial and error. As a game that mostly younger ages will be playing, some of the controls might be frustrating. The positioning of a brick will change drastically with the movement of the camera, but sometimes you need to adjust the camera just to see. It is also incredibly easy to delete the entire vehicle with two button presses, and the game doesn’t give you a warning to stop you or tell you how to undo it; you’ll have to figure those options out on your own.

The open world of LEGO 2K Drive feels great. The terrain is varied if a little empty in some places, but even after hours of exploration, there are still little hidden spots I am discovering with delight. Not only are there a ton of collectibles to discover, but activities and races – like rounding up prized blue pigs – dot the map. I even unlocked a ride-on lawnmower that can permanently destroy weeds on the map which, when hit during a race, drastically slow you down. LEGO 2K Drive features three large-sized biomes to explore, as well as a small tutorial area. Each of these worlds has plenty of roads, dirt paths, and bodies of water to boost through and discover.

Ready For Anything

Exploration is made easier by LEGO 2K Drive’s stellar automatic transformation system. Drift through a corner and find yourself deep in the grass? Your high-power street car will instantly change bricks into an offroader! Fly off a jump and plummet into the water? Your car will turn into a boat just before the splash! You are able to customize the loadout of these vehicles, albeit you only get three loadout slots. They can include vehicles you unlock through races, purchase from the store, or the ones you custom build. Rapidly changing while boosting in the open world never gets old, so long as you understand how each vehicle handles.

Exhilarating LEGO Racing

Getting into a sanctioned race is a whole other beast – and just as fun. Rather than sprinting through the city in a mad dash, proper races are much more like a kart racer. The course is set, barriers in place, and a slew of unexpected weapons are spread across the course. Racing in LEGO 2K Drive is notably more intense than your average kart racer. The AI is aggressive. The tide can turn at any moment, but not due to rubber banding, simply because of the CPU’s skill. The majority of my wins were by literal fractions of a second. Each race felt challenging and intense, and each victory was well-earned.

Revenge Of The Ramps

While the controls for LEGO 2K Drive are easy to pick up, the biggest detriment is the topography itself. I would be lined up for a jump, but the shape of the terrain would catch a wheel. I would be thrown off course or even get stuck for a moment on the ramp. At one point the vehicle got stuck mid-transformation on a ramp and struggled to figure out what it should be. I quickly went from second to last place. Having the uniquely shaped terrain is aesthetically pleasing, but it is frustrating to lose because the ramp wasn’t a uniform shape.

Completing races and events will unlock new vehicles, drivers, stickers, and bricks for customization. These drop regularly enough that you feel like you are always making progress. Paradoxically, the amount of money you make for completing these tasks doesn’t seem to add up. Without spending any money, it took until nearly level 18 to have saved up $10,000. Most items available in the store cost between $4000 – $10,000. I’m hoping late in the end game or in completing other modes the player will be rewarded with mountains of cash, but at the current rate of income, I’m not too inclined to buy anything, despite the vast array of enticing options to purchase.

No Custom Minifigs?

One last curious omission from the game is the baffling lack of minifig customization. There are a whole slew of drivers to unlock or purchase, but in my time with LEGO 2K Drive I have not come across an option to change their preset appearances. I can’t help but wonder if this is yet another feature I missed as a player, as it also took until my third custom vehicle to figure out how to give it a name.

LEGO 2K Drive is an incredibly solid and addictive arcade racer. The varied and unique open worlds are full of classic LEGO charm with plenty to see and do. Even if you just want to go for a chill drive in the desert, there are a plethora of collectibles to find and goodies to unlock. Sanctioned races offer a brilliant and chaotic challenge that keeps you invested to the last moment with competent AI and a real sense of skill progression. The lack of custom Minifigs is a curious oversight, and the biggest issues I found in my many hours of playing come from uneven topography in crucial areas such as jumps, and a rather lacking tutorial for vehicle customization.

Despite these easily fixable flaws, I haven’t had this much fun in an arcade racer in a long time. It’s a beautiful and smooth experience with clever level design, cheeky humor, and the ability to make some truly spectacular vehicles. With split-screen and online multiplayer, LEGO 2K Drive is a great choice for some late-night gaming shenanigans.

**PS5 Code provided by the publisher**

The post LEGO 2K Drive Review – Everything is Cool When You’re Part of a (Racing) Team appeared first on COGconnected.

The idea of jumping into a brand new LEGO game centered around not only racing but exploring a lush and expansive LEGO world immediately piqued my interest. The modern franchise has always offered minor exploration on foot (or with flying mini-figs) but this is something different. This is a natural progression into a different genre than the typical adventure platforming. When I got to sit down at 2K Games and go hands-on with the upcoming LEGO 2K Drive I was absolutely floored by what it has to offer.

First and foremost, this is a LEGO game through and through. You can expect exactly the same campy, charming – if childish – humor we have all seen in previous entries. The first world to explore after the tutorial was named “Big Butte,” with all its associated butt jokes on full display. It might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but the development team knows how to make a good cheeky pun rather than dumping simple potty humor.

A LEGO Arcade Racer for All Ages

I had ample time to explore the world, participating in a few races and events to get a feel for the driving mechanic. It’s definitely an arcade racer, but it’s an experience more akin to Mario Kart 8. You’ll not only have a dedicated drift button but a Sharp Turn button as well. This can make for some exhilarating turn-on-a-dime moments, and in a few of the races I tried, it was a necessity to shave precious seconds. It took no time at all to find myself comfortably zipping across the landscape and smashing into buildings, plants, and people with reckless abandon and a huge smile on my face at the classic LEGO carnage.

I was immediately enthralled when I discovered the car I was driving across the streets of the city would instantly and automatically transform into an offroad vehicle as soon as my tires hit the dirt. It would transform again into a boat whenever I came crashing down into the water. Each change was instantaneous, with no loss of control or momentum. I found Time Trial races that had me race off a ramp and land in the water, changing into a boat and propelling myself over a bridge, only to land on a street and take off in my beautiful red sports car. Not only is it a lot of fun, but winning races and defeating certain racers will unlock their vehicles for you to drive as well.

Full Mayhem Matchups

While the open-world exploration has its own point-to-point races and events much like the Forza Horizon series, its sanctioned races are very similar to the previously mentioned Mario Kart 8. The AI proved to be a tense but comfortable challenge. It never felt like I was being rubberbanded to stick with the pack, but the tenacity of the other drivers and the intelligence of their AI kept me invested and engaged right until I crossed the finish line. LEGO 2K Drive also has its own set of unique power-ups and items like turning invisible and passing through solid objects, a lock on missile launcher, and shooting a LEGO spider at another racer to cover them in webbing and slow them down. They are frequently available and add even more chaos and mayhem to the race.

My favorite event I encountered took place in a crowded, compact city. It was a mad dash to collect as many doughnuts as possible. However, there was only ever one doughnut on the map at a time. As soon as it was collected, the next one randomly appeared. It was chaotic and frantic fun. Nothing was safe as the vehicles tore through the city in pursuit of plastic pastries.

Incredible Customization to your Heart’s Content

Of course, what good is a LEGO game without building? I am incredibly happy to tell you that LEGO 2K Drive features a robust, responsive, and very impressive vehicle-building mechanic that I could have spent all day fiddling with. Players will be able to custom-build street vehicles, offroad vehicles, and water vehicles. Brick. By. Brick. You’ll start with a variety of frames to build off of. From there, just like real LEGO, the only limit is your imagination. I had access to what seemed like just over 100 unique brick types and the folks at 2K assured us there would be around 1000 bricks available.

Positioning of each and every brick is up to you, and they snap into place as if the pieces were in your hands. Each brick can be colored to your heart’s content, and the potential for this mode is absolutely staggering. The physics of your vehicle will even play an important part in how it handles; one player built their vehicle with a thick arm of bricks reaching far off to one side and nothing to counter the offset balance. In the test mode, their car automatically leaned on two wheels and struggled to turn. Not only can you build vehicles for all three categories, but you can also create custom loadouts and combinations to swap between on the fly. With such an incredible level of creative control, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see players making themed combinations of popular properties like Batman and his wide array of vehicles.

