Nintendo Switch – Nintendo Switch Sports review by Harrison
Available for Nintendo Switch 29/4/22 (PEGI 7) 3.5 Stars
Youth #Gottit View:
This is just the game you need for silly fun at parties. Anyone of any age can play this game and there’s guaranteed to be lots of giggling during the game. And maybe a few competitive moments from some!!!
Hasbro – TOP GUN Monopoly review by Harrison
Available from all good retailers (8 years +) 5 Stars
Youth #Gottit View:
Its the greatest board game of all time. But if you ‘feel the need, the need for speed’ – Play the new Top Gun version of the game. Highly Recommended!!!
LEGO Star Wars – The Skywalker Saga review by Alex
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is a new instalment in the LEGO Star Wars Franchise. This time, the player will be able to experience all nine Skywalker saga stories with more freedom than before. Also, if you have the deluxe edition you will also be able to access extra content based in the Star Wars Universe.
Once you create your save file you are presented with an episode select screen, from the beginning you are presented with three possible starting points as follows: Episode I The Phantom Menace, Episode IV A New Hope and Episode VII The Force Awakens.
Once you jump into an Episode of your choosing you are presented with the classic opening of Star Wars with an overview of the plot. You will start off (depending on which episode you choose) in your character’s spaceship or on a planet.
The quest system is easy to understand as it highlights where you must go and if on the ground shows a path towards it rather than having to blindly guess where to go.
The combat system has been updated to minimise the effectiveness of button mashing and encourage combos which is displayed on the side of the screen. This helps diversify battles in order to not make them repetitive.
I enjoy the new combat system added in this game as it adds a level of strategy to the fight scenes compared to older titles. Graphics have been enhanced in the next gen versions; they seem richer and more detailed but still complement the LEGO aesthetic.
As with other games in this franchise, if you have missed collectables and want to 100% an episode you can go back and retry the level rather than having to make a new save file which throws you back to the beginning or be sent to an earlier episode due to the progression.
What I dislike about the game is that some of the menus can be confusing due to the amount of content included on them. For instance, the character menu could be simplified by only showing categories that have one or more characters unlocked or have an option to show or hide these options. Another option that I would like to be included would be an option while making the save file to say how experienced you are, and based on how you answer it (e.g., Beginner, Experienced, etc.) the less aid you will receive in game.
This game is an excellent addition to the LEGO Star Wars Franchise. From the improved visual fidelity offered by the power of the Xbox Series Consoles and the PS5, to the enhanced play style of the game. It is a must buy for both resuming players and new.
Available on XBox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch and PC 5/4/22 (PEGI 7) 4.5 Stars
Youth #Gottit View:
This is quite potentially the best LEGO Star Wars game ever. Its all there and great fun to play. Also don’t think you know for sure what you’re about to see in the story. This is everything you know with a few twists and surprises here and there. Highly Recommended!!!
Monopoly – Elvis Presley Edition review by Con
This is my favourite board game of all time. For someone that’s never played Monopoly the aim of the game is to buy as many properties as you can, earn as much money as you can and bankrupt everyone else as you play.
Key changes to the Elvis version is that rather than Houses and Hotels you have Stands and Stadiums. Community Chest and Chance is replaced with Rock and Roll. And instead of properties you have places of relevance to his life and key moments and music releases from his career to purchase. Aside from that it’s the exactly same game.
I love this game as I like the thrill of bankrupting the other players. Ruining everybody else’s tactics to win is part of the fun of playing it. Having someone like Elvis as part of the branding and gameplay just takes it to another level for all collectors and fans.
Available from all good retailers (8 Years +) 5 Stars
Youth Gottit View:
If you love Elvis and Monopoly is you favourite game you’re in for a real treat. We’re huge Monopoly fans and the Elvis inspired board and rules are a fun touch to the classic game. Highly Recommended!!!
Elvis in Cinemas 24th June!!!
Nintendo Switch OLED review by Con
Inside the box!!!
Available from all good retailers (PEGI 3) 5 Stars
Youth #Gottit View:
The new Nintendo Switch OLED has a Vibrant OLED screen, Larger 7.0 inch screen with slimmer bezel, Battery life of approx. 4.5‑9 hours, Twice the internal storage (64 GB), Onboard speakers with enhanced audio, New dock with wired LAN port, HDMI port and two USB ports and a New wide stand with adjustable viewing angle. This is a must own Games Console – Highly Recommended!!!
