For those who grew up defending their lawns from waves of quirky undead, Plants vs. Zombies is a name that sparks instant nostalgia. Sixteen years after its original release, PopCap Games has brought the classic back to life with Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted, a full remaster that aims to unite everything fans loved about the 2009 hit with a modern polish. It’s a love letter to the past, but one that doesn’t always grow quite right.

A Trip Back to Simpler Times

There’s something special about returning to Plants vs. Zombies. The familiar music, the goofy animations, and the cheery chaos all feel like stepping into a Saturday morning cartoon. PopCap’s remaster captures much of that old magic. You still line up your pea shooters, sunflowers, and walnuts to hold off zombie quarterbacks and “zomboni” drivers, creating that familiar, satisfying rhythm of strategic gardening.

In Replanted, PopCap has gone all in on making this the definitive version of the game. It bundles content from every major release, PC, console, mobile, and even the now-discontinued Chinese version, into one big package. It also revives features that were previously console-exclusive, like local co-op and versus modes, finally letting players enjoy the complete experience on one platform.

Familiar Gameplay, Slightly Modernised

The core gameplay is exactly as addictive as ever. The balance of strategy and quick thinking still holds up, proving why PvZ became such a phenomenon in the first place. What’s new this time around are a few smart quality-of-life improvements, the most useful being the fast-forward feature. You can now speed up matches up to three times, making long stretches of waiting feel snappier and more dynamic.

Image Credit: PopCap

Image Credit: PopCap

There’s also the new Rest in Peace mode, a permadeath twist on the main adventure. One zombie breakthrough, and it’s game over. It’s a neat concept, though a bit undercooked, mainly because players can bring all their unlocked plants from the start, which removes much of the intended challenge.

Another fresh addition, Cloudy Day mode, blends the day and night levels into a single battle that alternates between phases. The sunny phase focuses on resource management, while the cloudy phase lets you build more aggressively at lower costs. It’s an inventive touch that adds some welcome variety to the formula.

Image Credit: PopCap

A Visual Upgrade That Doesn’t Always Shine

Visually, Replanted looks crisp and colourful at first glance, but zoom in and the seams start to show. Some textures and animations look noticeably uneven, character portraits and menus can appear blurry, and certain filters feel oddly dated. These inconsistencies make the remaster feel like it’s caught halfway between old and new.

One particular misstep lies in the remastered ending. The iconic credits sequence, once a standout moment in gaming alongside Portal’s “Still Alive”, is now awkwardly presented as a low-res video playing on a tube TV inside your in-game house. It’s a baffling downgrade that strips away much of the charm and energy that capped off the original.

The Magic Still Lives… Just Barely

Despite its flaws, Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted still delivers that cosy, cartoonish fun that made the original so beloved. It’s easy to lose hours once the music kicks in and your lawn fills with colourful chaos. But this remaster also serves as a bittersweet reminder of how much the series has changed over time, and not necessarily for the better.

After EA acquired PopCap in 2011, Plants vs. Zombies branched into everything from shooters (Garden Warfare) to mobile free-to-play spinoffs packed with microtransactions. The creative spark that made the original so memorable gradually faded in pursuit of bigger profits. Replanted, in that sense, feels like a time capsule from a simpler, more imaginative era of gaming.

It may not be the most polished remaster, but it’s still a heartwarming way to revisit a classic — a game that once reminded us that even the smallest sunflower could hold back the apocalypse.

Verdict

Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted is the most complete version of PopCap’s legendary tower defence game, offering a great mix of nostalgia and new features. However, its uneven visuals and questionable design choices keep it from being a truly definitive edition. It’s worth revisiting for fans and newcomers alike, but don’t expect a full bloom.