DLC-Ready

Considering LEGO’s already fantastic deal with licensed properties – particularly LEGO Dimensions – the potential for DLC in LEGO 2K Drive to add new worlds based on popular franchises, as well as premade vehicles and playable mini-figs, is huge. A Superhero world, Batman, Harry Potter, or even a Super Mario DLC pack has enormous potential for this game. I even spotted a tab in the customization section to share creations online. No doubt we will see some truly fascinating builds across the community. Who wouldn’t want to race in the TARDIS? Or a Mad Max-style offroader? While there is a size limitation to how big you can build your vehicle, it is a very generous amount of space for all manner of creations.

Share Content and Play Together

How could LEGO 2K Drive get any better? It will feature not only up to six players online but also has two-player split-screen gameplay. You and your friends will have free reign to zip around whichever world you load into. Anyone can activate a race or event and pull the other players into it, regardless of distance.

When it was time to leave 2K I didn’t want to put the controller down. I was sad and disappointed that I had to stop playing. That isn’t something I’ve felt over a game in some time. I was only playing an unfinished build of the game but, to me, 2K has struck gold with LEGO Drive. With local and online play, great controls, an astounding system for vehicle creation, and so many other great features, LEGO Drive could be the new standard of LEGO games going forward. For more information on LEGO 2K Drive, be sure to check out the game’s official website.

The post LEGO 2K Drive Preview – Put the Pedal to the Plastic appeared first on COGconnected.

Launching in late 2019, The Outer Worlds set out to rekindle the magic of the original Fallout games in a brand new setting. Players are given the freedom to act as they see fit – providing they are willing to pay the consequences. We are encouraged to approach each situation not only through brute force or stealth but an array of diplomatic options which can offer several unique experiences. The Outer Worlds was followed up with two impressive DLC packs: Peril on Gorgon and Murder on Eridanos. Both expansions let players delve further into the weird and winding narrative of the Halcyon system, only serving to enhance an already enjoyable experience.

The Outer Worlds is not without its flaws, most of which come from performance and graphical issues, but The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition offers to remaster and enhance the game and its extended content. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Halcyon back in 2019. I was happy to return to the side of Phineas Welles as we battle against the various corporations. The Spacer’s Choice Edition delivers on what it advertised, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it is worth the cost.

This is a first-person shooter with a brilliantly written satire of capitalism. Humanity is in the process of settling in the Halcyon system; a small collection of planets purchased and operated by major corporations. Everyone is forced to follow strict, regimented rules with precise pre-written responses to potential consumers, all set against the backdrop of the wild west in space. It’s gritty and dirty, but with that 50’s sci-fi Fallout charm. It features full RPG elements, customization, and branching events where your choices actually matter.

The Outer Worlds is a Clever Satire on Capitalism

I lamented the struggle this game put my PlayStation 4 through with long load times, lagging under strain, and causing the console fan to kick into overdrive to run this beautiful piece of pulp fiction. The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition fixes those issues. Load times are significantly improved, although not quite up to my expectations of the PlayStation 5. I have experienced no lag during graphically intensive moments, nor have I had any texture issues the entire time. What I have had is new and different issues, even after the recent patch.

While having a conversation with an NPC my controller became unresponsive. The light was on, but the buttons weren’t functioning. Concerned the controller had simply malfunctioned or died, I switched to another. Upon turning the second controller on, the game resumed and I finished the conversation. The very next NPC I spoke to, however, had the same issue. I swapped back to the first controller and, sure enough, I could continue our dialogue. This has not happened frequently, but it’s not something I’ve seen in any game before. There have also been many times that generic NPCs would pop in or out of existence for no reason. This has yet to occur with a named character or anyone with important dialogue, thankfully, but it is strange nonetheless. Despite these new issues, the improvements to The Outer Worlds are quite noticeable between launch and the Spacer’s Choice Edition. Even in Quality mode, the frame rate is much smoother than the original.

Crystal Clear And Silky Smooth

I played the first several hours in Quality mode and then swapped to Performance mode. I often find Performance mode to be my preferred setting, but there really seems to be no drop in graphical quality to the naked eye. The already vivid game pops even more with greater details, shading, and lighting. Faces are a bit more robust as if I had previously been looking at them through dirty glass and now I could truly see them for the first time. Make no mistake: The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition is a lovely upgrade to what is easily one of my favorite games. This begs the question; Is it worth the price tag?

A Great Update but a Confusing Price Tag

Many companies have been generous enough to offer similar next-gen upgrades for much older games for free. The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition goes for $59.99 USD, or $9.99 USD if you previously owned the game. I understand it took effort to upgrade and enhance the game and the team ought to be compensated for their efforts. It seems steeper than it ought to be, and $10 for an objectively marginal upgrade feels out of place, especially one that introduces all new bugs and issues. I greatly enjoy this game, but I’m hesitant to agree on a $10 price tag for a next-gen upgrade offering little more than graphical enhancements. If it offered new missions, gear, or other content I would be on board with the price. As it currently stands, it ought to have been a free upgrade or $39.99 for new players.

The Outer Worlds is a great game. It is beautifully crafted, intelligently written, and a delight to play. I’ll once again be exploring every corner of Halcyon with the Spacer’s Choice Edition because the experience that Private Division put together is an absolute must-play. Despite the odd bugs, the upgrade does make for a better experience. Yet slapping a price tag on it rather than offering it for free, especially without any new content, seems unnecessary. The irony is not lost on me that this upgrade is named after one of the game’s more blatantly satirical, greedy corporations looking to make a dollar.

Still An All-Time Classic

For sheer memorable and engaging gameplay, I recommend The Outer Worlds. It was an absolute delight to play back in 2019, and it still holds up as one of my all-time favorite gaming experiences. I am pleased with the graphical upgrades and enhancements from The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition. Although, with less new content and more new bugs, it should have been a free upgrade for returning players

***PlayStation 5 code provided by the publisher***

The post The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition Review – A Beautiful Return to Halcyon appeared first on COGconnected.

Temtem challenges itself with an uphill battle in its easy comparisons to Pokemon. While it’s simple to shrug it off as a mere clone, Temtem offers just enough unique content to keep it fresh, blending the monster-catching craze with heavy – yet generally friendly – MMO mechanics. It’s a step in the right direction for monster collecting, but is it enough to pull long-time Pokemon fans away?

Developed by Crema, Temtem is a familiar game. On your first day of being a tamer, you meet the local professor who gives you one of his three Tems. You are then immediately challenged to a battle with your hometown rival before setting off to collect all of these strange and adorable monsters. You’ll head from dojo to dojo to challenge their leaders and earn your way up the ranks at each city, all while battling a criminal organization with nefarious plans. Temtem is a game that takes the Pokemon formula both narratively and mechanically and gives it a facelift with some modern quality of life improvements that Pokemon hasn’t quite approached yet.

Tem battles are fought in doubles matches, with two Tem at a time to battle your opponents. Some of Temtem’s new features will have you stumble into amazing Tem pairs, utilizing their unique attributes. My starting Tem, Crystle, gains bonus damage for his special attack if his partner is a Wind type. He also has the Amphibious trait where taking Water type damage increases his speed and attack power. I also equipped him with an Umbrella that reduces incoming Water damage by 15%. This means if I pair Crystle with any Wind type and he gets hit with a Water attack his damage output is massive just from selecting a single attack. There are an incredible number of useful combinations just like this across the 160 Tems to be found and tamed.

Ya Need Lots of Stamina

Another of Temtem’s fantastic improvements is the stamina system for attacks. Rather than a set number of uses, Tem’s have a stamina bar. Each attack uses stamina, and a small portion is regenerated each round. Should a Tem run out of stamina, you can command them to rest for a turn to regain a larger portion. It is also possible to perform an attack that would otherwise go below 0 stamina – an attack that needs 14 stamina but you only have 10 – but doing so will cause your Tem to hurt itself and be unable to attack the next turn. Features like these add some much-needed depth of strategy to what is an otherwise stale combat system. Despite these improvements, there are still a few strange missteps along the way.

As noted, Temtem is an MMO. You’ll see other players sprinting around the world on their quest to be the best, but it also means you’ll find plenty of MMO features in the mix. This includes peculiar side quests which can’t be completed for several hours as they involve talking to someone in a town you’ve never been to or a large number of backtracking fetch quests. What’s more problematic is a general lack of instruction. It seems like Temtem expects you to already be familiar with Pokemon so it doesn’t need to elaborate much on mechanics like typing. If I had gone into Temtem without playing a Pokemon game, I would have struggled from the start.

