Psychological horror games are good in theory, but only work if they really make you feel something. That feeling doesn’t always need to be fear either, and that’s what In Sound Mind manages to do so well. It’s not a constant barrage of adrenaline, but a slow build up of tension and unease. Which is all very surprising after one of the weirdest, and edgiest opening lines in a video game. But I won’t hold that against it. Much.

You play as Desmond, an amnesiac physiologist who is trying to piece together his own memories by exploring the literal psyches of his patients. Not so surprisingly, this does not go well for him. There’s also a talking cat, weird ink monsters, and noxious purple gas. In Sound Mind doesn’t shy away from the weird, and it works well in the game.

That goo isn’t good

You’ll start the game in the basement of your apartment and soon come to realise that something has gone seriously wrong in your city. The first major thing to keep an eye on is the flood of weird purple goo outside that’s completely swamped the city you live in. You also have a terrible work-life balance. But that’s to be expected when your apartment, your office, and all of your patients’ apartments are in the same building. Oh, and you’re very clearly being watched since every time you approach a phone. Like it starts ringing and the main villain takes time out of his busy day to taunt you. It’s not subtle.

The various bosses in the game are simultaneously the best and worst thing about it. The main villain is the worst for it. He calls you on the phones scattered around the level constantly, taunting you and generally being a megolamaniac. It would be effective if he didn’t sound so terribly cliché and over acted, and also wasn’t called Agent Rainbow. I find it hard to take him seriously. And then he goes and creeps around the levels so effectively that you usually only notice him when he disappears. Or when he’s standing in front of you, locking you in a freezer to die.

I find that rude, honestly.

Fight me

On the flip side, the bosses for each level are amazing. Each level is presented as a tape recording of your therapy sessions with your patients, and the main boss for each level is said patient. It doesn’t take long for you to realise when you go into a new level, that you’re heading in there to fight Desmond’s demons, as much as his patients. These are all people that have serious mental health issues that Desmond failed to help. They have become the villains of their own stories, but never really come across as completely evil.

In Sound Mind tackles the issues around mental health well. Especially in an industry that likes to either play mental illness as a joke, or a reason to be a bad person. It never comes across as disrespectful. Each of Desmond’s patients are painted as human first, mental illness second. Playing through a level, you don’t feel as if you are there to defeat someone. You’re either there to help them, or to stop them before they hurt themselves. As a reflection of this, most boss fights are more akin to puzzles that bring the bosses some measure of peace.

Delightfully unsettling

Each level is well designed, with fantastic attention to detail. The levels mix the mundane with the uncanny, so you end up with a perfectly normal supermarket that slowly turns into a haunted maze or a beach that turns to floating shipping containers. It works really well to create an uncomfortable feeling when you’re exploring a level. Each level introduces a new theme, and new tools or abilities. While the apartment allows you to calm down, the fact that you have no idea what could possibly come up in the next tape world leaves you with a delightful sense of unease.

Adding to that unease is the sheer panic of combat. Not because you’re greatly outnumbered, or underpowered, but because nothing within In Sound Mind lends itself to shooting enemies. The controls are shaky, and most of the time it’s easier to just run away rather than dealing with the annoyingly slow reload times, and Desmond’s inability to consistently point a gun at anything. Luckily, there are usually environmental hazards that can be used to your advantage. Also a shard of glass to stab things with when things start to go really wrong.

Petting cats keeps monsters away, fact

In Sound Mind tells an impressive story about people struggling with life, and throws in enough tense atmosphere, and creepy jumpscares to keep you on your toes. You’ll never know what uncanny level you’ll stumble into next, but you’ll enjoy it. It allows itself to be more than just a horror game, by being genuinely enjoyable, even as you’re creeping around trying to hide from monsters.

Also, the talking cat can be pet. This is very important.

The post In Sound Mind Review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

We play a fair few adventure card games in my household, so my curiosity was piqued when I learned about Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars. Square Enix advertises Voice of Cards as a JRPG from the creators of NieR told entirely through the medium of cards. 

Cards? Dragons? Square Enix? I was in from the word go. I reviewed a Switch copy, but Voice of Cards is also out on PS4 and PC via Steam.