The post Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted Review – A Nostalgic Comeback That Misses Its Bloom appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The Ninja Returns

After more than a decade in hiding, Ninja Gaiden 4 has finally landed, marking a triumphant return for gaming’s most famous ninja, Ryu Hayabusa. Co-developed by Team Ninja and PlatinumGames, this latest entry revives the legendary hack-and-slash series with a perfect blend of blistering combat, stylish presentation, and cutting-edge performance, especially on the PlayStation 5 Pro.

NINJA GAIDEN 4 is now available! Play now on Xbox Series X|S, Xbox on PC, Xbox Cloud, Steam, and PlayStation 5.

WHERE SHADOWS FALL, LEGENDS RISE.

The definitive ninja action-adventure franchise returns with #NINJAGAIDEN4! pic.twitter.com/pdAjPGXpgV

— Team NINJA (@TeamNINJAStudio) October 21, 2025

Launching on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, the game has been met with strong critical acclaim. On Metacritic, Ninja Gaiden 4 holds an impressive 83% average on Xbox Series X, 82% on PS5, and 82% on PC, while OpenCritic sits at 82%, signalling a return to form for the once-dormant franchise.

A Sharpened Return to Form

After a decade in the shadows, Ninja Gaiden 4 brings the series roaring back with everything fans could want from a modern hack-and-slash revival. Set in a futuristic Tokyo drenched in neon and cursed by a never-ending rain, the story follows newcomer Yakumo of the Raven Clan, who sets out to resurrect the Dark Dragon in hopes of cleansing the world. Naturally, legendary ninja Ryu Hayabusa isn’t thrilled about the idea, and the two warriors’ fates quickly intertwine in a tale that’s part cyberpunk epic, part classic martial arts fantasy.

Image Credit: PlatinumGames Inc. / Team NINJA / KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.

Gameplay-wise, Ninja Gaiden 4 finds a sweet balance between challenge and precision. Combat flows with the kind of speed and fluidity that fans of Team Ninja and PlatinumGames would expect. Switching between Yakumo’s weapon-focused style and Ryu’s elemental ninpo abilities keeps every encounter dynamic and deeply satisfying. Mastering parries, dodges, and devastating combos still defines the experience, but the controls are now more approachable without sacrificing depth.

Image Credit: PlatinumGames Inc. / Team NINJA / KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.

Critics Praise Combat, Accessibility, and Style

Reviewers have highlighted the game’s fluid combat, deep endgame content, and smart balance between difficulty and accessibility. DualShockers gave it a 9.5/10, calling it the “gold standard for fast-paced, high-octane 3D action games.” IGN Italia scored it 85/100, praising the collaboration between Team Ninja and PlatinumGames as “spectacular, technical, and immensely satisfying.”

Not every review was glowing, some outlets noted uneven visuals, occasional camera hiccups, and limited weapon variety, but most agreed that the strengths far outweigh the flaws. The result? A game that redefines the franchise for modern audiences without losing its old-school soul.

PS5 Pro Takes It Up a Notch

According to a detailed report by Twisted Voxel, Ninja Gaiden 4 is one of the first major titles to fully leverage the PS5 Pro’s upgraded hardware, and the difference is significant.

While the standard PS5 version includes three display modes (Quality, Performance, and 120fps), the PS5 Pro introduces a fourth exclusive mode, “Pro Mode”, which runs at a native 1440p resolution with 60fps performance and high graphical settings.

The Pro version also replaces AMD’s FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) with Sony’s proprietary PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution (PSSR) upscaling technology, delivering sharper visuals and cleaner motion during Ninja Gaiden 4’s frantic combat scenes. Frame rates remain remarkably stable across all modes, proving Team Ninja and PlatinumGames’ attention to optimisation.

Image via Twisted Voxel

As Twisted Voxel notes, the PS5 Pro’s Pro Mode “offers the most balanced experience, combining high graphical detail with fluid 60fps performance,” making it the definitive way to experience Ryu’s return.

A New Era for the Ninja Legacy

Ninja Gaiden 4 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t need to. Instead, it sharpens what already made the franchise great: fast, precise combat, stylish set pieces, and a demanding yet rewarding gameplay loop.

