The Walking Dead The Streets of Survival PlayStation 5 Review

The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival was sent my way by Trailmark Games which is always appreciated. If you enjoy The Walking Dead, you will enjoy the story here because it is the story you already love, though admittedly if you don’t know anything about the walking dead this game is probably best avoided. It starts pretty much in spoiler country, I worry about telling you where it starts in case someone is late to the party and still making their way through it. Suffice it to say Rick isn’t in a good place, and him, Michonne and Daryl will be making their way through walker infested tunnels, settlements and a bunch more places and the war with Negan rages on. All of them are playable characters, including eventually Negan.

At this point I feel like you either know what you are getting into with the story, or you just don’t care about this games story anyway, either way you really just want to know if the game plays well. First, this style of game normally has multiplayer. Don’t expect to run around with friends here, this is solo only and there are no official plans to add it later.

Aside from that, the graphics do a fantastic job of telling the gritty story but not going over the top with gore and keeping the game grounded in its purpose. While the controls can feel a bit stiff at time and are the weakest part of the game, they aren’t bad by any means. They are simply better done in other games in the genre, they however aren’t the worst either. The sound however is very nice. Gun shots have volume to them without sounding obnoxiously loud, melee hits sound bone crunching without sounding needlessly grotesque for no reason. They truly have caught the feeling of the show by making the game feel violent, but not for no reason.

Most importantly, every character feels different and nobody feels useless. Their special abilities and skills are all worth using without making you wish you weren’t stuck using Rick over Daryll for example on certain levels. The game is an 8/10 experience with plenty of things to collect and find over multiple playthroughs on various difficulty levels. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Train Sim World 7 PlayStation 5 Review

It’s that time of year again, everyone. Train Sim World 7 is out, and DoveTail Games has once again set me up with a review copy. If you missed my coverage of that, you can find it here. I said last year that if you haven’t got a chance to play a Train Sim World game, that 6 was a great place to start, and this year makes the game even more approachable than ever. They have added a control scheme for those who want to use it, so you can now control the major stuff of the train easily from the controller. This is fantastic if you just want to relax and check out the beautiful scenery, and it is beautiful.

For those that enjoy the more hardcore simulation style of the games, don’t worry, they haven’t changed it on you. By all means, turn the UI off, stare at the dash, move every control knob and stick on the train, and fully immerse yourself in the experience of hauling a massive machine through Bavaria or Yorkshire. Or be like me and stick to the in-between and leave the UI on so you have the extra help and maybe crash the train a few times in Florida. Seriously, letting me drive a train is the worst thing to happen to Florida since Florida man discovered bath salts.

The game isn’t perfect; however, it is fun. When you get to certain areas, you will notice they did manage to push the PS5 (at least the base model) to its limits at points. There are some noticeable slowdowns here and there when things get super busy, mostly on the German routes. Kind of seems like the Axis once again lost to the Allies here, considering the British and American routes rarely suffer these issues. I jest, come on guys, the war’s over; stop making these jokes.

The game is a lot of fun, and fans of trains will have a lot to work with, and I am not 100% sure what carries over from the previous year’s game, but I know some things do, which is pretty cool. For me, the game is an 8/10 experience, and fans of the series will enjoy it. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Voltaire: The Vegan Vampire PlayStation 5 Review

Voltaire: The Vegan Vampire is an odd game. It is a sort of action roguelike almost mixed with a tower defense, and it was sent my way by Jandusoft. These guys always send me interesting stuff and this was no exception, and I always appreciate it.

Voltaire: The Vegan Vampire as about the youngest son of Dracula, Voltaire and his decision to commit the ultimate sin, going vegan. The game doesn’t say that I am by the way. He is a vampire and he is taking up gardening, its weird that his two uncles Frank and Stein even allow it, let alone act as the games quest giver and tutorial.

I digress however, it doesn’t take long with their help before you are growing weird crops, doing alchemy, and feeding Cthulu by day an by night fending off your fathers hordes, protecting your crops and every so often killing one of his generals and then leaving your homestead for a slightly safer place only to repeat the process.

This to me is kind of what made the game not that much fun unfortunately. You build a few things and before you know it the week is over and it is time to move on to the next place. You do have the option to stay an extra week if you want but the game does make it clear this is not a good idea. ( you should still try it however) and much of the time you are still struggling to keep your hunger down.

The game does look and sound nice, and I love the humor. Unlocking the boss rush mode and the extras is also a nice touch, with plenty of extras like different classes with new abilities and different outfits allows for plenty of replay ability for a reasonable price of only $20, but for me I would wait for a sale on this 7/10 title. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Moros Protocol PlayStation 5 Review

Moros Protocol is a first-person shooter roguelike sent my way by the people at Super Rare Games. I always appreciate getting to check out something new from someone new, and this definitely fits the bill. The game has old-school low-poly graphics, but it is done in a way that still looks and plays well. This is important because a lot of times these things are done badly. My one complaint is I wish I could aim down the sights.

