 Last year you might have read Sam’s verdict on the Xbox One version of Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas, but since the game began life as a mobile experience, it makes sense that it would find its way to the most portable of the home consoles - the Nintendo Switch.
 The world is split up into different islands, which each have a few things to discover and plenty of enemies to combat, but most locations are fairly small, so you can make your way through them relatively easily in a shorter play session and feel like you’ve achieved something while on the go. The lore, though present, isn’t intrusive either, so there aren’t swathes of detail to commit to memory when you hop on for five minutes before your significant other warns you of the imminent arrival of food. You could even get away with a cheeky session at a family barbecue and there’s no risk of any family members looking over your shoulder in disturbed bemusement at what they see - something that the upcoming and similarly Zelda-inspired Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ is at severe risk of. Basic puzzle-solving offers more depth than the Candy Crushes and Clash of Clans of the world, without being so engrossing as to make you miss your stop. Travelling too, there’s a relaxing simplicity to pottering around destroying pottery, and in the familiar touches undoubtedly borrowed from Zelda - from the colour-emphasised NPC text to the protagonist’s sword, shield and tunic combo - which create a comfort blanket of straightforward gameplay and basic puzzle-solving that offer more depth than the Candy Crushes and Clash of Clans of the world, without being so engrossing as to make you miss your stop. While you can pick up Oceanhorn on the PS Vita, as Gabriella found out recently, the tone and presentation of the game definitely has a fittingly ‘Nintendo’ feel, which helps to manage expectations of a more ‘hardcore’ gaming experience Vita players might have expected, but Oceanhorn isn’t necessarily designed to cater towards. Finally, if you fancy a big screen experience, then with a quick slide of your Switch into the dock, you can have it. This versatility is unique to the Switch, and with performance strong across both handheld and docked modes, its easy to play however you like. With so many platforms to play Oceanhorn on at this point, it’s definitely worth giving the Switch version specifically a try, especially if you’re a fan of classic Zelda titles; I’d even go as far as to say experiencing it in this format nudges it above Sam’s initial score. It’s certainly enough to keep you entertained in short bursts, and it might even be a nice entry point for youngsters into a slightly more involved style of gaming. Never has the chance to sail Oceanhorn’s uncharted seas felt more appealing.
Are you tempted? Let us know what you think of the game in the comments.  Going into an event like E3, there's always a lot of anticipation. Will the latest console release be everything it's cracked up to be? Will that long-rumoured game finally be confirmed? Who will be the awkward celebrity cameo?
We saw a bit more of Scorpio a couple of months ago with Digital Foundry's excellent video running through the specs in some significant detail, after Microsoft let them take a very close look at the machine. It seems to have the power, but what it really needs is games. Liam is slightly concerned about is Scorpio's price too, in fact, Gabriella reckons if the price is anything more than £499 she'll be "pissed" (eep!), so Microsoft had better come up with "some new Xbox exclusives or a good hard-hitting lineup of Scorpio games" to keep her from lashing out at us.  On that front, Rob is excited about the prospect of Crackdown 3 at long last, adding: "I'm curious to see more of Sea of Thieves too, I really hope it's a return to form for Rare." Both Liam and Chris are excited at the prospect of VR on the Scorpio. "I'm expecting it will be more than I'm willing to pay," explains Chris. "As the only reason for me to upgrade is some sort of VR, which will bump the price up further." "I imagine things have been quiet on the Xbox exclusive front for a while because they've been pumping their resources into bolstering the Scorpio launch," ponders Sam. "Which is exactly what we saw happen in the transition from 360 to One. It would be a welcome surprise to hear news that Fable 4 is at least planned but I think Rare are best suited to taking it on and they probably have their hands full."
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Elsewhere, Epic games has re-announced Fortnite, a tongue-in-cheek style title originally mentioned back in 2011, with shades of Sunset Overdrive which sees players cooperating to build forts and hold back zombie-like Husks.