For longtime fans, it’s a nostalgic reunion. For newcomers, it’s an accessible entry point into one of gaming’s toughest but most satisfying action series. And for PlayStation 5 Pro owners, it’s a showcase of what the upgraded console can truly do when developers commit to optimising for its power.

Whether you’re slicing through demons in Tokyo’s rain-soaked alleys or chasing leaderboard perfection, Ninja Gaiden 4 proves that Ryu Hayabusa, and the series itself, are far from finished.

Verdict

Ninja Gaiden 4 is a stylish, confident revival that honours its past while embracing modern hardware and design. The partnership between Team Ninja and PlatinumGames has breathed new life into the franchise, balancing spectacle with depth and accessibility with mastery.

If this is the start of a renewed era for the series, fans have every reason to be excited.

The post Ninja Gaiden 4 Launch & Review: Legendary Series Slashes Back Strong with PS5 Pro Launch appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Obsidian Entertainment is on a bit of a hot streak, eh? After a couple of big hitters this year, you’d think they’d take a smoko. But nah, they’ve gone and done it again, teaming up with Eidos Montreal to shrink us all back down to the size of a flip-flop. Grounded 2 has landed in Early Access, and I’ve chucked a fair few hours into it to see what’s what.

So, let’s get into it.

Shrunk Again, But the World Is much larger.

If you’ve been living under a rock (or a peblet, more like), the first Grounded was a massive hit. Four kids get zapped by a shrink ray, chucked in a backyard, and have to survive against spiders the size of sheepdogs. It was brilliant.

Well, in Grounded 2, it’s happened all over again. The same crew, now two years older, find themselves ant-sized once more, but this time they’re lost in the massive expanse of Brookhollow Park. The dodgy Ominent corporation is back at it, and the story kicks off with a bang. Dr. Tully, the scientist from the first game, has seemingly gone berserk, and your trusty robot mate BURGL is in bits. You’re left with a whole lot of questions and a very big, very dangerous world to survive in.

Image Credit: Obsidian Entertainment

The story gets you hooked pretty quick. You’re chatting on video calls with a sketchy corporate type, Sloan Bowmont, who gives off that classic “I’m helping, but am I really?” vibe. It’s a great setup, and while it’s still early days, the mystery of what’s really going on is a solid reason to push through the wilderness.

Image Credit: Obsidian Entertainment

If It Ain’t Broke, Make It Bigger

Let’s be clear: if you loved the first Grounded, you’ll feel right at home here. The core loop is the same – gather, craft, build, and try not to get eaten. But everything feels bigger and a bit more polished. Brookhollow Park is a huge step up from the backyard. You’ve got everything from a tipped-over ice-cream cart creating a frozen biome to the smouldering pits of a campfire. It’s a proper adventure playground.

One of the best new changes is the Omni-tool. Instead of crafting an axe, a shovel, and a hammer and juggling them in your inventory, you now have one tool that does it all. It’s a simple change but makes getting out and about so much smoother, leaving more room for all the loot you’ll be hoarding. You upgrade it with Raw Science, a glowing purple goo you’ll find hidden around the park, which lets you chop tougher weeds and smash bigger rocks to get the good stuff.

Image Credit: Obsidian Entertainment

Base-building is back and just as fun. You can set up your fortress almost anywhere, snapping walls and floors together to build a sweet-as pad. I did get a bit miffed that some spots seemed off-limits for building for no clear reason, like a perfect spot at the base of a lamppost. Hopefully, that gets loosened up a bit as development goes on.

Image Credit: Obsidian Entertainment

Giddy Up, Little Ant!

The absolute game-changer in Grounded 2 is the mounts. Or as the game calls them, “Buggy.” Early on, you’re sent on a hectic mission deep into an ant nest to pinch a soldier ant egg. Bring it back, hatch it, and boom – you’ve got your very own ant to ride.