You will wake up time and time again on an old ship called the Orpheus, in a sort of nod to Halo, with what seems to be a computer system in your head letting you know what is going on. Each time you die, you will get bounced into a new body of someone who didn’t make it, but still has a usable body. Many things in this game aren’t what they seem, however.

In between runs, you will get the chance to upgrade along the game’s grid; some spots give you more HP, some allow you to hold more ammo, or even just give you more spots to hold upgrades. Really, there are too many to even name, and maxing out your character would take a ton of time, I think.

The real issue I have with the game comes down to how you find secret entrances. They hide some important stuff, and I have only found two ways to access them. Attack these special spots with your melee, which damages you, or with explosive barrels, which usually isn’t an option. Your options then become: not look for them, which hurts your run, or look for them, which hurts your run anyway. This just seems like a very odd design choice to me.

The game is still a solid 7/10, and the story is better than I expected. I think it is worth playing even with the small annoyances and balance issues. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

MXGP 26 PlayStation 5 Review

MXGP 26 was sent my way by Nacon, which is always appreciated. MXGP is a motocross game with a mountain of races to get through on 19 official tracks across the MXGP and MX2 categories of racing. The new addition to this year is that, finally, just like in real life, the track will now get messed up as the race goes on. Take the same turn over and over again with everyone else, and the turn will form holes and ruts from the wheels.

Graphically, the game is probably the most impressive dirt bike racing game I have played, and while I have not played many recently, I have played a couple. The controls are also top-notch. Usually the controls are too stiff or too loose, and while they aren’t perfect, I never felt like I was struggling to control the bike.

My major complaint with the game is simple: there is no tutorial. This may seem silly, but there are some advanced techniques for racing a bike that the game just leaves you to figure out or assumes you already know. The AI difficulty is also rather odd because if you don’t know these skills, you might struggle, but if you do, the game becomes kind of easy most of the time.

The game is still pretty great it; was an 8/10 experience for me. I simply can’t speak as someone who plays every year; for those people, you may find the experience a bit different. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

RuneScape Dragonwilds PlayStation 5 Review

RuneScape Dragonwilds was sent my way by Jagex, a company I have long since been aware of, but this is the first time I have really got to work with them, so it is really appreciated. I have, of course, played RuneScape before. But this is the first time I have really dug into it. DragonWilds takes place on the forgotten continent of Ashenfall, and as one of the people who have just gotten there, it is your job to help build everything. There is just one small issue; the damn dragons keep killing everyone and breaking stuff. Don’t worry, in low-level areas, they won’t really break your stuff. In high-level areas, however, they absolutely can destroy badly placed and badly built bases.

Yes, you can, and should take a break and go fishing.

One of the things I really like is that the leveling system is still designed in a way that encourages you to do anything and everything you want. There is no picking stats to focus on that make you useless in something later; if you want to be great at fishing, just go fishing. Want magic? Use magic. Archery? Use a bow. If you decide later you hate magic and would rather use a sword, just equip one and go to town. You don’t have to live with bad choices.

I don’t know what’s going on here, but it looked cool.

The story itself is still a strong selling point, but it isn’t the selling point here. As you would hope, you will love teaming up with friends or random people to just do stuff, including killing dragons or building insane things for no reason. Depending on the version you want you are looking at 30-40 dollars for 100+ hours of gameplay, and that is hard to be mad at. The game is a 9/10 experience that I will be playing for a long time to come. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Sandwalkers PlayStation 5 Review

Sandwalkers was sent my way by the nice folks over at Red Art Games, and I always appreciate it. Sandwalkers is the story of Mka tribe, who every decade send a caravan out to scour the world around them in hopes of finding honestly anything. Other tribes to trade with, hints on how to stop the global catastrophe that has endured for hundreds of years, or even just to plant a new tree that other tribes can use to flurish. The world is not a nice place, and every little bit helps in this world of monsters and pirates.

The thing is, success and failure are meaningless for the tribe, as the tutorial will teach you. What is important, is the attempt and sending you memories back so the next caravan can do more than the last, and so the tribe can use that knowlege to prepare what they can.

The premise is great, and the execution while flawed at times is still fun. Each run truly does make you feel like maybe you can use what you learned, and the relationships you made might help you solve things the next time. Another thing the game does very well is the art style and turn based combat is magnificent. It is truly a worthy RPG in its own right.

