Welcome to Redfall.

An idyllic small American township where you can live the quiet life and slay a few Vampires.

Redfall, developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda is a first person open world single or multiplayer game where a dark evil has befallen the otherwise quiet town.

To start off you select your vamp slayer from the four available; Jacob Boyer, Davinder ‘Dev’ Crousley, Remi De La Rosa and Layla Ellison.

Each of the heroes of course sits within their own unique characters classes and have their own skills and abilities, which you can upgrade via earned skill points.

There are two game options from the start; Single player or Host a game.

Going in to the narrative gameplay, (single player) you’ll start out having just escaped death.

The ocean has been pushed back, the sun blacked out and there are death zones littered throughout the town with pockets of half undead vampire minions to be taken down.

More of the story is revealed through the notes and diaries that you’ll find throughout the township of Redfall.

Exploration is a must. There is a lot of loot, meaty weapons and supplies to be found throughout Redfall, and luckily your inventory can store a fair bit.

Weapons can be customised and upgraded as well.

You’ll be tasked with missions which you’ll need to complete to get yourself through and it doesn’t take too long in to the game until you get some fierce firepower by way of automatic shotguns, fitted with stakes and more.

There is of course Vampires. And different classes of vampires.

Vampire Gods are in-game boss fights that separate out each chapter. You’ll also encounter Anglers and watchers. As you can imagine, each of these have their own vampire powers and difficulty levels.

Vampires can be found in random spots, in buildings, in back yards, parks and any dark corner. Generally easy to locate, you’ll know when you’re near one as they like to chat to themselves.

If you get yourself the ‘Bite Back’ edition, you can experience the game as a Vampire.

A grunty pistol or shotgun will take them down, but not out, so you’ll need to equip a weapon with a stake mount to turn them to dust.

And staking a vampire is a very satisfying experience.

The skill tree and weapons inventory is simple to use and get a hang of and there’s a lot of environmental hazards to make use of if you encounter vampire minions – or anyone else that is partial to death via electrocution, fire or U.V lighting.

You can equip up to three weapons from your inventory to a hotkey on the controller.

Multiplayer is hosting a game, which is exactly what it sounds like, but bear in mind that there is no drop-in. If you commit to hosting or joining a hosted game, you’re in there til the bitter end.

If you’re in single player and finding it tough and think, ‘hey this would be easier if I get a friend to help out’, you’re on your own and will need to quit the single play and go to the main screen for co-op multi.

Redfall does have cross-play, so if you’re gaming on a Xbox Series X|S you’re vampire killing friends on PC can join you.

But Redfall is not without issues… and some dodgy looking character animations.

Several times on Xbox the game crashed completely or had occurrences where an enemy could not be killed or even interacted with.

I would come across floating vampires that essentially had no idea you were there, and you couldn’t kill them.

Then there was ‘ghost’ vampires, one’s that I had killed, but nope there they would reappear after dying and float about like nothing happened, and again, you couldn’t interact with them. I guess they are the undead…

Asides from these weirdly amusing glitches the even more frustrating problems were random game freezing (both single and co-op), character motion locking (on occasion my character was pinned to a spot or their movement became slow and jittery) through to the game simply exiting itself to the Xbox Home screen.

These were frequent and game breaking, but should also be fixable with a patch.

Redfall has promise and the potentiality to grow and evolve.

If you can get a decent playthrough before the game glitches out there is some blood sucking goodness to be had in there.

If you’ve already taken up residency in Redfall, hang in there, it can only get better. If you’ve not started out your vampiric slaughtering missions yet, sit tight and wait for a patch or two to be released.

The post Redfall (Xbox Series X) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Vertigo Games, the VR specialist publishing and development arm of the Koch Media Group, has revealed details on their next VR title After the Fall.

Best-known for the platinum-selling VR FPS Arizona Sunshine, with this next major entry in the VR action FPS genre Vertigo Games will be bringing fast-paced 4-player co-op action to VR gamers worldwide, pitting players and their friends against a hostile, evolving post-apocalyptic LA in a fight for survival.

