We take a look at Rat Queens Volume 1 and how it relates to D&D
Rat Queens is a dark satire comic book series that plays out like a typical TTRPG session. From its lovable characters and its detailed world, the comic contains wit and humor blended with gritty action and an engaging plot that keeps you wanting more and more.
I won’t lie when I tell you that when I first read a Rat Queens comic – issue 16 with Critical Role – a few years ago I did not find it all that great. Jump forward to today and I am all in for what is next from the Rat Queens. It just goes to show that the more time you spend with characters or a series the more it grows on you. It’s much like character development where you have an idea at the beginning but as time goes on the character grows and changes in ways you never even thought about.
Characters
Rat Queens Volume 1: Sass and Sorcerery follows the story of the adventuring party made up of Betty the rogue, Violet the fighter, Dee the cleric, and Hannah the wizard. The world is swords and sorcery and feels like a beginning quest. The leading ladies are one of many protectors of the city of Palisade. They collect bounties and contracts to slay monsters and complete quests. The party is already well established in the city and the comic does a great job at letting you know everyone knows who they are and they aren’t particularly well-liked even though they get things done.
There are several other characters introduced to make the world feel more alive and it makes everything feel grander and meaningful. Even though there are a lot of characters writer Kurtis Wiebe makes each one engaging. They have a unique way of speaking and handling situations, especially the Rat Queens. They also have their own secrets and pasts that appear to play a larger part in future issues. Betty is an adorable firecracker that will cut you if you look at her or her friends the wrong way. Whereas Violet is a tough and resilient dwarven warrior that is always ready to protect her fellow party members.
In any tabletop role-playing game using backstory is one of the best ways to advance plot. The first five issues were just a prelude to the larger story at hand.
Story
Speaking of story issues 1 -5 focused on setting up the characters. Wiebe understands characters and builds time to connect and establish who each one is. The writing is vivid and flows fluidly with the artwork which is equally as stunning. The first arc is one big quest to find out who is trying to kill off adventuring party members. It’s the classic tale of one quest evolving into another leading to larger threats on the horizon.
While on a contract, the Rat Queens are given a quest to clean out a cave of goblins. There is nothing more nostalgic sounding than that in a TTRPG game. Yet things don’t go as planned and that greater threat arrives in the form of an assassin. The challenge shifts to finding out who hired the assassins and why they are killing party members. It keeps you guessing about who it may be but excellently presents the story in a clear and concise manner.
Fight scenes are graphic but remain engaging, entertaining, witty, and full of motion without being overly and unnecessarily violent. Slower-paced moments are easy to follow and don’t drag on. Each panel contains beautiful art and conversations that advance the story and develop the characters.
Rat Queens: Volume 1 is the classic tale of the beginner adventure party. The world is full of terrifying creatures and realistic characters who act like real people. There is plenty of adult language and adult situations that would make Captain America blush but nothing that doesn’t fit in with the narrative. The main Rat Queens crew is violent and often attacks first and asks questions later. Yet they’re all lovable and enjoyable throughout their quirks, mannerisms, and qualities.
Rat Queens: Volume 1 is highly recommended to fantasy and fans! It is thrilling, intriguing, fast-paced, and contains a world full of engaging and realistic characters. We give it a 9 on a d10.
An entertaining beat ’em up set in the world of D&D
Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is like rolling a d20 to attack or attempt a skill in the TTRPG version ofDungeons & Dragons. You aren’t quite sure what the outcome will be before you roll but there’s that feeling of no matter what, everything you do will be fun. D&D is simply fun and Dark Alliance reflects the joy you get from sitting at a table whether digital or physical and rolling dice with friends.
The game follows the story of the Companions from R.A. Salvatore’s book series the Legend of Drizzt. Instead of creating your own character, you control either Drizzt, Bruenor, Catti-Brie, or Wulfgar. The plot involves searching for the artifact known as Crenshinibon and fighting different factions of goblinoids, duergar, and cultists as they attempt to find it first.
Story
The story isn’t the bread and butter of Dark Alliance. The writing is bland and character dialogue feels oddly placed as well. It’s tough to tell if Dark Alliance is canonical with the books as it changes a lot of what happened throughout the series. As somewhat fans of the novels, it can be difficult to connect with the story if it shifts from canon.
