REVIEW: Away: The Survival Series on Xbox

Review by Jon Donnis

I was asked to review Away The Survival Series for its Xbox release, although the game has been out on other systems for a while, the Xbox release should be the best version with all bugs ironed out, as well as the addition of being able to control cats being a selling point.

The game is separated into two modes, Story mode, and Exploration mode. Story mode plays a bit like you are watching a David Attenborough documentary, but you get to control the main animal character.

You play as a young sugar glider (a small, omnivorous, arboreal, and nocturnal gliding possum), there has been some kind of apocalypse on planet earth, and only the animals are left, somehow the sugar glider survived, and he is tasked with following his mother and younger sibling as they try to survive. All the time you are being narrated to like a documentary. The narrator will give you clues of what to do next to further tell the story, for example catch a lizard, kill spiders attacking your family, catch butterflies that will act as a cure to a spider bite, as well as traversing from one area to the next through beautiful and dangerous paths.

While you play the story, you can go off and explore which will unlock other things for you to do, and allow you to uncover all of the game's mysteries.

You will also have to fight large predators as well as small ones, and you will need to use tactics to achieve your aims, or else you will get killed, luckily if you do get killed you can start again at the last check point. And if you choose the Easy mode, you will also have your energy and food supply refilled.

Talking of energy and food, you can eat almost anything, including mushrooms and the small animals that you might need to get past. And should you get lost or lose your mother, you can use a kind of special instinct mode, bit like in Assassin's Creed, where you can sense where they have gone, as well as find animals and so on.

The story mode is the main way you will play this game to get out of it everything the developers want you to.

There is also an exploration mode, which will have you at first controlling a bit of floating fungus, which you can use to "possess" any animal you choose, once you possess an animal, you will be able to use it as if you were it, control a snail, and you will basically be able to do nothing but move very, very slowly. Control a butterfly and you can flutter about, and in the Xbox version there are also cats you can control.

In this mode you are tasked with possessing a certain number and type of animal. Hence why it is exploration mode. At any time, you can leave the possessed animal and return to the floating fungus, to allow you to better search, or you can jump directly from one animal to the next.

Now the idea for the game is great, but how is the execution. Usually, I am very kind to Indie games like this, but because it was initially released a few years ago, I feel like that they have had plenty of time to improve it for the Xbox release. The game does have a few problems. The controls feel clunky, whereas gliding should feel great, it doesn't, it feels a bit awkward, and landing where you want isn't as easy as it should be, although there is an aim method that only adds button pushes to what should be the most fun part of the game.

The camera is also a bit of a pain at times, usually when you are moving in small confined areas.

Combat is rather limited, and not animated as well as it should be, neither are the eating animations.

The game does have a few graphical bugs, as well as bugs with regards to the animals, especially in fight scenes. There are no excuses for any bugs like this a few years after release date on other systems.

The Good

The idea for the game is great, I liked the narration, and it really did feel like you were taking part in a documentary.

The Bad

The graphics at times are a bit basic for the Xbox Series S which is what I was playing it on, graphics are more Xbox 360, unfortunately, a game like this really needs super high detailed graphics to help tell the story. Some textures look a bit dodgy, and the animation is a bit poor. You will probably complete the story mode relatively quickly, and I wasn't a fan of the exploration mode at all. The addition of cats doesn't seem to add anything special to the game, I prefer using the humble cricket instead.

Overall

A great idea for a game, but perhaps hampered by a lack of ambition. Maybe there is just not enough money and man time available to make this game what it should be, which is such a shame as I like the concept. It is just poorly delivered. And with initial release on PC a few years ago, I don't hold up much hope that the bugs will be fixed any time soon.

To release this on Xbox, the game needs to be perfect, and the graphics much improved.

I wish this game was better, I want it to be better, but as it is, I score Away: The Survival Series on Xbox a sad 6/10

Out Now

https://www.xbox.com/en-us/games/store/away--the-survival-series/9NQWHX1V7KRJ

REVIEW: Railbound on Xbox

Review by Jon Donnis

For those of you who follow my reviews, you will know I love a simple little puzzle game, so when I was asked to review Railbound, I found myself optimistic in that I would enjoy this.

Railbound has been out on PC for a while, but is now getting its Xbox release, and that includes a "big free track bending update".

So, what is the game about, well it has trains in it, it has dogs in it and it is a puzzle game, so you can probably guess. Ok perhaps not. The concept is simple, you need to lay track, so that train carriages can connect to the train, and the train can then depart. It sounds so simple, and yes it starts off so simple, but as always with these types of puzzle games, they soon become very tricky and will have you pulling your hair out, right before you solve it and then do a little dance in your living room, followed usually by annoyance at how you didn't figure it out sooner.