Out the other end, I had undoubtedly had a good time, but not for the reasons I went in for. 

Wait, it’s all cards?

When Square Enix says Voice of Cards is told entirely through the medium of cards, what do they mean exactly? The world takes place on a card table covered in cards. The map is explored by moving to facedown cards, which flip to reveal the environment. Dialogue is represented by text on cards. Characters and monsters are illustrated on cards. Combat uses cards, (also dice and gems, but these don’t fit the narrative Square Enix and I are going for, savvy?).

To summarise, it’s basically all cards – from dialogue to exploration to combat. 

However! Brace for controversy! 

I would like to argue that Voice of Cards is not so much a card game mechanically as it is aesthetically. Sure, everything looks like a card, but take off that coat of paint, and Voice of Cards is a bog-standard JRPG. There’s no ground-breaking gameplay here.

Combat comprises characters using four skills that can be swapped out as desired, with certain enemies weak or resistant against types. Stronger skills use a mana-type resource called gems which replenish after every turn. There’s no real deck-building or randomised shuffling element. Dice rolling adds chance, for example, when calculating whether you succeed in running away from enemies, and there are randomised world events, but again – nothing outside of what you can experience in a non-card game.

That said, in the towns you visit in-game, there are card parlours where you can play an actual card game so you can play a card game while playing a card game.

The cards suit

So, the cards are more for looks than anything. But damn, Voice of Cards does look amazing. 

The cards lend themselves to an effective visual motif that ties everything together superbly. The character illustrations are gorgeous, and the combat effect animations are striking. The game is so flashy, in fact, that it results in noticeable lag on the Switch, particularly on loading screens or when moving between menu tabs. It is very, very pretty. 

Adding to the appealing looks are some appealing sounds. The tunes are atmospheric and sufficiently pleasant that my partner never complained when they repeated endlessly in the background.

A further point of difference is that all dialogue and descriptions are voiced by a single narrator, not unlike a Dungeons & Dragon GM. Heck, the game even calls the narrator “GM”. Todd Haberkorn voices the English version and sounds low energy, even mocking at times. I genuinely loved it and never skipped a description. 

Card tricks with a twist

Voice of Cards doesn’t have time to be too complicated, coming in at 15-20 hours average playtime. Very short for those who are used to 50–100-hour JRPGs. To be honest, I didn’t mind this. As a time-poor person, a bite-sized JRPG was a relief for my schedule. 

Not only is Voice of Cards not very long, it’s also not very challenging. This is especially so if you become addicted to filling out the map, which results in over-levelling very early on. 

However, this short and relatively easy game does hide some surprises in its storytelling. For example, collectable cards contain a two-part description of characters and monsters met during the adventure. The second part of the descriptions, revealed by flipping over the card, reveal twists so dark they’re practically two-sentence horror stories. Voice of Cards is honestly one of the few games where I was genuinely excited to collect not for completion’s sake, but to read the bonus text. 

The final deal 

Voice of Cards can’t decide if it’s a card game, a JRPG or Dungeons & Dragons. While I won’t be a card-carrying member of the Voice of Cards fan club, the real drawing card here is how the game looks and the twists and turns of the story. That may leave some who wanted a mechanically solid card-game with some real challenge unsatisfied. 

I can objectively see its flaws, but I can’t deny I liked the game. Beyond whatever aspirations I held for it initially, Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars was a good time, and perhaps that’s all it ever needed to be.

The post Voice of Cards review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Originally released on PC, Planet Coaster is coming to PS5 and XBX this year.

To celebrate the creators have released a little feature to share in their joy of creating this game.

Build and manage your way to coaster-creating fame! Deep physics-based systems mean you’re in for the ride of your life, so dream big and build bigger as you create your coaster park empire.

Planet Coaster: Console Edition is coming to PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X Holiday 2020.

The post Planet Coaster: Console Edition wants you to Meet the Makers appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Do you hate touch screen versions of physical buttons like I do in mobile games?  They are horrible, annoying, and not remotely comfortable when playing a game for a long stretch.  So SteelSeries has brought out the Stratus Duo to make playing games on your Android phone more comfortable, with some sweet PC functionality to justify the cost of a premium controller.

