The Gamer Guide - Issue 21

The Preamble So, you have stumbled across The Gamer Guide and you are wondering, “Why do I need a guide to gaming?” Well, we will not guide you on how to game, but we will keep you informed as to what the gaming industry has to offer to get you the best gaming experience! Now, the second thing you are probably wondering is, “How did The Gamer Guide start?” Well, it can be a slightly long story. However, the shortened version is that the journey of three Twitch streamers brought them together, and with their passion for gaming, their experiences of streaming, and their love for everything within the world of entertainment… The Gamer Guide was born.

But what exactly is The Gamer Guide? The Gamer Guide is a digital magazine that focuses on everything gaming and streaming. This includes the latest/upcoming releases, reviews on gaming accessories, streaming tips, and even interviews with streamers and industry professionals from across the globe. Our readership is predominantly other gamers and streamers, just like us! We understand that the love and passion for gaming extends far beyond just playing a game, and that is what we are all about!

So, who are the people behind this magazine?

Brandon Sawyer - Content Director Brandon who goes by the name of Sawyer is the Co Owner & Content Director of The Gamer Guide. Predominantly Sawyer is an Xbox Gamer where he mostly plays his Xbox Series X but also has a Gaming PC, a Nintendo Switch, and even a Playstation 5, with a variety of platforms this gives Sawyer the ability to review the latest games for TGG. Sawyers main gaming love is Gears of war and RPGs because who doesn’t love an adventure or some chainsaw slaying with a cheeky blind fire or wall bounce. Due to Sawyers vast knowledge and background within the industry he came together with Emily to form The Gamer Guide.

Emily Welfare - Creative Director Emily, also known as CreativeTrashGaming, came together with Sawyer to form the Gamer Guide, bringing her creative knowledge. Her favourite types of games are those with a compelling story, or those that just make her inner Fantasy Nerd go ballistic. She also likes spooky stuff, not just in the gaming realm but in general, and has a podcast with her two sisters where they discuss all things horror. Emily loves to dabble in the art world often, creating digital art pieces and learning new crafts. A graphics designer in her full time job, Emily is an integral part of the team whom designs the entire layout of our magazines from top to bottom!

Jamie Yong - Operations Manager Jamie joined The Gamer Guide late 2022 as the Operations Manager. With gaming experience in multiple platforms, Jamie’s preferred platform is PC gaming; from aiming down the sights in an FPS to brandishing swords in the world of MMORPGs. Jamie has come on board to bring you content on your favourite creators; from streamers and YouTubers, to cosplayers and artists!

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contents 3

tabletop corner

93

dead rising: deluxe remaster

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zotac

97

creatures of ava

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thumb soldiers

101

astro bot

13

streamplify

105

epic mickey: rebrushed

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soundcore

109

gori: cuddly carnage

21

scuf gaming

113

warhammer: space marine 2

25

powera

117

dragon ball: sparking! zero

27

modiphius

123

p34chx

29

apacer

129

heyatari

31

anker

137

chochyplays

37

crucial

41

corsair

47

gamescom

59

timeless gaming convention

63

creator north

65

logiplay

67

sony state of play

71

gaming news

73

test drive ultimate: solar crown

77

star wars: outlaws

81

spongebob squarepants: the patrick star game

85

kena: bridge of spirits

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dustborn 2

The Gamer Guide's

Tabletop Corner

now available for pre-order!

The highly anticipated Daggerheart game is now available for pre-order!

Need a reminder on what Daggerheart is? Daggerheart is a fantasy tabletop roleplaying game of brave heroics and vibrant worlds that are built together with your gaming group. Create a shared story with your adventuring party, and shape your world through rich, narrative-focused long-term campaign play.

In addition to dice, Daggerheart’s card system makes it easy to get started and satisfying to grow your abilities by bringing your characters’ background and capabilities to your fingertips. Ancestry and Community cards describe where you come from and how your experience shapes your customs and values. Meanwhile, your Subclass and Domain cards grant your character plenty of tantalizing abilities to choose from as your character evolves. Craft your unique character through the cards you choose and the story you tell, and become the hero you want to be!

When pre-ordering, you can choose the Daggerheart Core Set for £59.99, which includes the rule book and the card set, or the Limitied Edition Set for £149.99, which includes a beautifully designed box including a DM screen, character sheets and several sets of dice. Check out the link below to find out more!

www.daggerheart.com 3

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Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

Our wonderful friends at ZOTAC sent over their Magnus One for us to review for you all, The Magnus one is a high end compact Gaming PC to fit all your needs in a small compact design set at a reasonable premium price.

Who are ZOTAC? For those who may be the new to reading our magazine today and not familiar with Zotac lets us first give you an insight to ZOTAC Gaming below.

ZOTAC Gaming is a division of ZOTAC Technology Limited, a company based in Hong Kong. ZOTAC specializes in producing high-performance computer hardware, including NVIDIA GeForce RTX gaming graphics cards, mini PCs, and other computer accessories.

ZOTAC Gaming focuses on creating top-tier hardware designed for gamers and enthusiasts who seek high performance and reliability. They are known for their innovative products like the ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 40 Series and ZBOX mini PCs. Magnus One The ZOTAC MAGNUS ONE is a compact and powerful mini PC designed for a variety of uses, from daily tasks to gaming and content creation.

Here are some key features:

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Connectivity: It offers a range of connectivity options, including HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a, USB 3.1, USB 3.0, Killer WiFi, and Ethernet ports.

Design: The MAGNUS ONE has a compact 8.3-liter chassis, making it a space-saving solution without compromising on performance.

Pros & Cons Let’s dive into some Pros & Cons we found firstly.

Pros: Performance: We of course appreciate the powerful performance, especially for gaming and content creation, thanks to the Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU. Compact Design: The small form factor is great for saving space while still housing high-performance components.

Cooling System: The split-compartment cooling design is effective, keeping the system cool under heavy loads.

Cons:

Processor: It comes with a Intel® Core™ i7-13700 processor, providing robust performance for multitasking and demanding applications.

Noise Levels: I must note that the cooling system can be quite loud, especially when the system is under load.

Graphics: Equipped with a ZOTAC GAMING GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, it supports high-fidelity ray-traced graphics and AI features with DLSS, making it ideal for gaming and creative work.

Upgrade Potential: The upgrade options are somewhat limited due to the compact design and the 500W power supply which is such a shame and id personally find this to be a nightmare to upgrade.

Memory and Storage: The system supports up to 64GB of DDR4 memory and has options for M.2 SSD and 2.5” HDD/SSD, allowing for significant storage and fast data access.

Aesthetics: The design is considered plain for the average gaming aesthetic, like lacking the flashy RGB lighting found in many gaming PCs and this doers give off more Business based look.

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Performance Highlights Now down to key aspects and that’s the performance, how well do games run on the MAGNUS ONE? Let’s dive into that for you.

Graphics: Equipped with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070, the MAGNUS ONE handles modern games at high settings with ease. It performs exceptionally well at 1440p and can even manage 4K gaming for many titles.

Processor: The Intel Core i7 processor ensures smooth gameplay and handles CPU-intensive tasks effectively.

Cooling: The split-compartment cooling design helps maintain performance by keeping the system cool, although it can get a bit noisy under heavy load.

Gaming Benchmarks: Civilization VI: At 1080p and 4K resolutions, the MAGNUS ONE delivers solid performance, though it may be slightly CPU-limited at lower resolutions.

Dota 2: Performs well at 4K with high settings, showcasing the GPU’s capabilities.

Minecraft RTX: Even in a game like Minecraft, ray tracing transforms the visuals, making the game look stunning with realistic water, shadows, and lighting.

Overall Experience: The MAGNUS ONE is a potent performer for gaming, especially at 1440p and 4K resolutions.

It handles a wide range of games effectively, making it a great choice for gamers looking for a compact yet powerful system. And with the combination of the RTX 3070 and DLSS ensures that the MAGNUS ONE can handle ray tracing in modern games effectively, providing both high performance and impressive visual quality.

Price?

The most important point for your budget and if this is for you and that is of course the price point.

Cyberpunk 2077: While more demanding, it can achieve a solid 60 FPS with adjusted settings.

Well the specific version which includes a 4070 retail at £1599.99 which is a premium price and you could in theory build a huge rig for this price with similar if not the same components however this is catered to space and this is the best for space and bang for the buck giving the price is what youd expect to pay.

Ray Tracing Capabilities:

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Real-Time Ray Tracing: The RTX 4070 supports real-time ray tracing, which enhances the visual fidelity of games by simulating the physical behaviour of light. This results in more realistic lighting, shadows, and reflections.

The ZOTAC MAGNUS ONE is well-regarded for its performance, versatility and compact size, making it a solid choice for those who need a powerful mini PC, that being for content creation or gaming use this really can do it all and of course if you struggle for space opt for the MAGNUS ONE. However, potential buyers should be aware of the noise levels and limited upgrade options.

Far Cry 5 and GTA V: These games run smoothly at high settings, providing a great gaming experience.

DLSS (Deep Learning Super Sampling): With DLSS, the MAGNUS ONE can maintain high frame rates while using ray tracing. DLSS uses AI to upscale lower resolution images, providing better performance without sacrificing visual quality.

Gaming Performance: Control: With ray tracing enabled, the MAGNUS ONE delivers smooth gameplay at high settings, showcasing detailed reflections and lighting effects.

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Cyberpunk 2077: The system can handle ray tracing in this demanding title, providing an immersive experience with realistic lighting and shadows.

I, Sawyer here at The Gamer Guide, personally loved this concept but the downfall of upgrade options means swapping this out potentially in 5+ years for another model, now if that’s in your 5 year budget then do go for this if not your going to need something more accessible for your rig upgrades.

From start to finish I was highly impressed with performance and compactness I can safely grade this an 8/10 with the downfall being the noise and of course the upgrade options.

If you too want something like this then you can check out ZOTAC and all their socials below to see if you too need A MAGNUS ONE or one of their other amazing products.

www.zotac.com Facebook: @ZOTAC Instagram: @zotac_official Twitter/X: @ZOTAC YouTube: @zotac_official

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Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

Thumb Soldiers are a UK Designed, UK manufactured, and revolutionising game control, for everyone.

With controller add-on accessories to boost performance, accuracy, aim, control and comfort.

Along with attachments that provide gamers with various disabilities from Cerebral Palsy to arthritis, the freedom to interact with the standard controller in entirely new ways, Thumb Soldiers are upping the way we play.

What are Thumb Soldiers?

Thumb Soldiers are a set of analogue stick attachments designed to enhance gaming performance and accessibility.

Thumb Soldiers have a nice ease of use and a huge improvement that hey bring to gaming precision. We personally appreciate the variety of attachments available, which cater to different gaming needs.

Accessibility: They are particularly praised for their accessibility features, making gaming more inclusive for players with disabilities. The attachments are designed to be compatible with various controllers and provide a more comfortable and precise gaming experience.

Quality and Durability: While these products do seem of high quality and durability we can see some users have reported issues with the instructions being unclear which we could see a

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little and some stated the materials being somewhat delicate and with a heavy handed person right here it did seem like that at first. However the company itself has been commended for its responsive customer service, quickly addressing any issues and providing replacements when necessary.

Overall, Thumb Soldiers seem to be a valuable addition for gamers looking to enhance their control and precision, with a strong emphasis on accessibility and customer support.

What Types are there?

Thumb Soldiers come in various types to cater to different gaming preferences and needs. Here are some of the main types:

Precision Grips: These are designed to enhance accuracy and control, making them ideal for first-person shooters and other games requiring precise movements.

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Comfort Grips: These attachments focus on providing a more comfortable gaming experience, reducing thumb fatigue during long gaming sessions.

Height Extenders: These increase the height of the analog sticks, offering better leverage and control, which can be particularly useful for players with larger hands.

Textured Grips: These grips have a textured surface to prevent slipping, ensuring a firm hold even during intense gameplay.

Accessibility Grips: Specifically designed to make gaming more accessible for players with disabilities, these grips can be customised to suit individual needs.

Each type of Thumb Soldier is designed to enhance different aspects of gaming, from precision to comfort and accessibility.

Which Thumb Soldier do you need?

Choosing the right Thumb Soldier depends on your gaming style and the types of games you play. Here are some tips to help you decide: Identify Your Gaming Needs: Precision: If you play a lot of first-person shooters or games that require precise aiming, consider Precision Grips or Height Extenders. These can help improve your accuracy and control.

Comfort: For long gaming sessions, Comfort Grips are ideal. They reduce thumb fatigue and provide a more comfortable grip.

Accessibility: If you have specific accessibility needs, look for Accessibility Grips that can be customised to your requirements.

Consider Your Controller: Make sure the Thumb Soldiers you choose are compatible with your controller. Most are designed to fit standard controllers, but it’s always good to double-check.

Test Different Types: If possible, try out different types of Thumb Soldiers to see which ones feel best for you. Some stores might have demo units, or you could ask friends if you can try theirs.

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Read Reviews: Look at reviews from other gamers who play similar games. Their experiences can provide valuable insights into which Thumb Soldiers might work best for you.

Think About Your Hand Size: If you have larger hands, Height Extenders might be more comfortable. For smaller hands, standard or low-profile grips could be better. By considering these factors, you can find the Thumb Soldiers that best enhance your gaming experience.

Installing Thumb Soldiers on your controller This is quite straightforward and here is a step-bystep guide to help you: Clean Your Controller: Make sure the analogue sticks on your controller are clean and free of dust or debris. This ensures a secure fit for the Thumb Soldiers.

Align the Thumb Soldiers: Take the Thumb Soldier and align it with the analogue stick on your controller. Most Thumb Soldiers are designed to fit snugly over the existing stick.

Press Down Firmly: Gently but firmly press the Thumb Soldier onto the analogue stick. You should feel it snap into place.

Ensure it’s securely attached and doesn’t wobble.

Adjust as Needed: Once attached, you can adjust the Thumb Soldier to make sure it’s centred and comfortable for your thumb.

Test It Out: Try moving the analogue stick to ensure the Thumb Soldier is properly installed and doesn’t interfere with your gameplay.

Repeat for the Other Stick: If you have a pair of Thumb Soldiers, repeat the process for the other analogue stick. If you encounter any issues or the Thumb Soldiers don’t seem to fit properly, check the instructions provided by the manufacturer or reach out to their customer support for assistance.

Price?

Now for a small add on to your controller how much would you personally pay for this type of product? Well these products range in different forms and are all similar prices retailing at £15 for a regular set or £25 for a combi set which comes with additional knuckles and such. To me for accessibility this price is justified and there’s nothing really like this on the market.

Overall So I tested all of the Thumb Soldiers range and each one did as it said and enhanced each experience, yes it takes some time getting used

to and yes you may be heavy handed at first but patience and perseverance will really go far with this one.

To rate such a product may seem hard as it’s not a product I personally would use as I don’t have accessible needs nor do I want to enhance the game competitively but I can see the market and price is on point too just sometimes the grips did feel like I was going to flick them into oblivion but they stayed in tact and did exactly what they had wanted to do. Overall I will rate this as for accessibility the aspect is great but for me this is a 7/10 product, I do however love to see what’s next for the team at Thumb solders which you should too by checking out their web and socials below.

www.thumbsoldiers.com Facebook: @thumbsoldiers Instagram: @thumbsoldiers Twitter/X: @ThumbSoldiers TikTok: @thumbsoldiers YouTube: @thumbsoldiers

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the ideal creator bundle Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

Our wonderful friends from Overclockers and their great streaming and peripherals brand Streamplify hooked us up with everything you would need to start creating content.

Streamplify sent over three products for us to review and that is their Capture 4K which is a capture card that can capture up to 4K provided some superb gameplay clips to share online, their Cam 4K which again if you plan on streaming a 4K camera is a huge bonus and finally their Mic Pro which without great voice audio you streams will tank and this mic will provide just that.

Who is Streamplifty?

But first, who is Streamplify? Well having previously featured a bunch of their products let us explain to our newer and or unfamiliar readers who Streamplify are. Streamplify is a brand dedicated to making live streaming accessible and straightforward for everyone. They offer a range of high-quality yet affordable products designed for streamers and content creators.

Their lineup includes webcams, microphones, ring lights, green screens, and more. Streamplify aims to simplify the streaming process, ensuring that even beginners can start streaming with ease.

Their products are designed to be user-friendly and provide professional-grade features without breaking the bank.

Capture 4K First up we will start up the Streamplify Capture 4K which is a versatile and high-quality capture card designed for streamers and content creators.

Here are some key points we have gathered.

Features High Resolution: It supports 4K/30Hz streaming capture and up to 4K@60Hz passthrough, ensuring your content is captured in stunning detail.

Low Latency: With ultra-low latency under 100ms, it provides seamless audio-video syncing, crucial for live streaming.

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Audio Quality: The device offers a high sampling rate of 48KHz/24bit, delivering vivid audio capture quality.

Compatibility: It works well with popular platforms like OBS, Twitch, and YouTube, and is compatible with various devices including PCs, gaming consoles, and more.

System Requirements The Streamplify Capture 4K has the following system requirements: Operating System: Windows 10 or later, macOS 10.13 or later Processor: Intel Core i5 or equivalent Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 or later Memory: 8GB RAM Ports: Built-in USB 3.0 port These requirements ensure that your system can handle the high-resolution video capture and low latency performance that the Streamplify Capture 4K offers.

Console Compatibility The Streamplify Capture 4K is highly compatible with a variety of gaming consoles, making it a versatile choice for streamers. Here are some key points:

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Xbox Series X/S: Supports high-resolution capture and passthrough, ensuring your gameplay is streamed in stunning detail.

PlayStation 4 & 5: Works seamlessly with both PS4 and PS5, allowing you to capture and stream your gaming sessions with ease.

Nintendo Switch: Compatible with the Switch, enabling you to stream your favourite Nintendo games without any hassle.

The capture card supports up to 4K@60Hz passthrough and 4K@30Hz capture, ensuring high-quality video output. It also features ultralow latency, which is crucial for maintaining sync between your gameplay and stream.

Warranty The Streamplify Capture 4K comes with a 1-year warranty. This warranty covers any manufacturing defects and ensures that you can get a replacement or repair if something goes wrong with the device within the warranty period.

Price The Streamplify Capture 4K is priced at £109.99 (including VAT) in the UK via Overclockers.

Our Experience Ease of Use: The plug-and-play setup via USB 3.0 makes it accessible even for those who are not tech-savvy.

Design: It has a minimalist and sturdy design, making it portable and durable.

Advanced Features: Supports HDR10 and Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), enhancing the visual experience with vibrant colours and smooth motion.

Overall Impression The Streamplify Capture 4K has a combination of high-quality video and audio capture, ease of use, and advanced features. It’s a great option for both beginners and seasoned steamers looking to elevate their content. The Price point is what you’d expect to pay if not much less than their competitors for a 4k 60 passthrough anyways, a great one year warranty with an ease of replacement provided if something did happen however with two months of heavy usage we found zero flaws right here.

On a budget and want great content but need a capture card Streamplify do have you covered and I can rate this an overall 9/10 as everything it states it does with ease, the slick design simple but nice makes this an easy addition to your setup and to not break the bank too.

CAM 4K Second up we have the Streamplify CAM 4K which is a high-quality webcam designed for streamers and content creators. Here are some key points we have gathered: Features The Streamplify CAM 4K offers several impressive features that make it a great choice for streamers and content creators: 4K UHD Resolution: Captures video in stunning 4K at 30 frames per second, ensuring high-quality, detailed visuals.

Auto-Focus: Quick and accurate auto-focus keeps you in sharp focus, even if you move around.

Wide Field of View: A 105-degree wide-angle lens captures more of your surroundings, ideal for group calls or showing more of your background.

Low-Light Performance: Automatic light correction enhances video quality in dim lighting conditions.

Built-in Microphone: Includes dual omnidirectional microphones for clear audio capture.

Digital Zoom: Features a 5x digital zoom, allowing you to focus on specific details during your stream.

Privacy Shutter: A rotating shutter cover provides instant privacy and audio control.

Flexible Mounting: Comes with a magnetic foot stand for versatile mounting options on monitors, laptops, or tripods.

Plug-and-Play: Easy to set up with no additional drivers required, compatible with most major platforms.

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These features make the Streamplify CAM 4K a versatile and user-friendly option for enhancing your streaming or video conferencing setup.

Design and Build Quality Sleek Design: The webcam has a modern and robust design, with a premium finish that suggests durability.

RGB Lighting: It includes RGB lighting around the lens, adding a stylish touch to your setup.

Mounting Options: The adjustable clip allows for easy mounting on monitors, laptops, or tripods.

Warranty The Streamplify CAM 4K comes with a 1-year warranty. This warranty covers any manufacturing defects, ensuring you can get a replacement or repair if needed within the warranty period.

Price The Streamplify CAM 4K is priced at £83.99 (including VAT) in the UK via Overclockers. Which to me is a very good price and you’d struggle to find anything that produces 4K and 4K well at this price.

Overall Impression

Finally we have the icing of the cake, the final piece to your trio bundle to becoming a creator on a budget and that is the Streamplify Mic Pro which is a highly regarded USB microphone designed for streamers, podcasters, and content creators. Here are some key points we have gathered: Features Audio Quality: The Mic Pro offers studio-quality audio with a sampling rate of 192kHz/24bit, ensuring clear and crisp sound.

Anti-Vibration Mount: It includes an anti-vibration mount to reduce noise from desk movements and vibrations.

Real-Time Audio Adjustment: You can adjust audio settings in real-time without interrupting your stream or recording.

Plug-and-Play: Easy to set up with a USB-C connection, making it accessible even for beginners.

Design and Build Quality Sleek Design: The microphone has a stylish and professional look, with a robust build quality.

The Streamplify CAM 4K has a combination of high-resolution video, ease of use, and thoughtful features. It’s a great option for those looking to enhance their streaming or video conferencing setup without breaking the bank. Again Streamplify know how to make a great product on a budget the only downfall for this is as a creator I wouldn’t use a built in webcam microphone id stick to something like the MIC Pro as an addition as the built in cam mics can pick up anything and everything and that can be a pain which same goes here however the audio is much clearer than any other webcam i’ve used with a built in microphone.

RGB Lighting: It features customizable RGB lighting, adding a touch of flair to your setup.

The design is great, the price is under budget if anything for a 4K camera with some great features and a wonderful design. Again we used this Cam over the course of a two month basis and we saw a wonderful crisp finish on some of the videos we created using this, the digital zoom, high field of view, auto focus and privacy shitter all make this a wonderful choice of webcam.

The Streamplify Mic Pro is priced at £79.99 in the UK via Overclockers. Which is very much so expected and a good price for what you get.

We can easily rate this an 8/10, yes a built in mic is a nice feature but you should always opt for an external one, However the price point is great and the quality is wonderful.

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MIC Pro

Convenient Controls: Includes a volume dial and a mute button for easy control during streams.

Warranty The Streamplify Mic Pro comes with a 1-year warranty. This warranty covers any manufacturing defects, ensuring you can get a replacement or repair if needed within the warranty period.

Price

Overall Impression The Streamplify Mic Pro is praised for its combination of high-quality audio, ease of use, and stylish design. It’s a great option for those looking to upgrade their streaming or recording setup without spending a fortune.

The plug-and-play setup makes it user-friendly, and it works well with various streaming and recording platforms, not to mention the affordability again this price point for a microphone that produces great audio is very rare to come by.

Streamplify Mic Pro is Best for those seeking an affordable, high-quality microphone with essential features and ease of use. However I do think at this price this mic holds its own against a lot of the competitors for example a Yeti mic, the price is better at Streamplify and the build quality triumphs too, I know which id choose!

With all that in mind, another easy 8/10 for such a product which would complete your bundle at becoming an amazing content creator Overall So for around £274 you’re getting a Premium Professional Microphone, a 4K Webcam and a 4K Capture device which to me is under budget as i’ve seen just mics, cams and capture devices more than that alone! Christmas is coming soon and now is the best time more than ever to become a Creator, so what are you waiting for? Head down below to get some Streamplify kit today!

www.streamplify.com Facebook: @Streamplify Instagram: @streamplify_global YouTube: @Streamplify

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space one pro

Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

Once again our wonderful friends over at Anker who create the great audio devices that is called Soundcore have sent us over a very new product and that is the Space One Pros alongside a carry case for this product too, having reviewed the Space ones before this was a pleasure to get a hold of their upgraded versions.

Who is Soundcore?

Once again to our new and unfamiliar readers we will tell you who Soundcore actually are.

Soundcore is a sub-brand of Anker Innovations, launched in 2014. The brand focuses on delivering high-quality, affordable audio products, including wireless earbuds, headphones, and speakers. Soundcore aims to revolutionise audio expectations by combining innovation, experience, and pioneering listener analysis. Soundcore offers a variety of audio products, such as true wireless earbuds, over-ear headphones, and portable Bluetooth speakers. The brand has received multiple awards, including CES Innovation Awards and iF Design Awards.

Soundcore products feature advanced technologies like BassUp™, HearID™, and SweatGuard™. Soundcore products are available in many international markets, including the UK, US, and Japan.

