REVIEW: Chernobylite on PS4

Review by Jon Donnis

I have played a few Survival games recently, with mixed results, I still feel that I have not found a truly great survival game yet, so I come to Chernobylite with an open mind.

Chernobylite is a science fiction survival horror game. It somewhat mixes the classic survival type games with something more akin to a first-person RPG/Adventure game.

The game features a somewhat non linear story, although the start of the game is very linear until you get to the missions.

You play as a physicist Igor, an ex-employee of the famous Chernobyl Power Plant. You have lost your beloved Tatiana, and want to find them, hopefully alive. Although you play for yourself, you do have AI team mates, who you can send on missions, but you also need to make sure they stay healthy, have food, medicine, weapons and so on.

Once past the initial parts of the game, where you see ghostly images of Tatiana, you will settle down with your crew in a deserted building, each day you need to complete missions, as you complete the missions you will meet people, how you treat them and interact with them, will decide whether they become friends or enemies. You will also need to build up your base, craft beds, work stations and even mushroom gardens.

There is combat in the game, but stealth is your friend. There are also supernatural entities to worry about. Once a mission is complete you can use a portal machine to return to base, but sometimes it is worth searching around before going back, as there are often collectables around you will need to survive. Machine parts to craft items, gear, weapons etc, food, and more. The better prepared you are, the more chance of success you will have.

Making choices is a big part of this game, and those choices may or may not affect how things go later on. Now a great part of this game is that when you die, and you will die, you find yourself in a dreamscape of sorts, where you can see the results of your choices, and you can choose to go back in time and make a different choice, which of course then will change the future, change allies or enemies, even parts of the area itself, if you avoid destroying something you did previously.

The main object of the game is to reach the Heist mission. Now you can actually attempt this pretty much straight away, however without a team built up, weapons and full preparation, you will fail, so you might as well complete the daily missions, and make yourself and your crew as strong as possible.

The Good

The game looks great, the area the game takes place in was actually 3D scanned, so about as realistic as can be.
The gameplay is good, the mission concept works well, along with the crafting of items. The fact that choices really can make a difference is very much welcome.

The Bad

Controls at time can feel a bit clunky, and combat itself is not great, so you might find yourself playing in more of a stealth way, simply because that is easier and more fun. There are a few bugs in the game, especially early on. Things like a character getting stuck behind a door with no way to free them, so there only way to continue is to restart the checkpoint.

Overall

Chernobylite finds itself sat in many genres, without ever quite mastering one. Not fully survival game, not fully FPS, not fully RPG.

With that said, Chernobylite is an enjoyable game. And although the PS4 version is decent, the PS5 version is graphically a big difference.

I Score Chernobylite a solid 7/10

Out now on PS4 and PS5 at https://amzn.to/3MhHRJC

REVIEW: The First Tree on Nintendo Switch

Review by Jon Donnis

From the mind of David Wehle comes The First Tree. A 3rd person exploration / walking (galloping??) sim, that has you playing the part of a fox trying to find her missing cubs, which itself is part of a retelling of a dream that the narrator is talking to his wife about, but that also becomes a story of a son reconnecting with his estranged father in Alaska.

That might sound slightly complicated, but it isn't really. You play as the fox, but as you progress through the game, you will hear the conversation of the narrator. The story he tells of reconnecting to his father, becomes a parallel story to that of a fox trying to find their missing cubs.

As this is an exploration game /walking sim, this is more about the story, than the gameplay itself, you will explore areas, collect artifacts, dig up things that expand the story being told. And if you play with commentators' mode on, you can also find audio clips that further tell the story from the game makers perspective, and give insight into how the game was made, the thought processes and so on. I would highly recommend playing with the commentator's mode turned on.

You will play through various landscapes, each one as beautiful as the last.

The First Tree really is a game created by one man, and although his real-life wife is part of the narration, and a beautiful musical score, you can really feel that this is a creation by one man, and his love for the game shines through.