Off the bat, if you want to do some Android gaming with a controller you absolutely need the Smartgrip. It’s an attachment that clips on the back of your controller and holds the phone above it. Fortunately I was sent both so I didn’t have to juggle my phone on my knees while I controlled it on a controller.

The Smartgrip felt super clunky the first time I put it together which took a good 10 minutes, but fortunately that is the only time it felt that way. The second time it took seconds and I haven’t struggled since.  The way in which the clips and tabs work allows it to mount tightly on the controller which combined with a great phone grip removes fear of dropping your expensive phone. 

My only problem with the clip is that it didn’t fit my XB1 or PS4 controller as it is purpose built for SteelSeries controllers.  This only became an issue when I tried using PlayStation remote play on my phone, and that app only accepts PlayStation controllers. It’s a very specific use case, but I was hoping an Android would accept any controller, or the Smartgrip would work on my PS4 controller. Alas, I will have to keep using a Switch for mobile console gaming.

Annoyingly even using the Smartgrip on the Stratus Duo you can’t position it so it doesn’t cover a couple of the buttons on the back of the controller for power and/or connection options.  If you have turned on the controller, and remembered to put it on bluetooth before you mount it then there is no issue, though I forgot to hit the switch before mounting it more than once.  Given it takes seconds to put on and take off it isn’t a deal breaker, but it is a design oversight.  

On to the controller. The Stratus Duo is a super comfortable controller that uses the general shape of an Xbox/Switch controller, with the joysticks at the bottom.  The controller feels sturdy in the hands and not at all light like a cheapie.  The D-pad isn’t perfect and doesn’t have a satisfying click to it, but given we live on joysticks these days that is minor.  The triggers also don’t pull as far in as I would have expected, but again, not that much of a major issue.

What I adored was how easy it is to put the titular ‘duo’ to use.  Once you pair the controller to your phone, and plug the USB dongle into your PC, switching between the uses takes all of the flick of a button.  This simple transition between Android phone gaming, and a wireless easy to use PC controller is where the value of the Straus Duo is.

One other annoyance is the power cable. It is fine that it uses micro-USB, but it should be a USB-C charger which in a couple years will have been a little more future proofed.  Unfortunately this is another thing hidden when the smart grip is attached so it has to be removed for charging.  Fortunately, it touts a 20 hour battery life and I didn’t come close to using it up in a week.  Another minor thing, but a thing.

Given one of the pushes in the marketing is how you can use it for Fortnite I figured I would give it a crack. The controller worked perfectly in the game, and I had no issues with the tech. I didn’t survive one Deathwatch as all I heard from some kid was “f**k you” before we even landed on the ground until I realised I am too old for this and bailed.

But the controller was good.

At the end of the day if you are looking for a controller for your Android phone, I doubt you could do better than the Stratus Duo and the Smartgrip.  If you are looking for a dedicated PC controller there are better ones out there, but for dual use the SteelSeries Stratus Duo is pretty damn awesome.

The post SteelSeries Stratus Duo & Smartgrip review – The Android and PC controller in one…ish package appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Still on the fence about this upcoming title?

Well the below video may give you the info you need to make that decision.

Blurb:

Marvel’s Avengers offers players a truly rich experience, with a combination of Hero Missions and War Zones. Hero Missions are single-player only and are part of the initial Campaign. They are designed to showcase each hero’s unique abilities as you reassemble your growing roster.

War Zones can be played solo or with a group of up to four players as any Hero in your roster. Each mission dynamically scales based on the team size and player level.

Players in Marvel’s Avengers will also be able to customize Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in a number of ways. While each Super Hero will play true to their unique power sets, each will have the flexibility to play differently based on the gear you equip them with and the skills you enable, so no two player’s heroes will play in exactly the same way.

Each hero has dynamic combo systems, Heroic moves, an intrinsic ability, and signature move sets to unlock and customize – many inspired by classic moves from the 80 years of history in all media, others crafted as originals just for this game.