Collecting Adorable Monsters That Don’t Quite Have A Heart

Temtem also changes some of the typing for their monsters, which changes the dynamic and balancing of advantage and disadvantage. Crystal type is seemingly a stand-in for Rock, but Fire has the advantage over Crystal because it can melt it. Flying is replaced with Wind, and Poison is changed to Toxic. Toxic, in this sense, is more like a toxic cloud, so Wind has an advantage against it as it can blow away the cloud. In Pokemon, this would be like Flying having the advantage over Poison. There is also no in-game chart to see the types and advantages, and these changes don’t seem quite as logical as the ones they are emulating.

In combat, Tem’s can either deal normal damage, half damage, quarter damage, double damage, or quadruple damage based on typing combos. While the amount of damage dealt is displayed, there really is no other consistent way of knowing what is best. Targetting an opponent features a white circle. When it won’t be effective it turns red, and sometimes it turns yellow. I took this to mean it would be highly effective. However, that isn’t always the case and at no point are the circles explained. I’ve had a white circle do quadruple damage and normal damage. I’ve had a yellow circle do double damage and normal damage. I can’t be quite sure what they are supposed to mean.

The main draw to Temtem is collecting all the Tems. The monsters are all distinct creatures, often giving the necessary visual cues as to their typing. The only problem is that none of them are particularly memorable. While some of them have clever names, others seem generic and forgettable. Pokemon succeeds by leaning into the personality of their monsters. Though well designed, none of the Tems stand out. I don’t find myself attached to one as my favorite. The world itself is beautiful to behold. There’s plenty of verticality to explore, water to surf on, and vibrant colors that pop. It’s a feast for the eyes and an incredibly warming experience to play.

Brilliant World Design With Beautiful Colors

As an MMO, Temtem offers a full Pokemon-style campaign, clans to join, and weekly replayable dojo battles with increasing difficulty. There is also Tem breeding and a whole host of side quests to complete. You can also decorate your home as well as purchase and sell clothing. There are also weekly and seasonal rewards to collect through consistently playing and leveling up your Tamer. Temtem strikes a delicate balance between the monster collecting gameplay and typical MMO mechanics, but in balancing both it doesn’t excel at either.

Temtem is a unique yet familiar take on the monster-collecting genre. Its blend of MMO mechanics gives it the potential for a long-running, sustainable community with more to enjoy than a single-player narrative. The new combat mechanics are a fantastic upgrade. However, the Tems themselves and the overall lack of guidance aren’t quite up to standards. Tems aren’t that memorable themselves and many of their names just don’t click. Having no guidance on typing, advantages, or explanations on a number of smaller features drops the enjoyment of gameplay. It’s a great experience, but it expects you to already have a certain amount of knowledge of both genres before picking up the controller.

***PS5 code provided by the publisher for review***

The post Temtem Review – Monster Collecting Meets MMO appeared first on COGconnected.

Developed by Coin Crew Games, (a team of actual Escape Room designers) Escape Academy takes the mystique and mystery of interactive escape rooms and adds a touch of the fantastical by placing players in a school for aspiring Escapists. It’s a unique concept that might sound a little campy, but the ultimate delivery is an excellent balance of challenge and reward.

Escape Academy begins with the player entering a less-than-stellar escape room which serves as the tutorial. Upon completion, the receptionist is missing and some strange clues litter the lobby. Solving this new puzzle becomes your entrance to the Escape Academy; a prestigious school the world doesn’t know about. It has something of a family-friendly Spielberg film feel to it. This peculiar but exciting adventure awaits for the hero as they prepare to explore their dream. Like any good story, things aren’t always as they seem.

Each escape puzzle takes place on campus of the Escape Academy. You’ll meet the various professors who, while only speaking in text, have distinct if not slightly cliche personalities. That’s not a bad thing: the way they fit into their stereotypes adds a certain charm to the narrative camp of the game. It’s genuinely fun and lighthearted when interacting with the professors which help set the tone for the puzzles and the most important message of the game: don’t stress.

In Escape Academy, Help is Just a Click Away

I am not a fan of missions with timers. I like to be methodical and explore at my own pace. As I mentioned in my hands-on experience with Escape Academy at Summer Game Fest this year, I went into the game doubting myself but came out of it with more confidence in my skills. The timer is pretty generous on each stage. Even in some of the harder escape rooms, I found myself finishing with a wealth of time left over. That’s not to say the puzzles are easy, just that they give you a flexible amount of time to complete them.

At the end of each stage is a recap of how long it took you to complete each segment. There were a few times I was a bit embarrassingly slow at understanding a piece of the solution, but it also brings to light its possible to just luck into an answer. One recap mentioned needing to pick up a flashlight to look at a fusebox and throw the right switches. I had no idea there even was a flashlight in the room, but I could just make out the labels enough to solve the puzzle on my own. It was only during the recap that I learned there was a flashlight at all.

Escape Academy also provides a hint button, and my best advice is: don’t be too proud to use it. It is there to help. Yes, the game tracks how many times you use it, but sometimes it is the tiniest thing you missed and that clock is ticking. In one particular stage, I was at a total loss about what to do. I used the hint button and it showed me what I was looking for, but I couldn’t discern where in the stage the object was. I ended up running around and burning a full five minutes off the clock before I found it. The hint gave me a clue, but the object was very easy to overlook and without it, I surely would have lost.

Like a Saturday Morning Cartoon

Each time you complete one of the steps in Escape Academy the game plays this satisfying little jingle. At this point, it’s burned into my brain. It feels so good when something clicks, it works, and you get to hear that little sequence. It gives you a sense of accomplishment while telling you to keep going. Escape Academy isn’t the first game to give this kind of positive affirmation, but it feels distinctly composed to tell you you did a good job but you can’t stop yet.

Aesthetically, the game has a notably polygonal style to it. Most of the interactive environment is full of sharp edges with a cartoony build. It helps lend that sense of a wholesome adventure like a Saturday morning cartoon. It’s another subtle piece of design to help keep new players at ease. Escape Academy’s story is, as you might expect, a bit more wild. This is still a Hogwarts-like school of genius students and potentially lethal puzzles. There is something of a Goonies-level adventure narrative floating around which makes it all the more fun to complete and discover the next twist.

Escape Academy is a wholesome, family-friendly adventure film come to life. The bright colors and blocky shapes lend to the idea of Saturday morning cartoon fun. The puzzles are clever, often requiring the player to pause for a moment and take it in before spotting the solution. Some segments can be difficult for players, but Escape Academy offers a useful Help button to keep things moving. The game has an intriguing – if campy – narrative and cast of characters who make the experience a joy to play. The timer for each room is generous but applies the right amount of pressure to keep you moving. Escape Academy easily earns an A on the final.

*Xbox code provided by the publisher*

The post Escape Academy Review – Graduating With Honors appeared first on COGconnected.

Developed byFuturLab, PowerWash Simulator uses the “simulator” title loosely. With no time limits, no resource management, or worrying about water supply, the game is designed to be a cathartic release. Players pick the level they wish to clean and simply go ahead cleaning it. It can be a fantastically zen-like experience watching the dirt, dust, and grime wash away. There are, however, a few minor grievances that can break the hypnotic spell of an otherwise deliciously satisfying game.

PowerWash Simulator does, in fact, have a story. You’ll start out cleaning up an old van to begin your power washing business. As you complete jobs, citizens around town will text you asking for your help with their latest messy problem. It’s great, but its also delivered in such a way it’s easy to overlook entirely. Texts pop up from folks looking for help at the side of the screen. They mention their job briefly, the message disappears, and you go back to cleaning. At the end of your current job, you’ll see which tasks are available and pick one. It’s so simple you forget there was an entire plot as to why you are doing this job.

There is no voice acting, no cut scenes, and nothing to draw your attention to the story and make you listen. You might come to PowerWash Simulator for the express purpose of not having a story, but it seems strange to make it so easy to miss. The core gameplay is where it shines. The details and vivid colors that lurk beneath all that muck really pop. The water blasting out of the nozzle looks great, and the effects of cleaning the multitude of surfaces are far too satisfying to watch. Each part of a stage is broken down into segments (gutters, posts, paths, etc) and completing one segment delivers a satisfying ding of a job well done. Some stages take multiple hours to complete, and yet I still found myself with “just one more stage” more times than I care to admit.

PowerWash Simulator Makes Cleaning Fun and Carefree

The powerwasher itself has multiple attachments for different stream widths and pressures. In the early stages, you’ll experiment with what you like, but the more you progress you’ll discover which is best for what sticky situation lay ahead. While I did oddly find one to be my favorite, I enjoyed the slight level of strategy in swapping between nozzles for different tasks and wand lengths for distances. It adds just enough variable gameplay to keep you thinking without having to stress. You’ll even earn money to buy new, more powerful power washers, attachments, clothing, and soaps.

