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You know that feeling of being completely hooked to a brand-new thematic world? Elden Ring manages to do it just as you start your journey in The Lands Between.
Fight your journey through dungeons and catacombs, find treasures, get to know your enemies and discover exciting new areas, each containing new lore and development that can be discovered by various means, talking to NPCs, reading items descriptions, finding patterns that link the bosses and lords of that area to the creatures there. It’s everything we always wanted in a Classic Fantasy Medieval RPG.

The World

I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun just exploring and running around in a game’s open world, and realizing the sheer scale of it all was both exciting and overwhelming. I spent something like 50 hours exploring Limgrave alone and getting familiar with the gameplay and controls.
If I had trouble with a boss or an area, I’d just go somewhere else on the map until I felt ready to take it on, and there’s plenty of things to do before even beating the first story boss.
Creature summons were also a huge help, and I was very happy with the options available. Trying out new weapons was fun, and even finding new ones for the lore bits was very compelling and made me want to collect them all.
Overall I found the world and zones themselves very varied and interesting going between zone to zone, so that’s definitely a big plus of the Open World design. Whilst From Software isn’t the pinnacle developer of graphics, From Software has always been phenomenal at environmental design and they carry on their form in Elden Ring.

The Gameplay

Elden Ring is basically Dark Souls 4, or Dark Souls but now you can sneak, jump, and ride a steed around the open world areas. You start by creating a character and choosing a class to determine your starting gear and stats (e.g. Astrologer to be a spellcasting sorcerer, or Samurai to be a katana-weilding DEX melee build). You progress through the game by traveling around the map and finding items/gear to upgrade your equipment setup and defeating enemies to gain ‘runes” that you can spend to level up or buy items from shops.
‘Sites of grace’ are the bonfire equivalents in Elden Ring, and most of the time they visually display a path of light that indicate the direction you need to head in to progress the main story through locations of major bosses. There are plenty of these grace sites littered everywhere in the open world and within dungeons so it is easy to fast travel to where you want to go immediately.
There are various minidungeons/secrets hidden away in every corner of the map. It is to your advantage to seek out these locations to find rare materials and unique weaponry that may or may not change your play style altogether. The open world feels like there is always something waiting for you to discover, such as powerful enemies that drop unique weapon arts (ashes of war) or an NPC standing around waiting to offer you a quest. With the introduction of a day/night cycle, there are even some bosses that only spawn at nighttime in specific locations waiting to ambush you, but offer unique drops as well.
The combat got much better from previous titles in the soul series, being able to jump is amazing and having your horse to battle along side you creates a feeling that the other games simply couldn’t give you.

Visuals

Elden Ring doesn’t break new ground when it comes to overall presentation, but it is a very colorful game compared to previous Souls games. You can really tell when you enter a new region when all the colors transition from one palette to another and the sky/landscape dramatically changes as well. Dark areas are also pretty spooky as you can only see far enough from the light of your torch or lantern and enemies hide in the shadows very well. Simply put, the game looks phenomenal.

Conclusion

All in all, it truly is an amazing game and I’m happy that it managed to keep up with our expectations, it’s certainly a title that I’ll keep coming back to play more of in the future. It’s hard nowadays for games that have an open world to not feel empty and to not make the player feel tired, but From Software sure managed to do it in a much better way than other recent titles could, and that alone is something that I was sure looking forward to. I’ve set some high hopes for the DLC as well!

DEATHLOOP – The game with biased opinions.

Gaming

gnews gaming team

“The two most powerful warriors are Patience and Time.” – Leo Tolstoy

I have played Deathloop for 20 hours now, and I have to say that I truly understand why people are upset. It isn’t because the game is bad, honestly, this game is accomplishing what it sets out to do just perfectly.

This is an Arkane studio game… That is a fault and a pro at the same time. If you expect Deathloop to break the mold and entirely change how Arkane games play and feel, it will not happen. If you do not like Arkane games, do not play this game.

The Story

I love the story, I really do. I think it’s a lot of fun, but I can acknowledge that it is objectively rather simplistic. There are some twists and turns along the way that I really enjoy but if you expect it to answer all your questions in a totally laid out way, then you won’t enjoy it. The game encourages you to make a lot of your own conclusions to understand it as a whole, which I honestly enjoy but I know a lot of people won’t. You get an ending that doesn’t leave you feeling a sense of conclusiveness, instead the game opts to give you an ending that makes you think “Oh wow. What’s next?” If you don’t want that, and if you are looking for a story that will give you all the answers and that will allow you to see every possibility in its own consolidated universe, you will not be satisfied.