Players also customize these iconic Super Heroes with classic, fan-favourite, and all-new original outfits inspired by over 80-years of Marvel history, including Iron Man’s suit from the 2014 Original Sin storyline, or Thor’s Donald Blake identity, which is a nod to an alias of Thor’s who first appeared in 1962’s Journey into Mystery issue 83.

Marvel’s Avengers is an ambitious game, starting with a global high-stakes race to rebuild the Avengers. But that’s just the beginning.To ensure a continuing heroic experience for all players, the narrative of Marvel’s Avengers expands, and threats escalate with each new post-release Super Hero, region and story arc delivered to players at no additional cost once they own the core game.

Finally, in case you missed it, earlier this week SQUARE ENIX announced that Marvel’s Avengers will be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X when the consoles launch in Holiday 2020.

Players who own the current-gen version of the game will be able to upgrade to the next-gen version at no additional cost, regardless if players are moving from PlayStation 4 to PlayStation 5 or Xbox One to Xbox Series X. 

Those moving their saves to next-gen will transfer their player profiles and progression so they can pick up right where they left off. In addition, cross-gen play will be supported so PS5 players will be able to play with their friends on PS4 and Xbox Series X players will be connected with their friends on Xbox One.

The post Marvel’s Avengers has a War Table video digging deeper into the games content. appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

NIS America’s new rhythm platformer Mad Rat Dead is coming to PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on October 30 in North America and Europe, and November 6 in Oceania!

Directed by Yu Mizokami (Yomawari: Night Alone and Yomawari: Midnight Shadows), this game features the titular Mad Rat, who has been granted one more chance at life to fulfill his dream. The player must keep his heart pumping in time with the music and clear stages within a time limit…lest Mad Rat’s own time on Earth runs out! Funky visuals and addictive soundtracks, along with the ability to rewind, provide a unique experience unlike any other. 

The post NISA’s newest title ‘Mad Rat Dead’ launches in November 2020 appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

FL Interactive and Maximum Games have revealed a new gameplay trailer featuring freestyle moves and gameplay from their upcoming arcade sports game, Street Power Football.

The trailer showcases signature freestyle and trademark moves from the game’s ambassadors.

Street Power Football is coming this year to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam.

Street Power Football combines creative style with high-energy action for an over-the-top soccer and arcade video game experience.

Street Power Football features six distinct game modes, tons of customisable options to style your team to your liking, pumped up music, stages and ambassadors from around the world, with more gameplay videos to be revealed soon showcasing Panna mode, Trick shot mode, Street Power match game mode.

The post Street Power Football has a new trailer showing off the Freestyle mode. appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

After the PlayStation event on Friday, there are clearly no more awesome games to be announced right?

Wrong!

The Eternal Cylinder is a game I didn’t know I wanted until 5 minutes ago, and it looks like an awesome take on a survival game.

Good Shepherd Entertainment and independent developer Ace Team have released a new gameplay trailer for The Eternal Cylinder during the Guerrilla Collective showcase. It was also announced that this unique open-world survival adventure game is in development for PlayStation®4 and Xbox One, expected to arrive later this year.

The Eternal Cylinder puts you in control of a herd of adorable creatures on a surreal alien world where all life must contend with the threat of… the Cylinder, a gargantuan rolling structure of ancient origin which crushes everything in its path! In this massive world with real-time environmental destruction, you’ll discover exotic landscapes, outwit and outrun deadly predators, and solve dynamic exploration puzzles and challenges.

Your creatures start at the bottom of the food chain but can evolve with dozens of adaptive abilities to overcome obstacles and escape danger. These mutations stack, allowing for a huge variety of emergent skill combos, creature designs and gameplay choices, ensuring no two playthroughs are ever the same.

The Eternal Cylinder is also in development for PC and expected to launch via the Epic Games Store later this year. Players can sign up now for the game’s PC open beta, coming this summer, at www.EternalCylinder.com.

The post Good Shepherd Announce The Eternal Cylinder coming to PC, PS4 and XB1 appeared first on 8-Bit Island.