After the Fall is built from the ground up for a multi-platform VR rollout, with full cross-platform multiplayer, 4-player co-op functionality as well as support for a wide range of VR play styles that will offer an immersive thrillride for veteran VR gamers while remaining welcoming to VR newcomers as they conquer the infested, urban wasteland of 1980s Los Angeles together with friends or solo.

“Since the early concept phase, After the Fall has been all about having VR gamers team up together – regardless of the device they play on – through full cross-platform multiplayer functionality. In a time of widespread social isolation it feels like that goal now has additional relevance,” said Richard Stitselaar, Studio Director at Vertigo Games. “We’re truly excited about moving into this next campaign phase, in which we’ll be inviting more players into the game and sharing more details as we gear up towards launch.”

Armed with full VR motion controls, After the Fall will make you feel like a slightly overpowered 1980s action hero as you engage in the game’s high-paced combat with real-life movements. Players will venture out into enemy territory in teams of 4 – or accompanied by AI companions – wielding an arsenal of unique and deadly weapons in the face of hordes of snowbreed – ferocious undead creatures that have driven humanity below ground – all in order to secure mankind’s survival for another day.

Developed by Vertigo Studios (Arizona Sunshine) and published by Vertigo Games, After the Fall will be coming to PlayStation VR, PC VR and to be announced VR platforms in winter 2021.

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The beautifully animated couch co-op game Aqua Lungers, originally released on Steam, will be hitting the Nintendo Switch Thursday, May 21st, 2020.

With support for four-player local split screen plus a single-player mode, the game’s picturesque environments, non-stop action, and memorable creature designs are sure to make a splash on everyone’s favorite home console.

The search for glory and riches never ends. For centuries, the last great treasures have been lost to the depths as shipwrecks filled the seas with sunken loot. Now, those who want to get rich must don brightly colored diving suits and go where no one else dares.

In Aqua Lungers, players race through challenging stages while contending with deadly creatures and dastardly opponents to collect the most treasure. While everyone’s goal is the same, all players are afforded several options to give them an edge over their competitors. Some can use their speed and agility to outpace and evade their opponents, while others might use devastating attacks to slow them down and steal their hard-earned goods …

Those looking for a solo experience (or who’d like to get some practice in before challenging Real Human Beings™) can opt for single-player mode. While essentially the same as the default game, single-player mode retains the gold-collecting mechanic while increasing the penalty for deaths in each level. This shifts the challenge from “PvP racing” to PvE survival.

The Steam version has been updated with the following features – all of which are also incorporated into the Nintendo Switch version at launch.

Everyone that works on STG is a volunteer. If you like the site and it’s contents please think about donating. Even a small amount helps keep the servers running.

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NOW CLOSED – Can YOU survive the hordes?

World War Z from Sabre Interactive pits you and your team in a co-op zombie infested frenzy of explosive action, undead slaughtering and survival.

Thanks to our good mates at Focus Home Entertainment, STG has ONE digital copy of the Video Game; World War Z on Xbox One for that zombie exterminator you know you are.

To Enter our World War Z Video Game Giveaway you will need to  answer this Question correctly:

World War Z is a game adaption of a film of the same name. Who stars in that film?

A: Brad Pitt

B: George Clooney

C: Jim Carrey

You can give us your Answer by placing a Comment below, hitting us up on Facebook, Tweet to us, or Email Us.

* Winner(s) will be randomly selected from those that Comment below / Facebook Comment / Email in accordance to the above Question.Winner(s) will receive a digital code for Xbox One for the video game; World War Z. World War Z has a R16 Age rating. Competition ends on the  23rd of May 2019.

The post Enter to Win a Copy of World War Z (Video Game) on Xbox One! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

World War Z is a good movie, despite the clear differences from the book.

The 2013 Brad Pitt starring zombie movie is even better than you remember it. With a sequel still a while of, releasing a tie-in game based on the movie is a bit surprising.