You don’t by any means need to have read any of the books to understand the plot as the game does well at telling its own tale. That being said, the overall plot is straightforward and simple. Fight hordes of monsters and level up your character.
Combat
As a smash and loot game, Dark Alliance is all about combat. You can either play with friends or by yourself and there are multiple difficulties to choose from. Adventuring alone at higher difficulties is challenging but rewarding. Whereas joining with other people remains challenging but introduces new ways to fight as a team. Defeating creatures and completing levels rewards you with gear and money that you can later upgrade at the shop. Loot works like a typical MMO and is scaled by color rating. There’s grey, green, blue, purple, and gold.
Unfortunately, combat doesn’t always connect. Like in D&D there are times when you will fail an attack roll but it’s all up to the dice. However, in Dark Alliance oftentimes attacks just don’t hit even when they should. It works both ways and attacks that go wide, even way wide, do end up hitting. Enemies also seem to do way more damage than necessary and can one-hit kill any character.
It’s a challenging system to work around but when it does work everything ends up being enjoyable.
Sound and Sights
The soundtrack is one of the greater parts of the game. Composed by Vibe Avenue, the OST is a perfect backdrop for any D&D game.
The sound mechanics also stand out throughout the game. For instance, Wulgar’s armor clinks and clanks when he runs and Bruenor’s heavy footfalls echo through caverns and strongholds.
Sure, the game may not have AAA graphics but it is stunning to look at nonetheless. Environments and backdrops stand out with colossal giant skeletons, sparkling caverns, and massive citadels.
Verdict
Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance may not be your typical D&D game. It isn’t about building your own personal character, the combat is great when it works and bad when it doesn’t. It’s like that one d20 that has a mind all its own but just so happens to be your favorite. It rolls well occasionally and has a very low crit percentage but you just love it. It’s shiny and sparkly and you can’t help but roll it even when you know it may betray you. Dark Alliance is that d20.
We give Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance a 7 on a d10.
Our review of fantasy novel Six of Crows by author Leigh Bardugo.
Six of Crows is a dark and gritty fantasy novel that offers a world of very little hope while also keeping you hopeful for its earnest, likeable characters. Set around a ragtag group of thieves attempting a heist that is considered impossible, it brings to mind Suicide Squad mixed with D&D in the best ways.
The fantasy world of Six of Crows is a unique one. It is not swords and sorcery and it is not urban fantasy. There are guns and there are daggers. There is magic set forward in a more scientific fashion. There is a map of the book’s own unique world that is diverse and deep and believable. There is a quite a lot of information given up front, and it can feel hard to quickly learn countries and their complex relationships as well as factions since it is never fully laid out. But the casual conversations about these places bring a nice life to them. Especially since all the characters have their own unique opinions.
Speaking of characters, Six of Crows offers a diverse group of very likeable characters each battling with their own pasts. In fact, their “secret backstories” is a major driving force of this book. The big past reveals can start to feel a bit routine since each character has their own dark secrets, but they do make you feel for each character very deeply. The book gets a bit close to the “female characters mother toxic men into good behavior” trope, but stops itself of crossing the line fully.
The writing is beautiful, lively, and keeps the plot moving forward. The descriptions are well-balanced. The fights have a good pace, although they are on the surprisingly gory side for a “teen read”. The author does a good job at pacing the plot so there are plenty of twists
The world of Six of Crows is dark and depressing. It is a world of back-stabbing, manipulation, and where hope can’t really grow. So if that is not your cup of tea, this story will weigh heavily on you. But there is humor to alleviate this weight, and each character has their own hope for a better future. Or at least a satisfyingly revenge.
All in all, Six of Crows is recommended for fantasy fans! It is fun, fast-paced, and offers a fully realized world. We give it a 9 on a d10.
Biomutant Review: Biomutant is an open world RPG from THQ Nordic and Experiment 101. You play an anthropomorphic animal similar to Master Splinter from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles who comes complete with their own form of chemical mutation.
It’s sort of a blend between The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Skyrim with some of the best and worst aspects of Fallout 76 thrown in. All three mixed together create its own mutation. There’s its vast open world to explore that is nearly twice as large as Skyrim. The future dystopia feel of Fallout. And the colorful and creativeness of Breath of the Wild. It is by no means perfect but it has charm, is stunning to look at, and is just plain fun.
