The start of a new year tends to be a relatively quiet period, so it’s not surprising that we’re seeing a fair share of games getting ported over to new platforms in January. Here’s a look at three of them: Speed or Death, The Adventures of Panzer: Legacy Collection and Townsmen VR.
Speed or Death review (Switch)
Dolores Entertainment has released Speed or Death, a racing game that attempts to inject adrenaline-filled racing into disaster movie scenarios. Available on the Nintendo Switch and other consoles, the game challenges players to escape apocalyptic scenarios, dodging Godzilla-like monsters, dragons, and aliens while racing against the clock. The premise promises a thrilling experience as players navigate four circuits with unique challenges, though the execution falls a little short of the intriguing concept.
The central issue in Speed or Death is the lack of clarity while zooming around on the tracks. While the chaotic and over-the-top events initially impress and feel very cool, they soon become a bit overwhelming, causing you to lose track of navigation cues. Inconsistent and delayed arrow indicators make it difficult for players to discern the correct path, adding a layer of frustration to the gaming experience. You shouldn’t have to memorize an entire track before being able to enjoy it.
Despite its budget-friendly price, it’s hard to overlook Speed or Death’s design issues and technical glitches – which also include jumps that consistently fail unless you have specific cars selected. In other words – things that should be patched out. While the game offers replayability with unlockable cars and secret routes, the flawed execution and lack of polish leads to unfulfilled promise despite a fun concept of chaos-filled racing against one of the coolest backdrops we can imagine.
The Adventures Of Panzer: Legacy Collection review (PS5)
Ratalaika Games and Pixelcraft Games have collaborated to present The Adventures of Panzer: Legacy Collection, encompassing both the initial installment and its sequel across various platforms. This compilation, now out on PlayStation, Xbox and Nintendo Switch, ventures into the realm of side-scrolling indie NES-style platformers, following the escapades of raid leader Panzer and his ally Blarghe.
The inaugural chapter, The Adventures of Panzer, is a classic 2D platformer experience with a recognizable design, presenting plenty of platforming challenges and a few unpredictable bosses. The sprites, though modest in size and relatively simple, exhibit an inherent retro charm. However, the level design and boss encounters can feel a bit too formulaic. Meanwhile, Panzer 2, which is set a year after its predecessor, refines the formula and is a definite step forward. With quality-of-life enhancements, including a character-swapping system, a level select option, and improved level and boss designs, it succeeds in making the experience more polished and fun.
Ultimately, despite certain reservations regarding the first game, The Adventures of Panzer: Legacy Collection is an interesting bundle at a budget price that shows the development journey of an indie developer growing over the course of just two games.
Townsmen VR review (Quest 3)
HandyGames is stepping back into the realm of VR gaming with Townsmen VR, which they’ve now released as a native Quest title. Exclusively tailored for the Meta Quest 3 headset, this medieval city-building experience deviates from other Quest releases, skipping compatibility with the original Oculus Quest or Meta Quest 2. Having previously explored the PSVR2 version, this review delves into the unique features and enhancements introduced specifically for the Quest 3 iteration.
Townsmen VR immerses players in the divine role of city overseer, tasked with sculpting picturesque island villages. The game cleverly intertwines God-game simulation with classic building mechanics, allowing players to engage with villagers and resources in a hands on manner. A noteworthy improvement on the Meta Quest 3 is that interaction feels more fluid this time around, with fewer hand collisions being a good example – though we didn’t have a chance to go back to the PSVR2 version to see if that saw similar improvements since launch.
The surprising exclusivity to Quest 3, so soon after the launch of the headsets with Meta insisting they’ll keep supporting the Quest 2, adds an interesting layer to this launch. HandyGames can defend this decision by making sure they deliver an optimal quality level for the Quest 3, though it also limits their potential audience by not catering to those still happy with their Quest 2. In conclusion, Townsmen VR on Meta Quest 3 exemplifies HandyGames’ dedication to pushing the boundaries of the VR city-building genre with a polished experience, though we wish it was also available to Quest 2 users to that the game could get the large(r) audience it deserves.
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