Skip to content
\r\n
Developer:\u00a0<\/strong>Ubisoft Montreal<\/span><\/p>\r\nPlatforms:<\/strong>\u00a0PC, PS4, PS5 (Reviewed), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One<\/span><\/p>\r\nGenre:<\/strong>\u00a0Action, Adventure, RPG<\/span><\/p>\r\nPublisher:\u00a0<\/strong>Ubisoft<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n
The first set of DLC has come out for Valhalla, titled Wrath of the Druids. The expansion sees Eivor on his way to Ireland where you will pick up a new story arc and will see the amazing expanse that is Ireland.<\/span><\/p>\r\nTo play the DLC you will have to complete one of the two first story arcs in England and an option to sail to Ireland will come via a stranger who will arrive in your camp. The power level in Ireland is 55 but it will adjust to your character level. This means you don't have to progress that much in the main game to enjoy the DLC. If you have played through Valhalla you will be higher than 55.<\/span><\/p>\r\n![\"ACV_druids1\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/ACV_druids1.jpg\")
<\/p>\r\n
Ireland is a huge new area you get to explore, the map is impressive. The terrain is a lot more rugged and mountainous than the original game. If you are from Ireland or have visited Ireland, you will familiar with the locations which is a nice touch. As a gamer from Ireland, it's novel to travel to in-game places you know and have visited. The game does a good job of having that Irish vibe with the voice acting and lore of Ireland portrayed well. Irish landscapes are well rendered and you get a sense of life in the Viking era of Ireland. A mixture of Latin, Irish and English is spoken too. Druids add a sense of mysticism and mystery to the proceedings too. The architecture is faithfully recreating buildings of that era. You will be able to equip new unique items such as clothing and weapons too. You will encounter new enemies, animals throughout the DLC. Ubisoft gets the mix of a new place to play through with solid gameplay, stunning visuals and intriguing story arcs to boot. It was a joy to play and see places I was familiar with. There are new abilities and new gameplay mechanics and buildings too. It's a really solid offering and it adds to the game.<\/span><\/p>\r\n![\"ACV_druids2\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/ACV_druids2.jpg\")
<\/p>\r\n
The standalone price for the season pass for Valhalla costs \u20ac39.99.<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe season pass is included in the Gold and Ultimate editions of Valhalla.<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe season pass will include access to Wrath of the Druids (released 13th May) and The Siege of Paris which will be released later in the year.<\/span><\/p>\r\n![\"ACV_druids3\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/ACV_druids3.jpg\")
<\/p>\r\n
While the standalone price for the season pass may seem high, the Wrath of Druids is sizeable about 13 hours of main quests and 5 hours of side quests. It depends on if you need another fix of Valhalla, and if you do I think you will get your money's worth, this only part 1 of the DLC. I liked the new arcs, the additional skills, new enemies and the general Irish feel about the DLC. I have been to a lot of these places so it was interesting seeing the \"Viking\" version in the game. The voice acting, mysticism, the darkness all have been executed well. It was a joy to play the DLC. I remembered how much I have enjoyed Vahalla after I revisited the game via the DLC. I'm looking forward to the next set of DLC.<\/span><\/p>\r\nOverall:\u00a0<\/strong>8\/10<\/span><\/p>","post_title":"Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids Review","post_excerpt":"The first set of DLC has come out","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"assassins-creed-valhalla-wrath-of-the-druids-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-04 15:52:44","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-04 14:52:44","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206235","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206206,"post_author":"11","post_date":"2021-04-30 12:24:47","post_date_gmt":"2021-04-30 11:24:47","post_content":"\r\nDeveloper:<\/strong>\u00a0Housemarque<\/span><\/p>\r\nPlatform: <\/strong>PS5
<\/span><\/p>\r\nGenre:<\/strong>\u00a0Action, Roguelike, Horror<\/span><\/p>\r\nPublisher:<\/strong> Sony Interactive Entertainment<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n
Returnal<\/span> is the next generation sci-fi based roguelike 3D person shooter from\u00a0Housemarque\u00a0<\/em>that is exclusive to PS5. While this intro tries to summarise the game in a short sentence it doesn't do this game the justice it deserves. The game thematically lies somewhere between sci-fi, mystery and some horror elements this is due to the Alien-esque nature of encounters with the enemies. The gameplay is a roguelike as you die a lot and lose the majority of your perks apart from a few permanent items as well. The game covers a lot of genres of game and themes too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\nYou are Selene who has crashed landed on Atropos (an alien planet) where you are searching for a broadcast signal and this is all you know and this is how the story is set up. From the initial frame, the impressive cinematics and the crash land help to set up the story and mystery of the game. Very little is given away which creates a level of intrigue and mystery, this is all set in the beautiful dark and wonderful of Atropos. The design and layout do give off Alien vibes throughout the game. As the game is a roguelike where you will die a lot, more story elements and your understanding of the world grows with every cycle (loop) of the game.<\/span><\/p>\r\nIt's difficult to pinpoint and place the game in one genre but the game has elements of Hades, a bullet hell shooter, Doom, Metroid Prime and the Hades comparison comes from the roguelike nature as well as some well-crafted storytelling wherein each cycle more is revealed. Doom in terms of the fast-paced shooter elements but 3rd person. The bullet hell feels of the enemies you encounter and just the manic nature of the enemies you encounter. There are lots of platforming elements too and an amount of discovery at each level.<\/span><\/p>\r\n![\"returnal1\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/returnal1.jpeg\")
<\/p>\r\n
The levels are procedurally generated so each run will have a varied gaming experience and a novel feel, also each run will have a slightly different difficulty level too depending on what power-ups are available.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe power-up system is varied due to various upgrades and collectable items. Straight-up power-ups that have a positive effect include weapon upgrades, health upgrades and efficiency upgrades. You can fabricate and make other upgrades too. Then you have malignant upgrades\/power-ups that can have positive as well as negative effects, the negative effects can be removed by completing specific tasks or you may be lucky and avoid the negative malignant effect. The game has a multitude of effects and events that will vary each run and which can make the run easier or tougher as well. There is a huge emphasis on risk and reward throughout the choices you make. That's why I'd also classify that the difficulty varies depending on your run, upgrades available and the procedural levels that are updated.<\/span><\/p>\r\nEach loop\/cycle whereby you die and come back act as a learning and help to introduce into other devices in the game such as collectable items, upgrades and power-ups. It will take several deaths in the game before you start the whole power-up systems as well as the collectables available and their power. Every inevitable death allows you to progress further in the story but also allows you to start with more permanent power-ups. The game does a great job of walking you through each element and its potential effect. I enjoyed that you learned more and more things as you progressed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n![\"returnal2\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/returnal2.jpeg\")
<\/p>\r\n
