Considering the rather lengthy journey Wreckfest took from early access to full release, I was quite surprised to find that it has a sequel, Wreckfest 2, now also in Steam early access.

This sequel has the backing of THQ Nordic, which helped developer Bugbear finish the first game after an extended development period.

Like its predecessor, Wreckfest 2 is a no-holds-barred racing game very much in the vein of the classic Demolition Derby on the original PlayStation. With physics-based impacts, cars become twisted metal, and the circuits littered with wrecks and debris.Even as an early access game, I found Wreckfest 2 to be a bit sparse, content-wise, at launch. Of course, I’ve been spoiled by the original Wreckfest, which, although it started much the same way, is now a very polished and fully featured banger racing game.

A couple of months in and Bugbear has started to populate Wreckfest 2 with more circuits and cars. There are currently seven track locations to choose from, offering fourteen circuit variations. Fincross is a banger racing track available as a circuit and a reverse circuit. Savalax Sandpit is a quarry banger racing track, again, with a main circuit and a reverse circuit. European Rally Cross is a banger racing circuit.Speedway can be selected as an oval, figure eight or as a demolition derby arena. Scrapyard has a main route, demolition derby arena and a criss-crossing circuit called bonebreaker.

UK Banger 1 has an oval circuit, a figure eight circuit and a demolition derby arena. Finally, there’s an area called Testing Grounds with all sorts of ramps and devices that show off the game’s amazing physics.

From the above, depending on the circuit, players can select from straight-up banger racing and last man standing or deathmatch demolition derby events. The game has eight vehicles from American muscle through European compact to a motorhome.Vehicles can be painted to create custom looks. Like the tracks, the variety of cars is likely to continue to expand. There’s the option from the main screen to select a quick match and jump right in with a single-player race around the Savalax Sandpit circuit or select the custom race option and make your own single-player event. Multiplayer races can be selected either by matchmaking or the server browser. There’s no indication of ping or location on the server browser, but I never had a problem with latency.

The races are bound to make you smile with circuits designed to encourage absolute carnage. From the figure of eight layouts to lethal trackside detritus, players can find themselves in the middle of a pile-up at any minute.Other racers, as well, see no problem in pushing your car off the road. But revenge is sweet, via the guilty pleasure of giving your opponents a little tap that’ll see them careen off the road and into the tyre wall.

Just as with the original game, the physics and spectacle make the game. Be it the superb handling of the cars or the bouncing tyres and other objects spilling across the tracks, Wreckfest 2 is a rather unique racing experience.

The visuals on PC are next level, updating the graphics of the first game and bringing them in line with the virtually photoreal look expected of modern racers. The game uses AMD’s FSR 3.1.3 upscaling but has no Nvidia DLSS. The game did tax the review rig’s Nvidia RTX 4090, with all the settings maxed out when things got busy.There’s plenty of visual customisation options that’ll get the game running smoothly even on more modest machines. When Wreckfest 2 first hit early access, it was a bit lean, but now with more tracks, it’s worth jumping in.

As the game develops, we will likely see more tracks, more vehicles and hopefully a campaign mode. If you like the first game or racing games in general, I certainly recommend jumping in early with Wreckfest 2.

The post Wreckfest 2 (PC) Early Access Preview appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Epic Mickey has returned, and this time, the stakes are truly, well, epic!

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, the remake of the beloved classic, developed by Purple Lamp in collaboration with Disney Games and published by THQ Nordic.

Mickey Mouse’s adventure with magic ink has gone awry, and he soon finds himself pulled into the dangerous world of Wasteland, a realm where forgotten Disney characters reside. In Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed, players will step into Mickey’s shoes and take control of his magical brush to restore the world around him or use paint and thinner to reshape the environment and uncover hidden secrets.

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed brings the classic 2010 game back and for the first time ever, is available to modern consoles with enhanced visuals and graphics. New gameplay features include dash, ground pound and sprint allowing fans of the original and newcomers alike more ways to navigate Wasteland and combat enemies. Along with the magic paint brush, players can explore the unpredictable world of Wasteland, with levels inspired by classic Disney stories, and meet familiar faces along the way.

Disney Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is now available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

The post Epic Mickey is Back! appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Something is afoot at Derceto Manor in 1930s New Orleans.

The disappearance of a patient called Jeremy Hartwood sets the premise for this remake of the original Alone in the Dark.

