Category Archives: game review

Game Review: The Fabled Woods

Posted on by
1

The Fabled Woods made by CyberPunch studios is a mystery thriller that takes place in the mysterious woods. The short story follows a man walking through the woods, as he uncovers the dark secrets of his family’s camping trips that they used to take. With beautiful graphics and scenery, smooth gameplay, and twists around every corner, The Fabled Woods is a great game for any mystery-loving gamer.

The graphics of The Fabled Woods were extremely nice, and they gave the game a calming and peaceful look. The player wakes up in the middle of the woods at sunrise, walking around trees and bushes as birds sing. The sounds of the game were also very natural, and they were very realistic. If The Fabled Woods was available on VR, I would truly believe that I was in the woods. 

I really like the gameplay of The Fabled Woods. The game itself was not too confusing and was very easy to learn. If you want the best experience playing this game, you will need a good PC to run the max graphics smoothly. There were some confusing sections of the game, mainly when I did not know where to go. I did have to look up guides on the internet to figure out where to go.

Don’t let the peaceful look and gameplay of The Fabled Woods fool you, there is a dark underlying theme in the game. The player realizes that the character they are playing as is actually a psychopath. The man is a crazy murderer that ended up killing his entire family in the woods. Players uncover the truth through a game mechanic called “remembering.” This mechanic lets the players enter a stasis that allows them to see the past, giving players hints on where to go throughout the forest.

The Fabled Woods is a great mystery short story that has beautiful graphics and a great story. There were only a couple of problems I had with the game. First of all, the game was somewhat boring. Yes, the twists at the end made the gameplay were exciting, but most of the game was walking. 90% of the game is players walking around looking at things in the forest. I wish there was more stuff to do in the game. The other problem I had was the system requirements in order to play The Fabled Woods.  As I said earlier, the required PC specs are high in order for the game to run well.

Overall, I really enjoyed playing this game. If you want a couple of hours of entertaining mystery gameplay, The Fabled Woods is the game for you. My final rating for the game would be a solid 7/10.

-Daniel CW.

Game Review: Onirike Steam Demo Impressions

Posted on by
1

Onirike is a free 3D puzzle game out on Steam. The game follows a character known as Prieto, who explores a dream-like world. In this 3D-platformer, players are able to explore massive maps in an open-world setting.

The gameplay of Onirike was actually very simple. There were only a few simple controls that players could master in minutes. Since Onirike is still in its demo mode, players have the freedom to explore the entire map and world. There are small side missions and there is a loose storyline, but players have the opportunity to do whatever they want. The premise of Onirike is quite strange. Players follow Prieto, who wakes up in a fever-dream-like world. The player is told that they have the freedom to explore the map and help a wide variety of NPCs along the way.  

Throughout their adventures, players have to focus on two main problems. Since Prieto is in a dream-world, players run into the problem of sleep. If players go long enough without picking up glowing flowers that are on the ground, they will fall asleep and turn invisible to any NPCs that are around them. In order to counter this problem, players need to strategically place seeds for the glowing flowers across the map. This allows the flowers to grow and keeps the players awake so they do not turn invisible. I actually found being invisible fun, and not a bad thing. It was fun to run around the map without anyone noticing or seeing you.

I also want to talk about the animation style of Onirike. This game has beautiful animations and art style. The game looks like old tv shows I used to watch such as Crashbox. Besides the art, I also found the music to be very calming. As I roamed around the large world, the music helped to add a dreamlike feeling to the game. On top of the art and music, the character design itself was very interesting. All of the NPCs and Prieto himself had such a unique design. It almost seemed that all of the characters were actually from a dream, and it was a great addition to the game. All in all, Onirike is definitely one of the better 3D-puzzle games that I have played. It was very calming to explore the world, and the fun puzzles and mysteries that players could solve were a great addition to the game. I loved the art style of the game, it must have taken ages to make the entire map. This game is very underrated, and it’s free on Steam! For the game only being in demo mode, it has a lot of space for improvement, and I cannot wait to see what may be added.

-Daniel CW.

List of Video Games to try!

Posted on by
Reply

NBA2K21: With the NBA Playoffs in action, if you are a basketball fan, you might want to get on NBA2K21 and play with the real matchups a little bit. With the different game modes from MyCareer where you build a player or the Play Now game mode where you can play with all of the current NBA teams. This is my favorite video game and I suggest you try it. 