I’ve not been following the development of Sabre Interactive’s licensed World War Z game and, to be honest, I wasn’t holding out much hope for it. Despite the film’s success back in the day, World War Z isn’t a triple-A licence.

Even if the developers do have a reasonable body of work behind them, including Spintires: Mudrunner and a hand in Halo: Anniversary, a zombie game based on a five-year-old movie, is a bit left field. On the other hand, the developers could in no way really rest on their laurels and let the licence for a five-year-old movie automatically bring in the sales.

Only the other day I was lamenting on the simplicity of the Left 4 Dead games. On how easy it was to drop in and drop out of a game, how each chapter was a blast to play and just how much fun it was. It’s not hard to view World War Z as the spiritual successor to Gearbox’s co-op zombie shooters.

The co-op campaign is based around four episodes set in New York, Jerusalem, Moscow and Tokyo. With the exception of Tokyo’s two, each Episode has three chapters. Whilst the do follow a rudimentary storyline, like the Left 4 Dead games before it, they are designed to be, and can be, played in any order as complete levels.

The campaign is best played online, with players dropping in and out of your game as they wish, replacing the AI versions of your three companions. If you are just after a quick go and don’t want to offend someone by prematurely dropping out you can play off-line, relying entirely on your AI team members.

Putting a modern gaming spin on the classic Left 4 Dead formula that is its inspiration, World War Z features an upgradable class and weapon mechanic. There are six customisable classes: Gunslinger, Hellraiser, Medic, Fixer, Slasher and Exterminator; each doing exactly what is written on the tin. As you play you earn credits with can be spent on attribute and weapon upgrades.

The third-person view is very reminiscent of Ubisoft’s The Division games, as are some the locations. The visuals are good, just as you’d expect, but nothing more.

The zombies, like in the film are your modern, running 24 Days Later variety, rather than the traditional shuffling George A. Romero type. There’s also loads of them. Possibly the most zombies on screen at one time in any game (Days Gone may have more). The zombies do that frightening clambering tower thing from the movie to reach higher ground. A well-placed grenade will, however, see to that.

There’s also a number of special zombies, that seem be common of the genre. Screamer draw the horde to your location, whilst the huge armoured bulls will pound you into the ground. Lurkers jump out of dark corners encapsulating you. Hazmat suited gasbags fill the area will toxic fumes that also obscure visibility.

Characters must stock up with a rifle, sidearm and an optional heavy weapon. There’s also medikits and grenades available. These are scattered around, rather than only in safe areas as with Left 4 Dead. The game features standoff areas which sometimes have auto-turrets and electrified floors to strategically position to slow the advancing horde.

The co-op campaign Levels, basically have players fighting there way though the zombies from A to B, to escape to safety. Along the way, there are objects to pick up. Switches that need flicking and VIPs that need escorting. There’s even a nice nod to Call of Duty Zombies, with entrances that need barricading.

The campaign, aside, World War Z also has a proper competitive multiplayer mode, offering some familiar match types, but with added undead. Classic multiplayer game types such as domination, king of the hill and deathmatch, also with savage raid – which has players collecting resources scattered around the map and vaccine hunt – where plays must try to keep hold of a vaccine for team points. Not only do players have to contend with other players, the levels are littered with zombie who don’t care what team they are attacking.

World War Z is a game that shouldn’t be any good, but actually is really good. If the game had been released with the film, I doubt that the developers would have been under as much pressure to release a good product. The fresh film licence would have likely generated the sales.

Instead, Sabre Interactive have had to work for their money, giving us a game that stands on its own, yet very much draws on the overwhelming hordes of zombies as portrayed in the film.

The post World War Z (Xbox One) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Levelhead, the cooperative level-building platformer from the DICE Award-nominated team at Butterscotch Shenanigans, launches on Steam Early Access today.

As a new employee of the Bureau of Shipping it is now your job to deliver packages throughout the galaxy. You’ve got a whole lot of delivery training to complete as you head into a campaign full of challenging, and oftentimes fatal, hand-crafted levels. But you won’t be going it alone! After numerous lawsuits, the Bureau of Shipping is pleased to announce that it now provides a GR-18 delivery robot to all employees. You just need to train it.