The game starts in this dark rain-sodden forest where very little is known, the detailed environments add the dark atmospheric vibes. Even though the levels are procedurally generated there is a good mix of items to collect and platform elements amongst the all-out shooter action. The game uses some clever narrative technique including the use of 1st person view for story elements and that you pick up voice messages from yourself all over Atropos. You are primarily in 3rd person view which gives you a broad view of each area and heightens the gameplay elements. Each voice note adds a little more detail of what is going in the world and helps the drive.<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe world reminds me a lot of the film Prometheus with a clear Alien vibe throughout the whole game. While I wouldn't classify the game as a horror it does give that sense in large parts of the game as enemies spawn out of nothingness. Even though each level isn't huge, the art style and level design give the game a huge sense of scale and the huge world that exists. The game melds level design, Alien themes and this dark atmospheric tone which gives the sense you are a small survivor in a huge vicious world.<\/span><\/p>\r\nA lush map that helps to guide you from level (\"room\") to level provides a navigation mechanism and helps you to find upgrades and power-ups whilst giving a sense of direction. The map allows you to plot a path for gaining the most buffs and power-ups or you can bypass them and head more directly to a boss.<\/span><\/p>\r\n![\"returnal3\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/returnal3.jpeg\")
<\/p>\r\n
The dual sense and haptic feedback are integrated seamlessly into Returnal. Every feature of the dual sense has been considered in the design and gameplay elements. The first thing that hit was the haptic feedback, the gentle vibrations that mimic rain and the use of sound to further engross you into the world of Atropos. Dualsense gives feedback such as the ground you are treading on, rainfall and tremors from enemies. It's all these little things that add to the whole sense of game immersion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe L2 trigger serves as two buttons where pressing until halfway gives a zoomed fire whereas pushing past the tension point gives the L2 button an alternate fire. Again the haptic feedback provides a system whereby you feel more immersed in the game and these small but clever uses of the controller are enjoyable and make sense. The dual sense gives a real tactile feel to the game and what is going.<\/span><\/p>\r\n3D audio is the other buzzword and the game promotes amazing sound effects and soundtrack. I own just regular headphones but the world seems more alive when I play with headphones, I could hear every element of the world from the weather, enemies and my footsteps. The audio and soundtrack are superb.<\/span><\/p>\r\n![\"returnal5\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/returnal5.jpeg\")
<\/p>\r\n
The main game mode is the rogue-like one player shooter whereby you have to kill every enemy to reach a boss to progress to the next biome. There are two other modes available, online mode and challenges.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe online mode is more along the lines that you can avenge or take the gear of other fallen Selenes in your world, this is illustrated by a corpse of Selene that you will find with the Gamertag of the fallen Selene.<\/span><\/p>\r\nChallenges are like an arcade run where you have to achieve certain goals and you will be placed on a leaderboard to gain ultimate grabbing rights.<\/span><\/p>\r\nWhile I have only spent a few hours playing on the day 1 patch, the day 1 patch improves navigation and identifies exits to each room in the game. This improves the visual aids to the user which is noticeable in the first level. There are some texture improvements on both Selene and enemies you encounter too, the colours on the enemies are more vivid. The majority of the day 1 patches are extra visual polish on the game. The game does seem to run smoother however this is only a slight tweak and the difference isn't massive compared to the 20 hours plus I played on the pre-day 1 patch version. Day 1 patch mainly is adding extra polish to a stunning game.<\/span><\/p>\r\n![\"returnal4\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/returnal4.jpeg\")
<\/p>\r\n
The game is quite challenging and can be unforgiving at times if I'm being honest, the learning curve is steep and I would classify the game as hard. It does become easier as you progress through every run and learn more about the powerups and shortcuts that are available. If you are used to bullet shooter or roguelike games, then you may find the difficulty level to your taste, the difficulty doesn't detract from the experience but enhances the overall gameplay and longevity of the game.<\/span><\/p>\r\nI have to say from the first run through the game to my last run-through, I found myself in awe of different elements of the game. I was struck by the intro, the crash landing and just seeing this world, the cinematics is superb and it felt movie-like. The use of the dual sense and haptic feedback just made the whole experience more immersive, sound effects, and noises, while these may seem small, the whole Returnal experience was enhanced. The use of the story narrative where you piece a little bit more with each run adds a whole lot of mystery and intrigue. Finding voice messages from different versions of Selene dotted throughout the world makes the narrative even more powerful and a bit of mind bend. The gameplay has a mix of action, shooter and platformer with some puzzles thrown in for good measure. Big huge scary monsters are rendered and look amazing. The boss fights are big and epic. The game has lots of variety and requires several run-throughs before you gain a thorough understanding of all the gameplay mechanics and what is possible. It's a game that has all the elements above but is great fun too, the pace is spot on, there is variety in how you play. The game is challenging, you will come back for more. Each game mechanic, each game design and each decision by developers all enhance the game and make it even more impactful. It's a superb hell of a ride.<\/span><\/p>\r\nOverall:\u00a0<\/strong>9\/10<\/span><\/p>","post_title":"Returnal Review","post_excerpt":"Sci-fi based roguelike","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"returnal-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-04 15:53:46","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-04 14:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206206","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206143,"post_author":"11","post_date":"2021-04-12 16:00:06","post_date_gmt":"2021-04-12 15:00:06","post_content":"Developer:\u00a0<\/strong>Unbound Creations\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nPlatforms: <\/strong>Mac, PC, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X (Reviewed) |S\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nGenre: <\/strong>Action, Adventure<\/span>\r\n\r\nPublisher:\u00a0<\/strong>Unbound Creations\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nRain on Your Parade follows the journey of a cloud and as it tries to ruin peoples fun hence the name. When I saw the trailer of the game I was unsure what to make of it, but to my surprise, it's super fun straight away and laugh out loud funny. The game is a puzzle with a huge emphasis on humour. The game story is narrated by a father telling his son about the adventures of this small cloud. This story underpins the entire journey of the cloud and the situations the cloud gets into.<\/span>\r\n\r\n![\"rainonyourparade1\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/rainonyourparade1.jpg\")
\r\n\r\nYou take the role of a cloud that ends up in several scenarios that must ruin the day for the unfortunate people below. Scenarios include such events as wedding days, commute to work, defusing a bomb and going to the beach. It's hard to describe the game, it is a mixture of a puzzle game and slapstick comedy. The game is humorous and doesn't take itself too seriously. There are some superb homages to some classic games throughout the levels, these levels are executed superbly too. The sheer unpredictable nature of the game from level to level makes each level super fun and novel too. The developers and designers have managed to get the humour spot on and it is laugh out loud funny. The character's animations add to the slapstick comedy too. The game is ridiculously easy to play and so much fun, I have to say, I was addicted after the first 10 minutes. The jokes and gamin humour is superb, I love it doesn't take itself too seriously. Gameplay is just lots of fun with lots of novelty.<\/span>\r\n\r\n![\"rainonyourparade2\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/rainonyourparade2.jpg\")
\r\n\r\nThe art style is superb, I love the 3D cartoony vibe and well-imagined world. The characters and everyone is superbly animated, the mixture of environments and themes support the story and the humour of the game. Each level has a different theme and the level design emphasises the gameplay. The animations and the sound effects hit the nail on the head and emphasise the humour. Each level is beautifully crafted and each level is unique, they have managed to fuse the artwork, sound effects, music and gameplay into cohesive and superb gaming that's lots of fun. The combination of the gameplay, humour, art style, sound effects and music make this game a fantastic game.<\/span>\r\n\r\n![\"rainonyourparade3\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/rainonyourparade3.jpg\")
