Lately I’ve been keeping a special eye on Cronos, which looks to satisfy my craving for survival horror games in the vane of Dead Space and Resident Evil. It was cool to get a lil bit of clarity on what the game’s going to be like firsthand. What sold me is how the monster’s will rebuild themselves off of the corpses of there own kind. I’m excited to see what Bloober Team has in store for us. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
UPIN & IPIN UNIVERSE SET TO LAUNCH JULY 17th ON CONSOLES AND PC
| Les’ Copaque Production in partnership with Streamline Studios, developed an open-world game with a 12+ hour narrative campaign aimed to resonate with a global audience while staying true to its roots. The game’s design celebrates the essence of Southeast Asian culture, making it a culturally rich, family-friendly adventure. Upin & Ipin Universe will be showcased for the first time at the Japan Expo in Paris today, as well as at a press conference on July 4th in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, officiated by the Minister of Digital, YB Gobind Singh Deo. “Upin & Ipin Universe marks a new chapter for us — expanding beyond TV, film, and merchandise into a global, interactive experience. As we celebrate Les’ Copaque’s 20th anniversary, this launch reflects our commitment to innovation and creating meaningful moments for families everywhere,” says Haji Burhanuddin Md Radzi, Managing Director of Les’ Copaque Production. “Upin & Ipin Universe isn’t just a game; it’s a love letter to the vibrant culture and traditions of Southeast Asia,” says Alexander Fernandez, CEO of Streamline Media Group. “Since opening our doors in Malaysia in 2010, we’ve helped the local industry grow into a thriving ecosystem. Malaysia is now a creative force in animation, game development, and interactive storytelling. Upin & Ipin Universe is proof that Malaysian-born stories resonate not just at home, but everywhere.” With its unique blend of engaging gameplay, culturally resonant themes, and the iconic charm of Upin & Ipin, the game is poised to make a significant impact in the open-world adventure genre. Streamline Studios is committed to delivering a high-quality experience that appeals to gamers of all ages and backgrounds. |
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| Mark your calendars for July 17th, and prepare to embark on a journey through the Upin & Ipin Universe! |
Project Gorgon, initial thoughts
Over the years, many of you probably noticed that MMOs aren’t really my thing. Sure, I had a nice run in 14 with my pladin, checked out the free-to-play Neverwinter, and even played Elder Scrolls Online with my daughter. But they are the type of game I pick up occasionally then move on.
This brings me to Project Gorgon, a game that I can honestly say makes very little sense sometimes, and I mean that in the best way possible. I walked up to a bookshelf, and there were real books, written by players. Half the books were just advice from players for new players, and the other half consisted of short stories players made up about their in-game characters.
My first death leveled up my dying skill. Yes, death in this game is a skill. It offers perks for all sorts of things. Unless you decide to play in hardcore or permadeath mode, dying has no real consequences. It does offer you an excellent chance to role-play, however. Every time you die, you get hit with a random, let’s call it a debuff. The game tells you outright what it is and that it is only for roleplay purposes, and it ranges from your character being paranoid that people are reading your mind, to they forgetting how to speak.
I can’t speak much on the story, some hag wipes your memory for reasons I don’t know after 25 hours of play time and dumps you on an island. You then play that island as a tutorial ( there are a few ways to get off it) before reaching the main world. This is where you can start doing favors for people, trying to learn skills like carpentry or foraging, or ingredients to cook new foods. You can even decide to learn some sort of magic.
Now, don’t take this as a review for Project Gorgon, 25 hours into an MMO, is still learning how to play it. I have barely cracked the surface of what there is to do in this game. I am really just discussing how it really lets you feel like the world is open for you to just live in and do things. It is absolutely worth checking out, especially since it has no monthly fee and only costs $20. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Fruitbus PS5 Review
Fruitbus on PS5 is an interesting title from Silver Lining Interactive LTD that they were kind enough to send me. I always enjoy checking out new titles, and this experience is no different.
