Mobile Friday - LEVELS II - A Simple Well Executed Gameplay Mechanic That's Difficult To Master

For Mobile Friday this week is i tried out LEVELS II, from Flow inc., on my iPhone 14 Pro.

I had played Favo from Flow inc. before and i'm familiar with tile merging games so i had a rough idea of what to expect from LEVELS II, but i was more curious if and how they'd lean into the RPG aspect of the game. Games likes Three's and 2048 have a simple idea and you play until you can't make any moves and that's it. it's all a little basic. so i came into this hoping that as a sequel, LEVELS II might offer more than just a gameplay mechanic.

It doesn't. LEVELS II doesn't even have a home screen, it loads straight into a game. there's no dungeon theme either, it's a plane white screen with the game board. thankfully there is a great tutorial waiting for us and it goes over nearly every aspect of the game simply and straight forwardly. apart from the Lightning mechanic. what i took away from the tutorial and what actually happens in the game were two very different things and it really needs to be made clear that the tutorial gives you a free one to use and after that, you have to watch an advert to get another or pay for the premium version of LEVELS II.

The adverts in LEVELS II come when you finish a game and start another. there's no warning, but thankfully that was the only time when an advert would start. As i say in the video, if the button was worded to say "watch an advert and start a new game" then i would've had no issues with an advert then starting.

There's nothing wrong with the mechanic of merging tiles, LEVELS II has done it in such a way that there's great depth of strategy to it. it works well with the minimal style of the game. But with this being a sequel, i was expecting more than just gameplay refinement. this could have a fun Quest mode where you're given tasks to defeat a certain number of specific enemies. there could've been an option for a dungeon background instead of plain white or black. there are no summons, no persistent character level, and none of the money we collect carries over for us to buy stuff. we could use the coins and buy decorations to decorate the game screen. It wouldn't surprise me to see LEVELS II re-skinned in the future with a different theme, like Christmas, because there's so little to it.

I would highly recommend getting LEVELS II, it is fun and there's a lot of strategy, and maybe luck, to it's gameplay. But there's nothing else to the game.

Version 1.0.6 Played.

Demo Play Thursday - Crypt Custodian On PS4

For this week's Demo Play Thursday i played the PlayStation 4 version of Crypt Custodian from Kyle Thompson and publisher Top Hat Studios.

I was interested in this because i really liked the art style, but i didn't know what it was before i started playing. Starting the game is pleasant as the initial load starts with a black cat that then turns ghostly white. i didn't understand the significance until the game starts with the revelation that we have died.

It's a good first impression, the art used for the icon is the same as the art in the game. the game uses the game world to do the tutorial, not worrying about linking it to the narrative. And then we get a broom and i can't believe that i called it, that i guessed correctly how this game would get us to being the custodian as we're only using the broom to clear the way.

I won't spoil the story, but once we get going the game kinda forgets to give us a purpose. up to this point, the game had been clear about what we're doing, where we're going, and then we're dropped into a new location. we know why we're there, we know that we're a custodian, but the game doesn't give us a reason to actually be one. regardless, i set off to explore this new area and it showcases some smart design decisions that aide accessibility. 

The one i spotted quickly was that there's always a marker under our character, so when we're jumping gaps it's very clear our position in the world and it was never difficult. Another great thing is that every enemy we encountered has a "tell" as to when they're going to attack. sometimes it's the game showing us with an arrow where an archer is aiming, or a red marker showing an enemy is jumping to attack. for other enemies you can watch their movements and know that when they move their head up they're about to attack.

Couple those examples with nice environmental puzzles, and Crypt Custodian was a joy to play. But, it wasn't long before i realized that there's seemingly no way to heal outside of specific points on the map. after a couple of deaths i wasn't keen working my way to where i died to continue exploring. With no way to heal, it meant some of the trickier enemies started to become a chore and i became less keen on exploring. One thing i bought was an Objective Marker for my Map. at least i knew where i was meant to be going now.

Whilst travelling to our destination, the music was the perfect balance of BGM whilst also being interesting. the environments looked great on PS4, too. and when we got to an underground temple, the new story we learned was told very well.

But the lack of healing became frustrating again as there were only a couple of heal spots throughout the big dungeon. Thankfully there was one before the boss 'cause i died a few times and if i had to travel a long distance back to it i wouldn't have tried so many times and this would've been a shorter video. But i did try and i did succeed and then the demo does something great. it gives us the choice to end the demo OR we can take a newly learned and improved move and continue exploring the world. I chose to stop, but i appreciated being given the choice.

For me, Crypt Custodian felt like Cat Quest in many ways, but the lack of healing and some high level enemies also made it feel like it's more difficult than those 3 games in that series. But, if like me, you're a fan of the Cat Quest games and are wanting something a little more difficult, or maybe a more relatable serious story, than i do recommend Crypt Custodian. On PS4 it played great, it never felt like i was playing a worse version of the game. If you're unsure, i also highly recommend trying out the demo.

