Lost in Random is a surprise indie adventure and strategy game released by EA Games in 2021.

A dark narrative where children are giving a number when they turn a certain age. The ‘lucky’ ones are chosen to live in the Queen’s tower. But this is simply by chance, by a roll of the dice.

Now developers Thunrderfull and Stormteller Games has released the second chapter; Lost in Random: The Eternal Die.

But things have changed since the first game.

You take on the role of the now dethroned Queen Aleksandra, who once reigned and controlled the citizens of Random. She is joined by her companion Fortune, a dice.

This new adventure, styled in the same way graphically mixes up the gameplay across four procedurally generated worlds.

As the Queen you now must battle your way through different stages and survive boss battles.

What makes both Lost in Random games different is the combat.

You use the animorphic dice in order to roll a ‘punch’ or use a combat skill. In The Eternal Die Fortune can also be used to pave the path ahead, sometimes the journey is hidden.

But The Eternal Die takes a more battle arena feel as opposed to an adventure. Areas you go to and from are much like arenas and are only escapapble by clearing the area of enemies, and of course surviving.

Difficulty spikes almost immediately from the first combat scene. The Eternal Die is not kids play at all.

Fortune and Queen Aleksandra will encounter many NPC’s. Some will need you to do things for them before they offer any help, others just have a grudge against the once ruling monarch.

Lost in Random: The Eternal Die is a commitment of a play. Given that levels newly generate, each play through is different, you die and return, but it’s not what it was before.

This definitely makes the game refreshing, although the actual gameplay is somewhat repetitive.

The Eternal Die is a worthy play, if you have the patience and are familiar with the first game.

If you’re new to the world of Random, my recommendation is start with the first game before taking this one on.

The post Lost in Random: The Eternal Die (Xbox Series X|S) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The Dragon Age series has spanned many gens of consoles and with Bioware still at the development helm and EA Games (Electronic Arts) publishing, it has retained its deep lore and RPG gameplay consistently.

The newest instalment, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is no exception to the Dragon Age rule, it engrosses you into a deep narrative where two Elven Gods that were once imprisoned are released.

Set ten years after Dragon Age: Inquisition, Fen’Harel takes it upon himself to bring down the veil, a magical boundary between the metaphysical world and the Fade, a world of demons and spirits.

This releases Elven Gods who had previously misused their powers for no good deeds. Now free the Elven deities are on a rampage and all manner of beasts and monstrosities are loose.

You play as Rook, a character you customise at the start of the game and is a part of a party of six guardians.

Without giving too much away here, some of your party meet with ill fates and it is generally up to you and a couple of members of the gang to seek the Elven Gods and bring them down.

As with any good RPG, you will gain experience levels throughout play and this scores you points which can be cashed in to upgrade your skills.

Items can be purchased or found within the game, and equipping better weapons and armour of course aids you in your quest.

The world of Dragon Age: The Veilguard is full of hidden items and side path puzzles which will net you gold or items you can either use or sell at a merchant.

You will control the allies of your party in combat, while they will always assist in taking down a baddie, if you want them to do a specific spell or pack a punch, it’s as simple as using a hotkey on your gamepad, and selecting the character’s ability.

You can also swap out your allies weapons to something a bit more fiercer, or magical.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard may be party play, but it is a single player title.

There is an old school feel to it too. There are moments in gameplay that I felt myself reminiscing to the glory RPG days of PS3 and Xbox 360. Graphically Dragon Age: The Veilguard is okay. The world’s you’ll find yourself are well detailed, character renders could do with a bit more love though.

Nonetheless, just like prior Dragon Age titles, the lore, lineage and engaging narrative is there and solid.
As a fan of the series I have loved my time with Dragon Age: The Veilguard and if you’re also a Dragon Age player, then it’s time to jump back in from where things left off and save the world once again.

The post Dragon Age: The Veilguard (Xbox Series X|S) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Codemasters’ flagship racing F1 racing series, continues to provide the definitive take on the Formula One Championship.

There is no sport quite as glamorous as Formula One. F1 24 complements the iconic motorsports championship with a similar level of polish and finesse.

Since 2010 Codemasters have been producing Formula One racing games for Windows PC, as well as Xbox and PlayStation consoles. Bringing over technology from its Dirt Rally games, Codemasters secured itself as the master of the racing game. Now under the wing of EA Sports, Codemasters continues its legacy with the 2024 Formula One season.