Soap is great for softening up a large area of a particularly tricky job. I initially tested it out on a simple surface, but after dealing with a few vehicles I quickly realized the best place for suds is the cars for those minute – and infuriating – details. When cleaning large areas like a path or the side of a house, PowerWash Simulator will automatically complete the task after a certain percentage has been cleaned. It may be a high percentage, but it clears away the last little bits of gunk for you, and is a helpful inclusion to keep the player moving to the next segment. Baffling, then, that the same doesn’t seem to be applied to some of the tricker, smaller tasks.

Some stages have included the need to clean in between individual couch cushions or the planks of a walkway. Vehicles in particular, which are smaller jobs for less reward, felt the most tedious. You have to try desperately to squint and find the spec of dirt you missed which might be all you need to finally finish it. It was cool to include vehicles, but they were my least favorite jobs when compared to homes. Stage design for the larger levels is fantastic. Learning to use the ladder to get to higher elevations, cleaning out windows and gutters, the homes were my absolute favorite stages to clean. The backyard in the early missions in particular was great. It offered a variety of surfaces, shapes, sizes, and overall a well-rounded experience.

PowerWash Simulator has a button to highlight missed areas which can be a seriously helpful tool. However, trying to find missed spots in narrow crevices makes powerwashing, well, a chore. Missed areas are highlighted temporarily in yellow, a nice bright color to spot. Unfortunately, most of the stages are brightly lit during the day making them particularly difficult to see. An option to change the color in which it highlights would be great.

Dirt Highlighter Needs a Color Change Option

It wasn’t until I hit the largest stage I had encountered – the Skate Park – that I noticed PowerWash Simulator’s lack of music. The silence does help keep players relaxed and focused on the task. Why did I notice this during the Skate Park stage? Because I spent a few hours in an open area with mostly flat surfaces and nothing to stimulate me. This game could benefit from the option of simple soft background music, or even a radio station with different options to keep the player invested. I would love to listen to a nice chipper tune while doing my job and cleaning up the neighbor’s house.

Outside of the Career mode are a few bonus stages. The creative team at FuturLab definitely had a lot of fun dreaming up these more “out there” stages. It makes me hopeful that we can see more unique cleaning jobs added in the future as the game grows. I also feel like there is a lot of potential for multiplayer game modes beyond the standard cleaning party. What about a game of keep away with a gnome statue? Or letting a player hide a graffiti design beneath some dirt and the other players need to find it? I hope we get to see PowerWash Simulator continue to evolve, but even in its current state, the single most important thing about this game is that it’s fun.

It was fun cleaning everything. I loved climbing around, experiencing the bright colors, and trying out the different nozzles. In a gaming landscape saturated with so much intensity and competition, it was so nice to come home from a long day, sit down, and just powerwash some stuff and buy a new set of gloves.

PowerWash Simulator is a game for people who love a clean space. It’s a meditation for those who need a stress-free break. The gameplay is easy and straightforward, the controls handle beautifully, and the colors jump out with vibrance and life. I do feel like the game is hurt with such a soft delivery on its story and lack of soundtrack. The dirt highlighter could also benefit from multiple color options. I feel that the requirements on smaller objects and crevices could use some tweaking. I love booting this up for some relaxing gameplay. It’s easily one of my favorite games to play on Xbox.

***Xbox code provided by the publisher***

The post PowerWash Simulator Review – Wax On Great Gameplay, Wax Off Stress appeared first on COGconnected.

Humanity was finally on the right track. The supplies from the Flores were coming down and civilization once again had a chance. But Enoch isn’t that forgiving. Outriders first paid DLC, Outriders: Worldslayer picks up immediately after the events of the base game. The Outrider and their team have a chance at salvaging much-needed resources to survive. However, the Anomaly is growing stronger and more erratic. Despite humanity’s best efforts, it seems Enoch is doomed. With one final mission to try and save what is left, Outriders: Worldslayer ramps up for an intense narrative of desperate heroism.

At its core, Outriders tells a story of survival. It shows the player the twisted paths humanity has travelled down in an attempt to survive, and it does so with a balanced and well-paced story. Outriders: Worldslayer, unfortunately, feels disjointed in its campaign. On one hand, it hits each major story beat of the Outrider’s journey. It carries the blueprints of a phenomenal tale that continues the form and strength of the original game. In between those beats, however, isn’t much. Players will move from point to point to hit home the big parts of the story, but the downtime in between is confusingly short.

Light On Narrative, Big On Chaos

The story is one of desperation, that time is running out. In that vein, it makes sense to have a crisp, short tale. The biggest draw for Outriders: Worldslayer is of course the end game content, so letting players get to it quicker is a smart choice. At the same time, there is just enough extra narrative content to the campaign. It’s underutilized and makes it clunky.

Almost An Epic Tale

If the goal was to make a faster story and deliver that sense of urgency, there are story beats that could have been removed entirely to make a more streamlined experience. If, however, the idea was to build on the lore of Enoch and tell another epic tale, well, the building blocks are there but they weren’t quite stacked. Ereshkigal herself – Outriders: Worldslayers new big bad in all the marketing – is criminally underused and her motivations fall flat. Despite having the most unique Altered abilities in the series and a great bio in the lore, she doesn’t stand out as she could have.

The real meat of the Outriders: Worldslayer DLC comes from the new end-game content, and this is where it absolutely excels. There is a ton of new weapons and armor pieces to collect, but perhaps the biggest improvement is Apocalypse gear. Weapons and armor can now drop as Apocalypse gear which includes a third mod slot. While it may not sound like much, it’s quite a big deal. Mods provide wildly powerful enhancements to your loadout, and introducing a third slot makes for even more unbelievable god-tier combos. I myself have an LMG that causes a small explosion from successful hits every 1.5 seconds, a significantly larger AoE which triggers on four enemies simultaneously for a ton of damage every 2 seconds, as well as the ability to make critical hits cause a targets’ bones to detonate into shrapnel, dealing Bleed damage to nearby enemies every 3 seconds.

Mods for Miles

That is just one example, and Outriders: Worldslayer offers over 400 mods. The new mod slot gives players a god-level power fantasy but you never feel invincible or without a challenge; you always have to be on your toes. Apocalypse gear brings with it Apocalypse Tiers. This is a new difficulty system that replaces Challenge Tiers from the base game. There are 40 levels of Apocalypse Tier as opposed to 15 Challenge Tiers. This new system – while it may sound daunting – is significantly more balanced in difficulty progression. Going into the next tier doesn’t leave you feeling underpowered before getting better loot. The incremental changes between Apocalypse Tiers are a steady, accessible progression. It doesn’t feel like it’s throwing an insurmountable challenge at you which is great for new players.

Creating The Ultimate Unstoppable Outrider

Another welcome addition in Outriders: Worldslayer is the Pax and Ascension points. Outriders offers three skill trees per class to enhance their characters. Worldslayer’s Pax tree is a smaller, secondary skill tree with two new branches. Players will only unlock five points to put in this tree (with free respec) but the skills on offer here are significantly more potent. Having access to two skill trees adds substantially more customization and build diversity as players can narrow in on exactly how they want their Outrider to feel.

Ascension points, on the other hand, are a fantastic means of maintaining a sense of progression without relying on Apocalypse Tiers or loot drops. After level 30, players earn XP to unlock Ascension points as if they leveling up. There are 200 points to unlock spread across 20 categories. These offer further ways to enhance your character. Unlike typical level progression in Outriders, dying in combat will not reduce your XP bar, so players are always growing. Putting one or two points in a category can create a drastic gameplay improvement, like reducing damage from Elite enemies or increasing the number of bullets in your magazine. It isn’t a groundbreaking system. But it’s very much a welcome one that encourages players to keep pushing forward through the end game.

The Trials Of Tarya Gratar Are Brimming With Potential

Of course, the biggest addition to the game is The Trials of Tarya Gratar. This is a high-level, intense end-game mode designed for squads of three players to run. Expeditions scale in difficulty depending on how many players are present, but Tarya Gratar is always prepped for a full squad. This is a massive, sprawling, ancient city of the Pax where players will find the very best loot. Optional rooms allow Outriders to go after targeted loot, with certain rooms offering specific gear as their reward.