Jeremy’s niece, Emily Hartwood (Jodie Comer) enlists the services of a private investigator Edward Carnby (David Harbour) and the two set out for a road trip in to the middle of nowhere to see what’s going on at the Manor for the ‘mentally fatigued’.

And as you’ve likely guessed, not everything is what it seems at the foreboding looking Derceto Manor.

Taking a modern third person approach to gameplay, your dark adventure plays out fluidly, without the screen swipes of the very original title.

There’s a lot of exploring to be had once you select who you play as, Emily or Edward. There’s clues to find, resources to collect and puzzles to be solved.

Along with this is of course both melee and weapon based combat.

Alone in the Dark 2024 has some jump scares in store for unsuspecting players as well as moments of unforgiving gameplay.

The clues that you find along with the main narrative unravel a decent story.

There are also bonus collectables called ‘Lagniappe’s’. Finding all of these will unlock in-game rewards, but playing as just one character may not fully open everything to you. Alone in the Dark is designed to be played through as Edward and then again as Emily, if you’re a completist.

Your inventory is small to say the least and you’ll always be on the hunt for keys or a way to solve a puzzle.

Items are or can be assigned to hotkeys and this includes your weapon.

While Alone in the Dark 2024 has one hell of a story to it and gameplay looks fresh, yet stylised to the era it is set within, there are glitches.

For more moments than I can recall I would get trapped within an invisible ‘prison’. Meaning all of a sudden i was boxed in and couldn’t move anywhere in what should have been an open area. This was of course game breaking and happened in varying environments too.

The only way out was to quit the game and restart at the last checkpoint.

Graphical anomalies too. I had enemies vanish in to walls never to reappear and every now and then some weird environmental sprites would tear across the screen.

I figure that these will get patched.

In all, despite the glitches, I was able to play through (yes a few hard restarts) and having played the original back in the day Alone in the Dark 2024 is a lovingly crafted remake of a still playable to this day classic.

Just wait until the game gets patched before you play alone, in the dark.

The post Alone in the Dark 2024 (Xbox Series X|S) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

THQ Nordic reveals the Alone in the Dark Collector’s Edition limited to 5000 units worldwide

To really immerse yourself in the world of Alone in the Dark don’t miss out on the Alone in the Dark Collector’s Editions! With only 5000 units available worldwide, make sure to get your hands on these eldritch items like the Dark Man statue, a glow-in-the-dark steelbook, the spooky doll doorhang, additional DLC content, and much more.

Alone in the Dark is a love letter to the ground-breaking original that lets you experience a haunting story through the eyes of one of the two protagonists: play as either Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood in this re-imagination of the classic survival horror game where Psychological Horror meets Southern Gothic. Explore your environments, fight monsters, solve puzzles, and uncover the uneasy truth of Derceto Manor…

Deep in the 1920’s south, Emily Hartwood’s uncle has gone missing. Together with private investigator Edward Carnby, she embarks on a journey to Derceto Manor, a home for the mentally ill where something is lurking. You’ll encounter strange residents, nightmarish realms, dangerous monsters, and ultimately uncover the plot of rising evil. At the intersection of reality, mystery, and insanity, an adventure awaits that will change your core beliefs. Who can you trust, what will you believe, and what will you do next?

The Alone in the Dark Collector’s Edition (limited to 5,000 units worldwide) includes:

• The Dark Man -Statue 26cm / 10in height
• Game on PS5, Xbox Series X, or PC
• Alone in the Dark Steelbook
• Ostadte – Miniature 10cm/ 4in height
• Collector’s Edition DLC Package (Derceto 1992 Costume Pack, Director’s Commentary Mode, Vintage Horror Filter Pack)
• Do Not Disturb – Doorhang
• Derceto 1030 Wallsticker Set

Issue of 5,000 units in total, thereof:

• #1 – #20 are available from the THQ Nordic Vienna Store
• Serial #21 – 4,999 International Version(s), available via the THQ Nordic online store, as well as selected retail partners
• #5,000 will be delivered to the Embracer Games Archive

Further pre-order links for the physical pre-order

• AU PS5: https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/playstation-5-alone-in-the-dark-collectors-edition
• AU XB X: https://www.jbhifi.com.au/products/xbox-series-x-alone-in-the-dark-collectors-edition
• NZ PS5: https://www.mightyape.co.nz/product/alone-in-the-dark-collectors-edition-ps5/37918236
• NZ XB X: https://www.mightyape.co.nz/product/alone-in-the-dark-collectors-edition-xbox-series-x/37918239

Alone in the Dark is developed by Pieces Interactive in Sweden and will be coming to PC, Xbox Series S/X and PlayStation 5.