F1 24 is packed with ways to play. As well as the 2024 F1 season you can also race the F2 2023 season.

The career mode allows you to jump right into Formula One or work your way up from Formula Two. You can also set up your championship, choosing to have practice sessions and qualifying or just jump straight in. Then there are time trials and quick races and a whole raft of multiplayer championships and competitions.

The game adapts a role-playing game style of play with upgrades and accolades earned during races. This is particularly prevalent in the F1 World section of the game which features a campaign of sorts that allows players to experience the game’s many different modes from multiplayer to arcade races.

The standout feature of F1 24 is the way that it caters for a wide audience. Newcomers can enjoy the game with a gamepad just as much as those with a full racing set-up. There are a host of assists like racing line, braking and even steering to help newcomers get into the game. There’s also a flashback facility to rewind the race if you make a mistake.

The game plays well on PlayStation 5, offering console owners a full Formula One experience. The PC version not only performs well on a high-end gaming rig but also on lower-spec machines, including portable gaming PCs. F1 24 ran flawlessly on a ROG Ally. The game has full support for Nvidia’s DLSS, Intel’s XeSS and AMD’s FSR2 to get the maximum performance across a range of PC hardware.

PC gamers with VR kits get to play the game in the absolute best way possible, especially if you have a wheel as well. Codemasters do like to treat VR gamers with dedicated virtual reality compatibility in its racing games. The WRC rally game is next-level VR, as is F1 24.

If you have a beefy PC and are a fan of F1 get yourself a Meta Quest 3 and prepare to be blown away by a racing experience that only be beaten by getting in the cockpit of a real F1 car.

The only issue with F1 24 is that it is a victim of its own success.

Like all annually iterative games, F1 24 feels very much like its predecessor. It’s had a polish-up, particularly with the driver models. The tracks have been updated as have the teams, and, of course, the cars. When you are racing around the track, though, it still feels just like F1 23. But that doesn’t make the game bad. It is superb. Sure, the menus and modes suffer from EA’s corporate fingerprints, but anyone who plays EA’s otherwise impeccable sports games will have long got over that. It’s just unless you are a huge fan, or you’ve not played an F1 game in a while it’s not exactly a must-buy if you’ve got F1 23.

Outstanding visuals, and a multitude of game modes (albeit tied up in a sometimes confusing menu system) make F1 24 the best Formula One game I’ve played. It’s accessible and feature-packed offering good value for money on any system, PC VR in particular.

The post F1 24 (PlayStation 5 / PC) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

EA Sports FC 24 may not roll off the tongue as well as FIFA 24, but that’s all you’ve got to worry about with EA’s rebranding of its popular FIFA football game franchise.

Long ago, the diehards would dismiss EA’s FIFA games as commercial sellouts, a rudimentary football arcade game compared to Konami’s superior Pro Evolution Soccer. PES fans, dismissing the familiarity of the licenced clubs in EA’s FIFA franchise would, instead, have to pick the likes of “North London” instead of Arsenal, or “Merseyside Red” instead of Liverpool. Teams made up of phonetically named players similar to the real ones but spelt differently for licencing reasons added to the cringe. The inevitable (unofficial) patch would then be released, post-launch to rename all the teams and players properly. But this was back when the FIFA licence was worth something and Pro Evolution Soccer ruled the roost.

Things change.

EA Sports has long got to grips with its digital rendition of the beautiful game, the annual FIFA games rarely leaving the top ten of the best-seller list. Whilst each iteration was never a revolution, over the years, the developers have transformed the game into a technical marvel, perfectly capturing the essence of what makes football the world’s game.

So, when EA’s FIFA licence wasn’t renewed, it wasn’t the big deal that the global football governing body thought it would be. Unlike Konami back in the day, EA Sports secured all the teams, players, tournaments and cup licences to continue their franchise without the blessing of FIFA. All that’s missing is the FIFA World Cup, which is no loss, to be honest.

What we have with EA Sports FC 24 is, effectively, everything that a FIFA 24 game would have been, with just a different name.

EA has taken this opportunity to spruce up the menus a bit, but they are still as unintuitive as most EA Sports titles. So, if you are familiar with the usual EA Sports arse-backwards menu systems you’ll still feel right at home.

