Pass the Controller | Latest news, reviews and reviews in video games
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Community
  • About
    • Contact
    • Meet the Team
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Community
  • About
    • Contact
    • Meet the Team
>

Team Talk | What’s your favourite horror game?

31/10/2018

 
Team Talk | What's your favourite horror game? - Pass the Controller

It’s Halloween night, making the only relevant topic to tackle our absolute favourite ghoulish games! Whether outright horrors or titles with just a tingle of terror, here are the experiences that Team PTC love to scare themselves silly with.

Picture





by Sam Sant

Picture

by Team PTC

Picture

@pass_controller

Sam | Resident Evil 4

VR is, in my mind, undoubtedly the most effective way to consume horror. It’s saying a lot then that Resident Evil 4 is so influential that its impact eclipses even the introduction of true 3D immersion.

Some lament the game’s shift towards action, pinning it with a ‘slippery slope’ argument whilst pointing towards the weaker sequels it inspired. However you might feel about what followed, that doesn’t change the fact that RE4 is a thrilling marriage of genres.

Movement falls in a sweet spot between modern and classically tank-y, helping to preserve a sense of vulnerability; gunplay is intoxicating, owing to a vast and customisable armoury fired from an involving over-the-shoulder perspective; enemies are varied and iconic, not to mention unnervingly relentless and reactive on an almost unparalleled level; the story and characters… are cheesy guff, but that’s just Resi for you.

Setting the budget narrative aside, each gameplay element works overtime to create an ultimately replayable and timeless campaign. There’s no other game I’ve completed as many times and owned on as many different systems, which I’d still be happy to buy and play all over again if it were remade for, or even just ported to, more platforms.
Team Talk | What's your favourite horror game? - Resident Evil 4 - Pass the Controller
Chris | Resident Evil

When it comes to horror games, one sticks in my mind like no other. I'm of the opinion that the Resident Evil franchise fell off with some of the later entries - not counting the latest, RE7, which I’m too scared to even consider playing - as the focus switched from survival horror to action. That being said, it's still a phenomenal series if one pretends that RE4 (sorry Sam) through 6 don't exist, in much the same way that actual humans pretend pineapples don't exist when ordering pizza (again, sorry Sam).

Resident Evil had a delicate balance of suspense and action, but I most fondly remember the atmosphere. The old Spencer Mansion was creepy enough in itself, though numerous diary entries and notes added to that by telling their own short, self-contained stories. I may have mentioned before that ten-year-old me found the Keeper's Diary, which journals one man's slow transformation into a zombie, to be particularly chilling.

The first time I heard the hauntingly beautiful Moonlight Sonata was thanks to Jill Valentine playing the piano. It not only kicked off my lifelong love affair with music, but fit the game so perfectly that every time I hear the opening I'm brought back to that very scene, which stands out even in a game full of iconic moments.
Team Talk | What's your favourite horror game? - Resident Evil - Pass the Controller
Liam | Call of Duty: World at War

Of all the genres, horror is my least favourite. No matter the medium - books, film, TV, games - the idea of purposefully putting myself through an experience designed to terrify and traumatise is one that’s never appealed.

Still, while the pool of scary games I can draw upon for this Halloween-themed Team Talk may be small, there was a time when I threw caution (and sleepless nights) to the wind by braving the horrifying delights of Zombies in Call of Duty: World at War; specifically the Der Riese map, which I played with my big bro. You know, for protection.

For me, Der Riese is the pinnacle of Zombies mode, striking a perfect balance between survival, exploration and tactical play, with just enough lore and humour added in to keep things interesting.

Some of my best gaming memories were forged on that map, from frantically hacking through hordes to reach a much-needed Max Ammo power-up, teasing the last legless zombie whilst my brother and I took turns on the Pack-a-Punch Machine, or grabbing the bowie knife for a desperate final stand when the end was nigh.
​

Eventually we became so familiar with our routine that no communication was needed, which is a handy trick when your router’s NAT prevents voice chat. Come to think of it, strict NAT may be the real horror story here...
Team Talk | What's your favourite horror game? - Call of Duty: World at War - Der Riese - Pass the Controller
James | BioShock

While not what you might traditionally think of as a 'horror' title, BioShock holds a special, twisted place in my heart as the record-holder for the game it's taken me the longest time to complete from start to finish.

Though I suffered a similar problem with the likes of Resident Evil (which, 
due to all them spooks, I resorted to watching playthroughs of on YouTube instead of finishing for myself), BioShock was unique in that I’d give it a try, make some progress, then get too scared to carry on.

The result was a cyclical playthrough that literally lasted years - far past any reasonable time frame for a linear first-person action title.

If you know anything about BioShock, you'll know the ending is somewhat of an oddity; not only is there an unexpected twist, but the game itself almost has two finales. Despite my trepidation, I gathered all the upgrades I could get my Plasmid-infused hands on and finally powered through both in one sitting.