Mate, this is awesome. The park is massive, and getting around on foot can be a real drag. These ants are quick, making resource runs a breeze. They can carry heaps of grass planks and weed stems, and even have their own inventory. You can even get them into a scrap. While you can attack while mounted, you can also hop off and your ant will keep fighting alongside you, turning a tricky 1-v-1 into a much fairer fight. It makes the whole experience so much more dynamic.

Image Credit: Obsidian Entertainment

The Bug Hunt: Combat and… Other Bugs

Fighting the local wildlife feels better than ever. You can now dodge, which is a lifesaver when you’re cornered by something with way too many legs. The combat just feels more responsive, whether you’re playing in first or third-person. You can craft all sorts of gear to suit your style, from bows and arrows to heavy hammers or even a “Candy Stave” that’s basically a wizard staff.

Of course, the park is crawling with new beasties. Scorpions will burst out of the ground and give you a real fright, and there are heaps of other critters, both hostile and harmless. Learning their attack patterns and weaknesses is key.

Image Credit: Obsidian Entertainment

However, it wouldn’t be Early Access without the other kind of bugs, would it? The performance is a bit crook at the moment. As noted by players on Steam, even on a decent rig, the game can stutter and drop frames, especially when you’re zooming around on your ant. A developer has said they’re working on “major optimizations” which is good to hear. I also ran into a few crashes and saw some enemies get stuck in the ground. It’s nothing game-breaking, but something to be aware of.

Image via Steam Community

The Verdict (For Now)

Look, Grounded 2 is basically more Grounded, and that is absolutely not a bad thing. It takes the solid foundation of the first game and expands on it with a massive new world, some great quality-of-life tweaks, and the brilliant addition of ant mounts.

Yeah, it’s a bit rough around the edges with performance issues and bugs, but the devs are on to it. For an Early Access title, there’s a heap of content here already – some are saying the main story is about 20 hours long, which could easily turn into 100 hours of gameplay if you’re a keen builder.

If you were a fan of the original, jumping in now is a no-brainer. It’s familiar fun on a grander scale. If you’re new to the series, you’re in for a treat, but maybe wait for a patch or two if performance issues get on your nerves. Either way, this is a solid start, and I can’t wait to see how this tiny world grows. She’ll be right.

Image Credit: Obsidian Entertainment

The post Grounded 2 (Early Access) Review – Let’s Get Small Again appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

F1 25 is the 23rd instalment in the official F1-branded games published by EA Sports.

For those familiar with the franchise, F1 25 takes all the elements that have made previous versions popular – and heightens them to an even greater level of realism, immersion, and thrilling gameplay. However, for those who are not into racing games, this does little to reach across the aisle of the gaming community.

2025 feels like the year in which Formula 1 racing is evolving beyond its dedicated base and even further into the mainstream population – especially with the release of the F1 film alongside this game.

To begin with, the game is visually stunning. The cars look and feel sleek to drive – and it brilliantly re-creates world-famous courses with realistic environmental changes depending on the time of day and weather.

From the moment you are thrust into your first race, you can feel the vibrations of the car, the adrenaline of speeding around the track, and the minute details around the courses. It has reached a level of immersion that feels difficult to top. The realistic physics also create an intoxicating experience that makes the player want to master the course to achieve the best times and secure first place.

The level of customisation is expansive, and with several difficulty settings and assists to choose from, the experience will vary significantly from player to player. It can be rather simple – where much of the braking is done for you – or there can be an entirely hands-off approach.

The My Team mode has seen some much-needed changes from previous instalments. In it, you jump in as the owner of a new team and grow it from the ground up to glory.

Developers Codemasters have dubbed this My Team 2.0 due to changes in the management and driver system. Previously, the owner character also took the driver’s seat. This time, you get the option to drive as either of the two drivers you’ve hired.

