Tag: gaming

Roadcraft on PS5 falls into a weird place for me. A long time ago, Saber Interactive sent me a copy of SnowRunner (PS4 Review) and was kind enough to ask if I needed an extra copy to check out the multiplayer. I said sure and gave it to my brother, the one person I knew would play it with me. We spent probably 40 hours playing before the release. The day Roadcraft went up for preorder, we did so. Fast forward to release day, and Saber sends me a copy and makes the same offer. I always appreciate working with them. This time, I was playing alongside my brother at the same time as you guys, and experienced the changes from 1.0 and then the first update, which I believe is 1.5.

First, if you go into this expecting another Snowrunner, you will be disappointed. This isn’t about beating the terrain in the same way Snowrunner was, and I don’t know why so many people expected it to be. The game follows you on your journey to help a group of areas recover after a massive storm hits them. You will be fixing pipes, clearing and repaving roads, cutting down trees, you name it, you will need to deal with it.

The game starts you off simple enough. Preparing for the storm. This is where you learn the basics. How to drive a scout vehicle, how to get from one place to another, to turn sand into a basic road using a dump truck and a bulldozer. Then it’s on to how to use different things, such as how to send convoys or the crane to move objects. Personally, I hate the crane, but that’s a personal preference. I am getting better with it, but it is still annoying.

Graphically, the game is beautiful. I love watching the water ripple as I hit it and seeing trees wave in the breeze, or as I hit them with any number of machines because I drive like I have the extra insurance on a stolen rental car. I also love the sounds of the game. The sound of metal on metal when things collide, the individual engines of different machines and vehicles. It reminds me of being on a real construction site.

I do have some issues, however. One of the major ones is the damn pavers. Even after the update the damn things are hard to use. They get stuck on just about anything, even if you can’t see it. Loading them on trailers is hit and miss because, again, sometimes they get stuck on pretty much anything. Another issue I have, while not major, the multiplayer pretty much requires you to reinvite people any time you switch maps instead of just bringing people with you. I am sure there is probably a behind-the-scenes reason for this, but it is still annoying. I do love that I have the option to keep my previous progress or keep the multiplayer progress I have made with the money and experience staying regardless.

So the big question is, is Roadcraft worth it? Absolutely. This is the best construction game I have ever played. Do not, however, go into this expecting Snowrunner; it was never promised to you as that, and you shouldn’t expect it. This is an 8/10 experience, best wishes and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Pipistrello and The Cursed Yoyo on PS5 were sent to me by PM Studios, which is always great. You may know them for their more popular titles on PS5, Black Myth Wukong, and Honkai: Star Rail. So it’s always appreciated to work with them.

The cursed Yoyo has you playing as Pippit, a young yoyo star in training living off his family’s wealth in an attempt to live his dream of being the greatest yoyo star ever. He isn’t very good, comparatively speaking, but he tries hard. One day, he visits his aunt, probably to get more money, and his family home is under attack. Using his skills with a yo-yo, he fights his way to his aunt’s side just in time for her to be shot with a soul-stealing laser.

I won’t lie, the story is very basic. Your aunt gets trapped in your yo-yo and helps you get her soul back by destroying the batteries that trapped her. To do this, you defeat her corporate competition, which happens to be evil, more evil than she is, at least. The gameplay is a lot of fun, though. There are side quests, dozens and dozens of items, abilities, collectables, and such to collect.

The game also feels like a great throwback to the old days of action gaming, with four different sections of town to explore, and if you die, you just restart the room you were in. Stepping into water simply makes you lose your heart. The difficulty isn’t punishing, nor is it easy. Even better, at $20 it won’t break the bank. While the game does have some issues, many of the passive upgrades need to be bought, and you do this by collecting money in-game. However, the woman you buy them from is a germaphobe, so she won’t take money you already have. This means when you want an upgrade, you get a debuff, and she takes half the money you collect. When you pay her off, the debuff goes away, and the upgrade is yours permanently. Money lets you buy other stuff in the game, so it does serve other purposes.