The post THQ Nordic reveals the Alone in the Dark Collector’s Edition appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Crypto is back… back again in a remaster of a sequel, of a remastered sequel even, and he is spreading the alien love to take out humankind.

After the events of the first game (which I wont spoil incase you’re yet to play it) we have a revitalised, new and improved Crypto v.2 in Destroy All Human’s 2: Reprobed.

Stuck on Earth as his mothership is taken out – Crypto must do all he can to survive against the KGB in a hippie infested love generation 1960’s small town America.

But there is more going on here – the KGB were invited from the Soviet Union to the U.S. by the Whitehouse for a much bigger plan.

From fixing your spacecraft and enacting fiery terror with your deathray through to starting dance parties, chatting to humans while in disguise or harvesting their brains and getting some fierce and robust probing in there you’ll work through the story in this out of this world cheesy B-Grade like SciFi adventure.

As you progress your weapons will too. Weapons are selectable via a quick click wheel and more often than not you’ll need to swap out your weapons on a task by task basis.

Need to possess a human? Sure, why not but first get them dancing so you’re not seen.

Enemy A.I. is actually pretty good if not relentless at times. If you see the heavy artillery stepping in it’s best to jetpack away until things cool down.

Levels are like an episode in a series and they are short – so where possible, take a look around town.

The remastered, or Reprobed, version also comes with a library of outfits for Crypto. Alot are available right from the start and the remainder are unlockables.

Remastered from the original game that released way back in 2006 with fresh visuals, fluid gameplay and the original story Destroy All Human’s 2: Reprobed is as good as the first one, if not better, offering up a more diverse play.

Earth is yours for the taking, second time round.

The post Destroy All Human’s 2: ReProbed (Xbox Series X) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Gentlemen, start your engines.

International publisher HandyGames is more than proud to announce Wreckfest mobile, the fast-paced racing game is generally seen as the spiritual successor to such classics as FlatOut, Destruction Derby, and Street Rod and will come out soon on Apple and Android machines.

For a long time this gaming pearl was only available on PCs and Consoles. But times are changing: After THQ Nordic ported this neck-breaking, dust-eating, sheet-metal-bending mayhem to the Nintendo Switch it was up to the pros at HandyGames to free this gas-guzzling classic from its immobile confines to roam free on the mobile platforms.

Expect epic crashes, neck-to-neck fights over the finish line, and brand-new ways for metal to bend – These are the once-in-a-lifetime moments that can only be achieved in Wreckfest, with its true-to-life physics simulation once brought into this world by legendary developer Bugbear Entertainment.

Wreckfest is jam-packed with upgrade and customization options. Whether you are preparing for your next demolition derby with reinforced bumpers, roll cages, side protectors, and much more, or setting your car up for a banger race with engine performance parts like air filters, camshafts, fuel systems, etc., Wreckfest is shaping up to be the best combative motorsport game out there.

Now experience the fast computing power and furious physics of a game – only thought possible on dedicated high-powered machines – on the screen of your mobile device. You gotta feel the need, the need for speed, and go full throttle wherever you go.

The post Wreckfest is Coming to Mobile appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The tension, excitement, and thrill of the hunt is finally presented through the lens of a highly experienced, ethical huntsman in Way of the Hunter.

Players will take on the role of a seasoned hunter who has just taken over his grandfather’s hunting cabin and the opportunity to proceed with the family tradition of selling high-quality game meat. A variety of biomes provide the player with a vast area of beautiful nature to explore.

The hunter is challenged with observing animal tracks while carefully stalking and avoiding detection from the razor-sharp senses of his prey

“With Way of the Hunter, we are going to start a new franchise” said David Durčák, CEO, Nine Rocks Games. “The Way of the Hunter franchise finally gives this expansive audience of players a hunting experience as rich in story-telling as it is realistic in ballistic simulation. To create the best game possible, we’ve assembled a seasoned team of skilled professionals, who worked on games like DayZ or the Cabela’s hunting games before.”

Way of the Hunter’s large selection of authentic hunting equipment and weapons, including licensed guns and scopes, are amplified by realistic handling of firearms and bullet physics. The game features two, vast, open-world hunting territories – one in the U.S. and one in Europe – each 55 square miles (144 km²) in size and boasting its own simulated wildlife ecosystem. Co-op multiplayer mode allows players to venture out into awe-inspiring nature and share the thrill of the chase during their greatest hunting adventures.

