Win a PlayStation 5 Slim, SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS and Sonic Goodies with Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – Full Details CLICK HERE!!!
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 Harrison CLICK HERE!!!
Sonic X Shadow Generations review by Alex
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!!!
Unknown 9 – Awakening review by Con
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!!!
Mortal Kombat 1 – Khaos Reigns Expansion review
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!!!
Mortal Kombat 1 review CLICK HERE!!!
Funko Fusion review by Con
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!!!
Con and Alex at the SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS – Samsung KX Hands On Event!!!
SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS Goodies!!!
SONIC X SHADOW GENERATIONS Available 25/10/24!!!
Elden Ring – Shadow of the Erdtree review by Con
Available on PlayStation, XBox and PC 21/6/24 (PEGI 16) 5 Stars
Youth #Gottit View:
One of the best games of all time now has an epic extension to the adventures. This new game is quite challenging to play – but really good fun. Highly Recommended!!!
Elden Ring review review by Harrison CLICK HERE!!!
PlayStation 5 – Stellar Blade review
Battling on a post apocalyptic world against huge and terrifying monsters is what Stellar Blade is all about. You play Eve, a warrior who has witnessed her entire squad be murdered at the hands of the enemies (in an incredibly brutal way), as she adventures through the entire game trying to turn the tide on an already lost war!
The story for this game is super interesting. It very quickly puts you into the action and will shock you with the graphic and violent cut scenes . As well as this, the graphics are incredible throughout. Stellar Blade definitely uses the entirety of the PS5’s system and it’s really noticeable on screen. But once you get past the pretty images and the cool story, I think you’ll find the gameplay isn’t that enjoyable at all.
We love third person games like this, especially ones that give unique challenges and cool skill trees, but we found ourselves struggling to truly enjoy any of the fights. This isn’t because it’s far too easy or really hard. It works well in that regard. It’s just that the combat attacks don’t feel in any way powerful, and are rarely rarely fun to battle out. So realistically this game may not just be for us, but if you’re a fan of Bayonetta or Devil May Cry there’s certainly something here for you and possibly enjoy it far more than we did.
Available on PlayStation 5 26/4/24 (PEGI 18) 3 Stars
Youth #Gottit View:
This game looks great. Has a brilliant story. But it’s not really much fun to play. Stellar Blade isn’t a bad game as such, and some gamers may enjoy it. It just feels like the developers spent far too much time making a movie you can play and forgot they were meant to be making a game that looks like a movie.
PlayStation 5 – Rise of the Ronin Review
Rise of the Ronin is a Souls-like story game where you travel around 1860s Japan, killing
enemies and completing many fun missions. All whilst searching for your blade twin – your samurai
partner who went missing after being attacked by the blue demon on a ‘foreigner’s’ ship.
This gameplay is honestly the standout of this title. There is an incredibly wide variety of
different weapons for you to choose from, and for each weapon there’s a giant range of
fighting styles you can play with, each having benefits and drawbacks that let you really play
the game the way you want to. The movement mechanics, though simple, are a lots of fun
with a glider and grappling hook as well as the classic horse option for when you’re travelling
long distances.
There’s also an insane amount of customisation and, although gear that has stats can
become annoying at times, the variety for both your character, their clothes, and their
weapons makes up for this. There’s also a unique buddy system that lets you make bonds
with the different people you meet through missions, letting you call on them when you need
a helping hand. As well as this, the co-op works really well, so if you have a friend you want to
play with you definitely need to try that option!
And the final awesome gameplay mechanic is when you parry projectiles, your blade can become infused with the projectile. This means you can light your blades on fire before attacking enemies.
The drawbacks of this game don’t relate to the gameplay specifically, but rather in the story
and the graphics. The story is very one dimensional and drags on a bit, leaving no urge
to do the story mode and rather just run around attacking random bad guys. As well as this, the
graphics are not always the best in some areas. This doesn’t make the game unplayable by any means but in a title like this, when world building is everything you definitely notice it. But this game is fun and well worth playing!
Available on PlayStation 5 22/3/24 (PEGI 18) 4 Stars
Youth #Gottit View:
Fan of ‘Ghost of Tsushima’ or the ‘Dark Souls’ games will really love this game. The story though simplistic is definitely impactful in sections and the gameplay is unique and fun. Well worth a play!!!