Would I recommend the game? Sure, for $20, if you like games like this, it is a 7/10 experience. I don’t think this will be the game that brings you around to the genre, however. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

• Sirius Dice Balurs Gate 3 Treasure Pack Review
• Dark Souls Revisited
• Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown: Launch-trailer
• Romeo is a Deadman Playstation 5 Review
• Tavern Manager Simulator Playstation 5/Xbox/Steam Review

Cattle Country on PS5 was sent to me by Castle Pixel and is a game I followed for a while. You may remember my coverage of the Cattle Country (Steam Fest Demo) where I had a lot of great things to say about the Steam demo. So you may be wondering, did this translate to the final version, and more importantly, did it come over to the PS5 version all that well?

To put it simply, yes, it did. The game starts out with the mayor giving you a quick tour of your farm, and by that he says Hey, this is your land, here is a tent and some stuff, put it wherever you want. He gives you everything you need to squeak out a quick living and leaves you to it.

From here, many things can happen; he gives you a list of tasks you should do. They will give you nice rewards, help you level up your skills, get to know the town, and earn some money. This will also get you some basic things like a gun, a fishing pole, and some mining gear.

If you have played any cozy farming game, you pretty much know the routine: plant crops, go fishing, dig in the mines, upgrade your equipment, raise animals. You can upgrade your tent into a house, into a mansion, eventually, if you want.

What really matters is what sets these games apart from other games like it, and that is what this game does well. The mining, for example, isn’t just walking into a mine and digging until you find a ladder. It really is just a massive mine with hundreds of levels that you dig in, you build a series of platforms, ladders, and even an elevator to get up and down or side to side. None of this is locked by anything; if you have the materials or the money, you can just make or buy this stuff and go to town.

The game world itself has enemies in it, and if you want, you can just shut them off in the options menu. The game doesn’t punish you for this choice either. So if you want to go mining and chop down trees and not be bothered by bandits or bees, feel free. The choice is yours.

You will also be helping the town go from being a mining town to a fully recognized city, if you want. You obviously have the option to ignore all this if you want, but there is a list of things to do to make this happen. For example, being connected to the outside world by a train, and having a citizen worth a million gold. Which is you, by the way, start tossing money in the bank and collect interest. Literally, the game has a bank you can store money in, and at the end of every season, 2% interest is added. Compounding interest is a real thing.

I have a lot of fun with this one, and while I would never call this a Stardew Valley killer, I will call it a good Stardew Valley alternative, and that is all it ever tried to be. 8/10, give this a shot. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Anyone who knows me knows I have been a fan of the guys at Viva La Dirt League for years. So when they announced Nice Day For Fishing, I was obviously going to buy it. But when Team17 offered me a review code to check it out on Steam, I couldn’t say no. I was also scared this game would be horrible.

The story is pretty simple and straightforward. You start off in our beloved town of Honeywood, where all adventurers start. The town where Greg the garlic farmer hands out the new adventurers’ quest, and Bodger the blacksmith makes them low-level weapons before they go out into the big, wide world of Azerim.

At least this is how it normally works. Because of some unforeseen circumstances that were totally unavoidable and had absolutely nothing to do with a high sorcerer and some muggers, every hero in the world is suddenly unable to play the game. Also, our favorite fisherman suddenly has the powers of a hero.

Let’s get the gameplay out of the way, as you can tell by the name, it’s a fishing game. You will collect different baits and fishing rods so you can battle different fish. Each fish has a different pattern or spells that you will need to switch between offense and defense of your own, and many times know when is the best time to use your own spells and items. The battles can get very strategic, more so later in the game.

It isn’t just about the battles, however, you will need to fish up supplies to rebuild Honeywood. Luckily for you, Baelin is a master of his craft and knows how to use a magnet to haul out rocks, wood, and treasure chests from the depths to help everyone rebuild the town. This is worth it because, as the town grows, Greg and the others will sell better items, hats, and rods to increase all your stats.

The gameplay is fun, but it can get a little repetitive. But where this game really shines is for fans of their content. Little throwbacks to skits and NPC DnD really make this game special. Little things like Bodger losing his hammer and promising not to lose it again, and each time you return it, telling you it is rightfully his and not his brother’s. It is always in the same place, and you get the same lecture each time you return it, and a new reward. Fans of the DnD series will instantly recognize this running gag. Baelin never says anything except his usual “Nice day for fishin” and “hua ha” lines, yet someone, the story progresses, is also a nice throwback to both the show and the silent protagonist of RPGs.

