Just announced by Ultimate Games and coming to consoles and Steam is Construction Crew. I won’t say it is coming soon, as it has some pretty lofty goals and some big shoes to fill. Tentatively, release is set for sometime in 2026 or 2027, but a demo is set to come out this month. Check out the demo below, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Tag: gaming
Deathless The Hero Quest, 5 Things I wish I knew Sooner
Deathless: The Hero Quest comes out today on console. You may have seen my review from earlier this month. I have, of course, continued to play the game, and as you finally have a chance to get started, here are five things I think you may enjoy knowing that I wish I had known a little bit sooner.
1. Go straight into the options menu and find the game speed. You can crank this a bit, and the animations will be faster, but not so fast that you miss anything. 1.5X is game-changing in the best way possible.
2. This map isn’t just for show; you can see mostly what’s coming up, but more importantly, you can skip bosses. They will show up later and save all three for the end until you have better cards, fight them right away when they are weaker, or try to save them until after you heal. I used to fight them as soon as they showed up out of fear of missing them, and this definitely made the game harder.
3. You aren’t obligated to do each character in a row; feel free to bounce around. Yes, you have to finish a run and beat the character’s boss with all 4 to fight the true final boss, but nothing says you have to lock yourself into each character one at a time or in the order presented to you.
4. Dead enemies are shields, and sometimes it’s best to leave their bodies for a few rounds instead of attacking them. In my first few runs, I got rid of them as fast as possible so I could keep attacking. It took a few runs to realize that leaving a dead enemy in the front row so physical attacking enemies couldn’t do anything would leave me free to waste a few rounds playing expensive boon cards or buffs, so when the dead enemies vanished on their own, I was in a much better position to attack.
5. Don’t ignore the shop; there are relics and boons in there that can quickly change your entire game and play style. Relics in general are super important, so don’t pass up the chance to potentially choose exactly which one you want.
Hopefully, these five tips will make your early runs much easier, and my failures will lead to your success. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Sonic Wings Reunion Playstation 5 Review
Sonic Wings Reunion is the newest game from Red Art Games, and they were kind enough to toss me a copy. The game is a sequel to Sonic Wings, which was released as Aero Fighters back in 1998 in the West. Now I have some interesting opinions on this game, but I won’t make you read all of that to get to the main point of all that. If you just want to know if this is worth picking up, the quick answer is yes. If you enjoy old-school arcade-style shooters, the game is great.
With 8 initial characters and more to unlock, local co-op, 8 stages, and stories to go along with each character, the content is definitely there. Moreover, the characters will interact with each other depending on who you team up together, Mao Mao and Chaika & Pushka, for example, talk about a singing competition they will compete against each other in (you will discover the winner if you finish the 8 levels)
The damage you do to cities as you fly through the levels and use bombs (that change based on characters) is also impressive. Many games don’t even bother with such details, but here they are pretty well fleshed out. Here is where the game gets a bit odd to me.
Each level starts by telling you to “Gird Your Loins,” which, by the way, is not some messed-up translation issue. This is actually a very old English saying, meaning to prepare yourself for a difficult situation or for something dangerous. The bosses range from things like a rocket to a mechanical gorilla. None of this is ever really explained; this is just the level of insane stuff the game gives you. Sort of like the Russian characters bomb being Russian nesting dolls accompanied by Russian dance music.
None of these are complaints, by the way. This is actually a list of why you should play this game. If games are meant to be fun, this game nails it. Even after I had decided I played this game enough to review it, I found myself wanting to play more. That, to me, is the sign of a good game. It is an 8/10 experience that lets you make it as hard or as easy as you want. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Skygard Arena Steam Review
Skygard Arena is a turn-based tactical game from the people over at Gemelli Games, and they were kind enough to send me a copy to check out. I always appreciate this, and this was a fun one to play. It has very positive reviews over on Steam, and it is easy to see why. While the game isn’t perfect, it does a lot of things right.