As well as the rebranding, the game has all the usual visual tweaks and stat updates that are the bread and butter of annual sports games. The game uses a new version of the Frostbite Engine and something called “Play Styles” that better interprets players’ real-world abilities into the game.

FC 24 does look good and the player animations are incredibly realistic. This is likely down to the big improvement this year- the implementation of Hypermotion V Technology. I don’t want to sound like I’ve been drinking from the EA fountain, but the game really does have a next-level vibe to it. Whereas recent FIFA games have used data captured from real players, Hypermotion V Technology uses the captured volumetric data of entire 11-person teams from over 180 elite-level matches.

All the game modes that you’d expect are included. You can jump straight into a quick friendly against a computer control opponent or friends, locally. There’s the player career mode, allowing for a more personal journey through FC 24, or you can get involved in the details of running a club with the manager career mode. There are all the competitive online modes and, of course, the collectable card game/fantasy football mashup, Ultimate Team.

For the first time, EA Sports FC 24 Ultimate Team brings male and female players together in the same team. Despite the new franchise name, I was pleased to be able to bring my currency across from FIFA 23 and start fleshing out my own Ultimate Team with new card packs. Still massively deep, it’s easy to sink lots of time (and cash) into building up your perfect squad.

For those that like their football short and sweet Volta Football offers players quick Futsal-type matches on open and fences courts. Volta now offers online cross-play, the same as other online modes, with players using the same generation of hardware (i.e. PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC) all being able to play together.

All the above is for nought if the players are not responsive on the pitch, which they very much are. As with its FIFA predecessors, FC 24 perfectly captures the nail-biting excitement of football. Missed goals and fouling opponents will have you shouting at the TV, with perfectly-timed offensive attacks rewarding you with exhilaration. FC 24 is a beautiful game, both visually and in its gameplay.

EA Sports FC 24 is the complete package continuing the legacy of EA’s FIFA franchise. The amazing gameplay, and incredible on-pitch visuals, all wrapped up in the signature EA TV broadcast-style presentation make this a must-buy for FIFA fans.

The post EA Sports FC 24 (Xbox Series X|S) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

From the success of 2019’s ‘Fallen Order’ we again get to continue the journey with Cal Kestis in a galaxy far, far away.

This time Cal has teamed up with mercenary Bode Akuna on a mission to infiltrate the cyberpunk looking city of Coruscant, an Imperial capital.

And to do this he he gets himself captured and bought before the Senator Daho Sejan where his objective is to steal intel.

Set  some five years after ‘Fallen Order‘ it is discovered that the Empire is not dwindling, but getting stronger and expanding throughout the Galaxy.

From planet to planet, hordes of Storm Troopers, criminal factions, allies and foes Jedi Survivor has a storyline fit for a blockbuster Star Wars series.

Gameplay is played in third person and Cal will parkour, wall run, use Jedi powers and swing his lightsaber about across mostly open environments. Exploration is a must as well.

If you get lost, there’s a holo-map.

It’s very satisfying to hurl a Storm Trooper of a ledge or in to an environmental hazard by using the Force.

You have two modes for your lightsaber, that include dual blade.

At times there can be a team feel to gameplay when paired up with a NPC.

More often than not you’ll need to give a command to the other NPC in order to open up a path or similar. They are also handy in a fight.

Cal also has BD-1. You’ll need BD-1 to heal you (hotkey on your gamepad or keyboard) and the small droid is real good at hacking computer terminals.

Throughout levels you’ll come across meditation spots.

It’s here that you can rest, if needed, change your stance, take on training and spend any skill points that you might have.

There are three categories for skills; Survival, Lightsaber and Force.

Survival can up your health and vitality stats, whereas Lightsaber and Force are both combat related by way of learning new skills and / or tweaking existing ones.

Sill points are not dished out generously, so I found I was mostly careful at what I spent them on and each single skill can have multiple upgrades.

If you want to try out something else, you can completely reset your skills as well. Cal’s outfits are also customisable too.

Jedi Survivor had a hard act to follow after  the success of ‘Fallen Order’.

For me it brings in that same Star Wars flavour and gameplay goodness that the first game did. I’ve loved my playthrough of Jedi Survivor.