The elation was palpable and I could finally see why people always went on about this game, which - until that point - had been very good but not as life-changing as rhetoric would have me believe.

There are no doubt scarier games, but this one remains my favourite because of how hard it made me work for it, without ever becoming laborious.
Team Talk | What's your favourite horror game? - BioShock - Pass the Controller
Rob | Shadow Man
​

Much like last week’s sequel dilemma, yours truly had so many ghastly games to pick from for this Halloween edition of Team Talk, it hurt.

I could easily have picked the original Doom, or any of the Resident Evil titles, but I’ve decided instead to revisit a world full of infamous serial killers, voodoo, souls and a well-humoured Irish snake named Jaunty…

Acclaim released Shadow Man in 1999, complete with industry-leading audiovisuals and a map of incredible scale for the time. Based on the Shadowman comic book series, the game places you in the shoes of Mike LeRoi, a man with the ability to walk between the realms of ‘Liveside’ (the world as we know it) and ‘Deadside’ (a world full of murderous creatures and fiends).


Shadow Man had so many great moments, it’s impossible to list them all here! From the opening scenes featuring Jack the Ripper and big-bad-boss Legion (you’ll hear the sound bite: “For we are many!” a lot); to watching Mike’s brother die because of his poor choices; to your first view of the Asylum. Throughout the entire quest to find all 120 Dark Souls (hey, that’s a game), Shadow Man remains suitably grim.

Throw into the mix an excellent blend of Zelda, Metroid and Tomb Raider-style gameplay mechanics and you have a game that’s just as playable today as it was back in ‘99.
Team Talk | What's your favourite horror game? - Shadow Man - Pass the Controller


What's your favourite horror game? Have you made time to revisit it this Halloween? Let us know in the comments below.

​Last week we discussed which unannounced sequels we'd kill for.
0 Comments

Taken for a Quickie | Overcooked! 2: Surf ‘n’ Turf DLC

30/10/2018

 
Overcooked!-2-Surf-N-Turf

We’re back for another quick one as we get to grips with Overcooked! 2’s new Surf ‘n’ Turf DLC. Are its levels fun in the sun, or all washed up? Join us on a culinary adventure to tropical climes.

Picture

by Liam
​Andrews

Picture

​@pass_controller

Picture
Developer: Ghost Town Games
Publisher: Team17
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, Switch, PC
Players: 1 - 4

A trip to the Tropics, you say?

​That’s right. After accidentally raising the unbread, the Onion King and his pooch, Kevin, have been benched by the Culinary Council and sent for some R & R on a remote island resort.

Your job is to help get them back in the Council’s good books by mastering the island’s new recipes and introducing those delights to everyone back home in the Onion Kingdom.

What kind of delectable treats are there?

As you may expect, new recipes found in Surf ‘n’ Turf reflect the DLC’s summer-themed setting, with tropical fruit smoothies and kebabs on offer, as well as some fruity twists on old favourites.

There’s also a few new gadgets that help keep gameplay fresh, such as water pistols. These sometimes take the place of a kitchen sink, adding another element of teamplay to washing up by requiring players to further coordinate with each other across already challenging levels.
Don’t be fooled by the setting - Surf ‘n’ Turf is no vacation.
Challenging? I thought this was supposed to be a holiday resort!

​Don’t be fooled by the setting - Surf ‘n’ Turf is no vacation. Aside from the water hazards and infuriating, obstructive conga lines, score limits on levels seem absurdly high.

Even with a fellow Overcooked veteran in tow, we struggled to gather the stars needed to unlock subsequent levels, with plenty of replays required to refine our technique and get near those higher scores.

While mastering levels is, arguably, part of the fun, more casual gamers such as partners and kids may struggle with the opening few levels’ difficulty spike.

Is it a recommended dish?

If you can gather together the two or three capable bodies needed to overcome the higher scores, then yes, it is. It’s cheap, the new setting is a lot of fun, and, if you’re good enough, there’s plenty of content to tuck into.​
0 Comments

Team Talk | What unannounced sequel would you kill for?

24/10/2018

 
Team Talk | What unannounced sequel would you kill for? - Pass the Controller

Everybody has at least one dream sequel, be it to a childhood favourite game or a title that didn’t quite meet its grand potential. This got us pondering which potential prospects we’d be willing to kill for, but not really, as getting banged and being unable to play them would be a terribly cruel irony…

Picture





by Sam Sant

Picture

by Team
​PTC

Picture

@pass_controller

Sam | Bully 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 is set to release in just a couple of days, which almost undoubtedly means that Rockstar Games have started work on their next big project. This has rekindled hope for a sequel I’ve been anticipating above any trip to Liberty City, San Andreas or the Old West these past twelve years.

That’s not to say I haven’t enjoyed Rockstar’s output since 2006; they’re fantastic at holding a mirror up to society and encapsulating any given time period in outlandishly fun fashion. Nowhere is the formula better applied than the formative school years explored in Bully, however.