Backlog Conquering - Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut - Part 4 - Missions 9 and 10

Welcome to Backlog Conquering. This is a series were i play a game from my backlog that i may or may not have played before. the goal isn't necessarily to finish the game, the goal is to play it. that way, i can have an opinion about it.

Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut is a game from Born Ready that i've had on PS4 since it game out on the PSN. 

I once again came close to dying as i was getting too close to enemy ships. i've played all 4 parts on easy and i'd recommend that to anyone who plays the game. but that doesn't mean i can stop paying attention to what's happening around me. i need to keep checking my shields and armor and where i'm flying. but when it works, flying through an explosion is really cool in this game. the story is still difficult to follow but the Ai twist really makes it difficult for us to trust it. i can't help but think there's more twists to come!

Stories on Tuesday - Star Trek: Resurgence - Part 9 - Act 3 Part 23 to Credits

The new game in the Stories on Tuesday series is the PS4 version of Star Trek: Resurgence, from Dramatic Labs. 

This is the final part of my playthrough of Star Trek: Resurgence. it wasn't easy, i failed a couple of times to complete a task. but i will say that it was satisfying and i found it exciting. 

I have included the credits to the game which is one reason why it's as long as it is. i'll put that as a chapter below if you want to skip past them. but the music is quite nice to listen to.

Switch Funday - Cassette Beasts - My First Hour

Welcome to Switch Funday!

This week, 4 full games were free to play for Switch Online Members; Tetris Effect: Connected, PowerWash Simulator, Enter the Gungeon and Cassette Beasts. of those, the only one i hadn't played before was Cassette Beasts and i remembered that it got a lot of attention when it came out. In the video, i mistakenly say that the game came out this year when in fact it came out last year, 2023, across many platforms.

I didn't know much going in and i tried to not have many assumptions about the Cassette aspect of the game. i was curious if the developers would lean into the "retro" aspect, maybe give the game an 80's influence, or more into the modern revival of cassettes. after the first hour, it's much more a modern interpretation of cassettes. there was no mention of different materials, there was no 80's aesthetics. 

It's always interesting playing a "monster collecting" type game when Pokémon is such an established type, and one i have a lot of experience playing. i need the game to tell me what it is, to describe it's systems, to show me how it differs from such a known playstyle. i feel that Cassette Beasts didn't quite nail it. they went hard with the story, but left too much unknown and talking to other people didn't provide the extra information i was looking for. There were plenty of battles and i feel that their tutorials were fine, but then they mention types and failed to actually explain it in any detail. i did like that when it came to the "why" of cassettes, the answer was we don't know but it works.

This Switch port also had some issues. the obvious one was the pop-in of in-game elements. with a world as sparse as this, it was very obvious when something, like a tree, would pop-in. unfortunately, it happens quite often throughout this video. another issue i noticed at the beginning was that the background didn't seem to scroll smoothly, there was a stutter. Loading was frequent but thankfully not too long, and then near the end there was an instance where the game seemed to freeze for 2-3 seconds. this is a case where i feel like i'm playing an inferior version of a game. i wouldn't say it's very inferior, this Switch port of Cassette Beasts is playable. but it's noticeable enough where i feel that a Xbox Series version would be a smoother experience.

Cassette Beasts does have some interesting ideas. i liked the idea of Fusion but it felt like it took a long time for that to power up and i only got to use it once. having a shared pool of monsters was also an interesting decision, but without knowing types and what's effective against what it wasn't too useful. there's also a feature where you can "Rewind" a cassette to bring a monster back to full health, but there's no way to know what the health is of any of the monsters from that screen. The whole Monster Catching mechanic was interesting, too. but i don't think it was explained as well as i could've been. unlike Pokémon, when you go to catch a monster it can take several turns and when you do it's more like you saved a copy of the monster to tape and the original monster is still there on screen for you to defeat.

After my first hour with Cassette Beasts on Switch, i'm not too sure i want to buy the game and continue. i don't think that it's a great hour. the game does tease at the game's story and other activities like trying to become a Ranger, but the technical issues and little things like the writing don't give me enthusiasm to continue.

Online Saturday - DRAGON BALL PROJECT:Multi - BETA - 6 Matches, 5 Wins

For Online Saturday i went back to DRAGON BALL PROJECT:Multi on my iPhone and played 6 more games. the first 4 matches were with Android 18, the 5th match was with Krillin, and the final match was with Vegeta.

When i played it for Mobile Friday, https://youtu.be/TbtJ0tSpA_M, i only used Goku and Android 18 so it was nice to try a couple of other characters. they each do play differently and i enjoyed using Krillin more than i thought i would. There's a little talk about framerate in this video, but other than that it's focus is on beating the opposing team. 