Soundcore is known for its commitment to quality and affordability, making it a popular choice among consumers looking for reliable audio solutions.

Space One Pros The Soundcore Space One Pro by Anker is a premium pair of headphones with unique features and a wonderful foldable design.

Design and Build The Space One Pro features a sleek and modern design with a focus on portability. The innovative FlexiCurve™ Structure allows the headphones to fold into a compact shape, reducing their size by

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50%. This makes them highly portable and easy to carry in a bag or even a coat pocket. The overear design with cushioned cups ensures comfort during long listening sessions.

Noise Cancelling One of the standout features is the four-stage noise cancelling system. This system adapts to different environments, effectively blocking out a wide range of ambient sounds. This makes the Space One Pro ideal for use in noisy environments like public transport or busy offices.

Audio Quality The headphones are equipped with advanced drivers and triple composite diaphragms, supporting LDAC mode for high-resolution audio.

This ensures clear, detailed, and distortion-free sound. The audio performance is impressive, with a balanced sound profile that handles various music genres well.

Battery Life The Space One Pro offers up to 60 hours of playback without noise cancelling and 40 hours with it turned on. Additionally, a quick five-minute charge provides up to eight hours of playback, making them convenient for users on the go.

Comfort and Usability The headphones are designed for all-day comfort with a pressure-relieving headband and soft earcups. However, some users have noted that the button layout can be less intuitive, which might take some getting used to.

Price While the Space One Pro is more expensive than its predecessor at £150, the additional features and improvements justify the higher price. They offer excellent value for those looking for premium noise-cancelling headphones.

Overall The Soundcore Space One Pro headphones are a strong contender in the premium headphone market. They combine advanced noise cancelling, high-resolution audio, long battery life, and a portable design, making them a great choice for audiophiles and frequent travellers alike.

We had the pleasure of using these headphones for around a month before this review came to light and I must say comfort is a 10/10 the battery life is amazing and the built in features are

second to none. The Space One Pros however are a premium pair of headphones and with that will come a premium price but this is not that premium compared to others on the market, with built in features that even recognise you talking to silent audio, making this perfect and easy for on the go.

I, Sawyer, here at The Gamer Guide, found these headphones an easy sell and a comfortable addition to my everyday use. To rate such a product would be an easy 9/10 as all the features are there, which you want with great comfort and even accessories option like a carry case but again to avoid a 10 is the premium price to some but overall you get what you pay for and this is totally worth the money.

On that note you know you want a pair! So head down below to check out Soundcore and all their products!

www.soundcore.com Facebook: @soundcoreaudio Instagram: @soundcoreaudio Twitter/X: @soundcoreaudio

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xbox instinct pro

Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

Our wonderful friends over at Scuf Gaming hooked us up with their fantastic super premium Instinct Pro controller which is a highly used premium controller for many professional controller players and we could see why!

Who is Scuf?

Instinct Pro – Ascension Design

First for our readers who may have been living under a rock and have no idea who Scuf is, let us explain to you below.

Scuf hooked us up with their Instinct Pro which comes in a range of designs which all are super unique and beautifully finished.

Scuf Gaming is a company that specialises in creating high-performance, customizable gaming controllers and accessories. They cater to platforms like PlayStation, Xbox, and PC. Scuf Gaming is well-known among serious gamers and esports professionals for their innovative features, such as:

The Scuf Instinct Pro Ascension is a highperformance gaming controller designed for competitive gamers. Here are some key points from various reviews:

Rear paddles: Allowing for more complex control schemes.

Adjustable sensitivity.

triggers:

Providing

customizable

Customizable designs: Offering a range of aesthetic options to suit personal preferences.

Their products are designed to enhance gameplay and provide a competitive edge.

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Design and Comfort: The controller has a brilliant ergonomic design, which is similar to the Xbox Series X|S controller but with added features like textured grips and customizable paddles. The four rear paddles are easy to use and do not add extra fatigue during gameplay.

Performance: The Instinct Pro Ascension features instant triggers that can be toggled on or off, providing a snappy, mouse-like click for faster response times. This is particularly beneficial for first-person shooters which we got to test out with the Call Of Duty Blacks Ops 6 Beta which gave us a huge advantage using this controller.

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Customization: It offers extensive customization options, including adjustable triggers and interchangeable thumb sticks. The controller also includes a new Share button, maintaining all the functionalities of a standard Xbox controller.

Build Quality: The build quality is highly regarded, with durable materials and a premium feel. However, it comes at a higher price point compared to other controllers, which might be a consideration for some users.

Price?

The Scuf Instinct Pro Ascension is priced at £199.99 in the UK. In the US, it typically costs around $219.99. Which is a very premium price range making this one of the more expensive controllers in the market however once you obtain one you can certainly see why its price at this, as the saying goes you get what you pay for and with this the bang is certainly there for the buck.

Customization: Both controllers offer customization, but the Scuf Instinct Pro’s instant triggers and interchangeable thumb sticks provide a bit more flexibility.

Scuf Instinct Pro vs. Astro C40 TR Modularity: The Astro C40 TR is known for its modular design, allowing users to swap out thumb stick and D-pad modules. The Scuf Instinct Pro doesn’t offer this level of modularity but excels in other areas like rear paddles and instant triggers.

Performance: Both controllers are highly responsive and suitable for competitive gaming, but the Scuf Instinct Pro’s instant triggers give it a slight edge in fast-paced games.

Overall Comparison

Comparison to its competitors

Price: The Scuf Instinct Pro is priced similarly to other premium controllers, making it a competitive option in terms of value for money.

The Scuf Instinct Pro stands out among premium controllers for several reasons. Here’s a comparison with some other popular high-end controllers:

Unique Features: The instant triggers and four rear paddles are standout features that set the Scuf Instinct Pro apart from its competitors.

Scuf Instinct Pro vs. Xbox Elite Series 2 Customization: Both controllers offer extensive customization options, but the Scuf Instinct Pro has the edge with its four rear paddles compared to the Elite Series 2’s two.

Triggers: The Scuf Instinct Pro features instant triggers that can be toggled for a mouse-like click, which is not available on the Elite Series 2.

Build Quality: Both controllers are built with highquality materials, but the Elite Series 2 includes a built-in rechargeable battery, while the Scuf Instinct Pro uses AA batteries or a rechargeable pack.

Scuf Instinct Pro vs. Razer Wolverine Ultimate Ergonomics: The Scuf Instinct Pro is praised for its ergonomic design and comfortable grip, while the Razer Wolverine Ultimate is also comfortable but slightly bulkier.

Buttons: The Razer Wolverine Ultimate features additional remappable buttons on the front, whereas the Scuf Instinct Pro focuses on rear paddles.

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Each of these controllers has its strengths, so the best choice depends on your specific needs and preferences. However for me I’d pick the Scuf controller out of the bunch.

Warranty?

Scuf Gaming offers a warranty and customer support for their products. Here are the details: Standard Warranty: Scuf Gaming provides a 6-month warranty on their controllers, covering defects in materials and workmanship.

Extended Warranty: You can purchase an extended warranty for an additional fee, which extends the coverage period.

Customer Support Support Channels: Scuf Gaming offers customer support through various channels, including email, phone, and live chat on their website.

Help Center: They have an extensive online help centre with FAQs, troubleshooting guides, and instructional videos to assist with common issues.

Repair Services: If your controller needs repair, Scuf Gaming offers repair services, which can be arranged through their customer support. For me the free warranty period does seem a little short and having used this controller for over a month now there seems to be zero issuers thus far and that includes zero stick drift!

Overall We would consider the Scuf Instinct Pro as a toptier controller for those looking to enhance their gaming experience with advanced features and superior ergonomics.

The premium price point is justified but will not cater to everyone’s budget and as you can see its competitors are priced at the same too so this is a niche and an over budget one at that but you can tell once you own one why.

I, Sawyer, here at The Gamer Guide, have used this controller every day for a month straight playing games like Star Wars Outlaws to Call of Duty Blacks Ops 6 and Warzone and I personally loved every minute the easy change options and mouse click like trigger really do push the boat out.

If I was to rate a product I’d give this a solid 9/10 as I came into no problems and the designs really do look amazing with future huge collabs dropping soon, The price point is the main concern but again if you want premium and the best you’re going to pay for that. I however would recommend this for anyone who wants to up their game and get ahead. It even helps to take down those who try hard and sweats for any casual. So what are you wanting for? Head below to check out Scuf and all their socials! I look forward to seeing more opt for Scuf as their go to controller soon that being Xbox and or PlayStation!

www.scufgaming.com Facebook: @ScufGaming Instagram: @scufgaming Twitter/X: @scufgaming Twitch: @scufgaming YouTube: @scufgamingtv

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wired budget friendly controller Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

We recently met up with PowerA during our time at Gamescom in which they showed us some amazing things coming soon which we can’t wait to share with you all, however today we have their UK Argos exclusive super budget friendly wired controller and they even sent it in Pink!

Who are PowerA Now for those who do not know who PowerA let us tell you who they are. PowerA is an American company that specialises in creating video game accessories.

They are known for producing officially licensed controllers and other peripherals for major gaming platforms like Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, and mobile gaming. Some of their popular products include the MOGA line of controllers and various enhanced wired and wireless controllers for the Nintendo Switch.

PowerA focuses on performance, quality, and enhancing the gaming experience for users.

PowerA Argos Special Wired Controller The PowerA Wired Controller for Xbox Series X/S, available at Argos, is a popular choice for gamers looking for a budget-friendly yet reliable option.

Here are some key points from reviews: Build Quality and Comfort: The controller is praised for its solid build and comfortable design.

The smooth plastic feels good in the hand, and its lighter weight makes it suitable for younger players.

Performance: Buttons are responsive and snappy, and the rumble feature is surprisingly strong for a controller in this price range. The 10ft cable is sturdy and comes with a velcro strip for easy storage.

Simplicity: This controller is straightforward to

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use with a plug-and-play setup. It lacks advanced features like back buttons or trigger locks, making it a great option for those who prefer simplicity.

Price At around £24.99, it offers excellent value for money, providing a high-quality gaming experience without breaking the bank.

Colour Options?

The PowerA Wired Controller for Xbox Series X|S comes in a variety of colours and designs. Some of the available options include: Cotton Candy Blue Pink Lemonade Lavender Swirl Additionally, the Spectra Infinity Enhanced Wired Controller offers customizable LED lighting with multiple colour combinations, allowing you to change the look of your controller to match your style.

What do we think?

Build Quality: Many users find the build quality to be decent, especially considering the price. The controllers are lightweight and comfortable for extended gaming sessions.

Longevity: Some users report that their controllers have lasted over a year with regular use. However, there are also reports of issues like stick drift and button wear after a few months.

On this we have tested this product out for just over a month with everyday use and we can safely say it had no stick drift and still feels brand new, however if it was to last a year of everyday use I think that’s a wonderful £25 well spent.

Specific Issues: A few users have mentioned problems with the 3.5mm headphone jack and the durability of the cable. The buttons and triggers, while functional, may feel cheaper compared to official controllers.

To touch on these issues, our headphone jack after one month of use seemed to work as it was supposed to and the wired cable seemed to have zero wear but again a year may be different. As for the shell feeling cheap, it is £24.99. This is intended for casual gamers who just want a nice colour and to relax, it’s expected but it’s no problem on our end, it felt nice and looked wonderful.

Warranty: PowerA offers a two-year limited warranty on their controllers, which provides some assurance of their commitment to quality.

So in terms of one year life they will legit replace it brand new in that time frame which is a massive win for the team at PowerA.

Overall While PowerA controllers are a good budgetfriendly option, they may not be as durable as higher-end controllers. It’s a trade-off between cost and longevity but the warranty alone at least guarantees you two years. The PowerA Wired Controller is a solid choice for gamers who need a reliable and affordable controller without the extra bells and whistles. This for me would be ideal for your casual gamers and even your children as the colours can appeal to all genders making this your go to stocking filler this year.

For me and my 6 year old daughter in her words “this is super cool dad and my favourite colour too” this is a win for budget and for casual gaming, not to mention PowerA do have high end controllers too which you should all check out as well especially one being announced this Month!

This product stands out at a comfortable 9/10 from me Sawyer here at The Gamer Guide, the price, feel and look alone bring this one out as a great choice. If you too like what you see and want to get ahead of the game for your kids then head over to PowerA and the socials below.

www.powera.com Facebook: @PowerAExperience Instagram: @powera_gaming Twitter/X: @PowerA Twitch: @powera_gaming YouTube: @PowerA

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fallout factions - battle for nuka world Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

The wonderful team over at Modiphius sent over their Fallout Factions – Nuka world tabletop starter set to review and showcase for you all.

Who are Modiphius?

Before we dive into this game let us first tell you about the team behind it and that is the wonderful Modiphius.

Modiphius Entertainment is a London-based publisher of tabletop games, including role-playing games (RPGs), board games, and miniatures. Founded in 2012 by Chris Birch and his wife Rita Birch, the company initially gained attention with their game Achtung! Cthulhu.

Key Highlights:

Gameplay

Diverse Portfolio: Modiphius has developed games based on popular franchises like Fallout, Star Trek, Conan the Barbarian, and The Elder Scrolls.

Fast and Fun: The game is praised for its quick and engaging gameplay, making it accessible and enjoyable.

Innovative Systems: They are known for their 2d20 game system, which is used in several of their RPGs. Community Engagement: They often use Kickstarter to fund their projects, engaging directly with their fanbase.

Notable Games: • • • •

Fallout: Wasteland Warfare Star Trek Adventures Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of The Elder Scrolls: Call to Arms

Modiphius is celebrated for its high-quality miniatures and immersive storytelling, making it a favourite among tabletop gaming enthusiasts.

Fallout: Factions – Battle for Nuka World Fallout: Factions - Nuka World is a miniature wargame set in the Fallout universe, specifically 27

Thematic Depth: It captures the essence of the Fallout universe with its detailed miniatures and thematic elements.

Campaign System: The campaign system is welldesigned, allowing for character progression and strategic depth.

Factions The Pack: Known for their brutal and animalistic nature, they excel in close combat.

The Operators: A crime syndicate with a focus on long-range weapons.

The Disciples: Thriving on chaos and violence, they bring a unique playstyle to the game.

Components The starter set includes everything needed to start playing, except for modelling glue. It features 10 multipart models for each faction, a rulebook, and a paper playmat.

Pros and Cons Pros: Fast gameplay, rich Fallout flavour, and a comprehensive starter set.

Cons: Some might find the Raiders less iconic compared to other Fallout factions.

Price?

So Modiphius sent us over the Fallout Faction Battle for Nuka World Starter Kit which retails at £85 which to me for the models alone is an absolute bargain to get you into a whole new level of gaming this price is an absolute steal!

Overall We had an absolute blast diving into Fallout: Factions – Battle for Nuka World which offered a compelling and immersive experience for fans of

the Fallout series and miniature wargames alike just like us.

It has a different feel to it and every aspect was more immersive and super fun. We also played with some people who had never played a table top game in their life and they got so involved that they went and bought a handful of sets for their own home to use and submerge into which was lovely to see.

Fallout Faction Battle for Nuka World is priced very well targets all Fallout fans and brings an immersive experience like no other, For me Sawyer a newbie to Tabletop this is an easy 9/10 which we would recommend to any and all gamers not to mention Moidphius do some fantastic other ranges in regard to gaming you totally should check out. So with that in mind head below to their site! you will be eagerly impressed.

www.modiphius.net Facebook: @Modiphius Instagram: @modiphius Twitter/X: @Modiphius YouTube: @Modiphius

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2TB MAGSAFE PORTABLE SSD

Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

Our wonderful friends over at Apacer sent over their latest product and that is the 2TB MagSafe Portable SSD which seems to be a game changer for on the go storage.

Who are Apacer?

For new and unfamiliar readers let us first go into who Apacer actually are.

Apacer Technology Inc. is a Taiwanese multinational corporation that specializes in designing and marketing consumer electronics, memory modules, and digital storage hardware and software. They are well-known for their innovative data storage solutions, including industrial SSDs, memory modules, memory cards, and USB flash drives. Apacer’s products are widely used in various digital media applications, ensuring reliable and high-performance data storage and transfer.

Apacer AS725 Magnetic USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C Portable SSD Apacer sent over their all new 2TB Portable SSD which had a new innovation to it which we rarely see and that’s being Mag Safe compatible allowing you to have this attached to your iPhone on the go, cool right?

The Apacer AS725 Magnetic USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C Portable SSD is a versatile and high-performance storage solution. Here are some key points from various reviews: Design and Portability: The AS725 is designed to be lightweight and compact, weighing only 52 grams and with a thickness of just 1.05 cm. It features a stylish matte black circular design and includes a hanging lanyard for easy carrying.

Magnetic Attachment: This SSD is compatible

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with MagSafe technology, allowing it to attach magnetically to mobile phones for easy capacity expansion. This feature is particularly useful for mobile video recording and other on-the-go applications.

Performance: The AS725 offers impressive read and write speeds of up to 1,000 MB/s, thanks to its USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface. This ensures fast data transfers, making it suitable for tasks that require quick access to large files.

Durability: It meets military-grade standards for shock resistance, having passed the U.S. military standard MIL-STD-810G 516.6 Procedure IV (Transit Drop Test). This means it can withstand drops from up to 1.22 metres without damaging the data.

Capacity Options: The AS725 is available in various capacities, ranging from 256GB to 2TB, allowing users to choose the option that best fits their storage needs. The Apacer AS725 Magnetic USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C Portable SSD is greatly Compatible with MagSafe, optimised for mobile video recording.

This product attaches magnetically to mobile phones for easy capacity expansion with a great capacity is up to 2TB and only weighing at 52 grams, making it lightweight, compact, and easy to carry. USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface, read and write speeds can reach up to 1,000 MB/s which is great for on the go if anything. Passed the U.S. military standard MIL-STD-810G 516.6 Procedure IV (Transit Drop Test) so do not worry if you accidently drop this on the go it has been tested and your storage will be secure.

Price?

data transfer on the go.

The price of the Apacer AS725 Magnetic USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C Portable SSD varies depending on the storage capacity:

We tested this product out with an iPhone 15 Pro and found the storage solution was easily one of the best for on the go having it attached to MagSafe and not fall off once was a game changer for on the go storage, we captured a lot of footage that all processed superbly too.

256GB: Approximately £70-£80 512GB: Approximately £100-£110 1TB: Approximately £150-£160 2TB: Approximately £250-£260.

Now to me that price isn’t actually that bad for what comes with the product. It isn’t as budget friendly but it’s priced what you’d expect with everything included. However these prices are estimates and can vary based on the retailer and any ongoing promotions. As again we are struggling to find anywhere to purchase this here in the UK. Overall The Apacer AS725 Magnetic USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C Portable SSD is a robust and efficient storage solution, ideal for users who need reliable and fast

However again with Apacer products a simple google search shows that it is near impossible to purchase here in the UK which Apacer really should make this more accessible for their audience.

The product itself is superb and I would personally rate it a 8/10 however again down to availability its lacking that massively, Apacer please make these items buyable from maybe Amazon ro your own website, places very known with busy traffic here in the UK you’d sell a lot more, so sadly my score will have to drop out of the feature here as it’s just not purchasable right now. However keep up to date with Apacer as they may change this soon.

www.apacer.com Facebook: @Apacer.global Twitter/X: @ApacerGlobal YouTube: @Apacer1997

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anker prime

Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

Our wonderful friends over at Anker just recently launched their all new Prime range which is Anker’s latest lineup of advanced multi-device fast chargers. Now Anker sent over their Supercharged Multi-Port Desktop Charging Station, their 100W Powerful and Portable Wall charger and their Ultra durable fast-charging cable.

Now before we get into these products let us introduce Anker to any potential new and unfamiliar readers.

Who are Anker?

Anker Innovations, commonly known as Anker, is a Chinese electronics company founded in 2011

by Steven Yang. The company is headquartered in Changsha, Hunan, China. Anker is renowned for its innovative charging technology, including wireless chargers, car chargers, and portable power banks. They are a global leader in this field, pioneering Power Delivery technology to charge phones, tablets, and laptops at unprecedented speeds.

Anker’s product range extends beyond chargers to include smart home devices under the Eufy brand, audio products under the Soundcore brand, and portable projectors under the Nebula brand.

They also have a presence in various international markets, including the UK, US, Japan, and Singapore.

Anker Prime Anker Prime is Anker’s latest lineup of advanced multi-device fast chargers. These chargers are designed to provide ultra-fast, efficient charging for multiple devices simultaneously. Here are some key features: High Power Output: Anker Prime chargers can deliver up to 250W of power, making them capable of charging even the most demanding devices quickly1.

Multiple Ports: They come with multiple USB-C and USB-A ports, allowing you to charge several devices at once.

Smart Screen Display: Some models feature an

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intuitive smart screen display that shows the charging status of your devices.

App and Wi-Fi Control: You can manage your charging settings via a smartphone app and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Compact Design: Despite their high power, these chargers are compact and portable, making them ideal for travel.

Supercharged Station

Multi-Port

Desktop

Charging

First up we have the Supercharged Multi-Port Desktop Charging Station which is a powerful and versatile charging solution designed to handle multiple devices simultaneously. Here are some key features of the product below.

Ultra-Powerful USB-C Desktop Charger: Experience the convenience of powering six devices at once with Anker Prime charging station’s ultra-powerful 200W output.

Each USB-C Supports 100W Max: When using two USB-C ports simultaneously, each can provide up to 100W of power, transforming charging times for high-demand devices. Charge two 14” MacBook Pros to 50% in just 28 minutes.

6 Devices, 1 Charger: Power six devices simultaneously in one convenient location, keeping all your tech ready and fully charged. It’s the ideal USB-C desktop charger for managing multiple devices.

The USB-C Charger That Protects: Anker’s exclusive MultiProtect and ActiveShield 3.0

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system deliver comprehensive safety, continuously monitoring charging temperatures to ensure your devices charge safely.

What You Get: Anker Prime Charger (200W, 6 Ports, GaN), 5 ft AC power cord, welcome guide, 24-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.

Price?

This product retails at around £79.99 which for the capability of such a product is a very good price point.

What do we think?

The Anker Prime Supercharged Multi-Port Desktop Charging Station is great especially for its ability to charge multiple devices efficiently.

We really appreciate the compact design, which makes it easy to carry and use in various settings, from home offices to travel.

Overall, this charging station is an excellent choice for anyone needing a reliable and powerful multi-device charger. It combines high power output, advanced safety features, and a user-friendly design, making it a standout product in the market.

100W Powerful and Portable Wall charger The Anker Prime 100W Powerful and Portable Wall Charger is a versatile and compact charging solution designed for high efficiency and portability. Here are some key features of the product below.

100W Multi-Device Fast Charger: Power up three devices simultaneously with a total of 100W output through two USB-C and one USB-A port for efficient power distribution.

Maximum Power with USB-C: Each USB-C port delivers a full 100W, efficiently charging your 14inch MacBook Pro (M3 Pro) from 0 to 50% in just 30 minutes.

Super Compact: Its foldable prongs and compact design make it perfect for on-the-go use, easily fitting into any bag or pocket without the bulk.

No More Loose Connections: Built to remain firmly connected with thicker prongs for

improved grip, a well-balanced design for steady support, and drop-proof structure.

What You Get: Anker Prime Charger (100W, 3 Ports, GaN), welcome guide, 24-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.

Price?

This product retails at around £69.99 which for the capability, portability and efficiency of such a product is a very good price point but on a more premium aspect however to get such a fast charger requires a very strong plug and with this id pick it any day.

What do we think?

The Anker Prime 100W Powerful and Portable Wall Charger is a versatile and compact charging solution designed for high efficiency and portability. With a fantastic ability to deliver powerful charging in a compact form factor.

We appreciate its ability to charge multiple devices at once without sacrificing speed or efficiency.

The GaN technology not only makes it smaller but also ensures it remains cool during operation, enhancing safety and longevity. The charger is superb for its versatility and compatibility with a wide range of devices, including laptops, smartphones, tablets, and more. Its foldable prongs and lightweight design make it a convenient choice for those who need a reliable charger on the go.

Overall, the Anker Prime 100W Wall Charger is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a powerful, portable, and safe charging solution.

Ultra durable fast-charging cable The Anker Prime Ultra Durable Fast-Charging Cable is designed to provide reliable, high-speed charging with exceptional durability.

Ultra-Powerful 240W Charging: Lead a more efficient life with the capability to boost a 16-inch MacBook Pro (M3 Pro) to 50% in just 26 minutes, thanks to the 240W power. (Note: This cable does not support screen mirroring.)

100-Year Bend Durability: Engineered to withstand over 300,000 bends, this cable offers peace of mind for decades to come.

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Extreme Temperature Resilience: Keep your devices powered in any climate, performing flawlessly even after 72 hours in extreme temperatures from -40°F to 176°F. (Note: Please check that your devices can operate in extreme environments before use.)

Sustainably Made Cable: Support a greener future with each use, featuring an outer layer crafted from 100% post-consumer recycled materials.

What You Get: Anker Prime USB-C to USB-C Cable (240W, Upcycled-Braided), cord organizer, welcome guide, 24-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.