Everyone can relate and reminisce, regardless of how they feel about their mandatory education. As someone that loved their secondary school years, mostly due to treating the place like a social club, Bully is somewhat reflective of that carefree period and revisiting the game is a great means to unwind even today.

Whether heading back to Bullworth Academy or moving on to higher education, Bully 2 would not only continue to strike strong personal connections with its player base, but diversify Rockstar’s gun-toting catalogue whilst maintaining the core tenants that make their games so great.
Team Talk | What unannounced sequel would you kill for? - Bully 2 - Pass the Controller
Chris | Fable 4

It's been a long time since we've had a proper Fable game (not counting the ill-fated Fable Legends) and the abrupt closure of franchise developer Lionhead Studios could mean that isn’t set to change anytime soon. Rare are probably the company best suited to take the reins if Microsoft decide to resuscitate the quintessentially British RPG (if it was up to me they’d have already started), though rumours suggest that Forza Horizon dev Playground Games may have received the honour instead.

The series has always had its darker moments, though you could rely on a more jovial side quest or NPC encounter to provide some comic relief thereafter. This juxtaposition of humour and despair has always resulted in an unrivalled fun factor as you progress through engaging stories not without a sense of urgency. Whoever might develop Fable 4, maintaining this structure is a must.

Myriad events could have unfolded throughout the history of Albion, from the inception of the Heroes' Guild right through to the start of the industrial revolution, which presents opportunity to breathe exciting new forms of life into the region for the next sequel and beyond.
Team Talk | What unannounced sequel would you kill for? - Fable 4 - Pass the Controller
James | Mass Effect Zero

While Andromeda left plenty to be desired when it was unlovingly thrown up for our delectation last year, there'll always be a place in my heart for the Mass Effect series.

It’s a franchise that, unfortunately, no longer holds special status for many, due to the controversy started with Mass Effect 3’s lacklustre ending and perpetuated by the entirety of Andromeda. That’s why all of that should be left where it is, keenly sidestepping any need for narrative continuity by heading back to the era of the Genophage and humans' first contact.

We may have had glimpses of the old world through DLC here and a flashback there, but the ME universe is begging for further exploration (as long as we don't have to scan any planets this time).

I’d even be welcoming of new genres, as lore is held above gameplay when it comes to Mass Effect. Perhaps something more focused and less fixated on, say, the fate of an entire galaxy, making a strong statement and creating even more compelling characters that we can genuinely care about.

There’s a universe of interesting directions for the series to venture out in - at the very least a whole spin-off for Dr. Mordin Solus' stunning singing career. We. Were. Robbed.
Team Talk | What unannounced sequel would you kill for? - Mass Effect Zero - Pass the Controller
Liam | Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 4

If there’s one series I’d like to see revived it has to be Rogue Squadron, probably the greatest set of Star Wars games out there (sorry, KOTOR fans).

Sure, there were some odd moments, such as the first game’s Death Star trench run that bizarrely featured corners (we had to wait for Rogue Leader to get a proper homage) and the clunky ground combat found in Rebel Strike was pretty naff, but, for the most part, these games were the best way to relive the films’ most iconic dogfights.

They were also great at filling in the gaps between these famous battles with some excellent original missions, such as defending Rebel transports on their way to set up a new base on Hoth, or stealing the Imperial shuttle that Luke, Han and Leia used to sneak onto Endor.

Developer Factor 5 even dabbled in some very cool “What if?” scenarios, allowing you to thwart the Rebel’s attack on the Death Star and then turn the tables by crushing their base on Yavin 4.

Basically, these games were a helluva lot of fun, and the series’ continued absence from the world of gaming is a travesty.
Team Talk | What unannounced sequel would you kill for? - Star Wars: Rogue Squadron 4 - Pass the Controller
Rob | ChuChu Rocket! 2

When Sam first sent over the sequel-you’d-love-to-see memo, I felt upwards of mildly flabbergasted. How could I possibly pick just one game? Especially since I’ve been playing video games for 25-odd years now!

I’d absolutely love to see sequels to Shadow of Memories, Black, Sega Bass Fishing, International Superstar Soccer and many, many others. Push them to one side, though, folks, ‘cause there’s a certain puzzle game that I’d love to see get the Frankenstein treatment.


ChuChu Rocket! was the Sega Dreamcast’s online pioneer, throwing down the gauntlet for anyone with dial-up internet at the turn of the Willenium. Containing a simple premise, ChuChu tasked you with using directional tiles to navigate mice into a rocket, before giant cats could eat them. Yep, you read that right.

The single player side of things was great - set boards that went heavy on puzzle solving, where experimentation and logic were required to send those mice home - but it was the multiplayer that really stole the show. I never got to experience the online stuff, as I didn’t own a Dreamcast until years after its demise, but I did fall truly-madly-deeply in lust with ChuChu’s local counterpart. Placing your directional tiles at the right mark could either lead mice into your rocket, or cats into your associates, thus harnessing the most heartwarming of local multiplayer attributes: stitching up your friends.