Kidzcoolit Nintendo Switch Game Reviews CLICK HERE!!!
PlayStation 5 – Gran Turismo 7 Review by Harrison
Available on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 4/3/22 (PEGI 3) 4 Stars
Youth #Gottit View:
It’s yet another must own game for 2022 if you’re car mad. As Harrison said, the graphics are beautiful and leave very little to the imagination. With the gameplay – it is updated, but if you’re a Gran Turismo fan you’ll know what to expect and wouldn’t want too much changed in the game. Highly Recommended!!!
Elden Ring review
The most ironically difficult franchise has had another installation with Elden Ring. This is an open world game which allows you traverse the lands searching for the shards of the Elden Ring in order to restore it and become the Elden Lord.
The class system in this game allows you to choose from a variety of different classes including but not limited to Samurai, Bandit and Warrior. There are ten different classes which all have a unique set of skills which adds variety to there attacking, defending, agility and of course weapons. The weapons are varied between classes with some being able to use bows and others being able to use daggers, being advantageous in different scenarios. Also along with this, there is also vast character customisation. You can make the characters similar to your likeness or switch it up with other wacky combinations.
The gameplay is very perfectly rounded. It leaves beating the game entirely up to you and doesn’t set any strict instructions for you to do so. As is very well known amongst the gaming community this game is very difficult, although it being a dark souls game that isn’t surprising. The combat consists of mostly rolling, blocking and attacking however there Is the magic abilities that you can use depending on the weapon. For some it is rather simple, the shield for example will allow you to repel attacks as long as your ok with expending a small amount of your Focus points. However other weapons such as the Reduvia which you can obtain very early on in the game, fires blood at enemies at mid to long range. These attacks are different between each weapon. Also your steed , torrent is very useful. He runs fast jumps multiple times and doesn’t affect your stamina gauge allowing you to use it without any drawback.
This game does what it wants to do and it does it very well. I absolutely love the fighting style as it really provides a challenge and the weapons system is incredibly fun. The bosses that you may come up against in the game are deadly and provide a real challenge which is refreshing as most games don’t want to gamble with making a game this difficult yet in dark souls games it clearly pays off. My absolute favourite aspect of this game is the inclusion of multiplayer. Now we all are aware of normal online co-op, of which I should add this game does do, and does it well. However a really good fun and interesting feature is the inclusion of messages and blood stains. When you join a game of Elden Ring you are added to a server of many other people of which for the most part you never see each other. However if you die the other people in this server can look at the blood stain near where you died and see exactly how you died. This game also allows you to leave tips or notes on the ground which other players can read and appraise or invalidate it . The reason why I claimed you don’t see each other for the most part is due to the fact that in random occurrences you can see other people fighting there own battles or just simply walking around. Now this happens for short period of times so it has no overall impact on gameplay but it’s quite nice to interact with someone whose stuck on the same section as you.
This game is nigh perfect, although I personally believe it could be more accessible with easier payable mode settings. I love challenging games but the greater public aren’t as skilled at video games as those who can beat a Souls game, and by that reasoning I personally believe a mark of 4.5 stars is appropriate. I love this game and will definitely be playing it regularly, so if you are a skilled gamer you need to check it out as it is going to be a must play for 2022 and beyond.
Available on PlayStation 5, XBox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, XBox One and PC 25/2/22 (PEGI 16) 4.5 Stars
Youth #Gottit View:
It’s another must own game for 2022. Stunning Next Generation graphics, fun combat mode and a vast amount of customise options. Absolutely love how you can communicate with other players around the world, leave messages/tips and see where they died and where they’re playing in the game live. Highly Recommended!!!
Cyberpunk 2077
Perhaps one of the most highly anticipated games in recent years, Cyberpunk 2077 provides players with an unparalleled level of personalisation, freedom and enjoyment few games can match. The game is told through the eyes of V, a gun for hire with a surprisingly strong moral compass in a city where honesty and virtue get you killed, as he attempts to stop the consciousness of the rock icon and cyber terrorist, Johnny Silverhand (Keanu Reeves), from taking over his body and destroying his mind. The game starts off giving you a choice of which background you’d like to hail from; a corporate disgrace, a nomadic junker or a Night City street kid – giving you the first taste of one of the games key appeals.