Version 0.8.0 Played.

Mobile Friday - DRAGON BALL PROJECT:Multi - BETA - Good Gameplay But Hard To Follow The Action

For Mobile Friday this week is i tried out DRAGON BALL PROJECT:Multi, from Bandai Namco, on my iPhone 14 Pro.

I didn't know about this BETA until i saw DRAGON BALL PROJECT:Multi high up in the game charts on the App Store. so going in, i really didn't know what to expect. the screenshots they used didn't really give many clues either. all i knew was that it was an online multiplayer game that's 4 vs. 4.

Unfortunately, it starts with an extra 1 GB download so it's best to do this on Wi-fi. about halfway through the download there is the option to start the tutorial, but for this video i decided to download everything first. there is no trailer, no art, no screenshots, and no music during this process.

the tutorial for DRAGON BALL PROJECT:Multi is too basic. i'm not familiar with #MOBA type games, with Pokémon Unite being my main experience, so i wanted and needed more information that it gave. i found it difficult to read the map in the top left and difficult to follow the tutorial instructions on the middle left as the action takes place on the right side. there was not enough verbal instructions from Whis and Beerus, and the map is far too small to be glanceable. 

A lot of things were far too small in this BETA. i do HDMI out to a TV so i can check what the Dynamic Island is covering but i ended up having to look at the TV as a lot of text was tiny, especially Japanese Katakana names, and character thumbnails were useless at times.

The action on screen is also often too small. because we get to see a lot of the map, many of the characters are small. the enemies have labels, but they're even smaller than the characters. with things like grass blocking views, at times it was hard to work out who was friend and who was foe. the Z Fighters are a little easy to spot because of the Red "uniforms" but then again Android 18 doesn't wear a uniform and is harder to spot. when there's Gods of Destruction, Enemies, Team Mates, Opposition Players, and a Zeno all on screen at the same time, it's essentially luck and chaotic.

But i'm not saying that the gameplay is bad. a lot of it makes sense and how things progress make sense in how they describe it. there is some good solid action. the next layer of flashiness also works. there's flair when going Super Saiyan and the camera zooms in close. the same happens when doing a solo finishing move or with a team mate. it adds a satisfying sense of epicenes and power to the action. 

I recommend people try this beta. for Dragon Ball Z and Super fans, it'll be fun. for MOBA fans i think it'll be something simple and easy to play. but i hope that there's enough time for the developers to overhaul the tutorial, to add a main menu tutorial, and to add the option for players to zoom into the action a little more. The developers also need to work on iPhone specific aspects. the Dynamic Island got in the way a little here and there. the PC style graphic options make little sense on iPhone, more so when there's no visual example of what any of them do, and very few games get my iPhone that hot and keep it so hot that the screen remains permanently dimmed throughout the video.

Version 0.8.0 Played.

Demo Play Thursday - Visions of Mana On PS4

For this week's Demo Play Thursday i played the PlayStation 4 version of Visions of Mana from Ouka Studios and Square Enix.

The series is famous so i have heard of it but it's not a series i've played much. i think i bought a recent remake, or played it a little via PlayStation Plus, but i don't know the overarching story of it all. so essentially, i'm going into this "fresh".

The game's PSN Store Page does a good job detailing what this demo is and what it's designed to do. it's a shame the game itself couldn't get that across whilst we played it. but it does try so if you don't check out the store page, you'll get some basic idea that this isn't exactly the retail version of the game and that it contains select moments from the start. i've included at the start of this video the store page so you can check out the extra information.

Starting the demo, it's clear that this is a good looking game. the demo tries to info dump too much information before letting us continue and then more info gets dumped. It's a demo that's designed to show off fighting, traversing, the graphics, the characters, but not in a cohesive way that we would naturally get from the retail version. essentially, it's a bit of a mess and i had to just try, explore, and use some common sense to navigate the whole thing.

Visions of Mana is clearly a good looking game. everything is bright and colorful but not really in a distasteful way. the world, the people, and the animals all seem to work. the music is a little subdued and could be a little louder, and i think i did right by lowering the sfx sounds. it does feel like it came from a near final version of the retail game, there are very few technical issues with it.

I would go so far as to say that after playing this demo i think it would be fine to get the PS4 version. it doesn't feel like a lesser version. loading doesn't feel long, the controls feel solid, and even the draw distance is respectable. the only issue that i had with the demo were some bad shadows on character faces and one or two things not finished loading in even tho the loading screen had gone and gameplay had started.

it's difficult to comment on the fighting. the demo ends with a tough boss battle, but because it's a demo designed to showcase the game, i can't say whether i didn't die because i was good enough or because i just couldn't. it seemed chaotic and difficult at times to pay attention to health and mana. but thankfully my team mate A.I seemed good enough to help me, help each other, and do meaningful attacks.