\r\n\r\nFrom the trailers, I was unsure as to what I was going to play. I wasn't sure how this simple concept of cloud ruining people's day would work. Once I played the game I was instantly blown away, laughing and came back for more. It's super addictive, fun and easy to pick up and play. There are over 40 levels to play. The game developers and designers have made every element work in the game, the attention to detail, the jokes and the homages to other games are just fantastic. This is a pure joy to play.<\/span>\r\n\r\nOverall:<\/strong>\u00a09.5\/10\u00a0<\/span>","post_title":"Rain on Your Parade Review","post_excerpt":"Puzzle game","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"rain-on-your-parade-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-04 15:54:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-04 14:54:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206143","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":35},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_22"};
<\/p>\r\n","post_title":"Of Bird and Cage Review","post_excerpt":"Story-driven music game","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"of-bird-and-cage-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-04 15:51:07","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-04 14:51:07","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206411","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206302,"post_author":"11","post_date":"2021-05-28 13:43:05","post_date_gmt":"2021-05-28 12:43:05","post_content":"Developer:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Frontier Developments<\/span>\r\n\r\nPlatform:<\/strong>\u00a0PC (Steam)<\/span>\r\n\r\nGenre: <\/strong>Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, Strategy<\/span>\r\n\r\nPublisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Frontier Developments<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nElite Dangerous: Odyssey is an FPS and spaceship combat game that is the latest extension of Elite Dangerous. The game is set in a futuristic galaxy where the protagonist flies between galaxies to undertake missions. The galaxy seems infinite. The scale of planets and galaxies to visit is huge. I haven't played Elite Dangerous in a long time but I was looking forward to seeing what it had to offer and I will delve through the multiple game types and the action feast that is Elite Dangerous: Odyssey.<\/span>\r\n\r\nTo start, I mainly played the FPS mission-based game, where you travel the galaxies where you attempt to gain influence and power up your character. It has that classic action RPG style gameplay mixed with a huge emphasis on the action elements. I loved the FPS elements, it's very action-focused and you have to choose how you negotiate each mission. The FPS is mixed with interstellar travel. Different planets have different temperatures and gravity which mean each level is unique. There is a mix of stealth elements, shooter, all-out mayhem and lots of little clever gameplay mechanics such as specialist tools. I did find the gameplay a bit repetitive without a story to bind your missions together, the game consists of what would be considered side missions. If you like the mechanics of going from planet to planet and upgrading your player then this may be up your street.<\/span>\r\n\r\n![\"elited_o1\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/elited_o1.jpeg\")
\r\n\r\nThe control system does require a keyboard and mouse just with the sheer amount of menus and options available, the controller just won't be suitable. The regular FPS controls make it easy for anyone to get acclimated with the game. There is an array of menus and side menus that can be a bit clunky, to begin with, it did require a couple of hours to get used to them. The FPS elements are pretty standard and the spaceship does require a bit of time to be proficient. Extensive controls and menus are needed to track missions, spaceships, planets and goals.<\/span>\r\n\r\nMaps, space and levels are all rendered well, this will vary on the GPU that you have but even on my mid-tier GPU, it was awesome to look at it. The frame rate at 1080p was consistent for me and I didn't encounter any graphical issues. The game isn't fully an open world. Each area you visit is enclosed and limits where you can roam. The mix of martian, moon and space environments provide a backdrop for the levels. Each level\/area has its unique buildings such as factories, outposts, laboratories, refineries etc. It does give a sense of a series of planets that are inhabited, a living world where you drop into different places to complete missions. The whole space theme, ships, environments and outposts are done well. The gameplay reminds me of Mass Effect without the central story to pin it all together, it's the game I think that comes closest to what Elite Dangerous: Odyssey plays like except a first-person view. Just like Mass Effect, the game is mission-based as opposed to wandering amongst the planets.<\/span>\r\n\r\n![\"elited_o2\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/elited_o2.jpeg\")
\r\n\r\nThere is also a space combat mode that allows you to pit yourself against other online players. It allows for deathmatch and team deathmatch modes. I found this tons of fun and I thought it was cool but I found matchmaking poor and a lack of full games an issue. Though there could be huge scope for an improvement in terms of matchmaking which detract from the game.<\/span>\r\n\r\n![\"elited_o3\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/elited_o3.jpeg\")
\r\n\r\nOverall, the game is interesting, I love the mix of FPS action-based space action mixed with spaceship combat. I like the use of tools and levelling up your character as you see fit. There is a huge world to explore and tons of missions to boot. The single-player game has elements of massively multiplayer online games too where other commanders are visible in lobbies and stations. The spaceship and deathmatch combat is awesome but I found matchmaking poor and very rarely played with more than 3 people.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n![\"elited_o4\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/elited_o4.jpeg\")
\r\n\r\nThe game does suffer from a host of bugs and issues which made the first person game extremely frustrating. The point score of 5\/10 is pretty much down to bugs and issues. I encountered multiple mission-ending bugs where I had to do a game reset. I found the most frustrating thing is that I was getting into a rhythm and then some sort of bizarre issue stopping your gameplay. These bugs need to be addressed to get the whole experience. With bugs and issues fixed, I could see the game as being very enjoyable but I was left frustrated most of the time. I was hoping the game wouldn't crash or just end abruptly. I found the lack of story in the FPS made the game lacklustre and the missions became quite repetitive quickly and with bugs hugely frustrating.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nOverall:<\/strong>\u00a05\/10<\/span>","post_title":"Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Review","post_excerpt":"FPS and spaceship combat game","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"elite-dangerous-odyssey-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-04 15:52:01","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-04 14:52:01","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206302","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206235,"post_author":"11","post_date":"2021-05-13 15:06:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-05-13 14:06:12","post_content":"\r\nDeveloper:\u00a0<\/strong>Ubisoft Montreal<\/span><\/p>\r\nPlatforms:<\/strong>\u00a0PC, PS4, PS5 (Reviewed), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One<\/span><\/p>\r\nGenre:<\/strong>\u00a0Action, Adventure, RPG<\/span><\/p>\r\nPublisher:\u00a0<\/strong>Ubisoft<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n
The first set of DLC has come out for Valhalla, titled Wrath of the Druids. The expansion sees Eivor on his way to Ireland where you will pick up a new story arc and will see the amazing expanse that is Ireland.<\/span><\/p>\r\nTo play the DLC you will have to complete one of the two first story arcs in England and an option to sail to Ireland will come via a stranger who will arrive in your camp. The power level in Ireland is 55 but it will adjust to your character level. This means you don't have to progress that much in the main game to enjoy the DLC. If you have played through Valhalla you will be higher than 55.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