Developed by Slovakia-based Nine Rocks Games, Way of the Hunter is in development for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series S/X.

The post THQ Nordic Announces Way of the Hunter appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The inhabitants from the by-gone days have all disappeared.

But they have left evidence of having once been the dominant species on the planet. Toxic polluted remnants that are now threatening to kill the tree of the life.

In Imagine 101’s Biomutant game you are a bipedal mammal, something crossed between a cat and a rabbit with mutant abilities.

Since the animals took over the planet they evolved, mutated in to a near societal existence.

It’s your mission to bring together all of the furry creatures to save the existence of all living things.

Your Biomutant is totally yours to customise from varying classes.

Brawler, melee and more are on offer with differing body type ratios and skills that will affect your gameplay.

From tone of fur to other cosmetic enhancements you are thrust in to an open world RPG with a kung-fu flavour.

During your play-through you will encounter NPCs that require you to make decisions. Whether this is simply informational or task driven it will adapt your game to what you decide upon.

Along with this there are multiple paths you’ll encounter and you may not get the chance to go back to a path you didn’t take before.

The game is narrated which is both amusing and annoying.

There are moments where I questioned whether the narration was required – but I get it, Biomutant has a story to tell and wholesome one at that.

Nuggets of your Biomutant’s backstory are played out via memory segments. These are interactive mini-levels where you may train for something, develop a new skill or again just informational.

Collectables and side missions galore aswell as being able to add and level up skills and enhancements.

Biomutant was a game that I had been waiting to release since first seeing news bits and trailers over the past year and a half.

It didn’t disappoint if anything it has been a more than satisfactory play.

If you’re into your RPGs and open world forays driven by a solid story with a kid-like sense of humour then Biomutant is definitely for you.

It will give you the warm and fuzzies while you kick ass.

The post Biomutant (Xbox One) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

You are dead. But your story is only beginning.

Waking up in a weird cavernous chamber surrounded by rotting corpses you have been resurrected… or have you?

Are you the same ‘you’ you were before you died or are you a new soul inhabiting a fallen mortals body?

There’s a war with Fae known as the Tuatha. The reason for the fighting is blurred. You fell in battle.

The Well of Souls may have bought you back in to existence but you don’t know who you are, like a blank canvas your character is yours to create and set a fate that only you determine.

Kingdoms of Amular: Re-Reckoning, the mother of all RPGs, is fully remastered version for present gen consoles, itself resurrected, by THQNordic.

After a moderately lengthy animated backstory intro you will create your character from four differing races (male or female), each extremely unique with abilities, then customise your chosen one from face shape, hair and eye colour type, tattoos and so on.

After a escaping the Well of Souls caverns, a Level that acts as a tutorial it’s just you and the big wide world. Your path, your fate, the game itself is determined by you with decisions made as you play.

Speaking with NPCs and asking the right questions may be beneficial, but at times so can asking the wrong ones. There are a squillion narrative paths each will mold your fate, experience and eventual outcome.

Meet a less cooperative NPC? Try being persuasive – but does your characters class have that sway over others?

Loot chests, pick locks if you have enough lock picks, steal but don’t get caught, get caught and be banned from that town and most likely end up with a fine… or death.

Armour, weapons, magic and potions are either purchased with in-game Gold you will collect (or pinch) from chests, destructible crates or by completing a quest – or you can use Skill Points when your character levels up and attribute them to abilities in the skill tree. Choose Blacksmith ability as a focus and you can scrap items in your inventory to make better armour or weapons.

If being a smithy isn’t where you want to focus your character simply find a blacksmith.

You can buy and sell to NPC merchants in-game new or used gear and until you find or have enough gold to expand, your Inventory will become very full really quick. Wield magic, melee with both a primary and secondary weapon. You are also a Reckoning. Affect and change other NPCs fate, a dark ability that is super handy in combat.

Weapons themselves have unique enhancements, as does your armour and any other accessories you might find or purchase.

But also be careful with magic, you may find yourself cursed…

One of the most ambitious games of two console generations back (PS3, Xbox 360 and PC) the game originally released in 2012. Now ported over to Nintendo Switch – it’s epic RPG adventure on the go, anywhere.

With artistry input from Todd McFarlane (known for character Spawn) and with a wildly expansive narrative and lore written by Erik J. Caponi and R. A. Salvatore, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning was so big that the original development company; 38 Studio went into bankruptcy soon after the games release while working on some very epic expansions that never saw the light of day.