The gameplay looks like a mixture between Team Fortress and Plants vs Zombies, though so far it's not clear how much variety there will be. The strength seems to be that the fortifications you come up with are extremely flexible, and the levels are procedurally generated to keep things unpredictable.
When it comes to PC, there's due to be a major announcement from Firaxis Games and 2K - the people behind the XCOM and Civilisation series - and more information on PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, BattleTech and Wargroove.
There'll be many many more games revealed, announced and picked apart over the next few days, so make sure you are tuned in. We'll be updating our guide to E3 with videos of the press conferences once they are finished, so if you miss one you can easily catch up, plus you'll find the complete schedule. Don't forget to chat away in the comments and in our forums and hopefully we'll see you soon.
The gameplay looks like a mixture between Team Fortress and Plants vs Zombies, though so far it's not clear how much variety there will be. The strength seems to be that the fortifications you come up with are extremely flexible, and the levels are procedurally generated to keep things unpredictable.
When it comes to PC, there's due to be a major announcement from Firaxis Games and 2K - the people behind the XCOM and Civilisation series - and more information on PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, BattleTech and Wargroove.
There'll be many many more games revealed, announced and picked apart over the next few days, so make sure you are tuned in. We'll be updating our guide to E3 with videos of the press conferences once they are finished, so if you miss one you can easily catch up, plus you'll find the complete schedule. Don't forget to chat away in the comments and in our forums and hopefully we'll see you soon.
Last weekend saw the second Global Test Punch (that’s a limited time demo to you and I) for Nintendo’s next first-party release on the Switch - ARMS. The motion control-friendly brawler looks like a natural evolution of the fondly remembered Wii Sports boxing minigame at first glance, but what’s it like to play? We trapped Liam and James in a room to talk it over.
 by James Michael Parry  Liam Andrews  | James: I have to say going into this one I wasn’t sure what to expect. Motion controls I find a bit hit and miss, but I was pretty determined to give the Joy-Cons a workout since they are such a key innovation for the Switch. So far, they haven’t had much to do, what with the pro controller being so handy. Liam: I had my fill of motion controls when the Wii was taking the world by storm, so, much like 1-2 Switch, ARMS hasn’t really been on my radar at all. However, I have enjoyed the versatility of the Joy-Cons thus far for multiplayer games like Snipperclips and Mario Kart, so I’ll admit I was pretty interested to see how they handled in a game like this. James: The demo focuses on the party play mode, which acts like a sort of greatest hits, throwing a few random different game modes out there and automatically matching you with players who’ve had a similar number of wins as you. This was fairly successful in balancing things on paper, but really no substitute for proper matchmaking - plus you couldn’t move your character token around the screen, you were just able to wiggle or jump pathetically on the spot, begging for attention. |
Liam: As someone who is usually rubbish at fighting games, I somehow found myself in the unfamiliar situation of being one of the top players in a lobby at one point. Although great for the self-esteem, it wasn’t so good for getting into a match, as all the other players who could come close to matching my amazingness were otherwise occupied. Floating helplessly gets old fast, and while it’s cool that you can see how much real-time damage other players are taking in their separate battles, it would have been good if there was a proper spectator mode to pass the time.
James: I found the standard one-on-one battles bland but really important to get the hang of the game. Once you’re in there with more than one opponent, or a specific objective, things get hectic - fast!
Liam: I think I enjoyed the 1v1 matches the most, but it really depends on the quality of the opponent facing you. The modes featuring three or four players, while fun, could quickly get confusing, and they couldn’t beat the tenser battles one-on-one matches offered. Being backed into a corner with only a fraction of health left, only to emerge victorious thanks to some well-placed punches and flurry combos was awesome. Having multiple players in the same match made more sense in the more arcade-like modes, such as the one that has two teams trying to smash the most targets from opposite sides of an arena, or where a group of you would face off against an incredibly tough AI metal robot head creature.