Story
Biomutant follows the adventures of the lone Ronin, a furry critter mutated by a government chemical spill. SPOILER WARNING. There will be slight spoilers ahead. It has
The Ronin witnessed the death of both of his parents and is searching for the rodent responsible. But along with their own journey there is a second narrative that includes saving the the Tree of Life. Four massive creatures called Worldeaters threaten to kill the tree thus ending all life. It’s by no means a new concept in storytelling but it’s straightforward and sets the tone of the game.
As for the overall lore of the entire world, it can be convoluted and isn’t outright explained. You can uncover details about it along the way by reading documents on boards or solving certain puzzles. The short story is a large biochemical spill destroyed the world, mutating creatures and leaving behind contaminated zones.
The writing is also just bad. There is no sense of character emotion. While individual characters do speak everything they’re saying is long winded and feels like they’re explaining their entire life story. It doesn’t help the narrator talks over their oftentimes cute and adorable tones. Having just one voice for each character takes away any concept of individualism.
Gameplay
The first two hours of the game act as the tutorial which is just poor development. It shouldn’t take that long to get the concept of a games design or mechanics. The first weapon you do actually get to craft gets taken away from you within seconds. Then crafting doesn’t return for quite a long time. It all feels too railroaded and should be more streamlined.
Narrator. One of the biggest reasons everything is so sluggish is the narrator. Every spoken word is said by the game’s narrator and that is its largest problem. He just won’t stop talking. Even now I hear him. It is by no means David Shaw-Parker’s fault, he is just doing his job. It’s his nonstop narration that slows down gameplay and makes every character lifeless. The voice cues never line up with what characters are saying and when you think he is going to speak he waits a few beats before chiming in. This can lead to skipping dialogue but that’s not the worst part as characters tend to speak a lot of nonsense before getting to the point – if they ever do. There is a way to turn off the narration but he’ll still pipe up every during cutscene and anytime you find lore or do a puzzle.
Completing the tutorial – basically after the first boss – allows you to run about the vast world. As an open world RPG, the world should always feel open to travel around. You don’t gain that freedom for at least two hours if not more. Yet when you are finally released from your shackles, Biomutant becomes something a bit different. Something a bit brighter and better. You’re free to go anywhere, craft anything, fight monsters, and just explore. Adventuring is the most rewarding part of the game. Houses, sewars, contaminated zones, and puzzles all present options to collect resources to craft materials.
Crafting. Part of Biomutant’s charm is found in its weapon and armor crafting. There are millions of combinations including swords, shotguns, rifles, knives, and sai. It isn’t the most friendly system and understanding what you need isn’t the simplest but once you have enough gear, crafting is a well worth your time. Unfortunately, you will have to create certain weapons in order to take down bosses. Especially, if you just want to make a straight melee build like we did. There is no prompt to tell you to do this so figuring out on your own in the middle of a fight is annoying.
Clothing and your attire is also a great feature of Biomutant. You can upgrade outfits to become more powerful and dress the character in number of cool clothes including giving them a shirt, pants, hat, and a lot of accessories for their face, shoulders, and back.
Combat. When it comes to combat, it’s really hit or miss – and yes, pun intended. It isn’t the most fluid and enemy hit boxes are all over the place. The majority of the time you have to aim at a specific spot if you’re in melee and that target zone is typically the enemy’s mouth. Attacking their backside or sides won’t cut it. This leaves you open for some nasty attacks and can be aggravating if you jump all over the place to avoid being hit.
Enemies also tend to wander off on their own during combat only to come back a few seconds later with full health
There are multiple ways to build your character though so it has plenty of replayability. You can choose different psionics or mutation abilities and choose to be evil or good. It’s a system similar to Mass Effect although way more complicated and frustrating. The two other voiced characters are just as silly and annoying as the narrator.
Puzzles. Biomutant sure didn’t take cues for Resident Evil when it comes to solving puzzles. There are so many and they pop up just when you don’t want them too. It isn’t that they’re difficult but annoying and repetitive. They range from unclogging toilets to turning on breaker boxes but they’re all done in the same way. All you do is rotate knobs until a success. It’s not rocket science but it is just boring.
Sidequests. Biomutant has so many side quests. It isn’t a bad thing they are just excessive and repetitive. From fetch quests, escort quests, and puzzles you’ll be swimming in stuff to do and it can be overwhelming. Also, speaking of swimming, you can’t and there’s a lot of water.