Price?

This product comes in 3ft and 6ft lengths with the 3ft retailing at £19.99 and the 6ft retailing at £22.99 which for us leads it to being spot on for price with its fast charging super durability. I doubt you’d find anything that does the same for the same price.

What do we think?

We highly praise this for its combination of power, durability, and sustainability. We appreciate its ability to charge devices quickly and reliably, even in harsh conditions. Its durability is a standout feature, with the cable designed to endure extensive use without fraying or breaking. This makes it an excellent choice for those who need

a robust and reliable charging solution for their devices.

Overall, the Anker Prime Ultra Durable FastCharging Cable is a top-tier option for anyone looking for a high-performance, eco-friendly charging cable.

To Summarise There is more to Anker Primes range but sadly we only got the products for you today, we would have loved to have dived into the 250W Prime chargers but these were not available at the time.

However overall the products we did get to test we now use daily and can safely say they charge multiple devices super-fast and are wonderful products, we seemed to find zero faults with just maybe the price range being out of the budget friendly range just being a downfall for some but this product is premium built and works how you’d intend with nothing like this on the market at this price.

For me Sawyer here at The Gamer Guide I can safely rate these a 9/10 with a recommended purchase for those looking to fast charge devices at home or on the go without the dreaded wait. If this all sounds great to you then you can head on below to Anker Prime and pick up some products today!

Website: www.anker.com Facebook: @Anker X: @AnkerOfficial YouTube: @Anker TikTok: @ankerofficial

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crucial p310 gen4 nvme m.2 2280 ssd tm

Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

Our wonderful friends over at Crucial sent over their all new P310 Gen4 NVMe m.2 2280 SSD to review which is 2x faster than the previous generation.

Having featured Crucial for quite some time now we were eager to review their products once more, however we are constantly gaining new viewers/readers and if that is you who is reading now then please let us introduce you to who Crucial are.

Who is Crucial?

Crucial is a brand that specializes in computer memory (RAM) and storage solutions. They are known for producing high-quality memory modules and solid-state drives (SSDs) that are used in a wide range of computers, from personal desktops and laptops to servers. Crucial is a subsidiary of Micron Technology, one of the largest memory manufacturers in the world.

The Crucial® P310 The Crucial® P310 Gen4 NVMe™ SSD, delivering read speeds up to 7,100MB/s, making it a highspeed gaming storage solution. Engineered with the latest Micron® 3D NAND technology, the Crucial P310 can level up your gaming experience in generous capacities and offers backward compatibility, performing 2x faster than Gen3 SSDs. Target audience The P310 Gen4 NVMe SSD in the M.2 2280 form factor is best for gamers looking to expand their storage and increase their load speed.

Compatibility This easy-to-install SSD offers secure, efficient

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space for all your Gen4 laptop and desktop files, along with PlayStation®5 and Gen3 backward compatibility. SSDs with heatsinks are not compatible with laptops. Please choose the P310 without heatsink for your laptop upgrade.

Shift up to Gen4 speed Built with Micron® Advanced 3D NAND, P310 Gen4 SSDs offer blazing fast sequential reads up to 7,100MB/s1 — 2x faster than the previous generation and 20x faster than SATA. Speed up your bootups, file transfers, and game loads without compromising on quality.

All work or more play.

Don’t let dull performance slow you down. With up to 2TB of storage and 20% better performance than other Gen4 SSDs, you can do it all faster, including gaming, booting Windows, running apps like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, or Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint.

Boost your game storage Instead of buying a new laptop, upgrade with the dependable P310 NVMe SSD and level up your strategy and laptop lifecycle. This easy-to-install SSD offers secure, efficient space for all your Gen4 laptop and desktop files, along with PlayStation®5

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and Gen3 backward compatibility. SSDs with heatsinks are not compatible with laptops. Please choose the P310 without heatsink for your laptop upgrade.

•

Provides up to 40% better performance-topower ratio than our previous Gen4 SSD

•

Integrated power loss immunity

Discover power efficiency

•

Active garbage collection

Crucial helps you win when it comes to speed, space, and performance, which is why the P310 Gen4 SSD’s performance-to-power ratio is up to 40% better than our previous Gen4 SSD. Get more done with the same8 battery life.

•

TRIM support

•

Self-monitoring and reporting technology (SMART)

•

Error correction code (ECC)

•

User password security (TCG Pyrite) NVMe low power modes supported

Crucial P310 features: •

Sequential read/writes up to 7,100/6,000MB/s

•

Capacity: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB

•

•

Backward compatibility with Gen3

Performance at a glance:

•

Generation: PCIe 4.0 NVMe™ technology

•

Heatsink version coming soon

•

Warranty: 5-year limited

P310 2280 1TB Seq reads (MB/s) 7,100 Seq writes (MB/s) 6,000 Random reads (IOPS) 1M Random writes (IOPS) 1.2M Endurance (TBW) 220

Product Highlights: •

SHIFT UP TO GEN4: Gen4 performance at up to 7,100MB/s — Speed up your bootups, file transfers, and game loads without compromising on quality

•

EXTEND LIFECYCLE AND STORAGE: Increase your device’s capacity and lifecycle to store more of what matters

•

FASTER GAMEPLAY AND BOOTUPS: Nearly 20% faster performance in bootups and gameplay

•

BETTER PRODUCTIVITY: Up to 20% faster performance in real world tasks compared to other Gen4 SSDs when booting Windows, starting applications like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, and working in applications like Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint

•

POWER EFFICIENCY: Provides up to 40% better performance-to-power ratio than our previous Gen4 SSD so you can get more done with the same battery life

Advanced features: •

Heatsink version PlayStation®5 compatible

•

2x faster than previous generation

•

Multistep data integrity algorithm

•

Nearly 20% faster performance in loading seamless gameplay

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2TB 7,100 6,000 1M 1.2M 440

Product numbers and pricing Coming soon: P310 NVMe SSD with heatsink CT500P310SSD8 Crucial® P310 500GB PCIe® Gen4 NVMe™ M.2 2280 SSD $64.99 € 69.60 £58.78 CT1000P310SSD8 Crucial® P310 1TB PCIe® Gen4 NVMe™ M.2 2280 SSD $94.99 € 101.73 £85.91 CT2000P310SSD8 Crucial® P310 2TB PCIe® Gen4 NVMe™ M.2 2280 SSD $149.99 € 160.64 £135.65 Overall The Crucial P310 Gen4 NVMe™ M.2 2280 SSD is a fantastic addition to the market with sixes of up to 2TB at a very reasonable cost, super-fast read and

write speeds and compatibility with many PCs and even some gaming handhelds out there.

During our testing period we found that all these scores and speeds were not a fraction off and helped load up many games in a matter of seconds, with the new low-cost price range you’d be a sucker to not opt for Crucial and their all new P310 range. With a heatsink option dropping soon to make these even more compatible for the PS5 this is not only great on speed but budget too. We

had zero flaws with this product and as always crucial seem to set the bar above and beyond with their products, which we can easily rate this one with a 9/10 and a highly recommended purchase.

A 2TB is what we recommend for this price and at these speeds you’d struggle to find anyone cheaper for this quality, If you are in the market for such a SSD then please do head below and pick one up or something else Crucial sells as you can see their web and socials below.

uk.crucial.com Facebook: @CrucialMemory X: @CrucialMemory Instagram: @crucial_memory YouTube: @CrucialMemory

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hs80 rgb wireless gaming headset Reviewed by: Jamie Yong CORSAIR very kindly sent us their updated HS80 RGB wireless gaming headset to review. The HS80 is CORSAIR’s middle of the range headset, aimed at gamers who are looking to upgrade from their budget headset but aren’t quite ready to splash out on the top of the range premium ones. The HS80 is designed to be a nice middle ground; a headset with some of the premium features while maintaining an affordable price tag.

CORSAIR is a brand that most gamers would have at least heard of in passing, but just incase, here’s a little bit about who they are.

Who are CORSAIR? CORSAIR is a leading global developer and manufacturer of high-performance gear and technology for gamers, content creators, and PC enthusiasts. From award-winning PC components and peripherals, to premium streaming equipment, smart ambient lighting, and esports coaching services, CORSAIR delivers a full ecosystem of products that work together to enable everyone, from casual gamers to committed professionals, to perform at their very best.

CORSAIR HS80 RGB Wireless Gaming Headset The HS80 RGB is CORSAIR’s mid-range wireless headset benefitting from some premium features that has been trickled down from CORSAIR’s top of the range models.

Design This headset is designed to be a gaming headset, and the aesthetics leans into it. It has a clean and sleek look with a minimalistic design in terms of branding, and it is available in two colours: Carbon or White. The fit of the HS80 is what would be considered as one-size fit most.

The headset itself does not extend but instead it features an elastic suspension band that 41

stretches between both ear cups. The band is cushioned on the inside and the tension can be adjusted via a Velcro tab hidden within the frame of the headset. The earpads are cushioned with breathable memory-foam instead of a leather/ leatherette wrap, and they sit against the head surrounding the ears instead of on the ears.

Compared to the original release of the HS80 RGB Wireless, CORSAIR has updated the mic design; instead of a straight mic arm, it now has an angled tip in a bid for clearer mic audio.

The headset also features rotating hinges (in one direction) to allow the headset to be laid flat. The build quality feels good – the headset can flex but it doesn’t feel flimsy. Overall, the headset has a sturdy feel to it.

Features Using the CORSAIR HS80 RGB Wireless Gaming Headset is very straightforward. You can simply plug-n-play with both the wireless dongle as well as the USB cable. The headset itself has some on-ear basic controls – a power button and a volume dial on the left ear cup, as well as the ability to mute your mic simply but flipping it up. The HS80 dongle supports the Slipstream Wireless feature which allows you to pair multiple wireless CORSAIR devices to the same dongle, as long as the other devices are also compatible with the Slipstream Wireless

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system. Using CORSAIR’s iCUE app unlocks more features for the HS80. First and foremost, the iCUE app is required to update the firmware for both the headset and the dongle. In regards to features, you can adjust the Equalizer either by using the existing presets like FPS competition, clear chat, and movie theatre, to manually adjusting it yourself and saving your settings as a custom preset. You can also adjust the light settings for the logo on the outside of the ear cups, customising the speed as well as the lighting pattern. In addition to this, you are also able to link third-party plugins with the iCUE app to support lighting, cooling, and audio enhancements. For example, you can use the NVIDIA Broadcast plugin within the iCUE app, enabling AI-powered noise and room echo removal filters without any special or additional equipment. You can download NVIDIA Broadcast as its own standalone software, but this method reduces the number of programs you need to have open. Unfortunately, at the

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time of reviewing, the ‘Test Mic’ feature was not functional – clicking on the record button did absolutely nothing so we couldn’t test and adjust the intensity level of the noise and room echo removal within the iCUE software. Hopefully this gets fixed in an update soon.

Battery Life According to CORSAIR’s specifications for the HS80 RGB wireless the headset battery life should last up to 20 hours on a single charge.

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to achieve this in our testing. From a full charge with the headset in continuous use (a mix of gaming and music) and the volume set at 50% we managed to get around 12 hours of battery life. There is an auto-shutoff feature with the ability to control the number of minutes before your headset switches off, up to 99 minutes. The feature is enabled and set to 10 minutes by default. We had this feature disabled during on testing.

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Sound If you’re an audiophile then this is not the headset for you, and rightly so as it is not designed with you in mind. For the average gamer the sound quality is more than good enough. I’ve seen some people with some negative opinions on the sound quality; I experienced some metallic tinny sounds in my initial testing of the headset at the plug-n-play level. However, after installing iCUE and updating to the latest firmware these issues disappeared. It’s also worth noting that a faulty USB slot may also be the cause of sound quality issues. The CORSAIR HS80 RGB Wireless Gaming Headset features a 10-band equalizer, allowing you to tweak and customise your own preferred sound profiles. Alternatively, you can change the default profile to one of the presets: Pure Direct, Movie Theatre, FPS Competition, Clear Chat, and Bass Boost. The directional sound is pretty good when playing FPS games like Valorant, you’re able to hear footsteps, gunfire, abilities etc. very clearly.

The surround sound is equally as good; hearing the epic battles and explosions all around you, while the skittering of thousands of Tyranids draw near in Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 really reinforced my feelings of impending doom.

Microphone The microphone on the CORSAIR HS80 RGB Wireless Gaming Headset is great for a headset microphone. Of course you can get better quality standalone microphones, but for gaming and even content creation, it will get the job done. The HS80 features a broadcast-grade omnidirectional microphone just like the higher end Virtuoso models. Pair that with the NVIDIA Broadcast plugin and you’ve got a pretty good sounding setup.

Specifications Headphone Model: HS80 RGB WIRELESS Headphone Interface: USB WIRELESS RECEIVER Audio Compatibility: PC, Mac, PS5, PS4 Headphone Frequency Response: 20Hz-40 kHz Headphone Battery Life: Up to 20 hours Headphone Sensitivity: 116dB (+/-3dB) Headphone Wireless Range: Up to 60ft Headphone Type: Wireless 45

Headphone Drivers: 50mm Impedance: 32k Ohms @ 1 kHz Battery Powered: YES Colour: BLACK or WHITE Audio: Dolby Atmos Lighting: RGB Platform: PC, Mac, PlayStation 4/5 Memory Type: USB WIRELESS RECEIVER Microphone Type: Omni-directional Microphone Impedance: 2.2k Ohms Microphone Frequency Response: 100Hz to 10kHz Microphone Sensitivity: -40dB (+/-3dB) Surround Sound: Yes Detachable Microphone: No iCUE Software: Yes Weight: 0.368 Inside the box?

The CORSAIR HS80 RGB Wireless Gaming Headset comes with: - HS80 RGB WIRELESS - USB wireless transmitter - USB charging cable, 1.8m - Warranty Card Price The CORSAIR HS80 RGB Wireless Gaming Headset retails in the UK at £139.99 but if you shop around you should be able to pick up a brand new one for around £89-£90 (at the time of reviewing).

Overall If you’re looking to upgrade from a budget headset then the CORSAIR HS80 RGB Wireless Gaming Headset should be one on your radar.

It’s adopted some high-end premium features while maintaining a reasonable mid-range price.

A PC gamer would benefit from the features on offer and the battery life can be mitigated by playing while you charge. However, if you’re a console gamer with a living room setup then it may not be the best option as you’ll miss out on some key features and your gaming sessions will be at the mercy of the battery life.

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Gamescom Opening Night Live Recap Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024 has come and gone, stirring excitement with its usual slew of upcoming games, trailer premieres, and new announcements for existing titles. Between the main show and a 30-minute pre-show, there’s certainly no shortage of content to look forward to, but it can be difficult to keep tabs on.

Here’s where a recap will prove handy. From highly-anticipated heavyweights to baffling trailers, everything that went down during Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024 has been rounded up below.

Borderlands 4

Persona 3 Reload: Episode Aigis DLC

Fresh off the release of the abysmal Borderlands live-action film adaptation, developer Gearbox Software has lifted the curtain on its upcoming open-secret project (perhaps not the best time).

Borderlands 4, the upcoming entry in its popular shooter-looter franchise, will mark a return to Pandora in 2025, with an enigmatic CG teaser trailer giving little away.

Not sure how many of you saw this coming, but Joker from Persona 5 is sneaking into Persona 3 Reload as part of its Episode Aigis DLC. The beloved protagonist won’t be a friendly face, though, and will instead face off against players when the expansion arrives on 10 September.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Ahead of its release on 25 October, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 released a shiny new look at its ‘Most Wanted’ campaign mission. Packing the action set pieces the franchise is known for, it shows off the all-too-familiar explosions, ziplines, and car chases.

More zombies and parkour? Heck yeah. Dying Light: The Beast promises a “tight” 18-hour ride through a fresh area in the Dying Light universe, a solo or four-player co-op experience, and the ability to unleash new zombie DNA powers. The upcoming title will launch on PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, with no word on a launch window yet.

Goat Simulator Remastered

King of Meat

Hey, no judgement here — if you’ve ever wanted to live life as a goat (as in the animal, not The Greatest of All Time), Goat Simulator Remastered has go(a)t you covered. Launching later this year, it will include all of the game’s DLCs, alongside upgraded visuals and some quality-of-life tweaks.

Think Fall Guys, but with an added touch of tonguein-cheek silliness. The chaotic co-op combat game from Amazon Games and Glow Made puts players through “ridiculous dungeons” as entertainment for a game show where they chase fame, glory, and gold. There’s no word on a release window

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Dying Light: The Beast

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yet, but King of Meat is coming to PC and consoles with cross-play and cross-progression.

Lynked: Banner of the Spark An adorable co-op roguelike hack-and-slash, Lynked: Banner of the Spark follows one of the last humans on the planet, who must rebuild their home with the help of friendly bots while fending off the evil ones. Cute robots will reign when it releases 22 October as an early access title on Steam.

Lost Records: Bloom and Rage Hailing from Life is Strange studio Don’t Nod, Lost Records: Bloom and Rage paints a rosy picture with its heartwarming tones in the beginning, at least. The newest trailer makes it clear that a dark secret lies at its core, and it’s up to players to unravel the mystery when it launches in two parts: the first on 18 January 2025, and the other episode, a month later.

No More Room in Hell 2 There’s no game over in No More Room in Hell 2, only permadeath. The cross-platform multiplayer from Torn Banner Studios is headed to early access sometime this Halloween, allowing up to eight players to join forces and emerge victorious against hordes of undead.

Arc Raiders Arc Raiders has been a long time coming. The team shooter is now due out in 2025, following multiple delays since its initial announcement, with playtesting starting this Fall. There’s just a slight catch — it will no longer be free-to-play.

Infinity Nikki After its debut at Summer Game Fest, costume dress-up RPG Infinity Nikki is back with more adorable creatures to show. It currently has no release window, but those interested to check out its fantastical world can sign up for closed beta on the official game website.

Path of Exile 2 It’s almost time to head back to the dungeon. Path of Exile 2 has confirmed a 15 November release for early access, alongside a slew of features such as couch co-op, cross-progression, and more. The free-to-play Diablo-like is coming to PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

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Dune: Awakening In a world where the spice must flow, Dune: Awakening grants players the ability to scale vantage points, stake out bases, and defeat enemies with various gadgets. The hotly anticipated MMO hits PC in early 2025, with a new trailer showing off its character creator, sandworms, and the treacherous, well, dunes of Arrakis.

Reanimal Tarsier Studios, the creators of Little Nightmares, has found a new horror side-scroller in Reanimal.

Bearing the signature flair of Little Nightmares, it follows a brother and sister duo as they attempt to escape an island that used to be their home, while also looking for their missing friends. It’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC sometime in the near future.

Genshin Impact The world of Teyvat is finally heading to Xbox platforms. Genshin Impact will make its way to Xbox Series X|S and Game Pass on 20 November, with pre-order bonuses available right now. A new trailer for its Natlan update was also unveiled, featuring an extended look at its new region, characters, and more.

Monster Hunter Wilds Monster Hunter Wilds certainly isn’t pulling any punches in the action department. The third trailer for Capcom’s highly anticipated entry amps up the excitement with plenty of monsterslaying thrills, showing players slicing and dicing massive monsters in various locations, including a supersized spider. It’s due out next year for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Series veteran and fan favourite character Mai Shiranui takes the spotlight in this latest look at Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves. Releasing 24 April 2025 for PS4, PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X|S, the upcoming brawler will include 22 fighters, plus five more that come with its DLC season pass, as detailed in an earlier trailer: Monument Valley 3 Rejoice, Monument Valley players! The puzzle game returns for a third outing on 10 December but will be exclusive to Netflix. To tide over the

wait, the streamer is adding the first two titles to its catalogue in September and October, respectively.

Mecha BREAK It’s all about mecha action in Mecha BREAK. The new action game from Amazing Seasun Games is releasing sometime in 2025, and will be the first to use Nvidia ACE, the company’s new AIpowered system that promises more realistic communications between players and NPCs. Civilization VII

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Warhouse Studios has dropped the first look at its upcoming medieval RPG Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, due out on 11 February 2025.

The sequel takes players back to 15th century Bohemia in the midst of a civil war, but not before giving a deep-dive of its gameplay mechanics in a separate showcase: Zenless Zone Zero

The course of history will be rewritten come 11 February 2025. Civilization VII is set to feature a more grounded art style when it bows in on all major platforms, with the deluxe edition including five days of early access.

Zenless Zone Zero, the latest urban fantasy RPG from HoYoverse, is getting its first major update, and Jane Doe — the enigmatic 5-star agent featured in version 1.1 — is here to steal the show as she traverses the new region of New Eridu and shows off her fighting chops.

Starfield: Shattered Space

Honkai: Star Rail

Starting 30 September, exploring planets in Starfield will no longer be confined to sprinting.

The game’s upcoming Shattered Space expansion introduces the REV-8 buggy as a welcome mode of transportation, joining other new features like the mysterious “House Va’Ruun” faction, its homeworld, and more.

Another outing from HoYoverse, Honkai: Star Rail treats fans to a new trailer featuring its new character, Feixiao, and a Fate/Stay Night collaboration that sets up an introduction to Archer. The crossover event is scheduled for some time in Q3 2025.

Marvel Rivals Avengers, assemble! Marvel Rivals, the 6v6 teambased hero shooter from NetEase, lets players build their dream teams of Marvel heroes and villains, each equipped with unique abilities, and duke it out across various maps.

The Overwatch-like title is hitting PC, Xbox, and PlayStation on 6 December, with all heroes free to play at launch.

Secret Level Video games take the centre stage in Amazon’s upcoming animated anthology, Secret Level.

The 15-episode series tells original stories set within existing game universes, with Armoured Core, Mega Man, Pac-Man, God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, and more getting their share of the spotlight when it arrives on 10 December.

Towerborne Towerborne, the co-op adventure from Stoic Castle, is headed to Steam early access on 10 September, with a full free-to-play release slated for 2025.

Batman: Arkham Shadow Batman: Arkham Shadow brings players back into the shoes of Batman again, but in VR style.

Exclusive to Meta Quest 3, the game sees Roger Craig Smith, voice of the caped crusader in Batman: Arkham Origins, reprising his role, and will be a full-fledged game when it lands this October.

Little Nightmares III Teamwork holds the key to victory in Little Nightmares III, but not without pushing some limits first. The first game in the series to feature online co-op follows Low and Alone as they look for a way out of Nowhere and solve puzzles along the way.

While a release date hasn’t been firmed up, developer Supermassive Games is targeting a 2025 window.

Herdling Herdling is exactly what its name suggests: a game about herding yak-like creatures across vast open landscapes. It oozes the charm of the cosy genre and is launching on PC and consoles in 2025.

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Masters of Albion

The First Berserker: Khazan

If the word ‘Albion’ sounds familiar, that’s because it’s the setting in which the Fable franchise takes place. It isn’t surprising that Peter Molyneux, creator of the fantasy series, has included the bit as part of its new game titled Masters of Albion, which features more traditional strategy elements.

The world is confirmed to be separate from the Fable titles, with a release date yet to be set.

Touted as a “hardcore action RPG”, The First Berserker: Khazan teases some slick animeinfused hack and slash action in store. Ben Clive, the voice of Clive in Final Fantasy XVI, breathes life into the trailer, which unveils the opening of a closed beta test on 11 October.

Squid Game: Unleashed The trailer for Squid Game: Unleashed is…kind of strange. The goofy vibes are totally different from the show, even if it does include the various lethal games from the Netflix hit series. It’s releasing on the streamer later this year, coinciding with the release of the show’s second season in December.

Unknown 9: Awakening Starring Anya Chalotra, of Netflix’s The Witcher fame, Unknown 9: Awakening lets players take control of their enemies with an ability called Stepping. Stealth also forms a core part of gameplay, so get ready to unleash your Assassin’s Creed when it releases 18 October for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred A new lore drop for Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred unveils new mercenaries that players can enlist in the upcoming DLC, set to arrive on 8 October.

There aren’t many glimpses of gameplay, but fans can indulge in some good ol’ blood spilling at the end. In other Blizzard related news, World of Warcraft: the War Within, the game’s next expansion, is holding an early beta in the next few days, with the first-ever Warcraft Direct coming soon. The popular MMO will also grace Overwatch 2, featuring a Sylvanas crossover skin for Moira.

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It will end on 20 October, before getting an official launch early next year. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Hold on to your hat, for Indy is making a glorious return to the world of video games — fedora, whip, and all. Releasing on 9 December for Xbox Series X|S and PC, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is set to deliver a fresh yet familiar experience for modern audiences, boasting combat, disguise, as well as puzzle mechanics, and more. It will come to PS5 in Spring 2025.

Mafia: The Old Country Rounding out Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024 is a brief teaser for Mafia: The Old Country, which gives away little to no details. There are some confirmed nuggets of information, including a 2025 release window, a 1900s Sicily setting, and a general description of how it will “uncover the origins of organised crime,” but everything else remains under wraps until The Game Awards, likely taking place this December.

So that’s a wrap! opening night live was a great success which I Sawyer from The Gamer Guide managed to capture in person as we attended Gamescom this year as Media Representative which was an honour.