The Soundtrack

Let me just get this one out of the way real quick, this is one of my favorite video game soundtracks I’ve ever heard. I didn’t think that Arkane had it in them. Don’t get me wrong, I think the songs and orchestrations they used for Prey and Dishonored were pretty good and served the game fine but those are nothing compared to this. They create this concoction of big band, jazz, and rock that is just so magnificent that my ears don’t want to go back to anything else. They perfectly encapsulate the essence of a 60’s concert, with all the soul that comes with it. It’s awe inspiring.

Visuals and Aesthetics

The game looks exactly like how you would expect it to from all that was displayed previously, in the best way possible. You honestly and truly feel like you’re trapped in this simultaneously futuristic and antiquated world where they advanced scientifically enough to create machines straight out of a Terminator war zone, while also maintaining the aesthetic of a 60’s style spy movie or comic book. It honestly feels like another view of altered history, similar to Fallout 3-4 (except replace the barren wasteland with a loud and vivacious island). The game is stylized enough to make you realize you’re playing a unique art piece of a game, while also having these excellent visuals and set pieces that make you feel like you’re watching a new limited Sci-Fi series. Needless to say, I love it.

Gameplay and Mechanics

Here’s the heavy hitter. This game feels so amazing to play, it honestly gives you the experience of playing as a trained hitman with an arsenal good enough to take on a small army. And in some cases, you probably will take on a small army. It’s the moment when the game seems to be at its greatest, your health is low, your stealth operation has failed, you have one life left and you’re surrounded. This is it. This is your last chance to make the progress you need to break the loop and save yourself along with everyone else. Your only way out is to fight with whatever you have. And you here knocking and running, they’re coming for you and you’re stuck in a tiny corridor. Armed with only a couple of powers and a few weapons, what will you do? Will you take on the Eternalists or die trying with a shotgun, dual wielding SMGs, and the power to eat through bullets, blasting through them all as you’ve made your last stand? Or will you opt for a more silent and deadly approach, teleporting to a chandelier and setting up traps while you link your attackers fates and utilize a silent pistol to take them out with one shot? The choice is yours. I truly appreciate what they did with the power meter as well, choosing to replace the vials of Dishonored with a regenerating power source for your slabs and abilities. That’s just a thing that I personally prefer, I don’t like feeling like I’m on a limited power source only to hunt around the map looking for more energy once I’ve run out.

Conclusion

Okay listen, there is a reason I put that quote at the beginning. It wasn’t supposed to be edgy, there’s a catch. In this game the idea of “If at first you don’t succeed, die, die again” really hits home. The feeling of failing to do what you set out to do in a certain loop by either dying or just not being able to schedule things out properly is very bittersweet, because you know you can try again and you’ve learned from this one. With every death, with every loop you learn more. You restart your day stronger, not because of your arsenal but because of the knowledge you’ve gained within the previous loops. You feel more comfortable sneaking by enemies each time until you reach the point that you’re mowing down eternalists, and even Julianas, with total ease. You just need to be patient. The answers on how to move past certain blockades will come in time, and until then? Enjoy the ride. The bullet may be the same, but the kill will always be new. I hope you all take on the challenge and break the loop in Deathloop!

It Takes Two – A Wonderful CO-OP Game

Gaming

gnews gaming team

Undoubtedly, It Takes Two is a co-op masterpiece. Its highly diverse gameplay is held to such a high standard from beginning to end. The visuals are stunning, the story is immersive, and the sound is memorable. Developed by Hazelight studios, the same developers that brought us the famous coop title “A Way Out”. They prove once more that using split screens can have a place in modern gaming.

Story: A Comical & Fantastical Love Story

Players are introduced to the dissolving relationship of Cody and May, an unhappily married couple. We witness their arguing and inability to get along, ultimately leading to the decision to tell their child about their looming divorce. This is where the craziness begins and where reality as we know it begins to evaporate. This chain of events ultimately causes the couple to transform into Rose’s toy dolls.
The two try their best to identify a possible cause for this sudden transformation and also brainstorm solutions. They do not get much time to consider their predicament before Dr Hakim “Book of Love” abruptly makes his appearance. With Rose’s best interests at heart, he sets out almost obnoxiously optimistically to relight Cody and May’s love. He sends them on many incredulous and bizarre quests with the goal of reigniting their passion, with each area forcing them to collaborate and understand each other to proceed.