Coach your cute little robot buddy through each Level and make sure that the package makes it to its target destination. Ridiculous powerups like the Tiptoe enable wall jumps and the ability to transform into a sneaky bush, while the Waylay lets GR-18 punch would-be package thieves in their smarmy faces. Up to four players can play together locally, and if you think four Waylay punches are better than one… well, you’re absolutely right.

In addition to being a full-fledged campaign on its own, the campaign teaches dedicated deliverers how to create their own Levels. Those devious deathtraps that provide challenge in the campaign also show you how to use level-building elements in a creative manner, providing inspiration for your own wild creations.

Crafted from the ground up to make the building process as easy as the campaign is hard, level creation empowers you to make levels as complex as you want. Focus on the atmosphere and make a zen world with simple, satisfying puzzles; tap your inner geek and create a working calculator out of switches and pressure plates; or construct a living nightmare from more than 100 creative elements, three biomes, and rule-breaking powerups. Your friends can even help you build levels in local co-op, so making the death trap happy place of your dreams doesn’t have to be lonely!

Once you’ve wrapped a pretty little bow on that Level, publish it so you can bring joy (or misery) to the world. Each level is assigned multiple tags to make it easy to find a level that appeals to you, plus each comes with leaderboards to track impressive runs. Become the imaginative creator your grandma always told you that you were while subscribing to other creators and curating the perfect Level feed.

“Levelhead will keep growing and morphing because our players have just as many ideas for its future as we do,” said Sam Coster, co-founder Butterscotch Shenanigans. “And what better way to engage that creativity than with Steam Early Access? TOGETHER WE SHALL BUILD THIS BEAST.”

Levelhead is available on Steam Early Access.

The post Get Levelhead-ed appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The Trine trio get the band back together for another adventure.

Pontius, Amadeus and Zoya are once again called upon by the mysterious artefact known as the Trine, a magical object that binds the three unlikely allies together.

As Amadeus, the Wizard is awoken after falling in to an exhausted sleep whilst practising his fireball spell, the Trine pays him a visit. But Amadeus protests, thinking of his irate wife and kids, however Pontius the warrior is more than ready, Zoya, the Thief sees the Trines call as an inconvenience – but optimistically muses that could also be an opportunity to hopefully find more treasure.

Their Kingdom is under peril once again and it is up to the three heroes to meld their skills in a whole new adventure.

Trine 2: Complete Story does follow on from the first game – however could just as easily be played as a standalone for those that never experienced the first Trine title from Frozenbyte.

The beautiful richly coloured fantastical Levels experienced in this game’s predecessor are a feast for our visual senses as you control all three characters who each have unique abilities – all of which you are going to need to get through a Level.

Amadeus has the ability to create magic boxes, which are used as platforms to reach higher areas, or weights to trigger switches. Pontius is always rough and ready with brawn and brute force wielding his shield and sword. Zoya is more refined than the other two, she is quiet and stealthy using her bow and arrow and a grapple to get through the many puzzles and obstacles (aswell as a varied amount of enemies) throughout the environments. Playing as all three at one given time or as required the mysterious story of Trine 2 slowly unfolds.

Having all three characters at your disposal in any given Level enables you to swap between the trio on the fly using either the Switches shoulder buttons, in-game. If one dies, you can generally continue, if two of the heroes are killed it could make the gameplay very tricky.

When playing a Trine game you need to always strategise and aim to keep all characters alive, as for the most part you will need the abilities of all three in any given environment. Some obstacles in Levels can be interacted with, manipulated, the Right Joystick moves a cursor around your on-screen area in order for you to either aim or move and item, depending on the character that you are playing as.

Trine 2: Complete Story also has online and co-op multiplayer, so spread the strategic joy among friends.

Now released on Nintendo Switch as a part of the ‘Trine Ultimate Collection’ which will eventually include the third instalment soon.