Ireland is a huge new area you get to explore, the map is impressive. The terrain is a lot more rugged and mountainous than the original game. If you are from Ireland or have visited Ireland, you will familiar with the locations which is a nice touch. As a gamer from Ireland, it's novel to travel to in-game places you know and have visited. The game does a good job of having that Irish vibe with the voice acting and lore of Ireland portrayed well. Irish landscapes are well rendered and you get a sense of life in the Viking era of Ireland. A mixture of Latin, Irish and English is spoken too. Druids add a sense of mysticism and mystery to the proceedings too. The architecture is faithfully recreating buildings of that era. You will be able to equip new unique items such as clothing and weapons too. You will encounter new enemies, animals throughout the DLC. Ubisoft gets the mix of a new place to play through with solid gameplay, stunning visuals and intriguing story arcs to boot. It was a joy to play and see places I was familiar with. There are new abilities and new gameplay mechanics and buildings too. It's a really solid offering and it adds to the game.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
The standalone price for the season pass for Valhalla costs \u20ac39.99.<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe season pass is included in the Gold and Ultimate editions of Valhalla.<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe season pass will include access to Wrath of the Druids (released 13th May) and The Siege of Paris which will be released later in the year.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
While the standalone price for the season pass may seem high, the Wrath of Druids is sizeable about 13 hours of main quests and 5 hours of side quests. It depends on if you need another fix of Valhalla, and if you do I think you will get your money's worth, this only part 1 of the DLC. I liked the new arcs, the additional skills, new enemies and the general Irish feel about the DLC. I have been to a lot of these places so it was interesting seeing the \"Viking\" version in the game. The voice acting, mysticism, the darkness all have been executed well. It was a joy to play the DLC. I remembered how much I have enjoyed Vahalla after I revisited the game via the DLC. I'm looking forward to the next set of DLC.<\/span><\/p>\r\nOverall:\u00a0<\/strong>8\/10<\/span><\/p>","post_title":"Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids Review","post_excerpt":"The first set of DLC has come out","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"assassins-creed-valhalla-wrath-of-the-druids-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-04 15:52:44","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-04 14:52:44","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206235","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206206,"post_author":"11","post_date":"2021-04-30 12:24:47","post_date_gmt":"2021-04-30 11:24:47","post_content":"\r\nDeveloper:<\/strong>\u00a0Housemarque<\/span><\/p>\r\nPlatform: <\/strong>PS5
<\/span><\/p>\r\nGenre:<\/strong>\u00a0Action, Roguelike, Horror<\/span><\/p>\r\nPublisher:<\/strong> Sony Interactive Entertainment<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n
Returnal<\/span> is the next generation sci-fi based roguelike 3D person shooter from\u00a0Housemarque\u00a0<\/em>that is exclusive to PS5. While this intro tries to summarise the game in a short sentence it doesn't do this game the justice it deserves. The game thematically lies somewhere between sci-fi, mystery and some horror elements this is due to the Alien-esque nature of encounters with the enemies. The gameplay is a roguelike as you die a lot and lose the majority of your perks apart from a few permanent items as well. The game covers a lot of genres of game and themes too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\nYou are Selene who has crashed landed on Atropos (an alien planet) where you are searching for a broadcast signal and this is all you know and this is how the story is set up. From the initial frame, the impressive cinematics and the crash land help to set up the story and mystery of the game. Very little is given away which creates a level of intrigue and mystery, this is all set in the beautiful dark and wonderful of Atropos. The design and layout do give off Alien vibes throughout the game. As the game is a roguelike where you will die a lot, more story elements and your understanding of the world grows with every cycle (loop) of the game.<\/span><\/p>\r\nIt's difficult to pinpoint and place the game in one genre but the game has elements of Hades, a bullet hell shooter, Doom, Metroid Prime and the Hades comparison comes from the roguelike nature as well as some well-crafted storytelling wherein each cycle more is revealed. Doom in terms of the fast-paced shooter elements but 3rd person. The bullet hell feels of the enemies you encounter and just the manic nature of the enemies you encounter. There are lots of platforming elements too and an amount of discovery at each level.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
The levels are procedurally generated so each run will have a varied gaming experience and a novel feel, also each run will have a slightly different difficulty level too depending on what power-ups are available.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe power-up system is varied due to various upgrades and collectable items. Straight-up power-ups that have a positive effect include weapon upgrades, health upgrades and efficiency upgrades. You can fabricate and make other upgrades too. Then you have malignant upgrades\/power-ups that can have positive as well as negative effects, the negative effects can be removed by completing specific tasks or you may be lucky and avoid the negative malignant effect. The game has a multitude of effects and events that will vary each run and which can make the run easier or tougher as well. There is a huge emphasis on risk and reward throughout the choices you make. That's why I'd also classify that the difficulty varies depending on your run, upgrades available and the procedural levels that are updated.<\/span><\/p>\r\nEach loop\/cycle whereby you die and come back act as a learning and help to introduce into other devices in the game such as collectable items, upgrades and power-ups. It will take several deaths in the game before you start the whole power-up systems as well as the collectables available and their power. Every inevitable death allows you to progress further in the story but also allows you to start with more permanent power-ups. The game does a great job of walking you through each element and its potential effect. I enjoyed that you learned more and more things as you progressed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
The game starts in this dark rain-sodden forest where very little is known, the detailed environments add the dark atmospheric vibes. Even though the levels are procedurally generated there is a good mix of items to collect and platform elements amongst the all-out shooter action. The game uses some clever narrative technique including the use of 1st person view for story elements and that you pick up voice messages from yourself all over Atropos. You are primarily in 3rd person view which gives you a broad view of each area and heightens the gameplay elements. Each voice note adds a little more detail of what is going in the world and helps the drive.<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe world reminds me a lot of the film Prometheus with a clear Alien vibe throughout the whole game. While I wouldn't classify the game as a horror it does give that sense in large parts of the game as enemies spawn out of nothingness. Even though each level isn't huge, the art style and level design give the game a huge sense of scale and the huge world that exists. The game melds level design, Alien themes and this dark atmospheric tone which gives the sense you are a small survivor in a huge vicious world.<\/span><\/p>\r\nA lush map that helps to guide you from level (\"room\") to level provides a navigation mechanism and helps you to find upgrades and power-ups whilst giving a sense of direction. The map allows you to plot a path for gaining the most buffs and power-ups or you can bypass them and head more directly to a boss.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