Madden NFL 2021: If you enjoy watching or playing football, I suggest you play this game because it is based off of the NFL. You can buy the latest version of the game which is Madden NFL 2021 at the moment, but you can also play the older versions like Madden NFL 2020 or Madden NFL 2019. If you want the current NFL rosters, you might want to play the newest edition, but if you are just looking for the Madden experience, I recommend Madden NFL 19 or Madden NFL 20. You can purchase them at a more reasonable price. 

Minecraft: Building, creativity, and survival are all different elements in this game. You can use your creativity to build different structures and homes, but you need to make sure to survive. I love to play Minecraft, especially with my sister. Playing solo is fun, but playing with friends is awesome! You can play in Survival mode, where you have to collect materials and craft tools, or you can also play in Creative mode, where the game is mainly based off of building. You have unlimited supplies, and can do anything you want without worrying about dying in the game. 

Tennis World Tour 2: If you are a fan of tennis or play the sport yourself, you might want to try this game. With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal headlining the players you can use in this game, there are many great options for you if you are interested in using your favorite tennis players. I recommend playing this game against your friends or family, but you can also play against the computer. Also, it is a fun way of learning the rules of the sport. 

Rocket League: This is definitely one of my favorite video games. You can customize your dream car and use it during matches. My sister and I also enjoy bringing home the championship trophy after a long season filled with competitive matches against the computer. It doesn’t end there though, because you can play online against others or you can play exhibition matches in your favorite Rocket League stadiums. 

The Golf Club 2019: If you have been looking for an incredible golf game, look no further than The Golf Club 2019. In this game, you can customize your character and you can choose if you want to start a career in golf. You can also just play a competitive exhibition match against your friends.  

These games are very enjoyable and fun to play. It might take some time  to learn the controls at first, but later, I am sure you will enjoy these games as much as I have. 

-Mert A.

Game Review: We Were Here

Posted on by
Reply

Two adventurers, stranded in the mountains. An ancient castle, full of secrets. And only a radio to talk with.

We Were Here is an indie puzzle game similar to an escape room. The two player game starts as both players are captured by an unknown entity. The players are separated, with one in a library and one in an enclosed room. This is one very interesting aspect of the game. The players are completely isolated from each other, with voice chat as the only way for players to communicate. The puzzles, which might be easy to solve normally, become much more difficult when neither player can see what the other is seeing. Good communication and descriptive wording are absolutely necessary if you want to make it out alive.

A friend and I played this together, and we had a blast. The puzzles were fun but not overly challenging. The changing scenery kept the game fresh throughout our play, and we both really loved the atmosphere of the game. We may have died once (or twice) but it never got boring. We were pleasantly surprised by this excellent game.

One thing I love about this game is that it showcases the potential shown by virtual escape rooms. When the escape room is fully digital, you can have all sorts of crazy scenarios, puzzles, and themes. Who cares if you freeze to death while playing a giant game of chess? Who cares if a murderous marionette ends your theater career early? It’s all just a game!

So, in conclusion, I’d definitely recommend checking We Were Here out. It’s a nice, simple game with a cool premise, and it’s loads of fun with a friend. Even, better, as I write this, it’s free on most platforms (Xbox, PS4, Steam, etc). So pick this up and give it a try if you’re looking for a fun cooperative challenge.

9/10

– Josh M.

Game Review: Eyes

Posted on by
Reply

The game eyes is a horror game that has the player navigate through a mansion in hopes to find twenty money bags. If you get the twenty money bags through the door your free, but there is a catch. The house consists of one spirit that wanders around trying to ensure that you do not leave.

There are three floors and to find the money bags you must search in cupboards, drawers, and shelves. 

This game is different from every other game because around the house there are symbols of eyes drawn on the walls and when you collect them they show you what the spirit sees. This can help you tell what floor the spirit is on and if it is safe to leave the room or not. 

When the spirit is within ten feet of you everything around you will start to rattle, you will start to hear heavy breathing, and rats will start coming out of the floorboards. 

Overall the CGI in the game is very well done and looks realistic. The plot and goal of the game are very intriguing. The game is very fun to play especially in the dark and I would recommend this game to anyone who likes jumpscares. 

-Sanjana S.

Game Review: Marble Duel Review (Xbox One)

Posted on by
Reply

Marble Duel on the Xbox One is a fun, competitive, indie game. Players take turns shooting marbles in order to match three or more rows together. A similar game would be Candy Crush one of the most popular mobile games. Players progress through a story game mode with hundreds of levels, each becoming progressively more difficult.

