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Bombslinger | Nintendo Switch | Review

10/4/2018

 
Bombslinger Nintendo Switch review - Pass the Controller

There’s no hiding the fact that Bombslinger is heavily inspired by Bomberman, at first glance even appearing as little more than a Western reskin of the classic series. Whilst the serviceable Battle mode doesn’t do too much to dispute that, its roguelike Adventure mode blasts Bombslinger past Konami’s most recent effort - Super Bomberman R.

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by Sam Sant

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@SlamShotSam


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Developer: Mode4
Publisher: Mode4
​Platforms: Xbox One,
​Switch, PC

​Players: 1 - 4
After bailing on your posse with all of the proceeds from a heist, you, the titular Bombslinger, hang up your hat to peacefully while away the remainder of your days. At least until your old compadres hunt you down and destroy everything you hold dear, that is. Vengeance on the mind, you’ll select a starting loadout and seek to end those responsible with a bevy of bombs.

Emerging into a pseudo-3D world comprised of procedurally generated screens stitched together to form larger areas, there are often multiple paths to the culminating boss encounters that gate entry to each of four visually distinct, and progressively more demanding, locations. At first, besting these confrontations is no mean feat, and, as such, you’ll find your way back to square one frequently.

Vitally, much of the frustration that can accompany a permadeath defeat is alleviated by being drawn closer to victory at the same time. You’ll memorise enemy attack patterns and behaviours through repeat encounters, mastering dispatching them in the process, whilst also working towards unlocking items and abilities to give you a tactical edge moving forward. Mental and physical arsenals bolstered, in theory, each attempt should be more successful than the last.

Once you’ve established an understanding of the game’s base mechanics, courtesy of the devilish (but, in a good way) learning curve, taking risks in search of reward becomes a mighty attractive prospect. Fighting through every screen to gain the experience and gold lurking within, both of which are subsequently used to purchase from a random selection of power-ups, or consuming Snake Oil to discover its potentially positive or negative effects are almost irresistible pursuits in looking to steamroll your way to the end in record time. Having initially been off the cards for fear of the repercussions, learning to manage and utilise these light gambling mechanics to your advantage is enough to make you swell with a sense of progression.
Its roguelike Adventure mode propels Bombslinger past Konami’s most recent effort - Super Bomberman R.
While not as complex as the likes of The Binding of Isaac, which can be pretty obstructive to newcomers, the occasionally clumsy four-directional movement in Bombslinger will leave some a-shakin’ in their snakeskins. You’ll very frequently need to duck around a corner to avoid the blast radius of a bomb, but every so often you can be slightly off centre to the gap you’re attempting to squeeze through and end up taking damage as a direct result of the fiddly correction process. Considering that this has the potential to put an end to a run, it’s far from ideal.

It’s not such a problem in Battle mode’s lower stakes skirmishes, though that’s not to say they’re easy - the AI takes no prisoners, yeller belly! DeathMatch and Last Man Standing game types can be played across 12 maps, with the former a frantic race to the frag limit and the latter a more considered bout for survival.

In familiar fashion, you’re placed into a maze filled with a mix of destructible and non-destructible obstacles, as well as power-ups and power-downs, with a mad scramble ensuing as up to four bombers fill lanes with flames in an attempt to quell the competition. It proves tense, fast-paced and skilful despite the inherent simplicity, which makes the lack of online multiplayer support all the greater a blow.

A pick up and play nature makes Bombslinger ideal for gaming on the go, but, when it comes to local competitive matches, a big ol’ TV screen is the ideal way for everyone to keep track of what’s going on. This makes Nintendo Switch the game's ideal platform, offering up the best of both worlds and sacrificing none of the sharp retro aesthetic in the process.
The occasionally clumsy four-directional movement will leave some a-shakin’ in their snakeskins.
Bombslinger’s tentpole is its excellent roguelike Adventure mode, which boasts a characteristically addictive gameplay loop that compels you to keep developing your skill set over time. Battle mode is very much a secondary distraction, though proves to be good fun when getting some local friends involved - it’s just a shame that the fun can’t be taken online when there’s nobody to hand, and that control issues can make a game with a consistent level of challenge stray towards feeling unfair. Still, if you’re a fan of the Bomberman template, Bombslinger is a game you probably won’t want to miss.

Pros

  • Adventure mode provides a unique twist on the bomber formula
  • Fine-tuned challenge & tangible sense of progression keep you coming back
  • Range of bosses & lesser enemy types, each with their own unique behaviours to learn
  • Sizeable suite of unique power-ups accompany many familiar ones
  • Battle mode directly harkens back to classic Bomberman

Cons

  • Four-directional movement can be troublesome
  • No online multiplayer
  • Yee-hawing sound effects in Battle mode begin to grate over time

7/10
0 Comments

Masters of Anima | Xbox One | Review

10/4/2018

 
Masters of Anima Xbox One review - Pass the Controller

Masters of Anima is a charming action strategy game in the vein of Pikmin and Overlord, where the player guides a young man named Otto on a quest to save his betrothed.