I would recommend people try out the demo for Visions of Mana. not only because you get some items in-game a little early, but because there's still more to do in it. i didn't do any sidequests, and yet by the time i got to the boat i had maybe 3 i could've done. the open world area is massive and well worth exploring. It's also a good demo and i do think it does a good job showcasing Visions of Mana. i think having a trailer or artwork at the end for those who finished it would've been a smart move, but as it is it's a good showcase for the game. after playing the demo, i would think about getting the retail version of Visions of Mana. i'm intrigued by some of the story elements brought up, but overall i had a good time playing it.

Backlog Conquering - Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut - Part 3 - Missions 6, 7, and 8

Welcome to Backlog Conquering. This is a series were i play a game from my backlog that i may or may not have played before. the goal isn't necessarily to finish the game, the goal is to play it. that way, i can have an opinion about it.

Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut is a game from Born Ready that i've had on PS4 since it game out on the PSN. 

This part was easier than Part 2, https://youtu.be/FApVNW8XBXo. i didn't even die once! tho i came close. i did forget what some of the button's did, but overall it was nice coming back to the game. the story is getting a little difficult to follow, but it has always been a little difficult as it's spread out across the menus between missions and during missions.

Stories on Tuesday - Star Trek: Resurgence - Part 8 - Act 3 Part 19 to Part 23

The new game in the Stories on Tuesday series is the PS4 version of Star Trek: Resurgence, from  Dramatic Labs.

The repercussions from Part 7, https://youtu.be/w-SnRuAjouY, were still being dealt with through most of this video and we quickly got some new issues to deal with. The Scions of the Flame got their big ship and it has an interesting ability that didn't damage the USS Resolute, but internally it's messing things up. And that's not all, there were also staff changes related to actions i took in this part. A lot happens in an hour!

Switch Funday - Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team - My First Time

Welcome to Switch Funday!

Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team has just been added to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. On GBA i played the "mainline" Pokémon games on Game Boy Advance but i never tried the Mystery Dungeon games. they were something my cousins had so i thought of them as games for younger children and never tried them.

Going into it, i new that there would be a personality test that would determine the Pokémon you'd start as, tho i didn't know what possible Pokémon i could be, but other than that this was all new to me. even the style of game, a descending dungeon explore, is fairly new and something i haven't got much experience with.

If i'm honest, i was expecting more from Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team than what i got. the Pokémon look good, the graphics are good, and the music is somewhat good. but i found the gameplay to be slow, repetitive, and confusing. i was expecting a tutorial that just never came, tho there's a chance this was in the game manual, and there were terms and ideas i just never understood. Like the whole hunger thing, why did it only apply to me?

I also think i had controller issues as i was pressing buttons only for nothing to happen on screen. i can't believe that this was the actual game's fault and think it's the emulator being used to play it. But the game did have it's own issues, like the missing newspaper in the mailbox, poor UI, and too many menus. 

I strongly recommend using the services suspend point option and save frequently. the difficulty spiked so fast i was completely unprepared for it. i feel like the game does a poor job at explaining how to prepare for missions as by the #Diglett mission i was ill-prepared and saving every floor. the difficulty is also hard to manage as Pokémon just keep respawning. it's easy to get into a poor matchup, and with the controls as slow as they were i was often missing or miss clicking.

As a part of Pokémon history, it's worth trying. but don't force yourself. it's a poor example of a Pokémon game and a poor example of a dungeon explorer. By the time i finished the Diglett mission, i wasn't having fun and i won't be coming back to it. i would be interested in trying out the remake, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX, or a later title, like Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon, as i'd hope they would be better in every respect than Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Red Rescue Team.

Online Saturday - Tetris 99 - 42nd Maximus Cup - Splatoon 3

There is a Maximus Cup this weekend in Tetris 99 on Nintendo Switch. The 42nd Maximus Cup is for the Switch game Splatoon 3. By getting 100 points, you can unlock a Splatoon 3 theme which includes sounds and a background.

The side quest, as ever, is to try and win. unfortunately, i didn't manage to make it to the top 10 at all during this cup. in the first couple of games i managed to get into the top 30, with the first game being especially difficult. but other than that, i wasn't able to score too highly.

Mobile Friday - AFK Journey - With Good Graphics, Music, And Story It's Well Worth Playing

For Mobile Friday this week is i tried out AFK Journey, from Farlight Games, on my iPhone 14 Pro.

There had been a little fanfare about this game, with it being available for pre-order on thee iOS store. looking at the screenshots and video on the app store, it was clear the game had good graphics but i was also interested in the character creator and how or if they would incorporate it into the story.