The remastered version – or ‘Re-Reckoning’ comes with those said expansions; Teeth of Naros, Legend of Dead Kel and more.

It’s fair to say that the character models have certainly aged, but this is offset by the environments which are some of the most detailed I’ve experienced.

Full day, night and weather cycles. Harvesting of vegetation to make potions with your alchemy ability, hidden areas and collectables everywhere.

Kingdoms of Amular: The Re-Reckoning is a commitment. With an almost endless supply of main and side missions you can blow away 60 hours, 100 hours, more and the game is still as fresh as it was when you first picked it up.

A game that is as submersible as it is playable with its deep story, exploratory roaming, endless quests and a character that is unique to you.

Kingdoms of Amular: The Re-Reckoning is in a class of its own, a world that you should get in to and weave its fate in your favour.

The post Kingdoms of Amular: Re-Reckoning (Switch) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

You are dead. But your story is only beginning.

Waking up in a weird cavernous chamber surrounded by rotting corpses you have been resurrected… or have you?

Are you the same ‘you’ you were before you died or are you a new soul inhabiting a fallen mortals body?

There’s a war with Fae known as the Tuatha. The reason for the fighting is blurred. You fell in battle.

The Well of Souls may have bought you back in to existence but you don’t know who you are, like a blank canvas your character is yours to create and set a fate that only you determine.
Kingdoms of Amular: Re-Reckoning, the mother of all RPGs, is fully remastered version for present gen consoles, itself resurrected, by THQNordic.

After a moderately lengthy animated backstory intro you will create your character from four differing races (male or female), each extremely unique with abilities, then customise your chosen one from face shape, hair and eye colour type, tattoos and so on.

After a escaping the Well of Souls caverns, a Level that acts as a tutorial it’s just you and the big wide world. Your path, your fate, the game itself is determined by you with decisions made as you play.

Speaking with NPCs and asking the right questions may be beneficial, but at times so can asking the wrong ones. There are a squillion narrative paths each will mold your fate, experience and eventual outcome.

Meet a less cooperative NPC? Try being persuasive – but does your characters class have that sway over others?

Loot chests, pick locks if you have enough lock picks, steal but don’t get caught, get caught and be banned from that town and most likely end up with a fine… or death.

Armour, weapons, magic and potions are either purchased with in-game Gold you will collect (or pinch) from chests, destructible crates or by completing a quest – or you can use Skill Points when your character levels up and attribute them to abilities in the skill tree. Choose Blacksmith ability as a focus and you can scrap items in your inventory to make better armour or weapons.

If being a smithy isn’t where you want to focus your character simply find a blacksmith.

You can buy and sell to NPC merchants in-game new or used gear and until you find or have enough gold to expand, your Inventory will become very full really quick. Wield magic, melee with both a primary and secondary weapon. You are also a Reckoning. Affect and change other NPCs fate, a dark ability that is super handy in combat.

Weapons themselves have unique enhancements, as does your armour and any other accessories you might find or purchase.

But also be careful with magic, you may find yourself cursed…

One of the most ambitious games of last generation (PS3, Xbox 360 and PC) the game originally released in 2012.

With artistry input from Todd McFarlane (known for character Spawn) and with a wildly expansive narrative and lore written by Erik J. Caponi and R. A. Salvatore, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning was so big that the original development company; 38 Studio went into bankruptcy soon after the games release while working on some very epic expansions that never saw the light of day.

Now the remastered version – or ‘Re-Reckoning’ comes with those said expansions; Teeth of Naros, Legend of Dead Kel and more.

Although the game plays beautifully in 4K, the character models have certainly aged. Don’t expect detailed photo realism, that said environments are some of the most detailed, interactive and crafted I’ve experienced.

Full day, night and weather cycles. Harvesting of vegetation to make potions with your alchemy ability, hidden areas and collectables everywhere.

Kingdoms of Amular: The Re-Reckoning is a commitment. With an almost endless supply of main and side missions you can blow away 60 hours, 100 hours, more and the game is still as fresh as it was when you first picked it up… and that’s within offline play.

A game that is as submersible as it is playable with its deep story, exploratory roaming, endless quests and a character that is unique to you.

Kingdoms of Amular: The Re-Reckoning is in a class of its own, a world that you should get in to and weave its fate in your favour.

The post Kingdoms of Amular: Re-Reckoning (PlayStation 4) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.