Visuals and Sound
Exploration is what makes Biomutant worthwhile. It’s about as stunning to look at as Breath of the Wild. The scenery is epic and if you see it you can visit it. Though sometimes – like Skyrim – reaching certain places can be a chore. Although, the lighting effects are a bit overwhelming from time to time and the sun can be blinding and reflects off of everything including grass. It’s a colorful game as well. But the color tends to get washed out during cutscenes and conversations.
The sound and everything from character voices and noises to the natural environment is fantastic. Grass rustles when you run through it and you can almost feel the breeze of air and touch of rain as it interacts with the world.
Soundtrack.Biomutant’s soundtrack is good but short. With around 40 minutes of music tracks are often repeated.
Verdict
Biomutant isn’t groundbreaking nor is it completely terrible. It sits somewhere firmly in the middle and that’s okay. Combat is shaky and wonky but there are times when things connect and it all feels good. The world is epic to look at and explore and feels like what Fallout 76should have been like when it first released. To earn a higher score, we’d love it If there was a way to skip the tutorial, get rid of the narrator, and improve combat. What it does succeed at is being fun. It’s colorful, playful, bright, and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
We’re not ones for horror games but everything we saw from Resident Evil Village captured our attention like Lady Dimitrescu and the internet. We built up the courage we found when we camped outside a dark wooded forest in our campervan and decided to give it a bite and it turned out being a delicious meal fit for a lycan, vampire, or shuffling zombie. Right away it throws you to the wolves, quite literally, and the action doesn’t slow, it’s absolutely feral and fun.
You play Ethan Winters, the protagonist from Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. Thankfully you don’t have to have any prior knowledge of the previous game as Capcom has a recap option at the beginning of the game. Mr. Winters, as he’s referred to by just about every key villain in the game, is on a mission to rescue his infant daughter from the clutches of a cult and its mutated monsters. While Lady Dimitrescu may not lead the pack she certainly was a fan favorite even before the game released. She’s backed up by the crazed dollmaker Donna Beneviento and her demon possessed doll, Salvatore Moreau, the mutated biologist, and Karl Heisenberg the super Magneto fanboy with a penchant for controlling metal and a temper to boot.
Setting
Resident Evil Village is set in a remote village, hence the name, in the Romanian countryside. Although, the majority of it takes place outside of the village proper. Ethan’s search will see him explore a massive Gothic castle, an abandoned church, a genuinely creepy old house, a graveyard, dilapidated homes, and a sprawling factory maze. It’s all weaved together so stunningly well that venturing between each makes them feel they’re own specific game. One zone is set in the Medieval era with candlelit houses, while another is pulled straight from a science fiction film.
Village knows what type of game it wants to be and shifts from action horror to horror in an instant. One second Ethan is safe inside his new Romanian home and the next he’s fending off endless waves of lycan attacks in the village center. The action never runs dry or becomes stale which can be a mood killer. Constantly running around without much time to smell the roses on Lady Dimitrescu’s dress is exhausting. Moving from zone to zone is full of suspense and mystery as you never quite know what’s going to be around the next corner or inside the wooden outhouse – it’s always ammo.
When it comes to the terror scale, we’d say Village is on the higher end of the spectrum. It shifts from dense forests with a thick layer of fog to a deserted house that contains a possessed doll and the walking corpse of an infant child. Add on its wailing cries and moans of ‘dada’ and it’s clear Resident Evil Village knows how to turn up the fright level.
This is the Way
As with previous Resident Evil games, the world map is your best tool to finding your way around. Rooms are highlighted in red or blue to let you know if Ethan has explored them yet. Blue means all items have been discovered and to help ensure you get enough money or find extra items, lighting up the map blue is vital. Though, it can be time consuming and aggravating to search a place multiple times only to not find what it is your missing. Sometimes it could be staring you in the face while other times it’s hidden behind a locked cabinet and you’ll need a lockpick to open it. The map can also be confusing to read in general. Layouts of multi-leveled buildings can be hard to track as it can be hard to follow one from the next.
Village’s guns are hit or miss – no pun intended, really. The pistol is good for mid-range combat but lining up shots with any gun isn’t necessarily the friendliest of mechanics. We aren’t the best at first-person shooters, but auto aim certainly helped during our playthru. Playing on Mercenaries mode will help increase gun action as there are waves of enemies to unload on.