Unfortunately, we start with a download choice. we can either download everything, about 2.5GB, or we can download about 94MB and have the game continue to download in the background when it needs to. i don't recommend this as it's not clear when this will happen or how much it'll download. you really should play the game on Wifi first and then play it out and about once the download is finished. there's not much to do whilst you wait either, other than some good music that is.

We get a cool opening cut scene that hints as to our purpose in the game and once the game starts its also clear that it's a good looking game. it's not long before we're set to leave for the outside world and then the game introduces the character creator as a way for us to hide that we're Merlin. this was such a great way to incorporate a character creator feature within the game's universe.

AFK Journey also introduces it's "Loot Box" mechanic in just as a smart way, too. the premise is that we're going to need support on our journey so letters are sent out requesting help and when we get a reply it's either items that help or characters that can join our party. 

The tutorial starts off being useful, with the game using our amnesia as a way to give us a tutorial. it's a clever way of incorporating it into the story, but it doesn't pay off as well as the two previous examples. it feels more bare bones. i feel like it could've leant into the amnesia more, giving us reminders to upgrade, or asking us if we'd like reminders. The tutorial does a poor job at explaining the busy UI around the edges, too. it's not incorporated into the story, and when the AFK button was introduced i didn't understand what it was for. 

With how well so much of the game works, having such an average to poor tutorial really sticks out. but there are some other things that became noticeable. a big one was when we were going between two locations. there are optional battles and the enemies have their level above their heads. but this is a meaningless piece of information as it doesn't tell us how strong they are. it's not one on one battles, it's a group vs a group. the information we want is the strength of the group as well as the strength of ours. that information is only present when we're on the set-up before a battle, and it's not overly clear if we're about to retreat or not, there's just some non-descript arrow.

It's great that the game has amazing graphics and music, i'm also enjoying the story. but there's just enough wrong with it that it doesn't automatically leap to game of the year. thankfully, i found the story engaging enough that i do want to come back to the game, but maybe not right away. But AFK Journey is well worth downloading and trying out, just be aware that there are a few little issues with it.

Version 1.1.173 Played.

Demo Play Thursday - Guayota On Switch

For this week's Demo Play Thursday i played the Nintendo Switch version of #Guayota , from developers Team Delusion and publisher DearVillagers .

The screenshots on the web eShop page made the dungeons look really cool and that was the main reason why i chose to play it. i also thought the look of the characters was quite interesting and wondered how it would be incorporated into the story and world as a whole.

This demo is rather short and at times it feels like pieces of the story have been cut from it as things don't make too much sense at times. for example, we start on a big boat, and the next thing is we're on the beach with two small boats. at first i thought maybe we're dreaming or ship wrecked, but the other people who have landed are busy working. so did they leave us behind? did they let us rest, and if so why were we on the beach. 

Even tho the demo is short, it's full of inconsistences like this that really detract from the story as a whole. we're told our job is to record, and yet the first interesting thing we see on the island we don't record. nor is that something we can initiate ourselves, it's only at specific points the game wants even tho the island is full of new and interesting things we would never have seen before. there are other character interactions too that don't make sense with what they say to us and what they do.

It sticks out a lot as the point of the game is to tell a specific story of the indigenous peoples of the Canary Islands. with the demo as short as it is, i can't say if this carries into the final game, nor can i say if this is specific to the demo. most demos will say that some things are cut to avoid story spoilers, but this demo says nothing. 

The gameplay is something worth praising. the graphics are great, it's a stunner on Switch. the areas we visited looked interesting, unique, and clear. then there's the way light moves around the dungeons, too. the controls are tight and simple, and the puzzles were introduced in a way that was simple to understand.

After playing the demo for Guayota i'm left with the impression that it's a fun game to play, but with a forgettable story. it could be described as a good podcast game. if this demo isn't a representation of the final game, then they've failed with it 'cause after playing the demo i'm not interested in getting Guayota. the puzzle side of the game doesn't interest me and with the story being a mess, i'm not interested in that either.

Stories on Tuesday - Star Trek: Resurgence - Part 7 - Act 3 Part 13 to Part 19

*Both my main commentary recording and my back-up failed. i record on my laptop, but it's a Lenovo AMD that blue screens at least twice a day or simply restarts and that's what happened. my back-up recording is done on my MZ-RH10 MiniDisc. that file is just silence. i have no idea what happened, my guess is maybe the microphone wasn't fully plugged in. So this Part has no commentary.*

 

The new game in the Stories on Tuesday series is the #PS4 version of Star Trek: Resurgence, from  Dramatic Labs.

