REVIEW: Road to Guangdong on Xbox One - By Jon Donnis

Review By Jon Donnis
Now if you said to me "here is a visual novel to play", I have to admit that I would be skeptical, I like my action games, I like life or death situations in my games, and a visual novel is something that I have rarely enjoyed, saying that I did give this game the benefit of the doubt.

You play as Sunny, a young art graduate who has just inherited her family's restaurant in Guangdong, South China in the 1990s the problem is that the restaurant is in trouble, so along with her old aunt Guu Ma you journey to find old family friends and relatives in an effort to find recipes and secrets that will help you bring back this restaurant to it's full potential.

As you play through the game you will realise this is about thecultural differences between older and younger Chinese people, you have to make tough choices which will decide in the long run where things will end up.

You also have an old car (Sandy) that you need to take care of, the car is falling apart and keeping it running is a serious part of the game, whether that is fixing the engine, or filling it up with fuel and so on. You will drive between locations, where you can listen to interesting Chinese music on the radio, you will stop at junk yards to get parts of the car, as well as petrol stations to fill up.

As you play through the game you will come across interesting characters that you will interact with and learn their stories, and that is the part of the game that you will get the most from, and that is where the term "visual novel" is mostly talking about.

Unfortunately the parts of the game I did not like were the driving and car mechanics, it just seems a bit boring for a game that is mainly attractive due to it's stories.

This is a hard game to score, the graphics are lovely, the sound effects are also great, and the characters are wonderful. The problem is, it is not a game that will ever raise your heart beat, it is more like reading a book with interesting characters, but you have to go through annoying bits to get to the next page.

It is a visual novel, it is advertised as such, but for me, I am just not that interested in visual novels, I kinda like my games to be games.

So although this game does have a market, and I think people interested in Chinese culture might find it enjoyable, I think outside of that demographic, it is hard sell.

I score Road to Guangdong on Xbox One a 5/10 - Not for me.

Survival-Horror Cult Hit “Song of Horror” Lurks Onto PS4 & Xbox One on October 29

Barcelona, Spain - Tuesday 1st September 2020:
Having kickstarted its movement to both refresh and honour the survival-horror genre last Halloween with the very first episode of Song of Horror on PC, Raiser Games and Protocol Games have announced that the game will come to both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as one single release on October 29th, 2020.

The release will comprise of all five episodes in one package, allowing console players to take on a thrilling paranormal story where the threat of The Presence, a dark entity that reacts to your way of playing, looms large throughout in one seamless flow, celebrating the first anniversary of the game's debut - a title that’s been in development for more than six years in total.

Song of Horror sees players set out to investigate the mystery of the disappearance of famed but now elusive writer Sebastian P. Husher - a man who, along with his entire family, has vanished without a trace. Taking on any one of 13 different characters, Song of Horror is a Lovecraftian, third-person adventure that pays homage to the classic masterpieces of the survival-horror genre.

"We have been blown away by the reception Song of Horror has had on PC, and now’s the time to broaden the game’s base and reach out to console players,” says studio co-founder Carlos Grupeli. “The survival-horror genre has such a history on both PlayStation and Xbox that it feels only right to bring our little ode to all that has gone before to an audience that truly appreciates real scares.”

At its heart, Song of Horror is a non-combat adventure where the focus instead is on running and hiding, staying silent in the midst of all the terror to avoid triggering unnerving manifestations, capable of bringing the game’s line-up to the brink of insanity. With the game’s ever-present foe The Presence keeping players on their toes from start to finish, Song of Horror’s mission to keep you severely spooked is one it never lets up on.