The stunning cell-shaded graphics are gorgeous to look at, the music is great, and although a relatively short game, about 2 hours to complete, the meditative nature of the game will leave you feeling quite fulfilled. I was slightly reminded of Journey on the PS4. If you were a fan of that, then you will like this.

There are puzzles to solve, and platforming elements, but nothing too difficult, mainly how to reach areas, powering up your jumps with butterflies, but in general this is more a game that you should play to really lower your heart rate, to relax to. 

The Good

This is more of an experience than a game, and it's a good experience, a deep and meaningful story, mixed with beautiful music and stunning graphics. A truly meditative game.

The Bad

There are sometimes long periods of you just going in one direction without much else going on, but if you have headphones on, and are relaxed in the moment you won't notice. And also, the game is quite short.

Overall

The First Tree is a meditative experience, that is the best way to explain it. No enemies to kill or avoid, just a chill out experience.

I score The First Tree a fair 8/10

Out now on Nintendo Switch

https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/The-First-Tree-1471960.html

The First Tree will be available for Nintendo Switch, as a Limited Edition and Special Limited Edition, with pre-orders launching on Sunday, 5th of December at 12 AM CET (midnight), only at Strictly Limited Games.

REVIEW: Road 96 on PlayStation 5

Review by Jon Donnis

You know what gamers have been clamouring for? A political game! Yay. (Said no one ever.)

Road 96 has you playing as a teenage trying to cross the border in the summer of 1996, playing in a similar way to the Telltale Games, adventure/point and click narrative driven adventure that is told from a first-person perspective etc, you need to basically take a journey, a road trip, as you make the journey you encounter various characters along the way, each character has a set of problems you need to follow their story, you have a completion percentage, so repeat plays will allow you to experience all parts of their story to reach 100%.

The game takes play in Petria, (which you are trying to escape) an authoritarian regime on the brink of real political change, and decisions you make will affect the outcome of the game, and with your ultimate aim to reach the border, your decisions will affect how or if you get there.

There are seven main characters to encounter, and the "events" that take place might just be a simple conversation, to breaking in to a building or searching a hotel for terrorists. The game itself is short, but by completing events you will unlock abilities which you can then use in new playthroughs by choosing "New Game +" should you decide to start again. So that might be new dialog choices, or things you can interact with. It does help the replayability factor, which is a necessity because the game is so short.

The first event that you find in the first episode is to help a stranded cop, they have lost a relative in the war, speak to them, and then decide how you will proceed, will you hitchhike but risk getting into a car of a stranger, whose motives you do not know, but will save you money, will you get on a bus, which costs a lot, but gives you the safety that hitchhiking does not? Whichever you choose, your choice will decide what you see next, who you will meet, what skills and abilities you might develop, as you get closer to the border. For example, the lockpick skill. Skills become permanent, so on your next playthrough, you might be able to use that lockpick skill to get inside a truck that is going to the border.

Think of the game as a short tree but with a lot of branches, and each time you play, you can access more of the branches.

The Good

The game plays well, it is easy to control, and if you are a fan of the Telltale style games, then you should find enjoyment in this.

The Bad

The voice acting is pretty naff in parts, and the political aspects of the game, are clearly coming from a left-wing perspective. Basically, Left Wing Good, Right Wing Bad. Do we really need this in video games, and considering the disaster Presidency of LEFT-WING authoritarians in Canada and the US right now, the game seems to be yet more propaganda, to get people to think a certain way, instead of just letting people see both sides in a fair manner, and then making their own minds up.

Overall

As a basic Telltale style game, it is decent enough, the political aspects are a bit hit and miss, and the voice acting is poor.

If you are a lefty liberal type, you will probably enjoy the game more than if you are an independent or more right wing.

I score Road 96 a 6/10

Out now on PS5

https://amzn.to/3uM6fwT

REVIEW: Rawr-Off on Nintendo Switch

Review by Jon Donnis

Rawr-Off is a game which seems to be much better suited to the Switch Lite, than on the big screen.

A party style multiplayer game, you hold the Switch Lite long ways, with one person at each end of the console.

The aim of the game is to destroy your opponent by shooting "waves of power" at them.

