Jackbox Games has built an impressive catalogue around the simple idea that a party game should be easy to pick up and difficult to put down, and few of its creations have embraced that philosophy quite as gleefully as Trivia Murder Party. With Trivia Murder Party 3, the formula returns in a standalone game rather than as part of a Jackbox Party Pack, bringing a new setting, new ways to eliminate friends and a significant audiovisual upgrade. After spending some time at Camp Mass Acres, it is clear that the series’ familiar combination of trivia, chaos and dark humor remains intact, even as the technology underneath it has changed considerably. Continue reading “Trivia Murder Party 3 preview (Gamescom)”
BLACKWOOD review (PC)
There are few game concepts quite as immediately strange as BLACKWOOD. During the day, Anton Blackwood runs a small DVD shop in 2012 New York, while at night he heads downstairs to his hidden arsenal and takes on work as a contract killer. It is an odd combination of mundane retail simulation and cinematic violence, but one that initially seems to have considerable potential. We actually got our first chance to go hands-on with BLACKWOOD when we met the team at Gamescom, where the combination of its grimy New York setting, gunplay and elaborate takedowns certainly made an impression. Having now spent considerably more time with the PC version, however, that initial promise is accompanied by the realization that BLACKWOOD is an ambitious game that has not yet managed to make all of its disparate parts work together. Continue reading “BLACKWOOD review (PC)”
Crazy Taxi: World Tour preview (Gamescom)
After more than two decades away from the spotlight, SEGA is bringing Crazy Taxi back for another round of chaotic cab rides. Crazy Taxi: World Tour takes the familiar arcade formula of picking up passengers and getting them to their destination as quickly as possible, but expands it into a globe-trotting adventure with multiple cities, side missions, races and multiplayer. Based on an early PC build played during Gamescom, the new game already captures much of the immediate fun that made the original so memorable, while also showing that simply recreating that formula comes with a few challenges of its own. Continue reading “Crazy Taxi: World Tour preview (Gamescom)”
Blades & Battles review (PS5)
There is something immediately appealing about a game that knows exactly which corner of gaming history it wants to revisit. Blades & Battles, published by QUByte Interactive, goes straight back to the era of sword-and-sorcery beat ’em ups, taking plenty of inspiration from classics such as Golden Axe while giving the formula a 2.5D makeover. That makes its intentions clear from the outset: this is less interested in reinventing the genre than in recreating the straightforward pleasure of picking up a sword and working through hordes of enemies. On PlayStation 5, that approach results in an enjoyable but decidedly compact brawler that understands the appeal of its inspiration, even if it also inherits some of the limitations that came with it. Continue reading “Blades & Battles review (PS5)”
HyperX Pulsefire Fuse Wireless review
The HyperX Pulsefire Fuse Wireless is a gaming mouse that takes a relatively straightforward approach to wireless gaming. Rather than chasing the extreme weight reductions, elaborate shapes or premium features found on more expensive models, HyperX has put together a lightweight plastic mouse with a replaceable AAA battery, dual wireless connectivity and a PixArt sensor capable of up to 12,000 DPI. On paper, that makes it an accessible all-rounder for both gaming and everyday use, and after spending time with it, that assessment largely holds true. The Fuse gets the fundamentals right, but its deliberately compact and low-profile shape, somewhat basic materials and a few questionable control placements prevent it from feeling quite as universally comfortable as its symmetrical design initially suggests. Continue reading “HyperX Pulsefire Fuse Wireless review”