Geek Culture Reviews

Rob reviews Lacuna - A Sci-Fi Noir Adventure on Xbox Series X... Lacuna - A Sci-Fi Noir Adventure is one of those games that grabbed my attention straight from the start. The opening shot of a seemingly tranquil park soon makes way for a more industrial image as steel support beams and a distant barren landscape sneak into view. As you progress through this tutorial you play as a new arrival within the colony who's adjusting to life on a different planet. After meeting up with an old friend and attending their first day at school, disaster strikes, and you're then running for your life.  As the disaster unfolds, you're tasked with reaching an emergency bunker within 60-seconds. It's also here where Lacuna hits you with its first choice. One of your neighbours is trapped inside their home and is calling for your help. Your best friend is telling you to hurry to the bunker, and time continuously counts down. Do you rescue your neighbour? Or leave them to die?...

Rob reviews Hermitage: Strange Case Files on Xbox Series X... As long time readers of my reviews will know - I'm not a massive fan of visual novels. Sure there has been some that I've liked - Seers Isle , and Along The Edge . But there has been more than a few that I've just not got on with - Root Double: Before Crime * After Days Extended Edition - for example. When it comes to developer Arrowiz ' horror/mystery title Hermitage... well it sits firmly in the middle.  The main narrative of Hermitage: Strange Case Files focuses on an unnamed bookstore owner and the strange people who frequent his bookshop - The Hermitage. The narrative soon divulges that the city is experiencing a unique phenomenon, where people are disappearing to then return with no memory of the events. It then falls to our unknown protagonist to investigate as he becomes a cross between Giles from Buffy The Vampire Slayer , and Sherlock Holmes.  However, due to "reasons", you...

Rob reviews YouTubers Life 2 on Xbox Series X... We currently live in a world where Internet stardom is part and parcel of life. Platforms such as YouTube, Twitch, Instagram, and Tiktok offer numerous ways to create various content for potential viewers. But being an Internet personality is quite hard work. While many believe that it's just as simple as playing video games and talking a load of nonsense to an online audience. It's incredibly hard work that not only demands a lot of time but there's never a guarantee that you'll "make it". Not only that you'll need to keep up with current trends, as well as audience engagement, and that all important networking.  Youtubers Life 2 takes a somewhat cliché look at what being an Internet star means. While it's certainly not a simulation, it is an over the top exaggeration of Internet life. You could say rather than being a game it's a look into the brain of every 12-year old Fortnite playe...

Rob reviews Xuan Yuan Sword 7 on Xbox Series X... The Xuan Yuan Sword series has been part of Chinese gaming for the last 30-years. Initially launching on PC back in the 90's the series has since spawned multiple sequels and spin-offs - and even a T.V. series. Now seven games in, the series is seeing a wider release and as such has found its way into the hands of Western gamers. Developed by Eastasiasoft , this standalone story follows newcomer Taishi Zhao and makes a perfect jumping point for new players.  Set 2000 years ago within the end of China's rule by the Western Han, Xuan Yuan Sword 7 follows young warrior Taishi Zhao. Caring for his younger sister, Taishi takes on various jobs to be able to afford the medicine that she desperately needs. The game starts with Taishi taking on a contract with the local military which results in a demon mortally wounding his sister. This then results in the young warrior embarking on a grand adventure to not only save his si...

Rob reviews UnMetal on Xbox One... UnMetal   is a game that doesn't take itself too seriously. Versus Evil has crafted a game that's a curious mix of Metal Gear and Hot Shots , with a sprinkling of Naked Gun and any 80's action flick. UnMetal knows what it is and it makes sure that you know that as well.  From the get-go, UnMetal introduces you to the outlandish world of Jesse Fox - around badass with very selective memory. After getting shot down as an American flying a Russian helicopter, Jesse is taken for questioning and it's here where the narrative takes place. As the narrative goes - it's constant. For the vast majority, you'll hear Jesse's gruff vocals as he narrates everything up until he gets shot down over home soil.  Shoved in front of a military chief, Jesse recounts his escape from imprisonment "for a crime he didn't commit". It's quite an outlandish story that's full of bizarre twists and turns, yet it all ...