The general idea here is that your grandmother ran a food bus her entire life, one that you would often help her run when you spent time with her. Now that she has retired, she has left it to you. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, however, it ended up in the junk yard, and you need to fix it up and start from scratch.
The gameplay loop is rather easy. After a quick tutorial, you will park your fruibus somewhere, explore the area, gather supplies, open up shop for the day to sell some fresh-made goodies with the fresh-picked fruit, then repeat the process.
There is a story here as well. Your grandmother made one request when giving you this bus. Gather all her friends and throw her a retirement party. She did mention one small issue, she kind of pissed some of them all off and they don’t want to come. Others are just really busy. Except your mom, she just hates how she was raised because grandma spent all her time at work. This isn’t anything you can’t handle, though, right?
The real question with Fruibus is, how much do you enjoy cooking games in general? The game has adorable characters, easy controls, and a fun loop. Upgrading your bus is simple and rewarding, and collecting fruit isn’t as tedious as you would expect. It is a solid 8/10 experience, but only if you enjoy this type of experience. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Bellfortis Steam Review
Bellfortis is a strategy game similar to Crusader Kings, this time developed by Rake in Grass, which they were kind enough to send my way. I always like to express my appreciation at the beginning as a disclosure of sorts.
The game itself takes place on a map of Europe, as you would expect. The map itself looks nice, and it is quite easy to navigate with a mouse. All the information you need is easy to find. Little pictures show you mountains or fields, if you are better off focusing on farming or production in a particular province, for example. A quick glance will let you know how happy your people are, and if you lower or raise taxes, you will see the people’s reactions fast and in real time.
Diplomacy is also done quickly and at the click of a button, with each option quickly laid out for you, and when this fails and war is inevitable, as it often is, battles break down, with you being able to control your troops in real time. Set your archers behind your foot soldiers. Watch as your horsemen slam into your enemy, or if you don’t feel like it, let the computer just do the battle quickly. Wars can be fast and furious or slow and methodical if you want.
The downside, if you can call it that, is that many of the features we have grown accustomed to over the years are missing from Bellfortis. While it is possible to get married, don’t expect deep friendships amongst warlords or to have children. If you happen to remember the old NES game Defender of the Crown, it is quite similar to that in many ways. The ruler you get at the start is just your ruler. When you get married, that will be your wife. The game trades in many advanced this for a streamlined and simplistic approach, even research is broken down into a few tech trees that you research.
I say all this as a positive. The game costs a very reasonable $20 and is worth the money. You can learn it fast, unlike most games in the genre, and it doesn’t require a huge time sink to play, but that doesn’t make it easy either; it can be as hard as any other game. The game is a solid 8/10. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Medieval Supermarket Shop Simulator
Medieval Supermarket Shop Simulator on PS5, developed by CGI LAB SRL, is an absolutely horrible game. If you played any of the TCG Card Shop Simulator (Steam Review) copies out there, you might be expecting a passable game that is fun to mess around with. This is not it. Everything, however, about this game is pretty atrocious. The controls are pretty unresponsive, they go unexplained at pretty much every turn as well as don’t even make much sense.
You can only really set prices by moving them up or down from market value by 10% in either direction. This may not seem like a big deal, but it does limit your options for controlling what you can do. Restocking the store is also a hassle because you have to run a decent distance to the guy selling merchandise to buy things, then pick up the boxes and run back to your store. If this wasn’t bad enough, you don’t seem to be able to put boxes down once you pick them up. I may be wrong on this, and I just never figured it out, as I said, the controls are very poorly explained, and it is pretty much just trial and error.
I spent less than $3 on this game while it was on sale, and I kind of want my money and the 2 hours I spent playing it back. To make matters worse, the platinum trophy is very achievable simply by playing the game. It wouldn’t need a big time sink to get it, but it sits at a huge .3% or so.