Creating a robust sequel would barely task Sega at all in the modern world and, as such, could probably make a metric brie-bounty in dollars back. Hear thy cries Dame Sega: resurrect fair ChuChu!
Picture


What unannounced sequel do you need in your life? Let us know in the comments below.

If you're curious what we think about Warner Bros.' rumoured Harry Potter RPG, check out last week's edition of Team Talk.
0 Comments

Team Talk | Would you play a Wizarding World (Harry Potter) RPG?

18/10/2018

 
Team Talk | Would you play a Wizarding World (Harry Potter) RPG? - Pass the Controller

Footage of a supposed “3rd person open-world action RPG” set in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter recently surfaced on Reddit, after a user claimed to have been part of an audience survey relating to the unannounced game. Promising the ability to create your own Hogwarts student and embark on an original adventure taking place before anything yet seen, it prompted equal measures of excitement and doubt from fans.

Picture





by Sam Sant

Picture

by Team
​PTC

Picture

@pass_controller


More info emerged as journalists did some digging, but tacit confirmation pretty much came when licence-holder Warner Bros. took the footage down. That means there’s almost certainly something in the works, but would we actually play it?

Sam

I was just three years old when Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone was first published. Some of my fondest formative memories involve excitedly wrapping myself in bed covers, nestling into my pillow and being whisked away as mum or my older sister read the paperback as a bedtime story. This tradition continued with each sequel, at least until roles reversed when I was capable of reading to them, then proceeded to go it alone when I was too cool for any of that.

At the ripe old age of seven, the franchise that’d been a constant throughout more than half of my life transitioned to the big screen and, of course, that warranted a family trip to the cinema. Mum asked if I’d enjoyed it on the way out, to which I channelled my inner Ron and cheekily quoted “That was bloody brilliant!” to chuckles and smiles, in place of the stern looks I’d half expected. Once again, Harry Potter had brought us together.

Growing up alongside J. K. Rowling’s creation was special; I aged alongside Harry and his friends - our friends, really - keeping their adventures close to heart. It was a comforting constant and so, understandably, it’s powerfully nostalgic stuff for me.

That’s my roundabout way of saying that, especially having seen the footage, I’m all about the supposed Harry Potter: Magic Awakens leak! I’ve spent most of my life wishing I could attend Hogwarts, alas, to no avail, but living that dream virtually would be the next best thing.
Team Talk | Would you play a Wizarding World (Harry Potter) RPG? - Order of the Phoenix screenshot - Pass the Controller
Order of the Phoenix was a good film tie-in.
Chris

I'm aware of the franchise's existence but know little of the subject matter. Having always been an avid reader and a fan of all things fantasy, Harry Potter should be right up my street, though I have no desire to watch the films and would sooner opt to read a pizza menu than any of the books. Of course, when it was first released there were only two wizards in my mind - Rincewind and Gandalf - and we didn't (and still don't) need any more.

That being said, I love open world RPGs and Rowling's tales seem like a perfect fit for the genre. I assume that there's a hefty amount of lore and plenty of stories to tell in that universe, especially given the alleged time frame it takes place in. The ability to create your own character is certainly a plus point and a much more attractive prospect than being stuck playing as the series' milquetoast protagonist.

This would be a great opportunity to win over a new audience with a more adult-oriented take, if they can achieve that without losing the child-friendly appeal.
Team Talk | Would you play a Wizarding World (Harry Potter) RPG? - Half Blood Prince screenshot - Pass the Controller
​Half Blood Prince wasn't bad, either.
Liam

I loved the Harry Potter books when I was younger, but towards the end of the series, as I hit my late teens, I had grown more cynical about all things magical. I still read every book to completion, but I couldn’t help but wonder why Witches and Wizards were so dismissive of Muggle technology – I’d like to see Voldemort stop a drone strike as easily as he counters a disarming spell. You’re welcome, Mr. Fudge.

It’s something that, however unlikely, I would like to see explored more in an RPG set in the Harry Potter extended universe. Along with Quidditch and Aurors, the secretive balancing act between the magical world and our more mundane one was one of my favourite concepts, more so than lessons in potion brewing and herbology.

If proceedings stay purely fantastical, however, then I’d like to see the developers double down on original stories (maybe even some starring Hogwarts’ ancient founders?) rather than revisiting well-trodden ground. Even though it’d pull an audience in, the world and his Hungarian Horntail already knows the tale of Harry, Voldemort, Dumbledore, et al.

I’m not instantly excited by the idea, but a proper game – not some movie tie-in cash grab – does have potential.
Team Talk | Would you play a Wizarding World (Harry Potter) RPG? - Deathly Hallows screenshot - Pass the Controller
Deathly Hallows Parts 1 & 2 were dire.
James

As a child who had the pleasure of translating Harry Potter from Latin into English at school, it's fair to say I'm well acquainted with the universe now known as the Wizarding World. While the prospect of more films initially induced a slight eye-roll, in gaming the series as a whole has been criminally underused and under-represented.