Liam: I think I enjoyed the 1v1 matches the most, but it really depends on the quality of the opponent facing you. The modes featuring three or four players, while fun, could quickly get confusing, and they couldn’t beat the tenser battles one-on-one matches offered. Being backed into a corner with only a fraction of health left, only to emerge victorious thanks to some well-placed punches and flurry combos was awesome. Having multiple players in the same match made more sense in the more arcade-like modes, such as the one that has two teams trying to smash the most targets from opposite sides of an arena, or where a group of you would face off against an incredibly tough AI metal robot head creature.
James: Fighting those AI giant robots with about six ARMS each was pretty tough. Staying mobile and remembering to actually use the jump and dodge buttons was a constant struggle in that one especially. Some of the more specific custom modes worked better than others, I feel like the quicker characters had a big advantage most of the time. I didn’t play on a pro controller but the button mapping looked really odd…
I was surprised I was happy to forgo a more traditional setup in favour of motion controls for as long as I did.
Liam: I didn’t get a chance to try the game outside of motion controls either, which is a shame as I’d like to have seen how curving punches with a standard controller setup was going to work. I was surprised to find I was happy to forgo a more traditional setup in favour of motion controls for as long as I did, and for the most part, they worked quite well, with the only real issue I experienced being down to me forgetting to hold the Joy-Cons in the proper starting position.
James: So I guess the real test at this point is - does this demo make us want to buy it?
Liam: I can see this being a great party game, something to pick up and play for an hour or so when friends or family are visiting, but I don’t know if can see myself air-boxing solo in front of the TV very often, even for online matches with friends. In fact, using the motion controls anywhere outside of the living room is a definite no, unless you’re happy to be the crazy guy no one wants to sit next to on the commute to work. Unless Nintendo fail to deliver some form of Smash Bros. on the Switch in the near future, I can see this one passing me by.
James: For me, this was always an outside chance from both a competitive online play and a messing-about-party-style title - as you can see it sort of working in either camp but not really committing either way. It’s not as accessible as Splatoon 2 has been so far, from a similar amount of playtime from its demos, which makes me worry the barrier of entry will be too high to really get people on board and make competitive play interesting. That said, there is charm here, in an unashamedly Nintendo sort of a way, so something in the back of my mind whispers “Oh go on, get it anyway!”
Liam: I can see this being a great party game, something to pick up and play for an hour or so when friends or family are visiting, but I don’t know if can see myself air-boxing solo in front of the TV very often, even for online matches with friends. In fact, using the motion controls anywhere outside of the living room is a definite no, unless you’re happy to be the crazy guy no one wants to sit next to on the commute to work. Unless Nintendo fail to deliver some form of Smash Bros. on the Switch in the near future, I can see this one passing me by.
James: For me, this was always an outside chance from both a competitive online play and a messing-about-party-style title - as you can see it sort of working in either camp but not really committing either way. It’s not as accessible as Splatoon 2 has been so far, from a similar amount of playtime from its demos, which makes me worry the barrier of entry will be too high to really get people on board and make competitive play interesting. That said, there is charm here, in an unashamedly Nintendo sort of a way, so something in the back of my mind whispers “Oh go on, get it anyway!”
What do you think of ARMS? Did you try the Test Punch? Will you be picking it up? Let us know in the comments.
A console revival of the popular PC exclusive that arrived in 2015, Victor Vran: Overkill Edition offers two new DLC modes - Motörhead: Through the Ages and Fractured Worlds - that temper upon the traditional gothic-horror formula.
 by Gabriella Petty  | Although these gameplay additions bolster Victor Vran's eccentricities and fatten the campaign, some of these modes are particularly more memorable than others, leaving the lesser few to dwindle. Otherwise the content on offer is much the same as in its PC cousin, losing no lustre in the transition to PS4 with a smooth and consistent 60FPS maintained throughout. Victor Vran’s original premise involves travelling to the land of Zagoravia in hopes of finding Victor's long-lost demon hunter comrade, Adrian. It's a narrative that isn't particularly ingenious, and the characters you encounter aren't clear-cut, but it relies foremost on its humour to carry this dead weight. |
Victor’s colourless narrative often serves as a hindrance to its energetic combat though, whether we see him talking to NPC’s with vague disinterest, or make jokes that never quite pack the punch intended. It's a game in two minds, fighting between tongue-in-cheek and deadpan, but, as a result, the satire juxtaposes the dark and weighty themes. That said, it's comedic styling is yet to really grow on us.
