Geek Culture Reviews

Rob reviews Wanted: Dead on Xbox Series X... Wanted: Dead is a game that jumped straight into my must-play list as soon as I heard that " the makers of Ninja Gaiden "  were  involved in its development. The adventures of Ryu Hayabusa have been a challenging mix of exploration and combat, that's combined with Chinese mythology and sci-fi future. Ninja Gaiden wasn't strictly a difficult game - you had to think like a Ninja to succeed. So, to say that I went into Wanted: Dead with high trepidation is a pretty accurate description. However, as they say, " it's the hope that kills you ", and sadly when it comes to Wanted: Dead... well you'll see... The story of Wanted: Dead takes place in Hong Kong. After the rampant rise of cybernetics, the world is vastly different from our own. Enter Hannah Stone, a badass cybernetic supersoldier who just so happens to be behind bars. Why? Well, we don't find out, but she's offered the chance of red...

Rob reviews Citizen Sleeper on Xbox Series X... To best describe Citizen Sleeper is to call it a visual novel that also plays homage to both classic board games, and a table-top RPG. Throughout the game, you'll take your character across a pretty standard sci-fi plot, yet the journey along the way is one full of intrigue and dice rolls. While Citizen Sleeper won't beat everyone's beat, it's a perfect slice for someone looking for THAT game that tries to be different.  So what's it about?  The story behind Citizen Sleeper is pretty standard. You play a character who's sold their life to a corporation. Now in the future, their memories and personality live on thanks to the wonders of science. As a Sleeper, you find yourself now inhabiting an artificial body, that also happens to be on board a vast space station. Played from a top-down perspective, it's then your job to guide your character across the narrative, whilst aiming to do the right thing. But when eve...

Rob reviews Metal Tales: Overkill on Xbox Series X... Rogue-lite's often build themselves around a central theme. This not only provides the basis on which the story is built upon. It also affects how everything looks and ultimately how the game plays. With Hades it was Greek mythology, Curse of The Dead Gods is all about lost temples, and The Persistence is pure sci-fi horror. When it comes to Metal Tales: Overkill it's all about heavy metal, and as someone who grew up with the likes of Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer , and Anthrax - it was already a hit in my eyes.  The plot of Metal Tales: Overkill focuses on the God Kuk who has plans to take over the world. This plan involves destroying a few heavy metal bands and turning their followers into mindless zombies. Standing in Kuk's way is our hero - an electric guitar-wielding, heavy metal fanatic - whose musical prowess is the one thing that can put a stop to Kuk's plan.  On the surface, the game's plot...

Rob reviews Before We Leave on Xbox Series X... Post-apocalyptic titles have the luxury of building their narratives. They don't have to rely on predetermined factors such as established lore, or even locations. Everything is up for interpretation as you essentially discover this new world with your character. Where titles such as Fallout on the struggles of the immediate aftermath,  Before We Leave focuses on the ever after. The world has recovered from its unknown apocalyptic state, and as such the inhabitants that survived are reaching out from the safety of their underground shelters. Whether they survive or not is up to you. You'll be the invisible force guiding these fledgling explorers as they attempt to rebuild in a world that's now unfamiliar to them. At its core Before We Leave is a city builder that takes you from a few settlers living in huts to intergalactic civilisation.  Before We Leave constantly fills you with a great blend of relax...

Rob reviews Bloodshore on Xbox Series X... Wales Interactive are no stranger when it comes to producing interactive movies. With titles such as Nightshift, The Bunker and Five Dates  within its back catalogue. Bouncing back from the ridicule of Gamer Girl, Wales Interactive and Goodgate Media  have attempted to tackle the Battle Royale genre with Bloodshore. With plenty of audience participation, action, and low-budget horror, is Bloodshore more Squid Game or Fortnite ?  The premise behind Bloodshore is a fairly simple one. 50 contestants land on a deserted island and whoever survives is the winner. Kill/Stream (the title of this "game") started out pitting death row inmates against each other, has now evolved into allowing fame-hungry streamers, influencers, Z-List celebrities, and crackpots to enter the fray. All the action is broadcast live 24/7 via a dedicated Kill/Stream channel. This broadcast is periodically interrupted via various pundits and audienc...

Rob reviews Merek's Market on Xbox Series X... Merek's Market is a furious couch co-op experience that's comparable to titles such as Overcooked and Moving Out. Developed and published by Big Village Games, Merek's Market takes you back to medieval times and positions you in charge of a small shop. You'll be crafting, negotiating, and trading your way to the top as you handle  a cast of comical characters through an energetic campaign. If that isn't enough a companion can also join in for some crazy blacksmithing entertainment.  So come with me as I open shop and see what Merek's Market is all about... Merek's Market caters for both solo and multiplayer in that it promotes gameplay for both. For solo players, there's quite a campaign to work through with over 50 levels of intensifying difficulty and craziness. Meanwhile, for multiplayer, there's a different 40 level campaign to work through which supports up to four players at once. ...

Rob reviews Boyfriend Dungeon on Xbox Series X... Now and again, a game will come along that's just so random that it screams out to be played. Boyfriend Dungeon  by Kitfox Games is exactly that!  Boyfriend Dungeon is a curious mix of a  Hades -Esq dungeon crawler that's been mixed with Dream Daddy. The twist here is that you'll be dating the weapon that you'll be using to plough through the games various Dunj - that's fancy talk for the dungeon. The story behind  Boyfriend Dungeon - yes there is one - sees you play as a user-created character who's never had any experience with romance. Seeking a fresh start your character moves to the dating playground of Verona Beach. It's here that your cousin decides to hook you up with one of the towns various "unique" characters. As Jesse - your cousin - explains, many of the town's youth can transform into sharp, pointy objects which makes the perfect excuse to date whilst slaying monsters...

Rob reviews Get Packed: Fully Loaded on Xbox Series X... I've moved home four times in my 35-years on planet Earth, and each time had been as stressful - if not more - than the previous. Having to pack boxes, make sure bills have been transferred, renting a van, to then unpack it all on the other end, is my idea of hell. Thankfully the team over at  Coatsink  have captured the moving mayhem with getting Packed: Fully Loaded. Set within the town of Ditchlington, you take on the role of an employee of the newly created company Last Ditch Removals. Your role is to relocate the towns many residents to a new town after a Salt Mine Corporation takes over Ditchlington. As such you'll work your way through various contracts as each resident tasks you with their removals.  Each job is set against the clock and you'll need to work fast to get everything safely into the back of your removal van. Each item is worth a cash amount, with more given to the client's worthy i...

Rob reviews Fallen Knight on Xbox Series X... Fallen Knight is a cross between Arthurian Legends and the sci-fi atmosphere of Mega-Man. On paper, this mash-up sounds awesome - and to a large extent, it is. However,  Fallen Knight inescapably falls into the category of "just another Mega-Man clone". The story of  Fallen Knight is split across two parts. One side sees us playing as the noble and legendary warrior Lancelot. The other places you into the boots of the assassin, Galahad. Both techno-inspired Knights are on a crusade to stop The Purge, a militant religious group that's attempting to take over the city.  It all feels very Mega-Man inspired as The Purge takes up residency across various districts, with 5-bosses needing to be thwarted. Well if the systems worked for Capcom for all these years then it must be good?  The gameplay consists of two variations that fall to your chosen Knight. Play as Lancelot and you're given the conventional Mega-Man g...