In the early hours of the game, knowing when to use or conserve ammunition and items is key. Ethan has his trusty pistol and can eventually upgrade it and find a shotgun, sniper rifle, machine gun, grenade launcher, and bombs. Each one is handy for different enemies and it isn’t too difficult to figure out which works best. Eventually, ammo becomes plentiful but near the endgame, it can dwindle to near nothing if you’re not careful about managing it. But friendly merchant Duke is always right where you need him if you’re looking to buy more gear.
Sound and Sights
As a horror game, sound should be used as a way to build tension and terror and Village doesn’t disappoint. Ethan’s breathing helps drive the anxiety he feels as he dodges sword wielding zombies – yeah, they carry weapons – runs through six foot tall wheat fields, and snipes gargoyle sized vampire bats. The creatures each have their own unique growls, hisses, and screams that carry through reverberating cellars and eventually you can tell just what’s coming to take a bit out of Ethan.
The voice acting, too, is superb. The cast is impressive and each one does a fantastic job at making each character feel real and alive. Even the dead ones. There are a few lines that feel out of place and may be a bit campy but they feel more or less like lines catered to reduce tension. Running from Lady Dimitrescu is tense. her shoes are near silent even for her 9’6″ figure and she always has a quippy response to seeing you slide past her. Whereas Heisenberg is a smooth talking suave figure that you can never quite tell what he’s thinking but he’s always got something on his mind.
There isn’t really much to say about Village’s views other than they are absolutely stunning. It is a beautiful looking game from its Gothic architecture to its rundown sci-fi factory. It’s simply breathtaking.
Character Design
Aside from the internet losing their minds at Lady Dimitrescu, her design is a major reason she won’t soon be forgotten. Unlike characters such as Mr. X or Nemesis, Lady Dimitrescu has a genuine reason to chase down Ethan Winters. She has a vendetta against Mr. Winters and she haunts him throughout her castle because he is in her home.
In a similar fashion, each one of the four lords as they are referred to, has their own reason for attacking or toying with Ethan. Each one has a stake in the story and at no point does it feel like you’re running from simple zombies or a walking metal man with a hat. The villains have their own backstory and discovering what each one is makes for a satisfying narrative. They aren’t cogs in the machine, they’re people – or were once – that feel, have families, and histories. We love that each has their own personal motivation. It makes for a much better story.
Standard enemies also feature their own interesting looks, sounds, and attacks. Lycans are fast and feral, zombies are slow and dumb, full fledged wolves are terrifying and unpredictable, and Lady Dimitrescu’s daughters are engaging and astoundingly interesting. We just wish we got to spend more time with the Dimitrescu family. They don’t stick around all that long.
Puzzles
Resident Eviljust wouldn’t be Resident Evil without its puzzle mechanics and Village is full of them. They aren’t overly difficult and each features some sort of guide to help you complete it. There’s opening locked doors with key items to moving around statues to flush out a bathtub of blood. The one issue we found is that not all of the clues are easy to locate. We did end up missing one but figured out the puzzle anyway.
And while not necessarily a puzzle, there are many areas on the map Ethan won’t visit as part of the main quest. Figuring out how to reach each of these locations is exciting and always ends with a reward. Whether it’s in the form of a new weapon, collectible item, money, or mini boss, exploring has its benefits.
Third Person Motion Sickness
When it comes to viewing the world of Resident Evil Village, it is only possible in First Person. While we understand the reasoning is because it’s more frightening, it definitely has its downsides. We both get motion sick and it can be difficult to play hours on end while focusing on Ethan’s hands – though the villains seem to care about them more than he does. The endless swaying back and forth motions can be overwhelming and we had to put down the game for a day and pick it back up the next. Opting for a Third Person view would be appreciated.
Verdict: Resident Evil Village is a great blend of action and horror. It features just the right amount of terror and action and has a powerful story as well. The views are epicly gorgeous, the sound drives suspense, voice acting is great, and it offers numerous hours of replayability. Aside from a few minor things like its First Person view and its nonstop action, it’s definitely worth picking up.
Solasta is still in Early Access but it’s turning out to be one of the best RPGs of the year. The development team is constantly releasing new updates and dev diaries and their latest is about adding a dungeon builder to the full release. The concept will give players the freedom to design their own dungeons in the game and it’s quite a unique feature to the Fifth Edition based CRPG.
