Tag: Software

Jake and Amanda are hanging back, close to the turrets, using a sniper rifle and a classic machine gun to engage all enemies that target our automated defenses. From time to time, Jake ceases firing to repair the tech or to lob a grenade. After all, if their powerful weapons are silenced it will be much harder for the community to deal with the significant number of bodies the raiders are throwing at us. Meanwhile, Diesel, our very good dog, is running around, trying to draw the attention of as many opponents as possible. He is basically kitting them to make sure they are exposed to incoming fire while doing nothing useful to the wider offensive effort. Despite his decent stats, he gets hit by incoming fire, especially from long-range snipers. The problem is that neither Amanda nor Jake is very good at healing, which in turn means we’re burning through our reserve of healing nanites at a rapid pace. Maybe I should have spent their upgrade points in more balanced wa...

We’ve never had a good hoverboarding game, and Star Overdrive tries to rectify that by placing us on an alien planet as we explore the different sections of the map, deal with enemies and follow the story. Naturally, there is quite an interesting story here, with some twists and turns. But for most people, the novelty of riding a hoverboard with tight controls is what sets this entire experience apart. However, there’s more to Star Overdrive than just riding on a hoverboard. Yes, it is a part of the story, and it can be quite exciting. Yet at the same time, the huge open world map is quite impressive, and it does inspire you to explore and check out all the game has to offer. It’s nice to have that amazing freedom that only a hoverboard can provide, but adding some stakes and challenging moments through the story is quite interesting. The premise here is that you’re trying to find the love of your life, as she is somewhere on this planet. There aren’t a lot of deta...

Humans are social beings by nature, and we need each other to thrive and survive. What would you do if you were a member of an expedition on a new planet, yet you’re the only one that survived? Would you handle the solitude and find a way to move onward? That’s exactly what The Alters tries to focus on, with some interesting twists and turns smartly sprinkled in its amazing, engaging story. Right from the beginning of the game, you feel the pressure is on, because you slowly realize that you’re on your own. And if you don’t move fast to survive, you’ll end up dying sooner rather than later. What I like about The Alters is that it immediately introduces you to a hostile planet and the different types of resources but also the challenges that it offers. You will need to craft items and build up your base, while also moving that base onward and finding the best route. The game has a multitude of survival mechanics, but they are not overwhelming. It just feels like som...

Transforming the core action RPG experience from games like Diablo or Path of Exile into a roguelike might sound very difficult. Yet Netherworld Covenant is a game that manages to successfully do that and even better, it’s made just by 2 people. Right off the bat, the production value is great, although you will see repeated assets and locations. Despite that, the game’s premise and gameplay are very good, and they will impress you right off the bat. You are a warrior that harnesses the power of a Nether Lantern, an ancient artifact that lets you use the power of ghosts. With that, you will enter various dungeons and locations, as you try to defeat all powerful enemies and stay alive. Since this is a roguelike game, you basically need to go through multiple rooms, kill all enemies, and at the end of each room, you get a reward. These rewards vary, they can be anything from items/artifacts to power boosts and so on. And thankfully, you have a Hades-like choice at th...

Can a video game do justice to the United States Marines Corps? Giving players control over their units and hardware, even with multiple load-out options, isn’t enough. Giving them missions that are somewhat at odds with their purpose as a fighting force doesn’t help. Tasking players to use careful scouting, quick strikes, and limited reinforcements to accomplish a clear objective helps. My Raiders are pushing down two axes of advance, backed by line Marines and anti-tank teams, moving from building to building. They need to hunt two more tanks without having any armor support of their own. I can see one moving at the edge of a big cluster of buildings but I don’t want to try and engage it before the Marines can fire enough missiles to make sure it gets destroyed quickly. As soon as I have the points, I plan to bring in some LAVs with mortars to deliver some indirect fire when we see the rocket launchers we’re hunting. But the first priority is to drop a decent-siz...