Tarya Gratar takes at least an hour to complete making it a great place to test your skills and your build. I died horribly on my first run in the city, but I grinded a few Expeditions, improved my build, and managed to solo the trial for some seriously amazing loot. It was easily one of the most satisfying end-game experiences I’ve had.

A Great, Gorgeous World

The area itself isn’t random and remains a single structure. However, the weather patterns and type of enemies players encounter will be random each time they enter. The level design is absolutely gorgeous, and Tarya Gratar features a few new enemies not seen anywhere else in the game. A few boss battles are truly unique and fresh (I particularly enjoy battling Okriel, the Traitor) but as it remains in its current state, I can understand players growing stale on it over time. Tarya Gratar is a very, very big place. There is room to add on and enhance the experience with new rooms, bosses, enemies, etc. One secret area has already been discovered within its walls, so maybe there are more.

Outriders: Worldslayer packs a lot of new content into the game. A new campaign, new enemies, difficulty mode, Apocalypse gear, Pax and Ascension points, and of course Tarya Gratar itself. The amount of content here is far more than an update, and the improvements to the game have seemingly revitalized the Outriders community to what it could have been at launch.

The campaign for Worldslayer feels uncomfortably chaotic. It has the story beats of a great tale but doesn’t fully tell the story. If it was meant to deliver a sense of urgency there are aspects that could have been cut. I and many others who played see so much potential for it to have rivalled the narrative of the main game and it’s unfortunate that it is so short. Despite its shortcomings, all of the other new content and enhancements easily make up for it. This is Outriders the way it was meant to be. This is the power fantasy we want to feel in gaming.

**PS5 code provided by the publisher**

The post Outriders: Worldslayer Review – Ultimate Power Fantasy appeared first on COGconnected.

Summer Game Fest is an opportunity for the indie community to showcase their creative projects. Indie games are often delightful experiments with new and unique concepts, designed to get us thinking and feeling. The games on display this year covered the full range of the scary, the adventurous, the puzzling, and more. We are here to focus on five games highlighted during Summer Game Fest – more specifically, Day of the Devs – that offer something heartwarming. These are games that are quirky and wholesome, the kind you want to sit down and play on a rainy afternoon. Here are our picks for the five most heartwarming indie games of Summer Game Fest.

5. A Little to the Left

Developed by Max Inferno, A Little to the Left is a relaxing and engaging puzzle-solving game about organization. Using everyday objects as inspiration, players will need to figure out how best to keep things neat and tidy. Many puzzles in the game will have multiple solutions, and the developers have stated that the more puzzles you complete, the more surreal the solutions become. They can start out as simple as arranging things from largest to smallest but will soon spiral to abstract answers about the nature of the objects in question.

As an added feature, from time to time the developer’s cat will make its presence known on-screen. While you are trying to keep things need and tidy, the cat will of course find a way to mess things up just to keep you on your toes – like a real cat! This can include batting objects across the table, or a random tail swish pushing things aside. It’s not meant to be a hindrance to your progress, only a touch of slice-of-life realism. At Summer Game Fest the developers also mentioned a daily organizational challenge. Each day a new puzzle will be made available and completing a certain amount rewards you with badges.

A Little to the Left is due out later this year and will be available on Mac, PC, and Nintendo Switch. For more information, check out the game’s official website.

4. Bear and Breakfast

Sim, management, and farming games are all the rage. They offer a relaxing chance to – much like the previous entry – keep things nice and organized just as you like them. Bear and Breakfast rolls these mechanics together with an adorable art style and clever premise like a fun twist on Goldilocks. You play as Hank, an entrepreneurial bear who has noticed that humans are coming back to the forest. What problem does this pose? They have nowhere to stay! Hank takes it upon himself to start building a lovely Bed and Breakfast for the humans to make them feel welcome. The art style alone is one you can’t help but smile at and the idea of people casually staying at a B&B run by a bear is outlandish in the best way.

You’ll forage (of course you will) for the materials needed to build rooms and furniture. You’ll answer customer requests to make sure everybody is clean, comfortable, and happy. You’ll even learn to cook for them so they can be well fed. There is an overarching narrative to the game as Hank progresses in building a better and better B&B but there is something so charming about the concept and presentation of the game. It offers so much heart just by looking at it. This was a game I was delighted to see at Summer Game Fest, and the team at Armor Games hasn’t put any time constraints or worrisome restrictions either, so you can just play at your own pace and enjoy the weirdness of it all.

Bear and Breakfast is also due out July 28th, 2022, and will be available on PC and Nintendo Switch. For more information, check out the game’s official website.

3. Planet of Lana

This is a personal story of love and adventure that takes place behind a much larger story. In Planet of Lana, your home planet has been invaded by machines. The world is at war, but your only concern is the well-being of your missing sister. Helping you along the way is a mysterious, imp-like creature called Mui. Mui is able to manipulate the environment to help you overcome obstacles, but it also has a strange connection to the odd creatures of the land.

This is a beautiful, brightly colored side-scrolling platformer that tells the story of your journey to rescue your sister. The finer details that go into Mui and the other creatures are fluid and tell so much about the characters entirely on their mannerisms. It’s a tale of love against the backdrop of war. It’s an adventure to save the person you care for the most, and most importantly, it reminds us that not all problems need aggression as a solution.

Planet of Lana is set to release later this year and will be available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. For more information, check out the game’s official website.

2. NAIAD

You are a water nymph, guardian of the water and all who reside within it. In this minimalist title, you’ll swim through fountains, lakes, rivers, and springs to encounter precious wildlife. You’ll help fish get out of dangerous situations, and be part of the balance of nature. You’ll even learn from the creatures you encounter, like how ducks can dive. NAIAD is a game about the beauty and peace of nature and life.

Told from a top-down perspective, you can customize the color of Naiad’s hair and the flower which sits within it. It’s a serene, almost meditative experience to get lost in and enjoy. Much like the other entries on this list, its art style is simple but colorful. It’s inspiring to look at and encourages you to stop and smell the roses along the way.

NAIAD is set for release in Q3 of 2022 and will be available on Mac, PC, and other platforms. For more information, check out the game’s official website.

1. SCHiM

SCHiM is a remarkable game in which players take on the role of, well, a schim. A schim is the spirit found within everything in the world, alive and inanimate. In this case, you play a schim who has been separated from their human and you must find your way back. Schims can only move through the shadows, hoping like a frog from one point of darkness to the next on their quest to be reunited with their human.

Using single colors for each stage allows for the shadows to pop on-screen, helping you plan your next move. The camera can be rotated to find new paths and tricks previously unavailable to you. You’ll even be able to encounter other schim’s and help them on their way home too. It’s another example of the finer details adding so much personality and character to what is otherwise a small black blob. It’s a game of exploration and puzzle-solving, observing the environment as you plan your next move to get home. It’s almost like an interactive Pixar film.

SCHiM does not yet have a release date, but it is slated to be available on PC, Mac, Linux, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and Xbox consoles. For more information, check out the game’s official website.

Which indies did you think were the most heartwarming at Summer Game Fest this year? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or the Comment section below.

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In a world where the internet is populated by advanced AI systems, glitches threaten to destroy everything. It’s up to a team of capable and totally not adorable, cartoony characters to save the day. Except they are in fact adorable, cartoony characters, and this is a wonderfully wholesome game. Glitch Busters had me smiling from start to finish, running around the brightly colored landscape and having the kind of fun you would expect from an interactive Saturday morning cartoon. It’s a couch co-op shooter with just a little Mario Party shenanigans thrown in for good measure, and it really is as good as that sounds.

Developed by Toylogic, Glitch Busters is a third-person shooter set within the internet itself. The internet itself is made up of various AI programs and glitches are bound to happen. These tend to gum up the works and generally cause chaos and disarray. That is where the Glitch Busters come in. You’ll play as an emoji with a classic cartoon magnet for feet with disembodied hands to hold your weapon of choice. Offering one to four players, you’ll explore each stage and platform through funny puzzles while blasting glitches and goop with your weapon of choice.

You can carry one weapon at a time with unlimited ammo, lending opportunities for varied gunplay among the team. As soon as I got my hands on a rocket launcher, I knew what my favorite weapon was. There is something strangely satisfying about a little emoji gleefully blasting away with rockets. Players earn coins as they progress through the stage which can be used at shops to get more health, buy weapons, or saved for later to unlock customizable features. These include changing your emoji’s face to one of the many classic faces we all know and love or adding patterns to your magnet legs. There are also a whole host of accessories for hats, glasses, and more to make your character stand out.