I am aware of issues that other PC gamers have had though, which have been vocalised across social media and forums.

Having played on an ASUS Z13 Flow with i9 processor, 16GB RAM and a NVIDIA RTX3050 at 120Hz refresh I only experienced lag on the opening screen and in some cut scenes. The install footprint is huge, so you’ll need to be sure you have the disk space and I recommend using a higher speed SSD.

Gameplay itself @ 60fps was super fluid with zero issues.

There has already been a patch recently released and I suspect more to come, so for fellow PC players of Jedi Survivor, hang in there if you’re having troubles, I suspect EA Games and developer Respawn will iron them out.

Jedi Survivor is an excellent game. One that I was able to be fully immersed in for hours on end. At the time of writing, if you’re thinking of picking up Jedi Survivor, to be safe, go for the console version, and PC gamers, wait until The Force is compatible with your system.

The post Star Wars Jedi Survivor (PC) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

For Need for Speed Unbound EA Games and UK studio Criterion have mixed cel-shaded animation and a photoreal environment to give the latest instalment of the franchise a unique look.

Back in the day, Criterion single-handedly revitalised arcade console racing with their Burnout games. Dramatic takedowns and bone-crushing slow-motion crashes made playing the games exhilarating.

Now a studio incorporated into EA Games, Criterion has been charged with bringing us the next chapter in the Need for Speed franchise, Need for Speed Unbound. Whilst it most definitely shares some DNA with the Burnout games, it’s still very much Need for Speed.

Players choose a customisable character to play the, all too familiar, role of a rookie newcomer to the underground racing community of Lakeshore City, a very thinly veiled Chicago. It’s perhaps not as inspired a scenario as previous games, the environment being a little sedate and the plot lacking any of the meat.

The problem is that whilst Criterion was the leader that everyone followed, which can also be said for Need for Speed, the likes of Forza Horizon have blown the both of them out of the water when it comes to open-world racing.

Need for Speed Unbound allows racers to leave the road just like in the latest Forza Horizon games. This is great for losing cops. Whilst the game world isn’t as big as that of Forza Horizon, lacking any real offroad opportunities, it’s still fun to veer off the road and disappear into the fields.

The game is based around your garage as you build up your fleet of vehicles to compete in street racing events and beat your rivals. These races are dotted around the map at meetup locations. There are usually a few races on offer, some with free entry and some with an entry fee. To race, your car must also meet the event spec. There’s an option for a side wager to beat your estimated finishing position that can be quite lucrative.

The races are a lot of fun, and a lot more challenging than the usual fayre. Competitors are skilled and will take any opportunity to pass. Vehicle handling is tight but I found drifting to be a bit hit-and-miss. The nitro boost does come in handy, though, for powering out of tight turns.

Progress is a bit of a grind, the game slowly revealing itself without making the players some sort of demon driver. You will lose races and you just won’t have the funds immediately available to you to even enter many of the races. Then there are car upgrades and buying new cars which all need cash that’s kept in limited supply.

There’s the old side mission which involves picking up and dropping off cars for extra cash or ferrying a racer to safety whilst avoiding the cops. There are also collectibles, speed runs/cameras, and billboards that need smashing dotted about the map.

Frequent returns to a base are advised to bank the cash raised during races, in case you get caught by the cops. The day / night cycle is forced by a return to a home base. As well as dropping off your cash up you can also buy parts, cosmetic and performance, as well as apparel for your racer. The sun rises or sets as you disembark for the next session.

Both during the day and at night the game looks stunning. The city is rendered with a fidelity that is nigh on photoreal. It’s a brave choice to pair this with cartoonish cel-shaded motion graphics for both the driver and car effects, such as tyre smoke and speed lines. It’s an interesting mash-up that I really liked but may not appeal to all.

Need for Speed Unbound is a game for the fans. Just ignore the story in favour of making your way to the highlighted event and you’ll be golden. It’s a very competent racer, but also a hard taskmaster. For most the challenge will be an appreciated change for the better. More casual racers and those looking for instant gratification may find races a bit too hard-won.

All in all, it’s a solid racer.

The post Need for Speed Unbound (PlayStation 5) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

FIFA 23 marks the final game to be released by the partnership between EA Sports and FIFA. EA Sports will be back, next year, rebranding their football games as EA Sports FC, with all the same leagues, teams and players, just not with any mention of FIFA.