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by Sam Sant

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@SlamShotSam


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Developer: Passtech
Games

Publisher: Focus Home
Interactive

​Platforms: Xbox One,
​PS4, Switch, PC

​Players: 1
Set in the whimsical world of Spark, Zahr the Banished has sundered Otto’s beloved Ana, splitting her into three pieces and scattering them around the realm. You’ll use your skills as a Shaper to harness the magical powers of Anima and summon a range of Guardians to command in your battle against Zahr and his Golem fighting force, all in order to reunite Ana’s heart, mind and body.

It's a simple story, but a relatable one that serves as a solid central conceit
 thanks to some amusing writing and endearing voice work. Just as delightful are the hand-illustrated cutscenes and colourfully cartoonish art style, enhanced with Xbox One X support.

An accessible control scheme makes Masters of Anima’s gameplay similarly inviting, allowing you to micromanage units with ease. There are five breeds of Guardian, each boasting their own unique strengths and weaknesses, summoned at the cost of the titular mana resource. Up to 100 Guardians can be spawned onto the field at once - provided you’ve acquired the relevant upgrades - with your elemental army then set to aid in each of the game’s three key pillars in exploration, puzzle solving and combat.

Excellent balance is struck between the three, as engaging environmental puzzles and challenging skirmishes spatter sprawling and varied (both geographically and mechanically) levels overflowing with optional paths, collectibles and quests.

Combat encounters are very much the meat of the experience though, presenting Masters’ tactical elements front and centre. Taking a varied spread of the five Guardian classes on offer into the fray is generally a good idea, but not universally so, due in part to the fact it'll take longer to direct your legion the more sets of units you have in play. Whilst enemies display distinguishable attack patterns and blatantly telegraph blows, you're not always afforded the necessary time as you juggle (in real-time) directing each type of Guardian to attack according to their strengths, running defence for both Otto and his summons, and launching your own melee offensive courtesy of Otto's staff in frantic-but-considered fashion.
Excellent balance is struck between the game's three key pillars in exploration, puzzle solving and combat.
Stocking up on a certain type of Guardian as a situation dictates - bow-wielding Sentinels for a boss that cuts a swathe through melee fighters, for example - can help to secure not just victory, but a pat on the back and some extra experience points too. You receive a letter grading at the end of each engagement, with the lofty S rank often taking a few failed practice attempts to reach.

Upgrading Guardians can help to make them useful in more situations, but with skill points shared between each class and Otto himself, deciding where to invest them can take a bit of thought; luckily, you can respec as many times as you like between levels in order to really nail the perfect loadout. Replaying stages will net you extra experience to keep improving your build, which is a nice little motivator to do so, as is the opportunity to improve upon letter gradings and gather any remaining collectibles.
Outside of the odd technical performance dip and a few proofreading oversights (just note that we were playing a pre-release version), Masters of Anima is a game that’s very easy to admire. Rich with personality and considered design, joining Otto on his quest is a no-brainer for fans of the often overlooked action strategy genre.

Pros

  • Simultaneously frantic & tactical combat
  • Choosing a loadout of Guardians & upgrades adds an extra layer of depth
  • Some great level design
  • Charming characters & narrative
  • Lovely visuals

Cons

  • Noticeable frame rate drops on occasion 
  • A few instances of dodgy English amongst the menu text

8/10
0 Comments

Far Cry 5 | Xbox One | Review

3/4/2018

 
Far Cry 5 review - Pass the Controller

Welcome to a world without consequences. Set in a twisted version of Montana, USA, Far Cry 5’s Hope County has become overrun by religious fanatics, and your nameless deputy is either a professional freedom fighter or a destructive terrorist in a fight to restore order.
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by James Michael Parry

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​@james_parry


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Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Platforms: Xbox One, PS4, PC
Players: 1-6

Brief tutorial aside, from the moment you’re pulled from the wreck of your downed chopper (ever the reliable form of transport...) and scrambled to relative safety, you can do whatever you like.

To some, being set up in a lush, mountainous playground, equipped with a handful of weapons and items, is just what the doctor ordered, as it lends itself to many styles of play. For others who crave structure and direction, the sheer breadth and multitude of icons, objectives and missions on offer could be overwhelming.

Of course, this is no surprise to those who’ve played open-world Ubisoft games before. The publisher has built a number of its franchises around the concept, to varying degrees of success, leading to easy comparisons with Assassin’s Creed Origins, Ghost Recon Wildlands and previous Far Cry games. Unlike its predecessors though, you aren’t off in a far flung corner of the world this time around, instead, the wilderness is in many players’ backyard, corrupted by cult leader Joseph Seed, who takes every element of the cult stereotype you can think of to an extreme.