Gameplay Overview: Genre-Bending, Diverse & Captivating

The task of describing the gameplay of It Takes Two is a difficult one. It is perhaps one of the most varied, dynamic, and energetic games I have encountered. Featuring too many genres to name – it masters everything it includes. Every level is a rollercoaster and seamlessly transitions through each element. From a top down section similar to Magicka, a fighting short scene akin to Tekken, and gravity fuelled puzzles, reminiscent of Crash Bandicoot. Each area almost feels and looks like a brand-new game; it was just that unique.
New weapons and abilities are constantly introduced throughout the game. These elements are only used temporarily before being replaced with something else. Shoot down foes, reduce or enlarge your size at the click of a button, defy gravity with magnetic boots, slice enemies with a sickle and use a magnet to grip onto surfaces (or your partner). This is only a small selection of the differing aspects experienced throughout the game and the creative ideas do not stop here. Players also get to swing, fly, grapple and grind rails through the air with ease. Ride frogs, deep sea creatures, make friends and enemies, verse your partner in a variety of minigames and work together to solve puzzles. I was aptly blown away with the amount of sheer creativity seen in each and every level. Whilst the title shares a lot of similarities with other renowned games, the differing concepts are seamlessly combined, providing for a fresh and engaging experience.
Personally, I did not mind this. I enjoyed the relaxing and childish nature of the game. This stress free approach also ensured I was never frustrated, stressed or bored. Those looking for a challenging coop game, this is not it. What it lacks in challenge, it more than makes up for with its engaging story and one-of-a-kind masterful coop gameplay.

Graphic and Sound

The voice acting is exceptionally well done, delivered with emphatic emotion and allows players to better relate to the characters relationship woes and concerns. The entire soundtrack is exhilarating, particularly during boss battles and just like the rest of the game, is ever-changing.

Conclusion

There are not enough words to adequately explain the experience of It Takes Two. Featuring extremely varied and diverse gameplay, it stands out among other coop games as a true masterpiece. Its high-quality production proves that the once hated split screen still has a place in modern gaming. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for an unforgettable coop experience. For 12-15+ hours of playtime and a price tag of $39.99, it is well worth it and deserves the many accolades it has already received. This game was so breathtakingly amazing that I am genuinely sad that it is over. Absolutely breathtaking!

Resident Evil Village (RE8) Review – The Perfect Sequel

Gaming

gnews gaming team

Resident Evil Village (RE8) is a first-person survival horror set in Eastern Europe during the present times. Once again, players play as Ethan Winters (same protagonist as RE7), that along with his wife Mia and daughter Rose, moved to a remote village to start a new life. The terrifying past that they all hoped to leave behind however, strikes back at them brutally. Ethan will be once again on a quest to save his family, against an even more dangerous enemy than ever before. It is a direct sequel to Resident Evil 7 and these two games form kind of a sub-story in the RE universe but it does also tie into the rest of RE story in a quite surprising way. And I have to say, it definitely is the best story a RE game has ever seen, by far. Without going into detail, it will keep you guessing and on the edge throughout and till the very end.

Gameplay & Mechanics

You can tell CAPCOM experimented a bit with mechanics in this iteration and not all of them succeeded but boy did they have an impact when executed flawlessly. At first, I was a bit apprehensive and confused by the story but questions & ambiguity in the beginning hours fuelled my drive to keep exploring. I just had to venture deeper to understand what was exactly happening and the revelations (whilst somewhat cliché at times) did satisfy me, but the end and the delivery were simply impactful.

The gameplay is challenging but rewarding. There are plenty of optional areas to explore, treasures to discover, puzzles to solve and even hidden bosses to find. It will definitely make you reminisce of RE4. Every time you return to an area you may even find something new so backtracking is encouraged. Speaking of challenge, there is a difficulty for every type of player but for your first playthrough (especially if you are like me and love taking your time exploring every room and just taking it all in at a slow pace) I highly recommend going with Standard or even Casual if you don’t have much experience with FPS games as higher difficulties can be quite tough. The higher difficulties are mostly designed for a second playthrough as enemies have a lot of extra hp and yes, there is a new game+ option. There’s also tons of replay value here with challenges and many unlockable rewards that will give you reason to go through the game over and over again.