Throughout the game, almost each and every little detail you choose, from hairstyle to dialogue path, influences the greater story. When playing through the Cyberpunk, I was amazed at just how much time I would spend pondering over each thing I did, knowing it could very well change the future of my character, with this this customizability being what really makes the game feel personal to each player. On the theme of its great customizabilty, Cyberpunks skill tree is excellent, allowing players to enhance their characters abilities in three key ways. The first being through the use of attribute points, tokens earned from completing objectives and leveling up which can be put into 5 umbrella categories which make general improvements to V. For example if you invest points into the ‘Cool’ category, not only does it unlock otherwise unavailable dialogue choices, influencing anything from the information you can receive, relationships you can have and the rate at which you can achieve certain information but it’ll also increase your ability to sneak around and be more anonymous thus configuring the game more to whatever the player wants. Alternatively, if you prefer the guns blazing approach, Cyberpunk of course has an option for you, allowing you to invest into the strength category, providing the player with the ability to break down doors ,both metaphorically and literally, as you can take more damage and dish more out in return.
The second way you are given in order tailor make your character is through perk points. These are achieved similarly to attribute points, and are even used in a similar way, however, perk points provide a more specific improvement, being accessed by going into the 5 categories and unlocking the more classic styled skill tree as you unlock both abilities and stat boosts in line with each category. The perk points provide a relatively skill tree experience with there being a decent amount of choice in this regard but nothing of major concern unlike the other 2 improvement features. Finally, the third improvement are to V’s cybernetics. These allow V to perform superhuman feats including extra lives, double jumps or even slowing down time, however, the game has an interesting feature, as with each enhancement, V’s humanity level decreases. At lower levels V’s behaviour becomes eratic and strange with V even killing people,uncontrollably after reaching below zero due to the disease cyberpsychosis. I loved this feature, as it not only provided a deeper level of – you guessed it – customizability for V as you decide just how human you want them to be but it also adds to the incredible world of Cyerpunk with diseased characters taking certain actions consistent with the lore.
On the theme of the Cyberpunk world, I have to say that Night city has to be one of if not the most beautiful settings I have ever had the pleasure of playing within. From its abundance of complex streets filled with interesting characters and personalities not in any way key to the main story and completely optional to the rich detail and breathtaking skyscrapers protruding above your head as you play, there is nothing you can ask for. The map feels just large enough so that you can spend hours adventuring and exploring its secrets but not too large that moving from objective to objective becomes too much of a hassle with travel distances rarely being above a kilometre. The map is filled with side quests which aren’t really side quests, although being optional, providing more detail and characters for the main story in a level of freedom I have never seen before. In terms of combat, this game is great. Weapons feel balanced, with high damage slow fire rate being on average your best bet, as it feels the game really rewards accuracy. Weapons are a highlight of the game with each class having its own benefits. Cybernetics can play a key part here with certain weapons like the mantis blades being only available after receiving certain advancements.
As a protagonist, V is exceptional. You grow with the character and due to being able to control almost every aspect of their life, each death, betrayal and victory feel especially impactful when playing. Reeves is amazing as usual, providing a tense yet somewhat comedic take to the hardened rocker Johnny as the chemistry between him and V keep every moment feeling fresh and exciting whenever Johnny pops up. As far as the story goes, it is a modern day masterpiece. The futuristic yet not-so-far nature of it all makes the themes especially relevant to today and twists and turns leave you speechless. Cyberpunk manages to construct an entire world in the first few hours of the game not providing too much explanation but at just the right rate that it never gets confusing.
With what I’ve said so far it almost seems like this game is flawless and for the majority of its aspects it is, however, much like most things, it has one fatal fault – Bugs. Cyberpunk is littered with glitches and mistakes with everything from teleporting enemies shooting through walls to random NPC’s floating for no reason popping up as frequent as every 10 minutes. Despite all this, I am hopeful for the future with having already seen,only a few days into release, a large improvement into the severity of the bugs going from absolutely game-breaking at some points to now just laughable. I am envious of those who play it in a couple of months time and believe it will only get better.
In conclusion, Cyberpunk 2077 is a futuristic marvel that brings almost every great Sci-Fi together into a magical blend of style, charisma and pure beauty of its Cities, helped by its fantastic combat and customisation systems only let down by the vast number of bugs.