The game gets harder when you realise you need to connect the train carriages to the train in a certain order, throw in tunnels, barriers that need to be opened, and a limited amount of tracks that can be laid, and suddenly you will need every single brain cell if you want to pass the level.

There are over 150 levels, lots of bonus levels, different landscapes to play on. The Xbox release, brings with it an extra 30 never before seen tracks and a lovely relaxing soundtrack, with all of this you have one very nice little puzzle game.

The Good

Frustrating but in a good way. The graphics are nice and clear, very colourful, and the music is really cool. There are loads of levels, the game plays well on the Xbox using a gamepad. If you do get stuck, there are plenty of walkthroughs online, but try to avoid them, you will figure it out eventually, you just need time and patience.

The Bad

The levels often have only a single way to solve them, which means everything has to be precision perfect, I found this a tad annoying, especially when stuck on a level.

Overall

Railbound really is a fun little puzzle game, ok maybe not the most original in the world, but that doesn't matter, it looks great, is fun to play, and offers a decent challenge to puzzle fans.

I score Railbound a strong 8/10

Out Now on Xbox at

https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/railbound/9p0krkdr11w3

REVIEW: Poly Bridge 3 on PC (Steam) - Bridge Building Game

Review by Jon Donnis

There has been an endless stream of "Bridge Construction" type games in recent years, so the concept is not new, but Poly Bridge has gained quite a following as being one of the better examples of the genre.

The concept is a simple one, you build a bridge, and a vehicle drives across it and reaches a flag.

As you would expect things start out pretty simple, and progressively get harder. Start with a simple bridge, lay down the road first, then arrange the trusses and cables so the road can take the weight, once done, click on play, and the vehicle will try to cross, if the bridge is faulty, or cannot handle the weight, then it will collapse, and you have to start all over again. So planning is the key here.

You also have to keep an eye out for costs, weight of the bridge, and so on, all of these issues need to be taken into account as you try to stay within your budget, but also produce a safe useable bridge.

There are a few game options, the campaign being the one you will play the most, 100+ levels, over 12 different "worlds". Each level is harder than the previous, and before you know it you will be including jumps and hydraulics along with your bridge construction to complete the level,

There is also a Sandbox mode, which is all about creativity, with no restrictions. You can view other people's levels, as well as publish your own, which in theory means an almost limitless amount of gameplay, with leader boards and so on to compete with people all over the world. This is a fun mode which really does allow you to create some interesting levels, lots of decorative objects to include and create, as well as moving objects like air ships and planes to make the level look even more interesting.

This is a super simple concept, with a small download size too, it is nice to see an effort made to make what is arguably a crowded genre better, with some new and original ideas.

The Good

Nice simple graphics, a good learning curve, and an endless stream of user created content to play with.

The Bad

Unfortunately, as mentioned this is a very crowded genre, and it will be hard to stand out from the crowd. Many of these bridge building games are basically the same.

Overall

This is a fun if unoriginal game, effort has been made to add features not present in similar games. If you are a fan of bridge builder games, then this is a no brainer, you should add it to your collection. If you have never played such a game before, then this is one to check out for sure.

I score Poly Bridge 3 on PC a safe 7.5/10

Released on May 30^th on Steam

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1850160/Poly_Bridge_3/

REVIEW: The Crown of Wu on Playstation

Review by Jon Donnis

The Crown of Wu is a thrilling third-person action-adventure, puzzle game from small 3 person Spanish studio Red Mountain, inspired by Chinese mythology.

The story of The Crown of Wu follows the exploits of Wu, a creature who is half-monkey and half-human. Once serving as the emperor's messenger, Wu's behavior turned chaotic after he began wearing a crown that granted him exceptional abilities. It seems that donning the crown corrupts the wearer's heart, as Wu's misdeeds and brutalities ultimately resulted in his capture and punishment: being frozen in a bio-static solution. 

After spending many years in a near-conscious, immobile state, Wu eventually breaks free from his confinement and discovers a world in decline. To make matters worse, his crown has been stolen and is being employed to create a vibration that will culminate in a massive explosion, threatening the extinction of all life. In order to save the world and redeem himself, Wu must retrieve his stolen crown and assist those whom he previously punished. His ultimate goal is to achieve peace.

Here are some of the features:

The game world - Immerse yourself in a great land that is both ancient and new. Inspired by Chinese mythology and created to tell a new story of Sun's journey from anti-hero to hero, this is a world where legend meets reality.

Attributes and abilities - Harness the powers of air, fire, earth and lightning. Each of your powers gives you a way to work with the environment or against your enemies. Attack with Air, Fire and Lightning. Defend with Earth. Summon your powers to defeat enemies and cross dangerous chasms.