About the puzzles, they are rather uncommon, sparsely distributed throughout the adventure. They often involve finding the correct sequence in some layout of elements, or gathering all the required pieces to operate something. None of the enigmas prove to be much of a challenge, as they are all on simple levels.

Combat System

The game plays out in first-person, with Ethan able to carry several guns and equip four of them or equivalent consumables like grenades in quick slots for immediate swapping. As in most survival horrors, precision and conservation are the foundations: hitting enemy weak points, using environmental elements (like explosive barrels) and being as efficient as possible are the only ways to not run out of, well… everything. Blocking has paramount importance as well, as it greatly reduces sustained damage and enables a stun counter-attack afterwards. On “Hardcore”, enemies hit like a ton of bricks, some capable of killing Ethan in a single blow even.

The Horror of RE8

As an avid horror fan, the biggest aspect I appreciated is when the game decided “okay, you’ve had some fun blasting your way here, now buckle up and put your diapers on”. It leaves you helpless, tortures your senses and creates the sheer terror of a truly psychological thriller during segments of the game. I would’ve loved more but when they cropped up, I was both terrified & filled with adrenaline. What sets RE: 8 apart from a lot of other horror games is its balance of action & horror which are designed to complement each other to provide a varied & engaging experience. There are specific sections where you will simply not be able to shoot your way through, no matter what weapons you have or how good you are. If that is a negative, so be it but for me this was nothing but a positive. It’s rare to find a game that employs a risky approach of trying to meld the two genres in such a unified manner. After you are done with the story, Mercenaries mode is a lot of fun with a heap of replayability & CAPCOM has gone the extra mile to make a second run more enjoyable beyond the usual “here’s a crazy weapon for the next time, enjoy”.

Some designs are really horrifying, and they can really give a shiver down your spine.

Visuals and Sound Design

The visuals are incredibly impressive and without a doubt one of the best in the business but more importantly the RE engine manages to deliver them with minimal system requirements. In my 50 hours of playtime on max settings the game did not crash or even stutter once and everyone who I have talked to also said they are impressed with how much they improved the technical aspect of it over RE7.

The thing I personally was the most impressed with, the sound design. The grass moving in the wind, footstep noises, growls, all of these sound so natural and I’ve never heard a game do such a good job with sound design, and trust me I’ve played a lot of AAA games. The random noises will make you jump naturally without it feeling forced as enemies may be lurking close by without you even realizing it. The OST of the game was great, Shusaku Uchiyama went put his all into it.

You can listen for yourself by clicking on the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWY74snj7HA

Is Resident Evil Village worth it?

It took me around 15 hours to complete RE8 on Hardcore difficulty, taking time to explore all locations in full and clear secondary activities. After that, Mercenaries mode, “Shadows” difficulty and Challenges offer extra content, for those interested. Considering the excellent quality and AAA release caliber, the price of 60€ is justified, so I can recommend buying for full price.

Age of Empires 4 Review – A GOOD SEQUEL?

Gaming

gnews gaming team

Age of Empires is a long-running videogame series that has been around for decades now, and it has been attracting more and more gamers towards the war and base-building genres. Age of Empires 4 got released on the 28th of October, 2021, and it is the latest addition to the series. While the game has been receiving pretty positive reviews from most reviewers, I’d still call it somewhat of a disappointment compared to the older Age of Empire games. In this Age of Empires 4 review, we’ll be taking a closer look at why this game is not being liked as much as the previous entries of the series.

Visuals:

Let’s start off this Age of Empires 4 review by talking about the one thing that has disappointed us the most, the visuals. Graphically speaking, Age of Empires 4 lacks any kind of attention to detail. The game looks more like something from 2013. Even when you zoom in on the map, you can’t really see any kind of fine or beautiful details.

Gameplay:

While the gameplay mechanics did not really disappoint, I was still not very happy as, despite the long time gap between Age of Empires 3 and 4, we don’t really see any kind of major upgrades. The game doesn’t really have anything new to offer. The game just follows the classic Age of Empires formula, which can be fun for some newcomers, but for long-term fans of the series, the game doesn’t really bring much to the table and gets boring pretty quickly.