The dual sense and haptic feedback are integrated seamlessly into Returnal. Every feature of the dual sense has been considered in the design and gameplay elements. The first thing that hit was the haptic feedback, the gentle vibrations that mimic rain and the use of sound to further engross you into the world of Atropos. Dualsense gives feedback such as the ground you are treading on, rainfall and tremors from enemies. It's all these little things that add to the whole sense of game immersion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe L2 trigger serves as two buttons where pressing until halfway gives a zoomed fire whereas pushing past the tension point gives the L2 button an alternate fire. Again the haptic feedback provides a system whereby you feel more immersed in the game and these small but clever uses of the controller are enjoyable and make sense. The dual sense gives a real tactile feel to the game and what is going.<\/span><\/p>\r\n3D audio is the other buzzword and the game promotes amazing sound effects and soundtrack. I own just regular headphones but the world seems more alive when I play with headphones, I could hear every element of the world from the weather, enemies and my footsteps. The audio and soundtrack are superb.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
The main game mode is the rogue-like one player shooter whereby you have to kill every enemy to reach a boss to progress to the next biome. There are two other modes available, online mode and challenges.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe online mode is more along the lines that you can avenge or take the gear of other fallen Selenes in your world, this is illustrated by a corpse of Selene that you will find with the Gamertag of the fallen Selene.<\/span><\/p>\r\nChallenges are like an arcade run where you have to achieve certain goals and you will be placed on a leaderboard to gain ultimate grabbing rights.<\/span><\/p>\r\nWhile I have only spent a few hours playing on the day 1 patch, the day 1 patch improves navigation and identifies exits to each room in the game. This improves the visual aids to the user which is noticeable in the first level. There are some texture improvements on both Selene and enemies you encounter too, the colours on the enemies are more vivid. The majority of the day 1 patches are extra visual polish on the game. The game does seem to run smoother however this is only a slight tweak and the difference isn't massive compared to the 20 hours plus I played on the pre-day 1 patch version. Day 1 patch mainly is adding extra polish to a stunning game.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
The game is quite challenging and can be unforgiving at times if I'm being honest, the learning curve is steep and I would classify the game as hard. It does become easier as you progress through every run and learn more about the powerups and shortcuts that are available. If you are used to bullet shooter or roguelike games, then you may find the difficulty level to your taste, the difficulty doesn't detract from the experience but enhances the overall gameplay and longevity of the game.<\/span><\/p>\r\nI have to say from the first run through the game to my last run-through, I found myself in awe of different elements of the game. I was struck by the intro, the crash landing and just seeing this world, the cinematics is superb and it felt movie-like. The use of the dual sense and haptic feedback just made the whole experience more immersive, sound effects, and noises, while these may seem small, the whole Returnal experience was enhanced. The use of the story narrative where you piece a little bit more with each run adds a whole lot of mystery and intrigue. Finding voice messages from different versions of Selene dotted throughout the world makes the narrative even more powerful and a bit of mind bend. The gameplay has a mix of action, shooter and platformer with some puzzles thrown in for good measure. Big huge scary monsters are rendered and look amazing. The boss fights are big and epic. The game has lots of variety and requires several run-throughs before you gain a thorough understanding of all the gameplay mechanics and what is possible. It's a game that has all the elements above but is great fun too, the pace is spot on, there is variety in how you play. The game is challenging, you will come back for more. Each game mechanic, each game design and each decision by developers all enhance the game and make it even more impactful. It's a superb hell of a ride.<\/span><\/p>\r\nOverall:\u00a0<\/strong>9\/10<\/span><\/p>","post_title":"Returnal Review","post_excerpt":"Sci-fi based roguelike","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"returnal-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-04 15:53:46","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-04 14:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206206","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206143,"post_author":"11","post_date":"2021-04-12 16:00:06","post_date_gmt":"2021-04-12 15:00:06","post_content":"Developer:\u00a0<\/strong>Unbound Creations\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nPlatforms: <\/strong>Mac, PC, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X (Reviewed) |S\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nGenre: <\/strong>Action, Adventure<\/span>\r\n\r\nPublisher:\u00a0<\/strong>Unbound Creations\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nRain on Your Parade follows the journey of a cloud and as it tries to ruin peoples fun hence the name. When I saw the trailer of the game I was unsure what to make of it, but to my surprise, it's super fun straight away and laugh out loud funny. The game is a puzzle with a huge emphasis on humour. The game story is narrated by a father telling his son about the adventures of this small cloud. This story underpins the entire journey of the cloud and the situations the cloud gets into.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nYou take the role of a cloud that ends up in several scenarios that must ruin the day for the unfortunate people below. Scenarios include such events as wedding days, commute to work, defusing a bomb and going to the beach. It's hard to describe the game, it is a mixture of a puzzle game and slapstick comedy. The game is humorous and doesn't take itself too seriously. There are some superb homages to some classic games throughout the levels, these levels are executed superbly too. The sheer unpredictable nature of the game from level to level makes each level super fun and novel too. The developers and designers have managed to get the humour spot on and it is laugh out loud funny. The character's animations add to the slapstick comedy too. The game is ridiculously easy to play and so much fun, I have to say, I was addicted after the first 10 minutes. The jokes and gamin humour is superb, I love it doesn't take itself too seriously. Gameplay is just lots of fun with lots of novelty.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe art style is superb, I love the 3D cartoony vibe and well-imagined world. The characters and everyone is superbly animated, the mixture of environments and themes support the story and the humour of the game. Each level has a different theme and the level design emphasises the gameplay. The animations and the sound effects hit the nail on the head and emphasise the humour. Each level is beautifully crafted and each level is unique, they have managed to fuse the artwork, sound effects, music and gameplay into cohesive and superb gaming that's lots of fun. The combination of the gameplay, humour, art style, sound effects and music make this game a fantastic game.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nFrom the trailers, I was unsure as to what I was going to play. I wasn't sure how this simple concept of cloud ruining people's day would work. Once I played the game I was instantly blown away, laughing and came back for more. It's super addictive, fun and easy to pick up and play. There are over 40 levels to play. The game developers and designers have made every element work in the game, the attention to detail, the jokes and the homages to other games are just fantastic. This is a pure joy to play.<\/span>\r\n\r\nOverall:<\/strong>\u00a09.5\/10\u00a0<\/span>","post_title":"Rain on Your Parade Review","post_excerpt":"Puzzle game","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"rain-on-your-parade-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-04 15:54:50","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-04 14:54:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206143","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":35},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_22"};
\r\n <\/p>\r\n","post_title":"Clan O\u2019Conall and the Crown of the Stag Review","post_excerpt":"Action platformer","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"clan-oconall-and-the-crown-of-the-stag-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-04 15:49:34","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-04 14:49:34","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206593","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206411,"post_author":"11","post_date":"2021-06-14 19:29:01","post_date_gmt":"2021-06-14 18:29:01","post_content":"