The prospect of finally becoming a fledgling wizard and attending Hogwarts is an exciting one then, with childish excitement bubbling up like a fresh batch of Polyjuice Potion.

Whether the reality will do the potential justice is another matter however, with so much lore protected by frenzied fans, whatever era you fancy jumping into. On top of that, how much will you have to specialise to reach the coolest spells? As any casual Dungeons & Dragons player will tell you, it can take a fair few adventures to get to the really tasty stuff.

Hopefully though, this will at least be more accessible than DnD (despite its resurgence in the past few years) and provide a fun entry point. Plus, we'll get to make friends with an owl!
Team Talk | Would you play a Wizarding World (Harry Potter) RPG? - Kinect screenshot - Pass the Controller
Harry Potter for Kinect was the worst, naturally.


Would you be up for playing a Wizarding World RPG? Let us know in the comments below.

For more Team Talk, check out last week's feature on Telltale Games' best told tales.
0 Comments

Revisiting the PlayStation VR launch lineup, two years later

13/10/2018

 
Revisiting the PlayStation VR launch lineup, two years later - Pass the Controller

Today is PlayStation VR’s second birthday - hooray! The peripheral is now well into its stride, recently giving home to a couple of stellar exclusives in tactical shooter Firewall: Zero Hour and 3D platformer Astro Bot Rescue Mission. Critical darlings were fewer and farther between back at launch, though not unheard of, thanks to the likes of Until Dawn: Rush of Blood and Thumper, so we turned back the clock and dove into a pile of premier titles to see if we missed any gems amongst the opening deluge.

Picture





by Sam Sant

Picture

@SlamShotSam


Batman Arkham VR

Franchise pedigree and the enticing ‘Wear the Cowl’ tagline had players salivating over an opportunity to fully embody the bat back in 2016.


Visually, Arkham VR is an absolute showpiece even now. Bat-fans will delight in getting up close and personal with iconic characters and locations that exude more scale, depth and detail than ever before. Gameplay wise, things are slightly less exciting, as the series' detective work - carried out here with a sparse three gadgets - takes precedence over combat.

Easily the best part of the package is its kooky story, chronologically sandwiched between the final two instalments of the mainline Arkham trilogy and compelling enough to warrant repeat playthroughs.
Here’s to PS VR and it strong introduction to more immersive gaming on consoles; after looking backwards, we can’t wait to see what lies ahead!
RIGS: Mechanized Combat League
Intended to be a flagship heavy hitter, RIGS instead floundered as a mid-tier game. Its ambition in marrying broadcast spots and FPS into an all-new virtual reality spectacle is certainly admirable, but also misguided, given that this introductory experience is capable of nauseating even a grizzled VR vet.

Sharp visuals, precise controls and a range of tweakable comfort settings just aren’t enough to save our stomachs on this occasion. You need to tear around arenas at speed, turning and changing elevation on a dime in order to stand any chance of beating even the AI.

There’s really a lot of depth on offer, so it’s a damn shame that keeping RIGS at arm’s length seems to be standard practice; it spent months as a PS+ freebie, yet there’s absolutely nobody competing in the integrated online league.

Tumble VR

Tumble VR is proof that simple ideas are often the best executed. The basic premise of playing with building blocks should be familiar to anyone with a childhood to their name, though things do get a little more advanced than chewing the corners and clacking them together.

While Tumble arguably doesn’t make the most exciting use of VR, its 3D environments offer increased spatial awareness and depth perception that no doubt serve as a performance booster when, for example, delicately stacking towers. With the complement of precise motion control and accurate physics, tackling the game’s varied suite of challenges is a simple pleasure.

Wayward Sky
This touching ‘look and click’ adventure from Uber Entertainment, creators of the underrated Monday Night Combat games, casts you as a young girl on course to save her father after their biplane crash lands on a floating fortress.

It does a great job of utilising perspective, seamlessly switching between multiple camera angles to help convey a very charming and genuine story with sparing use of dialogue.

That being said, it’s really the regular introduction of fun new gameplay mechanics that’ll keep you coming back until you’ve seen the impromptu trip through.

Weeping Doll
A horror game for all the wrong reasons, Weeping Doll is at least amusingly bad. Its abysmal writing, acting and visual effects inspire laughs at the game’s expense, yet fortunately it ends before the issues stop being funny and start to become overly tedious.

You’ll spend an hour or so awkwardly teleporting around an ugly family home, managing a cumbersome inventory and breezing through puzzles whilst unravelling a by-the-numbers story through weak environmental storytelling.

If you’re a fan of Resident Evil 7, it’s almost worth checking Weeping Doll out to witness the bargain bin implementation of its themes. Almost...

Ace Banana

Another from Weeping Doll (and Pixel Gear) developer Oasis Games, Ace Banana doesn’t even begin to flirt with the same ‘so bad it's good’ territory.