Next up we will dive into our experience during Gamescom so keep reading!

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the gamer guides first visit Gamescom 2024 took place in Cologne, Germany between 20 – 25 August 2024. We was honoured to be invited as Press / Media by Gamescom themselves which being our first year to go it was an absolute pleasure and if not the best experience we have ever had the pleasure of experiencing.

Huge thanks to the Press & Trade only areas, these made all our meetings feel super special, comfortable and we got to capture every moment with developers and brands together in a safe space. So any other event organisers reading this take note as Gamescom have this down to a tee!

Now if you have been living under a rock and don’t know what Gamescom is, let us explain to you more about this now.

What is Gamescom?

Gamescom is the world’s largest event for computer and video games, held annually in Cologne, Germany. It serves as a major platform for game developers, publishers, and enthusiasts to showcase and experience the latest in gaming.

The event features: Game Announcements and Trailers: New games and updates are often revealed.

Live Presentations and Demos: Attendees can watch live demos and presentations from top developers.

Cosplay Contests: Fans dress up as their favourite game characters and I must say the sheer effort put into this is some of the best in the world and we have covered many cosplay things but Gamescom does it much better and showcases an absolutely amazing show.

Tournaments: Competitive gaming events are held throughout the convention with some wonderful products and cash prizes.

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Exhibitor Booths: Companies showcase their latest products and innovations which I must say was fantastic to capture with all the welcoming brands and some super cool new innovations. It was great.

Gamescom also includes a business area for industry professionals and a public area for general attendees. It’s a must-visit for anyone passionate about gaming!

History of Gamescom Gamescom has an interesting history! It began in 2009, evolving from the Games Convention held in Leipzig from 2002 to 2008. The Games Convention was initially the largest gaming trade show in the world, but logistical challenges in Leipzig led to the creation of Gamescom in Cologne.

Here are some key points in its history: 2009: The first Gamescom was held in Cologne, Germany, and it quickly became a major event in the gaming industry.

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Growth: Over the years, Gamescom has grown significantly, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors and thousands of exhibitors from around the world1.

Opening Night Live: Introduced as a major highlight, this event features the latest trailers and announcements from the gaming industry.

Devcom: An associated conference for game developers, held just before Gamescom.

Gamescom continues to be a pivotal event for game announcements, industry networking, and fan engagement.

Gamescom Impact Gamescom has had a significant impact on the gaming industry in several ways: Major Platform for Announcements: Gamescom has become a key venue for game developers and publishers to announce new titles, updates, and expansions. This helps generate buzz and excitement within the gaming community.

Industry Networking: The event provides a crucial networking opportunity for industry professionals.

Developers, publishers, and other stakeholders can connect, collaborate, and discuss future projects.

Consumer Engagement: By allowing fans to experience new games firsthand through demos and presentations, Gamescom helps build anticipation and loyalty among gamers. The event’s public area is a major draw for gaming enthusiasts.

Market Trends: Gamescom often sets the tone for upcoming trends in the gaming industry.

The showcased technologies, game genres, and innovations can influence the direction of the market.

Economic Impact: The event attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to Cologne, boosting the local economy through tourism, hospitality, and related sectors.

Global Reach: With its extensive media coverage and live streaming, Gamescom reaches a global audience, making it a pivotal event for international marketing and outreach.

Gamescom plays a vital role in shaping the future of gaming by fostering innovation, collaboration, and community engagement.

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Gamescom ShowFloor The show floor at Gamescom 2024 was bustling with excitement and activity! Here are some of the highlights: Xbox’s Massive Booth: Xbox had its biggest booth yet, featuring games like Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred, Avowed, The Elder Scrolls Online, and Age of Mythology: Retold.

Cosplay Village: Fans showcased their creativity with amazing costumes, adding a vibrant and colourful atmosphere to the event.

Esports Area: Competitive gaming events drew large crowds, with intense matches and thrilling moments.

Retro Games Area: A nostalgic section where attendees could play classic games from past decades.

VR Experiences: Blizzard offered a unique 4D VR ride for World of Warcraft: The War Within, immersing fans in the world of Azeroth.

Games & Photo Ops: Gamescom had the ability for you to play a ton of games before they have released with many photo opportunities, like the all new Dragon ball: SPARKING ZERO, you could play this and get a photo with a 100 foot tall Goku statue, such a really cool aspect!

The show floor was divided into various halls, 11 in fact each dedicated to different aspects of gaming, from indie games to major publisher showcases. Hosting around 335,000 people this year you can expect those halls were pretty damn busy.

Behind The Scenes The amazing thing Gamescom allows is for press, trade and creators to work closely with brands and developers behind the scenes that being previewing unannounced games or unannounced tech it really was superb to be a part of. We are currently under embargo with a couple however we did get a behind the scenes look at Little Nightmares 3 courtesy of Bandai Namco, some amazing child friendly games from our good friends Outright Games, superb look over at

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what Atari is doing with their latest consoles and games, our amazing friends at PowerA showed us something special and hands on with Zotac’s new Handheld plus many more things!

Gamescom allows you to have such a wonderful experience not just on the show floor but for press too and having the ability to get hands on face to face is a wonderful touch.

Esports Tournaments: Watch or participate in competitive gaming events.

Retro Games Area: Play classic games from past decades.

VR Experiences: Immerse yourself in virtual reality demos and experiences.

Show Floor For Public

Tabletop and Board Games: Try out new and classic tabletop games in a dedicated area.

Gamescom hit record breaking numbers this year with an overwhelming 335,000 attendance peak which sounds like a lot of people but how massive Gamescom is you wasn’t too crammed or feeling of being too busy it seemed perfect.

Photo Opportunities: Attendees had the chance to get some wonderful photo opportunities from pretending to be an assassin with Ubisoft to throwing a Kamehameha wave with a 100 foot tall statue of Goku or just seeing a giant cat with Inzoi, they really had it all.

The public got a chance to play many games, check out the latest tech and even win some wonderful prizes or acquire some loot!

Gamescom offers a diverse and engaging experience for all attendees, making it a must-visit event for gaming enthusiasts.

Gamescom and all the companies involved really do look after their player base and make queues not too long and have enough variety for all. There were event and party zones where they got the crowd going and exclusive look at upcoming games that were open to the public so us Press may get a behind the scenes look but this does not stop the public from seeing everything too it’s just out on the show floor in its glory.

If anything the show floor was where it was at, with a huge atmosphere, fantastic shows and tons of upcoming games to play. This event truly does cater to all gaming fans out there.

Here is everything what the public could do on the show floor: Play New Games: Attendees can try out the latest games from major publishers and indie developers.

Live Entertainment: There are live stage shows, including game presentations, music acts, and podcasts.

Meet Developers: Fans have the chance to meet and interact with the developers behind their favourite games.

Cosplay Contests: Participants can dress up as their favourite characters and compete in cosplay contests.

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Brands & Tech Across many halls you of course had a heavy tech base with hands-on previews of some upcoming tech. You of course had some of the biggest names in the business, like Xbox, Corsair, ASRock, Nvidia, Aorus, Zotac, Intel Elgato, NerdyTech, PowerA, Scuf, CRKD, Be Quiet!, Hyte and many more who all were very welcoming and eager to showcase their latest creations to everyone and potentially win some of their products too. This Tech aspect was fantastic and catered to all it really is recommended for tech enthusiasts just for this alone.

Overall I, Sawyer, here at The Gamer Guide, got to personally experience this event as Press and i’ve never felt so welcomed and looked after by people in my life, hands down Gamescom is the best gaming event in the world period and to rate such an event id give it a 10/10 and as you may know we don’t give 10s but this just deserves it.

I currently am recommending this event to everyone on the scene from hardcore gamers to creators and press this event is one for the bucket lists to do before you die. Gamescom looks after everyone; they even provide free rail for attendees.

Yes you heard that right free rail! Which means you can go experience cologne one train stop away while you are out there too, which I must say the Zoo & Lindt Chocolate museum is a must! And of course the cathedral, how beautiful that was to see.

Not only that having free Rail allows you to stay maybe 20-30 mins away where it is cheaper and more accommodating to your budget, this additional thing really was a we love you to the fans addition, so well done there Gamescom.

The Gamer Guide will be back next year with the whole team this time in which we will deep dive once again with more behind the scenes stuff which stay tuned for announcements when those leave embargo. And we will conclude even more interviews with developers and brands and showcase the whole aspect of Gamescom which we loved sharing with you now and can’t wait for

even more next year.

For now I couldn’t recommend this event enough Gamescom is the best hands down best event for Gaming enthusiasts which you all should attend next year, just make note that children under 5s cannot attend the event which is understandable as it can get a tad too busy for the little ones.

But what are you waiting for head below to check out Gamescom and their socials and secure your tickets for next year! You won’t regret attending such an amazing event!

www.gamescom.global Facebook: @gamescom.cologne X: @gamescom Instagram: @gamescom YouTube: @gamescom TikTok: @gamescom Twitch: @gamescom

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Timeless Gaming Convention is a gaming event that celebrates gaming from every generation - from your retro to your brand new AAA titles. The event is hosted at the Arcade Club in Bury, Manchester, where there are over 300 arcade machines ranging from classics such as Galaxians and Crazy Taxi, to modern day consoles like PlayStations, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. This year’s Timeless Gaming Convention was a special one for The Gamer Guide as we partnered up with the event to host their creator lounge!

What was there to do?

The unique selling point of Timeless Gaming Convention is the enormous amount of games available for attendees to play. A ticket to the event gave you access to over 300 arcade machines and you can play them all for free! The Arcade Club is four floors of nerdy goodness and you will be hard-pressed to find the games the venue has available to play anywhere else in the UK. The venue also had a canteen area where they served food and drinks, as well as bars serving drinks on other floors, so getting your refreshments throughout the day was no problem at all.

As well as what seemed like an endless sea of arcade machines to play, Timeless also hosted various competitions throughout the day. This year’s cosplay competition was much improved on compared to the year before, with more cosplayers attending the event and entering the competition. For those that wanted to show off their gaming skills, there were several challenges hosted on the Sneak Energy Stage. Anyone from the crowd could sign up to compete in any of the three games: Cuphead, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 Remastered, and Spider Man 2. For gamers who prefer to be more physically active there was also a Just Dance competition. Four qualifer rounds were held on the Sneak Energy Stage to determine the four contestants going through to compete in the finals later on in 59

day, hosted on the Tecware Main Stage.

Indie games enthusiasts could find DeBug Magazine hosting an area for gamers to try out up and coming indie games. And for those that wanted to flex their gaming knowledge they could also take part in a gaming quiz hosted by DJ Slope.

Aside from gaming, attendees could also watch various panels throughout the day.

For those who remember The Gadget Show TV show, Jason Bradbury was the opening keynote and hosted a panel talking about his new project Ctrl Ai Delete. Other noteable panels included one by Melanin Gamers, a community dedicated to increasing diversity and inclusion in the video games industry.

Melanin Gamers hosted a Q&A that explored the world of content creators and how to turn your passion into a profession, with host Annabel, the CEO/Founder of Melanin Gamers, and panelists BrownSugarSaga, OG_Otaku, and itsCrazyNadz. In addition to this, aspiring creators was also treated to another Content Creator focused panel hosted by Josh Strife Hayes, where we got the opportunity to listen to a variety of different creators (Tigress X, TheePhenomenal1, Lucia La Rezza, Mavitivo, Sal Vahed, and Game Mistress) speak about their experiences and provide advice on their workflow and processes.

To top off the event, anyone who purchased a ticket was automatically entered in a prize

draw for a free GT Omega gaming chair, hosted by our very own Sawyer from The Gamer Guide. The only stipulation to win was you had to be in the room when the winner was announced to be able to claim the prize. What started out as a calm and straightforward prize draw quickly erupted into a crowd chanting “SPIN AGAIN!” when several of the potential winners were not present in the room. In one instance, someone had just gone to the toilets, with their friend shouting down the phone for them to hurry back! This off-the-cuff moment really was the cherry on top of an eventful day.

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Accessibility As much as the venue had to offer, the accessibility on the day was found wanting.

The Arcade Club consists of four floors and the event was spread across all of them, with the canteen being on one of the upper floors.

Most attendees would move between floors using the stairs, which were quite narrow and a little steep. The venue did have a lift for those who need it, however they had to wait for a member of staff to be available to operate it; at times some people had to wait a little while as from what we understand, there was a staff and volunteer shortage due to some last minute unforseen issues. The venue has plans for expansion so hopefully future Timeless Gaming Conventions will have improved accessibility for attendees to move around easier, as well as lessening the burden on the staff and volunteers having to rush to different areas of the venue.

The Gamer Guide Creator Lounge This year’s Timeless Gaming Convention creator lounge was hosted by us, The Gamer Guide! We had the pleasure of partnering with the team at Timeless to bring a wonderful

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bunch of content creators as well as brands to the event, including securing prizes from GT Omega and goodies from Insert Coin Clothing.

The creator lounge offered free snacks and drinks, including beverages sponsored by Sneak Energy and Kontrol Koffee. We had the opportunity to do something fun with creators; getting them to pose in a silly and questionable cardboard box resulted in fantastic photo that wouldn’t have been possible without everyone involved!

Hosting the creator lounge also afforded us the chance to secure hosting opportunities at the event for creators looking to take their first steps in hosting/presenting. This year we were able to secure Emzy_Leigh to host the Just Dance competition, HijabiHoo to host the Spider Man 2 challenge, and KingKrazey to host the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater challenge!

Finally, The Gamer Guide creator lounge played host to one of the first ever gameplay streams of Splitgate 2, streamed by the brilliant Stallion.

A special shoutout to creator CeltBrenny for helping us with the setup on the day before the event!

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With the death of Insomnia The Gaming Festival, the gaming event scene in the north of England now has a gaping void for content creators... or is there? Enter Creator North. While Creator North is not a gaming event on the scale of Insomnia, it is a fantastic opportunity for content creators who aren’t able to travel down to events in the south to catch up with friends in the creator space, network to form new relationships, or get together to brew up exciting collaborations. It was even more exciting for us at The Gamer Guide as we were an event partner for this year’s Creator North!

What is Creator North?

Creator North is part of Creator Meetups UK. Their aim is to run events for creators from all across the industry, from TikTok, Twitch, YouTube and more. Creator North welcomes all to join them to connect, create, and network with like-minded individuals in an inclusive and fun atmosphere. Creator Meetups are for EVERYONE - content creators, mods, viewers are all welcome to attend.

What was at Creator North 2024?

This year’s Creator North was held at Kommune in Sheffield, an event space that caters to a variety of different event types, as well as serving as a food hall with a diverse menu from different stalls to choose from. The primary focus for this event was creating a space for content creators to network, but that was not all there was to do!

Attendees were able to sign up to take part in a Mario Kart competition. We were able to secure Insert Coin to sponsor the event with some awesome prizes, as well as securing the opportunity to host the panel for one of our content creators. Special thanks to CeltBrenny for helping with the setup as well as hosting duties for the competition!

Creator North also played host to some new and upcoming indie video games as well as tabletop games. Indie developer Kate Shenton/ Funny Bone Games showcased their first game, Itty Bitty Toilet Kitty, a cute pixel art game where 63

you play as a cat with a mission to protect your human while they are in one of their most vulnerable states... doing their business on the toilet. This micro game has a comedic retro vibe to it; check it out on Steam to find out more!

Mixtape Games UK brought their indie title Vapourwave Pinball – a LoFi digital pinball game designed for players to have a chill and relaxing session, perhaps after a rage-inducing battle royale game?

Space Lion Studios, an Irish indie studio, had their game Axyz at the event. This is a retro gravity switching puzzle game where it requires players to shift their perspective of the environment around them and use spatial awareness to complete each level before the time runs out.

Attendees could take the opportunity to rest their eyes from monitor screens and take to the tabletop for a few rounds of Creator Clash - an indie collectible card game where your favourite content creators collide in strategic battles!

On the subject of tabletop, there was also an area with a variety of different board games for people to choose from. It provided a nice and cosy atmosphere to meet new faces.

To round it all off, Creator North had three DJs on deck to keep the music flowing throughout the event. People could venture to a separate area to party and have a little dance if they so choose.

Website: www.creatormeetups.uk X: @CreatorMeetups

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What is LogiPLAY? LogiPLAY is an event put on by Logitech G to celebrate the gaming and streaming community, as well as unveiling their new range of products around the world. We at the Gamer Guide were lucky enough to get invited to the UK launch of this exclusive event!

What was at LogiPLAY 2024?

As part of the overall LogiPLAY event, Logitech G also played host to the Counter-Stirke 2 UKIC Division 1 Championship final between Verdant and Dreams to Legends (DTL), which ultimately saw Verdant come out on top as the Divison 1 champions. Along with watching the teams battle it out in-person, attendees could try their hand at LogiPLAY’s Aimlabs challenge, where the person with the top score would walk away with a brand new Logitech G peripheral.

After a break, the main LogiPLAY event kicked off in the later parts of the afternoon for invited guests. Credit where credit is due, Daniel Clayton, Morgan Caelum, and the team behind the LogiPLAY event put on a very accommodating event. Guests were treated to free drinks (4 per person) and free food, including vegan, vegetarian, and halal options.

After a bite to eat and some mingling, guests settled in for a live stream of the Paris event and a presentation of all the new Logitech G 65

products being launched. Once the presentation concluded we were able to get hands-on with the freshly unveiled products, such as: • Pro X Superlight 2 DEX Mouse • Pro X TKL Rapid Keyboard • G915 x Lightspeed Keyboard • G502 X Plus Aluminium Edition Mouse • Astro A50 X Gen5 Headset • RS Track Wheel • RS Round Wheel • RS Wheel Hub • RS Shifter & Handbrake • RS QR Adapter Special mention to the PRO X Superlight 2 DEX mouse and G915 X Lightspeed Keyboard, these were superb. Logitech G also unveil a new collaboration with Momo Motorsports in a joint effort to create a brand new SIM racing wheel that takes the experience to the next level.

A little later on we were treated to a Creator Panel with Tomska, JustKaalin, Eeowna, and Lopwert answer questions and providing insight and advice to fellow creators in the crowd.

The event coincided with LogiPLAY Days which ran between September 17th to September 29th - this gave people a chance to grab the latest Logitech G products and take advantage of exclusive discount offers.

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sony state of play sep 2024 September 2024 Sony hosted their regular event which is the State of Play which shows off some upcoming games coming to PlayStation. I have to admit, there were fewer remasters than I had expected, and even less promotion of the PlayStation 5 Pro (though there were some), and overall it was somewhat a disappointment as we are still left in the dark with many other games that are allegedly due to come to PlayStation soon.

Sony State of Play September 2024 Recap

Metro Awakening Release Date

The big reveal of this State of Play is Ghost of Yotei, a follow-up to the hit Sucker Punch actionadventure game Ghost of Tsushima. But there were other gems scattered throughout including a release date for Fantasian Neo Dimension and Monster Hunter Wilds, a couple of remasters, and the oddly-timed release of Palworld on the PS5.

Here’s everything from the September 2024 State of Play in order as they were in the presentation:

The Metro Awakening VR title is coming to PSVR 2 on November 7, 2024. If you pre-order the deluxe edition you get a 10% discount and 48 hours early access. Which is something.

Astro Bot Speedrun Levels and Special Bots AddOn DLC The newly released platformer Astro Bot is getting a free add-on in Fall 2024 that features five new online speedrun levels and 10 new bots to rescue.

I’m all for anything Astro Bot at this point, so glad to see if getting some new content fast!

The Midnight Walk This clearly claymation-inspired horror caught me off guard with its varying gameplay elements, but that’s probably because it’s coming to both PS5 and PSVR2. This dark fantasy adventure from the developers of Lost in Ransom has players take on the role of The Burnt One, an odd character who befriends a lost lantern named POtboy and uses his flame to light the way through a dark world.

Definitely creepy-looking.

Hell is Us Gameplay Reveal Hell is Us looks like an amalgamation of Death Stranding meets Dark Souls meets something like Control? It definitely has some potential. Excited to learn more in the future.

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ArcheAge Chronicles Announced An online action RPG set in the world of ArcheAge. This one feels kind of odd as the MMORPG just shut down in the West a few months ago, and an actual MMORPG sequel to ArcheAge has already been announced. But it does look good, so hopefully it ends up being a nice addition to the ArcheAge universe.

Palworld Coming to PS5 Pocketpair is releasing the clearly-Pokemoninfluenced title on PlayStation 5, and it dropped during the state of play. I quite enjoyed this game and if this is your thing, I’d grab it quick, just in case, you know…the lawsuit.

Lunar Remastered Collection coming to PS4 and PS5 I wasn’t expecting this one, but man am I happy to see it. Fabled JRPGs LUNAR: Silver Star Story Complete and LUNAR 2: Eternal Blue Complete have gotten the definitive remaster treatment and are coming to PS4 and PS5 in Spring 2025 with enhanced graphics, audio, and QOL improvements Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Revenge – Radical Reptiles DLC

Shredder’s

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s

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Revenge beat em up is getting a brand new Radical Reptiles DLC. In the DLC are two new playable fighters: radical surfer Mondo Gecko and physics student turned reptilian rapscallion Mona Lisa. The TMNT title is also getting a free update adding a new rockin’ remix mode of the official soundtrack.

FANTASIAN Neo Dimension Release Date The currently iOS-exclusive RPG by Hironobu Sakaguchi, scored by fabled composer Nobuo Uematsu, is finally dated for its PS4 and PS5 release. FANTASIAN Neo Dimension is set to release on both platforms on December 5, 2024.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Blighted Dragon Gameplay As someone who has mostly steered clear of anything Dragon Age: The Veilguard, primarily because I already know I want to play it and so I don’t want anything spoiled, this gameplay trailer got me even more hyped for the RPG’s impending release. The combat looks great and I can’t wait to delve in when Dragon Age: The Veilguard releases on October 31, 2024.

Alan Wake 2 Lake House Expansion The 2023 GOTY contender Alan Wake 2 is getting a new expansion next month that takes place on the shores of Cauldron Lake, where a catastrophic event has occurred. The expansion will unfold parallel to the main game, putting you in the shoes of FBC Agent Kiran Estevez. More Alan Wake 2?

I’m in.

Hitman World of Assassination for PSVR 2 Hitman is getting the VR treatment with Hitman World of Assassination coming to PSVR 2 with 21 locations, dual wielding, and “intuitive gestures”.

Which sounds cool but also a bit deranged seeing as you play as an assassin. Live out our assassin fantasies this December.

Legacy of Kain Soul Reaver 1 and 2 Remastered It was officially announced that remastered versions of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 and 2 are coming to the PS4 and PS5. The duo remasters are set to launch on December 10. I personally loved these games and are eager to play them once again.

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Fear the Spotlight Release Date One of the games in the new Blumhouse Games horror title lineup is Fear the Spotlight, and it will be released on October 22, 2024 on both PS4 and PS5. The horror title is touted as a creepy love letter to classic 90s horror experiences, with a focus on rich storytelling, puzzle solving, and a tense atmosphere. Of all the Blumhouse Games coming up, this one really stood out to me, so I’m excited to see how it turns out next month.

Towers of Aghasba Gameplay Action-adventure builder Towers of Aghasba showed off its gameplay in this trailer, where players must rebuild civilization and the surrounding ecosystem while rebuilding the balance between the two. I had forgotten about this one but this gameplay trailer put it back on my radar. Gameplay-wise it looks like a mix of Horizon and some Zelda-like elements. Towers of Aghasba enters Early Access in November 2024 Fortnite DualSense Controller I guess it’s time to drop tilted in style. Maybe?

This looks like the default Starlight Blue coloured DualSense controller, with some random Fortnite stickers on it. It looks pretty low effort if I’m being honest. But Fortnite. Pre-orders start on October 3.

Dynasty Warrior Origins Gameplay and Release Date Koei Tecmo showed off some more Dynasty Warrior: Origins gameplay as well as dropped the release date which is January 17, 2025. The two of us agreed we’re excited to see how Dynasty Warriors plays on more powerful hardware since we haven’t really gotten that opportunity yet.

Monster Hunter Wilds Release Date Monster Hunter Wilds is set to release on February 28, 2025. Time to start requesting some time off for that week. Seriously though, it looks great, and I’m happy we’re getting this early into 2025.

LEGO Horizon Adventures I guess this is just a “please preorder this” trailer but we did get some new LEGO Horizon Adventures gameplay. I really struggle with getting into the LEGO games, but I know others love them.

It does look like a solid representation of Horizon in the lego-verse, which is cool. LEGO Horizon Adventures is set to release on November 14, 2024.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered Still not sure this one is necessary, but Horizon Zero Dawn is officially getting remastered. Despite already being optimized to run on the PS4 Pro, the open-world action-adventure game has been remastered for your PS5 and PC, set to release on October 31, 2024. Couldn’t we have gotten one of the many PS3 games worthy of a remaster?

Stellar Blade x NieR: Automata DLC Collab I loved both of these games, so I’m down for the collaboration. Stellar Blade is getting a Nier: Automata collab later this year as well as an allnew photo mode where you can pose, choose filters, and more to make the perfect spot. I know what you’re thinking. Don’t do it.