You have limited amounts of shots, so need to also collect the correct coloured "ammo" from the sides of the screen, along with power-ups, this tests your speed, and accuracy, and the person who is fastest and most accurate, will win.

You can also take your opponent's ammo, and freeze them, giving you the ultimate advantage.

There are various characters to choose from, each one has their own special ability, characters include such names as Sushi-senpai, Cosmic Dog Unicorn, Spaghetti Monster, Baby Cthulhu, Schrodinger's Cat and Zombie Laika. Just those names alone suggest to me the game's makers are staunch atheists!

Rawr-Off is the kind of game you will sit down with a friend and have a quick bash at. You can practice in a solo mode, but this game really needs to be played face to face with a friend. And if you are of drinking age, why not set up a few shots and make it much more fun.

The Good

A simple to play, colourful game, that can only add to a night in with friends.

The Bad

After the initial excitement, there is not much more to the game.

Overall

Short bursts of fun, maybe even use the game to settle an argument, who knows, who cares, it is a fun little game that doesn't take up much space on your Switch

I score Rawr-Off a simple 7/10

Out Now on Nintendo Switch

https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Rawr-Off-1662982.html

REVIEW: Dexter Stardust on Nintendo Switch

Review by Jon Donnis

Dexter Stardust is to be released on March 3rd on Nintendo Switch, and I was given a copy to review from the very good people at Flynn's Arcade.

Synopsis

"Space! Dexter Stardust barely escaped when the Vreesians, inhabitants of the menacing Planet X, sent a fleet of robots to destroy all life on Earth. Now, twenty years later, a mechanical man from the 10th planet seeks to communicate to Dexter a very important message - he is the key to saving both humans and Vreesians. Play the taco-loving Dexter Stardust as he, and his good friend Aurora, go on the greatest adventure of their lives and discover the mystery of the Robot from the Planet X!"

Dexter Stardust is your classic point and click adventure game, whereby you need to interact with your surroundings, solve puzzles, and move from scene to scene.

There are over 100 scenes in the game, and the game on Switch consists of all 5 episodes. Each episode acts as a new story that all connects to the main overriding story.

The game starts off with really well animated cartoon scenes, you play as Taco loving Dexter, a delivery driver in space who keeps getting himself into trouble, and once you get into the game proper, the first task will have you trying to get back to Aurora, and meet her at the house after you somehow end up in a ditch, you will then need to use your surroundings to help you navigate, and solve the puzzles, for example in the first area you find yourself in, you will notice some clay on the floor, so pick it up, in the next scene put the clay in a mould, to create the mould of a gun, then put clay mould in the sun to dry it, then fetch some wood for a handle, put mould in 3D printing type machine, switch machine on, and now you have a working gun, which will allow you to shoot a giant tentacle, and progress further.

As you can see, the puzzles are very logical, and nothing is too obscure, a bit of common sense, and straightforward thinking and you will find yourself able to solve the various problems.

The game itself is family friendly, and the controls are simple enough on a Nintendo Switch. The voice acting however is a bit rubbish. I hate to be harsh here, but at times it does feel like you have people whose English is their second language, are just sat in a small room, reading from a script. With that said, you will get used to it, and it is not really a big deal, nor will it stop you from enjoying the game. Plus, I tend to play with the sound off and read subtitles anyway, as I like to listen to music while i play video games. So, for me it wasn't a big deal.

The Good

The graphics, the animation is all brilliant, top quality, the puzzles are straightforward, which means that frustration is kept to a minimum. There will be no moments of throwing your Switch across the room as nothing makes sense, which has happened to me before in other point and click games, not mentioning any names, but Larry, I hate you.

The Bad

Some of the voice acting is a bit naff, but on a smaller budget I totally understand, and it really is the only complaint I have about the whole game.

Overall

This really is one of the better point and click adventures released in recent times. Very impressed.

I score Dexter Stardust on Nintendo Switch a strong 8/10

Release date: 03/03/2022 - £9.99

https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Games/Nintendo-Switch-download-software/Dexter-Stardust-Adventures-in-Outer-Space-2101513.html