Research and development have also been tweaked – meaning you now make changes to each car individually to develop every aspect of your team’s strategy and performance.

The game expands on these new features and intertwines them with the return of the story mode, naturally named Braking Point 3. It continues the story-based mode introduced in F1 23, in which you take charge of the fictional Konnersport team – its owners, managers, and racers – to compete against the teams we’re all too familiar with.

It also includes additional features outside of racing, which elevate the realism and provide a unique look into the world of Formula 1. These include making managerial decisions about sponsorships, team activities, and media events. All of this can impact team morale as well as your public perception.

The well-acted cutscenes also provide some much-needed breathing room between each race.

If racing games or Formula 1 are your thing – brilliant. This will offer everything you’re hoping for and more. If they’re not, I can’t see this changing your mind. While it includes much-needed revamps to features from previous instalments, it doesn’t offer much for those who don’t get a kick out of sports-style games.

As with all sports games, there’s only so much deviation possible from their core rules – and this game has masterfully added as much imagination, customisation, and immersion as possible within those bounds.

Would I pick this up at its current $120 NZD price? Personally, no. But I have zero doubt this will strike a major chord with the fandoms it serves. For the rest, it may be best to pick it up when it’s on sale.

The post F1 25 (Xbox Series X|S) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Going into TRON: Catalyst I was totally blind. It turns out it’s the sequel to TRON: Identity, which I never played.

But with my new Switch 2 I was chomping at the bit for games to play, so thought I would give it a try.

The good news is if like me you haven’t played TRON: Identity, don't stress, you can just jump into this one.

The story follows Exo who is a courier program Exo gets himself mixed up in a conspiracy where the server they live on is going to get a hard reset. It turns out the server they are on has a big power struggle between Core, and people that want more freedom. As far as a story goes, it’s fine. It’s interesting at times.

The story is mostly told through scenes where it shows still of characters as they speak. This is a perfectly fine way of telling the story, and it has decent voice acting. It just has that vibe of an OK story being told via a decent way, which just results in it being decent. Never amazing, just decent.

The game itself is an isometric action game. You run around exploring and throwing your TRON spin discy thing at people. The combat is more than competent, and it’s fun for the most part. Dodging at the right time, slashing an enemy, then firing your disc to nail another is satisfying as hell. The biggest issue is it just gets a bit repetitive.

Fun, but repetitive.

The biggest thing that the game has going for it is the art style. The neon TRON style has been beautifully crafted in the game to always look stunning on the screen. The art style of the characters in the dialogue scenes also look cool. But really when exploring the world I was always loving the look and style the game had to offer.

On the whole, TRON: Catalyst is just a decent game.

Fun gameplay, a decent story, and stunning art design makes the game a perfectly fine way to spend a day. At no point was I blown away by the game, but I had a great time. The isometric gameplay does make it perfect for picking up and jamming on the Switch 2.

The post TRON: Catalyst (Switch 2) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

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.

His cargo holding backpack has been hung up for good as the courier Sam Porter (Norman Reedus) as he lives a reclusive existence with baby Lou.

But this peaceful existence isn’t to last. His courier services are required once more.

Set in a post-apocalyptic world where the United Cities of America are connected via a Chiral network and the prior governing body known as BRIDGES has been decommissioned in favour of AI.

Although unrecognisable gameplay is within two countries, Mexico and Australia.

Eleven months after the first game, Sam is visited by an old ally Fragile. Thinking he was well hidden, for the protection of Lou, Fragile tracks him down and requests he aides her to expand the Chiral network.

He agrees, but only for the safety and wellbeing of Lou.

This new AI, called APAS uses automated vehicles, and this is where Death Stranding 2: On the Beach has some real differences to the first.

No longer can it be labelled a walking simulator, Sam has access to vehicles for faster travel, and trust me, you need fast travel. Your environments are sparse and wide. While you can opt to walk it, and doing so you may meet a few NPCs, friend, foe or in need, as well as a few pick ups, you’re far better to get a ride.