Developer:<\/strong>\u00a0Capricia Productions<\/span><\/p>\r\nPlatform:<\/strong>\u00a0Windows PC (Steam)<\/span><\/p>\r\nGenre:\u00a0<\/strong> Action<\/span><\/p>\r\nPublisher:\u00a0<\/strong>All in! Games\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n
Of Bird and Cage pitches itself as a story-driven music game that aptly describes the game. The game follows the protagonist Gitta Barbot and her life of misery, trauma and survival through this horrible world. The game is a first player adventure game with quick-time events all using the metal soundtrack to tell the story and ultimately becomes integrated into all game events.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe game is a first-person adventure game with the majority of the gameplay elements being in the first person; however parts of the storytelling are from a 3rd person view. The game consists of sandboxed areas where you are given cues on what to do, the majority of these game events require you to solve a puzzle, collect items or fight your way out. The pace of the game which is aided by the soundtrack can be fairly quick and you find yourself in a rush to complete the level your time runs out. To break up the gameplay, you will have quick-time events appear throughout the narrative. I found the puzzle elements that were timed to be quick and the controls are clunky too which made them feel even trickier than they should have.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n![\"ofbirdandcage1\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ofbirdandcage1.jpg\")
<\/p>\r\n
The graphics could be better, it felt like a last generation game, the environments and characters model were all just a bit off.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\nHowever, despite this, the soundtrack and story which are intertwined are the real stars of the game.<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe metal soundtrack composed by Arnold Nesis consists of artists like Ron \"Bumblefoot\" Thal (ex-Guns N\u2019 Roses), Rob van der Loo (Epica), Ruud Jolie (Within Temptation), Casey Grillo (ex-Kamelot), Rocky Gray (ex-Evanescence), Mike Lepond (Symphony X), Danny Worsnop (Asking Alexandria), Tina Guo and Snowy Shaw (ex-King Diamond, ex-Therion).<\/span><\/p>\r\n![\"ofbirdandcage2\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ofbirdandcage2.jpg\")
<\/p>\r\n
The characters are voiced by Kobra Paige (Kobra and the Lotus), Danny Worsnop (Asking Alexandria), and Davidavi 'Vidi' Dolev (Gunned Down Horses). This is where the game's strength is and it's the musical offering. The game does turn into a musical pretty quickly. Levels and the amount of time you have to complete puzzles are dictated by musical interludes. I'm not a huge fan of musicals so I found the musical elements a bit over the top for me. The soundtrack is amazing though. However, the soundtrack doesn't save the game, it doesn't manage to gloss over the clunky gameplay and parts of the story which are odd and wholly unbelievable story elements.<\/span><\/p>\r\n![\"ofbirdandcage3\"](\"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/ofbirdandcage3.jpg\")
<\/p>\r\n
Of Bird and Cage starts with a deep dark story of a young woman and her trauma throughout her life. It was a lot darker than I thought it would be. The metal soundtrack adds a lot of depth to the story and helps to paint the story. The game does take a turn and becomes like a musical fairly quick though. I'm not a huge musical fan. I found the quick-time events and general gameplay a bit clunky. The visuals lacked the refinement and polish that the gameplay also did. Parts of the story are just bizarre but the ideas are good but just not executed as they could have been. The soundtrack is the real superb element of the game that helps drive the game. Ultimately better gameplay elements and visuals would have improved the game.<\/span><\/p>\r\nOverall:\u00a0<\/strong>5\/10<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n <\/p>\r\n","post_title":"Of Bird and Cage Review","post_excerpt":"Story-driven music game","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"of-bird-and-cage-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-04 15:51:07","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-04 14:51:07","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206411","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206302,"post_author":"11","post_date":"2021-05-28 13:43:05","post_date_gmt":"2021-05-28 12:43:05","post_content":"Developer:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Frontier Developments<\/span>\r\n\r\nPlatform:<\/strong>\u00a0PC (Steam)<\/span>\r\n\r\nGenre: <\/strong>Action, Adventure, Massively Multiplayer, Strategy<\/span>\r\n\r\nPublisher:<\/strong>\u00a0Frontier Developments<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nElite Dangerous: Odyssey is an FPS and spaceship combat game that is the latest extension of Elite Dangerous. The game is set in a futuristic galaxy where the protagonist flies between galaxies to undertake missions. The galaxy seems infinite. The scale of planets and galaxies to visit is huge. I haven't played Elite Dangerous in a long time but I was looking forward to seeing what it had to offer and I will delve through the multiple game types and the action feast that is Elite Dangerous: Odyssey.<\/span>\r\n\r\nTo start, I mainly played the FPS mission-based game, where you travel the galaxies where you attempt to gain influence and power up your character. It has that classic action RPG style gameplay mixed with a huge emphasis on the action elements. I loved the FPS elements, it's very action-focused and you have to choose how you negotiate each mission. The FPS is mixed with interstellar travel. Different planets have different temperatures and gravity which mean each level is unique. There is a mix of stealth elements, shooter, all-out mayhem and lots of little clever gameplay mechanics such as specialist tools. I did find the gameplay a bit repetitive without a story to bind your missions together, the game consists of what would be considered side missions. If you like the mechanics of going from planet to planet and upgrading your player then this may be up your street.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe control system does require a keyboard and mouse just with the sheer amount of menus and options available, the controller just won't be suitable. The regular FPS controls make it easy for anyone to get acclimated with the game. There is an array of menus and side menus that can be a bit clunky, to begin with, it did require a couple of hours to get used to them. The FPS elements are pretty standard and the spaceship does require a bit of time to be proficient. Extensive controls and menus are needed to track missions, spaceships, planets and goals.<\/span>\r\n\r\nMaps, space and levels are all rendered well, this will vary on the GPU that you have but even on my mid-tier GPU, it was awesome to look at it. The frame rate at 1080p was consistent for me and I didn't encounter any graphical issues. The game isn't fully an open world. Each area you visit is enclosed and limits where you can roam. The mix of martian, moon and space environments provide a backdrop for the levels. Each level\/area has its unique buildings such as factories, outposts, laboratories, refineries etc. It does give a sense of a series of planets that are inhabited, a living world where you drop into different places to complete missions. The whole space theme, ships, environments and outposts are done well. The gameplay reminds me of Mass Effect without the central story to pin it all together, it's the game I think that comes closest to what Elite Dangerous: Odyssey plays like except a first-person view. Just like Mass Effect, the game is mission-based as opposed to wandering amongst the planets.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThere is also a space combat mode that allows you to pit yourself against other online players. It allows for deathmatch and team deathmatch modes. I found this tons of fun and I thought it was cool but I found matchmaking poor and a lack of full games an issue. Though there could be huge scope for an improvement in terms of matchmaking which detract from the game.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nOverall, the game is interesting, I love the mix of FPS action-based space action mixed with spaceship combat. I like the use of tools and levelling up your character as you see fit. There is a huge world to explore and tons of missions to boot. The single-player game has elements of massively multiplayer online games too where other commanders are visible in lobbies and stations. The spaceship and deathmatch combat is awesome but I found matchmaking poor and very rarely played with more than 3 people.