Every five missions or so, a new monster will challenge the players. Each Monster has a different play style, which the players need to adapt to in order to win the battle. In order to overcome these challenges, players can unlock new abilities and marble types. For example, I used up to four different marble types in my matches. The first two were pretty simple, red and white marbles that were the default marbles, used for attacking your enemy. The next marble I unlocked was the green marble, which gave me health on three marble stacks or more. The second to last marble type I used was the blue marble, which gave me a blue shield that would protect me from enemy attacks. The final marble type I unlocked was the purple marble, otherwise known as the power-boost marble. This marble does exactly what the name says, and boosts the players’ power.

I really enjoyed the variety in all of the marbles that players could use, it added a lot more strategy into the game. Players could also level up their character in the campaign, giving them more health, attack damage, etc. This was a perfect way to reward players for completing certain quests and missions. On top of the campaign, there also was a multiplayer game mode. However, I don’t think it was available on the Xbox version, because it would not let me get into a game. This might just be due to the lack of activity on the Xbox version. That brings up the problems I had with this game. After I unlocked the final marble, I wanted to keep playing the campaign. Unfortunately, the enemies became incredibly difficult to beat, they seemed to always get the right marbles, as well as knowing what is off-screen. After the enemies became more and more difficult, the missions also felt very repetitive and slow. If the producers of Marble Duel could just release the player vs player game mode, it would add so much variety and excitement. I feel like players should be able to choose their difficulty for the campaign, a new player will lose interest if it is too hard.

In the state it is in now, Marble Duel should remain as a mobile game. I feel like it is too early to release it on all of the consoles, as well as PC. I hope the developers can edit and add to this game because it is really fun! Overall, I enjoyed playing Marble Duel, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this game.

-Daniel C.

Minecraft Speedrunning

Posted on by
3

Nearly everybody who has ever played a video game has played Minecraft before. However, it turns out that less than 3% of people who have played Minecraft have ever beaten the game by killing the Ender Dragon. However, there is a somewhat small community in Minecraft called the speedrunning community, where the goal is to beat Minecraft in as little time as possible. Although a lot of skills can be applied to speedrunning, however, most of it is luck, as a perfect seed is required to beat the game in a short period of time. As of right now, the world record is held by a speedrunner by the name of Illumina, who beat the game in a whopping 13 minutes and 58 seconds. So how do they do it?

To start off, finding the perfect seed and a decent spawn is the most important factor. When hopping on to a speedrunners stream, you will commonly see them reset their seed and load up a new world. This is because people who are going for the world record do not have time to play a seed that is bad (ex. ocean spawn). Some ideal spawns include villages, natural structures, and other things that could save the player some time while still providing adequate resources. Next, skill and efficiency are key. This is where the skill factor comes in, as the player has to be able to defeat mobs and gather resources at a fast pace. Such only comes from practice and skill.

The speedrunning community, although does not have a lot of people who try and join in on the fun, seems to have a massive audience. One such speedrunner known as Dream (who turned out to fake his speedruns) is one of the biggest faces on YouTube today, and is one of the biggest Minecraft Youtubers. His famous Minecraft Manhunt series where he speedruns the game (not nearly as fast as world record pace though) with other players trying to hunt him down and stop him from beating the game, is one of the most popular series on Youtube, with each video racking up millions of views.

Although the amount of speedrunners in Minecraft is slim, the audience for it and the respect that the top speedrunners get whenever they make history is massive. It almost seems as if a new record is broken every week, and who knows how speedrunning may change with the next major update. However, no matter what, the community will stay strong and people will continue to speedrun Minecraft for years to come.

-Jeremy L.

Game Review: El Hijo – A Wild West Tale

Posted on by
Reply

El Hijo is a top-down stealth game, following a small boy as he explores his western town. Players will go through each level getting past different obstacles and enemies, such as bandits, wild animals, etc. I really enjoyed play El Hijo, the graphics were clean, the gameplay was smooth and exciting, and it kept me entertained for a long time. 

I really want to talk about the graphics in his game. With a clean and minimalist approach, the game felt fresh and exciting. It was very calming, and the relaxing music and nature sounds were a great touch. Here is a preview of the game:

I also liked the different character designs that helped add spice to the game’s look. For example, the main character has bright colored t-shirts and jeans, which allows him to pop out in the darker areas. As for the bandits, they wear all black, which allows them to blend into the darkness and surprise players at any moment.