The game is fantastic, even if you don’t like the show, and just enjoy old school games, it is a 9/10 experience. The fact that they managed to work so much stuff into it that makes it normally tedious, now fun, is a work of art. The controls also work fantastically regardless of whether you use the keyboard or a controller. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Doloc Town, over on Steam, is an amazing life sim from Redsaw Game Studios and Logoi Games. They were nice enough to send me a copy, which I always appreciate.

The game itself is sort of like a post-apocalyptic side-scrolling Stardew Valley or the soon-to-be-released Cattle Country, which makes it unique from both games. You will start out with next to nothing, just what amounts to a tent and some basic supplies to get you started, and from there you have an entire world to explore, crops to plant even go fishing.

You aren’t limited to these staples, however. Go meet the people in town and conquer a vast wilderness, and find your place in the world.

Now, normally at this point, I would feel obligated to point out that the game is still in early access or say the controls need some work. The problem is that I played it with both a mouse and a keyboard, as well as with my Xbox controller, and both play very well. The game also has plenty of content, and I don’t mean for early access. I have played full releases with less content.

The price point for Doloc Town is $14.99, which is more than a fair price. I won’t try to sell you on it as a Stardew Valley killer because it really isn’t the same kind of game. What I will tell you for a game at the same price point, it is equal in quality. Graphically, it looks good, and it is a lot of fun to play, and the controls gave me 0 issues. With over 600 reviews on Steam, it is sitting at very positive reviews, and I honestly hope someday this game makes it over to console. This is a 9/10 experience. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Ratshaker on PS5 was sent to me by Sunscorched Studios, and I have to say, this is an extremely hard game for me to review. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone, but at the same time, without saying much, how do I explain it without doing so unless I say you shake and squeeze a rat? I do appreciate them sending me this hidden gem.

Don’t get me wrong, you do shake and squeeze a rat. The game starts off with you in a field doing exactly that. This, however, is just the tutorial. Hold R2 and shake your controller, and the rat gets shaken and he screams hilariously. Hold L2, and he gets squeezed. Squeeze him too much and he dies, causing you to lose some progress, no the idea is not to kill the rat.

This whole thing was the tutorial. Shaking the rat fills a meter, and squeezing him allows you to interact with objects like doors or televisions. This will allow you to walk through a series of puzzles and narrative rooms, which, depending on how good you are, can last about 1-2 hours, and end up in a place I was not expecting.

You will notice this review is short even by my standards, and that is because I don’t want to risk giving anything away. The game releases May 28th, 2025, and will cost less than $5 (it costs 2.99 on Steam), and honestly, you really have to check this game out to believe it. For this price point, it’s an 8/10 game. Just pick it up and give it a try.

• Sirius Dice Balurs Gate 3 Treasure Pack Review
• Dark Souls Revisited
• Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown: Launch-trailer
• Romeo is a Deadman Playstation 5 Review
• Tavern Manager Simulator Playstation 5/Xbox/Steam Review

Preserve on PlayStation 5 was sent to me by Grindstone Games, the same company that made Jötunnslayer: Hordes of Hel (Steam Early Access), and I always enjoy working with them.

Preserve is a small title with a modest price of about $15, and it is a relaxing puzzle game. You use cards to decide what each hexagon will be, be it a forest, some grassland, a river, or one of many other types of biomes. You do this to create your own ecosystem to score points. Do this well, and you get animal cards that can be used to move animals into your ecosystem. Wild boar will live in your forest, bees in your fields of flowers, or goats in your maintains.

As you score more points, you can extend the amount of land you have to work with, which gives you more cards and more types of biomes to make a more diverse ecosystem, score more points, and unlock new levels and challenges.