What to expert from the Dungeon Maker. Solasta’s builder will let designers create a 2D map first before seeing it as as fully developed 3D world. It will include everything from adding crypts, walls, lighting effects, monsters, and interactable items. The map can be named, given a description, and setup so text automatically appears when characters trigger it. And several maps can be combined together to create a massive dungeon.
In a short video posted by the dev team, the upcoming Dungeon Maker will launch when Solasta: Crown of the Magister releases fully sometime this year. While there is no official announcement date yet, simply knowing what is coming to the game is exciting not only for players but also dungeon masters for the tabletop game. Neverwinter Nights did something similar. We’ve listed five reasons why the Dungeon Maker matters more than you think.
Art of the Dungeon. One facet about being a dungeon master for the physical Dungeons & Dragons game is building a dungeon for the characters to explore. This can be daunting especially to newer DMs behind the screen or even storytellers who have been creating campaigns for years. Not everyone is going to be an expert artist. Outlining a dungeon sounds great in theory but putting the idea to paper can be another tale.
There are many map making programs available but they aren’t as detailed as the builder for Solasta looks like it is going to be. Inkarnate may be great for 2D mapmaking but you’re still going to have to rely on theater of the mind when it comes to the finer details. The Dungeon Maker for Solasta will transition from a 2D builder to a fully explorable 3D map to test before letting the players have a go at it.
Real-Time Exploration. With the tabletop game dungeon masters aren’t able to explore their creation in real-time. Through Solasta, builders will be able to design an area and then explore it as characters with weapons and items. This will allow the DM to get a better feel for how it flows before throwing the real characters into the fire at the table.
Collaborations. If you’re feeling stuck on how to design a specific build for you campaign, you will be able to work with friends. An idea as big as this will build a community of dungeon designers that can bounce ideas off of one another. Having access to other maps creates a sort of sandbox puzzle that creators can pull from and mix and match ideas.
No more Random Rolls. The Dungeon Master’s Guide has simple rules for building a dungeon on the fly but it can be awkward and time-consuming (believe me I have tried). While it isn’t all that difficult to do, it can leave tabletop dungeons looking odd or incomplete. Having the Dungeon Maker will definitely smooth out and speed up the design process for dungeon building. (This by no means makes random rolling tables a negative).
Multiplayer. Hear us out on this one. While multiplayer is not in Solasta at the moment – and may not be coming to it – the Dungeon Maker makes it somewhat possible. Solasta is a fully single player game but if you have a party of four at your table, it can be used to playout the dungeon digitally if everyone is up for it. By taking turns around the keyboard, each player can build their character – or get as close as possible – with Solasta’s character builder. From there, you start up the dungeon and get exploring.
While adventuring, players can say they move their specific character to a certain spot and investigate. Initiative works a bit easier by assigning characters their turn. When it’s their go, just move around the keyboard and away they go.
Solasta is shaping up to be a fantastic CRPG and we’re excited for the future of it. Between it and Baldur’s Gate 3, there is a lot to expect this year for tabletop games turned video game.
Shattered: Tale of the Forgotten King isn’t the sort of video game we thought we would find ourselves playing. It’s a Souls-like (Dark Souls) RPG full of dynamic combat, unexplained lore, and an item system that is rather confusing to understand. However, it’s all of these concepts combined that lead to us actually really enjoying it. Shattered – as it will be called for the remainder of the review – is rewarding, engaging, and just a blast to play.
Published and Developed by Redlock Studio, Shattered spent one year and some change in Early Access. It’s full release still carries over some of the feel of “early.” It isn’t so much that it ruins the experience in any way, just that there were a couple bugs and crashes we had to work around. Small things aside, the team behind it can certainly stand proud knowing thei ndie game could dance with the big AAA releases. It’s also largely based on tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons.
While it may not have the huge backing of a full Dark Souls game, Shattered is epic and feels just as good, if not better, than FromSoftware. Sekirowas among our favorite games of 2019 but this feels grander, larger, more fluid. We loved running Japan and its non-fictional setting blended with the supernatural, but Shattered feels set in firmly in a fantasy space. There are doses of sci-fi thrown in but at it’s roots, it’s a tale of adventure surrounding a lone wanderer searching for identity.