No matter what the title, it’s EA’s investment in their football franchise that is likely why FIFA 23 remains such a strong game. EA have no intention to let the fans down or produce anything other than a top-class football game. Whilst I’m a little concerned at what they will do next year, without having to get FIFA’s sign-off, this year’s FIFA is the game we know and love, but just that little bit better.

Iterative sports titles can be a bit of a nightmare to review. A revised player line-up and a bit of polish are usually all we get. The release of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S has given the developers a bit more power to play with, making my job a bit easier of late. FIFA 23 boasts Hypermotion 2.0, an AI technology that supposedly increases the realism of the players on the pitch. Marketing jargon, aside, the players are incredibly well-animated, moving realistically both with the ball and defensively. This is especially apparent during the broadcast-style replays.

Something has also been done to the way the players perform on the field. Against an evenly-matched opponent, the on-pitch battle seems a lot more volatile this year. The cheesy moves I’ve been using to get myself out of strife since FIFA 98 were simply not enough. The game made me work to clear defenders and punished me for the slightest fumble. Losing possession went from an inconvenience to a game-changer in moments. Having Liverpool give my Arsenal squad a run for their money is one thing, but just scraping a 1-0 victory against Brighton was humbling.

As you’d expect, FIFA 23 is packaged with an overwhelming amount of game modes, tournaments and leagues. It’s a game that caters for all fans of the beautiful game, from casual couch play to online tournaments.

The Volta Football mode introduced a few years back is still included in the game, offering a quick game of five-a-side etc. with minimal rules and big scoring potential. It’s OK for a distraction, but EA has made it into a big part of the game- a lot bigger than I feel it deserves to be. It stops short of giving us a single-player Volta league option, that would be nice. The Volta tournament mode remains a bizarre campaign/RPG mix that may appeal to some but doesn’t to me.

It’s with real football that the meat of FIFA 23 lies.

The game features all the world’s leagues that matter, including the Australia A-League. Pitting Sydney against the likes of Arsenal is always good for a laugh/challenge. Rolling over from last year’s inclusion, Ryan Reynold’s AFC Wrexham, who you can follow in the Disney + documentary, “Welcome to Wrexham”, is also included in the “Rest of World” geographic location. Even the Welsh underdogs can give Sydney FC a good hiding.

Joining AFC Wrexham in the “Rest of World” geographic location is another novelty team that probably doesn’t belong in the game, Richmond AFC. This fictional English Premier League team is from the Apple TV show Ted Lasso. In the show, the titular US America Football coach takes on the management of a UK football team. The FIFA squad includes scanned faces of the characters from the show, allowing fans to field the likes of Roy Kent, Jamie Tartt and Dani Rojas, with Ted Lasso, himself, standing on the sidelines. Unlike Wrexham, this fictional team is actually quite formidable on the pitch.

The European Champions League licence is put to good. Fans have the opportunity to partake in this opulent contest of champions that pits the best against the best. There are no second-rate teams here, with every match rather a joyful challenge.

The Champions League is joined by the CONMEBOL Libertadores South American club tournament. Massively popular in Latin America, it’s a tournament that’s often overlooked in favour of European-focused football.

The Women’s International Cup seems doesn’t build on what’s gone before. I’m sure a lot more could be done to increase the profile of women’s football in the game. The women’s teams offer up fast and nimble on-pitch action and are definitely worth a look. Unfortunately, this year there are no New Zealand Football Ferns or Australian Matildas. It’s still a good tournament but I feel under-utilised by the game overall.

EA’s FIFA Ultimate Team continues to be engrossing and, for many, the lifeblood of the game. The pay-to-win aspect of FUT still doesn’t sit well with me, but I can understand the appeal. Opening packs, selling players and buying your favourites to build your ultimate team is very moreish. It’s easy to spend hours bidding and building your squad without actually playing a match.

With a massive number of modes and gameplay options, the menus can be less than intuitive and a bit overwhelming. They follow a similar menu style used across all of EA’s sports titles, which are all probably in need of an overhaul.