A lot happened in this part, it was very exciting. Our crew on the Xeldi had some great ideas to solve their issues. Whilst on the USS Resolute, we discovered there was yet another Bioformed Scion onboard. the conclusion to that story was unexpected and both of these stories ended in a location that could be bad news for the rest of the galaxy. but how bad, we'll have to wait for Part 8 next week

Switch Funday - Splatoon 3 - August's Weekend Splatfest Tricolor - 15 Battles 10 Wins!

Welcome to Switch Funday.

It's day two of August's Splatfest weekend so today's video focuses on the Tricolor game mode in Splatoon 3. 

In yesterday's video, https://youtu.be/WRXA1rH6tRY, i never played against any Team Pasta teams so i was unsure what would happen today. So i was very happy at the end of this video that all 15 matches were up against Team Rice and Team Pasta. it also went very well today, my team mates and I managed to win 10 of the 15 games we played.

The weapons i used today were the Bloblobber, Bloblobber Deco, and the Explosher. i didn't enjoy the Deco variant of the Bloblobber but the other two weapon were quite fun. 

Online Saturday - Splatoon 3 - August's Weekend Splatfest Battle - 15 Battles 8 Wins!

Welcome to Online Saturday!

This weekend is a Splatfest weekend in Splatoon 3 on Switch. the question being asked this Splatfest is "Which would you eat every day? Bread, Rice, or Pasta?"

I picked Team Bread and played 15 matches for them. My team mates and I never played against any Team Pasta, all 15 games were against Team Rice. it was a very competitive Turf War with some close games, but we managed to win 8 of the 15 games against them.

I was in the mood to use Splattershot weapons so today i spent 5 games each with the Tentatek Splattershot, the Splattershot, and the Splattershot Nova.

Mobile Friday - Pocket Trucks: Route Evolution - More Of The Same

For Mobile Friday this week is i tried out Pocket Trucks: Route Evolution, from NimbleBit, on my iPhone 14 Pro.

Playing Pocket Trucks: Route Evolution is more of a personal choice. it wasn't clear when it came out globally, but as someone who has played most of the games NimbleBit have released, i wanted to try it.

Because i'm a fan of NimbleBit games and still play their Trains and Planes games, whilst also thinking about getting back into Tiny Tower, i'm in two minds about Pocket Trucks: Route Evolution. The headline for this review is "More of the Same" which is both a positive and a negative. i know how the games plays, i know the rules and what's expected. but that also means there's no evolution, there's nothing new.

Pocket Trucks: Route Evolution feels like an old game. the tutorial is poor at best, the use of the screen is poor and feels like it was carried over from a different device, and there are some choices here and there that leave me more confused. a quick example of something small is how the button to upgrade your truck is on whilst the truck is driving, but you can't actually go to that screen. so why isn't it off like the City button is when your driving.

I recorded this video earlier in the week and have played it a little on and off since then and there are still aspects of the game that feel unbalanced. i have no idea why so many trucks are available when so few jobs are. i don't understand how the scrap/upgrade system work or how/when you get said items. And i have added the ice tyres to those trucks that can get them, but still don't know if there are negatives to using them on regular roads.

If Pocket Trucks: Route Evolution had come out years ago when the other hits from NimbleBit had, it would've felt like a natural fit. But now, it just feels old and not really in a positive way. games are much clearer now, either through an initial tutorial or additional smaller help boxes or tutorials as and when things unlock. I feel like games have much more animation, an example is how the animals clearly visible on screen don't move. if you're not going to animate them, why show them, why not have some cool crate for them. 

As it is, Pocket Trucks: Route Evolution is fine. it does nothing to evolve the genre nor does it really harm it. the gameplay look is as fine as it ever was. For better or for worse, it's more of the same and sometimes that's enough.

Version 1.2.1 Played.

Demo Play Thursday - Trinity Fusion On Switch

For this week's Demo Play Thursday i played the Nintendo Switch version of Trinity Fusion, from  Angry Mob Games .

I didn't know anything about this game going in, after i played the demo i saw that it has already come out on other platforms. so for me, i was looking to the demo as being my introduction to the game.

It starts well by telling the back story of this universe. i thought it was interesting. it ends on a character called Maya who seems to the the main character. But then when the tutorial starts we're a new character called Naira with no explanation as to who we are, where we are, nor what we should be doing. at least on screen there are basic tutorial instructions telling us how to control her.

But this lack of "Why" permeates throughout this demo and is what was the most frustrating part of playing it. When i died, in what was a cool death sequence, we get a brief bit of story before the gameplay starts up again and i'm someone new. again, not this Maya character we've been introduced to and not as Naira as before. the level was also different and you can hear in my commentary that i was very confused by the situation. But it doesn't end there as when i died a second time i was sent back to some sort of hub world, again with no context as to what was happening. it was a little difficult to know what to do here and it was more by accident that i worked out how to continue playing the game. as well as a lack of Why, the tutorial also is surprisingly limited in this demo. 