Vehicles offer some customisation too. Being electric their batteries will die out. Need to go longer, faster? Upgrade with a better battery, if you have it. Need some firepower? Add a gun turret.

Sam must face with some very challenging environmental issues too.

At any moment, both procedurally and sporadically weather changes can go wild, with deadly sandstorms that can immerse from seemingly nowhere, earthquakes can disrupt your path ahead. This is an unforgiving and difficult world for a mild mannered delivery guy.

If you played the first Death Stranding you will notice, soon in to play, a much more amped up level of combat. Here you can choose differing ways to take down a foe via stealth, direct, or simply run a different, at times, more difficult path.

Asides from quick thinking in combat choices you also need employ real world logistics and strategy. Consider the path ahead. The terrain, is Sam’s backpack going to slow him down, can he navigate across perilious rocky outcrops without losing balance and falling to his death.

From delivering supplies to encampments and outworld survivors, to rebuilding infrastructures and more, this is one cinematic masterpiece that graphically out does any other current gen title on any platform.

You can lose yourselves for hours, days even, just exploring the higely vast open world.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach sees Hideo Kojima once again writing and directing the game. Bringing in present day, real world events, as epic as it is, it could also be seen as a warning to humankind.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a game you need to play and likely the only game I’ll give a full 5 / 5 score this year.

The post Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (Review) PlayStation 5 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

I remember the original Bravely Default launch being something special.

Final Fantasy 13 and 13-2 had shown the direction that the iconic JRPG series was going and some of us craved that classic JRPG turn based action. Bravely Default demonstrated to us that Square Enix was able to evolve Final Fantasy and give us something old at the same time with its launch on the 3DS.

Now thirteen years later  Square Enix has released the 3DS port Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster to Switch 2.

If you haven’t played Bravely Default before, it’s a banger.

The story follows the warriors of light who need to restore the 4 elemental crystals who have fallen into darkness. Sounds pretty Final Fantasy like right?

Well, the four heroes are all really interesting. Tiz is the sole survivor of a village that got destroyed by one of the corrupted crystals, Ringabel is an amnesiac trying to figure out what’s going on, Edea left an army that was trying to capture Agnes, and Agnes use to live in service to one of the crystals before it became corrupt. In many ways we have four JRPG tropes mashed into one game, and in other ways the mashing together makes it unique.

Anyway, they all need to work together to uncorrupt the crystals. Their journey takes them across the country as the story has some great twists and turns. It is all very classic JRPG and if that is what you are craving, then it is exceptional at it. The gameplay is pretty standard turn based JRPG action, with attacks and magic on your character’s turn. What is fun is that you get BP that allows the characters to do multiple actions in a turn until they run out of BP, you can go into negatives but have to recover if you do that.

This remaster brings a whole lot of upgrades. The whole game has been tidied up to look way better on Switch and the TV. It still retains it’s janky edged look, but with the games upscaling it looks way more stylised. The cut scenes have been given a much bigger upgrade and looks properly good.

This version comes with some fun new features like the game corner. There is a couple of brand new mini games here that use joy cons that can reward you with some stuff. There is a rhythm game and an airship simulator. The games were perfectly fine, but at least add a nice break to the gameplay to do something different. Doing so can earn you some amazing rewards like being able to increase or decrease the random encounters.

Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster is one of the best cases for a remaster.

The base game is there and still shines, it looks a whole lot nicer, and there are some new features there to make it worth playing for fans of the original. This is a cracker of a release for the Switch 2 and is well worth checking out for JRPG fans.

The post Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster (Switch 2) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Nintendo updates its top-selling Switch console with a new version, imaginatively called the Nintendo Switch 2.

In the box, you’ll find everything you need to get going. There’s the Switch 2 device, two magnetic Joy-Con controllers, two Joy-Con 2 straps, a Joy-Con 2 grip frame, the Switch 2 dock, an HDMI cable, a USB Type-C to Type-A cable and a USB power plug.