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nThe game does suffer from a host of bugs and issues which made the first person game extremely frustrating. The point score of 5\/10 is pretty much down to bugs and issues. I encountered multiple mission-ending bugs where I had to do a game reset. I found the most frustrating thing is that I was getting into a rhythm and then some sort of bizarre issue stopping your gameplay. These bugs need to be addressed to get the whole experience. With bugs and issues fixed, I could see the game as being very enjoyable but I was left frustrated most of the time. I was hoping the game wouldn't crash or just end abruptly. I found the lack of story in the FPS made the game lacklustre and the missions became quite repetitive quickly and with bugs hugely frustrating.\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nOverall:<\/strong>\u00a05\/10<\/span>","post_title":"Elite Dangerous: Odyssey Review","post_excerpt":"FPS and spaceship combat game","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"elite-dangerous-odyssey-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-04 15:52:01","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-04 14:52:01","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206302","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206235,"post_author":"11","post_date":"2021-05-13 15:06:12","post_date_gmt":"2021-05-13 14:06:12","post_content":"\r\nDeveloper:\u00a0<\/strong>Ubisoft Montreal<\/span><\/p>\r\nPlatforms:<\/strong>\u00a0PC, PS4, PS5 (Reviewed), Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One<\/span><\/p>\r\nGenre:<\/strong>\u00a0Action, Adventure, RPG<\/span><\/p>\r\nPublisher:\u00a0<\/strong>Ubisoft<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n
The first set of DLC has come out for Valhalla, titled Wrath of the Druids. The expansion sees Eivor on his way to Ireland where you will pick up a new story arc and will see the amazing expanse that is Ireland.<\/span><\/p>\r\nTo play the DLC you will have to complete one of the two first story arcs in England and an option to sail to Ireland will come via a stranger who will arrive in your camp. The power level in Ireland is 55 but it will adjust to your character level. This means you don't have to progress that much in the main game to enjoy the DLC. If you have played through Valhalla you will be higher than 55.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
Ireland is a huge new area you get to explore, the map is impressive. The terrain is a lot more rugged and mountainous than the original game. If you are from Ireland or have visited Ireland, you will familiar with the locations which is a nice touch. As a gamer from Ireland, it's novel to travel to in-game places you know and have visited. The game does a good job of having that Irish vibe with the voice acting and lore of Ireland portrayed well. Irish landscapes are well rendered and you get a sense of life in the Viking era of Ireland. A mixture of Latin, Irish and English is spoken too. Druids add a sense of mysticism and mystery to the proceedings too. The architecture is faithfully recreating buildings of that era. You will be able to equip new unique items such as clothing and weapons too. You will encounter new enemies, animals throughout the DLC. Ubisoft gets the mix of a new place to play through with solid gameplay, stunning visuals and intriguing story arcs to boot. It was a joy to play and see places I was familiar with. There are new abilities and new gameplay mechanics and buildings too. It's a really solid offering and it adds to the game.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
The standalone price for the season pass for Valhalla costs \u20ac39.99.<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe season pass is included in the Gold and Ultimate editions of Valhalla.<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe season pass will include access to Wrath of the Druids (released 13th May) and The Siege of Paris which will be released later in the year.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
While the standalone price for the season pass may seem high, the Wrath of Druids is sizeable about 13 hours of main quests and 5 hours of side quests. It depends on if you need another fix of Valhalla, and if you do I think you will get your money's worth, this only part 1 of the DLC. I liked the new arcs, the additional skills, new enemies and the general Irish feel about the DLC. I have been to a lot of these places so it was interesting seeing the \"Viking\" version in the game. The voice acting, mysticism, the darkness all have been executed well. It was a joy to play the DLC. I remembered how much I have enjoyed Vahalla after I revisited the game via the DLC. I'm looking forward to the next set of DLC.<\/span><\/p>\r\nOverall:\u00a0<\/strong>8\/10<\/span><\/p>","post_title":"Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids Review","post_excerpt":"The first set of DLC has come out","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"assassins-creed-valhalla-wrath-of-the-druids-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-04 15:52:44","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-04 14:52:44","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206235","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206206,"post_author":"11","post_date":"2021-04-30 12:24:47","post_date_gmt":"2021-04-30 11:24:47","post_content":"\r\nDeveloper:<\/strong>\u00a0Housemarque<\/span><\/p>\r\nPlatform: <\/strong>PS5
<\/span><\/p>\r\nGenre:<\/strong>\u00a0Action, Roguelike, Horror<\/span><\/p>\r\nPublisher:<\/strong> Sony Interactive Entertainment<\/span><\/p>\r\n <\/p>\r\n
Returnal<\/span> is the next generation sci-fi based roguelike 3D person shooter from\u00a0Housemarque\u00a0<\/em>that is exclusive to PS5. While this intro tries to summarise the game in a short sentence it doesn't do this game the justice it deserves. The game thematically lies somewhere between sci-fi, mystery and some horror elements this is due to the Alien-esque nature of encounters with the enemies. The gameplay is a roguelike as you die a lot and lose the majority of your perks apart from a few permanent items as well. The game covers a lot of genres of game and themes too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\nYou are Selene who has crashed landed on Atropos (an alien planet) where you are searching for a broadcast signal and this is all you know and this is how the story is set up. From the initial frame, the impressive cinematics and the crash land help to set up the story and mystery of the game. Very little is given away which creates a level of intrigue and mystery, this is all set in the beautiful dark and wonderful of Atropos. The design and layout do give off Alien vibes throughout the game. As the game is a roguelike where you will die a lot, more story elements and your understanding of the world grows with every cycle (loop) of the game.<\/span><\/p>\r\nIt's difficult to pinpoint and place the game in one genre but the game has elements of Hades, a bullet hell shooter, Doom, Metroid Prime and the Hades comparison comes from the roguelike nature as well as some well-crafted storytelling wherein each cycle more is revealed. Doom in terms of the fast-paced shooter elements but 3rd person. The bullet hell feels of the enemies you encounter and just the manic nature of the enemies you encounter. There are lots of platforming elements too and an amount of discovery at each level.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
The levels are procedurally generated so each run will have a varied gaming experience and a novel feel, also each run will have a slightly different difficulty level too depending on what power-ups are available.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe power-up system is varied due to various upgrades and collectable items. Straight-up power-ups that have a positive effect include weapon upgrades, health upgrades and efficiency upgrades. You can fabricate and make other upgrades too. Then you have malignant upgrades\/power-ups that can have positive as well as negative effects, the negative effects can be removed by completing specific tasks or you may be lucky and avoid the negative malignant effect. The game has a multitude of effects and events that will vary each run and which can make the run easier or tougher as well. There is a huge emphasis on risk and reward throughout the choices you make. That's why I'd also classify that the difficulty varies depending on your run, upgrades available and the procedural levels that are updated.<\/span><\/p>\r\nEach loop\/cycle whereby you die and come back act as a learning and help to introduce into other devices in the game such as collectable items, upgrades and power-ups. It will take several deaths in the game before you start the whole power-up systems as well as the collectables available and their power. Every inevitable death allows you to progress further in the story but also allows you to start with more permanent power-ups. The game does a great job of walking you through each element and its potential effect. I enjoyed that you learned more and more things as you progressed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