Trine 2 originally released on PC in 2013 this Switch adaption also includes the Goblin Menace DLC.

As with the first Trine, Trine 2: Complete Story is a beautiful real time physics rendered adventure that feels right at home on the Switch.

The post Trine 2: Complete Story (Switch) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Developer Frozenbyte and indie video game publisher Modus Games today confirm first gameplay details and reveal an official announcement trailer for the upcoming and highly anticipated Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince, coming to PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Steam, Discord and other PC platforms this autumn. Alongside the series’ new instalment, Modus will release Trine: Ultimate Collection.

Featuring an all-new story that reunites Amadeus, Pontius, and Zoya, Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince returns to the magic of 2.5D with the puzzle-platforming gameplay that defined a genre in Trine 1 and 2. Play as the three iconic heroes in the most extensive Trine adventure yet, complete with stunning new environments and dynamic, physics-based puzzles that fans have grown to know and love.

After years apart, the Astral Academy has requested help from the three heroes to find Prince Selius, whose intensely dark nightmares have begun to slip into reality and wreak havoc on the waking world. Encounter more epic boss fights than ever before, solve fascinating puzzles, unlock new skills, explore lush, vibrant landscapes, and experience a hauntingly beautiful new soundtrack by the composer of Trine 1-3. Additionally, and for the first time ever, Trine adds four-player co-op to its feature list.

Packed with bonus content at retail, the bundle will include Trine: Enchanted Edition, Trine 2: Complete Story, Trine 3: The Artifacts of Power, and Trine 4: The Nightmare Prince and will be available on PS4, Xbox One and PC both physically and digitally.

The post Announcing Trine 4! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

What do a thief, a knight and a wizard have in common?

They are as one.

In 2009 when the first Trine game released their souls intertwined thanks to a mysterious artifact called the Trine.

When the King of a ruined land dies without leaving a hier the world in which Zoya (Thief), Pontius (the Knight) and Amadeus (the Wizard) all see an opportunity as the world in which they live in plunges in to dark chaos, the undead rise up out of nowhere, seemingly, and the throne is vacant.

Each one of the trio of characters goes straight to the Academy of Magic, but with thier own motive.

Zoya thinking there will be some goodies ripe for plundering, Pontius on a self directed mission to protect the Academy and Amadeus already within the Academy after a sleeping potion backfired is trying to escape.

As all three approach a shrine to the magical treasure that is the Trine their souls become fused together.

The three strangers, who had no intention of being so close with eachother, let alone friends must now work together to undo the magic that binds them together and save what remains of the Kingdom along their adventures.

A 2.5D side scroll, the original Trine exploded with PC gamers due to its richly detailed and ethereal world.

Utilising real-world physics like we had never seen before, each Level consists of puzzles where you will need to use all three characters and their abilities to get through.

Zoya has a bow and arrow and rope with a dagger which will allow her to swing across great caverns, Amadeus can cast spells and produce objects out of thin air, handy if that next platform is just out of reach. Pontius, well he is like a bull in a China shop, but has excellent defense with his shield and a brutal undead slayer with his sword.

Throughout the game you will be changing characters on the fly to progress. If one character is low on health, generally with you being able to switch characters will save you from death. That said, if one or two of your characters dies, there’s a cool off period, or until you find a health potion.

The first Trine title set the developers; Frozenbyte as magical wizards themselves in a game that we all couldn’t get enough of.

So, it wasn’t too long (2012) before we revisted our soul-bonded trio again in Trine 2.

Again the three need to band together in similar gameplay mechanics, retaining that astounding real-world physics which both accented and at times added to the difficulty of gameplay.

In Trine 2 the Kingdom has been restored at the conclusion of the first Trine and there were a few years of peace… until the Goblins arrived. The Trine once again works its magic and throws our band of unlikely heroes in to a world they had not experienced before.

Trine 2 had an RPG element by way of earning skill points where you can upgrade the characters via a skill tree.

