product review
Product reviews for gamers; reviews of the best video games, consoles, accessories and gaming technologies.
Lifeslide Review
If you only occasionally play the PC ports of mobile games, you probably have a certain low level of expectations. Those titles typically have a very basic premise, limited controls, no depth, and repetitive design patterns to keep players mindlessly involved as they commute or otherwise need to pass the time. However, with the push from both Apple and Google to have accessible and yet more immersive experiences, in part thanks to more powerful hardware of the Apple TV or latest Android phones, the games have also started to step up. Lifeslide is the latest PC port of a game that was first released on portable platforms back in 2019/20. The PC version offers some nice improvements and looks good, but it's also rather pricey for what you get and the gameplay elements remain unmistakably mobile-focused.
By Wendy Zhang4 years ago in Gamers
TORMENTED SOULS REVIEW
They just don’t make survival horror games like they used to, do they? Outlast, Resident Evil, Amnesia: Rebirth – they can all be quite scary in their own right, but they play and feel very different from the original fixed-perspective, slow-moving, atmosphere-heavy horror games that used to be iconic.
By Wendy Zhang4 years ago in Gamers
MORTAL SHELL: THE VIRTUOUS CYCLE REVIEW
When Cold Symmetry’s Mortal Shell appeared in 2020, no doubt more than a few eyes rolled in cynical skepticism. Another action RPG Soulslike clone? Would the tide of wannabes never recede? Well, the naysayers were mistaken. While Mortal Shell embraced, luxuriated in, and unabashedly copped many of the mechanics of Dark Souls, it added a few really smart and engaging new ideas of its own. Maybe most important, it came closest of any ARPG to matching the gothic ambiguity, satisfying melee combat, and solid progression and mastery loop of any game not made by From Software.
By Wendy Zhang4 years ago in Gamers
NO MORE HEROES 3 REVIEW
SUDA51 is like the Johnny Rotten of the video game industry. Laced with controversy, his rebellious nature is evident throughout each unique creation. Whilst teetering the thin line between genius and madman, he managed to find mainstream success with the No More Heroes franchise which brought R-rated violence to Nintendo’s family-centric console: the Wii.
By Wendy Zhang4 years ago in Gamers
PSO2 New Genesis Provides Players With An Open World
PSO2 New Genesis is a brand new game that provides players with new equipment, weapons, and PSO2 Meseta. Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is an open world, where there are many new content, we can have more fun in this game.
By Richard Patrick Jr.4 years ago in Gamers
HAMMERHEAD TRUE WIRELESS EARBUDS REVIEW
I haven’t had much luck with earbuds over the years. As someone who wears them religiously when working out, going for a hike, or just mowing the lawn, they never seem to last long. Mainly because I sweat profusely, to the point where even the best “sports” and “water-resistant” earbuds eventually get moisture in them and die. As a result, I never want to spend a great deal of money on a pair, unless I know they’ll last. Are Razer’s Hammerhead True Wireless earbuds the answer? Likely not, but when it comes to gaming and listening to tunes when you aren’t dripping wet, the Hammerhead delivers a fantastic audio experience.
By Wendy Zhang4 years ago in Gamers
HOA REVIEW
Studio Ghibli’s influence on the video game industry is becoming increasingly more palpable. The cute, ethereal worlds, packed with character and signature color palette have seeped into many titles. Dripping with personality, Hoa manages to do something that only a handful of games have been able to accomplish. Perfectly capturing the essence of Hayao Miyazaki, can Skrollcat Studio ensure that the gameplay matches the ambition of the jaw-dropping aesthetics?
By Wendy Zhang4 years ago in Gamers
PSYCHONAUTS 2 REVIEW
Aside from the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, I don’t remember a lot about 2005. But I do recall playing Psychonauts, Double Fine’s groundbreaking action puzzle platform game with its weird, trippy visuals, quirky sense of humor, and unique take on the human mind. Playing it today Psychonauts remains a game with more ambition and heart than mechanical polish, but it literally set the stage for Psychonauts 2, where all the wondrous, challenging and creative ideas of the original are more than fully realized.
By Wendy Zhang4 years ago in Gamers
The Ascent Review
Tiers are everywhere. Socioeconomic tiers split people based on education, wealth, and occupation. Sport tiers range from children’s amateur leagues to professionals competing at the Olympics. Tiers also exist in gaming. We expect that indie titles will not have the visual quality and content of the bigger games. But every once and a while a game blurs the line. The Ascent is a fun top-down shooter from a small development studio, Neon Giant, with exceptional visuals and plenty of content. If it were not for bugs, tedium, and other issues, it would sit comfortably alongside games several price tiers above its own.
By Wendy Zhang4 years ago in Gamers
Madden NFL 22 review: A game of inches
The Madden series is among the most heavily-criticized franchises on the market. Typically getting a new entry every summer, just before the real-life NFL season kicks off, Madden is infamous for its long-standing bugs, repeated content, and a general lack of innovation. Madden NFL 22 is the latest installment in the series and although it does address some of the game’s long-running problems, it feels like more of an incremental upgrade, rather than the generational leap players are hoping for.
By Wendy Zhang4 years ago in Gamers
Boyfriend Dungeon review: Man Crush Monday
I always love it when a developer can cleverly weave together two genres. Bonus points if those two genres are a pair that we almost never see together. Kitfox Games gave themselves the challenge to do just that with Boyfriend Dungeon, a visual novel dating sim combined with a traditional dungeon-crawler. Somehow, they pull it off.
By Wendy Zhang4 years ago in Gamers
Humankind
I didn’t expect Endless Legend to be a written story, especially historical, but personality doesn’t produce anything new. It’s the story of a mysterious TV show that spans a few seasons before bedtime, creating a wave of drama and excitement that makes some stories memorable but given Endless Legends the power to tell solid, structured stories, this is a small surprise. Mistakes here and there, or a few frustrating mistakes, can be embarrassing, but given the context, humanity will never knock a Titan like this into the game.
By Bishesta Paudel4 years ago in Gamers
