Geek Culture Reviews

Rob reviews Zool Redimensioned on PlayStation 5… When I ever reminisce about Zool it often brings memories of Christmas trips to my brothers house after he moved out. Back in 1992 when Zool first released I was 6, and my older brother Paul was the coolest person ever. Why? Well he had an Amiga with an absolute tonne of floppy discs, all in various boxes, cases, and just strewn across his floor. While 6 year old me would contend with the likes of Chaos Engine, and other forgotten gems - there was always one that stuck in my memory. From first discovering Zool, and getting my sibling to match up codes to then get another code that actually let us play the game (good old anti-piracy at its best!), and the opening that placed the space ninja into a candy filled world, I was hooked! While I can’t recall if I ever got off the opening level, seeing a badass ninja tackling a variety of confectionery - as a kid - was a pure delight. I mean…come on…Ninjas…and killer sweets!  Anyway, while I ...

Get physical and take on an evil empire... Strictly Limited Games , in partnership with Blowfish Studios and Emilie Coyo  have announced that they will be releasing an exclusive and highly limited boxed edition of Infinite-Beyond the Mind for both Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4. The boxed release of the 2020 indie platformer is set to launch in spring 2023 and will be available to pre-order exclusively from Limited Edition Edition, starting on Sunday the 15th of January! 'Raised on battlefields in a world devastated by war, two women who share a bond over their special powers fall under the watchful eye of the tyrannical Beljantaur Kingdom. When one is abducted by Queen Evangelyn and her heavily armed forces, the other must spring into action and rescue her friend from captivity by any means necessary. Battle as Tanya or Olga through 16 side-scrolling stages rife with enemy troops, platforming challenges, and intense boss fights, overcoming waves of ene...

Strictly Limited Games , have partnered with Skygoblin and BlitWorks SL , to announce that The Journey Down Trilogy will be getting an exclusive physical release with a limited edition and special limited edition available for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 (PS4).  In The Journey Down,  you accompany Bwana and his friends Kito and Lina on their adventure through the mysterious Underlands. Enigmatic puzzles await the trio as they find more and more secrets that foreshadow an unstoppable evil of great power. During the adventure, the game will adapt to your way of playing, giving you the choice between different mysteries to pursue. While getting steadily closer to the truth, the challenges of the Underlands will get more and more demanding, with everything somehow being connected to the disappearance of Bwanas and Kito's father, Captain Kaonandodo.   With an art style that blends hand-drawn 2D art with 3D elements and is accompanied by an amazing jazz-heav...

Rob reviews Remote Life on PlayStation 5... Remote Life   is a curious hybrid between side-scrolling arcade action and a twin-stick shooter. Inspired by the challenging games of the old, one-man developer; Next Game Level has teamed up with indie games publisher Ratalaika Games to bring Remote Life to the PlayStation 4 (PlayStation 5 via backwards compatibility).  Tasked with infiltrating a vast alien hive ship, players will guide lone pilot John Leone as he attempts to destroy the vast vessel from the inside. As the story progresses John will uncover the secrets to the alien's invasion, as well as discover the means to stop them from destroying Earth. With a high-tech spaceship as his only backup, John is reliant on a dexterous player to help make it out in one piece... Upon first loading up Remote Life you'll be greeted with some incredible scenery. Everything has an H.R. Giger-inspired biomechanical feel, which not only builds an interesting atmosphere - it also...

Rob reviews Metal Max Xeno Reborn on PlayStation 4... The JRPG genre has seen a steady resurgence over the last couple of years. Popularised by titles such as Persona and Final Fantasy, the genre is often features over dramatic storyline, crazy characters, and some pretty whacky gameplay.  When it comes to Metal Max Xeno Reborn, the game fits into the genre well. You've got a character who's dark and moody personality hides an inner voice that screams "hug me!", a pet dog that can fire an assault rifle, a post apocalyptic Tokyo that's called "Distokio", and to top it off - a heavily customisable tank. Its totally bonkers and plays favor to a lot of cliché storytelling, but deep down  Metal Max Xeno Reborn offers a somewhat grounded experience - even if it's rather mundane.  Don't get me wrong. It's not all bad and the game manages to be equally as good as it is bad. It tries to introduce some interesting mechanics, yet...