All of the above is tied up in an unrivalled slickly presented package with a cracking soundtrack. The visuals both on and off the pitch are astounding. As the graphical prowess of the consoles increase, some of the close-ups of players’ faces are entering the uncanny valley, in that they sometimes look a bit off. But, from a distance, the gameplay looks like a TV broadcast.

FIFA 23 is a worthy conclusion to the series that pulls no punches. EA has crafted a game that is still the ultimate football game. Be it solo, online or on the couch with mates, FIFA 23 brings all the excitement of the world’s game to your home.

The post FIFA 23 (Xbox Series X|S) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The beautiful game returns with this year’s iteration, FIFA 22.

As FIFA fans will know, each yearly release of EA Sport’s FIFA franchise at least brings with it updated teams and a few tweaks here and there. FIFA 21 for PC and last-gen consoles was one of those releases. A solid game that looked amazing and, as usual, a lot of fun to play.

Late last year owners of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S were treated to an exclusive version of the FIFA 21. This was no update, but a total reworking that propelled both the visuals and the gameplay physics to a new level.

This year, at release, there are two versions of FIFA 22, one for PC and last-gen console and another for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. Understandable to a point.

Xbox One and PlayStation 4 owners should appreciate that their, still quite awesome, consoles have peaked. Rather than go down the route the CD Projeckt RED did with their infamous Cyberpunk 2077 game, EA understand the limitation of the older hardware and opted to provide players with a version of the game that still shines on their systems. The result for PS4/XB1 is a game very similar to FIFA 21.

Unfortunately, PC owners also get the “last-gen” version of FIFA 22. EA has said that this is to ensure that the majority of PC players can play the game on their hardware.

EA are, no doubt, better placed to know the average spec of their FIFA PC player base. It would seem that most PC FIFA players are not running machines with the latest PS5 and Xbox Series X beating RTX GPUs and top-end CPUs. To a point, this is fair enough, but disappointing for PC players with machines more than capable of running the next-gen version of the game.

Whilst my disappointment is real, the PC and Xbox One versions of FIFA 22 are still bloody good games. If you’ve been buying FIFA for the last few years on those systems, you’ll likely want to buy this one as well.

The last-gen version of the game drops players straight into the European Champions League Cup Final with Chelsea vs. Paris SG. Next-gen owners get a much more fleshed out intro.

From the moment FIFA 22 starts up on the Xbox Series X EA Sports want to let players know that they are in for something different. It’s a star-studded intro featuring the likes of David Beckham, Eric Cantona and even Louis Hamilton in cameo appearances. They even sneak in a bit of Song Two for us FIFA 98 vets.

Players kick a ball through the Parisian streets with French world champion freestyle footballer, Lisa Zimouche, to Parc des Princes, home of Paris Saint-Germain Football Club. There, players receive further tutelage under the watchful eyes of Thierry Henry and FIFA 22 cover athlete, Kylian Mbappé.

It’s only after this lavish intro that players embark on the compulsory Champion’s League Cup Final as PSG against Chelsea.

FIFA 22 looks absolutely stunning on Xbox Series X. The PC and Xbox One versions look good, but the Xbox Series X next-gen visuals look amazing. We already had a preview of all this with last year’s Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 update. The whole package is just so slick.

On the pitch, the next-gen players display more agility with the proceeding feeling slicker and running at what feels like a higher frame rate. New for this year is the PS5, XBSX|S and Stadia exclusive HyperMotion technology. According to the blurb, this uses AI to sift through millions of frames of motion capture to create new organic animations on the pitch.

I think this is what I’m seeing and feeling on the Xbox Series X. The gameplay flows a lot nicer than on PC. There’s also a lot more characterisation in the players as they motion and chat to one another.

It seems that the control of teammates has been cleaned up a little bit. As someone that still plays FIFA 22 the same way he played FIFA 98, I actually found triggering strikers to move up the pitch almost manageable.

Aside from the iterative nature of yearly sports titles, the only real problem with FIFA 22 is the legacy issue with the menus. Players simply transitioning from last year’s game will have no problems, but the menus are still unwieldy and a pain to navigate.

Whilst FIFA’s Champion’s League licence is the big promoted tournament, Players can set up their own. Be it the English Premier League, the A-League or even the World Cup, the very flexible tournament mode can cater for most players.

The ever-popular Volta Football returns, but without a single-player campaign mode. It seems this fun diversion is limited to single matches for solo players.