The lack of why and what our purpose is is such a let down because the gameplay itself is really good. combat is varied, the controls are responsive, the levels look great and there's some variety in where and how you navigate them. the music is fantastic and just as impressive where the decent load times, too. there is soo much to like about how it plays, that this demo gives the impression that they came up with the gameplay first and then tried to build a story around it, that's just how separate they fill.

The Switch demo for Trinity Fusion is well worth playing and a lot of people are going to enjoy how it plays. as i say i the video, with it's lack of story it'll be a great podcast game. But it's not for me. It teased a world that i wanted to play in, a story where there seemingly are going to be losses on all sides and no one is the winner. that sounded really interesting. But they gave me none of that here.

Backlog Conquering - Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut - Part 2 - Missions 4 And 5

Welcome to Backlog Conquering. This is a series were i play a game from my backlog that i may or may not have played before. the goal isn't necessarily to finish the game, the goal is to play it. that way, i can have an opinion about it.

Strike Suit Zero: Director's Cut is a game from Born Ready Games that i've had on PS4 since it game out on the PSN. 

I feel that the mission length and difficulty has gone up from the first 3 missions i did in Part 1, https://youtu.be/zBNkDWAqsXc, but that's not entirely the fault of the game. i made mistakes which saw my ship crash into another ship causing my shields, and armor, to fail. this means i died twice in this video and i came close a couple of other times, too. I feel that the story telling isn't happening as great as i'd like it to. there's a lot of chatter over the radio during the game but my focus is on the action so i'm not really taking it in.

Stories on Tuesday - Star Trek: Resurgence - Part 6 - Act 3 Part 8 to Part 13

The new game in the Stories on Tuesday series is the PS4 version of Star Trek: Resurgence, from  Dramatic Labs.

Part 5, https://youtu.be/QAaTFS_OkwM, ended when i was killed in a firefight. So the start of this Part 6 was me trying once more to get through said firefight. thankfully it wasn't an issue and it looks like i was very close in Part 5 to finishing it.

the choices i had to make in Part 6 were quite difficult. it really does feel like things are serious and that there are no perfect answers. For example, with Diaz how Federation can you be on a non-Federation ship. With Jara Rydek, how much can you stick with your captain when things aren't getting any better. the final parts are going to force upon me some really difficult choices.

Switch Funday - Splatoon 3 - Getting August's Salmon Run Item

This month's Splatoon 3 Salmon Run item is the Hard Hat Replica. The goal for this video was to get 1,00 points. that way i get the item twice and have a go at defeating a King Salmonoid. 

This Salmon run was wasn't great. it took 3 more jobs than July's did. In that Salmon Run, https://youtu.be/yHh_0RNRtBE, my team mates and i got to Wave 3 frequently, but this month we struggled to get past Wave 1 sometimes, and when we did it wasn't with a high score. the weapon selection, for me, wasn't great so it also wasn't that fun at times. we had a lot of Glowfly Waves, too.

Online Saturday - Battle Crush - Looks Good On Switch, Has A Great Tutorial, But No Sense Of Speed

For Online Saturday i tried the Nintendo Switch version of Battle Crush from NCsoft.

I haven't heard much about this game even tho it's doing well on Mobile Charts. i didn't know anything about it going in so i was hoping for a decent tutorial to help guide me. Battle Crush has a great one. starting the game for the first time, we're taken straight into the tutorial. each aspect of the basic controls were explained and shown before we get to do it. But what's also great is that once the basic stuff was finished, we're given the choice as to whether we want to do more advanced tutorials or start playing. for a game that's out across different platforms, this is great for players who know what to do.

But the tutorial does end a little quick. When i get to the home screen, i would've appreciated a quick message pointing me to the online matches. Those matches are also not labelled as to what the game mode actually is. i tried out all modes, but i guessed wrong what i thought one or two of them might've been. Then when you get to the character select screen, i also had to guess as to why some characters had purple logos on them. in that case, it's similar to what Pokémon Unite does in that you get a limited time with characters you don't have. 

I didn't mind the characters i played as, but when i was up against other characters it never felt balanced. we all seem to go the same speed when moving but attack speeds, ranges, and powers seem all over the place so when i was defeated by one character it immediately felt unbalanced and not in a player experience way.

Another aspect of the gameplay that bothered me was the speed of gameplay. characters move slower than i expected, weapon firing was slower than expected, and in a level the concept of time was weird. it's hard to describe. because we see soo little of the game stage and we move so slow across it, it felt difficult to judge how long it would take to get across the stage, how long it would take to get into a save zone. 

Battle Crush looks great on Switch and is very welcoming to new players. but the game itself isn't quite what i'm looking for. it reminds me of Fat Princess in how zoomed in both games are. but things move faster in Fat Princess, the levels were smaller, and they were designed in such a way to funnel opponents to each other. maybe the stages are either too big and open or too small in Battle Crush. But i do think it's well worth a try.