Following on from Sony and Microsoft, with their PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles, the Switch 2 doesn’t discard what’s gone before, and instead is more of an update. This means instead of a new console that’ll make your old games obsolete, like in the days of old, most of your OG Switch games will run fine on it, or even better.

This is excellent news, as not only is the console a rather breathtaking AUD $700, but the games, as well, are now over 100 bucks a piece. You may do well to play a few of your old games, albeit in a higher resolution and faster framerate, whilst you save up for some of the new Switch 2 exclusives.

It’s also a bit crafty, as the new console already has a vast day-one library if you count the OG Switch games. Handy, as there are not really that many new Switch 2 games available for launch.

I’ll be open and honest about this. Whilst I’ve found portable gaming systems to be fun, it’s not since the PlayStation Portable that I’ve really got on with them. The PSP blew my mind in that I could play proper FIFA on the go, but it’s been downhill from there.

Perhaps it’s the older I get, the more self-conscious I become. And that, when I’m in a position for a bit of gaming on the go, I feel a grown man with grey hair pulling out a console looks a bit odd.

It could also be that the performance difference between a portable version of a game and a regular console (or PC) is just too great. So, unless I’m a captive audience on a plane or something, I’ll be playing the best version of a game on the most powerful machine (which isn’t going to be a Switch, let’s be honest).

Either way, in spite of trying, I’ve a difficult relationship with portable gaming. Made even more troublesome with the likes of the ROG Ally bringing PC gaming to a portable platform.

Of course, Nintendo brings its exclusives to the table. I bought a GameCube just so I could play The Legend of Zelda: Windwalker. And that was pretty much the same story with the Switch and Breath of the Wild.

The biggest draw for Nintendo’s Switch 2 is the games. With the day one launch of Mario Kart World, as well as updated versions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, joining all those backward compatible Switch games (some of which you can pick up for pennies from the online store), Switch 2 early adopters are laughing.

The Switch 2 feels a lot more robust and grown-up than its predecessor. It seems a lot less like a toy and more like a prestigious, high-end device. It’s not as plasticky as the OG Switch, with slightly more weight.

The way the Joy-Con 2s clip into place with magnets as opposed to sliding on rails adds to that first-class experience. And good news: you can put the Joy-Con 2s on the Switch 2 back to front and upside down. Whilst they still won’t work, unlike their predecessors doing so will not get them stuck in place.

The Joy-Con 2’s straps also just clip into the controllers. Not only do the straps stop you from hurling the Joy-Cons at your TV, but they also become the base that turns the controllers into mice. And you don’t even need a mouse mat to use them as such; they work anywhere, even on your lap.

The button layout of the Joy-Con 2s is identical to that of the original Switch. The shoulder buttons are a bit bigger, and there’s an extra ‘C’ button for the new inclusion of built-in game chat. The Switch 2 also supports Amiibos, which are activated on the right Joy-Con.

Whilst it’s not an OLED screen, which is surprising, considering the cost of the console, it is a very nice and bright LED 1080p HDR display. The 7.9-inch screen is capable of refresh rates up to 120Hz. Compared to the OG Switch’s 6.2-inch 720p SDR screen running up to 60Hz, you can see why it looks an order of magnitude better.

The screen is virtually indestructible. But it’s easy to scratch, though, as there’s a fragile layer of plastic film covering the glass screen. Apparently, this film is to stop the glass screen, if broken, from creating thousands of sharp little shards of glass. If you pick up the Nintendo carry case, you will get a plastic screen protector, but you are better off buying a proper screen protector like the Tempered glass one from amFilm.

The Switch 2 comes with 256GB of UFS 3.1 onboard storage (compared with the OG Switch’s 32GB) and 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM (compared to 4GB LPDDR4). The Switch 2’s storage can be expanded with a microSD Express card. These are not the same as the microSD card for the original or OLED Switch.