Again, Frozenbyte really upped their game with Trine 2.

Then, only a couple of years back (2015) Trine 3: Artifacts of Power was released on PC and console (stereoscopic 3D on PlayStation 4).

Yup, our misfitted trio of Zoya, Pontius and Amadeus return but not so much to a magical realm – instead they are once again bonded together throughout brutal medieval lands.

Each Trine title is narrated as the adventure is played out – this gives us, the enchanted players, more backstory and clues as to what we are meant to do – there are times where a puzzle may not be so obvious.

Trine 3 follows the same mechanics as Trine and Trine 2, but unlike the prior two, Trine 3 was significantly shorter in it’s play through.

The Trine series really made it’s impression on gamers due to it’s art style and the aforementioned environmental real-world physics.

A game that is not only challenging and rewarding to play through, but a beauty and wonder for the visual senses.

For now, Trine: Enchanted Edition is available with the rest of the trilogy set to release soon for Nintendo Switch (Trine 2 and Trine: Artifacts of Power).

Being on a portable platform there has been no noticeable compromise. Frozenbyte wielded their own magic to bring us the delight that is Trine on to one small cartridge.

Trine: Enchanted Edition is MUST for any Switch owner. Do not overlook this one.

It is not so much a quick play game, as Levels can be frustratingly challenging at times – but there are over 60+ hours of play time to be had with all three and Levels have differing lengths of play-through time. There is also multi / co-op player where friends can drop in and out of the adventures. Being on Switch, each player can partake with one of the Joy-Cons.

Trine has always been a game that keeps on giving and I’m hoping that Frozenbyte release a fourth (hopefully with a more indepth skill tree mechanic).

Fuse your soul with your Switch and take on Trine: Enchanted Edition for the first time, or pick it up all over again, releasing the magic to save the land and yourselves, wherever you are.

The post Trine: Enchanted Edition (Switch) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The Blackout Club, a cooperative paranormal horror mystery from Question, a team of industry veterans featuring BioShock 2’s creative director and lead writer and BioShock Infinite’s lead effects artist, enters into Steam Early Access today for Windows PC.

Set in a small Appalachian community hiding a monstrous secret, The Blackout Club follows a group of teens investigating strange occurrences in their town with no cellular or internet access. Brought together by a rash of mysterious shared blackouts, the sudden disappearance of a friend, and the local population’s eerie unwillingness to believe them, the club springs into action.

Together, they uncover a conspiracy of occult-obsessed adults who have turned the town’s population into sleepwalkers. The club must infiltrate labyrinthine tunnels that emanate hypnotic melodies from beneath the town’s seemingly idyllic surface. To save the day, up to four players will sneak out on nocturnal surveillance missions to capture the conspiracy on camera.

Players will need to coordinate with one another to collect evidence and outwit the sleepwalkers, who seem fiendishly alert despite their condition. The kids have a wealth of tools at their disposal, ranging from grappling hooks and fireworks to stun-guns and tranquilizer darts. But while these toys are fun to use, every act of rebellion has a cost, as an otherworldly entity which cannot be seen with open eyes is always watching. It lurks in the shadows, lying in wait to abduct troublemakers who spoil its malevolent plans.

The Blackout Club’s Steam Early Access release includes new content unseen in the Closed Beta and PAX West builds, including new missions, enhanced character customization, new locations to explore, unlockable gestures and emotes, and more. Additional content and features will continue to roll out over the course of the coming weeks and months as well.

“Since we revealed The Blackout Club, the response has both astonished and humbled us,” said Jordan Thomas, co-founder, Question. “First person experiences with deeply expressive systems are our lifeblood – and with The Blackout Club, we bring that freedom to the co-op arena. Together, human players combine their powers in ways that surprise even the game’s designers – and the world is so terrifying that they’ll need every ounce of that creativity to survive. We can’t wait to see how a whole new audience of players react, now that it’s available through Steam Early Access.”

The Blackout Club is currently available on Windows PC via Steam Early Access. The full game will release in Q1 2019 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC.

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