Available on PlayStation 5, XBox Series X, PlayStation 4, XBox One and PC (PEGI 18) 5 Stars
Youth #Gottit View:
This is genuinely a very special game and one of the most important new releases in years. Try not to get too caught up in the hysteria around the early glitches – this will be sorted and Cyberpunk will end up being one of the best gaming experiences on the market. Highly Recommended!!!
(Cyberpunk 2077 Trailer 18 Years +)
PlayStation 5 – Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection review by Harrison
Available on PlayStation 5 28/1/22 (PEGI 16) 5 Stars
Youth #Gottit View:
Some classic games need to be updated for a modern gaming audience and this is one of them. Looks absolutely stunning and a must play. Highly Recommended!!!
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction Review
Extraction is the latest instalment in the Rainbow Six game series and a further extension to Tom
Clancy’s highly successful war franchise of books, movies and games. This game takes place in the same universe as Rainbow Six Siege with many of the operators returning from ‘Six Siege’. However, unlike siege, this is a PVE infection survival game.
The Statue of Liberty has been attacked by a black sludge monster which spawns monsters to attack the human race. In response the government has sent out highly trained individuals to combat this with a variety of abilities, guns and grenades. Extraction is an online game where you group up with 2 other players, random fill or friends, to fight the archaeans. These creatures spawn from pod-like sacks and try to stop as you try to complete your current objective. These objectives can be carried out in 4 areas, each having 3 maps each. New York, San Francisco, Alaska and truth or consequence. You also have a large variety of weapons, charms, attachments and skins which you can unlock as you level up and play through the game.
This game has done quite a lot of things very right. For starters the gameplay looks absolutely phenomenal. The colours look rather cartoony but in a playful way rather than in a childish way which is really contrary to the disgusting Archaean’s which also look insanely good, especially with the next gen graphics with the XBox Series X or PlayStation 5 versions of the games. The abilities work very well in this game. I really enjoy using sledge to destroy walls or using elas stun mines to help me in the game. The various attachments allow players to customise their weapons to how they see fit depending on the positives or negatives of their skill and can choose the weapon they want. Also on the topic of weapons, the weapon balancing is very nice. No weapons appear to be overpowered, and likewise no weapons appear to be unusable which is a very hard thing to do in a shooter game which they pulled off very well. The skill point system is absolutely superb and definitely gives freedom to the player to see what they want to upgrade first. And finally it is absolutely amazing to play with friend’s, it’s operator system allows for even the worst of players to come in handy whilst playing.
This game can be slightly repetitive at times, though the gameplay is fun it feels like every section is the same thing. The levels are usually three main things. Rescue a lost operator, recon missions, or boss missions. All of which you get every single time you play. This wouldn’t be a particularly big problem if it wasn’t the only gameplay part of the game. The simple gameplay makes it on par with games like Call of Duty’s ‘Zombies’, however Call of Duty has the main game as well whereas Rainbow Six’s other game is behind a 60 pound paywall. The gameplay Is also incredibly hard. You play the game incredibly weak and are basically just walking around trying to not be stunned by the various gas traps and being slowed down by the sticky floor whilst being chased by a hoard of Archaean’s which can kill you insanely quickly. This isn’t exactly a problem as many people love a challenging game, but the easiest mode isn’t even that easy so it only really Caters to the more skilled individuals aside from the casual players. And finally the system for death/ loss of health is really not that good. Upon losing a mission, if your teammates don’t put you in the machine or everyone dies, you all lose one of your operators and have to save them in a later mission. This case also occurs with having to wait if someone’s badly wounded. I would have such a problem with this if it didn’t stop the fun of playing as your favourite character every time you slip up and die.
Overall this game is really good fun and certainly something everyone should play if they love games like this or Clancy. The gameplay and graphics are refreshing and the gunplay feels smooth and fit for a zombie like game. I enjoyed how it uses older game characters so fans won’t be going into totally unfamiliar ground within the world of Tom Clancy.
Available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, XBox Series X, XBox Series S and PC 20/1/22 (PEGI 16) 3 Stars
Youth #Gottit View:
Rainbow Six Extraction has great gameplay, some brilliant characters, a beautiful use of colour and lovely looking graphics. It can get a bit repetitive at times but overall its really good fun and well worth playing!!!