There are eight different factions in the game that are supposed to let you experience the gameplay from a whole new perspective, but most of these factions seem relatively similar to each other. Overall, I’d say that the gameplay mechanics are not really bad, but they can be drastically improved.

As is the case with all the other Age of Empires games, you will need to strategize quite a bit in order to get through a lot of the battles. You cannot just mindlessly make a bunch of troops and send them off to attack, you will first have to assess the strengths and weaknesses of your enemy and then make a proper army that would be able to take them on. Talking about the troops, I would’ve really appreciated this addition to the series if the developers had made the soldiers more self-aware. As is the case with older Age of Empires games, you have to babysit every single move of your army and always be there so that they don’t end up doing something damaging.

No Editing Feature!

Surprisingly, one thing that Age of Empires 4 lacks is the map editing feature. Being such an expansive game about armies, wars and civilizations, the developers should have included a map editing feature that let us design our own levels and play through them.

Online Multiplayer Mode:

Where the gameplay mechanics of Age of Empires 4 really shine is the multiplayer mode. There are many different and super exciting single-player scenarios that you can play through as well. However, the multiplayer mode presents a true challenge as you have to come up with the best and most unique strategies to ensure your win in battle. Sometimes it’s best to slowly chip away at your enemy’s defences and stay safe from an attack yourself, while sometimes it’s better to just attack head-on while your enemy is still weak and doesn’t have a proper army.

Conclusion

Despite its flaws, Age of Empires 4 is still an awesome game. If you are just trying to relive your past memories and enjoy the classic Age of Empires formula, then you will fall completely in love with this game. I’d just say that this game could’ve been way better in terms of both gameplay and visuals. Age of Empires 4 doesn’t really try to explore any new ideas and just gives us the same old things once again, making the game feel like a remaster rather than a complete sequel.

Even if the developers wanted to stick to the same old Age of Empires formula and not take any risks, they could’ve still given us better visuals considering how good most games look in 2021. At the end of my Age of Empires 4 review, I don’t really know whether you should play the game or not. The game will be super exciting and entertaining for the people who are new to the war-strategy genre, but it will feel a little bland to the gamers who’ve already seen it all many times before and wanted to see something new and revolutionary.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits Review – A Wholesome Adventure

Gaming

gnews gaming team

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is a PlayStation and PC exclusive role-playing game that got released on the 24th of August, 2021. This adventure game managed to build pretty decent hype for itself after its initial trailer, and we can safely say that the final product definitely did not disappoint. Today, I’m going to give you guys my honest review of Kena: Bridge of Spirits – a spiritual adventure game with many touching moments.

Story & Progression:

The story of Kena is very simple yet beautiful. Our protagonist is a young spirit guide named Kena, who is currently making her way through a dying village as she is trying to find the sacred mountain shrine. Along the way, Kena runs into many lost spirits and guides them towards the right path. In every single arc of the story, we get to meet new spirits and understand their tragic stories.

While the individual stories are very beautiful and fun to play through, not much is revealed about the past of Kena and the world itself. Overall, I’d say that the story of our protagonist was pretty beautiful but not properly explored.

Characters:

The characters in Kena: Bridge of Spirits are all extremely lovable and have something to add to the story. Despite being a relatively short game, Kena: Bridge of the Spirits properly focuses on the lives of most of the characters in the series and the series of misfortunes that they had to endure.

The protagonist herself is just simply adorable. You’ll definitely fall in love with her at first glance and keep on loving her self-sacrificing and cheerful personality throughout the entire run of the game. Despite having such a likeable protagonist, Kena: Bridge of Spirits doesn’t really focus too much on the life of Kena herself. Other than getting a few hints here and there, we are never able to learn any crucial details regarding Kena’s past or how she ended up becoming a spirit guide.

All of the characters fit perfectly inside the world of Kena: Bridge of Spirits and their individual stories are very fun to explore and understand. Different arcs in the story introduce us to different spirits that are not able to pass on because they still have some unfinished business in this world.

Gameplay & World Design:

The gameplay of Kena: Bridge of Spirits is also handled very well. Despite being the first game by game development studio, Ember Lab, it is surprisingly well-built. The combat doesn’t really introduce anything new, but it still seems pretty engaging as some fights can be quite challenging. Even at normal difficulty, some bosses in the game will make you retry a few times before they finally let you move on to the next thing. Thankfully, the developers also added an easy mode to the game that can be chosen by the people who are just here to enjoy the beautiful story.