The gameplay of El Hijo was exciting at certain points, and calming at others. The game started off peacefully, as you explored the church the boy lived in. Later on, you are being hunted and chased by bandits. I enjoyed both parts of the game, and I thought that this mix was really well done. The game kept me intrigued for a long time, and each mission had a different feeling to it. 

I usually run into small issues in most of the games I play, whether it is the controls are weird, the game does not run well, etc, etc. But El Hijo did not have any mistakes. The game ran beautifully on my computer, the controls were super easy to learn, and there were no glitches or bugs.

With both thrilling and relaxing gameplay, beautiful graphics, and 0 bugs or glitches, El Hijo was an amazing game. I really think this stealth game is underrated, and I would love to see the game grow. I think adding more missions and dlcs to this game would be a great idea, and I can not wait to see what the developers add. I rate El Hijo a solid nine out of ten.

-Daniel C.

This is the Zodiac Speaking Game Review

Posted on by
Reply

This is the Zodiac Speaking Game Review

This is the Zodiac Speaking produced by Punch Punk Games, is a complicate4d yet thrilling murder mystery game. Operating as a news journalist stationed in San Fransico California, players hunt down and attempt to catch the lucid Zodiac killer. Solving riddles, finding clues, and chasing a deranged killer, this game is a thriller-horror like no other.

I first would like to talk about the actual ambiance and look of This is the Zodiac Speaking. This game has very unique animations, that make the game look spooky and mysterious. On top of that, the music in the game added to the mood of the game a lot. I started up This is the Zodiac Speaking and immediately started hearing creepy music, that sounded straight out of a horror game. With this feeling, it was the perfect game to play during October and the spooky season.

The game itself was very fun. Playing as the news journalist, I searched for clues and hints to try and get a lead on the Zodiac. Starting in the journalists’ house, I solved clues about where the Zodiac’s last location was, and where I could find him. Driving to that location, I searched around a large national park and was actually able to see the killer. I followed him for a while at another location. Though this may seem very easy, it was not. I spent a good hour trying to solve all the different clues,

That leads me to the problems I had with This is the Zodiac Speaking. The game was incredibly difficult on the controller. The sensitivity on my controller was much too high, and that lead to me spending a lot more time than I needed to on certain clues. On top of that, I was not able to change the sensitivity of my controller anywhere in the game settings. Not only this, but the controls were very weird. It took me a while to get used to them, and some directions were very unclear.

Besides these few problems and the difficulty of the game, I personally really enjoyed This is the Zodiac Speaking. I think it is a great game to get into the spooky season with. If you like solving mysteries or finding murderers, I think this game would be perfect for you. I think adding a multiplayer aspect to this game would be a perfect idea. Pairing up with a couple of friends and hunting down the Zodiac sounds like a really fun Idea. Once again, I really enjoyed This is the Zodiac Speaking and would rate it an eight out of ten.

-Daniel C.

Game Review: Pokémon X and Y

Posted on by
1

Pokémon is a game in which you catch creatures called “Pokémon” and battle with them. Each “Pokémon” has their own types and abilities. It’s an extremely popular game that was released in 1996 by Game Freak Inc. Over time, however, there has been different versions of these games.

Pokémon X and Y was a new version of Pokémon, and the story was based in France. It was known to be the first ever 3D Pokémon game to be released and brought a new perspective to the game. It was also known for Mega Evolution, a temporary type of evolution that made your transformed your Pokémon into stronger ones. They also introduced the all new Fairy-type Pokémon.

The game story is about you (and your friends!) trying to stop the criminal organization: Team Flare. Team Flare has a view of the world that humans, and Pokémon should be destroyed so the world could return to a peaceful state. The only people that would live, would be Team Flare.

I think the story was pretty OK, and climax was AMAZING. Near the end of the story, you get to see the new legendary, the fairy type Xerneas (Pokemon X) or the flying/dark type Yvetlal (Pokemon Y). I think the design was great, and both are overall probably my favorite legendries in Pokémon.

However, some people say that the story was rather undeveloped and rushed. At the beginning of the story, it starts off really slow and boring and as you progress, it picks up really fast.

So do I recommend Pokemon XY? Yes, and I would give it a 7.5/10. Pokemon XY brought Pokemon to a new level, and the game is played by thousands every day.

-Siriam V.