You play a bow-wielding banana tasked with defending bunches of baby bananas against waves of monkeys with bad intentions. There’s just one map and one game mode, though enemy and power-up spawns are somewhat shuffled between sessions in a failed attempt to keep things fresh.

Confusion underpins Ace Banana’s poor general execution as well-aimed shots inexplicably miss their mark, certain power-ups have no discernible effect, a lack of audiovisual feedback often makes it unclear as to whether or not you’re actually dealing damage, and, perhaps best of all, the in-game encyclopaedia - which should help to set some of these issues straight - is so poorly translated that discerning useful information is almost impossible.

The game’s insane second boss is an even bigger impasse, making quick work of ourselves and seemingly most others, with only 0.4% of players having beaten the encounter at the time of writing. Tackling it with the help of a friend might help, if only the promised multiplayer update had actually ever materialised…

Here They Lie

Far preferable a spookfest to Weeping Doll, Here They Lie boasts a noir-style presentation and some very adult content that’ll leave you feeling in need of a good scrub.

A raw, sexual focus provides basis for an animalistic horror that can feel both grounded and abstract, with the helpless inability to combat aggressors forcing you to linger on the occult, ritualistic and thoroughly bizarre.

There are multiple paths to the same conclusion, offering a little more freedom than VR games of the time tended to, though, thanks to a post-launch patch, Here They Lie is now also playable on a television. You’ll certainly miss much of the atmosphere in TV mode, and probably all of the “Nope!” moments, but the game’s subtle philosophy should still translate.

Harmonix Music VR
This one’s still a great way to unwind, be that to settle your racing heart after tangling with Here They Lie or following a stressful work day. It’s not really a game, by Harmonix’ own admission, rather an encompassing music visualiser with interactive elements.

Four varied game modes see you relax on a beach that pulses in time to music, effortlessly create neon works of art on a blank 3D canvas (so effortlessly that we were never tempted to fall back on the trusty ol’ penis portrait), hilariously manipulate party-goers to create looping scenes and dance routines, and take a kaleidoscopic trip through a psychedelic representation of a song.

17 included tracks all fit thematically, but more than likely won’t match your taste, so you’ll want to stick some MP3 files onto a USB flash drive in order to import them into the game. This essentially makes Music VR endless, while, even more importantly, providing powerful new ways to interact with pieces of music that are meaningful to you.


Not too shabby, we’re sure you’ll agree. Big names like Rush of Blood and Arkham VR lived up to the hype, whilst plentiful hidden gems - Tumble VR, Wayward Sky, Harmonix Music VR, Here They Lie and Tethered - make it easy to imagine that revisiting the launch lineup for basically any other peripheral wouldn’t be anywhere near as positive an experience.

So, here’s to PS VR and it strong introduction to more immersive gaming on consoles; after looking backwards, we can’t wait to see what lies ahead!

If you’re interested in reading about more launch games, check out our reviews for PlayStation VR Worlds and Super Stardust Ultra VR. For an overview of all our PlayStation VR reviews, head over to our vrgamecritic profile.
0 Comments

Team Talk | Telltale Games’ best told tales

10/10/2018

 
Team Talk - Telltale Games' best series - Pass the Controller

Team Talk is our shiny new regular feature, in which Pass the Controller staff come together and voice their opinions on different topics throughout the world of gaming.

Picture





by Sam Sant

Picture

by Team
​PTC

Picture

@pass_controller


You’ve probably heard about Telltale Games’ unfortunate demise by now, provided you don’t actively avoid the news. The flagship adventure game developer was recently forced to release over 90% of its workforce and cancel any ongoing projects when a vital round of funding fell through. Those remaining few were working on bringing Minecraft: Story Mode to Netflix, but they too then joined the unfortunate majority in finding themselves out of a dream job without any warning or severance pay.

Controversy has justifiably dominated headlines as a result, though news that The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment will be rehiring staff to finish off The Final Season made for a welcome change of tone. In an attempt to continue that upward trend, we’d like to take a moment to remember Telltale at their best by sharing our personal picks of their many episodics. Where we can, anyway...

Sam | The Walking Dead

The Walking Dead shot Telltale into the mainstream, picking up multiple Game of the Year awards and introducing gamers to an innovative new brand of hybrid gameplay, to be gradually consumed in episodic chunks.

It didn’t stand out to me for those reasons, though. Having already played Wallace & Gromit and Sam & Max - just a couple of Telltale’s lesser-known earlier titles - it was the stark shift in focus that grabbed my attention instead. In a flip of the script, narrative now took priority and puzzle-solving was relieved of its mantle; that might’ve agitated the point-and-click purist in me, if only it wasn’t executed so damn well.