I won’t spoil the story for you; suffice it to say there is one, and I enjoyed it. Basically, there is a tournament amongst the five floating kingdoms, and this year, there is an added bonus where the winner gets to claim a newly discovered magical item. As the leader of the cloud people, you want to stop it from falling into the wrong hands. It isn’t anything groundbreaking, but it is still enjoyable.
The gameplay itself is where the game shines, mostly. The battles play out in a sort of MOBA fashion. You choose three champions, capture points to help redeploy champions, and collect things to charge up stronger attacks. How you attack also matters; you can attack from the front if you want, but hitting from the back, for example, is always better.
Some of these things are also where the flaws show, for example, I love that things like line of sight matter. If you stand behind a pillar, you won’t be hitting the enemy, and they won’t be hitting you. This, however, isn’t always intuitive. I should be able to launch a fireball over that bush without a problem. I also really don’t understand why certain things need to even be researched.
None of that really ruins the fun or flow of the game. 3v3 battles are a lot of fun, and the story is honestly more of a tutorial anyway. The real meat of the game comes in the skirmish and PVP, which, unfortunately, can sometimes feel empty. Some days, finding a match took a few minutes; others, I couldn’t find out at all.
The question is, does the game give you value for the $20 price tag? Truthfully, I am a bit on the fence. If you enjoy single-player experience and are willing to risk not being able to enjoy the multiplayer as much as you would like, then yes, pick it up. If all you want is to play with other people, this may not be the experience for you right now. It is a solid 7/10 experience, and I hope the multiplayer picks up. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Final Fantasy Tactics the Ivalice Chronicles PS5 Review
Honestly, what can I say about Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles that hasn’t been said in about 600 YouTube videos and even more written reviews? Is the story amazing? Absolutely, even by today’s standards, it has it all. Love, betrayal, well-written political commentary, and an unspoken bond between man and bird that is never explained. Seriously, I will kill every animal in this game, but Boko stays.
This review is going to be less of a review and more of an acknowledgment of what we already know: Final Fantasy Tactics is just an amazing game and possibly the best tactical RPG ever made. Nothing I say will convince you to buy this game if you haven’t already made the decision.
There are some things to note, for example, the PS5 has amazing load times, the fastest across all versions in a test done by RPG Site, so if this is one of your concerns about where to buy it, hopefully, this helps. The game also reportedly has some stuttering issues on both Switch consoles.
Some of the quality of life changes, however, are what really make this the definitive version, even if the dark (fell) knight class is missing. The ability to fast forward in battle is amazing, though having to hold down the button instead of toggling it is an odd design choice to me. The voice acting is also far better than I expected.
There isn’t much more to be said on this title. If you loved this game before, you will again, and if you have been waiting to play it now is the time. If you somehow never cared for it, however, this won’t change your mind. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch Playstation 5 Review
It isn’t often that I play a tactical RPG where losing a battle doesn’t just make me cringe knowing I have to do this all over again. But not long ago, Kakao Games sent me a copy of Lost Eidolons: Veil of the Witch on PS5, and that changed. This isn’t your typical Tactical RPG; it is, at its very core, a roguelite.
The game starts out standard enough. You wake up on a beach, with no memory, and you must fight some undead with the help of some people who seem to remember you from the ship you were on. It isn’t long before this proves to be a battle you can’t truly win. So what is a dead man to do? Make a deal with a witch, become her champion, and rid the island of whatever is causing this problem as you set out in search of people mentioned in a letter that you feel are important.
Each of your friends has their own strengths and weaknesses, and you will be able to pick up more along the way to build your party from. Do you want a quick dagger wielder that can disappear and strike from the shadows? Emile is the perfect character for that. Want a more Paladin-like character that can heal and attack? Evie has you covered with her healing skills, but solid sword work.
Each step of the way, you can choose where to go at a fork in the road. Some lead to much-needed healing at camp sites, or a raven you can get relics from. Others will have merchants or NPCs to interact with. All will force you to make a decision on where to go next, most of which will lead you to your next battle.