If you’re wondering where consequences (or a lack thereof) come into play, let us explain. There are games out there that anchor you in their worlds by offering tangible reactions to your actions, but in FC5 you might fail to complete a time-sensitive objective, or trigger an alarm in an area where you’re really supposed to remain undetected, and what are the repercussions? Well...you may earn a little less money...
Calling the cavalry - Far Cry 5 review - Pass the Controller
It sounds nitpicky, but the problem extends further. You’re free to shoot a quest-giver or ally in the head, leaving them writhing in pain on the floor, but as soon as you get them back up again, they act like nothing ever happened. The game asks you to fight for the cause, even though your character, a new Sheriff’s Deputy - who gets merely a handful of customisation options in the way of backstory - represents an establishment that locals don’t care much for at the best of times.

None of this would be an issue, if the game’s plot didn’t ask you to take the situation so seriously. The visual presentation - particularly stunning on Xbox One X at times - gives a sense of realism, while the practicalities of the game suggest the opposite.

As you start to complete missions, specialists will offer themselves up to join you in your quest (you’re arbitrarily limited to taking one into battle at first, then two later), and they can range from the fairly believable, if stereotypical, redneck with a penchant for explosives, to a bow-sporting Lara Croft wannabe, and, even… a trained bear called Cheeseburger.
Far Cry 5's plot asks you to take it seriously, whereas the game itself suggests the opposite.
Fighting with allies in stride makes you less of a lone wolf and more of a tactical force, as you can dispatch them into combat on a whim - they’ll even try to do it sneakily if the alarm hasn’t already been raised. Unfortunately, while in a BioWare RPG like Mass Effect or Dragon Age these allies are a true extension of your character (as well as having plentiful character of their own), here their implementation is staggeringly basic and the AI not up to the task nine times out of ten, often giving the game away or spending too long dawdling to prove useful.

Far Cry 5 is at its best as you make your way across the map, perhaps in one of many vehicles, towards an objective. Here the game’s freedom is a blessing, giving you the choice to get involved or jog on, safe in the knowledge that nothing bad will happen if you don’t prevent the evil going on all around you. Where things fail to hold together is when the narrative presents you with one of the Seed siblings, confusingly referred to as both Lieutenants and Heralds in different places in the game, and demands you pass judgement on them by destroying their regime a piece at a time.
Faith Seed - Far Cry 5 review - Pass the Controller
Take Faith (above) for example, the younger sister of Joseph: she’s busy getting the locals hooked on a euphoric drug called Bliss so that they can see the light of ‘The Father’ (Joseph). As you begin to loosen her grip on her section of Hope County, she pays you a visit a few times and forces you to complete tests, such as a literal leap of faith that represents your own descent into drug addiction.

This begins to play tricks with you as you wander around the world - showing you animals you’re looking for or civilians in peril only to have them disappear or change shape when you get to them - but the climax, your final confrontation with her, is relegated to an antiquated-feeling gun show. Compare this to a more cerebral experience in, say, BioShock Infinite, and you’ll find that the places where the game as a whole could have gone that extra mile begin to wrack up.

If you’re purely looking for some solid shooter gameplay, then everything on offer is fine, though many of the better guns are locked away until you’ve made a dent in the Seeds’ regime. That or held behind prohibitively expensive store fronts which gesture naggingly towards Silver, the game’s premium currency. ​
The upcoming DLC looks spooky - Far Cry 5 review - Pass the Controller
FC5’s extremes are perhaps more at home in user-generated content fest Far Cry Arcade mode (and, by the names of them alone, its zany DLC packs), which offers up a range of challenges to keep an itchy trigger finger satisfied, as well as the opportunity to create your own.

All of this leaves Far Cry 5 in a strange place. The main antagonist doesn’t have the charisma or interest of someone like Vaas, who sticks in the mind from Far Cry 3’s trailers alone, which makes meandering around the world more compelling than actually getting closer to a final showdown with The Father.

Those who want a more tactical experience already have Ghost Recon Wildlands, albeit in third-person, and the awkward, mismatched tone here takes away more than it differentiates. If you fancy a distraction which is fun and varied while it lasts, but ultimately does little to leave a lasting impression (whilst failing to ask any thought-provoking questions at a time when the US’s attitudes and values are more under the spotlight than ever), then Far Cry 5 could be what you’re looking for.

Pros

  • Solid gameplay & potential for endless fun with Arcade mode
  • Easy to jump into & play without being a mental workout
  • Visuals look the part on Xbox One X

Cons

  • None of the characters give you a reason to care about them, or fear them
  • It’s often reminiscent of better interpretations of the same ideas in other games
  • While there’s variety, clearing the map would involve a lot of repetitive tasks

7/10
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