Introductions to protagonist Lee and his surrogate daughter, Clementine, were exquisitely conceived and delivered, immediately cementing what would become an iconic central duo. Their blossoming relationship doesn’t overshadow a stellar supporting cast, however, each of which evoke a strong gut reaction; you’ll love them, definitely hate them, but most of all, in a world of moral greys, often find yourself somewhere in between. It’s here that the ingenuity of reactive storytelling shines through, making many of the game’s choices almost painfully heart wrenching, especially at a time we hadn’t yet peeked behind the curtain to discover what really amounted to an illusion of choice.
Chris | The Wolf Among Us

Despite enjoying The Walking Dead, I wasn't initially sold on The Wolf Among Us. I figured I wasn’t the target audience for a story about fairy tale characters living in the real world, but a free trial did enough to convince me otherwise. Sufficiently intrigued, I purchase the first episode and then immediately bought the season pass upon completing that.

This was a far darker story than I’d expected. Whilst protagonist Bigby Wolf (also known as The Big Bad Wolf) is a reformed character, most of his fellow Fables’ lives are quite tragic and far removed from the cheery tales you may have heard about them as a child. Take Georgie Porgie, who’s a brash loudmouth and pimp operating out of his strip club, the Pudding ‘n’ Pie, or the Woodsman, who once upon a time saved Little Red Riding Hood from Bigby, but is now a hopeless alcoholic.

This is Telltale at their finest, bringing personalities to life and creating an engaging narrative which demands your attention. It's just a shame we'll never get to see how the sequel would’ve panned out.
James | Tales from the Borderlands

SPOILER WARNING


​
In a revelation that will come as no surprise to many, I was never very good at Borderlands. However, the prospect of something a bit more story-y and less shooty was a welcome one; enter Tales from the Borderlands.

One of the first Telltale offerings to bring a dual-protagonist perspective (to my knowledge), with corporate yes man Rhys and hat-wearing rebel Fiona, the game benefited from smart writing and the faithful inclusion of series stalwart Handsome Jack to make everything feel significant and connected in that universe.

Where the Game of Thrones series’ ties felt more like tokenism, here the plot device of having Jack be a projection only experienced by Rhys proves to be far more effective than you'd think, frequently impacting the real world beyond just the character getting weird looks.

The adventure has you discover the origins of Atlas, one of Borderlands’ numerous weapons manufacturers, through a structure - much of the game being retold by a captive Rhys, who can misremember events on purpose - that introduces comedic moments to accompany a lot of genuinely interesting lore which serves to enhance the overall Borderlands canon.
Liam | Game of Thrones & The Wolf Among Us

I’ve never really given Telltale games the chance they probably deserve, though it’s hard to say exactly why that is. Perhaps it’s that their most prominent series, The Walking Dead, centres around a topic that terrifies me to the core.
​

I can handle the odd bout of Zombies in Call of Duty, or the tongue-in-cheek take on the apocalypse seen in Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare, but The Walking Dead’s relentless misery just seems so oppressive.

That’s not to say I’ve had no interaction with Telltale’s work whatsoever; I enjoyed The Wolf Among Us’ alternate take on fairy tale creatures living in a real-world setting, and their Game of Thrones series was a sobering reminder that I could never cut it as a little Lord in Westeros. It’s important to stand up to bullies, just not ones named Ramsay Snow (never Bolton)!

If there’s any personal smidgen of good to be salvaged from this unfortunate situation, it’s that I now feel far more inclined to explore some of Telltale’s back catalogue than I ever did previously. Just nothing starring the undead.
Rob

Unlike the rest of the team, I’ve never finished a Telltale series. I’ve played a few bits of The Walking Dead’s first season and have The Wolf Among Us and Game of Thrones on the old hard drive, but I’ve never really felt compelled to get stuck in.
​
Similar to Liam, I’m not too sure why I haven’t committed. I’ve always appreciated their unique stylings - the gorgeous visuals, branching narratives and choices that really affect what happens to characters - though I’m often late to the party with games, so will no doubt rectify my wrongs in the not-so-distant future!

With that in mind, it’s been really disappointing to see the way in which the company has collapsed. Huge job losses and (what has been reported to be) a complete lack of severance pay, after talented people worked long hours on apparently unprofitable projects, showcases the dark and difficult side of business. How this can still happen in the modern world is pretty despicable.


Which Telltale series is your favourite? Let us know with a comment.

For more Team Talk, check out last week's debut feature, in which the team discussed the latest gameplay trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2.
1 Comment

Team Talk | Red Dead Reactions

5/10/2018

 
Team Talk - Red Dead Redemption 2 gameplay trailer reactions - Pass the Controller

Team Talk is our shiny new regular feature, in which Pass the Controller staff come together and voice their opinions on different topics throughout the world of gaming.

Picture





by Sam Sant

Picture

by Team
​PTC

Picture

@pass_controller


What better place to start than with Red Dead Redemption 2, the game that’s dominating industry chatter a whole three weeks ahead of its release. Rockstar Games recently shared their second gameplay trailer, detailing many new and familiar features geared towards creating the most immersive open-world yet, but are we buying into the hype?