Song of Horror features: -
*A truly dynamic terror experience: its antagonist, the supernatural entity known only as The Presence, is controlled by an advanced AI (Artificial Intelligence) that reacts to your actions and decisions.
*Experience unbearable fear as this otherworldly being responds to your way of playing and hunts you down in unexpected ways, offering a unique experience to every player and gameplay where tension builds up naturally instead of coming from scripted sequences.
*Live this story through the eyes of a varied set of characters related to the story in their own way. Every character is different, and brings their unique point of view to the investigation, allowing them to approach clues and items differently.
*Their actions and decisions will shape the world: some of them will know more or less of certain aspects of the story; some will be more effective against supernatural manifestations, but all of them can die if the Presence gets to them – and death can be permanent. If they die, you will have to pick the story up with another one, and continue the investigation so their deaths are not in vain.
*A mysterious antique shop, a forgotten abbey, an abandoned mental hospital... Each location in Song of Horror is inspired by the classics of the genre. Explore and investigate these haunted places to gather clues and items that will help you solve challenging puzzles while enduring the agonizing tension of the game's atmosphere.

Song of Horror will launch on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One as one single release on October 29th, 2020.

Space Crew - Release Date Trailer - Curve Digital

Captain get out of the mess hall, put down that doughnut and get to the bridge - Space Crew, the direct sequel to the award-winning game by Runner Duck, Bomber Crew has a launch date!

September 15th!

Your continuing mission: To defend Earth and humankind, to eliminate the extraterrestrial threat and to boldly go where no Crew has gone before!  Enlist today and blast off to new heights! Are you ready to enter ship-to-ship combat while balancing your strategy, managing your resources and keeping crew abilities in check to stop ship invasions, repair systems, tackle fires and take evasive action?

Recruit YOUR Space Crew from your captain to comms officer, weapons officer, engineer and more - you will be able to create your own unique crew with customisable equipment, load-outs, appearances and names.

Space Crew launches on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on 15th October and will be priced at £17.99/ €19.99/ $19.99 USD.

Live by the Sword, Die by the Blade. One-hit-kill sword combat game to launch Kickstarter campaign this October

Die by the Blade draws inspiration from legendary combat games like Bushido Blade, Way of the Samurai and Dark Souls as well as the epic stand-offs in Ghost of Tsushima. Set in a visually stunning ‘Samuraipunk’ vision of Japan, Die by the Blade fuses techpunk visuals and japanese-inspired aesthetics to create the perfect backdrop for the ancient art of sword fighting. Players must take up their sword and face off against deadly opponents, where the slightest mistake will seal your fate. Become a master of your craft and fight to the death with other players in tense, fast paced multiplayer matches or slash through tough AI enemies in the singleplayer campaign.

By utilising a One-Hit-Kill combat system, Die by the Blade leaves no room for mistakes. By removing the concepts of health bars and health points, the game is built on a realistic battle system creating a sense of real tension as one error by the player could result in instant death. This system emphasizes the need for weapon positioning, parrying and counter moves to defend against enemy attacks before delivering a clean hit to any vital area of your opponent, causing instant death. Players must use the One-Hit-Kill system to learn from their mistakes and mount devastating comebacks to claim victory.

Publisher Grindstone will be launching a Kickstarter campaign for Die by the Blade this October with the goal of engaging with fans and building an active and supportive community.

REVIEW: No Straight Roads - XBOX One

Review by Jon Donnis
No Straight Roads is a strange game, it is an action adventure, rhythm infused, third person combat music game. Confused yet?

Set in "Vinyl City" you play as two wannabe rock stars who are fighting against NSR records. NSR records controls the music in the city and also the power supply, so clearly they need to be stopped.

You move from room to room and fight against the enemy in different musical genres. For example in Akushuka it is all K-Pop, in Metro District you fight against a boyband, and so on.

The graphics in this game are superb, a very unique look and as you would hope the soundtrack is excellent.
Although I was expecting more of a rhythm music game, this at it's core is an action adventure.

The story is fine, you are the underdogs trying to over come a corrupt music industry and you fight from the bottom until you get to the top. It is a story that everyone can understand and be empathetic towards. Although the fighting system is simplistic, you avoid being attacked, and then you attack, it is fun how you judge when an attack is coming by listening to the music.

This is a fun game, I think the problem many will have is that they will expect too much, sometimes you just need to turn the volume up, don't take things too seriously, and just enjoy the experience. 

A simple and fun game, I enjoyed playing, not going to set any records, but I give it a solid 7/10