Most maps are small enough that battles are quick and painful for everyone involved, rarely letting you walk away untouched. Don’t worry, if you lose a character, they will be back for the next fight, minus most of their health.
Customization also plays a huge part in the game; rather than gaining new weapons, you can choose who to give orbs to, which upgrade weapons and armor. At each level, you are also given a choice of a new skill to learn or a possible skill to upgrade. These are random, but you can reroll for a few gold, and certain items increase your odds of getting better skills, just like promoting units allows better starting skills.
The only major flaws I found in the game are, quite honestly, the grind. In any game like this, you expect a grind, but unless you are constantly making deep runs, it will take you a very long time to even unlock all the characters, and even longer to make them viable to use. I never felt a need to switch from the starting characters because I felt like I was being punished by doing it. This is a shame because those later characters are some of the best written in the game and have amazing stories. You don’t truly miss anything by not using them, but it would be nice to do so without suffering.
That being said, fans of either the tactical RPG or Roguelite genre would do well to at least play the demo, because the game is fantastic. It truly is a hidden gem, 9/10. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Lost Rift Steam Review
Lost Rift on Steam is the newest Early Access title from People Can Fly, and they were kind enough to toss me a copy to check out, which I am always thankful for.
I am going to be up front about a few things right away. The game is sitting at mixed reviews on Steam out of around 650 reviews. Many of these reviews have the same complaint, and I won’t sit here and try to convince you that they aren’t valid. The game, from the start, is pitched as PVPVE. Meaning you start on a player vs environment island. You can safely wander around it, gather supplies, and build a base in relative safety.
There is, however, an extraction shooter element to it. Meaning you HAVE to go to the PVP zone at some point to get better stuff to craft certain things. There will be tougher AI enemies and real people there, and they will attempt to kill you and take your stuff. None of this is hidden in the game description, and many of the complaints in the negative reviews are about how this exists in the first place. If this isn’t something you want, the game isn’t for you.
I did, however, say that it wasn’t without merit. Just because they warn you that this is what the game is doesn’t mean that it is all done well. The idea that you have to run into AI characters with guns while armed with a very underpowered bow is odd. Not many people are taking an arrow to the head and just walking away after all, yet somehow I have seen this happen quite a few times in Lost Rift.
The game is solid and looks pretty decent, but it won’t be turning any heads. The sounds are worth listening to, and the little things I found were important. People in the distance do make noise walking around. The game was, however, clearly meant to be played as a group, and as I didn’t have one, death came frequently. The NPC that warns you about this was not kidding at all.
Is Lost Rift worth the $25 it costs to pick up? Honestly, this one is weird for me. The game is still very early in early access and has a ton of potential. If you are /going to play with a group, yeah, it is a 7/10 experience. There is definitely fun to be had here. If you don’t have a group to play with, however, this is one game you probably will want to skip. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Deathless The Hero Quest Playstation 5 Review
Deathless: The Hero Quest is an upcoming card battler from the fine folks at Fulqrum Publishing and For Games. They were kind enough to send me a copy early to review. You can pick it up now over on Steam.
The game itself plays out like many roguelikes you have played before: pick a character, kill enemies, collect cards and relics, move along the path of your choosing, rinse and repeat. When you lose, and you will, you unlock new cards and try again. The thing is, games like this need to either do it better than anyone else or do something new to be worth playing. This is where Deathless: The Hero Quest comes in.
You get to choose between four different characters, each with their own unique style and look. Dobrynya is a sort of Knight that specializes in building up armor and buffs, then dealing damage directly to the enemy.
Varvara is more manipulative in her approach and is the opposite of Dobrynya. She controls the battlefield by moving enemies around, ignoring armor, and moving dead enemies into the path of living enemies to protect herself.