It’s by no means a new idea when it comes to storytelling but it’s no less powerful a tale. The entire story is wrapped in mystery and both the protagonist and the player figure out the backstory together. The king of the world known as Hypnos is missing. As the Wanderer, you find yourself trying to find out who you are and what happened to the land.
This idea is the driving force behind Shattered. There is no text explaining outright what you do or what became of the king. Everything is learned in real-time, either from NPCs, items discovered, or locations and none of it is in order. Piecing together the story is sort of like building a complex LEGO set except there are no instructions. There is a basic picture to work with but no outline of how to build it. You don’t have to understand the story in order to enjoy Shattered, however, there’s still plenty to do and see.
Story aside, Shattered’s combat is compelling and engaging. The Wanderer has access to an array of weapons and magic attacks. Swords are used in one of three ways: light attacks for quick and repeated hits, heavy attacks for massive damage and shield bashing, and blocking to protect from enemy swings. Standard enemies aren’t difficult to dispatch on their own but groups can make for a frustrating experience. Close quarters fights are fast and aggressive and attacks will reduce stamina, which is a vital mechanic to keep track of.
Along with a stamina bar are magic and vitality. Magic is drained through the use of magical abilities such as ranged spells or shields. While vitality translates to health or hit points. Managing these three stats is a challenge while in the midst of combat but finding a rhythm between the trio is part of what makes Shattered so thrilling.
Keeping track of them during boss fights is an entirely different story. Bosses are imposing and require patience and thought to get through. It’s like Gandalf said in the Fellowship of the Ring ‘this foe is beyond any of you.’ While bosses are certainly assertive and powerful, they can be taken down with time and strategy.
Defeating enemies rewards the Wanderer with essence. This acts as the currency for the game and allows you to buy weapon upgrades and gear to restore vitality, magic, and stamina. Upgrading to new levels is also done through collecting essence. You keep all of the essence you gain throughout the game expect upon when you die. When you this happens, the enemy who killed you holds onto it all until they are slain again. Dying is something that will happen quite a lot but you are able to respawn and it’s something you’ll be doing time and time again.
Along your journey you will come across Limbo Wells. These act as campfires and allow you to start over again with essential gear. There are a few items that will reset once you respawn such as vitality restoration equipment and anything you didn’t use in your previous life. Limbo Wells are found throughout the open world and are a lifesaver if you’ve traveled far and defeated many enemies. However, resting at one will restore all slain creatures as well, so it’s all about managing and planning your routes well.
Exploration is another great feature of Shattered. The world is huge and includes several unique landscapes from snowy tundras, urban streets, and crumbling ruins. There are several ways to get around each area and part of the fun is searching for hidden doorways or finding new ways to get around difficult encounters. There isn’t a set path to follow and new surprises wait around each corner it seems. We often found ourselves standing on a rooftop overlooking a massive citadel or open expanse just to take in all of the stunning imagery.
One of the most interesting aspect of Shattered is how you go about exploring the world. There are times when the camera will shift from third person to a 2D side-scroller view. There is no way to control just when this will happen so it can be jarring at first. The mechanic allows you to experience the game as a platformer while still having access to all of your weapons and gear.
Item management is simple if not a bit clunky. Many things such as healing items can be equipped to the hotbar for quick and easy access. While others don’t offer much more than a short explanation of what they are but that may not necessarily explain what they do. Others are complete mysteries and may be revealed through conversation with certain characters. Even still, others will allow you to upgrade weapons, stats, and gear to become more powerful and capable when fighting enemies. It all feels so epic and just plain good.
Still, Shattered doesn’t feel completely polished but it is still excellent. Combat can be sluggish and can grow tiring after a while. It’s repetitive and there aren’t a lot of ways to go about killing things. Oftentimes attacks didn’t connect either and this left you open to take multiple hits. There were also issues with teleporting between locations. After using a system built to send you from one part of the map to another, there is a slight waiting period. In this time, enemies are able to freely attack as you wait to appear on screen. There were also numerous times the game crashed and we had to relaunch.
Nevertheless, none of Shattered’s downfalls make it any less fun to play. It’s a grand adventure full of mystery, breathtaking locations, and captivating encounters. You don’t have to dive into all of its lore to enjoy it, and while the combat can be repetitive, it is smooth, fast, and exciting. It’s definitely Souls adjacent but is much more friendly when it comes to dealing with enemies and puzzles.