Spider-Man, they say, does whatever a spider can. I disagree. Not once over the course of this game did he lay eggs, inject venom into his prey for easy consumption, or sneak up and scare the hell out of me in the shower. But I guess if he did any of that, Marvel’s Spider-Man would be a very different game.

I’d still play it, sure, but no one else would.

This Spider-Man game is much more what you’d expect from Marvel; Peter Parker (spoilers: he’s Spider-Man!) has gone from inexplicably poor photojournalist to inexplicably poor lab technician, and also you get to punch a lot of people. Honestly though, Spidey, maybe start a damn savings account; I’m embarrassed FOR you.

Those hoping for a smooth movie tie-in with the Marvel Cinematic Universe will (thankfully) be in for a surprise, as this installment takes place in its own little pocket universe, complete with notable names that your pop-culture fattened brain will immediately flag as friend or foe. The story itself is original, thoroughly enjoyable, and also jaw-droppingly ballsy. Alliances shift. People die. And it’s the kind of thing you’ll need to experience yourself, because I wouldn’t want to ruin the experience for you, and there are some real gut-punch moments.

The action… well, it swings from highs to lows, which is nothing if not thematically appropriate. At the beginning of the game, webslinging manages to feel both dazzlingly daring and cartoonishly clumsy but, once you’ve got a few upgrades under your belt and have figured out the surprisingly in depth traversal system, swinging gets smoother, with less crashing halts. You do, on occasion, genuinely feel like a superhero.

Combat encounters are refreshingly challenging, though sometimes your worst enemy is the camera angle. I know you’re thinking Arkham when I start talking about crowd control, gadgets, and dodging, but honestly I preferred this. Its less claustrophobic, for one, and encourages a ton of aerial combat that really shows how flexible Parker is. A combination of gadgets and skills, as well as enemy specialisation, makes the introduction of each new foe interesting, and keeps you from getting too complacent as you progress.

This is an open world game, and that means collectibles and challenges. Should they exist? No. Are they as obnoxious as they could be? Also no. At least some of them have decent rationale behind them, in terms of lore as well as equipment. But the fact that some don’t even unlock till later in the game made me feel a bit cheated; I spent an hour completing this area, and you’re telling me I have to go back AGAIN?

Suit changing and customisation is pretty fun, although you’ll have more powers than you’ll know what to do with so it’s worth specialising. As I’m a creature of habit, I went with a stealth, rapid combo build, prioritising slick takedowns and fast healing. I also spent most of the game in the Secret War spider-suit, which is the most badass of all suits that I am allowed to talk about in a review format.

I hate to mention the bugs, but in a Spider game I have to (spoiler alert: he eats very few). In my very first combat encounter, a guy went through a wall.I spent five minutes trying to figure out what the hell I was supposed to do before finally using my Spider-sense to kick him into unconsciousness, randomly, through the environment. Just like the real Spider-Man! Not gamebreaking, no, but not the best introduction.

Then there’s the collision detection. You can see that Insomniac have worked incredibly hard to make everything line up correctly, but certain maneuvers still look and feel ridiculous, especially around girders and pipes. Webbing enemies to objects is great, but when a gang member is tied by the ankle to a tiny chimney, while still standing straight upright, you just have to laugh.

The music feels sufficiently superhero-y, even if I got WILDLY sick of hearing the same track every time I started swinging. This did eventually change, but it was inordinately irritating for the first third of the game, and I’m pretty sure I’m allergic to violins now.

At the time of writing, Photo Mode is not in the game, though I understand this will be part of the Day One patch. I’ll have to go back in once that’s up and running, and get some swinging Spider snaps.

Despite its flaws, most of my time playing this was well spent and thoroughly enjoyed. Marvel’s Spider-Man makes its mark with killer storytelling and excellent core mechanics; the fun is pedi-palpable. Even just swinging around New York was intensely fun, despite not being a fan of the many, many things it threw at me to distract from the main event.

Is it an absolute masterpiece that redefines the entire genre? No. But it’s a pretty damn fun game that I’ll definitely be hanging around in after launch to see what else comes along. 

The post Marvel’s Spider-Man Review appeared first on 8-Bit Island.