Glitch Busters Introduces Fun With Magnets Inside The Internet

So why magnets for legs? This simple yet brilliant design lends itself to a lot of unique features. The most obvious is being able to walk vertically up special magnetic walls. Second, players can jump on top of one another to create a tower. The player on the bottom controls mobility while those above can shoot. Anyone in the stack is able to extend their legs and stretch to increase their height, so if everyone does it, you get a huge stack of characters for reaching new areas. You can even choose to throw everyone above you off of the tower. When playing with AI allies, quick button presses will call them to you and help you make the formation for whatever is needed. My favorite feature of these magnetic feet has to be magnetic sliding.

While running around the stage causing mischief, Glitch Busters can choose to magnetically connect themselves to one another. This creates a brilliant blue bolt of electricity between them. While in this state, players can wildly swing left and right on an arc determined by the distance between their allies. It is significantly faster than walking and a phenomenal way to get around the stage; it’s even a necessity for attacking certain enemies. Drifting around a stage, sliding for a better angle, and launching yourself for the sake of a laugh is very easy and fun.

The puzzles I encountered along the way were smart. They made great use of the mechanics and theme of Glitch Busters in a way that made solving it feel natural. There is a strong sense of nostalgia in playing couch co-op because it has that simple pick-up-and-play style that we just don’t see much of anymore. that being said, Glitch Busters is going to have a very robust system for multiplayer. It allows for couch co-op, online co-op, two players on one Switch each using a Joy-Con, and linked Switchs for even more.

Customizable Chaotic Co-op Fun Bursting With Nostalgic Gameplay

Glitch Busters features one additional game mode I got to check out which really had that Mario Party feel. Strictly played as a side-scroller, players are stacked in a tower on top of each other on a platform. Constantly moving forward, there is no moving left to right. Players can jump, extend their legs to stretch, and shoot directly in front of them. So what is the catch? Obstacles sporadically line your path, and the ceiling isn’t particularly high. You’ll need to coordinate with friends as the impending collision approaches, negotiating and planning who will stretch their legs to help their allies avoid getting hit. You also need to keep an eye on moving enemies and make sure you take them out before they get too close. You can change your position in the tower with a quick button press which just makes for even more chaos as you try to survive until the end. It’s easy to sabotage other players, extending your legs and forcing them to collide with a rock for the fun of it.

Glitch Busters does not yet have an official release date, but it will be launching on PC, PlayStation 4, and the Nintendo Switch. For more information, check out the game’s official website.

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The blue hedgehog has had it rough the last several years. Each of Sonic’s outings haven’t quite captured that same essence his long-time fans are looking for. With some of his industry rivals taking experimental leaps in new directions like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Super Mario Odyssey, it was only natural for Sonic to up his game and step into something entirely new. Sonic Frontiers lets players take the speedster on an epic journey into open-world gameplay which works surprisingly well. There are, however, a few missteps that – left unchecked – could spell disaster for what is currently a pretty enjoyable game.

My experience started with Sonic giving a short monologue about this strange new land he finds himself in. Despite looking like that classic, rebellious cartoon character, Sonic’s voice was notably deeper than we have heard before. He looks around for his friends, surprised to find himself alone and his reaction is not concern or panic but glib and almost fatalist. Immediately after, I’m able to begin exploring Sonic Frontiers and the very meat of the game is tender and delicious. The screenshots put out there don’t do it justice for how beautiful the environment is. The terrain and vibrant colors really pop, and the clash of art styles makes Sonic stand out in the way he is meant to; he isn’t from this place, it’s a new and unusual experience for him.

The controls are great. Sonic runs forward and the longer you keep moving, the faster he gets. He can double jump, and pressing the button again lets him charge up into a ball and speed ahead. I was intrigued by the footage of the combat and cautiously optimistic, but I found the controls to feel tight and natural. A reticle will appear over the nearest target which can be optionally locked on for focused attacks. His basic attack immediately homes in as he begins punching and kicking with each press to make a combo. The left and right bumpers are a very effective and fast dodge, perfect for getting away from enemy attacks. I found myself easily evading ranged bombardments and slipping behind stronger foes fluidly with the dodge buttons. What I did find uncharacteristically troublesome was Sonic’s sprinting. It took roughly fifteen minutes into the demo to learn how to sprint and make the “Gotta go fast!” guy actually go fast. If his entire thing is about his break-neck speed, then why is it tied to a stamina bar?

Sonic Frontiers Replaces Constant Super Speed With Exploration, Combat, And Puzzle Solving

On top of that, this sprinting feature is interrupted by jumping. I was running over a hill and came to a bridge. It was a half jump higher than me. I jumped, landed, and then had to let go of and reactivate the sprint. Every time. For each jump or interruption of any kind, I couldn’t just keep holding the button down, I had to remember to let go and start it over again. It might sound like a small thing, but when your whole gimmick is going fast, it becomes an unnecessary hiccup in your speed.

A lot of concern for Sonic Frontiers came from this open-world concept and just how barren the location seemed in early images. I can confidently say these pictures were to show off the graphics. The world itself is definitely not so bare. Not only do roaming enemies dot the landscape which requires unique tactics to defeat, but the whole area is littered with classic Sonic tropes to explore. It’s like going to a park and discovering a new playground at every corner. Running up to a rail automatically lets you grind it to score rings. There are speed pads to find and trampolines to bounce off of. These gymnastics courses which cover the area even include floating balloons. Attacking them lets you bounce across distances from one to the next to find new platforms, rails, and giant rings to launch you huge distances. These obstacle courses I encountered ran alongside the path but never felt like a requirement. It was a rewarding jaunt through the playground to see what I could pick up and where I would go.

Sonic Frontiers introduces a new multifunction ability to Sonic’s arsenal called the Cyloop. Activating the Cyloop lets him leave a blue trail as he runs about the screen. You have full control over where he goes, but you’ll need to close the loop before the skill activates. Closing the loop will knock back foes, dealing damage or staggering them, but it also can be used practically to solve puzzles. I had to simultaneously extinguish three flames. Making a loop around them caused a simultaneous breeze to blow them out. Sonic Frontiers introduces a decent-sized skill tree of new abilities to unlock, with Cyloop only being the first, so who knows what other new tricks the speedster might have up his sleeve.

This is an ambitious game. It’s taking a big departure from the established Sonic franchise, which has worked out for others in the past. The stages are beautiful, the “jungle gym” design is fun, and the controls feel pretty good. At the end of the demo I did enjoy the experience, but I still find myself wondering if this needed to be a Sonic game or if it could have been something brand new. From what I got to see at Summer Game Fest, it’s far better than slapping Sonic in a new environment and calling it a day. At the same time, it’s like completing a jigsaw puzzle but the last couple of pieces don’t quite seem to fit. There is still plenty we don’t know about Sonic Frontiers, and hopefully, those gaps will complete the picture and turn this game into a masterpiece. I’m optimistic that the game is good, I’m just not yet convinced it needs to be a Sonic game.

Sonic Frontiers is set for release this holiday season and will be available on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. For more information, check out the game’s official website.

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As a medium, video games are interactive entertainment. They are a means by which people can challenge themselves and get engrossed in deep, compelling narratives. Above all, they exist to help players relax. PowerWash Simulator is an incredibly relaxing experience and the perfect way to destress after a long day by letting you scrub away the mud and the muck at your own pace.

Developed by FuturLab, PowerWash Simulator might not sound like much but that is kind of the point. Most simulator games have you balancing resources, managing time, and trying to recreate the experience of its associated job; whether that is yard work, flying a plane, etc. The goal of this game is to minimize stress, and it succeeds in spades. It took less than a minute of sitting down to play before I felt that satisfaction of blasting the side of a cottage clean.

PowerWash Simulator has no limited resources or water limits. You aren’t on the clock, or racing to beat a high score. You’ll start out with the basic nozzle size attachments and a dirty project to work on. The shortest nozzle was of course best for getting up close to objects but it was hilarious when the devs showed off the longest possible attachment, effectively making a power washing sniper rifle.

Blasting Away Your Worries Never Felt So Good

Successfully cleaning a segment of your task rewards you with an endorphin-booming ping as well as a refreshing blue glow. If you are missing a spot you just can’t seem to find, a quick button tap will highlight the grim so you can get back to making things pristine. PowerWash Simulator has unlockable color-coded nozzles as well, with each color representing a different intensity and what they are most useful for. A wide spraying green nozzle probably won’t blast the rust off of the old barbeque, but a focused red one certainly will.