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The game's level design offers plenty of elbow room to explore and fight your way from room-to-room. You're afforded a full 360-degree view of your surroundings, which proves useful in observing your environment, whilst also feeling like a fresh addition to the predictable ARPG blueprint. This small feature has a significant impact, and is a noticeable change in the jump from PC to PS4.
Combat is the game's main strength - an addictive, button-mashing delight. All three modes serve the same over-the-top helping of hack-and-slash combat, as you fight your way through an assemblage of creatures that never fail to pursue you. You can attack these creatures in large and overwhelming quantities, equipped with an arsenal of shotguns, swords and scythes to help clear your path, which, for the most part, serve as a powerful concoction when used in conjunction with magical power-ups. Adding colour to combat, these power-ups can be activated through the overkill meter that gradually builds over time, with each successive slash and strike, allowing you to execute a range of devastating attacks.
Combat is the game's main strength - an addictive, button-mashing delight. All three modes serve the same over-the-top helping of hack-and-slash combat, as you fight your way through an assemblage of creatures that never fail to pursue you. You can attack these creatures in large and overwhelming quantities, equipped with an arsenal of shotguns, swords and scythes to help clear your path, which, for the most part, serve as a powerful concoction when used in conjunction with magical power-ups. Adding colour to combat, these power-ups can be activated through the overkill meter that gradually builds over time, with each successive slash and strike, allowing you to execute a range of devastating attacks.
The game's addictive combat sequences and loot system may keep us playing just that little while longer.
Unlockables and costumes are available in abundance here, with an expansive inventory system to boot. Merchants are available at regular intervals for trade, but the same cannot be said for its outdated save-system, that forces you to grind through particular areas just to be able to save your progress. It is, consequently, punishing, and although checkpoints are available in high numbers, these serve only as re-spawn areas when you die, instead of stable save points.
Overkill’s most thrilling DLC addition, Motörhead: Through the Ages, is a crazed, punk-rock mode that has you jamming along to thunderous Motörhead music with head-banging rhythm. It serves as a pure and more fitting exploitation of the game's absurdity, and accentuates the energy during combat encounters. With a respectable homage to the band’s late frontman, Lemmy Killmister, it feels like a tight and polished package that manages to outshine both the main campaign and its other DLC counterpart, Fractured Worlds, which is, on the whole, forgettable due to its less outlandish and fun presentation.
15 hours into Victor Vran: Overkill Edition, it feels like a confident transition of the PC exclusive to console. Although it doesn't offer much variety content-wise from its PC predecessor, aside from the excellent Motörhead: Through the Ages, of course, the game's addictive combat sequences and loot system may keep us playing just that little while longer.
Overkill’s most thrilling DLC addition, Motörhead: Through the Ages, is a crazed, punk-rock mode that has you jamming along to thunderous Motörhead music with head-banging rhythm. It serves as a pure and more fitting exploitation of the game's absurdity, and accentuates the energy during combat encounters. With a respectable homage to the band’s late frontman, Lemmy Killmister, it feels like a tight and polished package that manages to outshine both the main campaign and its other DLC counterpart, Fractured Worlds, which is, on the whole, forgettable due to its less outlandish and fun presentation.
15 hours into Victor Vran: Overkill Edition, it feels like a confident transition of the PC exclusive to console. Although it doesn't offer much variety content-wise from its PC predecessor, aside from the excellent Motörhead: Through the Ages, of course, the game's addictive combat sequences and loot system may keep us playing just that little while longer.
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