You fight the enemies in the game with the help of light, heavy and ranged attacks. You can also block and parry the enemies’ attacks to quickly defeat some of the hardest opponents. Overall, while the fighting doesn’t really add anything new to the genre, it works perfectly with all the existing elements and provides us with a complete experience.

Of course, there are also many puzzles involved in the game that you will have to solve in order to progress. I would say that this aspect of the game is a little weak compared to the combat system. The puzzles are not very challenging, but they are still pretty engaging as you have to properly use the power of your little furry friends and analyze your surroundings.

Visuals:

If visuals are the only thing you really care about when playing a new game, then you can stop reading this Kena: Bridge of Spirits review right here, as the game looks absolutely stunning. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is one of those few games that look more like an animated movie than an actual playable game. If you are a fan of 3D Pixar movies, then you’ll instantly fall in love with the look and feel of the game. Kena: Bridge of Spirits is one of the few games of 2021 that truly look like a next-gen title.

Sound Design:

The music of Kena: Bridge of Spirits is very relaxing and properly fits the wholesome theme of the game.

Conclusion

If you are just looking for a relaxing game to play over the weekend, then Kena: Bridge of Spirits is definitely the game for you. The game will let you experience a compact and emotional adventure through the eyes of a young spirit guide that is just trying her best to help all the people around her. I’d like to end this Kena: Bridge of Spirits review by saying that this game definitely deserves the hype.

Omori Review – A MEANINGFUL GAME

Gaming

gnews gaming team

Omori is a role-playing video game that got released back in the December of 2020. This psychological horror game had been in the works for many years and managed to raise more than 200,000 USD on Kickstarter. While some fans are not really happy about the release being so late, the game still got pretty positive reviews from the community overall. In this Omori review, I’ll be going over all the things that make this game a huge success! I’ll also be pointing out a few things that the game developers could’ve improved.

Story & Plot Progression:

The story is definitely the best thing about this game that we can’t help but fall completely in love with. Our main protagonist is a boy named Sunny, who is currently stuck between two different worlds. In the real world, everything seems to have gone completely wrong. Sunny no longer has any friends that he can interact with and prefers to stay shut inside the house.

In the other world, however, things seem to be quite different as the young boy has three best friends named Aubrey, Kel and Hero. Apart from these three, there seem to be some other amazing people in his life as well that are always there to help him as he embarks on different adventures.

This psychological game has a very deep story based on the mental state of our main character that can only be understood by playing it for yourself. The way the story progresses depends completely on your own personal choices, and there are many different endings. You will probably feel very lost when you’ve just started the game, but the story will make more and more sense as you keep on moving forward.

One thing that I’d like to point out in my Omori review is that this game explicitly focuses on the individual stories of all the characters involved. The characters are different, memorable and very, very likeable.

Gameplay Mechanics:

I know I said that the story of this game is probably its strongest aspect, but the gameplay mechanics are not really far behind either. This game will give you a bit of a 90s Pokemon games’ vibe as it has been made using RPGmaker.

What really surprised me regarding the gameplay of Omori was its extremely well-built battle system. The game offers turn-based battles that are very exciting as they require a lot of strategizing. There are different elements in this game, and you will have to learn to utilize these elements correctly. While the normal enemies are very easy to beat, the boss battles in this game are truly exciting and force you to retry again and again before you can finally get that win.

Apart from this amazing battle system, the game just offers the usual RPGmaker stuff that we’ve seen many times before. However, thanks to the way the story moves forward, you never really feel bored while going through the game.

Overall, I think that OmoCat has handled the simple gameplay mechanics of Omori perfectly and given us exactly what we needed.

Visuals, World-Building & Sound Design:

Visually speaking, the game is simply wonderful! The pixelated and colourful look of the dream world is amazing. There’s just something about beautiful colours and adorable characters giving us a very horrifying story that makes Omori unique and extremely impactful. While the game itself has pixelated graphics, the cutscenes and the characters themselves have been fully animated using a dull yet colourful art style.

I did say that I will also be focusing on the things that need a bit of improvement in this Omori Review. The thing that I didn’t really like too much about this game was its world-building. While the dream world isn’t half bad, the developers have not paid any proper attention to the real world, and it just seems too small. I think that the real world should’ve had more things to do and discover.