Completing sections – and ultimately levels – earns you money that can be spent on skins to customize your pressure washer, gloves, and cleaning suit. Why would you want to change the appearance of your suit in a first-person game? Because PowerWash Simulator supports multiplayer where everyone can clean together. Freeplay allows up to six players to work together on a given level, whereas two players can team up in the campaign mode to get the town sparkling. 

Of course, you aren’t required to just clean the place up with your friends. This is a game that works incredibly well for relaxation and socialization. Use your sprayers to play tic tac toe. Have a drawing competition. Each stage has a gnome statue hidden in the area, so why not take turns hiding him and see who can find him? And of course, someone in your friend group will undoubtedly start drawing obscene images in the muck, but that’s to be expected.

A Fantastic Way To Hang Out With Friends Online

Coating all of this in an intriguing and humorous layer is the game’s story mode. Players start the game by cleaning up a friend’s old power washing van and decide to start a business. As you progress through town trying to build up your cleaning company, strange things are going on. The mayor is acting particularly elusive. What could be going on in this small town?

We won’t get all the details until PowerWash Simulator launches its 1.0 version on July 14th, 2022. It is currently in Early Access on Steam with a few levels to play, but players can expect new content and launch – and hopefully – long afterward as well. PowerWash Simulator will release on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. For more information, check out the game’s official website, and for more coverage of Summer Game Fest be sure to keep it locked on COGconnected.

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One of the many joys of indie games is the unique combinations of genres that turn up, catching gamers by surprise. Mega Cat Studios has taken professional wrestling and turn-based JRPG gameplay, slammed them together, and created one of the most fascinating titles of Summer Game Fest: WrestleQuest.

The game follows aspiring (and obsessive!) professional wrestler Randy Santos on his journey to go down as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. Randy himself is so enthralled with the sport that he refuses to believe any of it could ever be staged or faked. WrestleQuest both mechanically and visually straddles the line between reality and nostalgia. The graphics are incredibly reminiscent of the Super Nintendo era – around the time pro-wrestling was really at its height of popularity. It also uses turn-based combat mechanics which are reminiscent of legendary RPG titles from that era like Super Mario RPG.

A Gameplay Experience From the 80s and 90s

It’s also worth noting that these aren’t just oiled-up muscly guys in the ring. Each character is actually a toy. Characters might be plushies, action figures, or legally distinct plastic building block men. The devs designed this with that idea of being a kid and making all of your toys fight, regardless of what IP they come from or what kind of creature they were; it was always about the fantasy of making them engage in epic battles.

The combat mechanics work surprisingly well. Basic attacks with precise timing add extra damage, and MP can be spent to pull off high-impact moves. Pinning and breaking out of a pin boils down to a fun but tense minigame, however, you might not want to go for the 1-2-punch too quick; having the most electrifying matches in toy-sports entertainment will increase your income, so it might just be better to put on an entertaining show first with manager interference and taunting.

Outside the ring, Santos can explore the world map and go to various locations to earn side quests and progress the story (It is called WrestleQuest after all) and these moments of interaction and exploration reminded me oddly enough of Chrono Trigger – another very popular title from that time. During my time with WrestleQuest, Santos had to learn how to cut a promo and help a fellow wrestler decide which way to go with their facepaint; surfer boy or goth style. This of course was anything but straightforward, and I appreciate the effort that has gone into keeping the JRPG content dominant in the game.

It is also incredibly wild to see so many legends of pro-wrestling in the game. Andre the Giant, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Road Warriors Hawk and Animal, and even more recent names like Diamond Dallas Page and Jeff Jarrett. Of course, the top legend of the game is none other than the “Macho Man” Randy Savage, who Randy Santos idolizes. Early in the game, I was tasked with meeting someone at the nearby gigantic statue of Randy Savage, and I can only imagine there will be more tributes to him throughout the game.

Create the Ultimate Stable of Professional Wrestling Toys

While I didn’t get a chance to see it in the demo, WrestleQuest also follows the trope in JRPGs of building a team and working together to overcome the bad guys. Flipping through the menu during combat I even noticed tabs for Tag Team and Triple Tag Team attacks which I can only imagine will look truly epic in action. Given the fact every time Randy Santos delivers his version of the Stone Cold Stunner the game slows down and is accompanied by an explosion, a Triple Tag Team attack must be amazing.

My time with WrestleQuest was brief. The devs estimate the story to be roughly 50-60 hours, and I walked away from it absolutely elated. It’s the perfect game for people my age who grew up watching pro wrestling. It handles well, it looks great, and the story is funny yet intriguing. I can’t wait to uncover more of Randy Santos epic journey to the top.

WrestleQuest does not yet have an official release date, but it will be coming to Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. For more information, check out the game’s official website, and for even more coverage from Summer Game Fest, keep it locked on COGconnected.

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The world of Warhammer is rich with decades of intense, brutal, doom-filled lore. Evolving from tabletop gaming into video games, the juggernaut franchise has so many stories to tell, each one more visceral than the last. With the success of Vermintide and Vermintide 2, it was only natural to take that chaotic co-op combat and bring it into the grimdark future with Warhammer 40k: Darktide.

The Warhammer universe – even in the future – is full of fantastical, overpowered, brutal units. Space Marines alone are genetically altered super-soldiers, trained to decimate enemies without mercy. Darktide is not about them. This game strips away that god-tier power level and leaves you with the runts, the renegades, the scoundrels and rats. Players will pick one of four classes, squad up, and save Tertium Hive from incredible waves of horrors in the dark. 

Fatshark, the same team behind Vermintide, took everything they did in their previous title and added even more into Darktide. The environments are gorgeous. Dents, dirt, decay, it all comes to haunting life as you explore the decrepit city. It feels like a place that was once an industrial marvel but has since fallen into ruin beyond repair. The stages are a monument to what was once no doubt a proud and industrious society, long since turned cold.

Warhammer 40K: Darktide Lets you Customize Yourself Within the Chaos

The characters are incredible. Unlike Vermintide, players will get to select one of four classes and customize them as they see fit. This not only includes their loadout and unlocked perks from their skill trees, but their personalities and VO as well. Want to make an Ogryn who screams about heretics? You can probably do that. Your squad makeup also isn’t limited, so if four players want to run an absolute wrecking crew of four Ogryn, go for it. There is, however, something to be said for the synergies and tactics of the various classes. Warhammer 40k: Darktide is going to throw a lot at you, and not every class is best for the job. Teamwork will be essential for survival.

This also brings me to another brilliant point: AI and trap spawn points. The levels players will be exploring are unique and fun to explore. You’ll vault over cover, leap down stairs, and use the environment as just another tool to your advantage in your fight against the hordes. So much, so normal for a shooter, however enemies and environmental traps will spawn in random quantities and locations. Completing the same level over and over means you might know the stage, but you can’t predict where the enemies will be lurking. This seemingly little feature keeps players on their toes at every moment so as not to be overrun.

Random Enemy Spawn Locations Keep Things Fresh

Each of the four classes will have some weapons and abilities unique to them (you wouldn’t see a priest waving around some Ogryn weaponry) but most guns should be interchangeable between the classes. Loadouts are going to be limited, but rightfully so; you aren’t the best of the best, you play the hired, expendable scum. Players should expect one melee and one ranged weapon per mission, but the effects of those melee attacks are so satisfyingly brutal. One swipe or smash can easily kill six or more enemies with bloody geysers unleashed into the air.

Warhammer 40k: Darktide is set for release on September 13th of this year and will be offered up in two versions: the Standard Edition and Imperial Edition, and will be available on Xbox Series X|S and PC. For more information, check out the game’s official website, and for even more coverage from Summer Game Fest 2022, keep it locked on COGconnected.

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Escape rooms have seen a long-running, steady rise in popularity. Groups of friends headed out to solve elaborate mysteries as quickly as they could to see who is the smartest. Escape room games you could play at home became a great alternative when going out wasn’t an option. However, Escape Academy developed by Coin Crew Games took at-home escape rooms to the next level. They created a colorful, inspiring, and challenging experience with a charming narrative that I did not expect and was happy to play.