Sam

Having just played Red Dead Revolver for the first time, I was likely more struck than most by the insane level of detail in the trailer. Both games share very similar motifs, helping to highlight just how far we’ve come in the 13 years separating the series’ first and third instalments.

Rockstar were keen to emphasise a focus on crafting a “seamless” open-world experience, one that intertwines sandbox activities and storytelling, which is what has me the most excited. I’m pretty much over the modern definition of an open-world, which ultimately boils down to clearing a map of markers through repetitive busywork. Redemption 2 does look densely packed with things to do, but I’d hang my hat on those tasks being more rewarding than laborious.

​It looks evolutionary, much like 
Cyberpunk 2077, only Red Dead is a game that we can all get out hands on later this month. That almost seems surreal.


If the campaign is the main course, I’ve already booked my reservation. Whether I'll be convinced to stay for dessert when Red Dead Online launches in November, however, remains to be seen.
Give the trailer a watch if you haven't already.
James

Heists! Sure it's pushing on an open door given how effective they've been in GTA Online and how salivating the fanbase has been for more, but there's something altogether more authentic about a bank robbery in the Old West.

This trailer specifically emphasises player choice, so it'll be interesting to see if different interactions with NPCs cause significant change or simply prompt transparent alterations to dialogue. Everything Rockstar does is taken to the nth degree in terms of visual fidelity and thinking things through of course, so if any development team can be relied on to give us the real deal, it's them.

Snippets of activities like fishing and playing cards, amongst a few other bits and pieces, don’t do anything for me personally, but it's nice that they’re there for anybody interested.


Dead Eye, arguably the series’ signature party piece, looks absolutely as you might expect. Gunslinging and the associated cool factor will quite possibly be the game’s bread and butter, but references to eating suggest there may be some survival elements, not just RPG-lite aspects as we've often see from Rockstar in the past. If that is the case, might shootouts become slower and more considered affairs?

Redemption 2 is clearly vast and deep, and it feels like there's a lot of scope to make of it what you want, but a wide open map of possibilities can be daunting and overwhelming at the same time. While it could cut down the number of players who make it to the end credits, the lucrative online mode is no doubt the real endgame for Rockstar, so does that even matter?
Chris

I'm impressed. Combat looks meaty, as if there's real weight to each blow. Shooting, which I'm sure we'll be doing a lot of, appears to be similarly satisfying. If it plays as good as it looks, it'll be a strong Game of the Year contender.

There's always a plethora of side activities in Rockstar's open-world titles and, for the most part, they’re done the right way. I can, and will, happily ignore the likes of collectibles in any and all games - unless they’re directly on my path or offer some type of gameplay advantage - but I'll no doubt while away hours robbing houses and playing poker.

Cinematic camera angles will be great for taking screenshots, which is now a popular pastime for many gamers, plus I can see myself at least trying out the new first-person mode.


One thing putting me off, which is admittedly unrelated to the trailer, is the game’s massive 105 GB file size. I'm pretty sure I could design and create my own game in the time it’d take me to download that. I'm struggling to think of a decent title though, so that idea’s on hold for now.
Liam

I think the thing that impressed me most from the new footage was first-person mode; it didn’t even cross my mind that we might be getting it in RDR2, despite its appearance in GTA V. For some reason, experiencing the Wild West this way just appeals more.

On the other hand, I can definitely see myself taking advantage of the ‘new’ cinematic camera – another feature borrowed from Rockstar’s flagship franchise - for some stunning rides through the rather gorgeous-looking vistas.

The seamless transitions between gameplay and cutscenes look cool, but seemed quite prevalent. Hopefully it’s not something that constantly crops up with every encounter, so as to not keep interrupting dynamic gameplay with scripted moments.


As always, I'll end up skipping most extracurricular activities like poker and eating (if possible), but I did enjoy hunting down bounties in the first game so I’m glad they’re back.

For the sake of balance, I definitely don’t like the idea of the whole bathing malarkey. In a game about robbing trains, bank heists and awesome shootouts, I don’t want to waste time on such mundane tasks. At least in first-person mode I won’t see how filthy I've gotten...


What did you think of the trailer? Let us know in the comments below.
0 Comments


    Read More

    News
    Reviews
    Videos

    Comment Here

    Categories

    All
    A Gamer's Guide To Life
    Community
    E3 2018
    Event Coverage
    Feature
    First Impressions/Quick Look
    Head To Head
    Indie
    Interview
    List
    Opinion
    Preview
    Real Life Story
    Team Talk
    Video
    Virtual Reality


    Archives

    June 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    January 2025
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015


    RSS Feed

Pass the Controller

News
Reviews
Features
​
Videos
Community
About

What is PTC

About Us
​Meet the Team
​
Contact Us
Find our reviews on:
  • OpenCritic
  • vrgamecritic
© COPYRIGHT 2014-2022 PTC / JMP.
​ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.