Projectiles are now coming in thick and fast, slightly homing in to take down my intrepid microchip explorer. They are normally easy to dodge but the process becomes trickier when I have to stand on a small yellow area to complete data extraction while a wall of other enemies tries to surround and assault my avatar. But the data I’m extracting is only a bonus, so I bail and weave around for a while, as the firewall is getting closer. Finally, I return to the yellow patch in time, get the data, and then make a run for the green level exit. I take a bit of damage but nothing that an improved healing routine, with an improved timer, cannot fix as I tackle a new level. Net.Attack() is developed and published by ByteRockers' Games. I played the game on Steam, where it is currently in Early Access. It combines action rogue-lite core mechanics with a system that allows players to hack together their own combat abilities. There’s basically no attempt to create a narrative...

Ever since FBC: Firebreak was announced, a lot of people were unsure what to expect from it. All we knew is that it would be a multiplayer game set in the world of Control. But unlike Control, this is an FPS, and a multiplayer-based one at that. While you can play solo if you want, the ideal way is to enter matchmaking and create a party. That’s where you get the true FBC: Firebreak experience that Remedy intended, and which I quite enjoyed. However, that enjoyment certainly comes with caveats. There are only 5 major levels in FBC: Firebreak at launch, so the game itself is quite light on content. Sure, you have multiple difficulty levels and other things you can adapt to enhance/modify the experience. However, having so few maps at launch does hurt the game, because you don’t really have anything else to do other than repeat the same levels over and over. For some people, this repetition might not be great. However, if you are into more repetitive shooters, this w...

Fallen Tear: The Ascension is a game that caught my eye ever since it was announced, since it blends some of my favorite genres, RPGs and platformers. The title has a stunning game world with long, handcrafted levels that look great and which hold lots of secrets. But the thing that sets this game apart is the world transformers based on player actions. You have different things to do here, from battling enemies to freeing beasts and gods. What’s really nice about the game is that your character can access masteries, talents and ascensions, all of which enhance his power. You will battle tons of powerful enemies, so it helps if you can unlock new powers and find creative ways to eliminate those, especially when it comes to bosses. The version I played has only 2 game modes and limit content, but it’s clear Fallen Tear: The Ascension is a special game. When I started playing, it immediately reminded me of the Ori games, which are elite tier in the world of platforme...

The TRON universe has always been exciting, both from its stunning look, but also the mythos related to its creation and how it runs. After the last TRON movie, we barely had anything when it comes to TRON-related content, but it seems that 2025 is a good year for fans, with TRON: Ares (the movie) and a new game TRON: Catalyst coming in as well. But is TRON: Catalyst worth your time? Right off the bat, the game starts off with you in prison, trying to get out and figure out how to survive on the Arq grid. You’ll notice the amazing TRON elements right off the bat, since you have a lightcycle, identity disk, and the great visuals you see from the movies. However, TRON: Catalyst has an isometric perspective, which is something fresh for this world. And in my opinion, they nailed the aesthetic, while also offering a major focus on the story, rather than combat. You play as Exo, which is a program that has a power called Glitch. She’s rather powerful and we also have a ...

HITMAN World of Assassination has become one of the go-to games when it comes to sandbox stealth. And with HITMAN 3 - The Banker Pack, we get even more content to boot, this time in the form of a new Elusive Target, along with a 2-level arcade contract that features The Banker as your primary target. However, this DLC also brings you a new suit, King of Cards, a pretty cool silenced pistol, and, of course, a casino chip, the banker rope and a set of cosmetics. Granted, you don’t need the DLC for the elusive target itself, but it was released alongside it. However, if you want to access the arcade contract, as always, this DLC is mandatory. The elusive target mission is very well-made, in my opinion, and it brings 47 against Le Chiffre, a very powerful and respected poker player. He’s also very dangerous and reaching him will take a lot of preparation. The French villa where this mission takes place is enormous, and I found it to be one of the better sandboxes in th...