You can tell this game was crafted with love by people who cared, and despite some awkward camera angles on rare occasions, the controls and gameplay are beautiful. The music is relaxing, and I never felt frustrated with the game itself. Undoing a tile is simple enough with minimal punishment, and restarting doesn’t feel like a chore anyway. For puzzle fans, or just someone who wants to build nature a bit, the price of admission here is more than fair for this 9/10 puzzle game. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

• Sirius Dice Balurs Gate 3 Treasure Pack Review
• Dark Souls Revisited
• Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown: Launch-trailer
• Romeo is a Deadman Playstation 5 Review
• Tavern Manager Simulator Playstation 5/Xbox/Steam Review

I Am Your President on PS5 from Ultimate Publishing is another game they sent to me that I always appreciate.

The concept of the game is quite simple. You are the president of the United States of America. Pick a party, or take a test to see where you fall on the spectrum, and try to keep your people happy. The decisions you make will move you around the political spectrum.

First thing you need to know, the game is satirical in nature. If you try to take it too seriously, you will probably feel like the game is taking a political stance when it really isn’t. Nobody really acts or talks this way. At one point, I was forced to make a decision on an oil spill that my son-in-law was taking the blame for, and none of the options were at all realistic. Half the fun of the game was doing outlandish stuff like trying to nuke Canada while entering a random trade agreement with Sri Lanka and watching China, for some inexplicable reason, decide it was best friends with, I think, it was Ireland. Also, Mexico and Mongolia, for some reason, hated each other.

Where this game falls apart is that the controls are horrible. Many times, I would hit a button to enter one menu and end up somewhere else entirely. Trying to do anything on the map was sort of like playing chess with a pigeon; even when I could do it sometimes, the game seemed to do whatever it wanted anyway.

Graphically, it was cute, though I enjoyed watching cardboard cutouts of people walk in and out of my office like they were on serious business. I still laugh when a random door opens that looks like a wall opens in the Oval Office, and some guy in a suit bounces into my office to tell me he has horrible news, and all that happened was some minor event like my wife is mad at me for working late.

Scoring the game kinda hurts too, because as much fun as I had with the game, I also felt endless frustration with it. The game is a 5/10 experience that, with some updates to the controls, would easily make it much better. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

• Sirius Dice Balurs Gate 3 Treasure Pack Review
• Dark Souls Revisited
• Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown: Launch-trailer
• Romeo is a Deadman Playstation 5 Review
• Tavern Manager Simulator Playstation 5/Xbox/Steam Review

Utopia Must Fall is an early access title from Pixeljam that they were kind enough to send me as their newest update hit, which is full of all sorts of good stuff. Full disclosure, I had never heard of or played the game until this update, and honestly, I wish I had.

One of my earliest memories as a kid was playing games on an old Intelevision with my dad, like Missile Command. One where you tried to protect this sort of city from destruction by shooting missiles at incoming objects. This is important because Utopia Must Fall will see you protecting the last city of humanity from aliens by shooting them with a giant machine gun and laser turrets, etc. It also uses what’s called a V99 Engine to make vector graphics that give it that very old school look and feel while letting it control in a very modern way.

Each day, you get new upgrades for your city that you can pick. Maybe you will give yourself more nukes, which can be used to kill large groups but are limited in supply, or maybe you will choose to get a higher firing rate. I always like to get a couple of laser auto cannons that will help kill aliens for me. There is no wrong answer. I have tried many combinations, and it truly comes down to your playstyle and how aggressive you choose to be. It is possible to build your city in such a way that your shields take care of much of the work. I don’t necessarily agree with trying this route because if you don’t do it right it will end your run very quickly, but it can be done.

Now, as always, I do rate these games based on how they function, their price point, and what they are attempting to do. That being said, I will give this game a 9/10 but with an *. The game costs about $7 and is worth every penny of it. I am having a blast with it and love the game; its Steam review reflects that as well. However, if you don’t like games like this, you aren’t going to enjoy it. This won’t be the game that brings you around. If you do, however, or if you look at it and think it might be fun. It is a must-buy. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

• Sirius Dice Balurs Gate 3 Treasure Pack Review
• Dark Souls Revisited
• Star Trek: Voyager – Across the Unknown: Launch-trailer
• Romeo is a Deadman Playstation 5 Review
• Tavern Manager Simulator Playstation 5/Xbox/Steam Review