The Switch utilises a custom Nvidia Tegra T239 system-on-chip processor featuring an octa-core ARM Cortex-A78C CPU and a 12 SM Ampere GPU. The Nvidia GPU brings with it DLSS upscaling, real-time ray-tracing and variable refresh rates (VRR) using Nvidia’s G-Sync capabilities, just like the company’s PC desktop graphics cards. When docked, the Switch 2 becomes even more powerful, cranking up the processor timings to support 4K HDR with VRR up to 120Hz.

In every way the Switch 2 is an improvement over its predecessor, except that the screen is not OLED. The Joy-Con 2 still having digital triggers instead of analogue is also a bit weird.

Another cool thing about the Switch 2 is that you can use your OG Switch Pro controllers with it. You can also use 3rd-party controllers, like the Gulikit KK3 Max.

The Nintendo Online service +Expansions not only give you access to online saves, but also the free Switch 2 upgrades for the two Zelda games, Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Membership also gives you access to various emulators with loads of old games, including the GameCube emulator with Soul Caliber 2 and The Legend of Zelda: The Windwalker. These libraries are ever-expanding.  Nintendo’s online service is a lot cheaper than other console online subscriptions, and there’s a family option as well that makes it pretty good value.

Both Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom look great on the Switch 2 screen. On the TV, the visuals are crisp and not smudged like they are on the OG Switch. The Wipeout-inspired futuristic racing game, Fast Fusion, is a great budget title that is not only a great game but also shows off the console’s visual prowess.

The Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour is another cheap game that’s worth a look. It should really have been a freebie, but still, it appeals to the nerd in me. The game is an interactive intro to the Switch 2’s technology via demos and mini games. There are quizzes as well as stamps to collect as you discover what’s under the portable console’s hood.

The Switch 2 still lags behind its contemporary consoles in performance. However, Nintendo is not pitching the Switch 2 against either the PlayStation 5 or the Xbox Series X|S. It’s a machine that’s a breed apart, and a significant step up from its predecessor.

If you have already invested in the Nintendo ecosystem with the OG, Lite or OLED Switch, picking up a Switch 2 should be a serious consideration. It’s not cheap, though, especially for a brand that tends to appeal to a younger demographic. You are unlikely, however, to find such a high-quality and versatile portable gaming device with such a unique library at a comparable cost to the Switch 2.

The post Nintendo Switch 2 Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The latest PlayStation exclusive to get a PC port is 2024’s Stellar Blade, just over 12 months after its release on PlayStation 5.

Developed by Shift Up who were known for mobile games released thier first high profile title last year, which had been in development for around 5 years.

Stellar Blade sees you take on the role of Eve. An intergalactic warrior who finds herself in over her head, initially, with the deadly perils that face her.

Gameplay ushers you in, but quickly picks up pace, as Eve evolves in to the herione she is destined to be. During this you will also exerience combo-up and up-skilling.

Weaponry is a bit lax, but Stellar Blade most definitely sees Eve wielding one nasty sword.

And this game is all about the moves. There’s a skill tree where you can hone, fine tune Eve’s moves – the testing out of different fighting techniques makes Eve’s battling abilities unique to you and how you mix and match them.

Graphically, the game is stunning and and after having played through both an early preview and now this full game, I was still left wanting more monsters to slaughter.

Gameplay is a mix. Combat can be deadly if you’re not attentative or strategic.

If you’re not careful you’ll be annihilated over and over again, but making use of stealth, strategy and timed hits you’ll get through. Death places you back at your last checkpoint, depending on how far you progressed at the point you died this can be annoying, enemies all respawn, but you do not lose anything that you have earned.

While there’s definitely some recognisable influences within Stellar Blade, this is a stand-out JRPG, and is one to look out for PC gamers.

The post Stellar Blade (PC) Review appeared first on Shane the Gamer.