Combat System - Discover a fresh and simple combat system that grants you incremental powers as you travel through this terrible land to solve the mystery of the stolen Crown. Get ready to jump, run and parkour your way through this new world as you solve intricate puzzles and overcome increasingly complex trials as you progress through the levels.

I have been playing The Crown of Wu for a few days now, and considering it was created by such a small studio, I was very impressed at the detail that has gone into this game.

There are vast areas to explore, as well as some very challenging enemies to overcome.

You can run, jump and parkour your way across the levels while solving puzzles and fighting enemies. As you progress through the game you will unlock new powers that will help you. You will first unlock an Air attack, but later on you can also attack with Fire and Lightning and defend with Earth powers.

The Good

The general feel of the game is very good, the voice acting, the music, the look of the game itself. I liked the method of healing yourself after or even during a fight, attack some conveniently placed crystals, then use the power from them to heal, all the while keeping an eye out for your enemy. The boss fights were well designed. And even on the easiest settings, the game offered a decent challenge.

There is a good story being told, which is inspired by Journey to the West, a classic Chinese novel about the Monkey King, Sun Wukong.

Also a special shout out to the awesome soundtrack, that you can buy now on Amazon at https://amzn.to/42T0YCT

The Bad

As mentioned above the game is challenging, even on the easiest setting, and that might put some people off.

Overall

This is a very enjoyable game, very old school in its feel.

Definitely worth checking out. I score The Crown of Wu a solid 8/10

The Crown of Wu is now available digitally on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam, with the Xbox digital version coming soon.

Buy now at

https://store.playstation.com/en-us/concept/235159

The Crown of Wu - Legend Edition for PlayStation 5 will include a set of stunning art postcards and an introduction letter from the protagonist, Wu, all packaged in a specially designed case with exclusive game artwork and be available across European retail stores.

REVIEW: ONI: Road to be the Mightiest Oni on PC (Steam)

Review by Jon Donnis

ONI: Road to be the Mightiest Oni feels like it should be Early Access, but I cant see any note of that on the Steam page, therefore I will have to treat it as a final release.

Created by a team of 5 developers, over 2 years, the game has been designed to give the plaer the feel that they have jumped into the pages of a childhood picture book. You play on Kisejima Island, a relatively small area.

You play as demon warrior Kuuta, and later on as his partner Kazemaru, gameplay mainly consists of exploring the area, collecting items and challenging the phantoms of demons that appear across the island. As you defeat your enemies and collect their souls, you will unlock new areas to play in. Eventually you will need to defeat the evil monster Momotaro.

You fight against the demons by attacking them with your club, once defeated you switch to Kazemaru who then sucks the spirit out of the demon's body, and boom you just defeated a demon. You can even control both characters at the same time using joysticks on a gamepad.

Collect mushrooms, and pieces of paper, upgrade your club, take part in missions, and so on.

In game artwork is by Kensei Design, and everything looks very nice. There is also some pretty catchy songs playing as you play.

So how does the game play? And I hate to do this, but I have to be honest, at the start of this review I mentioned about how it feels like it should be Early Access, that is because at its core the game is broken. Control is a nightmare, fights are far from intuitive, just moving the character about feels difficult, you will get stuck just walking up a hill. The fights themselves are actually the only thing that seems to work ok, but when you need to run away from an enemy, that control issues makes it so frustratingly bad.

The frame rate is also a problem, optimisation is very poor, for what is a small download, it should work so much better.

When you don't move everything looks great. 

There is great potential here, I like the general look of the game, the soundtrack, and the idea, but it is just so poorly finished off, that it is nowhere near ready to be released, even as Early Access I would say this isn't ready.

I hate to speak badly about an Indie Game, but this is just not ready for release, and at £24.99 on Steam, that price is ridiculously high.

The Good

Graphics and general aesthetics are very good, the soundtrack is also of a high quality.

The Bad

The gameplay, the optimisation, the controls, pretty much everything else.

Overall

For such a nice looking game, I am left incredibly disappointed in this, I would expect that they will fix the bugs, release updates etc, but I fear that many people will be put off before the game is anywhere near an acceptable finished article. This game is a long way from being release ready.

I wont give ONI: Road to be the Mightiest Oni on PC a score, as I dont like to kick someone when they are down, and the reviews on Steam are horrific.

I wish the developers all the best on this, and I hope after a year or so, if they stick with it, listen to the complaints and improve this game, then get in contact with me again and I will give the game a fresh review.

If you want to check it out you can at 

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2101190/ONI__Road_to_be_the_Mightiest_Oni/