The one major downside to this is on the front side of the game to get there very text heavy and the UI needs some work. It takes a lot of getting used to and it will take some time to even get to the point where you are playing and feel like that progress is really happening. This is far from being a huge deal for most people but it does exist all the same. The game is still an 8/10 experience that is more than worth the $20 price tag. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Focus Reveals “Elta: Defy All Gods” at Gamescom ONL, Coming 2027 to PC, PS5, XSX

Focus Entertainment Publishing and Afterburner Studios are proud to announce Elta: Defy All Gods, coming early 2027 to PC (Steam), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. In this adrenaline-fueled action-platformer, players will need to brawl their way out of corrupted worlds with their dragon-god companion, no matter what enemy or challenge stands in their way. Prepare for your rise as a divine champion with Elta: Defy All Gods‘ new public demo, available on all platforms October 1.

A new take on the action-platformer genre from Afterburner Studios

Developed by the indie team behind Dreamscaper, Elta: Defy All Gods aims to carve out a new space in the action-platformer genre by taking inspiration from both brawlers and 3D metroidvania games to create a fresh, high-octane, gameplay-first experience.

“For our second title we’ve gone much bigger, taking all we’ve learned about weighty combat, satisfying game feel, and fluid action to another level,” said Ian Cofino, Co-Founder & Game Director at Afterburner Studios. “Focus Entertainment has been a terrific partner in our goal to create a world-class action title, enabling our team to realize a very ambitious vision.”

Elta: Defy All Gods is planned for release in early 2027 on PC (Steam), Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5. To let all players experience what makes Elta: Defy All Gods stand out among action-platformers, a free demo featuring the beginning of the game will be available October 1 on all platforms.
Wishlist now and keep an eye on Focus Entertainment’s official channels to stay updated on the game!

About Elta: Defy All Gods

Brawl your way out of corrupted worlds alongside your dragon-god companion in an adrenaline-fueled action-platformer blending free-form melee combat, fluid platforming and sci-fi exploration. Become the champion of your fallen god, Elta.

Show your fighting prowess with intense melee combat, mixing lethal martial arts and devastating magic attacks in explosive group fights
Explore three winding science-fantasy worlds, and chain your traversal abilities to reach new areas and discover their hidden secrets
Hone your skills and become stronger alongside Elta, walking in the steps of your ancestors to unlock new fighting moves and acrobatic skills
Bring down the gods who wronged your people, exiled for centuries, and help Elta set things right to pave the way for a brighter future

About Afterburner Studios

Ready to try a new approach to making games outside of the large studio system, Afterburner Studios was founded in the summer of 2018 by Robert Taylor, Ian Cofino and Paul Svoboda with a mission to create evocative action experiences that put fun first.

Their debut title, Dreamscaper, launched in August of 2021 on PC and Switch, then Xbox and Game Pass the following year. Since release, Dreamscaper has garnered critical praise and reached over 750,000 players.

Sniper Dan Xbox Review

Sniper Dan is, believe it or not, a new hidden object game from PQube Games. They were nice enough to send me a copy to check out, and don’t worry, I only shot one person while playing, and the game did punish me for it.

You play as Dan, and Dan solves problems with a sniper rifle. You are given hints such as that the plane needs to land and the runway is blocked. Sniper Dan will then have to hurry and shoot all the pianos. This will allow the plane to land safely. Other issues are things like hey I need help getting these barnacles off this boat, and other things that probably should not be solved with a gun. Seriously, the game is rated for kids 10 and up, but please make sure they know not to solve these issues with a gun.

There isn’t a lot to say about this one; there are a lot of things to collect and puzzles to solve. The game is a lot of fun, and my 9-year-old has also enjoyed it. Yes, I let my kid play it, she also plays Halo with me, Get over it. This is an 8/10 family experience. Best wishes andd may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Cloudbreaker Steam Review

Cloudbreaker was sent my way by Ballast Games, and I always appreciate that. Cloudbreaker is the typical bullet heaven game where things will try to murder you as you gain experience and survive as long as you can and improve your ship. When you die, in typical roguelike fashion you can earn permenent upgrades to make your next runs easier.

You may have noticed I normally love these games, and this one isn’t bad. It also unforutnaly wasn’t one I found fun. It does sit at a positive rating on Steam with 24 reviews, and one of the negative reviews simply says that it “does not break clouds” which is technically true, during my time I did not break a single cloud. I did laugh when I saw it however and thought it was worth mentioning.

My issues with the game come in two flavors. One the grind is very real, your first few runs, and by few I mean many you won’t feel like you are getting any stronger. Then suddenly you will until just as suddenly you hit a wall again.

My other issue is while the Steam page it says it is compatable with an Xbox controller, it really isn’t. I was force to use the mouse for many things and it didn’t even pause when going into menus like it does normally.

As for the game play itself,the game does it well. Putting different types of weapons and shields and such on your ship takes thought and strategy and this is thankfully where the game shines. At no point did I die and feel like it was cheap, it was simply either my mistake or being outgunned which is what I expect from these sort of games. The issues I meantioned however did limit my enjoyment a bit. For the price of $12 fans may still want to check out this 6/10 title. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.