Each character comes with their own story to discover as you play. The nice thing here is that losing a run doesn’t restart the story on you. You simply pick up where you left off. This is nice because even on easy, the game isn’t easy. There will be some trial and error involved in finding a nice build, and as of yet, I haven’t discovered any sort of game-breaking magical build that simply results in you winning.
While the sound and character designs are great, the game isn’t perfect. Many of the complaints you will see in Steam reviews are perfectly valid. For example, the final boss can seem insanely unfair if you haven’t lucked into some great drops. Relics can also be far more important than your cards, since cards are largely just side-upgrades to what you start with. For example, you gain slightly more shields or do slightly more damage. The game could really use a bit more variety in the card department. Maybe a few more cards that do damage and give shields, or that act as a vampire-type card that do damage and heal. Not to say these cards don’t exist, but a few more to come across would be nice.
The game is sitting at Very Positive Steam reviews for a reason, and when it launches on October 16th for PS5, Xbox, and Switch, it will be worth buying this 8/10 experience on console. It doesn’t redefine the card-battling experience, but it is definitely a worthy experience. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Aegis Force: The Scorian War Steam Preview
Aegis Force: The Scorian War was sent to me as a bemo by the people over at Deseret Game Studios, and I always appreciate it. For those who haven’t heard of it, think of it as a tactical grid game, similar to the old Fire Emblem Games or Shining Force, if you skip the zoomed-in attack scenes.
The story begins quite simply: you play as a small group of soldiers and friends in a forest, attempting to solve a mystery. That mystery is why supplies continue to go missing. It doesn’t take long to discover it is due to a local cult kidnapping people and stealing the supplies. This results in a few battles that teach you how the game will work. If you have ever played one of these games, the controls are already really comfortable.
I definitely recommend playing this one with a controller; it just feels better. The mouse and keyboard are absolutely doable, don’t get me wrong, the controller just feels right. The demo has plenty of treasure to be found enemies to be fought, and all around does a great job showing you the potential this game has. Will it live up the the hype of the golden days of grid-based RPGs? I can’t say from a demo. What I can say is the demo paints a picture of a game that is being made by people who love and respect the genre, and that is enough to make me look forward to the full release. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Train Sim World 6 PS5 Review
Train Sim World 6 on PS5 was sent my way by Dovetail Games, which I always appreciate. Now I know a lot of people haven’t had the chance to play a Train Sim World game and just want to know, is this a good place to start, and don’t care about the rest of my review or what I have to say. So for them, yes, Train Sim World 6 is a great place to start. Feel free to stop reading now and go buy the game.
For the rest of you, let’s get this train moving. Yeah, the game is beautiful. No doubt about that, and I doubt anyone ever thought it wouldn’t be. I live in Scranton, Pennsylvania, home to the Steamtown National Historic Site. A place that has a literal train museum attached to it. I am not claiming to be a train expert, but I have been on a few and seen even more. Walking around some of these trains and listening to them isn’t much different than being at the museum itself. Listening to the trains glide across the tracks or the sound the tracks make as the rails move from one side to the other when tracks are switched is as close as any game has made it to real life as I have ever heard.
Now, all that means nothing if the controls aren’t as good as the visuals and the sounds. Well, truth be told, the controls are the same as they have always been. Your character, while moving around, feels a bit still, but not bad. Aside from that, pressing buttons on the train and starting and stopping it takes quite a bit of getting used to, but the game has a ton of tutorials to get you moving. Hours and hours worth in fact. Don’t worry, you don’t have to play them all; they just have them in case you want to learn more about each individual train. You are free to learn the basics and go from there, which is what most people do.
I wouldn’t be doing my due diligence if I didn’t mention issues other people have reported. Honestly, I didn’t come across these issues, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. There have been reports of some in-game crashes, some assets popping in and out while people are driving the trains on longer lines, and issues with passenger AI at times. I haven’t come across these, so they won’t factor into my score, but they are worth mentioning. I enjoyed the game and will definitely be playing it more. The game is a solid 8/10 for me. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.
Savior Gaming 