Players wanting an online challenge, however, are fully catered for across a range of Volta options including a new arcade mode with rotating multiplayer variations on the Volta theme. I find Volta a great mode to dip into for a bit of fast and frantic five-a-side, with the Sydney Harbour backdrop.

FIFA Ultimate team continues to be my favourite element of FIFA. The collectable fantasy football team mode is just as engrossing as you build up your own team of players and pit them against online and offline opponents.

FIFA 22 offers PC and Xbox One owners very little over FIFA 21 other than the usual seasonal stats update. Lucky next-gen console owners get the definitive version of the game with new AI, fresher animation and more fluid gameplay. Whatever system you are playing on, however, FIFA 22 still delivers.

The post FIFA 22 (Xbox Series X) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

A young family on the verge of breaking up, a young girl whose imaginary world suddenly becomes a reality in It Takes Two.

A co-op game like no other, It Takes Two sees a family drama story and throws in two player fantastical action and adventure as you and a local or online friend take on the roles of two parents Cody and May who through the emotional wish of their daughter end up in the bodies of her two dolls.

As Cody and May you find yourselves lost in a tool shed… seemingly the tool shed from hell and together you must work through puzzles, traps and bosses aswell as a bunch of mini-games in order to survive and get yourselves back to the house.

From the shed to a lucid journey through a hidden world inside a tree, making alliances and encountering an ever growing roster of enemies.

Clearly developers Hazelight, have taken to a lot of both narrative and strategic detail with the mechanics of play and how a player really cannot get through It Takes Two on their own.

Many levels of cooperation with your fellow player are required as you both strive for the same outcome, yet help each other survive and progress. Patience between players can also be key… and likely tested. You infact NEED each other.

It Takes Two features two striking differences in fluidity.

The NPC characters – the humans in the CGI segments see a rather stiff moderately rendered cast, but in gameplay as you are the two handmade dolls and the environments and other in-play NPC’s are marvellously rendered with full detail.

There is some longevity to play here too. While the same story will repeat, taking on the role of a character you didn’t play as will give you a differing experience as the two dolls have their own selection of skills and tasks that are dictated by the games story.

I loved It Takes Two.

It takes the multiplayer aspect, makes it a compulsory factor to play and does this in both style, extremely high playability, some old skool platforming in one hell of an adventure game.

The post It Takes Two (Xbox One / X|S) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Respawn Entertainment, a studio of Electronic Arts Inc. and Oculus from Facebook announced during Facebook Connect that the highly-anticipated upcoming Virtual Reality (VR) title, Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond will release on December 11, 2020, worldwide.

This new innovative and immersive title blends films and games into one, and will be available on the Oculus Store for Oculus Rift and Steam with OpenVR support and cross-platform play.

“The Medal of Honor franchise has always been a powerful series that tells the untold stories of war heroes, and from the beginning of this series in 1999, our goal has been to create grounded and emotionally authentic games that are true to the experiences of people that fought and lived through it,” said Peter Hirschmann, Director, Respawn Entertainment. “We’re honored to share these moving first-hand stories from survivors and veterans of WWII and deliver an immersive VR gameplay experience that provides high-flying action and emotional, intimate storytelling in equal measure.”

Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond returns to the series’ roots, transporting players to a boots-on-the-ground World War II setting that spans the earth, sea and sky, with players jumping from planes, skiing down mountainsides and sabotaging Nazi bases. Aspiring soldiers won’t be going it alone, however: a veteran sergeant and young British medic will serve as companions throughout the single-player campaign, and the game will feature appearances from other Medal of Honor legends, including M anon Batiste and Dr. Gronek.

The single player campaign also aims to tell one of the most immersive World War II stories yet in a robust and emotionally-driven first-person experience. The team at Respawn has spent the past four years and hundreds of hours interviewing veterans of the war, and travelled to the places where history happened, in order to get the emotional tone of the game right. The team also captured more than 120 pages of stunning performance capture – an entire movie’s worth of narrative performance – to supplement the moving tale of heroism and sacrifice.

Additionally, Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond will feature a variety of multiplayer modes, some of which are only possible in VR and with the addition of Steam support, players will benefit from cross-platform play across multiple different devices. Keep an eye out for more information on these modes in the months ahead.

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