Chroma Collection for DualSense Controllers and PS5 Console Covers If you want your controller and console to be Indigo Blue, Pearl White, or Teal, you can do so on November 7, 2024 with these Chroma Coloured accessories. Neato.

PlayStation 5 Pro Hype Reel I honestly thought we’d get an “Optimised for PS5 Pro” after every video in the lineup today, so I was happy to see it condensed into a roughly 1.5-minute sizzle reel. FF7 Rebirth, Horizon Forbidden West, The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered, Gran Turismo 7, Hogwarts Legacy, Alan Wake 2, Stellar Blade, Dragon’s Dogma 2, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Rise of the Ronin, Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Demon’s Souls, Resident Evil 4, F1 24, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 all have PS5 Pro enhancements apparently. Stand sold separately.

Ghost of Yotei The September 2024 State of Play ended with the reveal of the follow-up to hit action-adventure title Ghost of Tsushima. Titled Ghost of Yotei, the next game by Sucker Punch takes place in 1603 during the popular Sengoku Period in. It’s definitely got Tsushima vibes with its tall grass, horseback riding, and feudal Japan swordplay. Ghost of Yotei releases on PS5 in 2025.

And that’s a wrap! A little bit of something for everyone in this State of Play.

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PS5 PRO announced with a staggering price tag Sony has lifted the lid on the PlayStation 5 Pro, a digital version of the PS5 due to launch in November, pre-orders went live on 26th September. According to the PlayStation Blog, the PS5 Pro, unsurprisingly, has tastier tech specs than its 2020 counterpart, including a boosted GPU, advanced ray-tracing, and AI-driven resolution upscaling. Get the lowdown here: Upgraded GPU: With PS5 Pro, we are upgrading to a GPU that has 67 percent more Compute Units than the current PS5 console and 28 percent faster memory. Overall, this enables up to 45 percent faster rendering for gameplay, making the experience much smoother. Advanced Ray Tracing: We’ve added even more powerful ray tracing that provides more dynamic reflection and refraction of light.

This allows the rays to be cast at double, and at times triple, the speeds of the current PS5 console.

AI-Driven Upscaling: We’re also introducing PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution, an AI-driven upscaling that uses a machine learning-based technology to provide super sharp image clarity by adding an extraordinary amount of detail. The PS5 Pro will also feature something called ‘PS5 Pro Game Boost’, offering upgrades to over 8,500 backward compatible PS4 games. “This feature may stabilize or improve the performance of supported PS4 and PS5 games,” the description reads. “Enhanced Image Quality for PS4 games is also available to improve the resolution on select PS4 games.”

The console will also have the “latest wireless technology, Wi-Fi 7, in territories supporting this standard,” as well as support for VRR (Variable Refresh Rate) and 8K resolution. However, all of these additional technological bells and whistles come with a steep price tag. You’ll be able to purchase the digital-only PlayStation 5 Pro for $699.99/£699.99/€799.99, with a 2TB SSD, bundled DualSense controller, and a copy of Astro’s Playroom pre-installed, like the standard PS5. A separate UHD disc drive is available for $99.99/£99.99, and a vertical stand isn’t supplied - that’s another $24.99/£24.99 to you.

Personally to me this is a way overpriced decision that I do not see this going down well when it does launch this November. However, probably expect scalpers to snatch these up and resell for over a thousand, sad times ahead if this is the norm.

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Saturday 23rd November

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Who can tell what draws your custom-created void of a character to Hong Kong Island. Is it the promise of untold riches and glory? Is it the choice of free car and a chance to prove your racing chops on the streets? Someone’s happy to bankroll your fledgling career, in any case.

Best not to think about it. This is the setup for Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown, the first TDU game since 2011, which takes the open-world racing to Hong Kong Island. What follows is a fairly unremarkable, and somewhat bland affair, marred by (at time of writing at least) unreliable online servers.

It takes a good few hours before you gain access to off-road events, and it’s this gating off of other race types and events that makes Test Drive Unlimited feel anything but. And while it might make sense to steadily dripfeed content as you progress, the amount of progression required to get to the good stuff seems disproportionate. Once you join a clan upon reaching level 12, things start to become vaguely interesting, as you can race on behalf of your chosen allegiance, whether it’s the Fast and Furious rejects of the Streets gang or the slick Gordon Gekko wannabes of the Sharps.

Solar Crown opens with you being escorted to your fancy apartment and given cash to choose a first car, before you’re let loose to show what you can do. This essentially boils down to completing a bunch of straightforward pointto-point and circuit races to level up enough to unlock the right to join a clan, then levelling up some more to access the next bit of the game.

You can beat all of the races, then end up having to drive around looking for stuff to help you level up, before heading back to a previously completed race to do it again for the XP. That’s assuming you can get into a race, and not be greeted by a server connection error.

Where Test Drive Unlimited and its sequel fundamentally had the open-world racing genre to itself years ago, Solar Crown enters a market in which the Forza Horizon series, The Crew Motorfest, and even Criterion’s Need for Speed Unbound exist, offering more immediate and fully formed open-world racing experiences.

No doubt you’ll be able to come back to Solar Crown in a year and find it brimming with races and content, its servers shored up and stable, but in its current state, when you’re playing, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before you’re unceremoniously disconnected and unable to enter a race.

When you compare Solar Crown to the likes of Forza Horizon or even to The Crew Motorfest, its rendition of Hong Kong Island seems relatively barren and limited when it comes to activities.

There’s little to do in the new Test Drive Unlimited, other than driving around looking for stuff to do. You can search for car wrecks, in a bid to unlock a bonus classic car, off-road vehicle etc.; drive to gas stations, workshops, and car showrooms, to acquire new fast travel points and the use of their facilities; and race through speed traps, but beyond all that, it’s not unusual to find yourself aimless and adrift.

It seems plain bizarre that Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown should have no offline option, even as a failsafe for when the servers are having a moment. It’s understandable that TDU’s Hong Kong Island has been designed as a social sandbox, where you can interact with fellow players, but it’d be nice to have the option to play offline and sidestep the launch server woes. This goes for every game that insists on having enforced online play – let’s have an offline option, please? Regardless, Solar Crown’s world feels quite lifeless, and it’s a shame, as the nuts and bolts of developer KT

Racing’s game are perfectly robust.

The French studio has a storied racing pedigree, primarily spanning numerous WRC games, and that shows in the solid handling model, which is tight and just on the right side of accessible, while providing a stern enough challenge. An AI named ‘Alyss’ serves as your guide, but you’ve little use for it, really, beyond being given sat nav directions, or providing a radial menu with headlight controls, windscreen wipers, indicators, and so on. Fairly pointless stuff that works automatically anyway. There are driving assists and other accessibility considerations for more casual racers, so, assuming you can

stay online for any significant amount of time, there’s some racing enjoyment to be wrung from the new TDU. Ultimately, KT Racing’s stewardship of Test Drive Unlimited is disappointing. There are superior open-world racers out there that are simply better executed, and that don’t lock you out of events by forcing you to connect to a server. As such, it’s difficult to find a compelling reason to play Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown in its current state – at present, it feels half-baked, relatively empty, and low on open-world activities. In short, I’d look for my sandbox racing thrills elsewhere, if I were you.

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Overall TGG Rating Despite a robust handling model, some fairly impressive visuals, and a few nice ideas, Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown fails to deliver on its open-world racing remit, with a dearth of things to do, broken online servers, and a tacked-on story that does little to draw you in. This one’s stalled at the starting line.

6/10 Audio 6/10 Nothing particularly special. Standard engine noises and some unfamiliar tunes over the radio, as well as chatter from your on-board AI Alyss, and your smug fellow racers during the story.

Visuals 7/10 Solar Crown looks good, but it doesn’t quite rival its open-world racing stablemates for jaw-dropping vistas and meticulous automotive detail. Character models are half decent.

Playability 6/10 The new TDU is a perfectly robust racer with immediate, tight handling enabling you to effortlessly speed along and drift around curves. However, progression is on the slow side.

Delivery 5/10 While Hong Kong Island looks quite pretty, it feels fairly listless, lacking in things to do. Couple that with flaky servers, a rather boring story, and glacial progression, and no one would blame you if you went looking for open-world racing elsewhere.

Version tested: PC Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

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The idea of exploring the Star Wars galaxy via my own speeder and starship, and having free rein over a handful of planets, would have been 10-year old Me’s wildest dream. Obviously, until Musk and Branson get their act together and make starships as attainable as getting a car, video games will have to do for now.

That’s basically what Star Wars Outlaws is, though: it’s a Star Wars sandbox with planets and cities to explore on foot and by speeder before you round up your crew and head to the stars. How you spend your time is up to you, effectively.

In Star Wars Outlaws, you play as Kay Vess, a classic Star Wars scoundrel archetype in the Han Solo mould, with her plucky furred companion, Nix filling the Chewbacca role.

After a string of bad luck with jobs gone wrong, Kay finds herself one of the most wanted individuals in the galaxy. And to get out, she must gather a crew and pull off the job to end all jobs.

It’s a simple but really effective story, in truth: gather your troops, get involved in endless shenanigans, and visit some of Star Wars’ most iconic locations. It’s a Star Wars fan’s wet dream. With twists and turns, and plenty of setpieces, Outlaws, from a narrative perspective, is a proper Star Wars romp. Sure, it helps that Kay and Nix are such a loveable and relatable duo, but Outlaws is so much more than that, and not only is there a lot of gameplay variety on offer, but the finale is a doozie. It’s a shame, then, that a lot of the story cutscenes suffer from lip-syncing that’s a touch last-gen. My only real complaint there.

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That’s the main draw of Star Wars Outlaws, in fact, the sheer variety of different mechanics, all of which Ubisoft Massive has done an admirable job in realising. While the blaster gameplay can get a little stale with only temporary weapons to pick up, companion Nix being a battlefield asset with distraction tactics and fetching items/weapons for you is a really nice touch.

The best compliment I can pay to Star Wars Outlaws is that it’s always fun, and never boring.

Whether you’re whizzing around on a speeder, fighting the Empire in space dogfights or blasting your way through an outpost, Outlaws is pure, unadulterated fun. That said, the forced stealth sequences in the main quests might not be for everyone, but at least Ubisoft Massive has focused on ‘don’t set off any alarms’ being the primary objective, as opposed to ‘don’t get detected’.

Outlaws strikes exactly the right balance as an overall package, too. With two large openworld maps, a city map, and a more outlandish forest map, and little to no filler content, Ubisoft Massive has clearly focused on quality over quantity - there’s even a couple of space stations to explore, too. That said, while the Syndicate system in the game is a novel idea in that you need to try and keep the Syndicates happy, which is nigh on impossible without the game’s Contracts - it bears little to no impact on the narrative story at all. The truth is, it’s actually a little pointless in the grand scheme of things.

While Star Wars Outlaws isn’t exactly a buggy game, it’s also certainly not a polished one

either. A lot of the systems aren’t as accomplished as they could be - they’re merely functional. Case in point is the platforming, which is unwieldy at times (especially when using that damn grappling hook).

There are also some odd design choices as well. Too often I was fed the ‘return to the quest area’ warning, which flies in the face of the open-world philosophy - the whole ‘do anything and anywhere you want’ mantra. On top of that, the open-world can be a little arduous at times too, often with a place’s one well-hidden entrance not particularly obvious.

That’s the thing with Star Wars Outlaws, it’s an impressive game, but it’s one with some mild niggles. Things like being dislodged from your speeder by a pebble, an over reliance on pointless collectible cosmetics, and having a weird delay sometimes when you’re trying to climb a wall. All small annoyances, but annoyances, nonetheless. But for every tiny thing that might annoy you, it’s abundantly

clear that Ubisoft Massive has really put a lot of care and effort into the game. Whether that’s the transmog system, the immersive transition from planets to space, or, if that’s not for you, the fact that you can jump from the Mos Eisley cantina to Toshara’s cantina in the click of a few buttons.

The truth is, that despite some mild annoyances, Star Wars Outlaws is a fantastic Star Wars adventure, and one that if truly iterated upon in the surely inevitable sequel, could become a major Ubi franchise. With the dynamic duo of Kay Vess and Nix at the fore, Ubisoft Massive has delivered a memorable Star Wars journey with a ton of variety and a compelling open world. Throw in a bunch of iconic locations, a truly fitting Star Wars score, an enjoyable narrative and some great set-pieces, and you have something that proves essential for any self-respecting Star Wars fan. And if you’re not a Star Wars fan, one thing is very apparent with Outlaws, and that’s that it’s incredibly fun, which is all that matters.

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Overall TGG Rating Star Wars Outlaws is a wonderful, albeit slightly rough around the edges, galactic space adventure that will appeal to both Star Wars and non-Star Wars fans alike. With a great story, a handful of really iconic locations and a whole host of variety running through its veins, Outlaws is a fantastic new world of adventure for Ubisoft Massive. Plus, it’s incredibly fun.

8.5/10 Audio 8/10 Wilbert Rogert II has crafted a score that is both original and familiar. John Williams would be proud. And if that’s not great, the fantastic performances from all the voice actors, especially Humberly Gonzalez as Kay, all add to a fantastic audio package.

Visuals 9/10 Star Wars Outlaws ranges from the sublime, when it comes to the more handcrafted linear sections, to the ordinary, like the character models and lip-syncing animations. Artistically and in terms of overall vision, Outlaws is excellent. It just lacks a little technical execution. Ubisoft in general needs to up its game here.

Playability 8/10 While the shooting is enjoyable and the space dogfighting is great, the platforming is painful at times and the speeder can be a little unwieldy. It’s kind of a mixed bag, but on the whole, it’s remarkably well out together. It’s just really fun to play!

Delivery 9/10 Ubisoft has taken two mantras and squished them together - if ‘quality over quantity’ had a baby with ‘variety is the spice of life’, then that baby would be Star Wars Outlaws. Come for the great story and fun gameplay but stay for the GTA-style wanted system and dogfighting against the Empire scum in space. It’s a great package, it really is.

Version tested: Xbox Series X Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer 79

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SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game is a great title that will make younger gamers smile. The large open world and familiar characters are great to interact with.

The somewhat simple tasks and freedom to explore must be applauded.

However, we did encounter a few glitches and issues that impact things. Accordingly, I’m hopeful that these minor problems will be ironed out. If they are not, it isn’t game-breaking as such, it simply undermines the polished finish.

This 3D open-world experience was developed

by PHL Collective and published by Outright Games. This is a single-player game, which may disappoint some parent and child teams.

However, I was happy to sit back and watch my daughter tackle each task and surprisingly well for a five year old. I laughed as she was gathering golden gloves and working her way through Bikini Bottom. The physics-based mechanics are ridiculous and Patrick Star can destroy anything in his path.

The plot is as deep as the ocean they live in.

Yet, the storytelling and character depth won’t remind you of a masterpiece. Instead, you’ll take every moment with a pinch of salt. This approach was perfect for my daughter as she loved that she wasn’t tied to anything and could just run around holding Gary (her now pet snail). However, as an adult who did watch 81

SpongeBob as a kid I loved the humour and childish shenanigans.

I cherished each silly moment. SpongeBob, Mr Krabs, Plankton, and more demand your help as you jump, roll, and drive across Bikini Bottom. Consequently, each of your favourite locations can be explored and there are tasks to be completed in each area. Yet, if you just wish to run wild, you are not penalised for taking a break. This level of freedom was ideal for my daughter who loved colouring in the large canvas and dressing up in some great outfits you can place on Patrick.

As you complete each mission, a new one will be flagged on your radar. Whether you are asked to deliver some crabby patties or help Squidward isolate himself from the public, it really does make you feel involved with the game and what you’d expect Patrick does besides sleeping under a rock. Furthermore, you may be asked to collect rubbish or clean goop from prime locations across the sea floor. Either way, the tasks are easy to complete and perfect for a younger audience although I thoroughly enjoyed my time too at 31 years of age.

I adored the selection of venues to explore and the short, sharp missions were achievable for the youngest of players like my daughter who is 5. Alongside the main quests, you are asked to find jars of mayo. This was a little testing as

they are hidden in the strangest of locations.

This additional task was tough for my youngest kids, but with my influence I was doing some quick jumps and searching to find them all.

Child-friendly games tend to look awful.

Thankfully, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game is eye-catching and perfect for its intended audience. The large open-world is a pleasure to explore and the characters are nicely detailed. What’s more, the cinematic is well-presented and this keeps the action flowing. Unfortunately, though, there are some issues where you can see through the floor and the camera occasionally gets stuck in the scenery. This was a shame as without these problems, it would be an extremely wellpolished title. However, these problems can be worked around as you can reset your position and the world which helped a couple of times.

The audio is as loud and hectic as you’d expect.

Every character sounds like they should and the noise levels are uncomfortably high. Yet, it is this cacophony that adds energy and drama to each mission. The shrill sound of each siren or the noise of each creature chatting will make you wince and smile. The camera can be problematic. However, the controls are easy to understand and simple to master. Patrick rolls around, burps, jumps, and grabs items with

both hands. Furthermore, the physics-based elements allow the world to shift and flow as items are struck or picked up. This was nice to experience, but it made things tricky at times and kind of felt like another couple of games i’ve played before. However, as long as you are patient, you can overcome many of the issues related to these mechanics.

Replay value and longevity are at an all-time high. There are many mayo jars to collect and plenty of missions to complete. Furthermore, you can redo quests if you like or explore Bikini Bottom at your own pace. Either way, there is plenty to see and do in this child-friendly game.

An adult will think that this is repetitive, simple, and childish. However, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game is not aimed at adults. Its key demographic will love the vivid graphics and the burps. Furthermore, they’ll adore each quest and the large open world. It is silly, loud, and remarkably easy to play. Accordingly, it is perfect for kids and I recommend buying it!

What would a five year old think? However well we got my daughter’s opinions she said – Daddy this game is sooooo funny, I love the cool costumes and my pet snail! So there you have it parents your kid needs this which it is available to buy now!

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Overall TGG Rating SpongeBob SquarePants: The Patrick Star Game is a wonderful underwater haven with fun activities and great humour! Some slight graphical issues, however this is a great addition to the SpongeBob universe and it’s a title aimed at the younger gamers out there.

8/10 Audio 8/10 The game features the original voice cast, which adds a familiar and charming touch for fans of the show. Bill Fagerbakke’s performance as Patrick is one to be praised.

Visuals 7/10 Bright, bold colours that fans of the show will recognize and love. The characters and environments are faithfully recreated, making it feel like you’re stepping into an episode of SpongeBob The animation style is consistent with the show, maintaining its quirky and playful look.

Playability 8/10 With tons of quests, collectibles and fun moments, the replay value alone here brings in some great longevity with lots of humour to enjoy.

Delivery 8/10 A fun, silly experience that matches the feel of the SpongeBob series. The game features bright colours and familiar animation, making it enjoyable for fans. However, some physics-based challenges can be frustrating.

Version tested: Xbox Series X Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

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Just like her debut appearance at Sony’s E3 showcase in 2020 which feels like a decade ago now spirit guide, Kena, drops in out of nowhere in the opening shot of Kena: Bridge of Spirits.

No explanation, no fanfare, just an unexpected entrance posing more questions than answers.

Regardless, her appearance during the opening segments is certainly just as impactful as it was when it was revealed back in 2020.

See, that’s the thing with Kena: Bridge of Spirits - the spawn of a former animation studio that’s decided to try its hand at games - it’s a game about impact and feelings. From the opening sequences to the end credits, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an awe-inspiring journey, with its dazzling visuals and absolutely stunning musical score, and will almost certainly get its hooks in early. In truth, Kena is an audio-visual phenomenon that is a delight to behold. And, after three long years, it’s finally out on Xbox!

As Kena, a young spirit guide, you’re thrown into a sprawling adventure through a once thriving village, as she looks to gain access to the mysterious Mountain Shrine. The only way to do that is to assist the displaced villagers, all of whom are spirits seeking passage into the Spirit World. You’re effectively a spiritual therapist in Bridge of Spirits, as you look to solve the woes of those that linger after death’s final throes.Kena: Bridge of Spirits is, in essence, a throwback to the old-school adventure genre.

The inspirations from other games are 85

incredibly clear, but rather than being a shameless rip-off, Kena comes across as a love letter to the stalwart video game adventures of yesteryear. Whether that’s the simplistic but surprisingly finessed combat of, say, a Zelda game; the puzzling aspects of, say, a Zelda game; or the platforming sections of, say, a Zelda game... I jest, but Kena truly reminds me of a PS2/N64-era experience, from a gameplay mechanics perspective, at least. Visually though, it will knock your socks off.

What makes Kena work, is the impeccable balancing of its various elements. Things rarely get boring in Bridge of Spirits, as the combat and puzzles are constantly freshened up with new mechanics throughout, ensuring that you feel like you’re constantly growing as an adventurer. Where Kena: Bridge of Spirits does feel a little outdated, however, is in its setup everything seems a little too formulaic. The game is effectively broken into three acts, with three relics to obtain during said three acts. The truth is, however, there are far too many fetch quests and definitely not enough variety in your objectives to truly make it an instant classic.

If anything, Kena feels like it’s going through a bit of an identity crisis, with it being a fairly gentle platform-puzzler for large sections, and a boss rush for others – with clear inspiration coming from Dark Souls and the like. In fact, at times, Kena can feel like a Dark Souls game , thanks to some excruciating difficulty spikes

in more than a few of the game’s bosses.

Some of the aforementioned boss battles can be truly unforgiving, especially towards the end, so much so that you have to learn attack patterns, get into parrying rhythms and what not if you’re to have a chance of succeeding – much like Dark Souls. Heck, we only played through on normal difficulty, too, (having already played it on PS5), so we dread to think what the harder difficulties must be like, especially for someone with a little less experience. While mechanically simplistic, Kena boasts a great balance of abilities with some slight character progression sprinkled in throughout, albeit not much. There are some great ideas at work, like the fact that Kena can build her army of ‘Rots’ – small spirit creatures she can rescue from around the world to assist her in battle, and during puzzles and such.

The fact that you spend most of your time collecting diamond currency to buy cosmetics for your Rots speaks to the importance of them mechanically. But honestly, the fact that so many of the collectibles are for cosmetics for your legion of otherworldly sprites gives very little incentive to search out the other secrets in the world and doesn’t really reward exploration in a meaningful way. I personally couldn’t care less what little hat my Rots wear, regardless of how cute they are, mainly as there are so many of them, but I do care about more context to the world of which there is very little, in the form of unlocking parts of the village and its memories or becoming more powerful.

Simply existing in Kena’s beautiful world, however, succeeds in being an utter

joy, regardless of the slight gripes. The environments are stunning - absolutely dropdead gorgeous - and it’s a world you’ll want to spend time in. From the gorgeous cutscenes and fantastic voice acting, to the uplifting and inspiring original score, Kena: Bridge of Spirits’ world is just a wonderful place to be a part of.

Surprisingly, there’s also a great variety to the world and its soundtrack, from underground caverns, huge sprawling forests, and forbidden temples (and some others, but we don’t want to spoil things), especially considering you’re literally in and around a small village for the entirety of the game.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits, for all its beauty and boy is it a beautiful game does suffer from the odd technical issue, with temperamental platforming and some really awkward checkpoints at times. Luckily, that’s about it.

When it launched on PlayStation, Kena: Bridge of Spirits was a bit of a mess with graphical niggles and game breaking bugs ruining the experience throughout. Thankfully, in the Xbox version, those issues seem to be a thing of the past. So, while Xbox owners have had to wait three extra years for the game to turn up, at least you get a more polished version at launch than what PlayStation owners had to endure.

They do say that good things come to those who wait, and in Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Xbox players can finally embark on that long-awaited lovely jaunt into a beautifully handcrafted world with a frankly brilliant original score. It’s perhaps more style over substance at times, and won’t leave a lasting impression on you mechanically, but if you can battle through the difficulty spikes, you’ll no doubt have a magical time.

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Overall TGG Rating Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an absolutely stunning game on the eyes and ears but is perhaps a little too much style over substance. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with the mechanics, they can at times feel fairly shallow and archaic, but thankfully things don’t really get too repetitive or boring, and what you get in the overall experience more than makes up for that.

8.5/10 Audio 9/10 Just fantastic. From start to finish. It’s definitely one of the best soundtracks I’ve heard in quite some time – and the voice acting is pretty stellar too. So chock-full of emotion!

Visuals 9/10 Kena: Bridge of Spirits is an utterly gorgeous game, and it’s hard not to get lost in developer Ember Lab’s transcendent world or get swept up by its wondrous visual style.

Playability 8/10 Incredibly simple, with not a lot of depth; but credit where it’s due, even with those limitations, Kena hardly ever gets boring. The platforming is a little underwhelming and finicky, though, but other than that, it’s delightful.

Delivery 8/10 The game is far too formulaic at times, but if you can look past that and embrace the magical world and your place in it, you’ll have an uplifting time.