Rob reviews Crown Trick on Xbox Series X... Roguelikes and Roguelites seem to be gaining in popularity over the last couple of years. With so many being released, a few of these have diluted the true meaning behind what being a Roguelike(lite) is. Thankfully Team 17 and NEXT Studios ' Crown Trick  knows exactly what the genre is - and more importantly brings something new.  Much like the initial Roguelikes of the late 80's early 90's, Crown Trick perfectly replicates what made these games great. It's fully played via a turn-based system that incorporates both movement and combat. Throw in the complete random factor of procedurally generated maps, and a punishing difficulty setting, Crown Trick is certainly worthy of being part of the cluttered game type genre.  The story sees you play as a mysterious character who finds herself trapped within a dream-like world. To escape this world you'll team up with a talking crown that'll grant your hero plenty...

Rob reviews Just Die Already on Xbox One... Just Die Already is an open-world sandbox game developed by the team behind the wildly successful Goat Simulator.  This time around rather than controlling various bad-tempered Goats, you're in control of one seriously pissed off old codger. As your chosen senior citizen, you're tasked with breaking out of your retirement home prison, to then make everyone's lives a complete misery. Just don't die in the process! Just Die Already kicks off with you choosing out of Stanislav, Wally, Kamala, and Licky. These are the four codgers whom you'll be attempting to cause a lot of mayhem. The only problem is that right now you're character is still stuck in the retirement home. To escape this "prison" you're tasked with causing enough mayhem to eventually get kicked out onto the streets. Once accomplished your goal is to complete various ' bucket list' challenges as you roam the sandbox city. The...

Rob reviews Song of Horror on Xbox One... Horror films have lost their ways in recent years. I remember the first time I watched  Halloween I was terrified, which lead to a hilarious routine in checking the cupboards and closets every night for one Michael Myers...age ratings are there for a reason!  Anyway, modern horror is more akin to an action movie than horror. It seems to be a game of "who dies the most gruesome?" before the lead character find their inner strength to defeat whatever it is that's butchering their friends. Song of Horror is a game that fully embraces its horror roots. Taking what the genre does best - a large ensemble of characters, cutthroat tension, and a lot  of terror. Throughout its 5 chapters, you'll take control of this cast as they attempt to survive the ordeal at hand. Of course, not everyone is going to survive and with each death, the tension rises. With permadeath fully in play, once the final character falls to the darkne...

Rob reviews The Skylia Prophecy on Xbox One... The Skylia Prophecy is an action-platformer that's been developed by 7 Raven Studios and published by Totalconsole.  What it lacks in combat and controls. It more than makes up for in its storytelling and attempts at being unique. Considering that the action-platformer genre is awash with plenty of titles - being unique is not a bad thing...if it works. The story of The Skylia Prophecy is told via an opening crawl that's very reminiscent of the Star Wars franchise. From what I could gather, you play as a warrior who's tasked with saving the world from various monsters. If you fail, then the world will be doomed to eternal suffering...it's nothing fantastic and is your typical action-platformer genre plot. In a random move, this is all ignored as the game abandons any form of plot expansion. The only semblance of a story is told from a character who randomly appears here and there, and even then it's nothi...

Rob reviews Gravity Heroes on Xbox One... Gravity Heroes is a gravity-defying title from the developer, Electric Monkeys . Gravity Heroes is a sci-fi shmup that's a homage to titles such as Mega Man, Super Metroid and plenty of old-school arcade titles. The basics of the game are the ability to shift gravity at will. In theroy, this should make for a frantic, challenging shooter - which it most definitely is. Nevertheless, what Gravity Heroes lacks is a fun factor.  Gravity Heroes isn't technically 'a bad game', what it's let down by is a random assortment of design issues that make it a dull and lacking experience - especially if you're a solo player.  So...playing this game solo isn't ideal. Playing it with a player 2 isn't ideal either, but it's a little bit better than being alone. Why? Well, it's all to do with the difficulty. Regardless of how you play Gravity Heroes , the difficulty stays the same. What this means is that a so...