The game starts in this dark rain-sodden forest where very little is known, the detailed environments add the dark atmospheric vibes. Even though the levels are procedurally generated there is a good mix of items to collect and platform elements amongst the all-out shooter action. The game uses some clever narrative technique including the use of 1st person view for story elements and that you pick up voice messages from yourself all over Atropos. You are primarily in 3rd person view which gives you a broad view of each area and heightens the gameplay elements. Each voice note adds a little more detail of what is going in the world and helps the drive.<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe world reminds me a lot of the film Prometheus with a clear Alien vibe throughout the whole game. While I wouldn't classify the game as a horror it does give that sense in large parts of the game as enemies spawn out of nothingness. Even though each level isn't huge, the art style and level design give the game a huge sense of scale and the huge world that exists. The game melds level design, Alien themes and this dark atmospheric tone which gives the sense you are a small survivor in a huge vicious world.<\/span><\/p>\r\nA lush map that helps to guide you from level (\"room\") to level provides a navigation mechanism and helps you to find upgrades and power-ups whilst giving a sense of direction. The map allows you to plot a path for gaining the most buffs and power-ups or you can bypass them and head more directly to a boss.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
The dual sense and haptic feedback are integrated seamlessly into Returnal. Every feature of the dual sense has been considered in the design and gameplay elements. The first thing that hit was the haptic feedback, the gentle vibrations that mimic rain and the use of sound to further engross you into the world of Atropos. Dualsense gives feedback such as the ground you are treading on, rainfall and tremors from enemies. It's all these little things that add to the whole sense of game immersion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe L2 trigger serves as two buttons where pressing until halfway gives a zoomed fire whereas pushing past the tension point gives the L2 button an alternate fire. Again the haptic feedback provides a system whereby you feel more immersed in the game and these small but clever uses of the controller are enjoyable and make sense. The dual sense gives a real tactile feel to the game and what is going.<\/span><\/p>\r\n3D audio is the other buzzword and the game promotes amazing sound effects and soundtrack. I own just regular headphones but the world seems more alive when I play with headphones, I could hear every element of the world from the weather, enemies and my footsteps. The audio and soundtrack are superb.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
The main game mode is the rogue-like one player shooter whereby you have to kill every enemy to reach a boss to progress to the next biome. There are two other modes available, online mode and challenges.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\r\nThe online mode is more along the lines that you can avenge or take the gear of other fallen Selenes in your world, this is illustrated by a corpse of Selene that you will find with the Gamertag of the fallen Selene.<\/span><\/p>\r\nChallenges are like an arcade run where you have to achieve certain goals and you will be placed on a leaderboard to gain ultimate grabbing rights.<\/span><\/p>\r\nWhile I have only spent a few hours playing on the day 1 patch, the day 1 patch improves navigation and identifies exits to each room in the game. This improves the visual aids to the user which is noticeable in the first level. There are some texture improvements on both Selene and enemies you encounter too, the colours on the enemies are more vivid. The majority of the day 1 patches are extra visual polish on the game. The game does seem to run smoother however this is only a slight tweak and the difference isn't massive compared to the 20 hours plus I played on the pre-day 1 patch version. Day 1 patch mainly is adding extra polish to a stunning game.<\/span><\/p>\r\n<\/p>\r\n
The game is quite challenging and can be unforgiving at times if I'm being honest, the learning curve is steep and I would classify the game as hard. It does become easier as you progress through every run and learn more about the powerups and shortcuts that are available. If you are used to bullet shooter or roguelike games, then you may find the difficulty level to your taste, the difficulty doesn't detract from the experience but enhances the overall gameplay and longevity of the game.<\/span><\/p>\r\nI have to say from the first run through the game to my last run-through, I found myself in awe of different elements of the game. I was struck by the intro, the crash landing and just seeing this world, the cinematics is superb and it felt movie-like. The use of the dual sense and haptic feedback just made the whole experience more immersive, sound effects, and noises, while these may seem small, the whole Returnal experience was enhanced. The use of the story narrative where you piece a little bit more with each run adds a whole lot of mystery and intrigue. Finding voice messages from different versions of Selene dotted throughout the world makes the narrative even more powerful and a bit of mind bend. The gameplay has a mix of action, shooter and platformer with some puzzles thrown in for good measure. Big huge scary monsters are rendered and look amazing. The boss fights are big and epic. The game has lots of variety and requires several run-throughs before you gain a thorough understanding of all the gameplay mechanics and what is possible. It's a game that has all the elements above but is great fun too, the pace is spot on, there is variety in how you play. The game is challenging, you will come back for more. Each game mechanic, each game design and each decision by developers all enhance the game and make it even more impactful. It's a superb hell of a ride.<\/span><\/p>\r\nOverall:\u00a0<\/strong>9\/10<\/span><\/p>","post_title":"Returnal Review","post_excerpt":"Sci-fi based roguelike","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","post_password":"","post_name":"returnal-review","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2023-09-04 15:53:46","post_modified_gmt":"2023-09-04 14:53:46","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"http:\/\/comicbuzz.com\/?p=206206","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":206143,"post_author":"11","post_date":"2021-04-12 16:00:06","post_date_gmt":"2021-04-12 15:00:06","post_content":"Developer:\u00a0<\/strong>Unbound Creations\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nPlatforms: <\/strong>Mac, PC, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X (Reviewed) |S\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nGenre: <\/strong>Action, Adventure<\/span>\r\n\r\nPublisher:\u00a0<\/strong>Unbound Creations\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nRain on Your Parade follows the journey of a cloud and as it tries to ruin peoples fun hence the name. When I saw the trailer of the game I was unsure what to make of it, but to my surprise, it's super fun straight away and laugh out loud funny. The game is a puzzle with a huge emphasis on humour. The game story is narrated by a father telling his son about the adventures of this small cloud. This story underpins the entire journey of the cloud and the situations the cloud gets into.<\/span>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nYou take the role of a cloud that ends up in several scenarios that must ruin the day for the unfortunate people below. Scenarios include such events as wedding days, commute to work, defusing a bomb and going to the beach. It's hard to describe the game, it is a mixture of a puzzle game and slapstick comedy. The game is humorous and doesn't take itself too seriously. There are some superb homages to some classic games throughout the levels, these levels are executed superbly too. The sheer unpredictable nature of the game from level to level makes each level super fun and novel too. The developers and designers have managed to get the humour spot on and it is laugh out loud funny. The character's animations add to the slapstick comedy too. The game is ridiculously easy to play and so much fun, I have to say, I was addicted after the first 10 minutes. The jokes and gamin humour is superb, I love it doesn't take itself too seriously. Gameplay is just lots of fun with lots of novelty.<\/span>\r\n\r\n