Version tested: Xbox Series X Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

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Who doesn’t like a lovely road trip? Dustborn is no ordinary road trip, though, starting as it does with a wild escape from the west coast city of Pacifica, which sees protagonist Pax relentlessly pursued by a dogmatic sect known as the Puritans. There’s good reason for the pursuit, too Pax and her crew have stolen a precious something, the exact nature of which is initially unclear. Just know that it’s important, and that you’ll need to get it all the way to Nova Scotia. What follows is an unexpectedly absorbing journey that seems like an adventure in a similar vein to The Walking Dead, but proves to be so much more.

Dustborn is set during the year 2030, but this is a weird alternate timeline in which JFK survived his assassination attempt, in 1963, and his wife Jackie died instead. JFK then married Marilyn Monroe who subsequently became ‘Queen Justice’, and the two of them formed a fascistic police force known simply as ‘Justice’ a response to Jackie’s death, to ensure nothing like that happens again. The authoritarian Republic of America is an odd sort of dystopia, then, where ‘Anomals’ like Pax and some of the other members of her gang are regarded as outcasts, due to the ‘Vox’ powers they’re able to use to manipulate others.

While Pax uses her Vox to influence people, potential love interest Noam can sooth strong emotions, muscular pal Sai boasts impressive strength and the ability to harden her skin, and Theo... well, Theo is a non-Anomal, the group’s paternal figure who has none of the gifts the others possess. During your sprawling quest to deliver your enigmatic ‘cargo’, you’ll meet various folks, some of whom will tag along for the ride aboard your vintage 1986 bus.

Together, you’ll evade the ever-vigilant eye of patrolling Justice officers as an undercover 89

punk-rock band (The Dust Born) touring the Provinces, and you’ll find yourself getting into frequent scrapes along the way.

The bulk of Dustborn involves talking to your merry band, more often than not enjoying deep and meaningful heart-to-hearts, with your dialogue choices affecting each characters ‘Codas’ - that is, their mental state. Every one of your allies has three possible Codas apiece, determining where they wind up at the end of the journey, and how you interact with them causes constant changes to their Coda, based on what you say and do. While the crux of Dustborn involves campfire conversations and some impactful dialogue choices, there’s baseball-swinging combat here, too, mixing button-mashing melee with ‘Shouts’, enabling Pax to fend off and mess with enemies using her Vox abilities.

If you’re none too keen on the combat, you can choose to have less of it peppered throughout the story (the game presents you with an option to tone it down after the first encounter), or you can get stuck into a ruck with Justice, the Horned Riders (a violent biker gang), and other foes as and when the occasion calls for it. Collecting battery cells grants points to upgrade Pax’s fancy baseball bat, while using her handheld ‘Me-Em’ console to capture pockets of broadcast disinformation floating in the ether, known as ‘Echoes’, goes toward unlocking new words that can be deployed during chats or battles. These include the ability to bully people into doing what you want, sowing discord to turn them against one another, pushing them away, or conjuring hallucinations to elicit terror.

Combat is the least interesting part of Dustborn, however, second only to the occasional rhythm-

action bits in which you and your band belt out your latest song by matching buttons to the rhythm - not bad per se, just not as good as the rest of what Dustborn does. Still, the strength of the story, the nicely written dialogue exchanges, and the game’s band of likeable misfits compensate for the surfeit of ideas that developer Red Thread Games has thrown into the mix for Dustborn, some of which, while perfectly solid, are perhaps a little under-baked.

But when you factor in the game’s gorgeous and vibrant comic book art style (visually, it’s not a million miles away from Tales From the Borderlands), it’s hard not to be sucked into the

game’s strange alternate future and it’s nonetoo-subtle political messaging. Dustborn is a lengthy adventure, too, its road trip divided into ten comic book issues preceded by their own hand-drawn covers, each running to more than an hour, especially if you take the time to frequently check in with everyone and really get to know them. Some sequences can drag a little, and, you could accuse the game of being a little overlong, but, ultimately, I enjoyed my time with Dustborn, assembling a found family of unconventional outcasts, bussing a chaotic course through the deserts of The Republic.

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Overall TGG Rating Combining dialogue-driven drama, a sprinkling of humour, interesting well-written characters, combat with a baseball bat, and a variety of other distractions, Dustborn emerges as a compelling and memorable schlep across America.

8/10 Audio 8/10 The game’s voice acting is superb, while the tunes are (mostly) pretty decent. Dialogue exchanges seem nice and natural, too, lending the narrative a dynamic energy.

Visuals 8/10 The comic book art style and presentation is fantastic, again, injecting Dustborn with a dynamism and verve that sets it apart from other adventures of a similar ilk.

Playability 8/10 Beyond making dialogue choices, there’s some quite serviceable combat and a bit of rhythm-action, but it all hangs together rather well. It’s good fun.

Delivery 8/10 Dustborn is a long game, and some sequences can drag a little. But, for the most part, Red Thread Games’ vibrant road trip is a journey worth taking.

Version tested: Xbox Series X Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

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Dead Rising was something of a big deal upon its original release in 2006. It was one of the most convincing reasons to buy yourself an Xbox 360 at the time, and I can remember being enormously impressed by the sheer number of undead on screen at once, and the unrivalled scope for wreaking unfettered chaos. Almost twenty years on, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster breathes new life into an old game, making it feel vital once more. Capcom’s game certainly still has plenty of bite.

unhinged grocery store manager, Larry the butcher, Sean the zealot cult leader, and Jo the insane cop. You can still take photographs of gory and dramatic scenes, but not leery ‘erotica’ shots, which never really made a whole lot of sense anyway (they’re now called ‘Outtakes’).

Of course, the crux remains the same, that is shredding a bloody path through the undead on a quest to find the truth, before escaping in the chopper at noon on 22nd September, before it leaves without you.

‘Deluxe Remaster’ is the perfect suffix. Neither full-blown remake nor simple remaster, this enhanced version of Dead Rising lies somewhere in between, boasting a complete visual overhaul, a revamp to the game’s controls, and the welcome addition of auto saves. At its core, it’s the old game you know and love – as photojournalist and endearing schlub Frank West, you can still be in a cutscene while wearing children’s clothes with a big rubber horse mask on your head. And there are thousands upon thousands of zombies to be killed in outlandish and inventive ways with whatever comes to hand.

There are survivors holed up all over the Willamette Parkview Mall, where Frank finds himself trapped for the next 72 hours, and it falls to you to try and rescue as many as you can before the final deadline. Some are being held by psychopaths, some are barricaded inside stores, and some don’t want to be saved and need convincing. Suffice it to say, escorting all 78 survivors back to the safety of the security room might be a tall order, although the improved AI helps a lot. That’s to mention nothing of all the ‘scoops’ that come Frank’s way, with security guard Otis constantly pestering you over your radio. Frank’s a busy boy, and the clock is always ticking.

You can charge through milling zombie hordes with a parasol. You can wade into crowds with a bench or a whirring chainsaw. You can fight psychopaths like Adam the clown, Steven the 93

Mercifully, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster introduces a number of new features to make Frank’s life (and, by extension, yours)

abundantly easier. First of all, those aforementioned checkpoints put an end to constant runs to the toilet to save your game, and the need to traipse from said toilet back to where you were before you died. Frank also has more options for escaping from a zombie’s clutches, and the changes to the control system make the game generally more palatable than it was eighteen years ago. Of course, purists can opt for the classic control system if they like.

Smaller, less obvious changes, like being able to use weapons when Otis is yammering via the walkie talkie, those aforementioned improvements to survivor AI that make them less susceptible to doing stupid stuff, and being able to move while aiming a gun, make for a more intuitive experience overall, as do smaller tweaks, like there now being a set of stairs leading to the security room entrance.

Trying to get survivors up that ledge could be a real pain in the backside in the original Dead Rising – it makes you wonder why there were no stairs there in the first place. You can also fast forward time from a save point, which means no waiting around for the next part of a case to happen, or for the next scoop to crop up.

Being able to earn Prestige Points faster for slaying zombies, taking down psychopaths, and snapping photos means you can level up Frank much quicker and gain access to a full set of moves earlier. You can also find attachments,

like a flash for your camera, and you can take 100 shots on a single battery rather than a measly 30. There are other refinements, too, and when you add them all up, the result is a markedly smoother and altogether better game than the original. Immediately noticeable are the visual enhancements, all handled by the versatile and always-impressive RE Engine.

The new voice cast also does a great job, with Jas Patrick taking over from T.J. Rotolo as the oft-perplexed voice of Frank - he’s every bit as taken aback by the confounding events he witnesses as he was in the original, and, indeed, the rest of the voice cast slot right in. There’s nothing remotely jarring about the change in voice talent - if you didn’t know any better, you’d be hard pushed to notice anything different.

Facial animations also benefit from some RE Engine love, though the game retains its stylised look, as well as that deliberately hokey B-movie dialogue. Fundamentally, nothing has been compromised in Deluxe Remaster – almost all of the various adjustments, additions, and changes are for the best, and, ultimately, make for a much better game. Riffing on George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead with its mallbased shenanigans, albeit without the satirical swipe at capitalism and consumer excess, Dead Rising has been brilliantly reanimated much like one of its shambling denizens – old, perhaps, but dead? Not yet.

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Overall TGG Rating Capcom has expertly breathed new life into a fantastic game, sanding down some of the rough edges, without compromising the spirit of the original. Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is the perfect excuse to revisit Willamette Parkview Mall for some retail therapy. And indulge in some excessive zombie slaughter while you’re there.

8/10 Audio 8/10 The new voice cast is great, while the sound effects and mall atmosphere remains spot on, as it was in the original. Music is deployed sparingly, mostly during psychopath encounters, and it usually fits well. Those tunes will get stuck in your head.

Visuals 8/10 Deluxe Remaster’s RE Engine overhaul gives Dead Rising a new lease of life, offering a vast improvement over the 2006 original. Facial animations are excellent, while the zombie-plagued mall environment looks great.

Playability 8/10 Using the revamped controls, Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster is a joy to play. The overall weight and pace of the game feels much the same, and it’s evident that Capcom has gone to great lengths to preserve the spirit of Frank West’s first outing.

Delivery 8/10 A raft of improvements and additions simply serve to make Dead Rising a better game. Some are small but go a long way to making a big difference. Unlockable Overtime and Infinite modes will keep you playing, meaning there’s plenty of fun to be had.

Version tested: Xbox Series X Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

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Creatures of Ava lays all of its cards on the table within its first few minutes. You are Vic, and alongside your partner Tabitha you’ve been tasked by the company you work for to evacuate the planet of Ava, saving as many life forms as possible before the Withering consumes the world. Of course, the sapient inhabitants, the Na’am, are reluctant to leave but they won’t say why, and they don’t seem phased by the Withering. You might be able to tell exactly where the game is going to go from that brief description of the setup, but the fun is supposed to be in the journey. Right?

Creatures of Ava has some promising ideas, but never explores them on a deeper than surface level. The tutorial introduces you to all the game’s mechanics, including wildlife photography, stealth, an instrument to communicate with animals, and a staff called the Nafitar to manipulate the environment and cure small parts of the Withering. I never used stealth again after it was introduced, photography seems totally optional outside of some side quests, and playing music boils down to a tedious simon says minigame.

The Nafitar is the most interesting of the lot, facilitating the game’s non-violent combat system. Some creatures you’ll encounter have been infected, and you can cure them by connecting a magical tether to them until their health bar is depleted. The creatures will attack you while you do this, inflicting damage and status effects like poison or blind, and you can 97

dodge or jump to avoid some of these attacks.

I say some because later on in the game combat becomes essentially a DPS race, with attacks coming out so quickly and with so little warning it’s impossible to dodge them.

The Nafitar has additional spells and powers you acquire along the way, but three out of four of these stop working on enemies after a certain point. Instead, to get through combat, you’ll want to constantly be chugging health restoring potions.

There is a little bit of strategy in combat, however. When tethered to a creature, if another creature comes in contact with the tether they’ll be affected too, allowing you to cure multiple creatures at once. By investing in the perk tree, you can chain a (theoretically) infinite number of creatures together and have all of them affected by your spells. This made for a few cool moments, but usually I preferred to focus on one creature at a time because of the camera. The lock-on is only capable of focusing on a single creature, making it common for others in your tether to go off screen and knock you down. You can disengage the lock-on and control the camera manually, but that leaves your thumb on the right stick and not on the dodge or jump buttons.

Combat is often required to progress and to get animals to help you solve puzzles. You can control any animal using your flute, but they need to be friendly first. To get them on your side, you either play the aforementioned

simon says minigame or cure them of their infection. After that they’ll follow you around while you play (Vic’s theme goes along with the background music of each area, which is very cool), and then you can aim at them to take control for a time. Each animal type has abilities like being able to push large blocks, remove plant barriers, or knock down bridges.

You can more easily see these abilities by taking a picture of the creature, but as far as I can tell not doing so doesn’t prevent you from using the ability.

Sadly these abilities just feel like matching keys to locks, and the game doesn’t really require any sort of critical thinking or puzzle solving to progress. The same goes for Nafitar spells. You have a levitate spell, a slow spell, a shield that prevents environmental damage, and a spell that drains infection quicker and is required to heal infections with yellow bars, but all of these abilities feel separate and have very specific places you need to use them. For example, you’ll know to use the shield when you see weird mushrooms on the ground and start taking damage near them, the platforms you can levitate are all exactly the same, and you only use slow on a type of door that normally grows vines when you get close. The faster healing spell you use on basically everything constantly, which gives it the opposite problem of all the other spells. It’s far too multi-purpose, making it annoying to constantly be casting.

There is one instance in which you do combine two powers, the levitate and slow spells, but it’s through needing to use the exact same platform and door immediately after each other. That’s as far as the puzzle solving ever goes, and while that example is still very light the game really could have used more moments like it.

pretty. The character and creature designs are nice too, Vic’s got some great style that gives you the sense she’s an explorer and not terribly keen on company uniforms. The Naam look appropriately alien, while still human enough to read their expressions. Most of the animals do take inspiration from one or more real life creatures, making them a bit more forgettable, but the ones that look like giant ladybugs are cute as a button.

In each area you visit, you are tasked with rescuing a certain number of each type of creature before you can progress to the next location. This is a neat idea, but there’s not much of a reason to continue rescuing after you meet the minimum, other than experience points. It’s super easy to meet that minimum too, as I hit it in every area before even getting to their respective Naam villages. Just explore for a few minutes and you’re done. More experience really isn’t worth it either. There’s a skill tree, but I never found any of the skills on it to be worth pursuing. It feels like the rest of the mechanics, completely disconnected and disparate from each other.

As I said in the opening paragraph, the story is nothing to write home about. It’s going to go exactly where you think it is and no further. I was hoping Vic would have to really immerse herself in Naam culture to learn about the cycle of nature and respecting someone’s wishes even if you don’t agree, but nope; she is straight up told the game’s main message and then it ends. The game is bookended by some gorgeous, animated cutscenes with some good voice acting, but I wouldn’t say they’re worth going through the rest of the story to see. I think the game has some good ideas, but none of them reach their full potential.

Maybe Creatures of Ava isn’t focused on puzzle solving though, and is more about exploring the world, experiencing the story, and collecting creatures? Ava is absolutely stunning visually, with a gorgeous art style and unique biomes that offer a variety of environments to explore.

I feel like I’ve seen these types of “alien” locals in other sci-fi stories, like a dense forest but everything is purple or a desert with ancient ruins and constant sand storms, but pretty is 98

Overall TGG Rating Creatures of Ava has unqiue gameplay mechanics and a beautiful world however there’s a fair few rough edges in performance and repetitive tasks.

7/10 Audio 8/10 The game features a unique mechanic where you use a special flute to tame creatures by playing their unique songs. This makes the audio not just a background element but a core part of the interaction with the game’s environment and creatures.

Visuals 8/10 The game features a vibrant and colourful open world divided into four distinct zones, each with its own unique biomes and aesthetics. The environments are beautifully crafted, with lush landscapes, detailed ecosystems, and a variety of alien creatures that are both adorable and intricately designed.

Playability 7/10 The game encourages curiosity-driven exploration across its four distinct ecosystems. Players use a special flute to tame creatures, which is a unique and engaging mechanic, however the tasks become repetitive making this less enjoyable and not much to keep on going once the story has been finished.

Delivery 6/10 Despite some technical flaws, Creatures of Ava is somewhat a decent adventure game, more so for those looking for a relaxing and emotionally rich experience. It’s somewhat a standout title for its beautiful world more than anything.

Version tested: Xbox Series X Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

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From the moment the first trailer for Astro Bot dropped, it was abundantly clear that developer Team Asobi had been working away on something rather special. As bundled PS5 platforming adventure Astro’s Playroom deftly demonstrated, the studio clearly has an affinity for the genre greats, the kind designed to elicit pure joy. Astro Bot succeeds with flying colours in that regard, building upon Playroom with one of the most appealing and unrepentantly joyful games I’ve ever played. The world would be a far better place with more games like this in it.

I’m getting way ahead of myself. Astro Bot sees the eponymous plucky robot, with his little glowing eyes, embarking upon a quest to rebuild his PlayStation 5-shaped ship when it crashes on a desert planet. Where Playroom celebrated Sony’s PlayStation hardware history, Astro Bot focuses more on the iconic video game characters who’ve graced those very consoles over the last thirty years, so there’s an in-built nostalgia at work here that will only really chime with anyone who’s au fait with everything PlayStation.

I’m getting ahead of myself again. In Astro Bot, your mission to track down and return the various components to your big PS5 Mothership takes in a range of themed planets, each of which is home to a series of bots that require rescuing. In total, there are 300 of the 101

adorable blighters to discover and stow away in your controller-shaped DualSpeeder, 150 of which are PlayStation cameos, including firstparty heroes such as God of War’s Kratos and Horizon’s Aloy, as well as Ratchet, and PaRappa the Rapper (to name but a few), and third-party icons like... Nope, sorry. No spoilers here. Part of the fun is discovering all of those delicious cameo characters for yourself.

Each of Astro Bot’s five nebulae comprise several planets and an array of secret areas to unlock, as well as an entire level dedicated to a classic PlayStation game. The first of these is a God of War level in which you get to wield Kratos’ Leviathan Axe, throwing it and calling it back as you’d expect. It’s fantastic. Later levels like these prove to be an utter delight, aping its source with reverence, there’s no way not to be utterly smitten by the whole thing. If you enjoyed the tight platforming mechanics of Astro’s Playroom, then you’ll be loving this.

Throw in the array of gadgets Team Asobi has crammed into the game, from the simple boxing gloves shaped like little frogs on springs, to the Muteki armour that enables Astro to roll around encased in a ball of impenetrable iron, and the bulldog jetpack for blasting through panes of thick glass and other obstacles. Best of all is Astro’s sponge guise, making the little bot balloon in size when he soaks up water and

deflates when he’s wrung dry. I found myself grinning like a fool in disbelief and delight every time Astro Bot introduced something new, and, as such, you’re seldom doing the same thing from level to level. There’s more creativity and variation here than you’d find in a dozen other games.

Astro Bot does the ‘collectathon’ thing, too, peppering each of its stages with coins to collect, which can be spent on props, outfits, and DualSpeeder paint jobs at the Crash Site hub’s Gatcha machine. The hub area has its own challenges on top of everything else, with your rescued bot friends helping you to access new areas by building bridges, walls, swing points, and more. Rescuing all 300 bots is a tall order, however, with some of the hidden levels inspired by the PlayStation controller’s iconic circle, triangle, square, and cross buttons (yes, it’s called ‘cross’ in this) proving enormously tricky. One hit and you’re dead, and each hidden level is a challenging obstacle course that has to be completed in a single run, this is the only frustrating thing in Astro Bot. Given its constant capacity to surprise, its

impeccably designed and characterful boss battles, and its plethora of secret stuff and Easter eggs, a minor blip like a difficulty spike on an a few optional levels is entirely forgivable, even if it might prove a sticking point for some in attaining that elusive 100% completion statistic. Astro Bot is simply pure joy distilled, and we haven’t even mentioned the lovely DualSense haptics yet, which are completely unparalleled. The controller doesn’t stop buzzing in your hands, reacting to changing surfaces, environmental conditions, and so on.

There’s ample use of the controller’s motion control, too. It’s great.

Honestly, I’m trying really hard to think of something I don’t like about Astro Bot, but it’s impossible. Not only does it feel like a throwback to the halcyon days of Jak & Daxter, Ratchet & Clank, Mario 64, and all of those other genre-defining 3D platformers, but it has so many fresh ideas of its own that it also manages to set itself apart. Make no mistake, Astro Bot is a sensational game, and one of the best we’ve played on PS5 to date. Astro deserves to be officially appointed Sony’s de facto mascot with immediate effect.

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Overall TGG Rating Both a celebration of thirty years of PlayStation history and a bravura 3D platformer, Astro Bot is an unbridled joy; a lovely, delightful thing; and if you have a PS5, you owe it to yourself to get this and play it.

9/10 Audio 8/10 Lovely jaunty tunes and adorable little bot sounds make for a wonderfully appealing, smile-inducing soundscape. It’s all just very nice.

Visuals 9/10 Gorgeous. Truly, unavoidably beautiful. Not only is Astro and his pals imbued with masses of personality, but the environments are fantastic, and the bosses (octopus in boxing gloves, giant robot pirates, big bird in a crash helmet) are excellent.

Playability 9/10 Pure, unbridled fun. It’s simply impossible not to have a good time playing Astro Bot, with the game hurling something new at you seemingly every five minutes. All of the gadgets mounted to Astro’s back during certain levels prove an absolute blast.

Delivery 9/10 A pretty huge game positively brimming with secrets. The only problem is, you’ll likely be so enamoured with it, that you won’t want to play anything else until you’ve done everything there is to do. It’s an utter joy.

Version tested: PlayStation 5

Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

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When Epic Mickey launched for the Wii back in 2010, there was something about it that I found somewhat difficult to comprehend.

Not because it’s a Mickey Mouse video game - of course not - but because legendary game designer, Warren Spector, of Deus Ex fame, was its Creative Director. How Spector went from JC Denton to Mickey Mouse, I’ll never know. But what wasn’t such a shock was the fact that Spector managed to hit upon another surprisingly effective formula. With innovative mechanics and an inherent charm, Epic Mickey became a bit of a cult hit.

Here we are, then, fourteen years later, and it’s the latest in a long line of games to get the remaster treatment - and yes, Disney Epic Mickey Rebrushed definitely feels more like a remaster than a remake.

Epic Mickey Rebrushed sees you step into the world of Disney’s iconic rodent mascot, whose curiosity - and frankly, carelessness - drags him into a mirror world after unleashing mayhem upon a once peaceful world. Mickey must venture into this mysterious world to save the people of the Cartoon Wasteland from the Blot, which has zapped all life out of the forgotten world and threatened its inhabitants’ way of life. Armed with nothing but his trusty (and stolen, may I add) paintbrush, Mickey must daub paint on scenery to breathe life back into the newly discovered world, restoring peace in the process.

At its core, Epic Mickey Rebrushed is a puzzleplatformer, with the crux involving an innovative paintbrush mechanic, wherein you can paint 105

or remove life from the world to solve puzzles, free captured gremlins, and open up new paths. That means painting bridges, thinning walls to make them disappear, and so much more. Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a modern day Picasso to get through it - painting and removing parts of the environment is very much like aiming and shooting a gun in a thirdperson shooter.

The big question is, how has Epic Mickey aged?

Well, you know what, it’s aged pretty decently, to be fair. The innovative paintbrush mechanic still feels fairly fresh by today’s standards and using it to solve puzzles and engage in combat feels immensely responsive. Like the original, it does tend to get old fairly quickly, and with little to no shake ups in gameplay from start to finish, the remaster has retained the same issues the original had. Still, flicking from 3D puzzle exploration to 2D side-scrolling antics will undoubtedly keep you interested until the credits roll.

Developer Purple Lamp has tweaked the controls somewhat, adding a dodge, ground pound and sprint mechanic, in an effort to bring the gameplay up to today’s standards.

On the whole, however, the studio hasn’t really tampered with the game’s tried and tested mechanics - namely, the painting and the seamless transition from 2D to 3D mechanics.

Of course, being a remaster means that you also get a whole visual overhaul here, and considering how dated the original game is, Purple Lamp has done a fine job here. Our only real complaint, however, would be that it could

have gone the whole hog and actually provided voices for the game. Alas, the studio has not, and it seems a little odd that it wouldn’t go the extra mile, in truth.

That’s perhaps my biggest complaint in THQ Nordic’s remaster, which is otherwise a fairly solid revamp of an old Wii title. With vastly improved visuals, and a few quality-of-life

tweaks, Epic Mickey Rebrushed is a thoroughly enjoyable reminder of when a lot of games used to bring bundles of innovation to the table. Epic Mickey Rebrushed isn’t going to change your mind if you weren’t a fan of the original, and it’s not going to take the world by storm, but it’s a delightful way to spend a weekend, injecting some sweet, sweet nostalgia back into your veins.

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Overall TGG Rating Epic Mickey Rebrushed is a lovely remaster of one of yesteryear’s surprise cult hits, and the best thing is, the gameplay actually holds up pretty well, thanks to a few new quality-of-life additions that go a long way towards making this a better game.