If you are considering picking this game up, don’t. Please don’t make the same mistake as I and encourage these types of games any more than we already have. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Alan Wake 2
13 years since we last joined writer Alan Wake and his battle against the otherworldly Dark Presence. 13 years since he went missing in Cauldron Lake, a new threat has emerged in Bright Falls. Violent rituals being perpetrated by a cult seemingly inspired by Wake’s works have attracted FBI attention. Agent Saga Anderson and her partner Alex Casey are on the case- quickly realizing nothing is how it seems and Bright Falls has more than a murder cult and a cast of strange characters to contend with. Reality is being rewritten and the Dark Presence is returning, this time under the guise of the malevolent Mr. Scratch. As Saga’s history comes crashing down, the mystery of all mysteries is what happened to Alan Wake?
Alan Wake remastered was a solid action experience with a great story and some really irritating parts. Wake 2 is a modern horror masterpiece. The story is absolutely fascinating with plenty of twists and character development. Visually, the game is incredible, blending animation and live action flawlessly. The gameplay is improved but overall the game is more difficult; full disclosure, I sucked at this game because I’m the worst pathfinder in existence and I rushed through many of the goodies that would have helped a lot for the endgame. I was impressed how genuinely errie and tense the game gets, especially in the second half. Poets of the Fall return with new bangers as the Old Gods of Asgard, including a great live performance with the cast. What gripes I have are pretty small- I wasn’t a fan of the upgrade system for weapons, the reality shifts as Wake himself get confusing, and the game requires a learning curve for Saga’s mind place and Alan’s writing room but they don’t really subtract from the game for me. I will warn you, the real ending appears after the second playthrough on the Final Draft, but both endings are damn good. In the end, I highly recommend this if you love old sci-fi, classic David Lynch and Stephen King, or want a different kind of horror game. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
Crisol: Theater of Idols trailer
I want to take a second and talk about a game I haven’t seen much buzz about that I think deserves some. I love the vibe I got, feeling close to Lies of P and Resident Evil VIII: Village . I really liked the aesthetic and that it does look fun, which can be rare in survival horror. I’m excited to see more about this game come out. May the gaming gods bring you glory.
How 2 Escape: Lost Submarine PS5 Review
How 2 Escape: Lost Submarine on PS5 is a sort of escape room puzzle meant for 2 people. It was sent my way by the guys and gals over at Just For Games, and I always appreciate that.
Playing this with my girlfriend actually gave me a fun perspective. See, only one person needs a copy of this to play, one person plays from an app on their phone, and the other one from their PS5 ( it is available on Xbox and Steam), and you are both given different info. One can explore the ship and mess with different controls. For example, in the first room, you can look through a periscope to see lighthouses or some controls. The other person can see some menus on how to operate those controls.
The two of you must work together and pass information back and forth to unlock the room and get to the next room. Each room has different controls, items to find, and puzzles to solve. If you are like me, this is fascinating and a lot of fun. If you are like my girlfriend, this is torture, and you demand to know why I am doing this to her and what she did to deserve this.
After a couple of rooms, I was forced to pick a different partner and restart the game. I figured my ex-wife would be a great choice. This turned out to be an even worse choice. It was sort of like doing an escape room with someone who has no desire to escape because eventually someone will open the door for you, or because they know the rest of the class will do all the work.
I then moved on to my third choice. My 19-year-old daughter. This time went much better, I let her take the console and I used the app on my phone. It felt nice and was easy to use. We managed to get through the game fairly well together.
The story is fun and the game functions well, and the app works well even on my phone, which is in dire need of replacement. With a price point of about $13 regardless of where you buy it, calling this a 7/10 game that escape room fans will love is a fair statement. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Announces Ashes of Elrant, the official DLC for Acclaimed ‘Chained Echoes’ (JRPG) (PC/SW/XB/PS) is releasing August 7th
Many of you may recall my coverage of the Chained Echoes PS5 Review, where I told you it was a must-buy RPG of 2022. We are getting the long-awaited DLC Ashes of Elrant on August 7th. Enjoy the trailer below, and don’t wait to pick this one up; it’s sure to be amazing.
Savior Gaming 