Heaven’s Vault to receive limited boxed release... IGF-winning archeology game Heaven's Vault is the next title to receive a limited physical release thanks to Strictly Limited Games . Set to release on to the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, Strictly Limited Games have partnered with developer inkle to developed this limited edition version of the game.  Nominated for the BAFTA , winner of the Independent Games Festival in the category “Best Narrative” and honored several times as one of the top 10 games of 2019 ( The New Yorker, Mashable, GamesIndustry.biz ), Heaven’s Vault is an adventure game unlike any other. Every choice counts, as the adaptive narrative reacts to your decisions and the game expands on every replay, unlocking deeper secrets.The sprawling open-world game features a massive branching narrative, as well as an entire alien language to decipher.  ' In the Nebula, far-flung moons are linked by a network of rivers in the sky... bu...

Rob reviews Submerged: Hidden Depths on PlayStation 4... Submerged: Hidden Depths is one of those rare games that offers a wealth of simplistic gameplay, with a deep narrative core. The core experience allows you to explore a vast sunken city at your own pace without fear of reprisal from enemies and the like. Whilst it doesn't have the scope - or necessary depth - of other big open-world games, there's enough here to give you a satisfying experience.  The story of Submerged: Hidden Depths revolves around siblings; Miku and Taku. A strange substance dubbed the Black Mass has taken over the world, and as such has caused an exponential rise in sea levels. The siblings soon realise that by collecting strange seeds they can bring life back to the world, and convert the Black Mass into something more friendly. As such you'll traverse this vast expanse in search of these mystical seeds.  Your first steps into this aquatic world may seem a little daunting...

Rob Lake reviews Pacer on Xbox One... Pacer is a futuristic racing game that's been developed by R8 Games . The game is seen as a spiritual successor to the Wipeout series and has a lot in common with particularly with Wip3out . This is due to some of the R8 Games team previously working for Psygnosis Leeds . Coincidentally Pacer also has some design assets from The Designers Republic , who also worked on Wipeout .  Yes, you can't talk about Pacer without talking about Wipeout . Everything about Pacer is very much inspired by Wipeout . Visuals, tracks, teams, ships and soundtrack is extremely reminiscent of Wipeout . Even Wipeout alumni CoLD SToRAGE have a track on the soundtrack. In a different world,  Pacer could well have been Wipeout 5.  So what's it about?  Well, Pacer is an anti-gravity racer that sees you controlling a futuristic hovercraft as you attempt to be the last pilot on the track. These tracks defy the laws of physics and see you...

Rust , one of the most successful, brutal and competitive multiplayer survival games ever created, is locked and loaded for a spring launch on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One with a closed beta currently ongoing for the next few weeks. Developer and publisher  Double Eleven has released a trailer that showcases iconic areas in the game for the first time on consoles. Players looking for the ultimate competitive survival experience on console will be able to play online with up to 100 others when the game hits in a few months. Waking up on a mysterious post-apocalyptic island littered with dilapidated industrial monuments and probing scientists, it’s up to you to figure out how to keep yourself alive in a world where everything wants you dead.  In  Rust , there is one goal above everything else: survive. Conquer thirst and hunger, battle the elements, create clothing and stay safe against hostile forces including other players, scientists, bears, wolves ...

The survival co-op game from Team17 introduces crops, combat changes, and more... Team17 have today released the Farming Update for console players of  The Survivalists , the survival co-op experience set in  The Escapists  universe. Already available to PC players on Steam, the update introduces crops, widespread improvements on the combat, and a whole host of changes following comprehensive and engaging community feedback. The update lets players plant and harvest crops for resources (even rare ones) while new, dangerous plants can be grown as a defense mechanism. Monkeys can be taught to help with crops via the Monkey Mimic system, and there are new structures, recipes, and items to aid your arable adventure, including a faster raft to make island-hopping more expedient. Combat as a whole has been overhauled too, giving greater control over direction of attacks for more fluid fighting. Lunge and knockback changes have also been made, and stamina has been altered, ...