7/10 Audio 7/10 The music is fantastic, as you’d expect, but Purple Lamp has definitely missed a trick in not providing a full voice over.

Visuals 7/10 Purple Lamp has done a pretty solid job with the remastered visuals, but it won’t win any awards for graphical fidelity come the end of the year. It has done a great job in refreshing it for a new (and old) audience, though.

Playability 7/10 With the new dash, stomp and sprint mechanics, Purple Lamp has done an admiral job in bringing the gameplay into line with similar games now available in the market.

Delivery 7/10 Not a whole lot has changed, which is a good thing, although it could also be perceived as a bad thing.

Version tested: Xbox Series X

Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

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Humanity has been annihilated by the evil toys of the Adorable Army. It is down to you, an orange cat with an attitude, a wise-cracking setient hoverboard named F.R.A.N.K, and an A.I companion that rivals Sadness from Inside Out called CH1-P to defeat the Adorable Army before mankind is completely wiped out.

Gori: Cuddly Carnage is a hack-n-slash action game with hoverboard/skating movement mechanics as well as a big empahsis on gore and adult humour. Visually the game looks great! The enemies are fantastically unique and the different levels have been themed brilliantly.

You start the game like any other, with a tutorial teaching you the basics. However it didn’t take long before I got the full array of abilities made available to me, which honestly I appreciated, especially in a game where you can rack up the style points with various combos. Each ability felt smooth and fun to use, with specific enemies requiring a specific abilities to counter them effectively. The enjoyment with a hack-nslash game really comes into play when you’re activating finishers with their own unique animations and chaining combos together; I found myself trying to keep my mid-air combos going for as long as possible as it was so satisfying jumping from one enemy to the next without ever touching the ground. Working in tandem with the hack-n-slash combat is the hoverboard movement mechanics. You spend 109

the entire game moving around on the hoverboard, and while the combat with the hoverboard feels great, traversing the world is... okay. There’s nothing inherently negative about the hoverboard mechanics, it just felt like opportunities missed. While you can grind specific rails and walls to rebuild your power meter, that’s pretty much it. Of course I wasn’t expecting trick mechanics like in the Tony Hawks games or Skate, but it would have been a nice touch if I was able to do some tricks while travelling from one area to the next, like the ability to do a full pipe loop in tunnels! Based on feedback, the developers did create two ways to mount the rails. You can either land on it with precision movement, or you can press the assigned button once you’re near it to attach to it like a magnet pulling you in.

With 48 songs in the soundtrack you will be more than energised to paint the streets red with the innards of the evil Adorable Army. The soundtrack fits the theme of the game perfectly and the combat sound design is fantastic.

However one aspect I found a little lackluster was the sound design for the rail grinding and wall riding. They were not bad, but at the same time they didn’t match the fun, chaotic, and over the top nature found in the rest of the game.

For the most part the voice acting and dialogue was pretty good. I especially enjoyed the introductions when you come across a new

enemy in the game. And while the humour was fun for the most part, in some instances it felt like it was a little too much; sometimes you are bombarded with many quips in quick succession. It felt a little forced and unnecessary.

would have to agree. If you’re looking for more of a challenge then I would definitely recommend playing the harder difficulties to right from the start. If you’re in it for the story and a casual good time then the normal difficulty should do the trick.

One aspect of the game I was really impressived with was how short the loading times were.

Whether it was loading between areas or loading a mission from the spaceship, the waiting time was amazingly short; my snacking time really took a big hit! Playing the game casually, I completed the story mode in around 8 hours. This is without going back to hit the top ratings on each mission or going back to look for collectibles. Although the key collectibles were actually surprisingly easy to get. There is a sound cue whenever you are near a key part, and I managed collect all but one just by playing the campaign. I’ve also seen people mentioning the normal mode is easier than expected and I

At the time of writing this review Gori: Cuddly Carnage is priced at £17.99 on all platforms.

You will be able to play the game on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X & S. I highly recommend giving this game a go, especially at this price point. This game is creepy, cute, and absolutely chaotic. The combat mechanics are superb, and more importantly, fun to play. Who doesn’t like soaring through the air as the innards of creepy unicorns fall around you? If you’re after a chaotic, gory, hack-n-slash game with adult humour, then look no further than Gori: Cuddly Carnage.

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overall tgg rating It won’t be everyone’s cup of blood-stained tea but it is definitely worth a purchase for those who enjoy a gory hack-n-slash. Gori: Cuddly Carnage is a enjoyable hack-n-slash game with lots of adult humour and lots of gore!

8/10 Audio 7/10 Great combat sound design, from attack impacts to the game soundtrack. The rail grinding sound design was ok but lacked a certain spark. The humour in the dialogue felt a bit too much at times.

Visuals 8/10 Fantasticly unique enemy and level design. The theme on each level was fun and matched the vibes of the game perfectly.

Playability 8.5/10 The hack-n-slash combat mechanics feel fluid and fun to play with the ability to rack up insane combos. The movement mechanic and rail grinding has been developed to make it less frustrating to mount.

Delivery 8/10 Fantastic loading times between areas and missions. A casual playthrough clocked in at around 8 hours to complete the story. Fans of in-game collectibles may find it too easy to complete in this game.

Version tested: PC via Steam Reviewed by: Jamie Yong

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Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a third person shooter action adventure game set in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. You’ll play as Lieutenant Demetrian Titus as you fight the enemies of mankind while fighting to prove your loyalty as you are reinstated to the Ultramarines in this sequel to the 2011 Space Marine game. Space Marine 2 comes with a similar feel to the first game, but improved and expanded upon. Fans enjoyed the first game, but would have loved it even more if it had coop/multiplayer. So Saber Interactive gave their fans exactly that, and more. You’ll be able to play the main campaign as a squad of 3 players, or alternatively you can fight for the emperor solo with the help of 2 AI bots.

As someone who knew very little about the Warhammer 40,000 universe, I had an absolutely brilliant time playing through the campaign. Space Marine 2 has made me want to discover more about the vast and in-depth lore this franchise has to offer. Speaking with 40K fans, the game’s story broadly follows the lore that Tyranids are a huge threat to humanity and wants to take over anything and everything, but within that are millions of individual wars and battles; the story in Space Marine 2 one of such battles and is unique to the game.

It is not neccessary for players who are interested in Space Marine 2 to have played the first game, nor is it neccessary for players to know the deep Warhammer 40,000 lore to enjoy this game. Having spoke to fans of 40k who have played this game, it is definitely more 113

exciting if you know the lore as certain enemies, factions, and character reveals will be more impactful. However the cut scenes do a very good job in explaining what you need to know for this specific story. Anything non-40k fans may potentially miss won’t impact the overall story, and most importantly, the enjoyment of the game.

The gameplay is where Space Marine 2 really shines. I knew from the very first tutorial mission that I was going to enjoy this game. From seeing hundreds of enemies swarming towards you and surviving, to the brutal execution animations, every aspect of the gameplay is so satisfying and fun to experience. My personal favourite is utilising the Jump Pack and slamming down on enemies with the Thunderhammer - from the animation to the sound design, it’s perfection.

The mechanics feel smooth and purposeful.

You’ll be able to pull off various melee combos, and parry counters quite easily once you get used to the button layout. What I thought was really cool when playing with the AI bots is that they will allow you the opportunity to perform an execute manoeuvre on elite enemies whenever possible, you can run up to do so, or simply gun the enemy down from a distance as they stand there immobilised. However don’t leave the immobilised elite alive for too long, as they will eventually recover and you’ll have to fight them again. With a wide variety of guns and melee weapons to choose from, the game does a good job with giving you frequent opportunities to try out different weapons during missions. You also have the ability to set your preferred weapons

as a default loadout in the Battle Barge.

Another factor that really contributed to my enjoyment of the game was the voice acting.

Every instance of voice acting was superb, from the main character Titus, to the NPCs you walk past on your way to your objective having their own little conversations. I found myself walking up to every NPC to see if I could trigger some form of diaglogue between NPCs as they were so well done.

My one negative about Space Marine 2 is from experiencing my screen freezing during a handful of cutscenes. I turned down the graphics just incase it might have been a performance issue on my end but it still cropped up every now and then. It didn’t happen often, but enough to dampen the mood in the moment. Could have been a slight optimisation issue which will most likely be resolved with a patch; definitely not enough of a reason to not play this game.

My playtime clocked in at around 12 hours after completing the main campaign. This playtime could have both been shorter or longer by a few hours depending on how you play, and what

difficulty you are playing on. Along with the main campaign, there are also 2 other main game modes: Operations, and Eternal War. Operations is a PvE game mode centred around the missions of Combat sqauds Talasa and Veridian. These missions run alongside and support the main campaign. Note that if you choose to play Operations before completing the main campaign you could reveal spoilers for the story. Eternal War is the PvP game mode.

You can jump in a Quick Match, or try your hand at Seize Ground, Capture and Control, as well as Annihilation.

As of writing this review the price for the standard edition on Steam is £54.99, and I believe this game is worth every penny of that. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a fantastic game for fans of the 40k franchise, as well as non-40k players like myself. The gameplay mechanics are so satisfying, I simply can’t get over how much fun I had playing this game. Whether it’s for the tabletop game, collecting miniatures of your favourite armies, or simply delving into the deep lore of the universe, Space Marine 2 is a great starting point and a gateway for players to get into the world of Warhammer 40,000.

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overall tgg rating An excellent game for both fans of the Warhammer 40,000 universe and gamers new to the franchise.

9/10 Audio 9/10 The sound design complements the game mechanics well to create an epic feeling. The weapon impact audio paired with the animations make them feel super satisfying.

Visuals 9/10 Brilliant visuals, from the small details on the Ultramarine armour to the wide shots of cities being swarmed by millions of Tyranids.

Playability 9/10 The control mechanics are fun and dynamic once you get used to the button layout. You can string together melee combos, time parries for devestating counters, and perform executions for flashy animations.

Delivery 9/10 Actions feel very satisfying to pull off - from jump pack combos, to simply sniping an enemy. A good amount of playtime that can vary depending on difficulty. The difficulty scaling is done well: Normal and below allows you to enjoy the game mechanics and story, whereas the harder difficulty provides a tough challenge for those seeking it.

Version tested: PC via Steam Reviewed by: Jamie Yong

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Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is a triumphant return to the beloved Tenkaichi series, bringing with it a wave of nostalgia and a plethora of new features that elevate it to a must-play for any Dragon Ball fan. Developed by Bandai Namco, this game captures the essence of the anime with stunning visuals, dynamic combat, and an immersive story mode that will keep players engaged for hours. The game’s release has been highly anticipated, and it does not disappoint, delivering a comprehensive experience that both honours the legacy of the series and pushes the boundaries of what an anime game can achieve. From the moment you start the game, you are greeted with a sense of familiarity and excitement, as the iconic opening theme plays and the vibrant world of Dragon Ball comes to life.

Visuals and Art Style One of the standout features of Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is its impeccable art style. The cel-shaded graphics are a perfect homage to the anime, making every battle feel like a scene straight out of the show. The attention to detail in character models and environments is astounding, with each fighter looking and moving exactly as they do in the series. The animation is fluid and vibrant, ensuring that every punch, kick, and energy blast is a visual treat. The game’s use of lighting and shadow enhances the dramatic effect of battles, making them feel more intense and cinematic.

Additionally, the special effects for energy attacks and transformations are spectacular, capturing the explosive power and excitement that Dragon Ball is known for. The environments are richly detailed, from the rocky wastelands 117

to the lush forests, each stage is meticulously crafted to reflect the iconic locations from the series. The game also features dynamic weather and time-of-day changes, adding another layer of realism and immersion to the battles.

Gameplay and Mechanics The gameplay in Sparking Zero is both familiar and innovative. Fans of the Tenkaichi series will feel right at home with the fast-paced, 3D arena battles. However, the game introduces several new mechanics that add depth and excitement to the combat. Players can perform a variety of special moves, counters, and evasions, making each fight a strategic and thrilling experience.

The ability to fly and destroy the environment adds another layer of immersion, making battles feel truly epic. The controls are intuitive, allowing both newcomers and veterans to enjoy the game without a steep learning curve.

The game also features a robust training mode where players can practise and master their skills, ensuring that they are always ready for the next challenge. The combat system is deep and rewarding, with a variety of combos and techniques to master. Each character has their own unique move set and abilities, encouraging players to experiment and find their favourite fighters. The game also includes a stamina system, adding an extra layer of strategy to the battles. Players must manage their stamina carefully, as overusing powerful moves can leave them vulnerable to counterattacks.

Story Mode and Custom Battles Sparking Zero’s story mode is a highlight,

offering a fresh take on the Dragon Ball saga.

Players can relive iconic battles and explore new storylines that expand the Dragon Ball universe. The narrative is engaging, with wellcrafted cutscenes and voice acting that bring the story to life. The story mode is divided into several arcs, each focusing on different characters and events from the series. This allows players to experience the story from multiple perspectives, adding depth and variety to the gameplay. The Custom Battle mode is another fantastic addition, allowing players to create and share their own battle scenarios. This mode offers endless replayability, as players can craft unique challenges and share them with the community. The game also includes a variety of side missions and challenges that provide additional content and rewards, ensuring that there is always something new to discover. The custom battle mode is highly flexible, allowing players to adjust various parameters such as the number of fighters, their strength, and the battle conditions. This level of customization ensures that players can create truly unique and challenging scenarios.

Character Roster One of the most impressive aspects of Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is its extensive character roster. The game features a wide array of characters from across the Dragon Ball universe, including fan favourites and lesser-

known fighters. Each character is meticulously designed to reflect their appearance and abilities from the anime, ensuring an authentic experience for players. The roster includes iconic characters such as Goku, Vegeta, and Frieza, as well as newer additions like Jiren and Broly. Each character comes with their own unique move set and abilities, allowing players to experiment and find their preferred fighting style. The game also includes several transformations and power-ups, adding another layer of depth to the combat.

Players can unlock additional characters and transformations through gameplay, providing a sense of progression and achievement. The variety of characters ensures that there is something for everyone, whether you prefer the raw power of Broly or the strategic finesse of Piccolo.

Character Transformations Transformations are a core element of the Dragon Ball series, and Sparking Zero does an excellent job of incorporating them into the gameplay. Each transformation is visually stunning and comes with its own set of abilities and power boosts. For example, Goku can transform into Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan Blue, and even Ultra Instinct, each form offering unique advantages and combat styles. Vegeta’s transformations include Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan Blue, and Super Saiyan Blue Evolution,

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each enhancing his strength and speed.

Frieza can transform into his various forms, including his final form and Golden Frieza, each providing significant power boosts. The game also includes transformations for other characters, such as Gohan’s Super Saiyan and Ultimate forms, and Cell’s perfect form.

These transformations are not just cosmetic; they significantly impact gameplay, providing strategic advantages and changing the dynamics of battles. Players must manage their energy and timing to use transformations effectively, adding another layer of strategy to the game. The visual and audio effects accompanying these transformations are spectacular, capturing the dramatic flair and intensity of the anime.

Multiplayer and Replayability The game shines in its multiplayer offerings.

Local multiplayer is available from day one, ensuring that players can enjoy the game with friends right out of the box. The online multiplayer is robust, with smooth matchmaking and a variety of modes to keep players engaged. The depth of the combat system and the variety of characters ensure that no two battles are the same, providing endless hours of entertainment. The game also features ranked matches and leaderboards, allowing players to compete and see how they stack up against others around the world. Regular updates and events keep the multiplayer experience fresh and exciting, encouraging players to return and test their skills. The game’s net code is solid, providing a smooth and lagfree online experience. The developers have also promised regular balance updates and new content, ensuring that the game remains fresh and competitive for years to come. The multiplayer modes include a variety of options, from casual matches to intense ranked battles, catering to players of all skill levels.

Future DLC Plans Bandai Namco has exciting plans for future DLCs that will expand the Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero experience even further. The developers have announced several DLC packs that will introduce new characters, story arcs, and gameplay features. Upcoming DLCs are 119

expected to include characters from the latest Dragon Ball Super arcs, such as Moro and Granolah, providing fans with the opportunity to play as some of the newest and most powerful characters in the Dragon Ball universe.

Additionally, new story missions will be added, allowing players to explore untold tales and alternate scenarios that expand the lore of Dragon Ball. These DLCs will also bring new stages and environments, each meticulously designed to reflect the iconic locations from the series. The developers have also hinted at introducing new gameplay mechanics and modes, ensuring that the game continues to evolve and offer fresh experiences. Regular updates and community events will keep the player base engaged, with seasonal events and special challenges providing additional content and rewards. The commitment to postlaunch support demonstrates the developers’ dedication to making Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero a long-lasting and continually evolving game.

Conclusion Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is a love letter to fans of the series. It combines stunning visuals, deep and engaging gameplay, and a wealth of content to create an experience that is both nostalgic and fresh. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the Tenkaichi series or new to Dragon Ball games, Sparking Zero is a must-play. It’s a game that not only captures the spirit of the anime but also sets a new standard for what an anime-based game can be. The developers have clearly put a lot of love and effort into this game, and it shows in every aspect. From the detailed graphics to the intricate gameplay mechanics, Sparking Zero is a testament to what can be achieved when a game is made with passion and dedication. The game’s ability to balance nostalgia with innovation is truly impressive, making it a standout title in the genre. Whether you’re reliving your favourite moments from the anime or discovering the Dragon Ball universe for the first time, Sparking Zero offers an unforgettable experience that will keep you coming back for more.

Worth Mentioning While Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero excels in many areas, there are a few minor aspects that

could be improved for example there are some balancing Issues as some characters and transformations may feel overpowered, which can affect the balance of multiplayer matches.

New players may also find the depth of the combat system overwhelming at first, although there is a training mode which can help mitigate this.

With all that to take in we must send a huge thanks to our wonderful friends over at Bandai Namco for gifting us two copies of the game, one for Xbox Series X and another for Steam in which we have had since the 1st of October 2024 to fully review this game and all its great features.

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Overall TGG Rating Sparking Zero is a fantastic game that delivers an authentic and exhilarating Dragon Ball experience, making it a must-play for fans of the series. The minor issues do not significantly detract from the overall enjoyment, which is why it earns a well-deserved 9/10.

9/10 Audio 9/10 The game features an authentic soundtrack that perfectly captures the essence of the Dragon Ball series, enhancing the overall experience with nostalgic and invigorating tracks. The high-quality voice acting, featuring many of the original cast members from the anime, adds immersion and emotional depth to the story mode. The dynamic sound effects for combat and transformations are crisp and impactful, making battles feel intense and satisfying.rgy.

Visuals 9/10 The game features stunning cel-shaded graphics that perfectly capture the essence of the anime, making every battle feel like a scene straight out of the show. The attention to detail in character models and environments is exceptional, with dynamic lighting and special effects enhancing the immersive experience. The fluid animations and dramatic visual effects for energy attacks and transformations add to the excitement and intensity of battles.

Playability 9/10 The game features intuitive controls that are easy for newcomers to pick up while offering depth for seasoned players. The combat system is both familiar and innovative, with a variety of special moves, counters, and evasions that make each fight strategic and thrilling. The robust training mode helps players master their skills, ensuring they are always ready for the next challenge. The game also includes a wide array of characters and transformations, adding variety and replay ability.

Delivery 9/10 The game brings the Dragon Ball universe to life with stunning visuals and dynamic lighting. The gameplay is accessible yet deep, with intuitive controls and varied special moves. The story mode and custom battles offer replay ability, while the diverse character roster and transformations add depth. High-quality voice acting and impactful sound effects enhance immersion. With robust multiplayer options and promising future DLC plans, Sparking Zero sets a new standard for animebased games.

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Version tested: Xbox Series X & Steam Reviewed by: Brandon Sawyer

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p3achx Name: Peach aka P3ACHx Pronouns: She/They Content Type: Presenter, Streamer Strength: Professional yapper, Biscuit connoisseur and Self-proclaimed e-sports champ Weakness: Gashapon Hi Peach! Thank you very much for taking the time to have a chat with us! How have you been and what have you been up to recently?

Not at all I’ve been reading The Gamer Guide for a while so I jumped at the chance to be able to contribute! These days my time is mostly spent playing Tekken, editing and trying to level up as a presenter. There are lot of things happening BTS but I’m grateful for all of it and can’t wait to share it with you!

Tell us a little bit about your content creation life? How long have you been doing it, and what made you want to start?

I started by posting k-beauty (Korean beauty) reviews on Instagram as a college student mainly as an “extracurricular” activity to help me get into a cosmetic science course for uni. I was studying games development at the time and considering I didn’t have a science background I needed a way to demonstrate my passion for cosmetics. Everything is archived now but it was a great lesson in “the power of a portfolio”.

One distance learning course and a lot of studygram posts later I did actually get into the course and graduate with a Masters in Science.

It was also during that time that I met a lot of the gamers who became my good friends.

Considering the page had fulfilled its initial purpose but I still enjoyed creating content, 123

becoming a gaming creator just made sense.

In no particular order, what would you consider to be your top 3 games as of this moment and why?

Assuming these answers are limited to this particular moment in time (because i will definitely want to change my answer in the next 30 seconds): - Tekken 8 - because I’m addicted - Fae farm - also because I’m addicted - The 2XKO alpha - for the reasons as mentioned earlier XD All of these games have gorgeous visuals and mechanics that FEEL super satisfying to play (which is also why I never want to put them down). I still love my RPGs but I tend to reach for these more cause I get to play them with my mates.

What is your earliest memory of yourself experiencing gaming?

“Playing” Mario Kart 64 with my older brothers and spending every single race falling off the map, driving in reverse and then being confused as to why Lakitu wasn’t a playable character considering he spent so much time on my screen.

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Do you have any guilty pleasure games you love playing but your friends and/or community tease you for liking?

Otome games. I think the last one I played was probably Mystic Messenger but as a romance novel enthusiast, it only makes sense that I would want to put myself in the main character’s shoes. How could I possible say no to a genre of games that does exactly that!

Are there any upcoming games that you are excited to play?

I was lucky enough to get a code for the 2XKO (previously project L alpha) which for anyone unfamiliar is Riot’s upcoming 2v2 team-based fighting game using League of Legends Champions. Now I don’t know anything about League but I am LOVING playing Illaoi and I’m genuinely considering playing LoL despite everyone telling me not to. I also had a look at some of the other champions and based on aesthetics alone I REALLY hope they put Gwen 125

and/or Qiyana in the game.

One of the core games you stream regularly is Tekken 8. Has Tekken always been your goto fighting game or did you swap over from something like Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Marvel vs Capcom, Super Smash Bros. etc.?

I’ve always had a soft spot for fighting games as that’s the genre that me and my brothers really bond over. Over the years I feel like we’ve touched on pretty much every big fighting game you can think of with Smash bros being the current family favourite.

As for the fighting games I enjoyed, Soul Calibur III is my personal favourite. Guilty Gear Strive was the game that got me to take fighting games a bit more seriously and whilst I only played a little bit of Tekken growing up (if you count mashing as playing) I think the Tekken community being so welcoming has played a massive part in me wanting to play. I don’t see myself stopping any time soon.

Tekken 8 has been out for almost a year now.

What are your impressions on the state of game and how it has progressed since release?

Tekken 8 is easily the most accessible game in the franchise and I’ve really enjoyed the efforts Bamco (Bandai Namco) is making across the board to appeal to new as well as existing audiences.

Despite what I see online I feel like the devs are really invested in making the game as good as it can be. Some choices have been questionable but, as long as devs are open to feedback and the community gives it constructively, I feel like we’ll get a version of the game that works causally AND competitively.

My only complaint is the lack of customization options. Having experienced the customization of soul calibur and tekken 7 (however briefly) I NEED Bandai give us a bit more creative freedom. If I’m gonna drop combos at least let me do it in a pretty fit, ya know?

On the complete opposite end of the intensity scale, you also enjoy your farming sims. In what might be the ultimate crossover, which character from Animal Crossing do you think could survive in Tekken?

My knee jerk reaction would be to say that none of the villagers are making it out that game alive

but considering the damage that the Kuma and Roger have done in previous games - I think any of the bear or kangaroo villagers would stand a fighting chance.

But if i had to pick one - I would say Stitches, not because I think he would be the greatest fighter but I would love to see how he interacts with the TEKKEN cast because his dialogue is unhinged.

I feel like haircare and skincare advice is one of those things that can be very specific to the individual. Is there any advice you can give that everyone should be doing when it comes to taking care of their hair and/or skin?

I could LITERALLY talk about hair all day. My master’s thesis was on haircare and I am more than happy to answer any hair related questions if anyone’s interested.But here’s 3 tips to ensure more good hair days than bad: 1. ALWAYS follow up with conditioner after shampooing 2. Rinse out your conditioner BEFORE you do the rest of you shower routine - (conditioning although great for your hair can sometimes cause acne on the body if not rinsed off properly) 3. Hair oils are great for softening the ends of your hair (which can also help prevent breakage).

And remember, your scalp is still skin so make sure to keep it clean and moisturised (yes scalp serums exist XD) for good hair health.

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Time for some anime talk – 3 anime series you would you recommend as must-watch?