Mobile Friday - The Demonized: Idle RPG - Great Art But No Tutorial And Inconsistent Mechanics

For Mobile Friday this week is i tried out The Demonized: Idle RPG, from #Gameduo, on my #iPhone 14 Pro.

The video and screenshots on the app store caught my attention. the #PixelArt looked great and the action looked good, too. i was wondering if the game could deliver on what it said in the store, that there are Unlimited Evolutions, Unlimited Items and Skills, Amazing Boss Stages, Amazing Upgrades, and Various Reward Events.

After my hour with the game, it's fair to say i have some thoughts. unfortunately for The Demonized: Idle RPG, there isn't much to praise so lets do that first. the pixel art doesn't disappoint. the monsters, the bosses, the stages, the weapons, the skills, the accessories, it all looks good. as i say in the video, it'd be great if there was a button i could press to clear the screen so i could watch it all in action. The music is limited, but what it does have is good. tho i wasn't sure how appropriate it was for the setting and what was happening on screen. And that's about it.

The Demonized: Idle RPG has many issues but they mostly stem from one big fault, inconsistent game mechanics. for a game with no tutorial, it's not just confusing but also frustrating having to work out how to play it when the rules change depending on what you're doing. for weapons, there's an auto equip, but for accessories there aren't. for minions, combining extra of the same makes them stronger but with accessories they combine any extra into something else. levelling up your character's stats uses Stat Points, but upgrading them uses monster meat.

The Demonized: Idle RPG's translation into English also causes some issues. The Attack Skills are easy to understand but the Buff Skills seem more like magic. Then there's the whole issue with "Level Up" as there was no tutorial to explain it to me i thought it meant levelling up an item, weapon, accessory, etc. but in The Demonized: Idle RPG it refers to the fact you have collected said item and getting a reward. you're levelling up your Collection and getting buffs from having obtained items.

Even making progress in the game isn't straight forward. most idle games like this would have you complete a set amount of stages in a level before coming up against a boss you must defeat to progress to the next level. In The Demonized: Idle RPG, each stage in a level has a boss and to face that boss you have to press the orange boss button as it's separate. it's almost like a boss rush. when you fail to beat a boss, you start playing through that level. so if you fail to beat the boss of stage 6, you play stage 6 on repeat until you chose to face that boss again. None of this is explained so there are times i'm stuck repeating stages as i didn't know about the bosses.

There are many other examples in the video, but ultimately The Demonized: Idle RPG is not greater than the sum of it's parts. Gameduo need to rework or at least unify the game mechanics to make The Demonized: Idle RPG even the slightest bit approachable for more casual players. As it is, i can't recommend it. there really is some good ideas here, but they've failed to make something cohesive. 

Version 1.4.6 Played.

Demo Play Thursday - Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid On Switch

For this week's Demo Play Thursday i played the Nintendo Switch version of Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid, from Toybox and Millennium Kitchen.

This has just come out and had received a little bit of fanfare so i was curious as to what all the fuss was about. these vacation style games are somewhat common in Japan and something i've known about for a long time, but i've never played one. So again, i was keen to give it ago.

The game makes it clear that it's a demo on it's main screen but just as impressively it has a link to pre-order the game from the eShop, something that many games don't include. What isn't made clear is if there have been any changes to the game for the demo or how long, or what we're going to do in the demo.

We start with a nice video sequence that helps set the scene. but i wasn't blown away by the visuals. this is true for the rest of the demo. i liked what they've done for the characters but in a way it's too good in comparison to the rest of the game. the characters have style and a unique look about them but the rest of the world feels plain and not as impressive. it feels like the Switch couldn't pull off what they were trying to do with the art.

I was also disappointed with how long the demo is. being so short means there's not a lot for us to do. so much of the demo is scripted, we're only able to briefly explore the town before it's night time. we're encouraged to interact with town people, bug hunt, and investigate a mysterious apparition, but they never felt that connected to the story. so in the short time we had to play, it felt like busy work rather than something that helped flesh out the world and the story.

So i came away from the demo for Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid not really wanting to get the game. i don't think this demo has done much to put it in a positive light. and there's some weird conversation stuff, too, that really took me out of the experience. there were two occasions near the end where i said something to another character, but couldn't end the conversation. i had to do all 3 interactions with them. that's not something that happens in story games, you say something and the story moves on. And one of those people was some random guy i'd never seen before who seems to be a private detective, but why were they in the guest house and why were they talking to a young kid.

After my brief time with Natsu-Mon: 20th Century Summer Kid, i honestly can't recommend it right now. wait for reviews and see is all this confusion is a bug or a result of how short the demo is.