Usually, I don’t really focus too much on the sound design of a video game, but the sound in Omori is just something we can’t ignore. OSTs are a huge part of this game as they properly represent the feelings that Omori is trying to convey.

Conclusion

At the end of my Omori review, I’d just like to say that this game deserves all the love and attention. Omori is a masterpiece that needs to get played by every single gamer. The multiple endings and very addicting battle system make this game very replayable! Even if you are not someone who usually plays turn-based pixelated RPG titles, Omori is something you will still enjoy.

With an impactful story, amazing gameplay mechanics and beautiful visuals, Omori is my favourite RPGmaker game!

Nier Replicant Review – An Awesome Story-Driven Game

Gaming

gnews gaming team

Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139… is the remake/remaster of the original Nier game that got released back in 2010. As you might’ve already guessed from the name, this game has also been created by Yoko Taro, the creator of Nier Automata. While the game is quite similar to Nier Automata in terms of feel, the stories of the two games are not connected with each other in any way. In this Nier Replicant review, I’ll be giving you guys my honest opinion about this updated version of the game and all that it has to offer.

Story and Plot Progression:

Unlike Nier Automata, Nier Replicant focuses on a very personal story about two siblings that are just trying to survive in a strange post-apocalyptic world. We play as Nier, a boy who is trying to find a cure for his sister named Yona. Yona suffers from a strange disease known as the Black Scrawl. Along the way, Nier meets many strange allies that include a talking book called Grimoire Weiss, a foul-mouthed girl named Kaine and a cursed child named Emil.

The story of Nier Replicant starts off pretty slow and can seem somewhat boring at the start. However, as we keep on playing, the world of Nier Replicant keeps on expanding in many strange ways. Like was the case with the previous Yoko Taro game, you will have to play through the entire game multiple times in order to enjoy the complete story. There are multiple endings that can only be unlocked after you have played through the entire game more than once.

While the first playthrough of the game slowly draws you in and becomes interesting with time and the second playthrough still retains the player’s excitement thanks to some added scenes and dialogues, the third playthrough is the hardest to get through as it is mostly the same as the second one. Overall, I think that the story of Nier Replicant is more touching and emotional compared to Nier Automata, but also a little harder to enjoy because of its representation.

Characters:

The characters in this game are amazing and get you easily attached. From the funny commentary of Grimoire Weiss to Kaine’s vulgar remarks, all of these characters have something interesting to add to the story. Their character designs are also pretty unique and memorable.

Gameplay Mechanics:

The Gameplay mechanics of Nier Replicant ver.1.22474487139… are pretty different from the original game as you are now able to perform all kinds of combos by mixing different special attacks and melee attacks together. There are different types of weapons that you can equip in the game. And the effects of these weapons can be further enhanced by adding different traits to them and levelling them up.

Personally, I’d have to say that the gameplay mechanics of Nier Automata were far superior compared to Nier Replicant. While Nier Automata was challenging, in Nier Replicant, you can easily get through most fights of the game by simply mashing a few buttons. The only things that make the combat in Nier Replicant a little interesting are the amazing camera angles and unique enemies.

Another thing I’d like to complain about regarding the gameplay mechanics of Nier Automata is the lack of good side quests. The side quests in this game are not well-built at all and seem more like chores than actual adventures.

One thing that I do need to touch on is the world of Nier Replicant itself feeling a bit too bland. There is not much to do in Nier Replicant, so the game doesn’t really feel like a modern game released in the year 2021.

Visuals and World-Building:

The graphical upgrade of this game is the one thing that I’d like to truly appreciate in my Nier Replicant review. The visuals are very clean compared to the original game, as every single scene has been reworked. The character models also look better now! Being a work of Yoko Taro, the world design of Nier Replicant is also pretty nice.

Sound Design:

The music in Nier Replicant is its one aspect that is just as good as Nier Automata, if not better. The soundtracks played throughout the game are very beautiful and make your experience many times better. The game also has complete voice acting for every single character, even the unimportant NPCs. The voices behind all the major characters seem very realistic and truly resonate with their personalities.

Conclusion

Nier Replicant is awesome, but it feels more like a step backwards compared to Nier Automata. This game can be a little hard to play through, but the amazing story makes it completely worthy of your time. I’d like to end this Nier Replicant review by saying that this game is perfect for the gamers looking to enjoy a slow and beautiful story.