I feel like everyone needs to watch Peach girl at least once (and no not just because my name is in the title) . There are a lot of anime villains out there who have done some NEFARIOUS things, but none have made my blood boil quite like Sai. If you like high school dramas I definitely recommend giving this a go purely for how much you’ll end up screaming at the screen The fate series is also up there. I feel like everyone knows ufotable’s animation because of Demonslayer but it was Fate/Zero and Unlimited bladeworks that REALLY put them on the map and I feel like everyone needs to witness it at least once I think for my last choice I would have to go with Death Note. I wouldn’t even say it’s my favourite anime but the IMPACT that this one anime has had cannot be overstated. And when I consider other shows of similar cultural significance, I feel like 37 episodes is a lot easier to manage than 1116 (and counting…)

What is one anime that has ended/got cancelled that you would love to see a new season for?

Personally, I would love more Soul Eater or D. Gray Man. I LOVE SOUL EATER SO MUCH. That one is definitely on the list but I think my first one would be Wonder Egg Priority. The magical girl anime with the unexpected dark twist is probably my favourite genre, with Rozen Maiden and Madoka Magica being two of my faves. Wonder EGG would have been PERFECT had they not released that final “special” episode. I won’t say more as I’m terrified of spoiling it, and I definitely recommend giving it a watch, but if they could delete episode 13 and/or give us a whole new season I would be the happiest person in the world. The way that one episode was able to derail what could have been a masterpiece actually needs to be studied! Maybe I should make a video about it...?

We first got to meet you at Insomnia The Gaming Festival 72, which sadly was the last one. Are there any events, anywhere in the world, you would love to attend as an invited creator?

I am DYING to go to EVO! I think it’s partly due to me being in the “honeymoon phase” of my Tekken arc (which is amazing considering it’s been over 6 months since the game released) but the atmosphere looks incredible, the tournaments are always stacked. I feel like regardless of whether I went as a creator, commentator or competitor I would have an amazing time.

Away from your content creation life, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Absolutely nothing haha! Even though I can be quite chatty I am DEFINITELY an introvert and will take any opportunity to just lie on my bed and stare at the ceiling. That being said I do enjoy movement, in whatever way is most accessible, and so I make an effort to zone out in the gym instead.

From everything you have learned so far, what advice would you give to the young P3ACHx that was first starting out creating content?

Just do what sparks joy. Marie Kondo’s iconic

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one-liner has become my compass for literally everything but where content is concerned it is IMPERITIVE that I enjoy the creative process otherwise trying to create anything is like trying to pull blood from a stone - so I would like to hope that every version of me past or future would keep that in mind (and if not no pressure it’s just a bit of fun at the end of the day).

Finally, what are you currently working on that you’d like to or are allowed to share with our readers?

Nothing that I’m able to talk about right now BUT if you do happen to like fighting games, farming sims or RPGs or simply like to yap I strongly suggest you catch a stream as we would be more than happy to have you!

And that’s it! Thank you very much again for taking the time to have this interview with us, it’s been an absolute pleasure. We wish you all the best in the future!

If you would like to check out P3ACHx on any of their socials, you can do so below!

Instagram -_p3achx TikTok - @_p3achx Threads - @_p3achx Twitch - twitch.tv/p3achx Twitter (X) - @_p3achx YouTube - @p3achx

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HeyAtari Name: Atari Pronouns: She/Her Content Type: Variety, gaming, and lifestyle Strength: The ability to go from cosy to chaotic in minutes!

Weakness: Also the ability to go from cosy to chaotic in minutes!

Hi Atari! First of all, a massive thank you for taking the time to have a chat with us! How have you been and what have you been up to recently?

Hi, it’s my pleasure. I’ve been pretty well, thanks!

We’ve recently been doing some reaction and productivity streams, which I have been enjoying so much, along with playing through the first Uncharted Game for YouTube. We’ve co-streamed Gamescom, and did a lovely DND stream with UntitledRPG. I’ve also been in the process of solidifying a new content creation schedule for the foreseeable future. Getting back into being consistent has been a really nice journey!

Tell us a little bit about your content creation life? How long have you been doing it, and what made you want to start?

I’ve been streaming for about 4 and a half years or so. Before then, I was very much used to working a full-time job and a part-time job. In one case, for a few months I worked 2 full-time jobs. Never again.

So when Covid hit and many people were in lockdown, I learned what having free time meant. I was able to express myself creatively, and one of the ways I did that was by streaming!

I took the family PS4 and my brother’s camera 107 129

attachment, and streamed GTA V on Twitch.

Besides my brothers and a couple cousins (shout out to y’all) there was no one coming into the stream, but I truly had some of the most fun streaming that game.

Since then, besides gaming I’ve branched out to occasional makeup, IRL streams, and reaction streams. I’m really loving experimenting and the whole content creating process in general.

I have to ask, could you tell us the story behind your name? Were your parents massive gaming nerds like the rest of us, or did they somehow come across the name in a random coincidence?

Haha, I get this often and every time I want to tell some grandiose story. My dad named me. I learned everything I know and love about video games from him. Myself, my dad, and all my younger siblings were gaming nerds.

But funnily enough, he named me Atari because he went to high school with someone who had that name, and he really liked it. Anticlimactic, but I’m really glad it happened nonetheless! I wouldn’t trade my name for the world.

As a variety streamer you have played many different types of games. So, to be mean, in no particular order what would you consider to be your top 3 games as of this moment and why?

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I love so many games, but I think my top three are Ghost of Tsushima, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Stardew Valley. GoT and RDR2 are both absolutely beautiful games that have rich storytelling, expansive detailed maps, and so many iconic visuals. Stardew is my cosy comfort game. It’s the first and only game I’ve 100% completed. The game is bright, there’s so much to do, and every townsperson has a really deep history, and characterization to go along with it! I could talk about or play each one of these games for hours on end. They’ve really had a positive effect on my life.

What is your earliest memory of yourself experiencing gaming?

My earliest memory from gaming is me sitting on the floor of our home in front of our couch watching my dad and his friends playing Street Fighter. I was a bit too small to play. But the first game I remember actually playing was Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back. I come from a very large family, so when my cousins would visit every year or so, we all crammed into a small room and made it a tradition to pass the controller back and forth and beat the game within a day. Those are memories I cherish.

Do you have any guilty pleasure games you love playing but your friends and/or community tease you for liking?

Okay no judgements. It’s the Peppa Pig video games. I know nothing about this cartoon, but one day I thought it would be funny to drink port while playing Peppa Pig, and it slowly descended into madness. But it was hilarious!

But I think the second time the game was the thing that descended into madness. I’m not sure if we’ll do it again, but I really enjoyed it while they happened. Besides that I would say Fall Guys. I’ve been called a “Fall Guys sweat” too many times. I just enjoy a good game with a good squad!

Are there any upcoming games that you are excited to play?

There are so many game releases that I’m excited for! But my top 2 that I’m dying to play are Little Nightmares 3, and The Wolf Among Us 2. The choice for co-op in LM3 is such a good 131

one! I can’t wait to get scared with friends. As for The Wolf Among Us, I’m a big fan who has played the game many, many times. I have big expectations for the 2nd instalment.

I’m also one of those gamers who is completely fine with a game being pushed back. I can wait and be patient for perfection!

Away from your content creation life, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I LOVE getting creative in different ways. I really enjoy cooking and baking! I just got the Stardew Valley cookbook, so I will definitely be going through it one recipe at a time. I do a lot of painting on canvas with acrylics, and I’ve been working with a lot of chalk pastel recently. I really love inline skating (thanks dad!), and I also go through waves of reading books.

When it comes to life outside of content creation, I live by one mantra: to create more than I consume. I work at not using my phone or watching TV as much as I do and create things.

It’s helped my mental health a lot over the years.

As an American living in the UK, what’s something you enjoy about the UK, and something you miss from the US? I’m a huge foodie, and I have to say: the UK knows how to do a beige food. I’ve had so many good meat pies and rolls, and really great desserts as well! I’m also impressed by the calibre of takeaways and kebab shops. Where I’m from doesn’t have too many Indian takeaways, so I’ve really been enjoying those as well.

Besides my family and friends (shoutout to my Brownie Night besties), I miss watching Survivor (US). It’s one of my favorite TV shows ever. I’ve been watching it since it came out in 2000 and haven’t missed a season.. until I moved here. I still haven’t found a way to watch it properly and I miss it soooo much!

When you first moved to the UK, was there anything that people in the UK did that you thought was weird, at least in comparison to what you were used to in the US? Walking everywhere! No one really walks to get

places where I’m from. And slang! In the UK, there are so many words and phrases that mean so many things. When I first came here, it was like learning a second language. I was like, “Why did that guy just call his son a Wally?”

I honestly love it.

Another thing I originally thought was weird was that many British people like to say bye 4 or 5 times before hanging up. Now, I sometimes find myself doing it as well!

You worked with Dove on the ‘Code My Crown’ campaign. Could you tell us what the campaign is about and why it is important to the games industry?

The campaign helped to bring awareness to Black hair in games, which is all too often underrepresented, misrepresented, or both.

Many people don’t realize that Black hair is important to Black people because it’s a part of who we are, our identity. We plan around events days, and sometimes weeks in advance when it comes to washing, drying, and styling our hair.

Because we take the time and effort to do our

hair, we’d love to see game developers do the same when it comes to making diverse hairstyles that represent us. This is where the Code My Crown campaign comes in. Working side-by-side with The Open Source Afro Hair Library, it gives developers a completely free 200-ish page guide to use in order to code Black hair in many different styles. If developers aren’t sure about what styles to include, or even how to code Black hair, I urge them to take a look!

Have you come across a game that really captured the unique qualities of black hairstyles, and if you did, what did they do right in your opinion?

I haven’t seen too many games that have captured Black hair the way I’d like. For decades I’ve only had the option of cornrows, dreadlocks, or pony puffs. I feel like I’ve made the same character dozens of times now. It’s getting better these days, but we’re progressing at a very slow pace! That being said, I remember really enjoying Disney Dreamlight Valley for their hair customization options. I remember being stuck in the character creator app for a while because 132

of all the choices. And I know The Sims has very smart, creative players who have put their love into making many diverse and accurate hairstyles!

You’re also an ambassador for Safe In Our World – a mental health charity that provides support for gamers and the games industry.

How did this opportunity come about, and what does being an ambassador involve?

Well this opportunity came around from contributing to a few panels and articles for Safe In Our World. Their charity is incredible and the work that Sky and Rosie put in is absolutely amazing! I was so happy when my application was accepted. Being an ambassador means that you’re passionate about mental health, specifically in the games industry. There are opportunities to represent them at events, spread awareness, and help to raise funds for charity. It’s been nice meeting like-minded individuals. As someone with their own experiences with mental health and ADHD, it’s been a joy to help to chip away bit by bit at stigmas that surround mental health.

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Are there any events, anywhere in the world, you would love to attend as an invited creator?

I’ve been to TwitchCon EU a few times, but I would love to go to both TwitchCon EU and US within the same year. I would also love to take a roadtrip to Gamescom and stream my journey there. It’d be amazing to attend The Game Awards and Bafta Games Awards as an invited creator, and even present an award!

You have done multiple panels as a creator that help support various types of gamers and creators, such as a panel about neuro diversity with Safe In Our World and a panel about Black representation in video games. What would you like to see more of to improve the content creator and gaming industry space?

As far as the content creation space goes, I’d like to see more focus. I think that many creators have an air of entitlement when it comes to things like gaming keys, paid opportunities, event invitations, etc. They are hurt when they see their peers are getting things that they aren’t.

If I have any advice, it would be to focus on your

own content creation journey. Focus on your community. And keep shooting your shot. You never know who is watching you, and waiting to give you an opportunity to show others what you are about!

And for the gaming industry, more diversity is necessary. Not just in games, but in the workplace as well! We need different perspectives to keep telling amazing stories.

Not just culturally, but we also need diversity of thought. Neurodiversity, for example. You can make so much more magic when your team doesn’t look or think the same.

I’d also like more gaming events in the North!

It’s unfortunate, but sometimes I can’t justify the money for train tickets, and the time spent journeying back and forth.

What has been your favourite moment being a content creator so far?

I think my favourite moment being a content creator has been my first Subathon on Twitch.

I was so nervous, but the way The Greenhouse

showed up and supported me was absolutely incredible. Their subs and tips helped me fly out to Austria and do a couple IRL co-streams with a really close friend! My community has supported me so much, and I’m grateful to each and everyone one of them. They’ve helped me do incredible things in the gaming space!

From everything you have learned so far, what advice would you give to the young Atari that was first starting out creating content?

I think at my current stage of creating I would tell young me that if you want to join or participate in a space that doesn’t exist, be confident that you have the ability to create those spaces for yourself, and for the like-minded people who want it too! Also that opportunities and moments of success are fleeting; they come and go very quickly.

Make sure you take the time to pause and take pride in your accomplishments! When you look back and see what you’ve done and how far you’ve come you will be so pleased.

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Finally, what are you currently working on that you’d like to or are allowed to share with our readers?

If you would like to check out HeyAtari on any of their socials, you can do so below!

I’d really love to focus on more IRL streaming, as well as vlogging for YouTube. And I can’t say too much, but I’m currently working on a formal event for next year’s Black History Month. The dream is to have a night of celebration for the achievements Black streamers have made throughout the year. I’m talking food, dancing, awards, photo ops, and opportunities for networking!

Instagram - heytari

And that’s it! Thank you very much again for taking the time to have this interview with us, it’s been an absolute pleasure. We wish you all the best in the future!

Thank you for having me. It’s been so much fun!

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Chochyplays Name: Leon aka ChochyPlays Pronouns: They/Them Content Type: Twitch streamer Strength: Weirdly good at mazes, rambling, and spicy food!

Weakness: The game backlog (60 and counting...)

Hi Leon! Thank you so much for taking the time to have this chat with us! How have you been and what have you been up to recently?

Hi! Thanks for having me! I’ve been pretty great honestly, I’ve been really busy which is honestly a great feeling. I love having active projects to work on and so to have so many has been exciting if a little chaotic.

Tell us a little bit about your content creation life? How long have you been doing it, and what made you want to start?

So I first dipped into content creation all the way back at secondary school, I’d make silly Minecraft videos and mod reviews inspired by DanTDM and Stampy, but I got laughed at for it at school. Combined with the fact it took all night to upload a video, and my lack of editing knowledge, after keeping consistent for a few years and seeing little come from it, I dropped the idea until I knew how to do things better.

I got back into it through taking part in the annual charity stream for the /r/NintendoSwitch Discord in 2019, and I realised I had the internet to handle streaming at Uni, my proper journey began in 2020. So when my film course was basically put on hold; we couldn’t film or act at all even within our bubbles, I wanted so It didn’t take long to find a lot of what I’d always wanted from doing YouTube and I’ve been doing it ever since!

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As a variety streamer you have of course played your fair share of games. So, in no particular order, what would you consider to be your top 3 games as of this moment and why?

That’s a toughie- currently I think the top games are probably Hades, Warframe and Stray.

Hades gets a spot because it’s the game that, after being convinced to try it by Twitch Chat, really showed me how much I was missing out on Roguelites. It took me a long time and a lot of practice to get anywhere near the end, but it gets the spot for being a really memorable experience with chat that beat my avoidance of games with high difficulty.

Warframe on the other hand is a huge comfort game that I can lose hours to, the combat and movement is great and it has a good power fantasy. On top of that it has such a weird and interesting lore and story which keeps me coming back. Stray gets the third place spot just for being a beautiful self contained story with the most adorable cat.

What is your earliest memory of yourself experiencing gaming?

My earliest memory in gaming probably comes back to playing Pokémon blue back on the GBA, my dad came back from Japan with one fresh off the factory floor as a gift from a work project, and me and my sister had our Pokemon games.

Eventually we got a second and Pokémon Red

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and Blue. We’d race to finish the games, playing them everywhere, even by the occasional streetlight, eating through AA batteries.

Penguin & Lego Universe private servers on occasion just to play card jitsu and be a ninja all over again...

Do you have any guilty pleasure games you love playing but your friends and/or community tease you for liking?

Are there any upcoming games that you are excited to play?

So the easy option would be Warframe just cause it’s such a grindy game that people struggle to get into, but the other would probably be Boyfriend Dungeon. Boyfriend Dungeon is one of those games that looks really goofy from the outside... you’re literally dating anthropomorphised weapons. And while I only really play the genre for the chaotic and wild concepts like dating cryptids (thanks Monster Prom), when Boyfriend Dungeon was released I got incredibly obsessed with it, and my community found it very funny to tease about, but I stand by it! It’s a great game and probably the reason I now like dungeon crawlers too.

I also may or may not still crack open Club

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I’m probably most excited for two games right now, on the indie side, I am super excited for The Plucky Squire. It looks like a really interesting game and reminds me of what I thought Super Paper Mario would be like as a kid. It seems like such a charming game with a cool story, great design, and I’m so interested to see how it plays out in practice.

The other game is Lost Records: Bloom and Rage. As a big Dontnod fan and especially of the original Life is Strange entries before they were no longer the primary developer for the franchise, the prospect of a new game from them has had me waiting all year, especially with how little we’ve been shown.

2024 TwitchCon in Rotterdam – you were on two panels talking about ‘Empowering diversity within the BIPOC community’ and ‘The importance of stream teams with Black Twitch UK’.

on how they can best foster their own communities and discuss how people can work on empowering groups that Twitch does not currently recognise in things like the guild system, such as Asian and Disabled people.

What was the experience like for you, and what was your favourite part of the panels?

For those who may have missed your panel at TwitchCon, how has being part of the Black Twitch UK stream team benefited you as a streamer/creator?

The entire Twitchcon experience was honestly incredible. I’d never thought I’d get to go, let alone do panels. Finding out that our panels were picked was a shock if I’m honest, as I was not expecting it at all. The actual convention and panels were just another level above that, as someone who has mostly done streaming solo, only joining Black Twitch UK in July last year, it felt like a chance to be part of the Twitch community at large.

I think my favourite part of the panels was the interactive portions of the Empowering Diversity panel, as it became a much larger discussion about what we as creators can do to contribute to our spaces. We got to offer advice to people

I think the biggest thing Black Twitch UK has helped me is in my own confidence to go out and achieve, being Black and Queer in a lot of spaces feels like you need to tone parts of yourself down to achieve, but BTUK has shown me in its own success stories that there are avenues to be loudly ourselves and still get a seat at the table. It took a lot of time to learn to stop asking for permission and expecting to be told ‘no’ for things. But having a collective that even before I officially joined was coaching me to have higher ambitions and expectations taught me to carve out my own space rather than waiting to be given it.

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What advice can you give for creators out there looking for opportunities to be a guest or a host on panels at events like TwitchCon? Is it all about how big of a creator you are or the connections you make via networking?

Honestly, the biggest part is just to ask for things, I know so many creators larger than me who simply don’t put forward pitches for panels or apply for teams, it’s the first pitfall. Now once you ask, it certainly becomes more about what you have done in the past, and who you know to some extent, but I do think there’s always something to be said for being the relative nobody who just brings enthusiasm- that’s how I got into BTUK! Being a positive force and making friends in the space rather than competitors honestly opens so many doors, and it’s more fun!

You were also a special guest for The Crush House launch celebration hosted by Gayming Magazine. How was the event, and how did this opportunity come about?

Yeah! So that event was a lot of fun! I was recommended to the Gayming Magazine people by my Twitch team when they were looking for Queer creators actually. They got in touch and it all went from there. I’d never gotten the chance to be a special guest before, but it was a cool experience getting to show up and try out a unique indie game. I got to check out the game and showcase it a little and talk to some lovely people while I was there. It was really lovely to get to see more of the London Queer community, and I’m really hoping to do more like it.

The day before The Crush House launch you were also on a panel hosted by JermainePlays about making the most of Twitch front page opportunities.

What was the experience like being on that panel? Also, what one advice would you give on making the most of front page opportunities?

The panel was a very cathartic experience, I’d been working with Jermaine on it since I pitched it to him in a bar after Twitchcon, I actually hosted it with him helping produce the panel. After a lot of buildup and planning it was a huge relief more than anything to finally run the panel. Being up there was great too, even 141

having worked along with the panellists on the rough outline of the panel and planning ahead, I learned so much myself from the panellists and I still need to go back and rewatch it to take my own notes. Everyone involved really put their all into it, especially JermainePlays who was having daily meetings with me close to the panel date to help me get everything over the finish line.

I think the biggest advice I’d give is to plan ahead, expect the plan to fail and have a second one… and have fun. When I’ve been lucky enough to do front page slots or features, I have often fallen into the habit of barely making a first plan, as I do a lot of content fully improvise., But especially with the nerves of a bigger audience it’s useful to have a plan to stick to, at least until you decide for it to go off the rails yourself. Also, don’t update anything before you go live, it’s the best way to get a crash mid slot- I am definitely not speaking from personal experience.

Are there any events, anywhere in the world, you would love to attend as an invited creator?

There’s a huge amount of events out there, but I think my mind right now probably most wants to go to San Diego Comic Con as a pipe dream.

More realistically, I would love to try going to Twitchcon US or DreamCon, mostly because the Twitch Black Guild has given me the chance to make so many amazing friends who live across the pond. I’d love the chance to meet them in person, especially when some people keep asking if/when I will make an appearance.

You’ve definitely had a busy 2024! Away from your content creation life, when you’ve managed to find a moment to yourself, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time to relax and unwind?

Honestly, I’m one of the worst people at relaxing!

If I’m not doing content creation directly I’m often writing scripts and stories or playing the same games I do for content. That being said, I’m a big fan of films and TV- I recently got into the show Humans, I’m hoping to start Dead End: Paranormal Park as my next cartoon obsession and I rewatch a ton of anime and cartoons as my brain-off shows. Even if I can’t help but write down new content ideas and scripts while watching. Otherwise, I love doing things like sports- I’m a proud brown belt in Judo and love mountain biking!

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Can you tell us about your role as an Events Team Lead for r/NintendoSwitch?

Sure, so the role is mostly an organisational one, I make sure that we have events going on, from game nights to bingo for new Nintendo Directs.

The biggest however is probably our Extra Life charity streams. We try to do one every year, last year being the only one we’ve missed due to logistical issues, but I also took up organising a summer event for the charity. We raise money for childrens hospitals through gaming and it’s a really fun event forcing the mod team who often keep to themselves to pop on camera and try a marathon of games some with the community.

It’s even become a bit of a tradition that one of us takes the mantle of doing a hot sauce related challenge, and I still remember the feeling of my stomach after raising over $200 to what might have been mild torture, worth it!

You’re also a creator for Games For Waves – an initiative created by the Whales and Dolphins Conservation (WDC) to help defend whales and dolphins across the globe by collaborating with the games industry. How long have you been a Game For Waves POD creator and what does it involve?

So being a Pod creator is really about being part of this amazing team of creators to promote the work the WDC are doing. I joined last year for their Jingle Jam celebrations, which was a load of charity streaming over two weeks trying to raise as much as possible, as well as wider awareness for them. The overall total effectively covered funding for this year’s work I believe!

Outside of the charity fundraiser periods, it’s also just a great community championing sustainability and environmental awareness, and I’ve got to play quite a few games with these themes that also support the WDC’s work through the Pod. What has been your favourite moment being a content creator so far?

I think probably Twitch Spaces 2022. That event run by Geeky Cassie and Twitch UKI was probably the moment I felt like there was a space for people like me on Twitch. I wasn’t part of the Black Twitch UK Twitch team yet, I was just a person in their community discord, and 123 143

going to that event I felt so welcomed, people already knew my name, and wanted to chat, and the energy was perfect. Since then I’ve been to bigger events like Twitchcon EU and loved the experience, but I still think back to that event as it really told me that I was putting my time into something worth it. The community I get to be part of alone is a huge motivator.

From everything you have learned so far, what advice would you give to the younger Chochyplays that was first starting out creating content?

I think really, I’d have to tell lil Choc to just keep that determination and ignore every bit of putting down for being the weird kid and the one making cringy Minecraft videos. I probably had more organisation and consistency then than I do now, and I can only wonder how it’d be if I didn’t drop everything for years… Also I’d tell them that they’re really gay so it doesn’t take another ten years or something to figure that one out hah!

Finally, what are you currently working on that you’d like to or are allowed to share with our readers?

I’m currently trying to expand my content a bit, making more long-form YouTube content as I’ve not really touched the platform in ages.

Alongside that I’ve got some cosplays I’m working on- I’m hoping to step up my game cause I’m a bit more of a hobbyist cosplayer.

Honestly, I’m always working on something new and with BHM and Orcatober this month with Games for Waves I think there’s a lot to be excited about in my regular streams too!

And that’s it! Thank you very much again for taking the time to have this interview with us, it’s been an absolute pleasure. We wish you all the best in the future!

If you would like to check out ChochyPlays on any of their socials or channels, you can do so on the next page!

Bluesky - @chochy Instagram - @chochy1000 TikTok - @chochy1000 Threads - @chochy1000 Twitch - twitch.tv/Chochyplays Twitter (X) - @Chochyplays YouTube - youtube.com/@chochy1000

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