Published by iam8bit and Skybound Games, players take on the role of a freshman student who has just been accepted to the strange Escape Academy; a school for learning and training in the art of escape. Something akin to a Hogwarts for Houdinis, the game is a collection of increasingly strange and fantastic escape room puzzles wrapped up in a mystery. In an escape room, the players are given a brief narrative, and a goal, and told to solve it within a time frame. Taking the medium to video games means the opportunity to add other nuances only available digitally. Hints can appear on screen when needed at the press of a button. Lighting and changing aspects of the environment like power supplies can have huge effects. Other characters will talk to you and guide the story along as you solve each puzzle. It’s not a new concept to video games, but it’s a fresh take on the escape room formula. 

I will admit I had some hesitation playing it at first. I had self-doubt about my own ability to complete the challenges. Escape Academy presents itself in such an inviting and fun way that those worries quickly melted away. I found myself more and more engrossed in the rooms that lay ahead for me. It was tense but generous with the time given (although I did feel like I was running things down to the wire on a few rooms!) Most gamers have this innate need to explore every corner of a space, look at all the angles, and see what kind of dials and knobs they can turn. Escape Academy is exactly the kind of game that rewards that and indeed encourages it as you look for clues. 

Peculiar Puzzles with Satisfying Solutions

I struggled with the first room as I rather quickly had to orient myself with how to play – the room happened to be rapidly filling with water. I’m happy to say after a few minutes, I found my stride. The further I got into the level, the more I fell into the flow. My brain switched to puzzle-solving mode and the tension was gone – I was legitimately having a blast solving each step as quickly as I could. Solving that final puzzle to earn my freedom felt like a triumph that came too soon; I wanted to keep playing. I wanted to go to the next room, the next challenge. It was made all the sweeter that the solution I needed was the culmination of everything I had just done. Did I solve those puzzles because I was smart or was it panic? Could I remember what I learned? Of course I did, and I loved it. I went into Escape Academy doubting not the game but myself, and I walked away from it wishing I could keep going.

Escape Academy is an accessible and enjoyable escape room experience with a sense of humor. It wants you to succeed, it wants you to figure it out. Escape rooms don’t have to be all about horror and jump scares, and Escape Academy does a brilliant job of showing players how fun the genre can be for everyone.

Escape Academy is set for release on July 14th and will be available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S For more information, check out the game’s official website, and for more from Summer Game Fest 2022 keep it locked on COGconnected.

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While it’s easy to think of sci-fi video games being all about aliens and explosions,  it doesn’t always have to be the case. One IP has been taking a different approach to alien life for decades and has done so with a singular philosophy on mankind’s encounters with another species. Star Trek does away with the trope of humans needing to shoot and eradicate other creatures – among many other tropes – in favor of delivering a message of tolerance, communication, and peace.

With that in mind, the people at Dramatic Labs asked the question: Why hasn’t this been done with a linear, narrative game? The genre itself is intended to delve deeply into a story and create something unique and heartfelt. It’s a style of game meant to be thought-provoking and emotional. For fans of Star Trek, this sounds like a perfect pairing, and it’s honestly surprising it took this long to pair the two together. Star Trek: Resurgence finds that perfect connection we never knew we needed. 

Star Trek: Resurgence gives us two new characters to encounter through the game: Captain Jara Rydek and Petty Officer Carter Diaz. As players progress through the game, they swap between the two in short segments, much like the show following two different characters in an episode. Each one is distinct in personality and tone, but still likable characters who are easy to sympathize with. Captain Rydek is a professional and understands her position of authority, but she also doesn’t deny her emotions. She’s a well-rounded character who can handle pressure. Certain moments come up that really highlight that she is a person more than an officer. She reminds me of a combination of Picard and Janeway.

Star Trek: Resurgence is Comfortably Familiar yet Dynamically New

Petty Officer Diaz is smart, relatable, and down to earth (figuratively, of course) He genuinely likes and believes in the Federation. He wants to move up the ranks and he perfectly represents someone eager and willing to prove themselves. He is like a blend of Harry Kim and Geordi La Forge Exploring the story set before them, I was genuinely disheartened when my time with Star Trek: Resurgence came to an end because I needed to know more. I needed to see what happens next. 

The writing was everything you would expect from a team comprised of 20+ members of Telltale. The dialogue feels real and believable. It doesn’t feel like an awkward exposition dump, but rather a proper foray into the Star Trek universe. What I like most were the multiple dialogue options that presented themselves. Nothing feels like it’s the wrong, bad, or evil answer. I could see each character saying those lines and delivering them without it feeling like a jarring departure from their established personality.

Rydek and Diaz Shine as Compelling, Complex Characters

That kind of character consistency can be rare in games with branching dialogue options, but the fact it stayed true to these characters had me even more engrossed in the experience of Star Trek: Resurgence. As a captain, I was told to remain neutral during the resolution of a conflict. I managed to do so – to a point – until things grew heated between both parties and I was forced to make a decision – with a time limit no less. The weight of that forced-choice felt heavy. I ran the clock almost to the very end before having to decide, and never have I felt that kind of emotional pressure on my shoulders from an A or B choice before. Aesthetically, Star Trek: Resurgence has a ship – the U.S.S. Resolute – that is comfortably familiar, using hallway designs from the TNG era, while their uniforms are more reminiscent of Voyager. It feels like its own, brand new story within the established universe and I can’t wait to see where it boldly goes.

Star Trek: Resurgence is set for release later this year on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and the Epic Game Store. For more information, check out the game’s official website, and for even more coverage of Summer Game Fest be sure to keep it locked on COGconnected.

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When the campaign for Outriders came to an end, there was hope on the horizon for the survival of humanity. A chance for people to change their fate against the anomaly storm and move forward towards a new life, to begin a new age of prosperity. Outriders: Worldslayer picks up where the base game ends, but Enoch has never been one for happy endings. 

Worldslayer is set to change Outriders in new and intense ways, with a host of horrifying and deadly adversaries, new gear,  mods, and much more. We’ve already covered some of this content in a previous article, talking about the Apocalypse tier, Apocalypse gear with a brand new third mod slot, and the Ascension points that allow players to continually improve their character’s stats beyond level 30. Lucy Hale of Square Enix took the stage at Summer Game Fest alongside Sven to showcase some of the brilliant features in Outriders: Worldslayer’s new upcoming end-game mode, The Trials of Tarya Gratar.

Tarya Gratar is an enormous, ancient temple on Enoch, filled with incredible new enemies and challenges to overcome. This new mode functions much like a classic raid experience and is designed to push teams to their limits. The temple is comprised of a network of rooms that each pose their own challenges for players to overcome. Crossroads, Troves, and Boss Arenas make up the temple, which is broken into segments.

Crossroads are your opportunity to explore the branching paths of Tarya Gratar. They are intersections and key locations for navigating the temple, leading you towards Troves and Boss Arenas. In Outriders: Worldslayer, Troves are large areas that pose unique challenges and varied enemies. Clearing a Trove allows players to choose the type of loot reward that will drop. This is an optional room to complete, but it means players can narrow the focus of their loot grind. This makes pursuing that one elusive piece you need to finish a set easier. 

All-New Epic Boss Battles Keep Players on Their Toes

Boss Arenas are exactly what you would expect: incredible boss fights against brand new enemies with abilities never seen before. You cannot progress through to the next stage of the Trial of Tarya Gratar without first defeating its boss, and the deeper you delve, the more powerful the enemies become.

The team at People Can Fly estimates that even a short, casual run within the trials will take roughly two hours. Tarya Gratar has been built with replayability in mind, and the challenge it provides looks mighty. Watching Sven decimate the hordes of Enoch was awe-inspiring, but everyone in attendance could tell just how much of a threat these new denizens can be. The Shadowbeast – a new addition to the bestiary of Outriders: Worldslayer – can lock out your skills, attacking in packs while invisible. The Wraith is a floating, spectral casting creature that seemed to cause devastating freeze attacks. Finally, the Beast Lord not only has incredibly potent ranged attacks butalso controls Shadowbeasts, transforming into a swarm of bats to teleport around the battlefield and keep out of range.

End-Game Builds are Limitless, and They Need to be for What’s Coming

We only got to see a few of the new mods on offer with the Worldslayer content, but some of them give players the chance to access the abilities from other classes, such as casting the Volcanic Eruption ability of the Pyromancer when shooting enemies. What other skills will appear is, as of yet, unknown, but the possibilities are fascinating to consider and open up even more options for unpredictable builds. 

Outriders: Worldslayer will be available June 30th on PC, Stadia, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S with full crossplay across all platforms. For more information, check out the game’s official website, and for more spectacular content from Summer Game Fest be sure to keep it locked on COGconnected.

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