GTA: The Trilogy – Definitive Edition Review

Gaming

gnews gaming team

Almost every single gamer knows and loves the Grand Theft Auto series. This extremely successful series by Rockstar Games has been around since 1997, and it is still strong today thanks to GTA V selling millions of copies worldwide. While fans are desperately waiting to play GTA VI, it seems that Rockstar Games has still not decided to give us the next GTA game. Instead, on November 11^th, 2021, GTA released a definitive edition of their GTA Trilogy that contains GTA III, GTA San Andreas and GTA Vice City.

Today, I’m going to give you guys my honest review of the new definitive edition of the GTA trilogy and help you decide whether or not these new games are worth your time and money.

What’s New?

Let’s go over all the different aspects of these games as we take a closer look at all the new changes.

Story & Characters:

As these releases are not complete remakes, there are no changes in the stories at all. We get the same old classic tales with their own strengths and flaws. I would like to point out that these updated versions of the games actually do a better job at telling the same stories thanks to better visuals, lip-syncing and camera movement.

Since the stories are the same, of course, we get the same old memorable and classic characters too. The models of these characters have not been completely reworked, but they have been slightly upgraded to look more visually appealing. Rockstar Games decided to maintain the somewhat cartoonish look of the characters in the early GTA games, and I think that is awesome.

Gameplay:

Gameplay is one of the two major things that fans of the franchise were expecting to see huge changes in. However, surprisingly, the gameplay mechanics are actually pretty similar to the original releases. Some fans might not like the fact that Rockstar Games did not really make many changes to this aspect of the game, but I personally think that deciding to not make any major changes to the gameplay mechanics was actually a good choice. If the game development company had made too many changes to modernize these games, then they would’ve completely lost their nostalgic value.

Two small changes in the gameplay mechanics that I appreciate are the new weapon wheel which is somewhat similar to the weapon wheel from GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2, and the new lock-on feature while shooting your weapon, which makes it easier to aim.

Visuals:

Visual appeal is the one aspect of these reworked versions that Rockstar Games had the most freedom with. While retaining the original look and feel of all the games, Rockstar Games has tried its best to update every single thing that they could. The lighting, camera angles, character models, and texture quality look way better than the original games.

Of course, the games don’t really look as good as today’s games, but compared to their original versions, they still look amazing. All three separate games have been updated in their own special ways in terms of visuals. I’d have to say that the GTA San Andreas Definitive Edition seems to have gotten the best treatment in terms of visuals. On the other hand, GTA III is the least updated game and even has a few bugs that might affect your experience.

Better than the Original Releases?

Yup! All three of these games are superior compared to the original releases. All of these games have comparatively better visuals, thanks to the amazing lighting and textures. The cutscenes are also smoother and look more appealing. The one thing that really sets these games apart from the originals is the fact that you get a smoother gameplay experience overall, as they have been optimized to run well on all the latest hardware.

The games run on the new PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S consoles. You can also play them if you are using the older generation consoles or a Nintendo Switch. Oh, and of course, you can also play the trilogy on a PC for the best experience.

Conclusion

Personally, I’d have to say that you should only purchase this trilogy for the nostalgic value if you’ve already played the original versions in the past. These games are definitely not as good as the games that get released today and will feel a bit bland to someone expecting a completely modern game jam-packed with features and stuff to do.

If you just want to re-experience the GTA games from your childhood in the best way possible, then you should definitely go ahead and purchase this trilogy as soon as possible.

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The World

The Gameplay

Visuals

Conclusion

The Story

The Soundtrack

Visuals and Aesthetics

Gameplay and Mechanics

Conclusion

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Gameplay Overview: Genre-Bending, Diverse & Captivating

Graphic and Sound

Conclusion

Gameplay & Mechanics

Combat System

The Horror of RE8

Visuals and Sound Design

Is Resident Evil Village worth it?

Visuals:

Gameplay:

No Editing Feature!

Online Multiplayer Mode:

Conclusion

Story & Progression:

Characters:

Gameplay & World Design:

Visuals:

Sound Design:

Conclusion

Story & Plot Progression:

Gameplay Mechanics:

Visuals, World-Building & Sound Design:

Conclusion

Story and Plot Progression:

Characters:

Gameplay Mechanics:

Visuals and World-Building:

Sound Design:

Conclusion

What’s New?

Story & Characters:

Gameplay:

Visuals:

Better than the Original Releases?

Conclusion

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