PlayStation 5 – Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered review by Con
Available on PlaySation 5 31/10/24 (PEGI 16) 5 Stars
Youth #Gottit View:
It’s a classic much loved PlayStation game, beautifully remastered for a modern Next gen audience. A must own for all fans – old and new. Highly Recommended!!!
PlayStation 5 – Horizon Forbidden West review by HarrisonCLICK HERE!!!
Sonic X Shadow Generations is a new instalment in the 3D Sonic Universe. This time, the player will experience an all new expansion to Shadow’s story, along with Sonic’s story all brought up to date with modern consoles in mind.
When in the main menu, you are presented with either Sonic’s story or Shadow’s. Specifically for this review I’ll be focusing on the Shadow Segment, as it is all new content. You get the usual plethora of options along with a catch-up of Shadow’s story up to this point, I found this feature quite useful as it caught me up on the story of shadow from his 2005 game.
For stage selection, initially you are thrown straight into the first level. However upon completion you are sent into a level select area which adapts and expands depending on how much you’ve completed/ unlocked, this is very reminiscent of the Sonic portion. Levels are contained in different zones, they each have different locations and can require some exploring to get to.
Guidance on each ability is presented with the usual means in a modern sonic game, that being the question mark in a multi-coloured circle. There are also visual cues as well as audio cues on when to use or which ability, boss battles for instance can be very time sensitive on whether you hit or get it. These can range from onscreen button prompts, to subtle pattern in attack / defence.
Shadow’s combat is very interesting, you get presented with different options throughout the story with their ups and downs, from projectiles to the usual sonic abilities to Shadow’s time stop ability. Gameplay is very much what you’d expect from a Sonic game with some extra twists for Shadow’s story, fast paced and sick music.
Graphics have been enhanced in the current gen versions, bringing the sonic story’s visuals up to par with modern consoles. I am also happy to report that this game is compatible with last gen consoles, this is a welcome addition as many game studios are starting to move away from backporting. This is likely due to the still millions of players on previous gen consoles, rich for many are more than adequate for their gaming needs.
As with other sonic games, you can go back to any level you like, in fact you are encouraged to to unlock all of the collectables that you may have missed. Throughout the levels of are tons of different collectibles, as well as the incentive to get a high score / rank for each level. This is influenced by how fast you made it through the level, as well as rings.
What I dislike about the game is that the menu can be a bit confusing, while I like that you have a sort of sandbox in the menu to do as you please. I’d much rather a menu which I can flick to or a way to teleport over to a level. A feature I wish was included was a way to try out an ability in a separate area, on top of the question mark bubbles should be a button to take you to a test facility. Here it could teach you the basics / allow you to get a feel for the ability before using it in level. I often died due to my inability to use new powers quick enough or in the right way. Other than that, my experience with the game has been overall positive.
Available on PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, XBox and PC 22/10/24 (PEGI 7) 4.2 Stars
Youth #Gottit View:
This game is an excellent addition to the the Sonic Franchise. From the improved visual fidelity offered by current gen consoles, to new game mechanics and story offered by Shadow’s segment . It is a must buy for both resuming players, those who have been out of the loop, and new alike!!!
Available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC 18/10/24 (PEGI 16) 3 Stars
Youth #Gottit View:
This game isn’t groundbreaking in what it offers – but it is a lot of fun and definitly worth a play. If you like games like this, there’s lots to enjoy!!!
Available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC 11/10/24 (PEGI 12) 5 Stars
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Dragon Ball games are always money well spent and get hours of play, all year round. But this latest game is especially good, with lots to enjoy for both old and new fans. Highly Recommended!!!
Until Dawn was originally released back in 2015 and took the world by storm. But as with all games that strive for realism in its graphics, it quickly stopped being able to compare to newer horror games. As such, they’ve fixed up the game in this newer release and added a few extra elements to keep the game interesting for long-time fans.
Up on a mountain, two sisters go missing without a trace, much to the dismay of their friends. A year later they head back up to the house on the mountain in an attempt to accept the loss that they were hit by last time they went there. Although they soon find out that this time is riddled with loss too, as they get attacked by monsters and psychos. This game makes you choose the path for your characters, making decisions that fundamentally change the outcome of the game. Whilst going through the chapters, you will be analysed by Dr Hill, a psychiatrist that tests your fears and relationships to each of the characters through questions whilst insulting your gameplay and making you doubt your own choices.
The gameplay still features all of its quick time events and decision making scenes, but with this new game there are extra scenes, decisions and areas for returning players to try out. This leads to an even larger variety of possible endings for any completionists. The camera has been tweaked so that now you can move the view instead of it being a fixed shot like in the original game. And I mean obviously, the graphics have been improving. I did find that the animations still felt as stiff as the 2015 game, so even with the new graphics, it still felt weirdly uncanny instead of having the effect they intended.
Generally if you were a fan of the original and you want a replay, I wouldn’t dissuade you from trying this out as there are definitely some good quality of life changes. And if you’re a new fan, this game is awesome and definitely worth checking out in the best way possible. But with such a small amount of adjustments, it’s only a 3.5 star remake – but still plays as well as it ever did.
Available on PlayStation 5 4/10/24 (PEGI 18) 3.5 Stars
Youth #Gottit View:
This is a classic PlayStation game, loved by millions around the world. If you’ve never played this game before – it’s well worth buying this updated version for the PS5!!!
Following on from the main games story, our Mortal Kombat universe has been invaded by titan Havok. Havok goes from universe to universe spreading chaos by taking key people from their universes, but our Mortal Kombat characters won’t let this happen to their universe. The story’s just as much fun as the main game, and really successfully follows on from where we left our favourite characters previously. I personally really enjoyed the introduction around Noob Saibot and all how the relationships between the characters really flourished with this addition.
As for the newest characters, I reall enjoy the flashy mechanics behind the two robot ninja, with both Cyrax and Sektor having unique and powerful moves that hold lots of fight combo potential. Noob Saibot plays really well and clearly translates into the Mortal kombat 1 fighting style. Although his design has a few ugly elements, that any die hard fans of his might need to allow to grow on them over time.
The other three characters that have been announced: Ghostface, T-100 and Conan the Barbarian all seem like interesting picks, which although I can’t comment on yet, I am beyond excited to try them out when they release. And finally, the addition of animalities was a real suprise, all of which look amazing, with my personal favourite being Omni Man’s.
Available on PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, XBox and PC 24/9/24 (18) 5 Stars
Youth #Gottit View:
Overall, this DLC is a great addition to an already amazing game that fans should be very pleased with. Lots to enjoy and worth the extra invetment!!!
Available on PlayStation, XBox and PC (PEGI 16) 3 Stars
Youth #Gottit View:
Con’s expectations for this game were sky high, as he’s such a huge fan of Pop figures and Funko products. He really likes Funko Fusion – but hopes that the future updates add more to the gameplay for his age group of fans. If this game had of been a PEGI 7 or PEGI 12, it would have scored higher on Kidzcoolit. But with games directed at a PEGI 16 or PEGI 18 audience, it needed a bit more ‘grit’ to the levels. This is a must play for Funko and fans of the IP’s within this game though!!!
These cards are in high demand by Disney and Trading card fans. The game is great fun to play and the cards are beautifully illustrated. If you’re looking for a gift for the Disney fan who has everything, Disney Lorcana is the answer. Highly Recommended!!!
Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game Gateway Two Player Starter Set Trading Cards
Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game Shimmering Skies Starter Deck
Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game Shimmering Skies Illumineer’s Trove Set
Disney Lorcana Trading Card Game Shimmering Skies Trading Cards