We’ve got our hands on the Early Access of Baldur’s Gate 3 and have already played over 20 hours of it. But our adventures are far from over, and here are our initial thoughts on the game.
Keep in mind that this is in the Early Access stage. Things are subject to change, items are being refined, and there is the occasional glitch here and there. After playing the buggy disaster that was Pathfinder Kingmaker, I was worried about how smooth this would feel. But I should not have worried at all! This game is nearly seamless, a load of fun, and a brings incredible innovation to the industry.
Ruuda leading the conversation with Taliesin in the background.
The story is impactful, drawing you in immediately and keeping you intrigued by trying to put clues together and figure things out. The hook of the story is that you were captured by the evil Mind Flayers and have their tadpoles in your brains. This is how new Mind Flayers are created per D&D lore, with a few days gestation period and then the host is transformed with no memories of their former life. However, you are not being transformed, despite days passing. Why? And how can you remove this tadpole before the worst really does happen?
The graphics in Baldur’s Gate 3 are gorgeous, the spell effects are dazzling, and the environments are fully realized. The controls are easy to master, despite a bit of a learning curve with the camera controls. There are some bugs, of course, but they are rare to come across and usually have very minimal impact on gameplay. The world feels like it lives and breathes around you, and you can interact with it using everything at your disposal.
Doing some spying . . .
The dialogue is in-depth and character-driven. There is some much attention to detail you can even cast a spell to speak to animals or talk to the dead to learn things. Choices have consequences, and you can easily make both allies and enemies. Combat feels smooth and quick. The multiplayer is innovative, allowing you to even chat in-game with the other player’s character. Character creation is everything you want and more, with many customization options.
Overall, despite it being Early Access, there is nothing to complain about in Baldur’s Gate 3. We can only look forward in excitement at the full game that is to come. You can purchase it here.
Summer Catchers is an adorably crafted 2D side-scroller adventure racing game. Developed by indie company FaceIT and publisher Noodlecake Studios, it follows the story of a young girl named Chu as she chases after summer. Having grown up in the frigid north, she journeys out in a raggedy beat up wooden race car searching for a warmer and more brighter future.
I suppose you could say the car and her are the main protagonists of Summer Catchers. While she operates and builds the vehicle, the machine is what gets her through creepy forests, frost covered mountains, urban cities, and sand dunes. All of which are showcased in beautifully detailed and colorful pixel art.
By using the car, Chu must outfit it with unique upgrades to get through the terrain. The front can be equipped with a sturdy bumper to run through blockades like rocks and snow drifts. While the tires shocks can be extra springy to launch the car over spike pits and boulders. Once these additions are purchased, the player can set off south towards summer.
Each level is a lengthy ride through difficult terrain. While driving, three of the items you purchased pop up on the right hand side of the screen for you to choose from. Without knowing what’s ahead, you have to use the modifications you bought in order to successfully make it through the zone. The best and worst feature of this is they show up at random.
If you get hit a certain number of times, the car will explode into a thousand tiny pieces, leaving you to begin again. However, you won’t start over from the beginning, rather you will be sent to the shop again where you can then choose more upgrades. It’s here that you will meet Summer Catcher’s many other characters with their own side-quests. Starting over isn’t annoying or aggravating. The level will reset and replace challenges with different ones so it never gets stale. The one thing that is bothersome is how you choose the items for your car.
I played on a PC without a touch screen so I had to use the mouse. While it worked fine, I felt I could never click the upgrades quick enough in some circumstances. Having a touch screen definitely improves the experience.
The quests aren’t a burden or standard side-quests, instead they are a way to unlock new features to aid you on the journey. Many allow other animals to warn you of hidden dangers on the path ahead of you or let you pick and choose from more upgrades. Once you complete each task, you must traverse through enough of the level to reach the next area. This is usually established through a cutscene or with a boss chasing you.
The music of Summer Catchers is noteworthy as well. The driving tracks are pleasant and soothing and feel at home as the backdrop to a coffee shop or tunes for your own road trip. While the sound effects like the squeaking of the car make it feel as old and worn out as it looks.
Summer Catchers is a relaxing tour through delightful worlds while relying too much on the same mechanics. It’s challenging without being overwhelmingly difficult but the mechanics are lacking. I’d rather drive through the various levels controlling the various upgrades myself. Sometimes simpler is better.
